Volume 51 Issue 22

The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Toronto Mississauga since 1974

themedium.ca

Issue 22 Volume 51 March 24 2025

Illustration by Sehajleen Wander

02

NEWS

Editor | Samuel Kamalendran news@themedium.ca

UTM professors go head-to-head in rare debate Aaron Calpito Associate News Editor

administration while Bumgardner and Jurgensen would argue in its defence.

Students for Liberty brought togeth- Political science in the spotlight er four political science professors to face off concerning the implications of the new Trump presidency.

On March 10, students at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) were treated to a rare event: Students for Liberty (SFL)’s Scholars’ Showdown, a public debate between four professors from UTM’s Department of Political Science.

The atmosphere on debate night was convivial, as about 100 students lined the rows of lecture hall IB 120 in the Instructional Centre. With the stage set and moderators Evans and Asad in place, the audience quieted down to listen to the professors make their case.

Students for Liberty: Fostering free speech Evans explained that the SFL’s mission is “to give students the opportunity to engage in politics in a collaborative and non-judgmental way.” With that mission in mind, Asad set out to come up with an event that would get students interested in the new club and “spotlight the Department of Political Science.”

Asad came up with the idea for Scholars’ Showdown after hearing about debates between professors at British universities. At first, the SFL executive team was skeptical about whether professors at UTM would want to participate in such an event.

“We didn’t know if they would agree to it,” Asad said, “but we had to try.”

After reaching out across the Department, professors’ interest in the debate turned out to be much greater than expected. “They seemed really excited,” Asad said, recalling the positive responses she and Evans received from the four professors.

“I think as students, we misunderstand our professors a lot…. In reality, they love talking with their students, they love sharing what they learned, and they want to help us flourish as well.”

With the instructors’ attendance sorted out, Asad placed them into two teams according to their research areas and personalities. Greenaway and Magos were slated to make a case against the Trump

Greenaway also blamed Trump and the U.S. Supreme Court for enabling the rich to hijack politics. “The implication of this is that some of us get to whisper our influence into the U.S., and others get to drive Cybertrucks with megaphones into the Oval Office itself.” To that, Bumgardner stated, “Despite Donald Trump, the U.S. is still more free, more liberal, and more democratic than most democracies today.”

After the debaters made their closing statements, SFL opened the floor for students to question their claims and ask for comments on other political issues.

Professors Chris Greenaway and Alejandro García Magos faced off against Professors Justin Bumgardner and Arnd Jurgensen about the political implications of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president. The debate comes as volatility in Washington, D.C. over the past few weeks has raised questions about global security, democracy, and Canada’s independence.

The Showdown was the first large event hosted by SFL, one of UTM’s newest student groups. The Medium interviewed SFL President Ethan Evans and Vice President Outreach Shababa Asad prior to debate night.

between its provinces and territories.

Exclusive scoop Following the debate, Professors Magos and Greenaway offered comments in e-mail interviews with The Medium.

“Debating with professors from different disciplines should be the norm,” Photo provided by Shababa Asad Magos wrote, reflecting on the importance of events like What followed was two and a half hours of expert the Scholars’ Showdown. “These interdisciplinary contestation. The professors’ arguments spanned exchanges not only benefit students with a deeper across time periods and disciplines, drawing from understanding of politics but also foster a broader, law, economics, political theory, history, and cur- more inclusive academic community.” rent events. Each of them livened their statements with rhetorical flourishes, all while putting forward Similarly, Professor Greenaway expressed, “It bold claims. might be interesting to get cross-departmental discussions going. Sometimes, we get siloed into our Professor Magos was the first to present, stating, own departments.”

“Mr. Trump has disrupted the world that I recognize,” and arguing that the president’s “America Magos and Greenaway also appealed to students first” policies are undermining global stability. who are hesitant to approach their professors, sayProfessor Greenaway backed him up, identifying ing that students can form lasting connections and Trump as the “dead-centre cause” of the decline of learn a lot just by having conversations with them democracy and longstanding alliances worldwide. and going to office hours.

Professor Jurgensen countered by saying “Every U.S. government has put America first and has been more than willing to undermine democracies in other countries… to maintain global dominance.” Instead, he argued, “Trump is a symptom of that overall disease of decline in the U.S.”

“Introduce yourself, mention something from class that caught your attention, or ask for clarification on an assignment,” Greenaway said, offering advice on how to approach a professor. “You don’t have to have a perfect question; just starting a conversation can open doors.”

Considering whether Canada should seek new allies, Professor Bumgardner argued that “the U.S. is Canada’s only real choice for a partner. No country other than the U.S. can ensure Canada’s security.”

Magos urged students to engage with their professors to make the most of their academic careers.

“Professors are very much human too, and we’re always happy to engage with students who show curiosity and interest.”

Professor Greenaway rebutted, “Our relationship with the U.S. is obviously necessary, but having this insane amount of reliance on the U.S. has simply gone too far.” Instead, he posited that Canada needs to focus on improving economic cooperation

03

UTM professors weigh in on the future of Canada-U.S. relations Aaron Calpito Associate News Editor

The Department of Political Science hosted a public panel discussion about the future of Canada’s relationship with its closest and strongest ally.

On March 11, speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his desire to end Canadian sovereignty. “Canada should honestly become our 51st state,” he said before explaining why he thinks it would be a good idea.

The Trump administration’s repeated undermining of Canada has caused many Canadians to lose faith in the U.S. The backlash has prompted retaliation across Canada, both economic and symbolic, such as the City of Mississauga’s decision last week to remove American flags at several locations.

To address students’ concerns about the current CanadaU.S. situation, the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)’s Department of Political Science hosted a public panel on March 13, titled, “Canada and the Trump Challenge.” The panel, led by six professors, went over the difficulties Canada may have to face regarding trade, the environment, defence, and its own independence in the face of such a threat.

“A disorienting time for Canadians” Starting the discussion as moderator, Professor and Chair Steven Bernstein acknowledged that President Trump’s actions have been very “disorienting” for Canadians. “The opinion of the U.S. is at a record low, with only about a third of Canadians having a positive view of the U.S., which is about the same as those that have a positive view of Russia.”

He expressed his hopes that students would benefit from the panel’s informed and level-headed insights amid constant rhetoric and absurdity from politicians and social media.

Speaking on Canadian sovereignty, Professor Noel Anderson told the audience, “You can rest assured that the threat of a U.S. invasion of Canada is very remote,” arguing that it would be too difficult, costly, and demoralizing for the Americans for it to be a worthwhile venture.

Illustration by Xiao Zhu He went on to say that Trump’s recent actions should nevertheless be a “wake-up call for Canadian leaders in Ottawa” to invest more in national defence and improve national unity to limit Canada’s reliance on the U.S. Next, Professor Edward Schatz suggested that the war in Ukraine could impact Canada-U.S. relations. While Ukrainians are fighting for “territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Schatz explained, Russia is a force of imperialism. As such, a Russian victory in Ukraine would mark a regression to “might [make] right” in global politics, possibly setting the stage for the U.S. to subvert Canada’s right to govern itself.

As Canada seeks to strengthen its economy amid a trade war, Professor Andrea Olive questioned whether Canadian leaders will continue to take environmental protection seriously. “The Trump administration is dismantling climate policy…. Is Canada going to continue with its commitments, or are we too going to change the channel?”

Olive also warned that censorship might impact scientific research, revealing that U.S. government employees she worked with were disallowed from using certain phrases, such as “environmental justice” and “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” in reports about biodiversity and climate change.

On trade, Professor Spyridon Kotsovilis framed Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canada as “economic warfare”

that aims to protect American industry, generate revenue for the U.S. government, reduce trade deficits, and eventually help the U.S. to re-negotiate trade agreements with Canada and Mexico. Kotsovilis lamented that “the forecast is grim for Canada, and we may be headed for a recession.”

Finally, discussing military alliances, Professor Arnd Jurgensen stressed that “we must recognize as Canadians that we are not among the powerful [nations].”

Canada needs allies to secure its independence, and although Trump’s annexation threats are “the most potent and realistic threat to Canada’s sovereignty at this point,” there are few options for dependable military partners other than the U.S. However, Jurgensen also suggested that it is too early to speculate on the future of Canada-U.S. relations, given that Trump’s second term is still only a few weeks old.

Jurgensen stated, “We are trying to analyze this situation in a way that is equivalent to trying to understand a car accident while the cars are still in motion.” Although Trump’s return to the Oval Office has certainly brought volatility to both the U.S. and Canada, it is unclear whether that volatility is here to stay.

A recording of the panel discussion is available on the UTM Political Science Department website.

04

Literature Is Alive celebrates the humanities in its Annual Symposium Yusuf Larizza-Ali Staff Writer The “Why Study Humanities Today” Symposium invited students to share their thoughts on the academic, global and social significance of the humanities in today’s world.

On March 15, the Department of English and Drama, along with the studentled group Literature Is Alive (LIA), presented the “Why Study Humanities Today? World-Building for Social Change” symposium. The ongoing theme of the symposium was to give insight into and celebrate how studying the humanities and combining it with other disciplines can enhance students’ careers and equip them with valuable advocacy skills.

LIA is a student-centred group co-founded by students and Dr. Julia Boyd that organizes events bringing students and staff together for “inspiring conversations about the practical career benefits, interdisciplinary applications, and realworld social and environmental impacts of studying English and writing in university,” according to the group’s About Us poster.

The events arranged by LIA range from Career Panels to lectures and arts and crafts social events featuring performances of student literary work. Since 2024, they have hosted various research symposiums for students to share their insights on themes like “Living Humanities” and “Building Worlds.”

One of these symposiums, which has since become annual, is the “Why Study Humanities Lightning Lecture,” which seeks to celebrate the vital contributions of the humanities to academic studies.

Photo by Sara Li

InnovateUTM sweeps 2025 UTMSU elections Celesta Maniatogianni Associate News Editor

Besides the new executive team, voters also chose next year’s UTMSU Board of Directors and voiced their opinions on three referendums.

The event was marketed heavily by LIA and the Department of English & Drama through e-mails and posters encouraging students to present and attend.

Additionally, a workshop was hosted beforehand to assist presenters prepare for their speeches and differentiate essays intended for speaking rather than writing.

On March 17, the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Student Union (UTMSU) released the unofficial results of the 2025 Spring Union elections, around four days after UTM students finished voting on who would represent them as the Union’s executive committee.

The event was structured into three panels, during which student speakers gave individual presentations on their interpretations of the different aspects of the humanities.

Andrew Park will serve as UTMSU’s next president, having received 1,683 votes. Nahal Nakib of EvolveUTM was the runner-up, with 968 votes, while independent candidate Aryaman Chopra obtained 110 votes.

A closer look at the panels and presentations

Currently in his fourth year specializing in criminology, law and society, Park said his goal “is to get students the assistance they need to better prepare for life beyond university,” according to his candidate statement. As president, he plans to advocate for students’ access to employment, resources, drop-in sports programs, and social events.

The three panels each had specific themes. Panel 1 was titled, “From Words to Action: Humanities for Activism and Social Justice;” Panel 2 was titled, “Building Bridges; Interdisciplinary Humanities for Community;” and Panel 3 was named, “From Communications to Career: Humanities for Workplace Success and Creative Innovation.”

During Panel 1, English major Rawan Alzatma presented, “Literature: The Strongest Tool in the Face of Violence,” during which he discussed how while the Palestinian people have faced colonization at the hands of many forces, their spiritual presence remains intact. Such a lingering presence is due to the words and stories, which cannot be destroyed by weapons, that represent the lives of Palestinian people.

Also during Panel 1, first-year student, Vera Allue, presented, “Food Feeds Generations” which discussed how the humanities can provide insight into how narratives, from myth to social media, influence what foods become popular, like avocado toast and quinoa.

In Panel 2, third-year student Zilale Tursun presented “Us VS. Them: The Ambiguity of What it Means to be Human,” and made the simple point that the humanities are necessary to define what human existence is.

Such a topic aligned well with fourth-year student, Toni Burrell’s presentation titled, “There Is No Ethical Future in the Sciences Without Humanities,” which posed that the humanities are equally important as other fields because they provide insight into the experiences which make us human and explain why ethics are necessary to science.

After two weeks of intensive campaigning, InnovateUTM emerged as the victorious party, obtaining all five executive positions by significant margins.

Owen (Rui) Zhang, a second-year digital enterprise management specialist, will serve as UTMSU’s next Vice President Internal, having obtained 1,601 votes. Zhang hopes to advocate for student rights and improve the efficiency and accessibility of UTMSU’s internal operations.

The position’s runner-up, EvolveUTM’s Abdullah Yousuf, obtained 1,143 votes.

Rajas Dhamija, a second-year finance and economics student, will serve as Vice President External, with 1,619 votes. Rajas, who spent the past year as a Vice President External Associate, will continue working on enhancing transit and campus accessibility. EvolveUTM’s Karan Chandi obtained 1,088 votes.

UTMSU’s next Vice President Equity will be Miatah McCallum, a third-year philosophy and sociology double-major who took the position with 1,591 votes, while EvolveUTM’s Tozie Amaechi and independent candidate Aymaan Chowdhury obtained 940 and 176 votes respectively. In her candidate statement, McCallum said she aims to increase accessibility for students on campus and ensure that “there are sufficient and useful aids” available to students.

Manaal Fatima, a third-year political science and criminology student, will serve as Vice President University Affairs and plans to ensure UTM students are “both empowered and supported.” Fatima obtained 1,711 votes—the most in the entire election—while EvolveUTM’s Manisha Biring received 1,027 votes.

Voters were also able to determine next year’s Union Board of Directors. While twenty candidates ran, the top eleven with the most votes ultimately secured the position. The winners include David Han (1,149 votes), Jordan MacLean (1,105), Summer Qiu (1,098), Sarah Gamal El-Dean (1,063), Safa Shuaib (1,050), Saad Hussain (1,019), Enran Zu (986), Abeeha Imitaz (957), Adam El-Falou (941), Farzana Ishmael (939), and Suleyman Yusuf (930).

All three referenda questions on the ballot, which concerned modifications of the Blind Duck Levy Fee and Student Centre Levy Fees, were passed. However, for all three categories, more students abstained from voting than those who voted in or not in favour of the referendums.

MASTHEAD EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Hannah Grace Wang editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Aya Yafaoui managing@themedium.ca News Samuel Kamalendran news@themedium.ca Opinion Mashiyat Ahmed opinion@themedium.ca Features Madhav Ajayamohan features@themedium.ca A&E Keira Johannson arts@themedium.ca Sports Joseph Falzata sports@themedium.ca Photo & Design Sara Li photos@themedium.ca Hannah Grace Wang design@themedium.ca Copy May Alsaigh may@themedium.ca Maja Tingchaleun maja@themedium.ca

05 OPINION

Sorry, I’m an Anti-Romantic April Roy Contributor The top 10 awkward encounters sex-disinterested people face (and how to deal with them).

With my first year of university coming to an end and assignments piling up, romance is the last thing on my mind. Maybe that’s just me, though. Right now, I am not in the emotional or social space to start dating. So much of our understanding of maturity and initiation into adulthood is centered around the notion of dating. Dating itself also prompts sexual exploration. While this may be fair, it leaves sex-disinterested people like me out of the loop. Yet, my university experience so far has taught me that being by yourself is just as mature as being with a partner. Both take humility, courage, patience, and care.

Regardless, being a sex-disinterested person in these times comes with its share of awkward moments. Below is a (by no means exhaustive) list of such moments that I or people like me can (and probably will) experience.

1.When they ask you, “do you have a boyfriend yet?”

There’s always an uncomfortable silence that’s sure to follow when relatives, neighbours, and friends ask about your relationship status.

Even though I have gotten better at quick responses to the “I want grandchildren!” comments from my parents, I am just as quick to try and change the subject. Sometimes, people don’t even ask, but instead naturally assume that I’m dating someone, with which I can only reply with a halfhearted smile. Maybe one day I’ll find the courage to say, “I’m perfectly fine being by myself,” but for now I just say, “I’m focusing on my studies.”

2.Being asked out (especially when you’re least expecting it) I usually avoid giving hints that I’m interested in dating, so it did come as a surprise once when someone showed interest in me.

It was even more awkward considering it happened when I was at work. Although I was temporarily flattered, I only offered to give him my social media account out of pressure, rather than reciprocated interest.

To this day, I still feel bad about not having replied to his text later that day, but it was probably best not to give any more mixed signals.

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3.PDA I usually pretend not to notice, but there’s always a slight pang of jealousy when I see people being lovey-dovey with another in public, whether it’s on V-day or another day at school. I can’t tell sometimes if I want something similar or just to get away from it. Even though I’ve gotten better at keeping a professional poker face at my cashier job, it’s still hard not to at least have an internal reaction to the couple purchases (*cough* condoms *cough*) people make.

4.Being friends with people who are dating

someone

At the moment, most of my friends in university are single like me, which makes it easier to talk and hang out with them. But by the end of high school, nearly every one of my close friends was dating someone, naturally pinning me as a third wheel. I never really knew how to react to their public displays of affection, or how to maintain our friendship while their relationships only strengthened, and I only grew more awkward around their significant other. Since it’s bound to happen that at least one of my current friends will start dating, the approach I will probably take in the future is to treat their partner as just another friend of mine.

5.Trying to hang around guys when you always feel the pressure to be more than “friends”

avoidant person, so it’s the first genre that comes naturally to me when I write stories of my own. However, a lot of the time, the page goes blank when I have to write the more intimate romance scenes that I can’t excel at without a novel reference, rather than my own life experience.

8.Singing love songs (but not knowing who you’re singing them for) I love to sing in talent shows and at karaoke, but there are many times where I’ve wondered who I’m even singing for. It might just be the way I respond to any hobby of mine that isn’t academically oriented, but I feel like I’m wasting my vocal chords if there’s nobody who makes La Vie En Rose for me. The same goes for dancing to K-pop songs, which often revolve around romantic feelings and require a balance of cuteness and flirtiness from dancers.

9.Being a fangirl makes falling in love nearly impossible

As a hardcore K-pop stan for five years, I’ve seen so many jaw-dropping visuals I’m almost numbed to them. I still approach the music genre like I do in real life; I’ll listen to boy groups but not half as much as I listen to girl groups. EiPhoto by April Roy ther way, when you’re constantly surrounded by For some reason, talking to guys has al- such charming people on your social media ways been a struggle for me. I have an older feed, it’s hard to imagine anyone in reality brother and dad who I am close to, but the could measure up. small chat doesn’t come as naturally with guys my age. It might just be that, due to the 10.Giving relationship advice constant, unspoken pressure to date, I can’t help but see guys as potential romantic part- It’s tough to give your opinion on someners even if I don’t want to. Since I’m not thing you don’t have any experience with, in the head or heart space to date, I am more especially if you can’t relate to the romantic likely to avoid them than girls and always feelings someone you know has for someend up feeling bad for it. The only time I one who may or may not be a red flag. Even hang out with guys is if I know — or think though I may not be romantically inclined, — that they definitely aren’t interested in a I am emotionally intelligent when it comes girl like me. to friends or family members’ problems, so I usually treat the situation the same way.

6.Having a crush on someone (but not be- Regardless of the type of relationship, it’s cause I was attracted to them) easy to recognize when someone isn’t being treated as well as they should.

The last crush I had before was on someone in the fourth grade, so it was a big surprise In a society that prioritizes romance and when I began crushing on a guy I hung out sexual relationships , I often feel out of with in grade eleven. But it wasn’t really place. If you’re like me — single and not because I was physically attracted to him. ready to mingle — just know that that’s I liked his personality, which was quiet and okay. It doesn’t mean you’re heartless or artsy like mine. I definitely was still awk- incapable of love — it might just mean your ward around him every time we ate lunch heart is so full it needs extra care and protogether or when we went to prom together, tection. but when I was with him, nothing in my heart ever pushed me to make a move and And if you never find your heart beating for try to make something more of our friend- someone that way, remember that there are ship. Maybe because I knew, deep down, so many other ways you can give pieces of we were so similar that it was best to just yourself to others, whether between family stick with myself. members, friends, neighbours, and yourself.

You are deserving of self-love and should 7.Being a YA romance writer in-the-making never have to spare any less. with no romantic experience When I can experience romance from a safe distance, I’ll do it from a book, not a television screen, and if I do, I’ll take animation over live-action. I read a surprisingly large number of romance books for a romance-

06

People’s Ignorance Won’t Allow for the Existence of Contradictions Anonymous Contributor

Being Queer and Muslim What is it like to be a queer Muslim? It’s difficult. It’s frustrating. It’s tragic. It’s liberating.

It’s none of your business.

But I have to make it your business because otherwise, your ignorance will end up drowning me. The cruel homophobia I see at home, at the mosque, online; the shocked faces people make when they realize that I am both queer and Muslim. It’s painful, and borne out of that pain are these words. I’m tired of the narratives other people create in their head about me.

I am queer and a Muslim; what you consider as a contradiction exists in me — whether you like it or not.

The journey to this point of realization wasn’t easy. I grew up surrounded by homophobia: my math teacher in 6th grade used the word “gay” as an insulting joke; my 7th grade English teacher argued with me about how we shouldn’t treat queer students with “civility”; and my sister’s science teacher said that trans people aren’t valid.

It was easy to dismiss the stupidity of homophobic middle school boys, but to reject an ideology reinforced by so many of the authority figures in my life — who had degrees and lived experiences under their belt —was conflicting: surely there must have been credibility to their words? And so, I internalized the homophobia of my social and personal spaces, spewing hate in a hateful environment and building up the toxicity in my life until I was blinded to the harm I was causing.

Queer literature was my saving grace: the worlds of Percy Jackson and Six of Crows, the endless queer comics and webtoons I read incessantly — all helped to chip away at the hatred building up inside me.

It was the queer-friendly and inclusive experiences portrayed in these fictionalized tales that taught me that an alternative reality existed, even if imagined.

Compared to the cruel world which taught me hate, fantasy and queer media kickstarted my questioning of the ideologies of the Muslim world around me, of my culture.

Why did the religion of peace — that said I should be kind, charitable, and just — for some reason excuse hatred towards queer people? Why was this acceptable? I questioned my own hypocrisy and my own ideologies. And while it was easy to tear down the homophobia I had built up in me, it wasn’t as easy to reconcile that with Islam.

In 10th grade, things took a more drastic turn: I realised I had my first queer crush. It felt like my own magical secret, like I had uncovered a secret part of myself that was all mine to cherish. I hid it away,

accepting the fact that nothing would ever come of it because, after all, good Muslims don’t “act upon their sinful thoughts.” For the sake of religion, I was ready to give up on my queerness. Jealousy and grief built up in me — the sight of hands intertwined, of a rainbow flag fluttering in the wind — all twisted my heart.

Depression overtook me. I was completely alone, and completely helpless. I had no one to turn to, because all the “credible” Islamic scholars had the same answer to my question: that acting on queer thoughts is a sin, and that if I were to “give in,” I’d just end up miserable, condemned by God. I wondered if leaving religion was the only way I could settle the artificial contradiction between being queer and being a “good Muslim.” I was in agony over that choice — a choice which others shouldn’t have to go through. Wallowing in that contradiction is not something I’d wish upon anyone. It drove me into despair and I spiralled down online rabbit holes , all flooded with hateful comments that made me feel like something was wrong with my very existence.

Finding community is what saved me. A therapist at university — the first stranger I had ever come out to — told me it was okay to be a queer Muslim, that

there were people like me that existed. That I could choose both. I found queer Muslim creators online who embraced themselves fully. Still, it was hard to let go of the chokehold orthodox Islam had on me: I second guessed everything I was seeing, the incessant fear of Hell preventing me from embracing myself.

Interestingly enough, it was hate that finally clarified my decision for me. A TikTok video I came across — of a Muslim revert excusing his own homophobia with the justification that Islam “gave queer people basic rights, but not all rights” — allowed me to accept an alternative way of being Muslim. I thought to myself: there is no way I could let myself be that hateful. I couldn’t practice an Islam that denied rights and humanity to people, especially when the Islam I knew was supposed to be egalitarian, the most progressive of all religions.

I don’t always feel secure in my current ideologies though.

I still struggle with my paranoid religious self, constantly second-guessing my worthiness as a Muslim. But liberation theology written by Muslims (queer or not) that argue for a reinterpretation of the religion that focuses on social justice praxis reaffirms my beliefs and identities — one centered around humanity and fluidity, rather than degrading absolutes. Liberation Illustration by Aria Zheng theology speaks with so much kindness and compassion, using Islam to fight for liberation, to break down oppressive systems, and affirm the rights of all people.

I know that my experiences, or that my very existence as a queer Muslim woman, may be challenging to those of the more traditional Muslim faith. In my experiences, I’ve found such traditional faith spaces to spew hate, ignore the pain and suffering of queer people just to critique them, and focus on endless rules of Islam. If the God you believe in is that cruel, then I must ask you to question what you think mercy is.

Being a queer Muslim has allowed me to question every value I have ever believed in. It has elevated me to the best version of myself — a person that fights for justice for everyone, and not for some. Accepting my identity has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life. And I’d do it all over again if I had to (how contradictory)!

07

POV: You’re a fruity foster kid Blakely Thompson, Contributor

Putting aside my personal beliefs about the validity of LGBTQA+ identities being a sin or the validity of sin systems at all, I find the following to be true: one of our flaws as people is that we are bound to sin. One of our gifts is that we get to choose what sins. I’d rather the sin I choose be to love than to hate. If sin is the cost of love, then I’ll give away the rest of my quarters so that someone else can afford how they choose to spend their time too.

Reliving three homes, PTSD-style You’re a child and you’ve just met your new parents for the first time. There’s a cross in their living room. There’s something in their face that tells you they’re surprised, but it doesn’t matter right now because you’re as excited to love new people as much as you miss loving others. They tell you that you’re bright; that you belong; and that you’ll outgrow a word they don’t know how to say kindly.

Every night ends with a hug and a prayer together.

But you don’t outgrow it, it grows throughout you. This nameless something that wasn’t meant to be there but is, and they talk about it and ask, who says that it’s not worth loving too? Isn’t that what God is, love?

You’re a child still, but only this time, you’re a little older, and you didn’t realize that you’ve just met your new parents for the first time. There’s a cross on their porch. You ask when you get to go home, and they tell you that you are in your new one. There’s something in their face that tells you they don’t like you, but it doesn’t matter because you’re too busy wondering what’s wrong with you to have caused the move. Then they tell you what is wrong with you — over and over until you don’t remember how to be bright.

Every night ends with praying alone to wake up a different version of yourself, or not wake up at all.

You never wake up different and you can’t help but love to wake up. This nameless something has been named, and you beg for forgiveness. You grow until they realize they cannot change you and you realize that you are worth staying the same. You finally leave after four years of them threatening to make you go.

But really, I don’t care much whether it is sin or not. Regardless, all I am is all I am. I could photos provided by Blakley Thompson, collaged by Sara Li consume my days carrying guilt passed onto me by papercut hands.

I could beg for forgiveness until my bones forget I had a throat.

You’re a teenager and you know who your new parents are. You met them before. Your new mom is the daughter of the first mom to truly love you. It’s a little confusing because But I won’t, because I refuse to die as miserably as I was raised. now the woman you used to call mommy is your nana, but you’ll get used to it. Your new dad is Catholic, and he listens to your The lesson I learned for parents is this: the difference between a good parent and a bad parent is the willingness to love, and to struggles with being a certain kind of man. practice the pain of it. Your beliefs matter, but hatred won’t get You can’t look at people in the face anymore, but they don’t need you to heaven, though it may get someone else to heaven too soon. you to because they tell you right away that they waited for you; that you’re dark now and you still belong. They give you a nickname and you stop believing that the night has an end or the morning a beginning.

The lesson I learned for myself, and people like me, is that when you’re taught to hate yourself — implicitly and explicitly — it’s safer to close yourself off than it is to reopen.

It was never about you. It was never about God. It’s only ever been about the willingness to love.

But don’t fucking do it! You will find people who will love you even if you must fight tooth and nail to do it. Hell, Tooth and Nail may even be the people who end up loving you.

Editorial: Playing sports without a team Joseph Falzata, Sports & Health Editor The difficulty in staying apolitical in a super politicized world.

On the cold Christmas day of 1914, German and British soldiers agreed to hang up their rifles and replace their army boots with soccer shoes. Through sport, despite being surrounded by piles of dead bodies that lay frozen in the mud of No Man’s Land, soldiers on both sides experienced normalcy once again, if only for a moment. As one German soldier wrote of his experience, “[it] managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

Sports have been, and always should be, the great unifier.

Look no further than the World Cup, where billions of people tune in to support their nation. Regardless of who you are or what you believe, for four weeks of soccer, everyone within a country unites under the same flag.

And yet, the unifying power of sports is under attack. The weaponization of sports as a political tool threatens to create a partisan framework for basic athletic competition.

would comply, and even praised the new policy as a “clear, national standard.”

Contrarily, the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for high-school athletics within the state, stated that it would continue allowing transgender athletes to compete within its borders.

Illustration by Aria Zheng

Donald Trump, though the most recent culprit, is certainly not the first. Lawmakers on either side of the aisle have repeatedly used sports and science as grounds for pushing their own political agenda.

Under the Biden administration, a 2021 executive order meant that the protections given to female student athletes through Title IX would also apply to transgender student athletes at the high-school, collegiate, and professional levels.

In doing this, governments forced everyday athletes to pick a side. Being open, or closed for that matter, on one specific policy meant they were aligning themselves with a political party. Regardless of one’s economic rationale or views on other social issues, the opinion on this specific policy was, in society’s eyes, enough to place a party label on an athlete.

On February 5, 2025, in a room full of smiling girls, U.S. President Donald Trump signed his executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. His actions marked the beginning of a social reorientation he had long promised throughout his campaign.

Officially registered as Executive Order 14201, the order threatens to revoke all federal funding from any elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institution that allows transgender athletes to play on girls’ teams. It cites Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 as the basis for its legitimacy, claiming it must create new regulations to uphold the Act’s mandate to provide “equal athletic opportunity for members of both sexes.”

The implications of President Trump’s new executive order remain to be seen. Charlie Baker, President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), said that his association

The greatest shame, however, is when policymakers divide a nation amongst itself and utilize sports to do so. Earlier this year, House Republicans passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which again used Title IX to support its claim, and mandated the determination of an athlete’s sex solely based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth. The bill was blocked in the Senate, with a party-line vote failing to give it the support needed to move forward. And while party line votes aren’t uncommon, incidents of total disconnect between the left and right—the widening chasm between ideologies—tare growing more frequent.

This is not to say that sports have never been politicized. The 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union was more of a battle between democracy and communism than it was a hockey game. Muhammad Ali’s refusal to serve overseas in the Vietnam War created its own political tidal wave during the Civil Rights Movement. Even in their World Championship game, American Bobby Fischer and Russian Boris Spassky were just two pawns in the much larger chess game that was the Cold War.

The human desire for athletic competition, which should ideally serve as a unifying force that transcends political, cultural, and social divides, has somehow squeezed its way into contemporary political discourse. And so, while it’s fair to say global cooperation has improved significantly since WWI, the impulse of an entire battalion to drop their political allegiance for a game of soccer leaves something to strive towards.

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features

Editor | Madhav Ajayamohan features@themedium.ca

The Domino’s effect Tyler Medeiros Staff Writer

A look into Tom Monaghan’s journey in starting and eventually selling his Michigan-started billion-dollar pizza chain.

On December 24, 2941, Tom Monaghan’s father died of peritonitis. Earning only $27.50 per week, Tom’s mother was struggling to support him and his younger brother, Jim. She was forced to put them in foster homes with the hope of taking them back after graduating from nursing school and finding a good job.

restaurant to Tom in exchange for him walking away with a used 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, which was the car they were using to make pizza deliveries. The Beetle was worth the equivalent of $12,000 today. If Jim had kept his 50 per cent share of the company, he would have netted almost half a billion dollars today.

One man show After earning just $99 in the first week, weekly profits soon grew to $750. Early on, Monaghan made strategic decisions to streamline operations and boost profits. Twice, when shortstaffed, he removed six-inch pizzas and submarine sandwich-

Tigers, a jet plane, helicopter, and an entire fleet of cars, including a handmade Bugatti Royale.

Thirty minutes or less In 1985, Domino’s promised customers that their pizza would be cooked in seven minutes and, on average, delivered to their door 28 minutes after placing an order. This wasn’t just an estimate, Monaghan was committed to speed. He encouraged franchises to offer free or discounted pizzas if deliveries took longer than 30 minutes. By the mid-1980s, this recommendation became a firm guarantee—any pizza that exceeded the 30-minute mark was free.

By 1984, the chain had a national success rate of 89 per cent which grew to 95 per cent in the last 1990s.

A franchisee with 17 stores in Dayton, Ohio, set a company record by delivering 99 per cent of its pizzas within 30 minutes.

When Tom was six years old, he and his brother were sent to St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Jackson, Michigan, which was operated by the Felician nuns.

One of the nuns, Sister Berarda, greatly influenced Tom and later became his surrogate mother.

Domino’s downfall

In 1960, Tom and his brother purchased a small pizza restaurant called DomiNick’s Pizza in Ypsilanti, Michigan, which became the foundation of Domino’s Pizza. Tom decided to team up with his brother to buy the restaurant since he needed the money for his school, so the brother borrowed $900 to purchase DomiNick’s, which was a pizzeria that sold sandwiches and other Italian specialties. After DomiNick’s original owner still wanted to maintain the rights to the name, the restaurant eventually was renamed Domino’s Pizza. By 1965, Tom successfully paid off all debts and was ready to start franchising the brand.

The brothers were only given a 15-minute lesson in making pizza from Dominick and after that, they were on their own. At first, the brothers struggled to keep up with the fast pace of the kitchen, especially because the menu offered many different options, including five different sizes of pizza. The restaurant was also small, which resulted in overwhelmed staff and many angry customers complaining about wait times and cancelling orders.

Family feud Within less than a year of buying DomiNick’s, Jim decided that being in the pizza business was not his strong suit. According to an article by Mashed, Jim did not agree with Tom’s idea to serve only pizza. He also was not happy with the long hours he was working and only receiving small profits, making Jim want out of the business.

Eight months into their partnership, Jim gave his half of the

In early June 1989, Jesse Colson, who was not wearing his seatbelt, fatally crashed into a pole while speeding to deliver a pizza. According to his girlfriend, who was also an employee, Colson did not wear his seatbelt on a few occasions to save time when he got out of the car at the customer’s home to deliver their pizza. In 1988, Domino’s confirmed it knew 20 people who died in crashes involving its drivers.

While Colson’s mother suggested the restaurant to stray away from the 30-minute or less delivery policy, the chain disagreed and said they did not ask their delivery drivers to speed or drive recklessly.

Illustration by Sara Li es from the menu, realizing that focusing solely on regular pizzas made handling the rush easier. Each time he reviewed the numbers the next day, he found both sales volume and profits had increased. Simplifying the menu proved to be a smart financial move.

When he started franchising in 1970, Tom purchased 85 new delivery cars and hired an accounting firm to computerize the company’s bookkeeping. In 1983, their first international store opened in Winnipeg, Canada and by 1984, their headquarters were reestablished at Domino’s Farms in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Tom selling his ownership

In the early 1990s, Tom became more of a religious man and decided to turn his life around and sell his company.

“I stayed up most of the night reviewing my life. As I did, I realized that a lot of the things about me that I thought were good—being competitive, driving for success, always trying harder than anybody else—weren’t necessarily that good after all,” he explained, according to an article by Mashed.

Tom returned to his Catholic faith and even sold his baseball team along with his other expensive possessions. He told his ownership of Domino’s to Bain Capital for one billion dollars and has since been working in various philanthropic and charity efforts.

Throughout the 1970s to 1990s, Tom’s wealth and prestige grew as he owned his hometown baseball team, the Detroit

Owning your sexual health Ruth Baker Contributor Sabrina Baldini discusses taboo topics in sexual education, including owning your pleasure and porn literacy.

“The best sex tip I have for women is that your pleasure matters. Find sexual content that is the most appealing to you, block off time, consume that content and have fun,” Sabrina Baldini explained.

Sabrina Baldini is a sexual education coach and alumna of the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) who taught sex education for over ten years. She has dedicated her career to challenging outdated norms on sexual education and introducing alternative approaches that empower individuals to make informed decisions about their bodies and relationships. In an interview with The Medium, Baldini shares how women can prioritize their sexual wellness.

Baldini’s interest in sex education began in the sixth grade

when she was inspired by Sue Johanson’s Sunday Night Sex Show on Saturday Night Live. During her undergrad at UTM, Baldini enjoyed volunteering at the Sexual Education Centre, where she hosted presentations on consent, one-on-one counselling and learning activities on kinks and sex toys.

When we asked Baldini if her work can be described as being a sex therapist, she said no. “Therapists are doctors and I can’t diagnose disorders or dysfunctions. I like to think of myself as a higher-level educator.”

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should be making time for sex in your head,” Sabrina explained.

selves during sex. Feminist, ethical erotica and porn are a few examples of ways for women to prioritize their sexual health.

“There should be a time for you to read your smutty book or watch your dirty movie. But don’t ignore your desire for sex. You have to spend time with yourself. You need to take care of business.”

“There are great ethical porn companies that are created by women for women, and it’s especially important to highlight those female-led businesses during Women’s Month,” Baldini mentioned. “A lot of my female clients are really shocked to learn that there’s so much porn content created by women, but it’s everywhere!”

Professional advice on sexual practices During our interview, Baldini also shared some tips on sexual practices. Baldini defines ‘good sex’ as sex with no labels or strict definitions.

Photo provided by Sabrina Baldini Porn literacy Many of Baldini’s clients are men under 30, who come to her about their porn consumption, which shocked her at first. However, she later realized this comes from a lack of porn literacy, especially in Ontario.

“No one is talking to men about porn into adulthood,” Baldini explained. “Sexual education depends on the school board and teachers. Porn literacy is controversial. Some schools teach porn literacy [while] others only teach the basics of sex ed, and parents can pull their kids out of sex ed if they disagree with a topic.”

Although sex education starts in high school, Baldini advocated for starting it earlier because children access porn from a young age. “Porn brings out different emotions in people,” Baldini said. “When I get clients who think they have an issue with porn, I recommend different kinds of content, and we do exercises.”

Sabrina also highlighted the importance of normalizing sex and viewing it as a part of human behaviour. Just like mental health and physical health, our sexual health is important. “You

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Arts

From her experience, Baldini observed that “the people with the healthiest sex lives are the ones that have a very flexible definition of sex.” When asked to define sex, according to Baldini, “people who have a narrow scope of sex, tend to struggle the most. Good sex is authentic and vulnerable… It’s an activity that you just have fun. It doesn’t have to start or end a certain way, it’s just what feels right for both of you.”

Baldini also talked about how you don’t need a partner to feel sexy. “I know it feels like you need to have a partner to be sexy and have a sex life, but you don’t,” Baldini shared. There is a common term in sex therapy called simmering which is finding ways to feel sexy without relying on someone else.

“Simmering is sex, just on the surface,” Baldini explained. It’s about loving yourself and wanting yourself without validation from others. “What does that mean to you,” Baldini asked.

“Does that mean you’re wearing heels, your hair is down or you’re showing your shoulder? Does that mean you worked out in the morning or read your spicy novel? Whatever it is that gets you to simmer, that is the healthiest state you could be in.

That’s healthy sexuality.”

Advice for women

Some of Baldini’s favourite ethical porn websites include Make Love Not Porn, Bellesa and Erika Lust. She also shared Dipsea—which makes amazing spicy audiobooks, according to Baldini—and Quinn, an audio erotica app made by women.

Baldini also emphasizes that these resources are also a safe and ethical way for men to explore sex, and understand themselves more.

Final thoughts At the end of the interview, Sabrina emphasized once again how important it is for men and women to make time to explore their sexual desires. “When I talk about exploring yourself, I’m talking about masturbation, and I’m talking about erotica.

I’m talking about whatever makes you feel good,” Sabrina explained.

“The truth about sex is that it isn’t a shame-based activity. It’s not one singular activity that happens in a place. It’s a vibe you have. It’s a willingness to learn and a willingness to unlearn. It’s a healthy part of the human experience. We socialize men and women differently, but sexual shame is something that gets everybody in the end. A lot of my male clients have sexual shame too. That’s why I say sex education isn’t about learning it’s about unlearning, unlearning everything you knew before.

Nobody’s too old for that, you can unlearn all the time.”

For those who are interested in learning more about understanding your sexual health and desires, Baldini has a podcast titled After Sex Ed on Spotify and Apple where she regularly posts discussions about sexual education.

In honour of Women’s Month, Baldini also expanded on how women can prioritize their sexual health and empower them-

Poetry Corner

We Dream of Memories

Editor | Keira Johannson arts@themedium.ca

when the lamp looks weird

Veruca Medland, Contributor

Keira Johannson, Arts & Entertainment Editor

We dream of memories we’d rather forget An insider’s peek at the cavernous mind

we were running hand in hand through the aisles of IKEA and for a split second I looked over at you and wondered if you knew that I was imagining a life with you in every room

In our dreams we can whisper what we can’t say And unconsciously retell our life’s story We dream of the smallest interactions Of a single moment that meant the world We dream while we sleep And while we’re awake Dreams that take us to a better place We dream of people we wish we’d forget We dream of people we can’t help but remember We dream of memories The good and the bad We dream of memories

of us cooking homemade pasta in the kitchen with the ceramic teal backsplash and pouring a glass of wine or two and kicking back on the sofa — an unfinished game of chess on the wooden coffee table — and you’d grab my hand in yours and kiss it the way you do and I would mentally add everything from the catalogue to my wish list so I could save that moment in time forever but then that split second would pass and I’d look to my right at the stand-up lamp with an unfamiliar swedish name as it flickers not once, not twice, but three times and suddenly the edges of my vision would blur and your hand which was

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Arts

Editor | Keira Johannson arts@themedium.ca

The rise of quiet queerness in animation Jia Bawa Associate Opinion Editor

“In the animated world, there is no default setting.”

According to Ofcom, by the time children reach the age of four, they already average 12.7 hours of TV in a week. That is a lot of time spent consuming content that will essentially shape the way they view the world. Young children are impressionable, and the type of media they consume plays a crucial role in the kind of habits and traits they exhibit. One reason why parents and teachers alike are so worried about what is running on cable TV is because they don’t want to accidentally expose these malleable minds to something that may do them more harm than good.

Similarly, the media young children consume is very important in terms of helping them learn what is “normal” and what is not. If done right, having queer representation in children’s television can help them view being queer as natural and not something to be penalised or treated differently for. This is monumental for young queer children, who may not know what being queer is, but may be wondering why they are experiencing feelings that “a boy is supposed to feel for a girl,” for their same gender friend instead. Seeing their identity validated in the world they wished was their own, in the characters they look up to, can have a strong, positive impact, and can help them feel like they are not alone. This is one of the reasons why having queer representation in animated television is so important, with most animated media tailored towards younger audiences. And if you look around, you’ll see no shortage of queer representation in animation.

But what makes this representation different from live action television?

Illustration by Sehajleen Wander

Although there are some traditional TV shows and movies that do queer representation well, without perpetuating harmful stereotypes or killing off their gay characters, they tend to solely revolve around being queer. Now, I don’t think this is necessarily bad. In fact, I think it is very much needed. I do think, however, there is a unique charm associated with media where being queer is not the focus of the show. By this, I don’t mean having queer side characters. Instead I mean that even if the main character is queer, it isn’t their entire identity. Being queer is just one of their million traits but it isn’t the end all be all.

Representation in animation seems to be less surface level, featuring characters with tons of emotional depth and relatability, hitting the mark when it comes to complex characters. Unlike live action television, where a character’s gender and sexual identity are what makes them “unique,” in animated TV shows, these are just one of their many traits. The relevance to the plot extends beyond who they are attracted to.

To me, animation does a brilliant job at showcasing diversity. In the animated world, there is no default setting. There is no expectation to belong to a certain race, to speak a certain language, to look a certain way, or to have a certain kind of family. It is all deemed to be normal.

Take for example, the popular Netflix show, Arcane, based off the video game League of Legends. With its final season released towards the end of 2024, the show made major waves, gaining global recognition for its stunning visuals, fight sequences, soundtrack, and storyline—even bagging the 2022 Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. Set in Riot Games’ League of Legends Universe, Arcane follows the story of two sisters, Vi and Jinx, who end up on opposing sides of a long overdue war between rival cities, Zaun and Piltover. Going off this synopsis, you would not immediately think that the show is a “queer show.” But as the series progresses, using subtext and contextual cues, Vi is shown to be a lesbian, and has some serious on-screen chemistry with Caitlyn, an Enforcer from Piltover (dubbed CaitVi). Their sexuality is never explicitly stated, nor a point of conflict throughout the show. Although their relationship plays a significant part of their storylines, shaping their trust, motivations, and emotional depth, the fact that they are queer is not treated as a defining or exceptional trait. Instead, we see their connection develop organically, reinforcing the idea that queerness is an inherent, unforced aspect of their identities rather than something that requires justification.

Adventure Time is another animated TV show I believe did LGBTQ+ representation right. This show follows the escapades of Finn, a human boy, and his adoptive brother, and partner-in-crime, Jake the dog, in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo. One of the most beloved queer relationships takes place between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline. Throughout the series, their romantic relationship was hinted at, but nothing was explicitly stated, until the later seasons, where their feelings were acknowledged. This slow-but-steady approach to their relationship, incorporated their love for each other into the animated world naturally and quietly, like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

The reason why more subtle queer representation is important, is because these shows can reach a multitude of audiences, who may not actively seek out LGBTQ+ narratives. Most viewers tune into shows like Arcane or Adventure Time for their gripping storyline, only to end up organically experiencing queer relationships as an integral part of the plot. This incidental exposure normalizes LGBTQ+ identities for a wider audience, promoting understanding and acceptance without feeling preachy or forced.

As media continues to evolve, it’s clear that animation has set a high bar for LGBTQ+ representation. Shows like Arcane and Adventure Time prove that subtlety doesn’t need to mean invisibility—it can mean authenticity. And in an era where representation is more important than ever, this quiet power may just be the most revolutionary approach of all.

The many failings of Emilia Perez and how we can learn from it Aqeel Shahid Ullah Contributor

As depiction of trans characters in film continue to evolve, recent movies like Emilia Perez reveal many challenges.

Over the years, the representation of trans people in film has gone through a massive shift. Many past depictions were rooted in negative stereotypes, with notable representations including Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Early portrayals were also shaped by the laws of their time, like the film Glen or Glenda (1953), which was filmed during a time when it was illegal for men to cross-dress. In recent years, trans representation has greatly improved but still occasionally falters, like the recent controversy with the film Emilia Perez.

The film follows Manitas del Monte, a Mexican crime lord who transitions and begins a new life as the titular Emilia Perez, leaving behind everything in her old life. As it is an international film, most of the movie’s dialogue is in Spanish, although according to native speakers, it often sounded “unnatural.” Emilia Perez inherently misunderstands the experience of being transgender, treating it as a redemptive tool. The film treats Emilia and Manitas as separate people, completely absolving Emilia of her past wrongdoings while also diminishing the impact of Mexico’s cartel issues. Despite this, the movie still received many award nominations and even won a number of them, including the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Another problem with Emilia Perez is that its publicity overshadowed other movies that arguably better represented the trans community. One of these films is I Saw the TV Glow, a psychological horror about two high school students whose favourite television show causes them to question their identities and nature. While not directly featuring any trans characters, many critics and audiences cited the film as an allegory for

being transgender (the movie literally begins with the main character under a tent that looks identical to the trans flag). The director of the film, Jane Schoenbrun, is themselves a trans person, and has stated that they wrote the movie when they were still transitioning and learning how to deal with themselves. I Saw the TV Glow was acclaimed but ignored by most publications, failing to garner any significant award nominations.

Regardless, I Saw the TV Glow presents a path towards better trans representation in film, much better than that of Emilia Perez. The latter was made by a cisgender director who didn’t bother to consult any Mexicans on the film, much less any trans experts. Moving forward, more trans creators should be represented not just in film, but in the filmmaking process, as films about trans people that are written by cisgender people tend to lack depth or authenticity. In order to portray more subtle and complex portrayals of transgender people, we must steer away from stereotypes, like the “deceptive” trans character or tragic narratives, both of which are pitfalls Emilia Perez falls into. Hollywood also usually neglects the intersectionality of trans experiences, failing to consider factors such as ethnicity or socioeconomic status. To fully and respectfully portray trans people in film, creators will need to explore a greater array of narratives to elevate the visibility of these stories.

In the end, despite the many nominations it received, Emilia Perez only walked away with two Oscars, one for Best Original Song with “El Mal” and another for Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña. The film’s Oscars campaign was marred by many controversies, including statements by the director who said that he had not studied Mexican culture much and called Spanish the language of poor people. Furthermore, the lead actress, Karla Sofía Gascón, was highly criticized after

Photo by Sara Li

many of her recent tweets resurfaced, most of which consisted of racist statements against Muslims, Black people, Chinese people and Korean people just to name a few. This caused Gascón to issue a public apology before deleting her Twitter account, though archives of her racist tweets still remain online.

Emilia Perez was a film born of ignorance, made by people who misunderstood the trans experience and didn’t bother to do any proper research. It angered Mexicans with its inauthentic portrayal of their culture and came to be hated by general audiences due to the actions of its cast. Its many nominations also don’t instill much hope for future trans representation.

That said, there is a growing number of LGBTQ+ creators gaining traction, which will likely improve trans representation in film. Movies like I Saw the TV Glow that accurately capture how it feels to be trans will continue to be made and people will talk about them. The legacy of a movie is not how much discourse it generates now but how much it will continue to generate in the future.

11 sports & health Eagles heading to indoor soccer finals

end which they felt should have been called.

Pietro Arrigoni Staff Writer

Assisted by captain Erik Selvaggi, Doherty equalised again, and as the teams headed into the last ten minutes of regular time, the game was up for grabs. The shadow of extra-time lingered, but once again being the difference maker, Selvaggi broke through the midfield line with his speed and dribbling abilities before squaring the ball to Kacper Ambrozewicz, who gave UTM the lead for the first time in the game with a weak foot finish in the bottom corner.

UTM men’s and women’s teams picked up a pair of underdog victories to move within a game of lifting another trophy.

Last week, I wrote that anything could happen in a one-off game at the knockout stages of any competition. I used the saying la palla è rotunda – Italian for the ball is round – to make the case that despite neither of the Eagles’ team being favourites in their matchups, nothing is guaranteed until the referee blows his whistle three times.

Sunday’s matches were anything but casual. Both the Men’s and Women’s squads brought a different kind of energy and focus to the games, which helped them achieve two incredible upset wins and advance to the finals.

Men’s side with massive upset The Men faced a UTSG Red team that was yet to lose a game in the indoor season. The remarkable performance of defender Paul Doherty is but the crowning jewel in what was a perfectly executed team performance. In fact, the way Doherty could score a brace despite playing in a defensive role is symbolic of the unity the Eagles displayed in their game strategy, ensuring that both attack and defense became a full team effort.

That’s perhaps what was lacking the most during the regular season, as the boys regularly displayed good quality attacking football but often failed to defend goalkeeper Mohaisen’s net effectively. The

Editor | Joseph Falzata sports@themedium.ca

Photo provided by Keira Johannson

threat of being knocked out is perhaps what imposed a strong sense of urgency to the way the team played. At the same time, having nothing to lose is what made the guys play with leggerezza, a sense of tranquility and confidence in oneself.

Despite falling behind twice, the Eagles never let the game run away from them. A well worked team goal gave the Reds the lead, but an equally cutting sequence saw Doherty meet a cross at the back post and slot in the equalizer. Reds took the lead again with a counterattack, although UTM protested a foul on Doherty in the attacking

The clock read five minutes remaining, and the Eagles dug deep and sat back, absorbing the pressure and neutralising the attacks. As the final whistle blew, coaches and players erupted in celebration on the field.

Women’s team win big when it matters On the adjacent field, the Women showed remarkable determination to get what is, astonishingly, their first win of the indoor season.

Goals from Amelia Caron and Kirsty Carnan made the scoreline 2-1 in favour of the Eagles.

After the game, UTM senior Laura Neira commented on the difference between this game and the ones they had played before. “I think we were all very focused on the objective and we brought the

12 correct energy, intensity, and attitude to achieve it,” she stated. Neira also mentioned that every player gave their absolute maximum effort to win, competing all the way to the final whistle.

There is only so much time for the Eagles to celebrate, as they will need to look ahead at what is expected to be a pair of fierce final matches. The Eagles cannot let complacency slow them down. What

they have done so far has been amazing, but it won’t mean much if they do not bring the title home.

Looking forward I’d like to bring a brief anecdote from the dressing room to wish the Eagles best of luck for their finals. After their 1-1 tie to UTSG Blue to end the regular season, the tension was palpable in the changeroom,

UTM student life and fasting Sophie Minot Contributor How are Ramadan and Lent are changing the habits of UTM students?

The lifestyles of many UTM students have shifted recently due to the start of Ramadan and Lent. Both of these religious fasts provide their share of benefits, but also pose challenges to the daily routine of many students.

Ramadan Ramadan, a month when Muslims don’t eat or drink between dawn and sunset, started on March 1 and ends March 30. It’s a time for Muslims to come closer to Allah (God), focus on spirituality, do good, and connect with the community. Studies have shown that fasting for Ramadan triggers “a cascade of physiological changes that lead to long-term health benefits.”

Some students are varying their sleep schedule to wake up for suhoor (meal before sunrise) or, like UTM student Ali Asad, nap through the day when they’re thirsty. Community is strengthened for others because mosque trips are more frequent and students have been sharing iftar (meal after sunset) with friends and family.

Coordinating meals with the sunrise and sunset has been shown to improve sleep patterns which means better energy levels and mental clarity. Other health benefits provided by Ramadan include breaks for the digestive system, improved liver function, lower blood pressure, the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor which helps your brain function better, and lower low-density lipoporotein (LDL) cholesterol.

“If I eat properly the night before, I feel more focused the next day because I’m not distracted by planning food or lunch,” said Bita

Khaleghi, a UTM student fasting for Ramadan. “When it’s time to eat, I think more about what it is and try to make it nutritious.”

Adam Louati, a player on the UTM tri-campus soccer team who is fasting for Ramadan, commented about playing more conservatively and strategically during the game to preserve his energy, but generally just feeling calmer. Nejat Mursal Moalin, a student at UTM, also mentioned a similar approach to schoolwork, using her time and energy more strategically now that she is fasting.

Lent Lent’s timing depends on when Easter Sunday is, but it always starts sometime between February 4 and March 10. Louati said his friend Paul is undergoing Lent at the same time and they “talked and bonded” over their overlapping fasts.

with coaches and players arguing over what went wrong in a game they felt should’ve been won.

A number of players announced that they felt they were the best team in the league, and when the coaches pointed out that the results said otherwise, they replied that they will show it on the field the following week, and then the week after that. Dear Eagles, it’s time to put your mou money where your mouth is.

sion, but without swearing.” Like Khaleghi and Louati, Ngounou also mentioned feeling more grounded and in “a state of clarity” during this time of increased focus on spirituality.

Getting involved on campus Resources for students following Lent and Ramadan are provided

by UTM’s many clubs. Campus mass was held on Ash Wednesday by the UTM Catholics, and they have some other Lent-specific events which can be found on their Instagram page (@utmcatholics). The UTM Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) hosts weekly events year round, including special ones for Ramadan, which can be found on their Instagram page (@utmmsa).

Looking forward, students will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on March 31, marking the end of their fasting period. Easter Sunday will be on April 20, marking the end of Lent.

March 5 was Ash Wednesday, marking the first day of Lent for many Christians. Lenten fasting observances vary between denominations, but typically include a Lenten sacrifice that lasts for 40 days, mimicking the 40-day fast that Jesus spent in the desert.

Jada Mendonca, a Varsity Blues field hockey player, gave up junk food for Lent. “It tempts me a lot and to me the definition of Lent is to give up something tempting,” she admitted. Jada has also been replacing junk food with healthier alternatives like fruit and peanut butter.

Cedric Ngounou, a player on the tri-campus soccer team, gave up cursing for Lent. He said it can be a bit of a challenge. “When you play or when you train in an intense environment, sometimes you don’t really think about the things you’re saying.” Ngounou is focusing on communicating “with the same energy and same pas-

Illustration by Sara Li

Pretty over practical: The problem with women’s sports attire Vedika Awtani Contributor Female athletes continue to endure gender norms that favor appearances over usefulness and undermine their confidence and performance.

You’re about to head to the gym on a chilly morning, taking the time to choose comfortable and practical activewear that will help you feel good during your workout. But what if you didn’t have that luxury?

Despite sports organizations such as the International Olympic Committee arguing for a reframed narrative, negative stereotypes around appearance are still present in the careers of many female athletes. hile the gender gap in sports may be narrowing, gender norms still extend to virtually every aspect of sports and, most notably, to women’s attire.

Talented as they may be, female athletes are notably always expected to maintain a “hyper-feminine” image, rooted in patriarchy and unconcerned with their needs. Largely concerned with aesthetics or a “sexy” image to promote viewership, female sports attire remains inconvenient because it overemphasizes the importance of appearance rather than athletes’ physical well-being.

Social Media, Sponsorships, and Stereotypes In a digital age, viewership extends far past live competitions, seeping into social media discourse and influencing sponsorship. For female athletes who have fought for their place in sports, sponsorship is essential, and physical distress is usually neglected in favour of higher ratings.

In 2011, the Badminton World Federation infamously forced female athletes to wear skirts or dresses because TV ratings were low, claiming this would help female athletes to better “market themselves.”

Where male athletes were filmed for their remarkable plays, female athletes were filmed in the best angle for their bodies.

Oftentimes, such attention to appearance arises from implicit cultural expectations. For example, in gymnastics, while women have been breaking records in global championships, their leotards progressively become less functional. Leotards are increasingly designed without input from female athletes, leaving little to no coverage or comfort, with rare options to wear undergarments underneath.

Further, media discourse often surrounds the design of a leotard or the glitter in women’s makeup rather than their professional skills. Even when the athletes reject existing narratives or expectations, the media forces them into compliance.

For instance, beach handball is known for its low-cut bikinis, with mandates around how revealing they should be. However, in 2021, the Norwegian team was fined $1,700 after they opted to wear comfortable spandex shorts instead of the traditional bikini bottoms for the European Beach Handball Championship.

Similarly, shortly after her pregnancy and associated medical issues, Serena Williams wore a famous black catsuit for the 2018 French Open. To prevent blood clots despite menstruation, Williams went for a more functional option. Unfortunately, Tennis Federation President Bernad Giudicelli caused an uproar around the outfit, calling it unacceptable and disrespectful. Instead of respecting her bodily needs, Serena’s bold choice influenced the creation of an entirely new dress code that advanced female athletes’ discomfort.

The Cost of Beauty While dress codes keep adhering to the “male gaze,” the lived realities of female athletes are plagued with mental struggles and body image issues. In a dynamic and stressful environment, clothing is confidence. Clothes makes the player by contributing to their pride,

identity, and unity with their peers.

Discomfort can shake one’s mindset, withdrawing trust in one’s athletic abilities. Moreover, uniform’s form-fitting fabric or low-cut designs can perpetuate insecurity in young women. The desired body type that governing sports bodies or viewers dictate is often unachievable, and therefore, creates negative physical practices in women.

Comparing themselves to others, athletes compromise on performance in favor of beautification. They waste the mental resources required to retrieve sport-specific skills by worrying about their appearance. Alarmingly, a UK study surveying women over the age of 18 found that over 70 per cent of girls had dropped out of sports in school due to body image concerns.

What’s more, young girls aged 13-18 are also adversely affected by the lack of resources for their menstrual cycle. Even though performing with cramps is difficult enough, female athletes have the added stress of ensuring they are not leaking or staining their clothing.

Additionally, female athletes often feel like many of these topics are taboo, and may feel less confident to discuss the topic with their coaches. Their concerns, fatigue, and depressed moods are ignored by their team heads, leaving them without adequate support.

As more female athletes fight for their place in sports, they call for easily available hygiene products and breathable uniform material to support them through menstruation. Although it is ignored, menstruation is a real struggle, but it no longer needs to be negative.

Talks around accommodation and healthy support around such struggles are vital to further female involvement in sports. Progress will only ever follow when stereotypes around appearance are replaced with concerns about performance, comfort, and support.