The Eyeopener: Vol 57, Issue 8

Volume 57 - Issue 8 January 24, 2024 theeyeopener.com @theeyeopener Since 1967

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NEWS

Protesters removed from democracy forum hosting Stephen Lecce

By Anastasia Blosser and Gabriela Silva Ponte Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

The Dais held its first democracy forum of 2024 with Ontario’s Minister of Education Stephen Lecce.

Approximately 10 minutes into the forum, protesters entered the room chanting and holding banners in support of Palestine. They condemned some of Lecce’s recent remarks and actions regarding the war in the Middle East before being escorted out by unidentified security.

Since the war began, Lecce has shared his support for Israel on his personal social media accounts and during legislative assembly meetings.

He has also asked Toronto District School Board teachers to remain neutral online. In a memo sent to school boards, Lecce said “There is no room for influence of personal opinions or personal world views in Ontario classrooms.”

The event was held on the ninth floor of Ted Rogers School of Management from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday. Approximately 40 community members joined Lecce at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Provost and Vice-President, Academic Roberta IannacitoProvenzano began the event by congratulating The Dais on their 30th democracy forum.

The forum then proceeded as host Martin Regg Cohn—who founded The Dais’ democracy forums and is currently a member at the organization—asked Lecce questions regarding his leadership, policies and values. The event then opened a question period from the audience.

“The great thing about the politician sitting beside me is that we agree on almost nothing,” Regg Cohn said, introducing Lecce.

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

Regg Cohn: Why did you become a Conservative? And how did you know when you were 13-years-old that you were a Conservative?

Lecce: I didn’t come from a political background. My parents are immigrants from Italy so I wasn’t raised in a political experience.

We didn’t really talk politics at the table, but intrinsically I think many immigrant values overlap and align with progressive conservative values.

The fundamental morals my parents raised me with were to work hard, to be productive, law abiding, to love my family and to be proud of my country.

I think those are fundamental values that I subscribe to today—they are moderate conservative values.

Regg Cohn: You went to Tunisia in 2014. I’ve been there as a foreign correspondent and saw the elections, which were not free and fair. So when you were there in 2014, what did you see? And what lessons did you come away with?

Lecce: The overwhelming majority of people will live in a place where free speech, political association and free press are entirely denied. In Tunisia, I remember seeing and working with party aspirants and these are people who’ve never debated, never been in a television commercial. They’ve never really been able to do this because this is not permitted in a dictatorial regime. The people I met there were so grateful, because they longed for freedom. So, Tunisia was where that spark lit for democracy.

Regg Cohn: How do you reconcile what you saw in Tunisia with the indifference and apathy we so often see here? In the last election, the electoral turnout was the lowest level ever.

Lecce: We have rule of law, a constitutional Charter of Rights and the freedoms of a bill of rights. We have protections that safeguard us and there are people who have no basic standards of liberty or citizenship. It’s

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

also the greatest exercise for Canadians to realize how privileged we are and to go to one of these nations where that democratic expression is not there. When I went abroad, I realized that we have a lot to fight for in this country, we have skin in the game.

Regg Cohn: You’ve made some changes to Ontario’s educational curriculum. How are they working and can we judge it in the next election?

Lecce: We’re making the civics and careers courses relevant. Is it fair to say for most of you that civics and careers was a “bird course?” What I noticed in the civics course is that it was so heavily dosed in theory and a lack of relevant application for young people and how to be the agent of change. So we’ve modernized this to make it relevant to what young people really need to know. We’ve introduced a specific section that deals with critical thinking skills, deductive reasoning and how to really fully argue, to challenge assumptions and how to really do your due diligence as a thoughtful person. And we’ve included new sections in civics to do

with contemporary forms of threats to democracy.

Regg Cohn: What are your responsibilities as minister of education to direct a number of school boards to deal with racism that manifests itself? How do you teach tolerance to educators and administrators who aren’t doing their job?

Lecce: We’re teaching the values fundamentally, which is one of the tactics to deliver on this strategic imperative of having people be respectful to each other. We worked on curriculum reforms and professional development. We leverage communities who have lived experiences, that perhaps no others may have experienced, to come in and teach to kids. We’re trying to help universalize knowledge around our history to help build a better future.

Audience member: With the easy access to a variety of different AI models, how will the curriculum change to make sure students aren’t spending long periods learning something that they can easily access within seconds?

Lecce: I think this is probably one of the most pressing issues facing the government right now. I think we have to harness that power of AI for productive goods. I think the challenge is that it just sort of exploded. Governments and societies and academia, everyone was all caught a bit off guard. Like, where did this come from? And how do we counter that? How do we create a regime that permits ethical use? Because obviously it can be incredibly advantageous for students. For me, it’s an open dialogue.

Audience member: It has been well documented that public school employers and school boards are experiencing real challenges, recruiting and retaining qualified workers to staff the system, particularly in locations like the Greater Toronto Area which have been seeing significant increases in the cost of living. Will this profession pay the bills in big cities where the cost of living goes through the roof and there is a possibility that suddenly teachers

won’t be able to afford to live where the students live?

Lecce: We have now negotiated deals that have permitted wages to keep going up. And that includes education workers. This is a challenge for governments because we’ve seen shortages and not just in education.

So I think everyone in the public and private sector is figuring out how to make a system that gives them incentive to retain and also sponsor childcare.

Audience member: From my understanding, you’ve expressed support for the parental rights movement, which has debated the importance of 2SLGBTQIA+ education in classrooms as well as lobbied for parental consent regarding preferred first names for transgender non-binary kids. I was just wondering if you’re concerned about the unsafe environment that might pose for trans kids?

Lecce: First of all, we have not made any policy changes that expressed opposition. My belief is the overwhelming majority of parents love their kids and want to support them.

You can protect children from abusive and exploitative circumstances, which the school boards already do. You can keep kids safe while also empowering parents to know what’s going on in their kids’ lives. I don’t want to pretend that the parents should not be involved in the life of their child through curriculum.

Aasimulhaq Ahwaja, a first-year computer science student, attended the event to ask Lecce questions about the federal government’s cap on international students, voter dissatisfaction and curriculums related to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Ahwaja said he felt like very few of the questions were actually answered, but is still optimistic.

“This is a young person who is a minister and [that] gives me hope as a young guy who is thinking about [going] into politics. That is what is important; that the young ones get involved.”

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NEWS

TMSU’s December SAGM fails to meet quorum

By Dexter LeRuez and Gabriela Silva Ponte The Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) held its Semi-Annual General Meeting (SAGM) on Dec. 5 at the Tecumseh Auditorium.

The meeting began at 6:18 p.m. but failed to meet quorum, which meant no voting could take place.

According to section 3.4 of the TMSU’s bylaws, the quorum for general meetings is 100 members.

Because of this, certain items of the agenda could not be discussed, including the bylaw amendment package and the financial audit statements, chair Felipe Nagata announced.

During the meeting, executives gave their remarks, starting with former interim Board of Directors (BoD) TMSU president Marina Gerges.

She thanked everyone for coming, especially during exam season.

Gerges also said she tried to increase transparency throughout her presidency, which she admitted was a hard task considering it was “in the negatives.”

“I think right now we’re at ground zero and we can only go up,” said Gerges.

She laid out what she worked on throughout her presidency. She said she

communicated with student journalism outlets, attended conferences, added staff to the equity centre, helped the interim BoD adjust to their new roles, spoke at several events, chaired weekly meetings and chaired the Elections and Referenda Committee for the fall byelection.

Gerges added that she met with Grammarly, signed cheques and sat on several Boards.

Former-vice president operations Nathan Sugunalan, who ran for presidency in the fall byelection, said he noticed there were gaps which he wanted to bridge during his term.

“We’ve registered our organization for the annual tax clinic that we usually have,” said Sugunalan. “Last year, we kind of wanted to go about this alone, but my predecessor, Spyros [Zarros], was working with the other students’ unions and it worked out really successfully.”

He then added he noticed weaknesses in the student union’s budgeting processes when coming into the vice president operations role. “[The TMSU] doesn’t necessarily have the most ideal process with regards to our budget. Looking at other students’ unions, they have a lot more things with regards to [giving] upcoming teams a little bit more say in their budget.”

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

Sugunalan said during his term, he focused on carrying over from the last BoD. But, he wanted to bring more fun to the TMSU, by getting a new freezer for the Good Food Centre, implementing the 360° photo booth and refurbishing popcorn and cotton candy machines.

Former vice-president student life Kishore Thavaneethan said he planned and led every event, specifically collaborating with the university for

the Week of Welcome.

He announced that over the course of the two week orientation, the TMSU’s social media pages gained 3,000 followers and 15 student groups have joined the students’ union this year.

“We were able to get 3,000 students to now put their trust into us, to want to be kept up to date on new events, to want to be kept up to date about what the TMSU is doing,” said

Thavaneethan. “So I would say I am [particularly proud of] our student engagement.”

“I’m eager to see how many more student groups will come under the TMSU. I know there’s a lot of groups that are independent right now. But I’m looking forward to seeing how many more will [become] a part of the TMSU to broaden their horizons,” he said.

Read more at theeyeopener.com

Free store returns to TMU, aims to reduce campus waste

By Anastasia Blosser Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) free store returned to the Victoria Building for the first week of classes of the winter 2024 semester.

The store is part of a larger plan to reduce carbon emissions and assist financially disadvantaged students, according to the Sustainability Office’s website.

The free store began as a pop-up during the fall 2022 orientation and typically occurs for one week each semester. Students can drop off their gently used items and pick up objects that catch their eye. From secondSAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

hand books to electronic devices, donations included office supplies, clothing, decor and homeware.

Sharmilla Raj, the manager of the Sustainability Office, said the free store is an integral part of reducing TMU’s waste while building a “reuse” culture. She said it contributes to the university’s efforts to ensure the institution operates in a sustainable way.

“I think consistently we see more and more students coming in which tells us that this is something that they’re really interested in and that they want to see on our campus,” Raj told The Eyeopener.

According to the Sustainability Office, nearly 1,700 students visited the free store between Jan. 15 and Jan. 19. Over 47,000 items were rehomed, totaling over 2,200 pounds of material diverted from landfills.

“We’ve received so much positive feedback from students,” Raj said.

“Everything is extremely expensive and to be able to provide a channel for students to get the things... they need so...they can focus on important things like their schooling is ...really rewarding to us.”

The free store is partnered with Housing and Residence Life as part

of their Eco Move Out program, where items left behind by students moving out of residence are donated and re-circulated in the TMU community.

“There’s a lot of value in the things that we already have,” she said. “If we are going to achieve our goal of shifting us towards a zero waste campus, the reduce and reuse culture is really where we need to be moving towards.”

Raj said there are also a lot of items no longer needed by the university, that are then provided to students, staff or faculty members, like furniture.

The Sustainability Office is also exploring different ways to reuse materials branded with TMU’s former name, Ryerson University.

Raj said a lot of the textiles were donated to a local charity and repurposed, while other materials will be reused on campus. “[For] some of the items, we are actually looking at how we can simply remove the name through nail polish remover,” she said.

“We’re hoping that we could run events where students can come in and actually decorate a notebook to repurpose it.”

Mona Hafez is a fourth-year engineering student, working with the Sustainability Office for her second year in a row.

She said that the amount of people bringing furniture items home is

incredible.

“If it doesn’t get a new home then it will end up in the landfill,” she explained. “It’s been amazing just to give these pieces a new life.”

Hafez said she hopes people will spread the word about the free store after they acquire their new items.

“It’s the second year that we’ve had the free stores so there’s still more work to be done,” she said.

Andrew Arizaga, a first-year electrical engineering student, said he found out about the free store through his friends and decided to see what there was at the pop-up.

He ended up finding a hard hat that he plans to wear around or add onto a future Halloween costume.

“There’s like a good variety of stuff,” Arizaga said. “Maybe some more furniture would be nice.”

Shamim Cheraqi, a first-year masters of management student, said she was attending the free store for the second time.

“I got some pretty good things the first time and that’s why I’m here,” she explained. “There’s no limit [on items] this time which is good,” she said, in reference to the previous years’ pop-ups where students had a three item limit.

Cheraqi said that she really likes how the free store encourages the TMU community to share with each other while promoting sustainability. “It’s a really good thing to have at any university.”

EDITORIAL & CONTRIBS

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Editor-in-Chief Negin “”Editor and Chief” Khodayari News Gabriela “Here” Silva Ponte Dexter “We Go” LeRuez Anastasia “Again.” Blosser Photo Brithi “1D Stan” Sehra Sammy “New Sweater!” Kogan Jerry “Jessie” Zhang Online Madeline “Teddy” Liao Shaki “President” Sutharsan

New year, same standards The Eye’s ethics are set in stone

While the media industry is ever-changing,

By Negin Khodayari New years bring a chance to reflect on our habits and evaluate our choices. 2023 brought a lot of uncertainty to our industry, from the surge of dynamic artificial intelligence tools that took the world by storm early in the year to Meta’s reaction to Bill C-18, which left news outlets seeking to restructure their distribution models in Canada. Yet, through all these trials and tribulations, one thing has and will always remain consistent at The Eyeopener: our dedication to generating ethical, accurate and honest coverage.

Apart from this being an industry standard that all outlets should abide by, The Eye’s constitution clearly states, “The EYEOPENER shall not publish any submission which is known to contain information which has been falsified or distorted to promote the aims or concerns of any special interest group, political body, or individual.”

As such, we take pride in our reporting, pursuit of truth and verification process which has allowed us to remain one of the largest student-run publications at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) since 1967.

In late August, we renewed our promise to you, the TMU community, to hold everyone in a position of power at the university accountable. This has not changed.

However, it’s also not as easy as it seems.

Ethical journalism refers to coverage that is impartial, verified, fair and true—without fear or favour. Ethical journalism cannot be rushed or forced, despite people’s efforts.

In November of last year, the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) held its anticipated byelection which saw some candidates receive 10 demerit points as they were found in violation of the Elections Procedures Code.

In the campaigning period

prior to the elections, some TMU community members took to social media to express their concerns with some candidates. Others broadcasted their frustration with The Eye, falsely claiming that we have been partial in our coverage.

We don’t take these claims lightly. Verifying information, especially sensitive issues that have extreme repercussions, cannot be done overnight and cannot be forced.

As per our constitution, we must have facts and hard evidence to hold those in power accountable.

Anything other than this not only hurts the reputation of the publication and its staff but compromises the safety of the publication as a community space.

Moving forward, The Eye will continue to seek out and report on the truth only when it has gathered hard evidence and verifiable accounts by individuals who— while they may choose to remain anonymous to the public—are

willing to share their identity with our editorial board as part of our identification process.

Should you have any concerns with our content, critical analysis of The Eye’s coverage is welcome and will not be dismissed if it is fair and factual.

Our constitution states, “An editorial complaint shall be defined as a specific complaint (other than factual) lodged by a specific course of action from the EYEOPENER.” Once a complaint is received, it will be presented to the editorial board, which will then decide whether the course of action proposed by the complainant is acceptable or if an alternate course of action should be followed.

With that, Happy New Year TMU. Let this be our testimony to you, that we promise to offer you honest, fact-based reports. We are your student newspaper, that will never waver, no matter what they say about us.

Stay connected with The Eyeopener, read online at theeyeopener.com and follow @theeyewideopen on Instagram

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ARTS & CULTURE

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Rocking the Bunker: A Q&A with Amy Kisser

By Caelan Monkman On Saturday night, third-year Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) professional music student Amy Kisser took to the stage of The Bunker in west-end Toronto to perform a captivating set of new music and classic covers.

Flanked by her friends and fellow professional music classmates Evan Johnston, Catherine Carter, River Christie-White and Noah Rich, Kisser stepped on stage to open her set with an assertive rendition of Audioslave’s “Show Me How to Live.”

Although she was the shortest musician on stage, Kisser effortlessly commanded it, dancing around and head-banging while letting her powerful vocals soar above the scrappy and heavy electric guitar and bass riffs.

When the song ended, Kisser took a big swig of water and cleared her throat. “I’m getting over a cold,” she confessed, going on to say she hadn’t been able to sing at all during a rehearsal the day prior. Were it not for this statement, you wouldn’t have been able to tell she was sick. Over the next seven songs, Kisser’s impressive vocal range was on full display, effortlessly shifting from octave to octave while maintaining a tenacity present throughout the performance.

The set included distinctive covers of songs like Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and a mashup of Billie Eilish’s “Therefore I Am” and “Happier Than Ever,” as well as Kisser’s only single, “Burn Me Alive.”

Most notable, however, were a few as-of-yet unreleased original songs.

The songs “I’m Still Here” and “I Think I Killed Me” followed in the hard rock footsteps of Kisser’s debut track, while the aptly-named breakup anthem “Bittersweet” showcased a slightly more intimate side of her vocals and songwriting abilities.

Prior to her performance, Kisser sat down with The Eyeopener to discuss her musical journey.

side of things, tell me a little bit more about Amy Kisser the person.

I’m from Calgary, I moved to Toronto to pursue music, but I was born and raised in Calgary. I’ve been into music all my life. It’s always been the primary thing, the thing I’m the most passionate about. Who I am is based so heavily around music.

Q: You said you’re from Calgary.

A lot of people associate Western Canada with country music, so in what ways does that identity shape your musical identity?

I think it was shaped it in the sense that rock isn’t super big in Calgary, so the music scene there is very tight— especially the rock scene. I got into rock because I was doing School of Rock in Calgary. They’re a music school, they’re a global franchise and they’re amazing. That’s where I really started to hone in on rock music.

Calgary, as you actually said, is very based on country music. So there’s a big country scene, but it’s a lot harder to get into rock. I think it shaped my identity in the sense that I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music— country, pop—there’s just so much stuff there. And then I sort of got into rock on my own. So my music is very heavily inspired by other genres as well; especially the songwriting.

Q: Can we get into those musical influences a little bit more? Are there certain artists that you really cite as your influences?

I love artists like Evanescence and Halestorm; they’re amazing. Chris Cornell, Van Halen, but I’m also very into Taylor Swift—like I’m a big Swiftie. Also Tate McRae, a lot of those artists. My favourite artists are all rock and metal like I Prevail and Shinedown, but yeah, Taylor Swift is a huge one—it sounds very clichéd but I do love her. And then everything else, I just sort of listen to whatever.

I don’t feel bound by the kind of art I make or the music I make, I listen to whatever I want to listen to.

JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

definitely rock, but there’s a distinct singer-songwriter twist I think.

There are certain songs of mine that people have told me like, ‘Oh, I hear the Taylor Swift influence in this,’ so yeah, it’s rock with a singersongwriter twist.

Q: You’re in TMU’s professional music program. How would you kind of cite them as an influence?

How has it fostered your musical career?

Incredibly, actually. I owe a lot of my career to the professional music program. I moved to Toronto specifically for the program. It was the only [one] that I wanted to be in.

I heard about it and I was like, ‘This is perfect, I have to do it.’ I’m in the inaugural class as well, so I’ll be in the first graduating class of the program.

The program has taught me how to write demos, how to produce those demos [and] how to really get into songwriting. It taught me the business skills that I needed when I signed my first record deal. So I actually went into all these different things and had the experience needed to do that.

“Rock isn’t super big in Calgary, so the music scene there is very tight—especially the rock scene.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: And so, how would you They also teach you how to book describe your music? shows, how to write an email to a Q: Before we get into the music I would describe it as rock—it’s venue and how to do all that stuff.

So that’s how I got into doing this because I was able to start booking my own shows. I think as well, they introduced me to a lot of my big industry connections. I bet someone on my team actually threw a class and spiraled into other opportunities outside of school.

JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

Q: Can you elaborate on some of those opportunities?

Honestly, the big one is a record I’ve been working on since first year, and I’ve recently signed with a label for that record. And they brought on a producer—Gavin Brown—that I’m a huge fan of—I’ve loved his work for years. So I’m really getting to work

with sort of my dream team. That’s all because of one connection I made at the school through a professor. I owe a lot to TMU—they really fostered my ability to songwrite as well, so they’re the reason I have a career in Toronto.

Q: You’re working on a record now, but you’ve also released one single so far, “Burn Me Alive.” In an Instagram post celebrating the one-year anniversary of the single’s release, you said when you wrote it you were in “the worst place of your life” but it “helped you heal.” Would you be comfortable elaborating on that?

I had a terrible first year. I moved to Toronto during [COVID-19]. So if you chuck [COVID-19] into the picture, the amount of people I could meet was very minimal, and the people I did meet were not great— we did not have shared values and they were not good people for me to be around. I also went through a really, really terrible breakup, and the only way I could think of to get through a lot of these feelings was by songwriting.

“Burn Me Alive” was the second song I wrote about everything I was going through and I ended up doing a little demo with a class. Out of that, one of my classmates was like, ‘Oh, I would love to work on this with you!’ And that sort of spiraled into becoming a song I would actually put out. I think writing that song and writing my record has been the most healing thing I could ask for. They’re a way to process emotions without hurting anybody.

of, ‘Okay, let’s not make this part too long,’ or ‘Can I take out this word?’— little things like that. I think you just get more experience and your songs naturally become better when you work with people who know how to write songs.

Q: What can audiences expect from you next?

The Extended Play (EP) will be out sometime this year. That’s all I can really say about that; it’ll be a fulllength EP. I also have a headlining show on March 3 at The Bovine that’s a fully all-female front of band lineup that I’m super excited to have put together. Those’ll be the next kind of big things for me: to have new music come out and have this big headlining show.

Q: What can audiences expect from your performance tonight?

Everything I have to give, y’know?

I want my stage performances to be cathartic and to be about the audience.

Every time I go to a rock show, I just feel this sense of catharsis; the yelling and screaming—there’s so much rage and sadness in a live show and I want the audience to feel that in me. I want them to know that it’s okay for them to feel that and to let out those emotions. So I’m hoping it’s a really cathartic experience for them and for myself, for everybody in the room.

Q: How has your writing process changed since the release of “Burn Me Alive”?

The more I’ve written, the better I’ve gotten at writing, obviously. When I look back at my first songs, it’s ‘Oh my god, I could do so much better.’ I look back at them and I’m proud of them, but now they’ve evolved. I think when you start working with people who have more experience in the industry, they teach you things, and those things seep into how you write. So I Scan here to listen to Amy Kisser’s single, “Burn Me Alive” look at a song now and I’m very aware

B G

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rudging through what seems like a neverending winter storm, her feet engulfed in thick white snow reaching her ankles, Maanya Kohli finds herself delivering what would likely be her last order. The second-year professional communications student has been delivering for Uber Eats on-foot for three months. This bitterly cold day calls for high demand and high rates, thanks to unruly weather conditions.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this,” she tells her boyfriend over the phone, on the verge of tears while delivering someone’s take out order. “I cannot believe I’m doing this. I cannot do this anymore.”

Five months after arriving in Canada, nearing the end of her contract for an expiring seasonal retail position, Kohli found herself signing up for the food delivery app with the promise of flexibility and easy money on the line.

Uber Eats seemed like the perfect job for an international student like her trying to balance their studies and make ends meet— but she quickly realized that this wasn’t the

case and soon became aware of how difficult it is to earn money through these services.

She explains that on average, an order can pay between five to ten dollars but sometimes earns her as little as three dollars, despite taking over half an hour to deliver. She says that the majority of her income relied on tips–which were inconsistent and unreliable. Many who are ordering these deliveries

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words by nalyn tindall visuals by brithi sehra don’t realize the importance of the tipping option that pops up on their screen.

“So many people literally do not know,” notes Kohli. She sees this pay model as exploitative— as no minimum wage is guaranteed—and feels it takes advantage of people who have no other option but to work in these roles.

“You give a lot, mentally and physically. But you’re not getting the compensation for that,” says Kohli, explaining the demanding nature of the job. She notes that it proved impossible for her to find work at certain times despite her open availability. Kohli spent hours on end waiting for a single offer to come through and had no luck. This meant taxing periods of frequent orders, such as during inclement weather, were her only opportunities to make money.

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, the gig economy has emerged as a dominant force, significantly impacting the lives of students.

Gig work is defined by Oxford Languages as “temporary or freelance work performed by an independent contractor on an informal or on-demand basis.”

For some, this decentralized workforce offers a tantalizing commitment to adaptability— the ability to balance work with academic demands. Yet, for many students, the allure of high rewards advertised by the gig economy proves elusive and ultimately unattainable.

On-demand and flexible work of this nature can be a double-edged sword for students. On one hand, it can be a lifeline, allowing them to earn income on their own terms.

This flexibility can be invaluable, especially for those juggling coursework, internships and extracurricular commitments. However, the underbelly of the gig economy reveals a harsh reality: its exploitative nature.

While flexibility may seem like an attractive feature, it often masks the absence of job security,

GIG wor fair wages and essential benefits. Viet Vu, the manager of economic research at TMU’s The Dais, says that, “by relying on that flexibility, you also give up on the additional job protection.”

According to Statistics Canada, approximately 34 per cent of gig workers have completed some post-secondary education, meaning that current or past students make up a significant portion of the industry. This highlights the need for targeted support and policies to address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the growing involvement of well-educated individuals in non-traditional work arrangements.

For many students, the gig economy is a precarious tightrope walk. They’re lured in under the guise of independence and high rewards but are frequently left grappling with instability and a lack of safety and financial insecurity. In this delicate balancing act, how much can be sacrificed before someone slips?

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fter falling and scraping her leg open on the pavement, third-year creative industries student Rachel* worries more about how her boss would react to the inconvenience than the blood dripping down her leg. Sitting right outside the staff entrance, Rachel fears she’ll be reprimanded for her tears.

She’s hesitant to go inside but eventually has to, “I’m not just gonna sit outside and let my leg bleed,” she thinks to herself. After stepping through the door, still visibly injured and upset, her boss asks why she’s crying and why she’s late. When she explains the situation and asks for help, he simply states that it wasn’t that bad.

The appearance she presents to the clients is more important than her injury—only confirming her fears.

Fear isn’t an uncommon workplace emotion for Rachel. She recounts constantly being worried she’ll be fired—or rather stop having shifts offered to her—for the smallest reasons. These reasons include anything from the colour of her socks or nail polish to spilling drinks. She recalls any time she was penalized as

extremely “passive-aggressive,” noting a looming feeling of replaceability in her role. “We’re being fired because they could hire somebody else and just offer them jobs very easily.”

The hospitality industry is associated with secure positions which may rely on supplementary pay via tips. However, some workers both rely on tips and lack job security—Rachel is one of these people. Hired by a staffing agency, Rachel worked as a server at multiple venues throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during the summer.

Rachel found herself bouncing between roles with little to no notice or consideration from her employer. As a “floater,” she would often be called in for work without a job to fulfill. She would then be left sitting and waiting for hours to see if a position would open up before being sent home, only being paid the minimum hourly wage when expecting to make tips. Other times, she was told she would be working a high-paying role only to be moved to another position with significantly less pay. She was never able to properly prepare for the shift ahead, arriving in the wrong attire or without essentials due to last-minute swaps.

This inconsistency and unreliability left Rachel frustrated and stressed as she never knew what to expect or even relatively how much money she would be making each day. She says the lack of communication made her feel extremely undervalued and underappreciated.

The only reason she continued to return was because of the days when she did make a sustainable amount of money.

As a hostess in the suites at a local stadium, she could make a considerable amount thanks to some generous tips. But these shifts were few and far between, a beacon of light amongst the stress and fear she faced during the rest of each stretch of work. According to Georges El Hajal & Bill Rowson in Research in Hospitality Management, “Many of today’s permanent hospitality jobs will be lost to gig workers.” They argue that due to increased labour shortages brought on by the pandemic, gig workers are being used to fill these roles. In the future, the hospitality industry may turn to this model of flexible, on-demand jobs where the employer holds less accountability and the employee carries increased risk and responsibility.

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pon her arrival at the stadium, Rachel is told by her supervisor, “You’re gonna go bartend in one of the most premium places in the whole stadium.” Despite never bartending before, Rachel is enthusiastic to learn something new.

She informs her supervisor about her lack of experience but is assured she’ll pick up the job easily and have someone bartending alongside her, guiding her through the shift.

Once she steps behind the premium lounge bar, she realizes exactly what the shift ahead holds for her: stress, tears and anger. With a never-ending onslaught of orders coming her way, all of which are asking for drinks she doesn’t know how to make, completely overwhelmed, Rachel breaks down.

The hoard of angry servers seems apathetic to the fact she received

the hidden costs of ‘easy’ money

7

no training, scolding her for her inexperience.

This isn’t a unique situation for Rachel either, she notes that she received little to no training in any of the positions she was placed in, relying on her coworkers to help her and eventually figuring out each job on her own.

Vu says, “It’s no surprise at all that, coupled with the high cost of living in a city like Toronto, [gig work] puts a lot of these students into precarity.”

According to Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey, Toronto is currently the most expensive city in Canada to live in. This survey “measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.”

The high cost of living means gig work may be essential for many students to get by as its flexibility offers an avenue for those with other commitments to still have an income.

included under the Employment Standards Act. Gig Workers United (GWU) is a community union supported by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers whose mission is to guarantee transparent pay, livable wages, improved health and safety conditions and labour protections for delivery couriers through organization of workers.

GWU president Jennifer Scott says, “Being a misclassified worker, we don’t have access to safety nets when we’re injured at work, so we don’t have benefits. [They’re] incredibly difficult to access.”

According to the Government of Canada “Misclassification occurs when an employer does not consider or treat a person who is an employee, as an employee.” GWU is demanding that all workers have full employment rights with “no carve-outs” from minimum wage, sick leave, vacation pay and other minimum employment standards, as well as equal access to employment insurance, pension plans and injury compensation.

Kohli explains that many international students face limited options for employment when arriving in Canada. As some were unable to work in their home countries due to age restrictions, they come to a new country with no experience on their resumes. When competing against Canadians who have had parttime jobs as teenagers, many find it difficult to be employed, even in minimum-wage roles. This causes them to turn to gig work, where the hiring process is much more lenient.

Vu says universities “increasingly see international students as a source of revenue as opposed to students that deserve financial support.”

Kohli feels that universities can do more to support students financially so they don’t have to turn to unreliable sources of income that can put them in harm’s way.

Especially for international students who pay over three times the amount of tuition fees.

Though the university has initiatives geared towards financial aid, offering programs including AwardSpring and Career Boost, many of the positions offered are not available to international students.

Kohli says, “I don’t understand why there has to be a divide, at least inside the university.”

Now that her time with Uber Eats is over, Kohli still feels uneasy about the system she’s left behind and hopes for a complete overhaul of the company’s pay model, calling for a fairer compensation system for gig workers. She warns others that what may appear as easy money may not be, encouraging other students to exhaust all of their other employment options first.

Kohli’s experience reflects many of the issues with the gig economy at large, where flexibility often conceals exploitation and financial instability.

She notes that while she’s no longer being exploited, her peers and many others continue to be. “If I don’t do it, someone else will have to.”

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ome students are using the gig economy as a device for their own entrepreneurial and creative ventures. Carina Bianchini, a third-year professional music student, can be found performing at nightclubs and venues from the downtown core to the edges of the GTA. Alongside being a singer-songwriter, she is also her own manager, referring to herself as a “one-woman show” both on and off of the stage. She’s created a system to secure gigs and make money from her music. This requires dedication and hard work, reaching out to venues and promoters and ensuring she’s on top of communication months in advance.

For Bianchini, her income typically relies on the number of tickets sold for each show. She negotiates a percentage of these sales when booking each gig, but sometimes, there’s “unprofessionalism,” she says. “There’s been a couple times where I haven’t been told what percentage of ticket sales I’m getting. So I’m just booked for the show, and I know I’m getting some portion, but I’m not told,” says Bianchini.

She expresses feeling uneasy about asking and would prefer if everyone involved was transparent, noting communication is often the biggest issue she faces when booking work herself.

According to Disctopia, “About 70% of independent artists generate less than $10,000 from their music annually. As an indie artist relying on streaming revenues, you’ll need about 3,000,000 streams annually to generate about $12,000.” This translates to 3 million streams annually for $16,200 CAD. Balancing her musical career with academics has been a stressful experience for Bianchini with constant pressure to stay on top of both pursuits.

She also finds herself comparing her success with those around her, especially online. “It’s hard not to compare myself but I always just tell myself I’m constantly growing. Even if it’s slow and steady, maybe one day I will blow up.”

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nother key issue surrounding gig work is the lack of protection for employees. Vu says, “many vulnerable communities don’t often have access to these full-time jobs, so they’re forced into these sort of contractual agreements that [are] really not good for protecting their labour rights.” He explains that these rights include vacation pay, sick leave, health benefits and any other benefits which are tied to your job and

*The source’s last name is not mentioned due to privacy concerns.

8

BIZ & TECH

The cost of the latte in your cup

Students spend lots of money on everyday luxuries like coffee. How does this affect their finances?

By Krishika Jethani

MICHELLE MENEZES/THE EYEOPENER

As coffee prices continue to increase yearly, so will the amount students spend on simple luxury items. Let The Eyeopener guide you through why students may allocate more than they should on beans, water and steamed milk.

The scenario: Take Zayneb Al-Hantoshi for example, a fourth-year biomedical science student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

Al-Hantoshi used to spend around $15 to $20 a week at coffee shops but has now switched to making coffee at home.

Her coffee drinks cost $3 to $7, four times per week, and would sometimes cost more than her transit fare.

So why has the cost been increasing, and how can students better invest their money?

The need for everyday luxuries: Nikola Gradojevic, a professor in the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of Guelph, says specialty coffee storefronts have become a staple in many students’ lives as it gives a sense of familiarity. “[Buying from coffee shops has] become a lifestyle component—which is part of student’s social lives,” he says. “It’s integral to student lifestyle, and you don’t see it differently.”

Gradojevic says buying coffee provides a steady routine for students.

“It’s a relatively inexpensive luxury, meaning it’s an escape,” says Gradojevic. “When the economy is not doing well, and [students] cannot travel much and have these more expensive experiences, you have your cup of coffee in the morning and feel better about your part of the world.”

Gradojevic emphasizes the cost of other products put into specialized drinks.

“Specialized [coffee] drinks use sugar, honey and syrups of all kinds.

The price of those products has gone up over the past two years. That also increases the price of coffee,” he says.

According to the World Economic Forum, the price of sugar alone has been at its highest since 2011 due to unusual dry weather in Asia’s sugar producing countries and the war in Ukraine, among other issues.

Peter Boxall is a professor in the faculty of agricultural, life and environmental science at the University of Alberta. He says coffee is a costly resource in addition to inflation and increased minimum wage.

“When there’s a hiccup in the tropical parts of the world that are The increasing cost of java: coffee producers, that translates According to the Canada Consumer through to the price signals,” says Price Index, the cost of coffee and tea Boxall. “Consumers in China are manufacturing increased by 27 per switching from tea to coffee, which cent over the past two years. puts more stress on the coffee supply.”

Increased wages and market inflation also factor in the rising cost.

Graham Dobbs, a senior economist at The Dais research group, says inflation and wages work closely together. If the prices of goods and services soar, the cost of living also increases for everyone.

“It’s a relatively inexpensive luxury, meaning it’s an escape” “Although a minimum wage increase is good [for students] in the short term, an overall wage increase tends to put pressure on employers and businesses, and therefore, these increased costs of doing business will be passed on to the consumers,” says Dobbs.

Ontario’s annual inflation rate was 3.99 per cent in 2023. Moreover, the province increased their minimum wage by 6.8 per cent from $15.50 to $16.55 per hour on Oct. 1.

He further explains that a price rise

Drink of the Week: The Eyeopener Cocktail Join Biz and Tech editor Jake MacAndrew each week as The Eyeopener explores how to make cocktails that actually taste good— we’re not looking at you Jäegerbombs.

Learn how to make drinks the right way with debatable bartending skills, passion and unbelievably incredible wit in what critics are calling...a video posted on the internet.

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Ingredients: 1.5 oz of rum 2 dashes of Amaretto 2 dashes of Triple Sec 2 dashes of Anise Syrup 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar 1 egg yolk Directions: Add all ingredients into a shaker.

Shake well with crushed ice.

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This week’s cocktail comes from the first issue of The Eye, published in 1967. Featured on the front page, this iconic piece of our publication’s history is the perfect start to the series. Although, this drink is purely ceremonial—we’re not too sure anyone wants to drink raw egg.

signals some setback in the economy.

For coffee shops, factors include labour shortages in the production or the supply chain of coffee ingredients.

Mos Mos Coffee, located at 655 Bay St., raised its prices twice last year, according to shift manager Aimee Lui. She says the first menu increase was an average of 30 cents and the second by 10 cents due to the increased minimum wage in October.

“Wages and paying employees is the most expensive part of running a business. That affected us as we didn’t let go of any employees [when wages increased], so we needed to find a way to balance and make up for that cost,” she explained.

Many players in the coffee industry are switching to Fairtrade beans as well, and Boxall says students will pay more.

Boxall was part of a research project investigating whether ethical consumers care about price—including paying more for Fairtrade coffee.

“We adjusted the relative price differences between Fairtrade and non-Fairtrade coffee [in a University of Alberta campus coffee shop], and we were able to show that the consumers in the student union building were willing to pay more for the Fairtrade coffee.”

However, he says students may have other sources of income or be in better financial situations. Some students have jobs, and others may live at home, allowing them to spend more money on coffee.

“You can’t lump all students in a basket and claim that they’re similar because that just simply isn’t the case…it depends on the circumstances each individual faces,” he says.

the Department of Finance at TMU stresses the importance of saving.

“Make a spreadsheet and then try to make a list of your income, the monthly maximum you can receive and monthly spending,” says Feng. “If you don’t find the needs will be met, then make an adjustment and stick to your budget or planning throughout the years.”

If students have extra funds, they can buy luxury drinks to reward themselves, she adds. Students in their early twenties have the advantage of a “long horizon” to save towards retirement.”

Feng says students have the advantage of time to save for their retirement goal with compounding interest in investments year over year.

“There are three important elements in financial planning: the investment horizon, the investment return, and the amount of periodic contribution,“ she says.

Gradojevic views buying takeout coffee as putting money into a nonessential item where there is an investment opportunity.

“If you use your $5, or whatever you spend every day on coffee, and buy [coffee corporation] stock for instance, it will grow significantly over time, assuming [the company] will still exist in 20 years,” he says.

“You can generate like $20,000 at least over the next 20 years if you only invest $5 everyday…as opposed to spending $5 with no return.”s According to the NASDAQ stock market index, coffee-related investments are safer as the industry has experienced sustained growth over decades.

“My main message is small habits will have a huge consequence in the future,” says Feng. “Making wise The solution: decisions is something the young Yi Feng, an associate professor in generation should think of.”

FUN & SLAYTIRE

9

It’s time to accept that ‘treating yourself’ every day isn’t sustainable

By Adriana Fallico Before 2024 began, I was thinking about planning some resolutions for the new year, like learning a new language, sleeping a full eight hours or embracing my inner couch potato guilt-free. Above all, at the top of my list was to cut back on my spending.

It’s a pretty reasonable aspiration, isn’t it? After all, the cost of basically everything is soaring nowadays. I can’t even buy a croissant without spending an arm and a leg. Somehow, I always end up getting one anyway.

“I’m well aware of my needless purchases, I just can’t stop making them” Because I feel the need to reward myself whenever I can, I really don’t consider the financial impact it’ll have on me later. I can’t lie, there’s been a few times where I’ve checked my bank account and was startled by the sheer number of transactions. And yes, I just paid $15 to get downtown. But I paid for that with my Presto card so I haven’t spent any real money today.

It was when I started commuting again after the break and couldn’t resist the urge to buy a breakfast sandwich that I had to come to terms with myself: I have to stop treating myself every day. But it’s the tiny temptations that make me realize that this resolution is not the walk in the park I thought it would be.

For example, I really felt like I earned myself a tasty treat after actually attending my first class of the semester…at 8 a.m. It was a content-

heavy first day, meaning the professor spent two hours explaining the course syllabus. Granted, I slept through the entire class but I still believe I deserve a round of applause for even going.

Although, I’d rather order a matcha latte with expedited delivery, so I treated myself to that right afterwards.

Yes, placing that order felt amazing at the time—and taking that first sip felt even better—but everything changed when I glanced at the receipt.

The latte was already expensive but the delivery fee really made my jaw drop. I wiped a tear off the receipt and quickly threw it away before I could dwell too much on my mistake.

Going downtown for classes is the easiest way to expose yourself to expensive and unnecessary purchases.

Whenever I do anything remotely difficult or check a task off my to-do list, I can’t help but feel I deserve a little reward. After all, I am the best student. However, I do know I need to resist the urge to get my hands on multiple treats a day because soon I won’t have the means to support having any at all.

What concerns me is that I’m well aware of my needless purchases, I just can’t stop making them. But it’s not like I’m making huge transactions everyday. It’s all the stupid little acquisitions that pile up, like an eightdollar coffee here, a $12 snack there or a custom cardboard cutout of Frankie the Falcon (it’s a long story).

I know that it can’t be just me. Who hasn’t found themselves wanting a little something after a long, laborious day of lectures or studying? It’s the perfect reassurance that I successfully

BRITHI SEHRA/THE EYEOPENER survived another school day and even Sephora lip balm? It’s a freeing escape. though my life is stressful enough, a It’s when this “escape” leads to little hot chocolate is sure to cure all scrambling to make ends meet of my sorrows. that I begin to question how my brain works. Don’t get me wrong, “Whoever said adulting is I love my treats as much as the next person, but money does not grow fun was a liar” on trees. I can accept that going to On a more serious note, I feel like my first class of the semester may it’s only natural to automatically be an accomplishment for me but it want something to celebrate an unfortunately does not warrant a $12 accomplishment, like getting through latte delivery—not including the tip. a long day of classes or braving a Here are some questions I’ve treacherous commute. It’s something devised to keep myself accountable to look forward to while validating whenever the daily urge hits me. Do the work you’ve done and the effort I need to buy lunch when I brought you put into it. For example, how leftovers from last night? No. Do I satisfying is it to submit a huge need a latte when my homemade one assignment and immediately sprint to does the trick? Only if someone else the Eaton Centre to splurge on a $45 pays for it. Do I need a hot chocolate

after a long day of classes? Maybe, but not when my only class of the day is a one-hour tutorial. I may deserve these things but it doesn’t mean I can always afford them.

“I can’t help but feel that I deserve a little reward” So on those days where you feel like handing your money over to every store you see, remind yourself that your actions have consequences, otherwise known as financial burden. Whoever said adulting is fun was a liar.

But I’m not going to lie…I already placed my Uber Eats order as a reward for finishing this article, so I guess I’m back to square one.

6 tips on how to rescue your bank account after the winter break

By Sierra Finkelshtain Welcome back to school everyone!

‘Tis the season for barren bank accounts after all the holiday shopping and festive outings you did during the break. Say “hello” to the real world; your credit score is in shambles and Santa’s dead now.

Here are six suggestions for how you can cope and scrounge whatever you have left as we readjust to student life in an overpriced metropolitan jungle.

Deep breaths and drinking water will solve everything So, you find yourself in a stressful

situation. The ultimate first practice to remember is to relax and partake in some inexpensive self-care.

Breathing exercises are a free and cost-efficient activity that has been proven to promote relaxation in the mind and body. We love oxygen!

It’s also important to stay healthy and hydrated by drinking water regularly, since drinking water is sure to solve all of life’s problems and world conflicts! Of course, as long as you cut purchasing expensive bottled water out of your budget and commit to only drinking from the tap and other natural sources, such as Lake Ontario.

JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

Avoid paying for your commute.

Walk…run...bike...literally anything else This is definitely one of the savviest ways to both save money and ensure a smooth commute without major interruptions. If you live close to campus, use the PATH! It’s simple, just make sure you avoid the part that leads to the Eaton Centre’s tempting food courts and overpriced namebrand stores.

For those of you who commute from out of town, traveling to campus on foot has (probably) been proven to have many, many benefits.

Who cares if you live in Whitby, Ont.? A daily 48 km walk never hurt anyone! Trekking to class will only bring an increase in personal fitness levels, allow you to be one with nature and will help you avoid the crippling fear that comes when Fare Inspectors board your GO train.

Don’t worry, I’m sure you pay your fare.

Cancel your subscriptions and memberships Once you start to make adjustments to what you would deem as “entertainment,” it’s time to purge

your monthly subscriptions, create a few dozen email addresses and sign up for all the free trials you desire.

However, we would like to remind you that subscriptions to services such as Netflix or Spotify don’t bring fulfillment and can be easily reimagined through hallucination.

Training your brain to dream up your favourite shows and movies is a cost-friendly way to boost your creativity and decrease your screen time. Hallucinating your favourite entertainment content is best when you stare at a blank wall while following the next step of this guide.

Simply stop having fun Now that you’ve cleared your head, you need to adopt the following philosophy into your everyday choices: “Yes to saving, no to fun.”

That’s right, fun is what’s holding you and your wallet back from achieving its desired thickness!

Remember to steer clear of nights out at the club, splurging on shopping trips, meeting up with friends and family, food delivery services and anything else you can think of that would help avoid creating a sad and grey existence. This is the key to your

financial stability!

Get rid of your old textbooks You probably paid a fortune for them for an open elective class you didn’t even have interest in taking. Either it’s never been opened or the pages are stained with tears from that one all-nighter you pulled before a midterm exam. Sell them for less than what you originally paid, you’ll probably still make thousands.

Sell some Christmas presents Let’s be real, you didn’t really want that thrifted sweater under the tree or the stale gingerbread-scented candle you got from your Secret Santa anyway. Replenish your bank account by putting it all on Etsy!

Someone will want it.

Don’t want to get rid of any of your own things? Just sell your siblings’ clutter! You can make a ton of revenue off of your 10- yearold sister’s skin care products from Sephora that she demanded to get for Christmas. Trust me, she doesn’t need a $40 retinol bottle from Drunk Elephant, but you definitely need the money. Get her interested in some other TikTok trend to distract her from it.

10

COMMUNITIES

The lack of media coverage in East African countries JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

By Bana Yirgalem Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) is known for its diversity throughout its student body and the faculties. According to the 2020-2025 Academic Plan, “A major strength of our university comes from the diversity in our TMU family, which reflects the essence of Toronto, the diverse, multicultural community we call home.” One of those predominant communities is the East African student community.

What do you think of the term ‘media’? A source of entertainment?

Reliable? Media has been known to be a powerful tool for individuals to share news and information with millions around the world. For example, TikTok videos, Instagram posts or tweets have been effective ways to share the news, especially on urgent matters. #BlackLivesMatter, #GunViolence, #FreePalestine and #MeToo, are some movements that have gained worldwide attention and recognition due to media coverage.

According to a LinkedIn article, “Social media has revolutionized modern activism and social justice movements, providing a platform for amplification, real-time information dissemination, and global community-building.”

However, the global crisis happening in East Africa has gone seemingly unnoticed on social media.

Some affected countries include Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.

Some people might be aware of these issues and some may not be, it all depends. I’m aware of the conflicts because I’m East African. But when I mention these situations to anyone, most don’t know or understand what I’m talking about. Why may that be?

In my opinion, it all goes back to the lack of social media conversations

it’s hard to gain knowledge on these situations due to the fact that they have placed a social media ban since March 2023.

According to Voice Of America Public Relations, which is known for their pro-Tigray stance, “Some Ethiopian nongovernmental organizations and civic institutions, including the Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy, have cited concerns about the ban’s impact on the right to freedom of expression and Ethiopia Ethiopia is known to have violent how it has hampered documentation internal conflict within its country. of rights abuses.”

The first one was with the northernmost region of Tigray which Sudan according to Global Conflict Tracker Currently, Sudan is facing one of claimed the lives of over 600,000 the worst military conflicts that are people. Now, it’s involving militia happening around the world right groups from the regions of Amhara now. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces, under Abdel Fattah and Oromia.

According to the tracker, “Conflict al-Burhan, military commander for began to emerge in the two regions the country, and the Rapid Support in the spring of 2021, coinciding Forces, a powerful paramilitary group with the escalation of the Tigray under Hemedti.

According to Global Conflict War. During the Tigray War, Amhara groups largely allied with Tracker, “Sudan’s two warring the central government and the factions remain locked in a deadly Oromo sided with the Tigrayans. In power struggle after more than six the aftermath of the war, the central months of fighting.” The conflict has government announced a crackdown killed more than 10,000 people and on the operations of regional security displaced 5.6 million, 80 per cent of whom are internally displaced, and forces.”

According to Global Conflict hundreds of thousands of whom Tracker, “in an effort to consolidate have fled to unstable areas in Chad, central military control and respond Ethiopia and South Sudan. The UN to ethnic violence in the two regions, has pleaded for more support amid the Ethiopian government is fighting dire humanitarian conditions and a former allies and enemies alike, cholera outbreak.

Meanwhile, many largely including the Amhara regional forces and non-state militias from Amhara uncoordinated mediation efforts have failed to produce results and other and Oromia.”

In late 2023, the central government states have taken sides in the war. “escalated its military operations in According to tracker, The Sudan Amhara, while its peace talks with the People’s Liberation Movementlargest Oromo militia collapsed for North rebel group also “joined the fighting, breaking a ceasefire in the third time.”

Ethiopia’s government has ties to southwestern Sudan, and the conflict several conflicts with other countries risks destabilizing the fragile peace in like Eritrea and Somalia. However, neighbouring states.” surrounding East African conflicts.

According to the Humanitarian Coalition, “Conflict, climate change and hunger are putting lives at risk in countries across East Africa.”

However, I want to highlight the three countries currently experiencing conflicts within their communities.

Also, there’s information on how different each countries’ media laws differ from each other.

When it comes to the media laws in the country, the laws aren’t as strict as the Ethiopian government’s, yet, it’s still an issue when it comes to sharing important information on issues within the country. For example, according to the Sudan Media Guide, the newspapers were still able to have critical comments, yet their production failed due to financial issues.

Also, a “major crackdown on journalists, local and international media organizations, and punitive laws have been enacted to silence critics of the junta.” For context, Junta means a “military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force.”

Somalia According to the Global Conflict Tracker, “Al-Shabaab continues to conduct attacks both within Somalia and in neighbouring states, targeting civilians, the Somali state, and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).” Meanwhile, security forces in Somalia that are working to counter Al-Shabaab—including forces from the United States, AMISOM and the Somali government—have all undergone transitions in recent years. AMISOM was tasked with handing over authority to Somali security forces. Still, this transfer of responsibility faced multiple delays and setbacks, with the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council voting to extend AMISOM’s mandate until the end of 2021. However, AMISOM remained in place until April 2022, when it was replaced with the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

With around 18,000 troops, ATMIS essentially serves as an extension of AMISOM and is not due to fully depart until the end of 2024. In 2022, U.S. president Joe Biden “approved the redeployment

of hundreds of U.S. special forces to Somalia, reversing the [Donald] Trump administration’s withdrawal.”

According to Global ConflictTracker, Somalis are constantly facing all kinds of threats.

Between 2022 and 2023, Somalia faced its worst drought in 40 years, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. The United Nations warned, “400,000 of the 6.6 million Somalis in need of aid are facing famine-like conditions, and 1.8 million children are at risk of acute malnutrition in 2023.”

When it comes to the media laws in Somalia, according to Media Landscapes, “Somalia has had no effective media regulation since 1991, until a law was brought in 2012, which sparked huge protests from journalists.”

Also, the federal government created a “federal media strategy” in 2017. The strategy includes transforming the governmentowned media outlets into a public broadcasting system. Yet, six years later, this hasn’t been deemed active, according to Media Landscapes.

As a result of each of these countries having different media laws, the way their news is shared differs from Canada. However, just because those countries may have laws blocking their news doesn’t mean we should shy away from educating ourselves on issues around the world.

Most countries may have media laws that block out new organizations from being shared. However, journalists in Canada, still try to find ways to share news in many forms so everyone can be informed.

Taking the initiative to learn about other conflicts and issues around the world gives you the opportunity to have more educated conversations with individuals who could possibly make an impact in the future.

11

SPORTS

Serving up sisterhood: The Veltmans volleyball reunion at TMU

By Mitchell Fox Lauren Veltman had her university volleyball career cut short.

Her final game came in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and saw her second ankle sprain of the season.

For a player who had entered the top five in all-time kills for the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold—then Ryerson Rams— women’s volleyball team earlier that season, it was not the conclusion she had anticipated.

Four years later, she is getting a proper send-off. And she gets to do it alongside her younger sister, Britney Veltman.

“My last year ended on a pretty disappointing note,” Lauren said. “I wanted to come back and finish it off on a good note.”

The Veltman sisters are both set SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER to graduate from the team at the end of this season, each with five seasons under their belts, though with “She wasn’t given the proper different stories to tell. send-off that an athlete of her calibre, and the type of career she’s had, deserves,” he said.

“They represent the Britney, on the other hand, started sisterhood that we all her volleyball career at TMU in the aspire to have” 2019-20 season—her sister’s fourth.

Since then, the team had a year off Lauren won a U Sports national due to the pandemic, their first losing championship, along with an season since 2011-12 and a playoff Ontario University Athletics (OUA) appearance last year—a change from championship, in the 2017-18 season. the prior heights they reached.

As a key part of a team with three Despite a knee injury sidelining her national tournament appearances since November, Britney has taken across four 15-plus-win seasons, on a leadership role as the team’s the elder Veltman’s TMU career captain this season. was illustrious.

Though they have taken different Lauren finished her undergraduate paths, Reid said it has been “special” degree in 2020-21 but still had a year to see the Veltmans fit alongside each of volleyball eligibility, which she is other as leaders. using this season while taking classes “Having coached one of them or in the Chang School. the other, or both, at some point since “We didn’t think we’d be graduating 2016, it’s really been a treat to see how together,” Britney said. “Being able to they’ve both grown,” he said. do that is obviously amazing.”

Lauren finds it “mind-blowing” Bold women’s volleyball head to see her sister’s growth over the coach Dustin Reid said he is glad to years, evolving from a quiet firsthave Lauren back after a few years year to an outspoken leader and as she embraces being a varsity deserving captain. athlete and “one of the top players in “Seeing her like that made me feel the league.” pretty comfortable coming into the

role I’m in now,” she added. “Seeing that she can grow and evolve, I’m like, ‘OK, I can do that coming in.’”

After eight months of playing professional volleyball in Sweden followed by a year off from playing the sport, many were invested in Lauren’s return. Bold assistant coach Brett Hagarty often put the idea in her head when they saw each other while coaching youth teams.

Lauren asked Britney for permission before deciding to return to the Bold because she felt it was her younger sister’s moment to graduate with the friends she had made over the last three years.

“We didn’t think we’d be graduating together” “I didn’t want to overstep on her senior year,” Lauren said. “I’m really glad that she felt the same way I did.”

The team found out about Lauren’s return when she was on email lists ahead of the season. However, staff member and former teammate, Lauren Wong, was surprised to learn she was joining the roster, not the

staff, at their first meeting.

“She messaged me during the meeting and she was like, ‘What, you’re playing?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, girl,’” the elder Veltman laughed.

The team was full of “high vibes” when they learned of Lauren’s return as a player.

“People will listen to what she has to say because of all the knowledge that she has,” Britney said. “On the court, people just follow in her footsteps.”

Reid said Lauren joined the team prepared to lead with her words and actions while letting others lead with their strengths.

“She [saw] that there [was] a really strong leadership group that has been together for the last three years through the pandemic and out of it,” he said. “She didn’t arrive demanding to be a central part of that.”

While Lauren draws on her experience in engaging teammates in one-on-one feedback, Britney is the social leader who brings the team together.

Ashley Ditchfield, another senior player on the team and Britney’s roommate, credits her as being the team’s glue.

“I didn’t want to overstep on her senior year”

NATHAN GERSON/THE EYEOPENER

“Britney is probably the best friend I’ve ever had,” Ditchfield said. “Seeing her become our leader has been super special for me.”

Reid believes the way Britney never casts a dark cloud on the squad while battling an injury is a sign of the sisters being supportive and team-centric people.

“While they are tremendous players and potential future Hall of Famers at TMU, their commitment to the group is really amazing,” he said.

The Veltmans are a force on

the court but also a source of entertainment for their teammates.

Along with their humour, they sometimes get caught singing songs at the same time during breaks at practice.

“They’re synced up, I swear,” Ditchfield said. “They just play off each other non-stop and it’s so fun to watch.”

The sisters are far from the only athletes in the Veltman family.

Their uncle is a National Lacrosse League Hall of Famer. Their father, as well as their cousins, also played high-level lacrosse. Meanwhile, their older sister Kelsey Veltman played volleyball, going from an accomplished U Sports tenure with the Western Mustangs to a professional career abroad.

Britney and Lauren are three years apart in age, so they never got to play together in high school or with club teams. Lauren did, however, get to play high school volleyball with Kelsey.

Lauren got ideas about how far she could go in volleyball, such as playing in university or going pro, from seeing Kelsey do it. Britney got that two times over.

“Going into university, it was such a crazy idea that I’d be able to actually be with them and play with them after watching them for all these years,” Britney said.

The Veltmans are looking forward to celebrating Senior Night, which will take place on Feb. 10 against the Trent Excalibur, as a family. Britney hopes to be back in time from her injury to participate in the game.

“I already have it pictured in my head: me, [Lauren], mom and dad on the court, taking that photo together,” she said. “I’m stoked.”

For now, the Bold will continue to work towards competing for an OUA and national championship, with the Veltmans at the helm— both as sisters and as teammates.

12

PHOTO

SPORTS PHOTOS OF THE MONTH For a moment there, sports content had taken over The Eyeopener, from consistent recaps to WOCO and PWHL coverage, our editors and photographers have been hard at work to bring you all the timely content. Here are some photo highlights you might have missed from the recent games.

Photos by: Sammy Kogan, Nathan Gerson, Konnor Killoran and LeBron Pryce