The Eyeopener: Vol. 58, Issue 3

Volume 58 - Issue 3 September 25, 2024 theeyeopener.com @theeyeopener Since 1967

News

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The Eyeopener Masthead Editor-in-Chief Joshua “Inch Resting” Chang News Editors Jasmine “Spice Tolerant” Makar Jerry “Good Morning Sunshine” Zhang Lillie “Shake Shack” Coussée Arts & Culture Editor Anastasia “Sunday Shoes” Blosser Business & Technology Editor Anthony “Eyelashes” Lippa-Hardy Communities Editor Khushy “Oh?!” Vashisht Features Editor Nalyn “Cartoonist” Tindall Fun & Satire Editor Sarah “You’re Hired!” Grishpul Sports Editors Daniel “Nachoo” Carrero Mitchell “Achoo” Fox Production Editors Jake “L Burger Bar” MacAndrew John “CanCulture Website” Vo Photo Editors Nageen “Incoming” Riaz Saif-Ullah “Self Portrait” Khan Sammy “Blay-blade” Kogan Media Editor Divine “After the Tone” Amayo Lucas “Late Start” Bustinski

Students upset following TMSU-hosted concert Attendees expressed concerns about crowd chaos and performance delays

By Jasmine Makar and Anthony Lippa-Hardy On Sept. 12, the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU), hosted a live event featuring performances from rappers Offset and G-Eazy, where students were pushed and knocked over near the front of the crowd.

The event was held at YongeDundas Square where multiple mosh pits broke out, leaving many students uncomfortable and worried for their safety.

“I was in the middle of the mosh pit involuntarily,” said Sofiya Dalati, a RTA new media student who attended the concert. She explained how students around her got aggressive as the pushing continued throughout the event.

“I got separated from my group and at one point, someone’s arm was against my throat and I was getting choked out,” said Dalati.

In addition to the pushing the crowd experienced, there were incidents of people fainting throughout the event with medical services attending to students after they passed out.

Sedem Dartey, a fifth-year biomedical science student, saw one

attendee drop to the floor and had to call for medics.

“I kind of saw him drop. But I also saw the people around him make a circle to, I guess, allow him to breathe some fresh air…then I turned around to call for the medics,” he said.

While waiting for the show to start, security had to remove several students who got overly aggressive in the mosh pits.

One of the hosts from the event asked the large crowd to “take one step back” and threatened to cancel the show if students didn’t stop pushing.

Other students expressed similar feelings of fear and discomfort due to the congested area. Teagan Soubolsky, a third-year social work student explained she felt claustrophobic during the concert and said she felt concerned for her safety throughout the evening.

“I was a little bit worried about how packed it got when some of the moshing started...I was scared that someone there might fall down and get trampled,” she said. “It got so packed that there were people on your front, back and shoulders touching you and it started to really feel claustrophobic.”

The event, promoted as TMSU

Digital Producer Lily “Media Office Resident” Han Circulation Manager Sherwin “Baja Blast-off” Karimpoor Design Director Vanessa “18(feet)“ Kauk General Manager Liane “Not Petty” McLarty Contributors Aisha “Fashionista” Duldul Shaaranki “Creator” Kulenthirarasa Ria “Everywhere” Sidhu Olivia “Slapjack” Zhong Emerson “Bottle Goggles” Williams Daniel “Courtside” Opasinis Jay “Neighbour” Ashdown Jonathan “Lock-in” Reynoso Eli “Cowboy” Silverstone Sofie “Dancing Queen” Gelder Daniyah “Universe’s Fav” Yaqoob Dylan “Baconator” Marks Vihaan “Free Food?” Bhatnagar Zach “True Grit” Thomson LeBron “Still Around” Pryce Sophia “Express“ Shahani Durán Maya “Vlog Star” Zaid Negin “Ex-Mother” Khodayari Contact 55 Gould Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 1E9, Suite 207

Samsung’s Galaxy Grub food truck arrives at TMU

By Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa

TMU expands resource access with Omni library

By Olivia Zhong

Samsung’s Galaxy Grub food truck arrived at Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) campus on Sept. 23 to promote the company’s latest smartphone models.

The truck—a collaboration between Samsung Canada and SkipTheDishes—was stationed at Gould and Victoria Streets last Monday.

It offered students free food from local restaurants while highlighting the image translation function on their newer phone models.

Participants were able to use the new feature to translate menus and calculate a tip to obtain their free meal.

Annu Jose, a computer science student at TMU, said the live translation feature could be useful for international students.

The Galaxy Grub food truck will return to campus on Sept. 26 and 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students and faculty can now access books from university libraries across Ontario through Omni, a newly partnered academic search engine.

Launched at the TMU Library over the summer, Omni’s Pickup Anywhere program allows users to request books from the 18 participating universities and have them shipped to a partner library for free.

Rabia Maroor, a third-year biomedical engineering student, is pleased with Omni’s digitization request feature, which lets users request digital scans of selected sections from materials.

She said as a commuter, her textbooks have become too heavy and she prefers online copies.

According to TMU Library’s Omni portal, digital books are emailed within 24 business hours.

Print materials are delivered within seven to 10 business days and can be borrowed for up to 120 days.

JASMINE MAKAR/THE EYEOPENER Live, spanned from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. with the first artist, G-Eazy, not arriving on-stage until after 9 p.m. The headliner, Offset, arrived to perform around four hours after students were let into the square.

Muhammad Awais, the TMSU’s vice-president of operations, said on-stage that the event took six months to plan and execute.

The Eyeopener reached out to the TMSU for comments on the allegations in this story on Sept.

17 but they did not reply in time for publication.

Dartey said “it could have been better communicated that the artist [was] coming later instead of hyping it up and saying it would start at six.

Dartey added that the entire event could have been shorter, especially for students that had arrived at 6 p.m. and earlier that had to wait in the square until the show began.

Other students agreed the timing of the show was poorly communicated.

“It was a long wait because they didn’t give an opening time or an ending time, so me and my friend were standing there for four hours,” said Soubolsky. “People were expecting performers to go on at [7 p.m.] and no one came out until almost 10 [p.m.].”

The concert ended at around 11 p.m. with many students leaving before the show finished.

Fire drills beginning on campus on Sept. 23

By Jerry Zhang

TTC pulls the plug on free Wi-Fi

By Ria Sidhu

Fire drills are happening across campus at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in buildings managed by the university from Sept. 23 to 26 between 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., according to the school’s Facilities Management and Development page.

During the drill, all students and faculty in the buildings must evacuate immediately when the alarm sounds. Fire wardens onsite will assist with the process and can be identified by their labeled vests.

TMU buildings have either single or double-stage alarm systems. For single-stage, occupants should evacuate when the alarm sounds.

For double-stage, the firststage alarm notifies trained staff to carry out protocols while all other building occupants should stand by until the second alarm before evacuating.

Occupants are instructed to move away from buildings and exits after leaving. Additional details can be found on the Facilities Management and Development website.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will soon deactivate TConnect, a free wireless internet service, leaving commuters without access to free Wi-Fi in subway stations.

According to a statement from the TTC emailed to The Eyeopener, the service saw a 65 per cent decline since the introduction of 5G cellular service for all carriers in October 2023. “$17 million to upgrade the infrastructure to address performance and security issues does not feel like a wise investment,” the statement read. “We think our customers would rather see that money spent on our core business—safe and reliable transit service.”

Aaliyah Ali, a second-year business management student and frequent user of the TTC, is not phased by the change.

“I’m so indifferent with this just because the TTC Wi-Fi never actually worked,” she said.

Although there is no set date for when the service will officially become unavailable, the TTC stated it will be terminated by the end of the year.

News

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New architecture scholarship boosts networking opportunities One fourth-year architecture student will be awarded $5,000 and given ‘real world’ experience

By Aisha Duldul Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) partnered with DPI Construction Management this year to create an annual scholarship. $5,000 will be awarded to a fourth-year architecture student pursuing a career in project management and other architecture-related fields according to a press release from DPI Construction Management.

Applications will start in October and the winner will be announced in December 2024.

The firm was co-founded by TMU architecture and science alumnus, Elvio Simone who “wanted to give back to the community

and expand the organization’s involvement on TMU’s campus,” according to a written statement from the Faculty of Architecture.

TMU students said earning this award could make them stand out in the job market, enhance their professional credibility and help them differentiate themselves from other candidates.

Nava Monfared, a fourth-year architecture student interested in pursuing project management and construction, said that winning this scholarship would give her more access to job opportunities and “could add experience to [her] resume which can lead to better job opportunities.”

She added it’s important for architects to co-ordinate teams and work well with new people, as project management is all about team building and problem-solving. She said having this kind of scholarship can strengthen those skills for the workforce.

According to the Canadian Occupational Projection System, construction managers will be in demand in the next 10 years and more jobs will become available.

Lisa Landrum, department chair and professor of Architectural Science, said the award recipient will have unique networking opportunities as they get to speak with

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the donors and get to attend the award ceremony.

“The student might also be invited to visit the company with a tour,” she said.

Landrum explained that the one-on-one interaction a student will get with the donor would benefit their future and help them stand out when applying for jobs after they graduate.

“It puts you in a position to connect with people in a company like DPI Construction Management and boosts confidence in the workforce,” she said.

Nele Hohmann, a fourth-year architecture student interested in pursuing construction and design, said this scholarship would help her solidify her passion and give her the financial freedom she needs to explore various fields.

“It opens up a lot of opportunities that you wouldn’t have without the money,” she said.

“It will help us [architects] become more brave to branch out in the field.”

Other students agreed this scholarship would benefit them outside of academics.

Henriette Seifried, an exchange student from Germany, said winning this award would help boost her confidence when applying for jobs.

“It’s the starting point to going into the real world, not just the architecture world while studying,” Seifried said.

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TIFF

TMU instructor hits the bulls-eye with ‘Matt & Mara’

By Emerson Williams Watching Matt & Mara as a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) student, you’ll recognize a lot of things. The pale lecture rooms of Kerr Hall, the sounds of cars whizzing by on Gerrard Street from Nelson Mandela Way and the voices of chatty characters at the intersection of College and Yonge Streets. The film is raw and familiar, down to every beat.

The titular university friends are played

by Matt Johnson and Deragh Campbell as they reunite after university and stumble into an emotional affair. Mara is forced to confront her dreams and unfulfilled needs while struggling to feel known by her husband and peers. It’s a simple premise that TMU instructor, director and writer Kazik Radwanski didn’t let go to waste.

He envelopes the audience in discomfort and heartache.

As an audience member, you might assume Johnson and Campbell have known each other for years—that’s because they have. The two starred together in Radwanski’s previous film, Anne at 13,000 Ft. It’s an understatement to call Radwanski’s choice to reunite the pair for this project an intelligent one.

Their dynamic in Matt & Mara is electric from the beginning, where they awk-

wardly encounter each other outside of the university poetry class Mara teaches. It’s an authentic trading of excitable, nervous energy that only crescendos from there.

It helps that Campbell is a triumphant talent. With complete ease, she takes form as a woman full of life who doesn’t let it spill out of herself. Mara forces herself to be an observer of art rather than a creator of it, despite her former life as a young, blooming poet. She lives and breathes the idea of being remarkable.

This can be heard in Mara’s lines, but also in her subtle, emotional microexpressions. It’s as if Campbell can feed off the aching hearts of starving female artists in her audience as she dances the role, making each twitch of the face and furrow of the brow a heartfelt move to her routine.

Combined with Radwanski’s intelligent close-up shots, Mara’s character serves as a perfect piece of personhood.

Johnson makes for a perfect scene partner to Campbell’s vivid shyness. He’s a booming presence as Matt, who’s character works like a snake charmer, coaxing the artistic curiosity out of Mara.

The film is filled with hilarious sessions of bickering between the pair, making any conflict impossible to look away from.

These comedic sparring matches are vibrant, tennis-style back-and-forths. John-

SUPPLIED: MATT & MARA/TIFF son knows exactly when to escalate with progressively drier responses while Campbell naturally lights up, becoming the film’s necessary firecracker to show her opinionated spirit.

Radwanski can be credited for assembling the perfect entourage of artists to bring his screenplay to life. This team includes Toronto cinematographer Nikolay Michaylov who worked with Radwanski on Anne at 13,000 Ft., as well as several other accomplished international films.

Set on the walkway towards Niagara Falls’ ‘Maid of the Mist,’ one of the film’s

most notable scenes appears like a moving baroque painting with its attention to shadows and natural light. The shots are a beautiful, incidental way of utilizing the aggressive swarm of water, accurately capturing a beating moment between Matt and Mara as if the pelting mist is a push towards a shared vulnerability.

Matt & Mara is more than a ‘will-theywon’t-they,’ trope-led story. It’s a pushand-pull of the unveiling of one’s potential, a loving fight to grant someone the escape of being a mere guest in the lives of everyone else.

‘Rez Ball’: A film that brought Indigenous identity to the spotlight

By Daniel Opasinis I had the pleasure of seeing Rez Ball, an Indigenous Netflix Original movie featured at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Directed by Sydney Freeland, the film follows the Chuska Warriors, a Navajo high school basketball team on their journey to the state championship.

The tradition and spirit of Navajo peoples are celebrated but darker themes such as alcoholism and suicide in Indigenous communities were also explored diligently.

Overall, the film was a beautiful tale of Indigeneity, resilience and teamwork.

I should mention that I myself am First Nations Mi’kmaq. My family comes from Eel River Bar First Nation, although I grew up quite the city boy.

While the culture of my ancestors isn’t quite the same as the Navajo characters SUPPLIED: REZ BALL/TIFF

in this story, I love seeing similarities between teachings and traditions.

I like to think of tradition like a pie. Our crusts are all the same—a medicine wheel and maybe a sick drum beat—but each nation has its own taste of life. That taste is what makes intertribal connection so special.

“Rez Ball has me thinking a lot about native culture and the importance of identity” Rez Ball isn’t just the name of the movie, it’s the name of the game. The Chuska Warriors play a local style of basketball where the aim is to play fast, allowing little time for stalling or setup. As soon as they get possession of the ball, they’re going for a shot. The Warriors use a lightning quick playstyle to stump teams as they climb the ranks of New Mexico’s high school basketball league.

Nataanii Jackson, played by Kusem Goodwind, is the team’s star player. As

an audience, we follow Jackson’s struggle with loss and his eventual succession by his teammate and best friend Jimmy Holiday, played by Kauchani Bratt. I have yet to see a cast so representative of the Indigenous community depicted on screen. In a panel hosted by TIFF, Bratt explained to the audience that this was his first acting role ever.

I spent my time in the theatre with a smile across my face. The play-by-play scenes were thrilling, the Navajo language was well-incorporated in dialogue and the humour was impressively relevant.

Rez Ball is a film that can be enjoyed by anyone. The inside jokes will make every auntie slap their knee, but the story is something anyone could connect to.

This universality was something I struggled with in the theatre. As much as I can appreciate the stories that connect us all together, sometimes I hope for an Indigenous depiction that not all viewers can relate to. The underdog to championship trope is well explored, but I’m sure there are many unique Indigenous triumphs that could be highlighted at events like TIFF. Tradition plays a large part in the story of Rez Ball. After a tough loss against the Catholic Coyotes and the loss of a team member, the Warriors struggle to find their rhythm. Coach Heather Hobbs, played by Jessica Matten, calls on her childhood coach Benny to bring the team together through tradition. In the next scene, the camera follows a smudge bowl as it passes each member of the team. One by one, they sweep the smoke across their bodies as Benny gave a teaching about the old ways. I will say that although this scene was a stellar incorporation of traditional Indigenous ceremony, I

wished there would have been more frequent appearances of these practices. Although impactful, it did feel like the “Hail Mary” reference that the film clung to.

The use of traditional drum songs to pump up the energy of action scenes was interesting and resourceful. It was easy to feel the spirit of the players through the screen as they worked towards scoring a point. The film also featured great works of hip-hop music that felt perfectly placed in the locker room.

“I like to think of tradition like a pie, our crusts are all the same but each nation has its own taste of life” Accurate and intriguing portrayals of Indigenous culture don’t come out of nowhere. Universities need to take an active role in shaping education to include the knowledge and teachings of Indigenous people. This active participation across disciplines can fuel representation in creative industries. If programs like film and new media assess their impact on Indigenous stories, they could help inspire a future of accurate and respectful representation of Indigenous cultures.

Rez Ball has me thinking a lot about native culture and the importance of identity.

What it means to be native isn’t exactly a clear question, and would require a much longer article to dissolve. I think there’s something special about leaving that question unanswered because whether it’s our communities, our teachings or our warm fry bread, the native identity is something that isn’t going anywhere.

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TIFF

Caméra d’Or winner discusses latest film during TMU visit

By Anastasia Blosser As director César Augusto Acevedo puts it, Horizonte is a film born out of desperation and a great sense of culpability. In just over two hours, it attempts to represent 50 years of civil unrest and generational suffering in rural Colombia referred to as “La Violencia.”

The plot follows a mother reconnecting with her long-lost son who was kidnapped as a teenager and forced to join a right-wing militia. The pair travel through the countryside as spirits in an afterlife and are forced to confront the atrocities her son committed while he was alive.

The two ghosts revisit children and pregnant women who were killed out of fear of a new generation of opposing militants. They encounter soldiers who “made death a party” and use heads as soccer balls.

Despite this, Acevedo doesn’t use blood or gore to tell the story of gruesome, torturous deaths. Rather, the horrors of war are recounted by simultaneously overlaping multiple timelines into a singular, concrete storyline.

While the film made its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Acevedo visited Toronto Metropolitan University to discuss Horizonte.

He spoke with Spanish professor Enriqueta Zafra and criminology professor Joshua Price as part of a TIFF Talks series at TMU. Answers have been edited for length and clarity. Acevdo’s responses have been translated from Spanish to English.

Q: Why did you tell this story from the standpoint of a dead right-wing militant and his mother? What is the importance of the ghosts’ perspectives?

A: In Colombia, we have eight million victims of “La Violencia” and we had the idea to make a film that tells the story of these people who left us behind. The militants who victimize them are just as human as everyone else and have feelings. I wanted to make sure these people are not seen as mere statistics or numbers. The intention was to tell the story not from a historical, political or social point of view, but rather from a metaphysical and spiritual one.

In a world in which there’s a kind of cynicism that assumes there’s nothing to be done, that everything is already lost, this is a chance we have to recognize each other so we can possibly do something about it.

Q: When you talked about this film, you said it participates in moral and material reparations. What do you mean by that? How do you think you accomplished that?

A: I believe that war destroys not only bodies but also spirits. It was important that the film doesn’t focus too much on the exact story and what happened in the past but rather on the reparations. It’s a humanistic message that we have the power to repair ourselves and to move forward. I did not want to make an inventory of the atrocities of violence. Instead, this was a chance for us to reflect, to learn and to think about “What was the meaning of all of these atrocities and how we can heal from it?”

Q: There were certain lines in the film where the paramilitary ghost is told not to act like a victim. When he apologizes to a woman looking for her family, she says, “What good is an apology if you don’t tell us what we need to hear about the fate of our loved ones?”

Could you elaborate on what you intended with these specific lines?

A: The victimizers are often asked for apologies but what good is it? What I need to know is the truth about the whereabouts of my relatives. There’s something sort of strange and unsatisfying about that moment. Forgiveness and reparation cannot happen without the truth.

I think the whole film was built around a feeling I’ve had most of my life. For many people in Colombia, it is that feeling of the unknown, feeling a little bit helpless towards not knowing how to get out of this war. We’re always being told that we’re supposed to have some kind of dialogue

and that there’s supposed to be something that we’re going to get out of it. At the same time, there’s a kind of lack of hope and confidence in ourselves.

The film is about trying to tell everyone, “you have the responsibility to heal society.”

We can overcome all of the things that have happened already and then we can transcend it somehow.

Q: The film premiered at TIFF. What would you like an international audience to take away from this film?

A: The film is trying to convey what appears to be a very simple question of “What’s the sense of life in a country where there is so much war, so much death?” We do live in a world with war and genocide and no one is truly disconnected from that.

I think it could be very dangerous if we actually believe that all this is far away from us. I think it’s important to understand that we have the power to destroy but we also have the power to heal.

SUPPLIED: HORIZONTE/TIFF

Amar Wala’s ‘Shook’ fails to shake up the coming of age genre

By Emerson Williams There is something incredibly refreshing about seeing Toronto play itself for once in Amar Wala’s Shook.

Like that one person in your romantic roster, Toronto is typically the reliable, budget-friendly booty call of filmmaking, ready to be dressed up like New York City for a fraction of the price and effort.

This time, Scarborough-born Wala gave the city its flowers in his leap from documentary filmmaking to narrative fiction. He even worked with other Canadians like producer and Toronto Metropolitan University professor Karen Harnisch.

Written and directed by Wala, Shook follows Scarborough resident Ash (Saameer Usmani) coming to terms with his father Vijay’s (Bernard White) diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, all while falling in love with local barista Claire (Amy Forsyth), cultivating his writing career and balancing his tumultuous relationship with his mother Nisha (Pamela Sinha).

The piece showcases Torontonian relatability through its intermittent comedy. The film shows the debilitating commuter lifestyle for those on the city’s ends and a touching appearance of the now deceased Scarborough Line 3. The script is laced with distaste for the Québécois and cuss-filled jokes that could only come from a Torontonian’s mouth.

The true selling point of the film is its

cinematography. There is no denying that Wala has a talented eye for shots, angles and framing. Paired with the talents of cinematographer Peter Hadfield, the film is a dynamic piece that prioritizes pleasing the eyes of the viewer.

But from there, Wala’s artistic dedication begins to noticeably dwindle.

Wala and co-writer Adnan Khan gave themselves a lot to work with and they seemed to have realized that too. The film’s theme of closing distance and breaking down walls transpires in many ways but primarily through the closeness Ash achieves with estranged Vijay after his diagnosis.

The themes are also established through Ash finding identity in Toronto despite feeling like an outcast all his life as a Scarborough resident. Shook’s cinematography constantly features shots showing distance, whether it’s downtown on the Scarborough skyline or a glowing subway tunnel as the train moves further away.

It almost feels as if Wala and Khan didn’t know where to land, what part of the plot to bring out the most to achieve the movie’s ideas or even what Ash’s emotional growth should look like.

Instead of going on a journey with Ash as he tries to find where he stands in life, the audience is gifted with Ash’s struggles in the form of ornaments that make him appear more moody and deep.

There is no sinking into the plot, there is

merely floating atop the shallow storyline.

This would be less of a problem if Ash wasn’t so difficult to care about. Be warned that he possesses very little to invest love or hatred into. At Shook’s premiere, Wala noted that Ash was intended to come off as misogynistic. Though a brief glimpse of this could be seen in Ash’s relationship with his mother, it’s difficult to narrow it down to a distinct trait—especially since Ash spends most of his time whining and demanding pity from everybody regardless of their gender.

“There is something incredibly refreshing about seeing Toronto play itself for once” Perhaps more about Ash could be understood if the emotions he is forced to confront with his father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis were not secondary to the mainplot of falling for Claire.

Ash’s relationship with Claire is applicable to the themes of the film, but it would be a distant conncetion. Though Forsyth stands out vividly with her flawless embodiment of Claire, it’s difficult to believe that Ash and Claire are romantically involved.

This is especially true since they share limited vulnerability and express no takeaways from the stakes of Ash discovering Claire has departed for Montreal only shortly after the birth of their entanglement.

Shook features many heartwarming

scenes that shed light on Parkinson’s disease, featuring several short appearances from Canadians living with the disorder.

However, Wala fails to depict how the disease creates any closeness between Ash and Vijay, aside from Ash experiencing guilt at the prospect of not being by his father’s side through treatment.

Based on Wala’s understanding of Ash’s misogynistic tendencies, this could be extrapolated as a choice to showcase men who find it difficult to be emotionally vulnerable with each another. Determining this bias solely based on afterthought could be a frustrating responsibility to bestow upon an audience. But there is a grand chance that Wala did expect this from his audience, almost as if to be a thoughtless writer in auteurist clothing.

This would be corroborated by Ash’s childish display surrounding his parent’s separation, which could make any sensible adult question why he centres himself in the ordeal as a man in his late 20s. Perhaps Wala intended to provide a commentary on the importance of marriage. Rather, it may just be that he could have done this to broaden his story, but chose not to.

If there is anything that will please the audiences of Shook, it will be that the film offers reassurance to post-grads in their late 20s and 30s they can still go to house parties and get black-out drunk.

6

Features

Inside Canada’s Trans Healthcare Maze With their Wellness in the hands of an incompatible medical system, trans students have to be their own experts Words by Jay Ashdown After calling four walk-in clinics to no avail, Aisha Sharma sat in the first medical centre to tell her “yes” over the phone. She was visiting her family in Edmonton last December during her third year attending the RTA media production program at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). As a transgender woman on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), she’d come to rely on the nurse at the university’s Medical Centre to give her a weekly estradiol injection.

Across the room, the doctor picked up Sharma’s vial of medicine and furrowed his brow at the label. “This is estra-estra-deeahl? What is this for—gender therapy?”

“He starts typing on his computer and asks me some random questions, like, ‘any allergies, anything like that,’” Sharma recalls. After a minutes-long slew of questions, silent Google searches and awkward pauses, the doctor tells her he can’t do the procedure. The shot was due and the medication—which Sharma brought from home—was right there. But the one barrier in the way was Sharma’s trans identity.

“I literally was on the verge of tears.”

For years, access to HRT has proven to be essential for many trans patients’ wellbeing, improving mental health conditions and reducing the risk of suicide across the community, according to research from the Trevor Project. Gender-affirming care can be lifesaving but with common experiences like Sharma’s as just one example, many of Canada’s healthcare services don’t convey a sense of urgency.

As prescription medications, most hormone therapies are funded by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)+ and partially covered by the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union’s (TMSU) insurance plan. As of Fall 2024, TMU’s Medical Centre offers access to inhouse specialists who can provide HRT and top or bottom surgery referrals. But those who are graduating or live far from Toronto lose access to campus clinic services, leaving them to navigate Canada’s public health system on their own.

For trans students in need of timely, accessible and respectful treatment, transphobia is an invisible hurdle adding to the system’s labyrinth of forms, clinics and unreliable doctors. Under provincial medical services already suffering detrimental budget cuts and staff shortages country-wide, these problems are exacerbated for patients seeking out gender-affirming treatments.

Not only are practitioners often unavailable, many still don’t know how to treat trans people—or just don’t want to—according to research by the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. Most trans Canadians have a primary doctor, TransPULSE Canada reports, but just 26 per cent have received all the gender-affirming medical care they need.

Visuals by Saif-Ullah Khan To access essential care—in lieu of guidance from provincial healthcare resources—patients have to be their own advocates in the doctor’s office.

“I generally dread going to the doctor or any healthcare [clinic] in every aspect and obviously, the trans aspect,” says fourth-year RTA media production student Aveen Damghani. Being non-binary and trans, their time spent with their family doctor and therapist has been fraught with invalidation.

Damghani now keeps their appointments as short as possible.

“I let them know once and they’re confused and then I let them know again,” they recall. “When we call sometimes, [my psychiatrist] is like, ‘what were your pronouns? He? She? They? What are you right now?”

For Kay*, a professional music student at TMU, ignorance is a frequent lowlight of her routine clinic visits. When picking up her HRT prescriptions, she typically has to explain her identity to pharmacists the first time they see her legal name on her medical file. “Obviously, I don’t care what the person giving my meds thinks of me,” she says. “It’s more about me having to broadcast that that’s my [deadname].”

On one of her first prescription pick-ups, Kay found out her name change had complicated her order in the OHIP filing system. Without knowledge surrounding trans procedures, the pharmacist couldn’t figure out how to input the correct one. “They started asking me how to do it,” recalls Kay. “I was like, ‘I don’t know, I don’t work here!”

“I generally dread going to the doctor or any healthcare [clinic] in every aspect and obviously, the trans aspect” When ignorant doctors become a barrier to basic medical services, patients have to plan around their clinics’ incompetencies before booking appointments.

In many cases, because of a lack of available peer-reviewed research on what can be common trans procedures, the internet is the most reliable place for realworld advice.

“Reddit is amazing for trans people,” Sharma says.

While looking into potential routes for eventually

getting her gender-affirming surgeries in Canada, the first-person tell-alls posted in social media communities have given Sharma more practical information than most other publicly available resources she’s come across. “Someone will be like, ‘Hey, this was my surgeon. Take a look.’”

Patient’s tips posted on online platforms have helped some folks guide their medical transition processes more so than doctors themselves. The common lack of expertise from general practitioners often means self-researching their course of gender-affirming treatment. By consulting the tried-and-true experiences of fellow patients trans folks can tailor their own treatment plans.

When stuck in this awkward rift between customer and practitioner, patients rely on advice and strategies from community members to “hack” the system.

For three years, that community support has been the operational crux of Montreal’s Trans Patients Union (TPU).

Starting within Queer McGill, the university’s 2SLGBTQ+ student advocacy network, the union has published community-informed policy recommendations for student clinics to make the HRT and surgical recommendation process more comfortable for their trans patients. Since then, TPU has expanded to serve participants—students and non-students—throughout Montreal, covering the needs healthcare institutions often don’t consider.

One of the union’s newer services is their appointment accompaniments, during which an organizer will come along with a patient to their clinic visits. This way, a union representative can catch and confront medical transphobia as it happens, or “Karen out,” as TPU organizer Silas Dixon has lovingly named it. Patients can come to the union’s experienced coordinators and detailed online resource lists to figure out where and how they can reach transition care in the first place. With little available information on each local doctors’ standard of care toward 2SLGBTQ+ clients, the system is daunting without this peer-to-peer helping hand.

7

Features

“We have a way better sense of what’s actually going on [because] we’re all trans people who are accessing healthcare in Quebec ourselves,” says Dixon from his home office, “We know the hacks. We know what’s up.”

The inaccessibility of gender-affirming gear—apparel that helps trans people feel more comfortable in their bodies without medical procedures—is also a sore spot.

Neither OHIP+ nor TMSU’s plan cover gear as a medical necessity, so those who need it typically have to pay out of pocket.

“So much of the time you can’t buy it in-person and the financial burden of it is very unfair,” argues Sam DeFranco, lead coordinator of the TMSU’s Centre for Safe Sex and Sexual Violence Support (C3SVS). “It’s an extra expense just because you’re trans.”

Since re-opening the organization’s Student Campus Centre office after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted, multiple trans students had come to DeFranco’s desk to air out their struggles finding gender-affirming gear.

After watching a student speak about their life on campus at a TMU Trans Awareness Month event, DeFranco recruited their help developing the concept of the Gender-Affirming Gear Grant. The program has been available since 2023, as a $100 reimbursement plan for students who have bought or are planning to buy affirming items like binders and gaffs.

As of this year, the program carries out between 20 and 30 orders annually. Inspired by her trans friends and clients, DeFranco remains determined to expand the C3SVS’ reach to TMU’s trans community members.

“Slowly the word is getting out, and we’re increasing our numbers more and more as time goes on.”

More trans-centred initiatives have pooled their efforts and resources to address the community’s widespread need for gender-affirming healthcare support over the past decade.

“The healthcare I was receiving was very disconnected and honestly made me very uncomfortable” This year the 519, one of Toronto’s largest 2SLGBTQ+ community centres, introduced its Gender Affirming Care Legal Support Clinic. With its educational sessions and 15-minute appointments, the program offers trans people a chance to get free, one-on-one professional legal advice and advocacy against unjust medical restrictions. Virtual resources—like Trans Wellness Ontario and TransCare+—have developed its services for years. Their aim is to guide clients through the medical transition process with dedicated access to professional advice. The organizations detailed databases of healthcare recommendations are tailored to trans clients’ priorities.

Despite the positive impacts of community-led resources, activists argue political action is still needed to improve Canadian clinics’ standard of care.

At the Queen’s Park lawn on a September afternoon in 2023, Damghani joined the swelling crowd of 2SLGBTQ+ and allied counter-protestors facing off against the “1 Million March 4 Kids” picketing group. The picketers formed protest groups in major cities across the country and assembled through social media.

As the queer and trans cohort—who had reportedly outnumbered the protestors by the early evening— held their group together, Damghani witnessed participants of the march shout threats and shove trans counter-protestors. They recount witnessing the harassment where the line of Toronto police—presumably there to prevent violent outbursts—did nothing.

“From the way the cops are facing, you can tell which ones they think are a threat or not,” they say.

Watching the scene unfold in front of them, the police’s blank stares suggested to Damghani a larger pattern of inaction: government institutions do not keep trans people safe.

The country-wide Million March protests of September 2023 ran off the momentum of recent news out of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, where province-wide restrictions on trans identification for 2SLGBTQ+ elementary and high school students were announced that summer.

After the protest wave died down, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith posted an announcement on X last February unveiling her “Preserving Choice for Children and Youth” policy plans in a video. These plans include bans on gender-affirming surgeries for children and hormone therapies for those ages 15 and under.

To human rights advocates, these policy shifts were the signal of a government quickly becoming hostile to its trans citizens. Now, in the early stirrings of Canada’s 2025 federal election buzz, politicians have begun to implement transphobic language in their campaigns.

At last year’s annual “Ford Fest”, Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed his support for “parental rights,” the movement responsible for anti-2SLGBTQ+ protests such as the 1 Million March. Early this year, Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre defended Alberta’s policy plans and publicly denounced the inclusion of trans women in womens’ bathrooms, change rooms and sports.

“You blink and you don’t even know that legislation has passed. You only hear about it after it’s passed,” says Damghani.“It’s like a cancer, and it suddenly spreads so fast.”

Even before the first 1 Million March, activists have become watchdogs for monitoring anti-trans policies.

With the help of grassroots resources like the AntiTrans Legislation Risk Map updated by Montrealbased advocate Celeste Trianon, community members find their own ways to keep track of crosscountry legislative activity.

Petitions, calls to politicians and public protests are regularly organized by 2SLG B TQ + people and allies nationwide in order to fight injustice before more dicriminatory policy decisions unfold.

“You’ve got to actively seek out the news from your own resources,” says Damghani, “rather than wait for the news to get to you.”

After three years of working toward her degree, Sharma had enough of her RTA media production career. “I got really tired of being an artist,” she reminisces. “I got tired of telling my story, because nothing was changing.”

After years of experiences with clinics, doctors, paperwork and self-led research in pursuit of her own gender-affirming treatments, she decided she was ready to get involved in the healthcare field herself.

Despite the faults in her treatment thus far, Sharma thinks there’s hope yet for trans people to access efficient affordable care in the near future—but it’ll take a few battles with Canada’s medical institutions.

“we know the hacks. We know what’s up” Early this year, a non-binary patient with the pseudonym K.S. took OHIP to court after she was repeatedly denied funding for her requested bottom surgery, a form of vaginoplasty that was not on the plan’s official list of insured gender-affirming treatments. Before OHIP’s final denial was overturned by the Health Services Appeal and Review Board this April, K.S. had been filing numerous insurance appeals since 2023.

Checking on her case updates in the news, Sharma was disgusted—but not surprised—by the negligence of a system meant to provide ‘free’ healthcare. “People are suing you and you’re counter-appealing them?

You’ve lost,” she says, “Accept it. You are a system created for people.”

Sharma is calling for the involvement of trans people in policy decisions. “I don’t think trans people have been considered in the making of this model. It’s just ridiculous,” she says. “The healthcare I was receiving was very disconnected and honestly made me very uncomfortable.”

This September, Sharma switched directions and restarted her TMU career as a biology major, with her sights set on medical school. Though graduation is years away, she knows what she’ll do with her degree: give back to her community by working toward making gender-affirming procedures more accessible.

“I’m going to bring a few techniques that we don’t have in Canada, to Canada,” says Sharma. “I’m going to say, ‘screw OHIP.’” By tackling the financial and clinical restrictions affecting surgeries like K.S.’s, Sharma hopes to bring trans Canadians closer to the care they need.

Now, her longtime frustration with Canada’s incompatible medical institutions can’t bring her down—instead, it propels her. Sharma says, “For me, I needed a way to help my community more directly. And that looks like having an opportunity to work with or for trans people in healthcare.” *This source’s name has been changed for anonymity.

Sports

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NBA players set a pro standard at TMU Bold assistant coach’s BGR8 runs turned Kerr Hall into a basketball hotspot

By Jonathan Reynoso Over the summer, professional basketball players took over Kerr Hall’s upper gym.

The BGR8 pro runs hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold assistant and player development coach, Moustapha Youssouf, are making noise across the basketball landscape in Toronto. In a city abundant with highend courts and facilities, professionals such as Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes and Chris Boucher and several Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) players shared the court with TMU Bold athletes in a like-minded quest for quality and professional training games.

Walking through the doors into the softly lit gym, it’s impossible to miss the words “Bring Your Game” in the middle of the brown brick walls splattered with yellow paint. Mirrored on the freshly waxed hardwood floors, those walls send a clear message...Kerr Hall’s upper gym is a place for players to compete.

“At the end of the day, we need to create a space where pros can come and consistently rely on getting quality basketball in the summer,” said Eyosias Samuel, who works at the Kerr Hall gym. He deals with operations regarding the BGR8 runs and is a vital part of the program.

From the coaches to the scorers’ tables, even the orange Gatorade jugs filled with water, the runs mimic a game environment. The atmosphere reflects the intention and professionalism these runs have ingrained in the players since their conception.

“When guys walk into a gym and the standards are not set, they won’t respect it” The runs consist of up-anddown, full-court basketball, pushing players who are not at a pro

level yet to their limits and sharpening the tools of those who want to be great. It’s off-season training at a serious level.

There is nothing new about holding professional basketball runs within the city—it’s been happening for years. But a lot of them have yet to stick, inevitably being lost in time. The BGR8 runs indicate a path to changing that.

Setting high standards and ensuring everything is covered down to the smallest detail allows the program to leap like it did this summer.

“When guys walk into a gym and the standards are not set, they won’t respect it if you try to set it once guys get there,” Youssouf explained. “If standards continue changing, then guys start losing respect for it.”

“When Scottie [Barnes] shows up and he’s leading the warm-ups, everyone gets on the sideline” Having no exceptions for the standard makes these pro runs stand out in the city—whether a hooper fresh out of high school or an NBA star, the expectation is to show up and work hard.

“You don’t get to show 10 minutes before the run starts and expect I could come next week just like that. No, you fucking showed up 10 minutes before, I’m going to do my best to replace you,” said Youssouf.

The buy-in from NBA players like Boucher and Barnes fuels the culture developing on and off the court of the upper gym at Kerr Hall.

The guys with the highest salaries set the tone at these runs.

They were the hardest workers in the gym, showing up early and ready to put in the grunt work.

“Boucher showing up consistently three summers in a row and setting a standard of every time he’s in there working his ass off...That is a standard,” said Youssouf.

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER “When Scottie [Barnes] shows up and he’s leading the warm-ups, everyone gets on the sideline. Because it’s when those guys buy in and those two guys who work extremely hard—who are good people— show up consistently, It’s really easy for me to hold everyone else accountable,” he added.

“You’re a sponge.

You’ve got to take in all that information” Aaron Rhooms, a fourth-year guard for the Bold men’s basketball team, echoed the importance of showing up and being consistent.

“If I come to practice half an hour early, the youngins are going to look at that and say ‘OK, maybe I should come on half an hour early,’” said Rhooms.

Over the summer, Rhooms played professional basketball with the Edmonton Stingers in the CEBL. Playing alongside NBA pros pushes him even further.

Having gone through all the struggles of becoming a pro means Rhooms can demonstrate what it takes to the incoming rookies lacing up for the Bold—he strives to lead by example. This is a valuable asset to nurture incoming players like first-year guard Kevin Toth, who took part in the BGR8 runs.

“The main thing they said is just keep working hard. It’s a grind.

No matter what level you’re at, it’s a grind,” said Toth, who joined the Bold out of high school this year.

The most important aspect of these pro runs is that everyone— from young-guns like Toth to pros like Barnes and Boucher—must be able to soak up everything going on around them.

“You’re a sponge. You’ve got to take in all that information and use that information when you come back,” said Bold head coach David DeAveiro, who has coached in the CEBL the past two summers.

He emphasized the privilege that comes with matching up against NBA pros.

“Not everybody gets that opportunity,” he said. “You embrace that opportunity when you get that chance.”

The proof is in the pudding.

Clips from the BGR8 Instagram account highlight players like Toth showing out during these pro runs, pushing the break and cashing in some threes. While players like Toth get their name out in a video with the likes of Barnes, it also breeds excitement for a young Bold team heading into the 2024-25 Ontario University Athletics season.

“It gives you an idea, when you’re standing next to Scottie Barnes, just how big and how strong he is, how [important] strengthening your body is getting in the way that you can compete against the elite,” said DeAveiro.

Youssouf expresses how important direction, having good intentions and showing up consistently are the keys to success in allowing the BGR8 runs to thrive and grow.

“You can work hard all you want. If you don’t know where you’re headed, you can be running in circles,” he said, “That is something that’s always worked for me.

Again, until it proves me wrong, I’m gonna keep doing it.”

Youssouf said players can get lost in the mix, with the focus going to building a culture and the basketball landscape.

“The landscape gets better by people doing honest work consistently,” he said.

Committing to excellence in operating these runs means an expectation for everything to be in order and with that, comes the risk of things going wrong at any given moment. Samuel takes keeping things organized seriously.

“It’s a responsibility, but it’s also a privilege because at the end of the day, all it takes is for one bad day to happen and then guys lose trust,” said Samuel.

Youssouf’s mentality is heavily influenced by his idol Kobe Bryant and his “Mamba Mentality,” where continuously learning, asking questions and making a relentless effort will ensure success. That’s what he envisions from the players and from the program.

“I believe if you put honest effort intentionality into it, do things the right way [and] are consistent, it will handle itself,” said Youssouf.

“It’s a grind. No matter what level you’re at, it’s a grind” Youssouf’s love for basketball and the drive to continuously improve fuels a desire to enhance the BGR8 runs.

“The answer is getting better week to week, year to year… having the foundation and consistency within the standard, but also trying to elevate,” he said.

His goal is plain and simple: to provide a staple spot in the city where pros around the world trust they can put work in for years to come. The key to accomplishing that?

A desire to be great.

HOCO

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Students show out for Bold’s HOCO victory The TMU Bold men’s hockey team defeated Brock 3-2 with the help of a packed MAC

By Eli Silverstone The line to enter the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) filled the entire intersection of Church and Carlton before doors even opened an hour before puck-drop. Lucky Bold fans who were able to secure a wristband waited patiently for the start of the highly-anticipated HOCO under the lights of the former Maple Leaf Gardens.

Fans started their day early outside the Student Campus Centre at 11 a.m. to try to get a wristband for the game. Later, as the homecoming tailgate events kicked off in the Pitman Hall Quad at 3 p.m., they were afforded a second opportunity. Yet after 10 minutes—and a line that surrounded the entire west side of the Rogers Communications Centre building—tickets were gone.

Those tickets granted students access to the long-awaited event in the sporting calendar at TMU. The homecoming game is not just any regular game but an opportunity for fans to show up and athletes to show out.

With a hot start and a fight to the end, the Bold defeated the Brock Badgers 3-2 for their first win of the pre-season.

“It’s kind of like the sixth attacker out there, you feed off the energy,” said Bold head coach Johnny Duco.

Once the doors opened, students streamed in wearing white, blue and gold and the occasional cowboy hat to go along with the “Bold Country” theme the athletics department put in place for the game. The MAC greeted the students with lots of country music playing over the speakers and their own custom Bold rally towel on every seat.

It may have been a beautiful 23 degrees and sunny at the tailgate

but the invigorating cold inside the arena signified the start of the fall semester and even better, the dawn of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) hockey season.

The national anthem had been played, the players had been introduced, all that was left was to drop the puck.

And get going it did. Two minutes after puck drop came the first post-whistle scuffle between the rivals began. The Bold threw hit after hit as the energy in the building elevated with every Badger knocked down.

“We were certainly able to tap into the crowd and play for one another,” said Duco.

The Bold players felt the spirit of the student section and they answered the fans’ wishes, burying the opening goal just three minutes into the first period. Third-year forward Connor Bowie found himself with time in the slot and fired a low wrist shot to beat second-year Brock goaltender Will Hambley.

The crowd blew up in a fit of rally towels and “Go Bold Go” chants as Bowie slid into the boards in celebration.

“Connor Bowie and the leaders that we have in that room… we really lean on those guys as we gear up for the regular season” Fans didn’t have to wait long to get on their feet again. Four minutes later, Bowie pounced on a rebound and scored his second goal of the game. It was Bowie’s third HOCO goal in two years after scoring the game-winner against the McGill Redbirds a year ago.

“Connor Bowie and the leaders that we have in that room… we really lean on those guys as we

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER gear up for the regular season,” said Duco.

The ovation rivalled his first goal as TMU took a stranglehold on the matchup. Bold mascot Frankie the Falcon held up two fingers on one wing and a zero on the other to let everyone know the score.

Each break in action—as well as ice-cleaning breaks—meant country music came streaming through the arena loudspeakers. Staff at the concession stands served each drink while wearing a cowboy hat.

Students had finished a long day of classes, Friday was on the horizon and the vibes were good heading into the second period.

“This is really, really nice. My first TMU game and everyone’s here and the energy’s great,” said Jabbir Abbas, a first-year geographic analysis student at TMU. The game was held up for a few minutes before the second period started due to an issue with the ice and the Badgers took advantage of a chance to chip away at the celebratory atmosphere. Just 45 seconds into the second period, firstyear forward Alexis Cournoyer got the visitors on the board.

The Badgers took what they could out of the crowd, challenging the Bold and their fans with every goal they scored and scrap they got involved in.

“Obviously you want to play in these games because of the sweet atmosphere, but I’m enjoying watching the team,” said Derek Smyth, a first-year Brock defender who was sitting at the stands this game.

TMU was not down for long, though. Two minutes after Cournoyer’s goal, a familiar face from last year put on a show for the ecstatic crowd. Second-year forward Daniil Grigorev picked up the puck on his own blue line, danced with the puck as he carried it end-to-end and split two Brock defenders to finish off the breakaway goal, restoring TMU’s two goal lead.

With a fired-up student section rocking the arena, tempers boiled over just 12 seconds after the Grigorev goal. A string of seven penalties in five minutes between the two squads—mainly roughing and charging calls—built up the tensions in the MAC. Fans in the stands cheered even louder after every scrap.

“Hey, sometimes someone needs to take a punch so we can go on the power play” “Hey, sometimes someone needs to take a punch so we can go on the power play and let our power play do the talking,” said Duco.

The matchup against the Brock Badgers was a heavyweight affair between the top two seeds of the OUA West last year. The two teams split the season series 1-1 in two physical affairs before the Bold prevailed in a three-game series in the OUA West Finals, where they beat the Badgers in their own packed arena to advance to the Queen’s Cup. TMU and Brock headed into the third and final period locked at 3-1.

For most TMU fans, this is their first opportunity to see the new and improved Bold roster which features 13 first-year players, seven of which played in the game.

“I was really surprised. I thought it’d be a much [closer] game but TMU really surprised me,” said Claudia Harvey, a fourth-year RTA sport media student at TMU. “They have a lot of new players so I didn’t know how they would mesh but they’re playing super well.”

The Bold did a strong job of protecting their lead in the third period, rattling the Badgers. Halfway through the third, a Brock forward sprayed TMU fans with a water bottle from the penalty box after being taunted.

The Badgers regrouped and made it close, scoring with three minutes left to bring the game within one goal. Bold fans held their breath as Brock sought to spoil the celebration. However, third-year Bold goaltender Ryan Dugas stood tall and closed out the 3-2 win, sending the crowd into a frenzy. “[Dugas] definitely deserved the opportunity to play in this electric atmosphere and he answered the bell like we all knew he would,” said Duco.

The Bold players saluted their fans at centre ice and exited to a standing ovation, bringing an end to a successful homecoming.

UP NEXT: The Bold will wrap up their pre-season on Saturday.

The first regular season game will take place on Oct. 4 against the Carleton Ravens. Puck-drop is set for 7 p.m. in Ottawa, Ont. at Carleton Ice House.

Communities

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Cultural dance classes bring home to campus

By Sofie Gelder From Sept. 16 to 20, the Recreation and Athletic Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) held free salsa, Afro-dance, Bollywood, kathak and K-pop dance classes for students in preparation for the university’s Learn To DANCE! program.

While dance lessons at TMU have long existed, this specific program was created last year. It contributes to “the breaking down of cultural barriers and promoting unity” according to a description from TMU’s events page.

Usha George, a social work professor at TMU, said these events can help with the development of identity and self-concept.

“It’s important for [students] to realize they’re valued and recognized within their university,” she said.

Salsa originated in the 1940s but has evolved into various styles from around the world, including Puerto Rico, Colombia and New York City.

In the first class, students were taught Los Angeles-style salsa, the dance’s most popular form.

Eliana Aleman, a second-year film student, moved from Montreal, where she was strongly engaged in the Latin community, to Toronto.

“It’s nice to have a little pocket of your own culture represented on campus where you can feel at home,” she said.

Kori Gulotta, the Afro-dance class instructor, said her teaching is specifically from the Malian Empire.

“The movement is always syncopated with the percussion and the polyrhythms of the music,” she said.

“Dance and music resonate with the heart and soul of a person” Gulotta emphasized that feet connect dancers to the rhythm so students were instructed to remove shoes and socks for the hour.

Hermes Salehi, a first-year financial mathematics student, looked forward to diverse opportunities at TMU and compared exploring cultures to expanding one’s music taste.

“It’s nice to ‘shuffle play’ instead of listening to the same playlist all

the time,” said Salehi.

Bollywood-style dance gained popularity after the Hindi film industry began in the 1930s. In the demo class, the choreography allowed students to incorporate their own creative elements.

For Alizay Rizbi, a second-year nursing student, Bollywood films were always playing on the television when she was growing up.

“I’ve always been into Bollywood,” she said. ”Now, I really want to learn [the dance style].”

The class was nostalgic for Khushbu Mirchandani, a first-year economics and finance student who enjoyed the energy in the studio.

“I saw so many people from different cultures trying their best,” she said. “I felt joy and pride.”

Kathak is a classical dance form which originated in Northern India, but has developed through the influence of Hindu and Muslim cultures over time.

Kathak includes intricate footwork so students were introduced to the basics in the demo class.

“The more students engage, the more they will build an appreciation

SAIF-ULLAH KHAN/THE EYEOPENER for the meaning of the dance,” said dance instructor Aayush Chakravatti.

Qazi Sabir, a third-year computer engineering student, joined the class with friends after they saw a social media post about the event.

He attended Kathak performances back home in Pakistan and had been eager to give it a try.

“Watching people perform in the traditional style, wearing ghungroos [a string of small bells worn around the ankles during the dance] is really beautiful,” he said.

K-pop dance emerged in the late 20th century in Korea and has gained global popularity by incor-

porating styles like hip-hop and even Afro-dance.

Emmanuel Buraga, a second year aerospace engineering masters student, said his interest began in high school, but he didn’t start dancing until several years later.

“Interaction within the community is a big part of the culture so it’s important to have a dedicated space at TMU,” he said.

Gulotta said dance can help bridge cultural gaps.

“Dance and music resonate with the heart and soul of a person,” she said. “The universality of dance speaks to common ground we share.”

SLC Starbucks at centre of ethics dialogue

By Daniyah Yaqoob With a campus commodity becoming a focal point of conversation, many students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) are starting to consider the importance of a company’s ethics before they buy from them.

Many TMU students value the concept of ethical consumption in a world where they find power in the consumer dollar.

“I think that money talks,” said Daisy Woelfling, a fourth-year creative industries student. “We’ve seen on a macro-scale that things like embargos can create impactful policy change and consumers can do it on a micro level by choosing what they want to spend money on.”

The term ‘ethical consumer’ was first popularized in 1989 by the United Kingdom-based magazine Ethical Consumer. It describes a type of activism that empowers consumers to make purchasing decisions based on how practices of a business align with their personal values.

The movement is seeing a global rise in popularity. According to a 2022 report by global strategy consulting firm Simon-Kucher, 66 per cent of consumers rank sustainability as one of the top five driving factors behind a purchase.

Matthew Philp, an assistant professor of marketing at TMU’s School of Business Management, described this concept as a behaviour shaped by moral belief.

“It takes the product and what the

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

product does out of the equation,” he said. “It’s more how the product came to be.”

Barbara Goss, a fourth-year computer science student, said purchasing is the main way people interact with society. She believes it is important to make the right choices about which companies we support.

Goss has her own mental list of companies to avoid out of concern for their ethics and wanting to be informed before spending money.

“Most of the time, I can be pretty petty about being like, ‘No, I’m not giving you money,’” she said.

However, ethical consumption can become more challenging to adhere to when students are surrounded by controversial businesses that are convenient to access. The most prominent example on campus being coffee chain Starbucks.

Ethical Consumer highlights several concerns surrounding the company’s operations including worker’s rights, political activities, tax conduct, factory farming, animal rights and more.

But right through the doors of the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre (SLC) building, Starbucks is situated perfectly for TMU students to grab a coffee before class or a small treat at the end of a long day.

Despite her own concerns about

Starbucks’ ethics—namely its practices away from environmental sustainability and alleged stance against union rights—Woelfling admits to not being the “perfect consumer.”

“I did buy a coffee from Starbucks,” she said, waving an empty Starbucks cup as she sat in the SLC. “It’s right there and it’s convenient.”

“Most of the time, I can be pretty petty about being like, ‘No, I’m not giving you money’” Philp described this common situation as the “intention-behaviour gap.”

“When asking someone what their intended behavior would be— like would you support this company for their sustainable practices—and then looking at their actual behaviours when it comes down to purchasing it, it doesn’t match up,” he explained.

He said a consumer’s short-term goal—like a desperate need for caffeine—might sometimes get in the way of long-term ones like avoiding unethical businesses. Convenience and low cost are often key factors of that.

Starbucks faces a few different allegations of unethical conduct from various parties. Recently, a consumer group-led lawsuit in the United

States (U.S.) accused the company of making false ethical sourcing claims.

According to a report by Euro News, the National Consumers League cited reports of abuse on farms that supply Starbucks’ coffee and tea in their lawsuit.

Starbucks alleged union busting behaviours has also been a focus in the news cycle. A 2021 ruling from a National Labor Relations Board judge found that Starbucks illegally retaliated against two of its employees who tried to unionize in Philadelphia.

There are also dozens of allegations that Starbucks has failed or refused to bargain with union representatives across the U.S.. This reached a point where organizers at 25 American universities came together to call on their institutions to cut ties with Starbucks over the company’s response to union organizing efforts as reported by The Guardian.

Most recently, Starbucks came under fire for suing one of its U.S.based unions for a pro-Palestine social media post uploaded without the authorization of union leaders. Some TMU students said the resulting boycott campaign is what pushed them to stop purchasing from the coffee chain.

To read more, visit theeyeopener.com

Biz and Tech

11

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

What would you do with a million dollars?

TRSM student group makes finance more accessible while yielding high returns on mock investments

By Jasmine Makar The Ted Rogers Investment Council (TRIC) prepares students for their future ventures in the world of finance with a growing mock investment portfolio of over $1 million.

The student led initiative under the Ted Rogers Students’ Society has curated an investment portfolio, yielding 19.9 per cent returns last year and 11.7 per cent in current year-todate returns.

With a team of 40 members and an even bigger alumni network, TRIC’s main goal is to give students the skills they need to enter and succeed in capital markets. According to Eshan Patel, president of TRIC and a fifth-year accounting and finance student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), the group provides experience beyond what is taught in the classroom .

“Your classes don’t directly get into capital markets, [regarding] job-related skills right away,” said Eshan. “TRIC gives a learning experience that you can’t really find elsewhere at TMU for getting into the industry.”

The student group runs on 12-week programs, where the group is split into six different sectors. Each sector­—led by a student portfolio manager—is responsible for creating a stock

pitch. Students in these groups are also provided with a variety of workshops and activities, according to Eshan.

“Your classes don’t directly get into capital markets, [regarding] on the job-related skills” Since its creation in 2011, TRIC has seen its alumni network grow, with some graduates working at the Big Five investment banks in Canada.

“There is a compounding effect in the sense that, as our alumni graduated and landed bigger roles, we now had this network of people that are in these roles...and that’s extremely valuable,” said Eshan.

As one of the “non-target schools” for business and finance as mentioned by Eshan, TMU students have often leaned on student groups for a leg up in the industry. With an extensive and continuously growing network of alumni, students get a taste of what is possible post-graduation.

Chief investment officer at TRIC and fifth-year financial mathematics student Sophia Rybnik explained the strategies that have allowed the team to see higher-than-average market returns.

“In terms of investment strategies, we’re covering North

American equities. The long journey we’re looking to see is what the market is missing,” she said. “During the semester, our analysts spend a lot of time doing research, understanding the industry they’re working with and specifically, just the company itself.”

However, maintaining a strong portfolio isn’t easy.

Many factors go into assessing risk and potential profit, resulting in long research phases. Alan Kaplan, an associate finance professor at TMU, explained the importance of doing thorough research and building a portfolio that is designed to mitigate risk.

“During the semester, our analysts spend a lot of time doing research” “Make sure you understand your risk tolerance and invest accordingly in terms of safety while diversifying,” he said.

Kaplan also explained that when dealing with such a large sum of mock investments, it’s important for students to diversify their portfolio.

“Diversify your investments so that when one goes up, maybe the others will go down... and in that way, you’re going to reduce your risk,” he said.

TRIC’s chief strategy offi-

cer, Nachiket Patel also added that the student group does their thorough due diligence in order to find out whether a company is a good buy based on a specific set of investment criteria, which is one of the biggest reasons for their great financial returns.

Along with industry experience, TRIC is also known for hosting a number of events such as their Women in Capital Markets and their Women in Tech and Finance events.

These diverse conferences are meant to encourage women to apply to more student groups like TRIC and to network with people across the industry.

“There are a lot less female employees,” said Eshan. “I don’t think it’s that the interest isn’t there in the capital markets industry from women, I think it’s just that there’s a lot of stigma around it.”

“This group has really shaped who I am within the capital markets industry” Nachiket added that these events include a chance for students to hear panelists “give their insights, their struggles, on how they overcome this EDI stereotype.”

Kaplan also described TRIC as a “tremendous student group”

that shows students hands-on practical experience with investing and improves their abilities.

He says it also gives students a feel for how the investment funds industry operates.

“It’s a place where you can feel nurtured and grow as an individual” Both Eshan and Nachiket started getting involved in TRIC during their first years of university. Nachiket spoke about his experience with TRIC throughout the entirety of his undergraduate career at the Ted Rogers School of Management.

“This group has really shaped who I am within the capital markets industry. It’s guided me a lot,” he said. “So TRIC was an eyeopener, and it was also a tool for me to learn things on my own as well. It’s been there. It’s also been the best source for networking.”

Students have grown their own skills along with new professional experiences and networking with the help of TRIC. “What is TRIC? It’s an area where there are a lot of likeminded people. What is TRIC? It’s an area where people want to see you grow and achieve good things. What is TRIC? It’s a place where you can feel nurtured and grow as an individual,” said Nachiket.

Straight-up Lies

12

TMU welcomes the Duolingo owl to languages faculty The green educator is a hit with students, but is this campus big enough for two birds?

By Vihaan Bhatnagar Disclaimer: Despite what this article says, all TMU professors will unfortunately remain human beings for the foreseeable future.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LLC) has hired the Duolingo mascot, Duo, as a new professor for the fall semester.

“Duo has a lot of experience in nagging and sending daily reminders, which are prized qualities in the teaching profession,” said Kim Levinsky, faux program administrator for the Department of LLC. Duo possesses a master’s degree in education with a minor in language studies from the University of Birdingham. His education was paid for

by Duolingo as part of the company’s corporate education program.

When asked how he felt about Duo’s hiring, second-year language and intercultural relations student John Lingo (no relation to the corporation) said, “I’m looking forward to it. An app is easy to ignore but you can’t uninstall your professor. I just hope he doesn’t hunt me down in class and ask why I stopped learning German.”

A Rate My Professors page for

Duo went up minutes into his first class, with almost all the reviews lauding his expertise in linguistics as well as teaching style.

Many reviews said he had a great sense of humour. The page currently has a 4.9 rating out of five.

“An app is easy to ignore but you can’t uninstall your professor” Despite the professor’s popularity, there have been several on-campus protests against Duo’s hiring. Several videos show TMU mascot Frankie the Falcon holding a sign saying “This is no place for Duo” and yelling, “Down with Duo” on Gould Street.

According to campus security, this was not the first time Frankie had harassed Duo. Security cameras show footage of Frankie perched on the windowsill of Duo’s office with a boombox and blasting Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar for up to two hours.

Another complaint submitted by a student says that Frankie allegedly made hooting sounds during class and blamed the noise on the student when confronted.

Regarding the protests against his hiring, Duo claimed that the TMU Mascot had unsuccessfully kickstarted the campus movement.

SOPHIA SHAHANI DURÁN/THE EYEOPENER “The gentleman also showed up to my Tuesday class only to hurl insults and yell that my Spanish sucked. It was a French class,” he said. “I’ve alerted the university, but they won’t do anything because they don’t want to have to replace another mascot.”

In response to the allegations, Frankie said that these hazing tactics were to ensure his position as “beloved bird mascot” was secure.

“I’ve been here for two years.

He’s been here for two days. Who do you think they’ll keep?” he said.

“This town ain’t big enough for two birds and I’m gonna make sure he knows it.”

ZACH THOMSON/THE EYEOPENER

Hot to go: quick ‘n easy breakfast options for TMU students

By Dylan Marks Disclaimer: Though these suggestions may seem eggscellent, try not to take any of them too cerealsly.

According to my mom when I was five-years-old, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” With the hustle and bustle of school in full effect, it can be hard for students to find the time to eat a filling breakfast in the morning. Well, don’t worry, The Eyeopener has got you covered with a few quick breakfast hacks. If you aren’t convinced yet, just lettuce meat olive your eggspectations.

Bacon bracelets Hear me out, why not put bacon on a candy bracelet and nibble on each piece, bite by bite, as you rush to class? As a matter of fact, why not just wrap the bacon around your head and dance around like a wild bacon person. Bacon, bacon, bacon.

Shotgun yogurt followed by an orange juice chaser Dude, this is sick as hell. Take your daily Activia cup and chug it right out the fridge. Follow that move with a quick swig of an OJ chaser and you’re H-O-T-T-O-G-O. Substitute your sativa with hearty lettuce and smoke your breakfast Good ole’ mary jane not doing it for you as of late? Why not substitute that boring old granddaddy purp with fresh romaine lettuce? You’ll have half the high and twice the nutrients!

Find Frankie on campus and ask if his legs have been hurting him recently Frankie usually hangs around the Mattamy Athletic Centre during breakfast time. Why not take a moment to stop in and ask him how he’s doing physically? Fal-

cons can be a great source of protein and we heard Frankie loves vorarephilia so, if anything, you’re doing HIM a favour.

Look for a student wearing vegan leather shoes and eat them (the shoes) Pro tip: If they’re wearing vegan leather they probably can’t run too fast.

Turn your Eggos into a smoothie Chewing food takes too much time in the mornings. Using your blender, take 2-4 frozen Eggo waffles from your freezer, add milk and pulse them on high until completely liquified. All those iced coffee and matcha latte drinkers got nothing on ya now.

Expect an email in your inbox from Balzac’s any day now begging for the patent.

Read more at theeyeopener.com