Vol. 56, Issue 6

Volume 56 - Issue 6 October 20, 2022 theeyeopener.com @theeyeopener Since 1967

QUIET

AT THE QUEUE Municipal elections are around the corner.

Do students care?

PHOTO: PEYTON KEELER-COX

2

NEWS

TMU students apathetic about voting in municipal elections

By Gabriela Silva Ponte Many Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students eligible to vote say they don’t feel inclined to participate in the upcoming municipal elections.

Despite election day fast approaching on Oct. 24, many students are still unaware of the candidates in their ridings and unsure who to vote for.

While second-year computer engineering student Audrey Chen said she plans on voting, she found it difficult to find many of the candidates’ platforms in her research.

“I tried to find what a lot of the candidates are running for and I couldn’t even find a lot of their platforms. It was really disappointing,” said Chen.

Other students said they don’t relate to the candidates.

“No one is really going to get the job done. Everyone has a good and bad, but the bad outweighs the good,” said third-year sociology student Ozzy Ibhawoh.

Several students also said they think the university or students’ union should have done more to advertise the election.

“I feel like the students’ union should at least try to condense [election information] or make it easier for us to understand who we’re voting for,” said Chen.

Psychology student Sarine Nelson said she was blindsided by the news of upcoming elections, which she found out about through her family.

“I didn’t even know the elections were coming up until my sister told me,” said Nelson.

John Beebe, founder of the Democratic Engagement Exchange, an initiative under TMU’s Faculty of Arts aimed at improving participation in democracy, agrees that TMU could be doing more.

“There are easy things we can be doing. We can be just putting up signage around campus. The Student Learning Centre can become a hub for democratic engagement and electoral engagement around elections,” he said.

The Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) said in a statement to The Eyeopener that they were unable to coordinate any outreach without a vice-president education. The position, which has been vacant since the summer, was recently filled at the October Board of Directors meeting.

The TMSU said in their statement that since the VP education position has been filled, they “will be doing outreach this week [and] Monday to encourage students to vote, let students know the importance of voting and what is at stake.”

Despite the lack of awareness about the elections, many students have problems with the city they wish to see resolved.

Most students said faster, accessible and less crowded transit services are needed.

“I find myself waiting a lot for the

bus even though I live in a pretty populated area,” said second-year accounting and finance student Justin Murcado.

Politics professor Ronald Vogel said many people don’t know certain issues fall under the municipal government’s responsibility, such as transit, public housing and infrastructure, hence the lack of voter turnout.

“In general, I would say that a lot of citizens don’t view municipal governance policy issues as that important,” he said.

“The political system in many ways are failing citizens” Books, Art, Music Collective (BAM) is a youth-led group that works to improve community engagement. They recently launched a campaign called “Your Vote is Your Voice.”

Jenna Robar, BAM’s Indigenous programs coordinator, said more people are affected by politics than they actually are aware of.

“Every part of your daily life, from healthcare, to safety, to housing, to education, to the cost of textbooks, is political,” said Robar.

BAM’s programs management and operations advisor, Kataryna Patsak said the reason many students don’t vote is that they feel the political system is the problem.

ELEMENT5 DIGITAL VIA UNSPLASH

| PHOTO: NAME

“Youth may feel that the system is too hard to fix, too hard to change, that there might not be a point in it,” Patsak said.

But Vogel points to unfulfilled ambitious agendas, a lack of trust in politicians, media coverage, large ridings and more as culprits for the potentially low voter turnout.

“Politicians and the political system in many ways are failing citizens and I think there’s a certain cynicism and lack of trust,” he said. “I can’t say I think they’re necessarily wrong.”

Vogel is already expecting most voters to be apathetic during this municipal election. “I would be surprised if we even reach the 40 per cent turnout,” he said. Vogel added those that do vote are more likely to be “affluent.”

Beebe believes voting affords anyone eligible to participate and have their voice heard. “If we’re not using that power, especially when we may not have affluence or privileges in other ways or have other sources of power, we’re giving up this source of power that our democracy gives us,” said Beebe.

Robar suggests going to vote with friends and making plans afterwards, so that students can make it a fun event. “There’s this tendency of habit formation and if they’ve never done it before, it does look intimidating.

And it does take time to reinforce.”

For more information on voting, visit the City of Toronto’s website.

Read more at theeyeopener.com.

Candidates running to represent Toronto Centre this municipal election

By Hadiqah Khalil Municipal elections are right around the corner and this year, there are nine candidates on the ballot vying to be the next City Councillor for Ward 13, Toronto Centre—Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) riding.

The Eyeopener dug into the candidate’s profiles so you don’t have to.

Of the nine potential councillors, six had their platforms readily available online or responded to The Eye’s request for comment.

The Eye does not endorse any candidate or their opinion.

Miguel Avila Miguel Avila, an Indigenous activist, said in an interview with The Eye that his platform supports building social housing projects, raising minimum wage to $25 an hour, improving traffic and road safety issues and taxing large corporations.

According to his website, if elected, Avila will continue advocating for “social and environmental justice, with an emphasis on housing, food security, police accountability and animal rights issues.”

Colin Johnson Colin Johnson believes Toronto City Council would greatly benefit from his lived experience, according to his website.

He said that he too “has experienced homelessness” and plans to create safe and livable homes for the city.

Johnson said he plans on doing this by modernizing shelter systems, advocating with the province to bring back rent controls and making sure that housing developers construct high-rise homes that can accommodate families.

Chris Moise Chris Moise, a longtime resident of Ward 13, has been a public school trustee for the last six years as well as vice-chair of the Toronto District School Board. He was also a small business owner, a healthcare worker and police officer.

“A big part of [my platform] is around housing, quite frankly,” Moise said in an interview with The Eye. His website states that he will be advocating for expanding housing opportunities for students, improving public safety and security and

Over the last three decades, Nicki Ward said she has long been an advocate for the environment, LGBTQ+ community and disability, human rights and community issues.

Her platform has three main goals: safety and accessibility, housing and mental health services.

“Number one is safety and accessibility. Being able to go to school as well as mechanical safety,” said Ward. “Because we have a lot of construction downtown…getting from Point A to Point B has been a real challenge.”

JES MASON/THE EYEOPENER

building on safe public spaces.

Ryan Lester In an email to The Eyeopener, Ryan Lester, a former City Councillor candidate, said he will not be seeking the position this year for personal reasons, adding that he will be endorsing candidate Nicki Ward for Ward 13 councillor.

Murphy said she believes in putting the environment first by vitalizing green spaces and building sustainable infrastructures. “When we look around today and we see garbage bins overflowing, people living Election day is on Oct. 24. Stuin parks, the roads in despair, people dents can visit the City of Toronto’s worrying about rent versus the food website regarding candidate and on the table—that is not Toronto.” voting information.

Caroline Murphy Caroline Murphy said in an interview with The Eye that she is passionate about prioritizing community safety, the environment and supporting local businesses.

“The main reason I am running is because it is time to effect good, solid change,” she said.

Nicki Ward

Story continues at theeyeopener.com.

NEWS

3

TMU harvest party celebrates Black and Indigenous food programs

By Nalyn Tindall Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) newest rooftop farm held a harvest party to commemorate the work being done to increase Black food sovereignty and the sharing of Indigenous teachings.

The party, held on Oct. 6, was dedicated to the Indigenous Foodways Program and Black Food Sovereignty Initiative. It also celebrated the launch of the new urban farm on the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences (DCC) rooftop which was completed in 2021.

According to TMU’s website, the Indigenous Foodways Program and Black Food Sovereignty Initiative aim to engage with Black and Indigenous students at TMU and the broader community. Through education and programming, the cultivation and sharing of culturally significant foods is encouraged.

Sharene Shafie, the research coordinator with the urban farm, said the Black Food Sovereignty Initiative and the Indigenous Foodways program have bloomed within the first growing season.

“We’re so excited to welcome the community into this space for the first time in this capacity. It’s very exciting for us, we’ve never had this many people welcomed into this before,” she said.

The last harvest party took place in 2017 at TMU’s original rooftop farm located on the George Vari Engineering & Computing Centre according to Shafie. This year’s celebration brought together students, staff and community members to celebrate the new farm and bountiful harvest. The event featured a seed-exchange, raffle, the opportunity to explore the farm and dishes from produce grown on site.

Jamaican-spiced pumpkin soup and beef patties were served alongside a three sisters stew of corn, beans and squash, with homemade bannock. Cedar and sorel iced teas were also served.

Shafie said the farm provides many benefits a regular green roof would not. The roof has greater planting depth, supports more biodiversity and manages more storm water. She said the space allows the community to gather while producing food and connects people with their food system, nature and each other.

With the support of the university, the produce from the farm is donated, sold to students at a reduced price and sold at markets, said Shafie. “We’re always trying to serve our community, first and foremost,” she added.

She highlighted the importance of serving marginalized communities. “Being able to serve the communities that are most often affected by food scarcity, being able to serve our marginalized communities, it’s very important.”

EMILY (JAYE) HUYNH/TMU

According to TMU’s website, the Black Food Sovereignty Initiative aims to challenge systemic racism within food production and urban agricultural systems. Programs catered to Black students at the TMU run initiative, including the Harvest Collective and Learning Circle, which focus on these values.

Nicole Austin, Black-led programs coordinator, said the four key pillars of these programs are: “food literacy, food and social justice, environmental stewardship and community healing.”

She also talked about the Learning Circle program, which invites the TMU community to come explore the farm and take part in workshops like experiential learning modules, where community members can participate in food production, processing and storage.

As part of the Learning Circle program, the farm features a variety of African crops, planted in a circle to welcome visitors to walk within the crops. “It’s just about celebrating our foods of the African diaspora,” said Austin.

She said through Black-led, Blackmandated and Black-serving initiatives, “we [the Black Food Sovereignty Initiative] can be a conduit for knowledge mobilization and inspire the Black community, Black youth, Black students, to actually see that they can create a healthier community and food systems that reflect them.”

The DCC rooftop is also home to the Indigenous Foodways program, which promotes Indigenous wisdom and traditional agricultural practices through knowledge exchange and community engagement.

“The Indigenous Foodways program is the first of its kind atop a

EMILY (JAYE) HUYNH/TMU

university purpose built green rooftop farm…there are other green roofs, there are other Indigenous gardens, but this truly is the first of its kind,” said Samantha Williams, Indigenous-led programs coordinator. The DCC urban farm features a variety of Indigenous crops including a traditional three sisters mound, as well as a medicine garden. “My vision is that this rooftop will be the main attraction of the university,” said Williams.

The program showcases the possibilities of cultural significance and connection in an urban setting and also focuses on cultural significance connected historically to the land, Williams explained.

There are multiple ways students can get involved with the urban farm—from hosting volunteer sessions, to workshops and weekly

EMILY (JAYE) HUYNH/TMU

field walks. There is also a summer apprenticeship program available through Career Boost.

While the farm is still new, Williams said it will continue to grow for years to come.

“We want the program to continue growing, we want to offer more workshops, we want to host more events, we want a lot more educational, cultural, educational aspects to the program.”

4

EDITORIAL

Municpal elections matter and so does your vote

By Abeer Khan Have you ever been stuck waiting 45 minutes outside in the cold for a bus that is supposed to run every five minutes? Have you encountered steep, head-shaking potholes or walked past an overflowing public garbage can? Or have you tried to use a bathroom or drinking fountain in a public park only to find out it was locked or out of service? These are all issues that the municipal government is responsible for managing.

And in the last eight years or so, they have not been managed well.

If you walk outside, there is litter everywhere. People don’t have access to basic services like a washroom in a park that should be open to them and to other members of the public.

There is an alarming housing crisis pushing the poor, the young and people of colour out of the city. Every day, Toronto is becoming more and more unlivable.

This can all change (fingers crossed and in small steps) this coming week on Oct. 24, when Toronto heads to the polls for the municipal election— one that will be crucial for our city. In this week’s editorial, my aim is to give you, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students, the run-down of the elections, where you can vote and why it is important that you do.

Toronto Election TD;LR This year’s election includes many candidates, including incumbent mayor John Tory, who is seeking a third term in office. On Monday, five candidates, including Tory, Gil Penalosa, Sarah Climenhaga, Chloe Brown and Stephen Punwasi participated in an election debate. Here is a look at of some of their platforms: According to Tory’s website, he plans to continue moving ahead with LRT lines across the city, including the ailing Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which has been under construction since 2011. He also has plans to support small businesses and keep property taxes below inflation, despite the need for more revenue in a city with a growing population that is still

Editor-in-Chief Abeer “Military Wife” Khan News Edward “Bizward No Kidzward” Djan Thea “Workplace Harasser” Gribilas Prapti “Farming!” Bamaniya Photo Jes “Lesbian YA Fan” Mason Vanessa “Get Well Soon” Kauk

Here is everything you need to know before casting your vote on Oct. 24 JES MASON/THE EYEOPENER

feeling the impacts of the ongoing pandemic. Tory also has a five-point plan to build homes faster in the city, per his platform.

It is our responsibility to vote to better our city One of Tory’s more prominent challengers is Gil Penalosa, who moved to Toronto 23 years ago. He says over the last eight years, the city has become less equitable, sustainable and lost its sense of unity, according to his website. Penalosa says Toronto needs a “bold leader” and has plans to make the city more sustainable and invest in housing and neighborhoods.

Another candidate is Sarah Climenhaga, a lifelong Toronto resident who has been a part of grassroots organizations related to city “greenspaces, children, transit improvement and pedestrian safety,” according to her website. Her vision for the city includes making public spaces “life-enhancing and welcoming,” creating a businessfriendly environment and allow-

ing for anyone who wants to provide housing for others to do so “quickly and easily,” according to her platform.

Chloe Brown is also running for Toronto’s mayoral position. Brown is a policy analyst who has worked across all sectors to “connect governments, employers and service providers to create solutions for public services and opportunities,” according to her website. She has three “big ideas” for restoring democracy: restoring democracy to public board leadership with direct community investments in the workforce; fostering ecosystems for personal development, environmental sustainability and work-life balance and creating stable and simplified tax rates, according to her platform.

For the full information on each mayoral candidate, visit their website where their personal bios and platforms are all publicly accessible for you to read.

Asha “F U PR” Swann

Online Alexandra “Horny Feature” Holyk Abby “Free Bubble Tea” Hughes

Sports Gavin “8 Kids” Axelrod Jack “Washed Up” MacCool

Features Mariyah “Italy!” Salhia

Fun and Satire Zarmminaa “Pigeon Pal Forever” Rehman

Business and Technology Christina “Morning Person” FloresChan Communities

Will you let politics affect you in a positive or negative way?

This upcoming election is not one any of us should sleep on because what happens in our city impacts every one of us, whether we know it or not. From taking transit to walking on the sidewalk, municipal decisions are responsible for how long commutes are or how bumpy our roads are. Every part of our everyday lives can be impacted by municipal decisions.

As young people, it is our responWhy should you vote? sibility to vote to better our city, deVoting is a privilege that we are all spite low youth voter turnout. Eleclucky to be afforded in this country tions Canada surveyed youth aged 25 and despite what you may think, and under and posed the question: “It

Peyton “Thesis!” Keeler-Cox

Arts and Culture Madeline “Go Girl Groups!” Liao

your vote actually does count.

We are heading into this election on the back of a provincial contest that saw the lowest voter turnout in history, with only 43.5 per cent of eligible voters in Ontario casting ballots, according to preliminary Elections Ontario results.

Media Sonia “AP Dhillon’s Girl” Khurana Youdon “Also A Military Wife” Tenzin General Manager Liane “Screw Construction!”

McLarty Advertising Manager Chris “Mask On Train!” Roberts Design Director J.D. “Orchids!” Mowat Contributors Nalyn “Harvest Paartaaaaaay” Tindall Gabriela “Election Szn” Silva Ponte Hadiqah “Toronto Politics from Edmonton” Khalil Maryam “Best Colour Palette” Azzam Jack “Live-tweeter” Wannan

has often been observed that young people are less likely to vote than older people. Why do you think this is?”

One frequent answer was that youth don’t believe the government represents them or cares about their needs and issues. While this is a fair criticism, participating in elections and engaging with the candidates running, who actually do align with your beliefs and views, can fix this issue. Another answer the survey frequently got was that youth feel politics does not affect them.

For every TMU student reading this, I can confidently say this is untrue. If you took the subway today or had to dodge the horrid construction on College Street in order to get to class, politics has already affected you.

The question now is: will you let politics affect you in a positive or negative way?

Our news story this week spoke to many TMU students who said they didn’t know about the election or did not feel engaged enough to vote. But being apathetic to municipal elections allows for the same candidates and people to continue running this city like they have been for the past eight years, leaving little room for improvement.

If you want to see real change in the community, read up on candidate platforms, have conversations with fellow citizens about the city’s problems and find a candidate that fits your vision of Toronto because this is your Toronto.

Where to vote There will be a polling station on campus at the Student Campus Centre.

Polls will be open on Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. In order to vote, you need one piece of identification that shows your name and a qualifying Toronto address. For more information on where to vote based on your riding or for further inquiries, you can visit the ‘How to Vote’ page on the City of Toronto’s website.

We hope to see everyone eager and ready to vote next week. Remember, your voice matters and your vote will count!

Matthew “THE Ohio State” Davison Mikayla “Ghosted” Guarasci Jacob “Big Bad Brad” Stoller Samreen “Gotta Get Down on Friday” Maqsood Ethan “What is going on” KeelerCox Kendra “Nailing It” Seguin Uhanthaen “Hustle” Rajivolan Rochelle “Get Your Flu Shot” Raveendran Kwon “Tiger Baby” Hoshi Johnny “1 Baddie” Suh Mark “Random Dude” Lee Helky “Crying” Herrera Norah “See Ya in 2025” Kim

5

BIZ & TECH

Student beauty businesses equip owners with transferable workplace skills

By Kendra Seguin At 10 years old, Anna Hoang remembers routinely seeing a black screen with a white cursive logo that said “cutepolish,” before the start of the step-by-step nail art tutorials she’d follow on YouTube.

Back then in 2012, she used household items, from toothpicks to masking tape, to create polka-dot patterns and chevron prints on her fingernails.

This was Hoang’s first nail phase.

By age 12, her interest in nail art grew so much that her mom had to put a limit on how often she painted her nails.

Hoang, now a third-year RTA media production student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), remembers her mom saying, “You’re allowed once a week. If your colour changes, I’m taking it off and confiscating your nail polish.”

She eventually fell out of her nail phase for a few years, before revisiting it again during the pandemic—now with a new intensity.

Looking for a way to stop her habit of skin picking around her nails and fingers, Hoang turned back to nail care. Like an influx of others who took to DIY manicures during lockdown, she relied on YouTube for lessons and inspiration.

Equipped with a freshly-purchased nail extension kit from Amazon and basic knowledge from her

“I think the beauty industry can be viewed as a little girly, stupid thing,” says Tavares. “Some people can treat it as a hobby, but it’s a career and a job and a business and lots of those things translate to other careers.”

Tactile hand skills, interpersonal skills and business basics are some of the transferrable skills Tavares pinpointed.

She says independent beauty artists gain an additional set of skills from building their business.

COURTESY OF ANNA HOANG AND SOPHIE HAFNER These include marketing, social media content creation, photogranail stint years ago, Hoang started gained new clientele within the year. phy, website building and managpracticing the techniques that would Doing nails became her primary ing finances. eventually lead to her current job as source of income by May. Instead of seeing these profesa Toronto nail technician. sions as “just doing hair” or “just doAfter two years of doing gel nails ing nails,” Tavares recognized the “I think it’s the and nail art at her kitchen table on amount of work put into successfully connections you only herself and her closest friends, running a beauty business. “I wish make in the industry” Hoang’s family-friend invited her more people saw that,” she says. to work out of She Flirts, a beauty salon on Toronto’s King Street Hoang’s time in the nail industry “It’s a career and a job West in January 2022. has offered her more than just a way and a business and lots of She works there as a commis- to pay rent. She says it has helped those things translate to sioned nail technician, continuing with her degree, networking and other careers” to provide her signature services, career possibilities. “I don’t think it’s with control over her schedule. the industry [itself],” says Hoang. “I The salon provides space and shared think it’s the connections you make The ability to make strong conmaterials for the nail tech and splits in the industry.” nections is a particularly signifiher profit.

Tatiana Tavares, a beauty art- cant skill for those working in the Hoang says things picked up when ist, studio owner and instructor at beauty industry. Tavares says there she started working at She Flirts. She Blanche Macdonald Centre in Van- is a unique type of relationshiphad real studio space, underwent couver, says all skills learned in the building that comes from working technique and training courses and beauty industry are transferable. on beauty clients.

“There’s a certain level of comfort that you have with these people,” says Tavares. “There’s a relationship like no other when it comes to beauty services.”

Juliana Lo, a fifth-year creative industries student who runs her own lash business, agrees with Tavares.

Having experimented with makeup since middle school, Lo’s career in beauty started three years ago.

It was her second year at TMU and she was balancing school with a parttime job at a grocery store. Lo had recently met her own lash tech and came across an Instagram post about lash training.

One day, after a particularly exhausting shift, Lo decided to try something new. “I had always been interested in beauty, so I decided to take the course,” she said.

Following a full day of training, including seven “super intense” hours of applying a full set of lashes to her first model, Lo learned the basics. She says it took her about six months of practice to really perfect her work.

Now as an established lash tech, Lo has recently moved out of her home studio and into a new space downstairs at Evolve Hair Studio on Fort York Boulevard in Toronto. She says she now has plenty of experience connecting with clients.

Read the full story at theeyeopener.com.

Ted Rogers Indigenous in Business is reclaiming their rightful space in the industry

COURTESY OF TED ROGERS INDIGENOUS IN BUSINESS GROUP

By Uhanthaen Ravijolan When Cody Anthony, a third-year marketing management student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) of Dene descent went looking for an Indigenous business student group on campus last September, he was surprised to find that such a club didn’t exist.

“Institutions like McGill, University of British Columbia, University of Manitoba and Alberta had student spaces for Indigenous folks in commerce or business,” said Anthony. But the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM)— one of the largest business schools in Canada—did not have such a

group.

Two months later, Anthony founded the Ted Rogers Indigenous in Business (TRIB) student group. The group aims at building an inclusive space for Indigenous business students and entrepreneurs while advocating for larger Indigenous representation in leadership roles.

A 2017 survey by the Canadian Board Diversity Council, an organization focused on advancing diversity among Canada’s boards, found that Indigenous professionals comprised only 1.1 per cent of executives on the Financial Post 500 list, a list of the largest Canadian companies by revenue, com-

piled by the Financial Post.

Another source of inspiration for Anthony was a four-month research project he conducted with Michael Mihalicz, an Indigenous advisor at TRSM and an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and strategy.

They found a strong tradition of entrepreneurship among Indigienous peoples, dating back to precolonial trade and exchange routes that contributed to the modern day economy. Prior to contact with European settlers, Indigenous peoples had robust trade economies, exchanging goods such as obsidian all throughout ancient North America, Anthony said.

“This is part of an effort to right the story” “This is part of an effort to right the story,” said Mihalicz. “People have the impression that trade as an economy was brought with Europeans and given to Indigenous communities, which couldn’t be further from the truth. All of that existed throughout the Americas for thousands and thousands of years.”

According to the 2011 census, more than 37,000 Indigenous people were self-employed that year

and almost 10,000 Indigenous entrepreneurs entered the labour market from 2003 to 2011. The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) estimates 36 per cent of Indigenous businesses create further employment.

River Christie-White, a secondyear professional music student at TMU and member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames, was one of many attendees at TRIB’s Reconciliation in Business conference at the Ted Rogers School of Management last month.

“We were able to meet everyone—from other Indigenous entrepreneurs to corporations and businesses—that were there to see what was going on in the Indigenous entrepreneurial space,” said Christie-White.

“It’s important, in a business format, that equity-deserving groups are represented” The full-day event featured panel discussions that touched on various business and Indigenous-related topics. Subjects of discussion included “Indigenous in Tech,” “Indigenous Worldviews in the Classroom” and “Indigenous Attainment

of Finance,” as well as keynote speakers for the “Reconciliation and Entrepreneurship” talk and experiential workshops.

“Indigenous entrepreneurship across Turtle Island doesn’t only exist in business schools” Chantal Wong, the President of the Ted Rogers Students’ Society and fourth-year business management student, feels the group is doing important work for reconciliation.

“I think it’s important, especially in a business format, that equitydeserving groups are represented,” she said.

In the future, Anthony plans on expanding TRIB beyond TRSM by creating a space for Indigenous entrepreneurs to network and share knowledge and resources, regardless of if they’re a business major or not.

“The embodiment of Indigenous entrepreneurship across Turtle Island doesn’t only exist in business schools,” said Anthony. “These efforts are often passed down generations and give our people the chance to express themselves in a way of trade and exchange.”

6

SZN PREVIEW SZN

Bold primed to ‘move the needle forward’ in the OUA

By Mikayla Guarasci The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s hockey team is ready to start a new chapter in their history. The team heads into the season under a new name, with a new logo and with a locker room full of fresh faces.

Head coach Lisa Haley, who has been the bench boss of the program since its inception in 2011, is excited about this new chapter, with high expectations for her team this season.

“We’ve been knocking on the door for a couple of years now,” said Haley. “My expectations for our group this year is to always move the needle forward.”

“We do have a lot of first-year players on our team, but we also finalist, the Nipissing Lakers. have some great talented returning TMU finished this year’s six prevets,” she added. “I think our goal ev- season games with a 3-3 record. This ery year is to try to get to nationals.” includes their homecoming loss against Concordia and most recently, a 2-1 win over Carleton Univer“We’ve been sity on Oct. 13. knocking on the door They’re looking ahead to a full for a couple of OUA season, without any pandemic years now” interruptions for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

The team ended the shortened A major change for the Bold will 2021-22 campaign with a 6-8 record, be in net. The team said goodbye to finishing the regular season in third fifth-year goaltender Rachel Seeley, place in the Ontario University Ath- who started all 15 games last season. letics (OUA) East Division. Their The 2021-22 team MVP holds the quest for the McCaw Cup was short- record for most career appearances, lived, with a first-round playoff exit wins and saves by a goaltender in at the hands of the eventual nationals program history.

said Haley. Bold forward Britni Yammine also has high hopes for the TMU squad heading into her rookie season.

“I think we have a pretty strong group,” said Yammine. “We’re a well-rounded hockey team, I expect us to go to championships— that’s obviously the end goal—and possibly nationals.”

“It’s nice to have leaders to show you the way and pave the path for you” The team will rely on vets such as

ALEK ZIVKOVIC/THE EYEOPENER team captain Madison Lalonde, Ol-

Replacing Seeley is a trio, made up by second-year Jayden Lawson and first-years Lauren Griffin and Alexia Stratos.

“We’ve got some young goaltending, but it’s been promising,” said Haley. “We’ve seen all three of them in game action now and are pretty encouraged with their level of readiness to be playing in the OUA.” Haley noted that the team will need to find new ways to score after the graduation of star player Lauren Nicholson. She is the program’s alltime leading goal scorer with 44 career goals, so other players will need to step in to fill the loss.

The team has a mix of experienced veterans and rookies, with

nine new players joining the Bold.

This group of recruits includes fifthyear Dani Fox, who comes from the University of Connecticut Huskies, part of the National Collegiate Athletics Association. The Unionville, Ont. native scored 10 goals and added 14 assists for 24 points in 37 games with the Huskies last season.

She comes to the Bold with over 130 games played at the university level and will spend one final year with TMU while completing her master’s of business administration.

“Anybody that’s already got three or four years of experience at this level is so valuable. She brings great character to our group and a high level of maturity and intelligence,”

ivia Giardetti and Brooklyn Gemmill to lead the way on and off the ice.

“It’s nice to have leaders to show you the way and to pave the path for you,” said Yammine. “They’ve been a super big help and I know they’ll continue to do so as we move on in the season.”

The team will kick off the regular season on Oct. 20 against the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in Waterloo, Ont. They’ll return home for a rematch of last year’s playoffs on Oct. 22 against the Nipissing Lakers in their home opener.

“It’s a new chapter in our legacy,” said Haley. “We’re just excited to rep the TMU Bold, all that can bring and write some new history moments under that brand.”

TMU men’s hockey team hungry for another taste of nationals after last season Sports. However, TMU finished the pre-season 2-4. Bold head coach Johnny Duco said while they wish the results were different in some of those games, he’s still quite happy with his team’s performance against the likes of the Concordia Stingers, the University of New Brunswick Reds (UNB) and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (U of T).

“We have a bunch of young, hungry guys who work hard everyday”

MATTHEW LIN/THE EYEOPENER

By Jacob Stoller The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men’s hockey team has its sights set on returning to the U Sports national championship tournament with the 2022-23 season already underway.

Fifteen returnees from last year's team—which finished fourth in the nation—are still on the roster, meaning the majority of the Bold’s

players know what it’s like to get a taste of championship action. Now, they’re ready to take a full bite.

“I think the sky’s the limit with this team,” said second-year defenceman Ryan Wells. “We have a bunch of young, hungry guys who work hard everyday and I don’t see why we can’t get back to the national tournament again.”

The Bold opened the season ranked 10th in the country by U

“In terms of our process and the way we competed, I thought we had a much better start in some of the things we tangibly talked about improving,” said Duco.

Second-year forwards Kyle Bollers—who already has five goals in two games—and Chris Playfair, are primed to lead the charge up front. Bollers, crowned Male Athlete of the Year by TMU last year, led the Bold in scoring with 25 points in 15 regular season games.

Playfair finished fourth in team scoring, tallying 11 points in 14 regular season games.

“Nothing was handed to those guys. Now…sure, they’re premier players in the league, but when they came in, they were battling to be in the lineup,” said Duco. “They were on the third or fourth line and they worked their way up the lineup.”

Duco said there were other forwards in supporting roles last year who are capable of stepping up this season. One of those players is second-year Kevin Gursoy, who recorded three points in his first seven U Sports games last year.

“I think Kevin’s got the ability to be one of the best goal scorers in the league this year,” Duco said.

But it’s their goaltending that could really be the Bold’s strength in the 2022-23 season.

With promising rookies Kai Edmonds and Ryan Dugas at the helm, in addition to fifth-year goalie Garrett Forrest, the Bold have an incredible amount of depth at the game’s most important position.

Duco has been impressed by Edmonds. The 22-year-old goalie spent the first half of last season bouncing around the minor leagues, totalling eight starts between the Southern Professional Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League.

“It was a bit of a roller coaster,” said Edmonds. “I was kind of trying to figure out the pro hockey world.”

Once Edmonds, who saved 33 out of 34 shots in a pre-season game against the University of New Brunswick Reds on Sept.

30, decided he wanted to go the U Sports route, Duco was one of the first coaches to reach out to him. He said Edmonds was high on TMU’s recruiting list.

“We’re not surprised, we know he’s that good” “You see it every day in preseason and in practice,” said Duco.

“Obviously we saw it in the UNB game. UNB’s coaches after were making some comments like, ‘Wow the goalies are really good.’ We’re not surprised, we know he’s that good.”

TMU is already off to a 2-0 start after defeating the York University Lions 3-1 on Oct. 14 and a 6-1 win over U of T one day later.

The Bold host their cross-town rivals again on Thursday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Puck-drop for the home opener is set for 6 p.m.

7

SPORTS

Bold women’s basketball’s pre-season comes to a close with annual tournament

By Matthew Davison The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team will face its final pre-season test when they host the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic tournament, which begins this Friday, Oct. 21.

The team will take on the University of Victoria Vikes in the opening game at the Mattamy Athletic Centre at 12 p.m. Rounding out the strong field is Cape Breton University, Western University, the University of Windsor, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of British Columbia and McMaster University.

The Bold haven’t eased their way into gameplay, given their pre-season schedule was full of demanding opponents, including the University of Regina Cougars and the Acadia Axewomen, who are the reigning Atlantic University Sport champion.

But head coach Carly Clarke said that was by design.

“We’re trying to measure ourselves against the best to see where we are” “We’ve given ourselves a really challenging pre-season schedule and that’s on purpose,” said Clarke. “We’re trying to measure ourselves against the best to see where we are and

MATTHEW LIN/THE EYEOPENER

where we need to get better.”

The annual showcase honouring the late member of the TMU Athletics Hall of Fame hasn’t been held in its traditional tournament format since 2019 as a result of the pandemic.

A year ago, the smaller-scale event saw the Bold go 2-0, defeating Western and the Saskatchewan Huskies, who were the defending national champions at the time. The Bold enter this year’s tournament as the team to beat, though the roster has undergone many changes.

The team’s only returning starter, Rachel Farwell, expects to take on a larger leadership role on this year’s team and is excited by what the young group has to offer.

“We got a taste of what success feels

like last year and we want to achieve it again,” said Farwell. “We’re significantly younger than we were last year…it’s definitely a very different look but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.”

Farwell’s teammate and fellow starter from last season, Stefanija Mrvaljevic, is also looking to bring that championship experience to this group—this year as a member of the coaching staff. Clarke said the former forward is built to be a coach due to her high basketball IQ. “She was a coach on the floor for us when she was a player,” said Clarke.

“She brings a great understanding of what’s going on there and an ability to connect with the players because she’s been out there with a bunch of them.”

The Bold are just 1-4 to start the pre-season campaign—a stark contrast from their undefeated season last year. Clarke said it’s important to remember how rare it is for a team to win every game and that it will take time for this group to reach its full potential.

“Every single one of our players is in a new role this year,” said Clarke.

“Some of them have played hardly at all but we have lots of talented players and we’re going to get better and better.”

A player poised to take on a more prominent role on the team this season is Jayme Foreman—who was behind veteran players in the rotation last year and battled COVID-19 during the latter part of the season.

The second-year guard said the new group can’t just copy the same formula as last year, but sees great opportunity ahead.

“We’re ready to show everyone that even though we’re a different team, we’re still good. And we’re still here to play,” said Foreman.

Another key player who was pivotal to the team’s success last year, especially in the playoffs with her tenacious style of play, was Eve Uwayesu.

The fifth-year forward stressed the importance of dedication and commitment to achieving desired results.

“We have a lot of people that experienced last year. We know what it takes,” said Uwayesu. “But we also know that it’s a grind of showing up to practice day in and day out and making sure that we grow every day.”

That sentiment of “getting better every day” has long been coach Clarke’s motto, but this year that slogan rings especially true.

different look but I don’t think that’s a bad thing” “The room for growth that we have with this team is really, really exciting,” said Clarke. “I’m not worried about the results in October, we’re looking for results in February and March.”

Darcel Wright Memorial Classic: Everything you need to know before Friday’s games

By Gavin Axelrod & Jack MacCool

points per game last season.

If you were ever looking for a reason to skip class, there’s no better excuse than the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic taking place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) from Oct. 21 to Oct. 23.

The annual women’s basketball tournament will see eight teams from nearly every U Sports conference gather at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) for exhibition play.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s action.

Cape Breton vs. Western, 2 p.m.

The Cape Breton University Capers roll into Toronto with a 4-2 pre-season record. The Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference member finished last season with an 8-7 record.

However, they made a run to the AUS championship game, losing 7165 to Acadia University.

Second-year guard Kiyara Letlow is a Capers player to watch this weekend. The hometown star averJES MASON/THE EYEOPENER aged 22.7 points and 15.7 rebounds per game last season.

Letlow’s scoring touch ranked second in the country and her rebounding totals were the best in U Sports.

The Torontonian was named U Sports Rookie of the Year and earned second-team All-Canadian honours.

Western comes into Friday’s clash with Cape Breton after clinching a 13-3 record last season, falling to the Brock University Badgers 77-58 in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Final.

Their third-year guard Ariane Saumure was named OUA West Defensive Player of the Year last season, making for a key matchup University of British Columbia with Letlow. vs. McMaster University, 6 p.m.

Friday’s final game will see the UniSaskatchewan vs. Windsor, 4 p.m. versity of British Columbia (UBC)

TMU vs. University of Victoria, 12 p.m.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s first matchup of the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic pits them against the University of Victoria Vikes.

The Bold enter the matchup with a 1-4 pre-season record in five games played. Victoria is winless in pre-season action with two losses coming at the hands of the Calgary Dinos.

The Vikes’ top two scorers from last season, Tana Pankratz and Ashlyn Day, are both returning to the program for their third and fifth years respectively. The two guards combined for just over 35

The Saskatchewan Huskies could be the favourites to win this year’s event.

Saskatchewan won the Canada West conference for the fifth time in the last six seasons this past March.

The Huskies looked primed to defend their 2021 U Sports national championship, until they were upset by host Queen’s in the quarter-final at the national tournament last year.

The Huskies player to watch this weekend is Carly Ahlstrom. She dropped 28 points against the University of Regina on Oct. 9, and was also named a Canada West SecondTeam All-Star during the 2021-22 campaign.

The Windsor Lancers also have an extensive national championship history themselves. Windsor won five national titles in a row, from the 2010-11 season to the 2014-15 season. However, the team went 9-13 and lost to the University of Guelph Gryphons in round one of the OUA playoffs last year.

Reigning OUA all-rookie team member Mariame Dehkissia is a player to watch for the Lancers after a tremendous debut season.

Firebirds take on the McMaster University Marauders. UBC finished last season with a 6-12 record in Canada West and has had its moments in this year’s pre-season, beating the Calgary Dinos in their first game, before dropping their next two to the Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Calgary.

McMaster enters the event off the back of a 9-6 record in the OUA West Division last year. In exhibition action this season, the Marauders de-

feated the Laval Rouge et Or 66-58 at the end of September. Fifth-year guard Sarah Gates scored 25 points for McMaster in the game and will look to build off her U Sports AllCanadian Second-Team honours.

McMaster will provide an excellent measuring stick for UBC to see where the squad is at as they enter the regular season. The Thunderbirds also have their top scorer returning from last season as Hailey Counsell enters her fourth year with the program.

8

DANCE!

World-renowned Indigenous dance troupe performs at TMU

By Maryam Azzam Indigenous Enterprise, an Indigenous dance troupe from across Turtle Island, made their debut in the country at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), with their performance entitled Indigenous Liberation as part of the lineup for the eighth annual Fall For Dance North Festival.

Indigenous Enterprise is an Arizona-based intertribal dance troupe led and founded by Kenneth Shirley, a Diné Men’s Fancy War dancer, in 2015.

The performances, which took place at The Theatre at The Creative School on Oct. 7 and 8 explored an array of traditional dances and their origin stories through movement and filmmaking. Projected animations describing the histories of each dance set the stage for the incoming performer. The screen lit up with vibrant visuals to complement the dancers’ captivating performances and stunning regalia, while ensuring each dancer got their due spotlight.

Through movement and storytelling, the group seeks to educate the public on indigeneity while simultaneously preserving and passing on traditional practices; an act of resistance against colonialism under systems that have historically aimed to suppress Indigenous people.

Indigenous Liberation began with a narrator providing context for the

PHOTO: DANNY UPSHAW PHOTO: DANNY UPSHAW

PHOTO: DANNY UPSHAW

dances to come.

“Song and dance are universal and are a common thread that everyone connects to,” said the narrator. “Yet at one time our cultural dances and traditions and even our languages were stripped away from us and outlawed, taking away the very core of who we are as a people.”

One by one, the eight dancers took to the stage. The dancers’ furrowed brows and deep concentration transformed into expressions of joy and release as the audience cheered them on—matching the troupe’s energy.

During the 60-minute performance, Indigenous Enterprise show-

cased traditional dances from all across Turtle Island.

Colourful animations situated the Grass Dance’s history as originating from the Omaha people in the Northern Great Plains. Then came the Chicken Dance with Blackfoot roots. Next, the screen lit up for Women’s Fancy Dance, which has many origins and cannot be traced to a single location. Men’s Fancy War Dance originating from the Ponca Tribe in Nebraska followed. Then, Ojibwa Jingle Dress Dancing and a Taos Pueblo Hoop Dance closed out the first portion of the show.

The dancers’ furrowed brows and deep concentration transformed into expressions of joy and release Each dance began with the lights dimmed to make way for the animation presenting the dance’s origin story, as told by ancestral oral histories. Following each video, the lights came on and a troupe member performed the accompanying dance.

Audience members were enthralled by the troupe’s stage presence and the care and beauty involved in the production.

Shirley then came back on stage to engage directly with the audi-

ence following the performances.

He introduced the performers to the crowd and even facilitated a Hoop Dance-off between dancers Jorge Gonzales and Nanabah Keediniihii.

The show concluded with the lights dimmed and the spotlight illuminating all eight dancers as they returned to the stage. The music cued once more and each dancer began to perform a different dance style simultaneously. The troupe moved to the rhythm of the beating drum in the background. Light bounced off the metallic ribbons adorning Keediniihii’s dress, creating an almost disco ball effect in the theatre.

As the performance came to an end, the music crescendoed, the dancers froze and the lights dimmed to black one final time.

The troupe moved to the rhythm of the beating drum in the background

while creating a space to pass on and share traditional knowledge.

With the university changing its name only recently in April, Gipp said performing in this space was “an opportunity to inform and educate.”

The Eyeopener contacted the university for comment—given the history of the university—on what it means for them to now host events honouring Indigenous histories and cultures.

The university responded in an email statement saying they “have been on the journey [to Truth and Reconciliation] for several years now” and that “the university has continued to make progress in addressing the recommendations of the reports.”

When asked what the next steps are after representation, the university forwarded The Eye two Toronto Met Today articles, one from Oct. 7 “for an update on the implementation of Standing Strong Task Force recommendations” and another from early March on “the latest update from the Truth and Reconciliation Working Group.”

Gipp said having the opportunity to transform and write new histories in places where trauma and harm once festered is part of the beauty of the troupe’s work.

“It’s only more fitting that we are able to go to these venues, these areas that were once used as a means of destruction [and create],” Gipp said in an interview with The Eye. Since its inception, the group has produced numerous shows domestically and internationally, including sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House and Scotiabank Arena. The troupe has also collaborated with major artists such as The Black Eyed Peas and gained global recognition with interviews both in Vogue and the New York Times.

Indigenous Liberation depicts stories of resilience, healing and resistance all while being a catalyst for it as well.

“This performance, Freddy Gipp, an enrolled member it’s to showcase that of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma we’re still here” and a dancer with Indigenous Enterprise, said this performance has been a way for the troupe to showIndigenous Liberation concluded case the resiliency of Indigenous with a sense of pride for the culpeople from all over Turtle Island, tures and traditions that have been persevered despite colonial forces and interference.“When they took our ceremonies away, our religious traditions and ways and customs, we had to adapt,” said Gipp. “And so this performance, it’s to showcase that we’re still here.”

As the troupe performed their final dance all together, feelings of unification and tenacity filled the theatre space. When the last dance ended, the audience erupted in applause and gave Indigenous Enterprise a standing ovation.

The Fall For Dance North Festival ended on Oct. 8 and Indigenous Enterprise concluded their world tour of Indigenous Liberation As of Oct. 15, 2022, the sign outside of the theatre has not been changed. The school on Oct. 14, travelling to cities like was renamed in April of this year. (MARYAM AZZAM/THE EYEOPENER) Paris and London.

DANCE!

Jazz Dance, Featuring You

By Jack Wannan Informal, interactive and inclusive.

Those three words perfectly encapsulate the jazz dance performances that took over Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) campus earlier this month.

From Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, The Theatre at The Creative School hosted a double-billing of up-tempo jazz dance performances accompanied by two unique bands. The first performance was from Holla Jazz, followed by Decidedly Jazz Danceworks’ presentation. The music from the first show was composed

by Sabine Ndalamba, with the second being lead by Rubim de Toledo.

The show gave audience members the chance to cheer, clap, howl and even become performers themselves.

The performance was a part of the Fall For Dance North festival, which returned for its eighth season this year from mid-September to early October.

The show’s goal, according to the festival’s website, was to provide a jazz dance experience that allowed the audience to “lose themselves.”

The scenes were a dramatic peek behind the curtain of what it is like to be a performer The first of two performances that took place during the evening was Margarita, featuring an allwoman cast. The show followed five chorus girls attempting to make it in show business.

Natasha Powell, the director of Holla Jazz, said her inspiration for the title was quite straightforward— the idea came to her while ordering a margarita at a bar, per a presentation

9

A double-billing of jazz dance shows on campus encouraged the audience to get up from their seats and be part of the performance

given before the show.

The performance was not just dancing; it included storytelling that presented a behind-the-scenes look into the performance through the eyes of the chorus girls. The show started and closed with silent skits, featuring the performers in a backstage setting. They applied makeup, looked in the mirror, shook off pre-event jitters and prepared to perform.

By showing the audience what it’s like behind the curtain, the performance was a dramatic and unique twist on a typical dance show.

Performers’ solo dance breaks elicited claps, cheers and shouts from the audience In another surprising twist, the show also let its dancers showcase their musical talents. Performer Caroline Fraser sang near the start of the show and Madelyn Miyashita later closed things out with a solo performance, sitting atop a changing room mirror and desk set while playing the french horn.

The show succeeded in providing an engaging and exciting performance for the crowd quite early on through the electric atmosphere the dancers had created. Performers’ solo dance breaks elicited claps, cheers and shouts from the audience.

While the massive campus theatre wasn’t fully packed, there was a solid turnout for the final night of the presentation. Those who attended were enthralled by the first performance, constantly searching for the right time to interject audibly with a gasp or a cheer to show their enthusiasm.

Family of Jazz, a performance that was choreographed by Kimberley

Holla Jazz dancers gather on the stage during a performance of ‘Margarita’. (KENDRA EPIK/FALL FOR DANCE NORTH)

Cooper from Alberta-based Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, was the second act of the night. The show aimed to provide a mix of different jazz styles, including traditional, afrobeats and blues, merging them into one big family that could be celebrated.

The performers glided across the stage during energetic numbers with joy, swinging their arms in the air and linking up with each other for certain parts of songs. The cast of nine split into much smaller numbers frequently throughout the performance, allowing for duos to shine in the spotlight.

Cassandra Bowerman, who graduated from TMU’s dance program in 2016 and is currently a member of Decidedly Jazz, hoped that attendees could take their own personal experiences away from the show.

“I want them to feel something.

Dancers from Decidedly Jazz Danceworks performing a mix of different jazz styles in ‘Family of Jazz’, at the Fall For Dance North

Whatever that may be; good, bad, negative, positive, elation, hopefully,” she said in an interview with The Eyeopener. She added that the presentation personally made her feel “joyous, sensual [and] celebratory.”

“Being on stage with the dancers and the musicians, you feel it” The weekend of shows was special for Bowerman specifically, returning to the TMU campus not as a student but instead as a performer for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. “[I have] a lot of memories associated with my time at TMU when I was in school. I think it will be an emotional experience and hopefully, very positive,” she said.

The performance didn’t end after the curtains closed following the second show.

Instead, the crowd was then invited to come on stage and perform alongside the dancers while a live band directed by Rubim de Toledo

played in the background. The moment allowed anyone—no matter their age or dance experience—to participate in the show.

“It just really keeps that sense of community alive,” said Bowerman, who joined the audience on stage after the show. “Being on stage with the dancers and the musicians, you feel it. It’s so tangible.”

Dozens of attendees flocked to the stage to take part in this section of the show with little hesitancy.

They immediately began to dance in whichever way the music took them.

Maybe the hours of dancing and jazz music that they heard earlier in the evening was what motivated them to participate so enthusiastically.

From start to finish, the evening of jazz dance was an experience catered to the audience. There was no separation between the attendees and the act of dancing, or the artist and the viewers. Through movement and enthusiastic participation, both sides were connected. It was truly a jazz dance for everyone and anyone.

Holla Jazz dancers performing ‘Margarita’ during the Fall For Dance North Festival, taking place at The Theatre at The Creative School. (KENDRA EPIK/FALL FOR DANCE NORTH)

10

By Asha Swann Sept. 30 marked the end of a 12-year run for Social Justice Week at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

This year, the Week ran from Sept. 26 to 30 and was led by Kikéola Roach, the Unifor National Chair in Social Justice and Democracy at the school. The agenda included events surrounding social activism, racism, solidarity journalism and more.

Since 2011, Social Justice Week has sought to highlight relevant social issues around campus. Roach has been the chair for the last six years, overseeing the direction that each Social Justice Week has taken since 2017.

The theme of this year’s week was “Reclaim, Repair,” according to the university’s website.

Some events included Reclaiming Black History in Toronto, Why Social Justice is Newsworthy and an installation at TMU’s Paul H. Cocker Gallery on Sept. 29.

Roach said while she’s been the chair, planning the week was always collaborative. “It’s been critical for us to consult with all of the people who are part of the planning committee, which includes people from various different departments,” she said.

It wasn’t just TMU faculty members deciding the course of events during Social Justice Week—students across different programs collaborated together to create multiple events

By Samreen Maqsood Muslim students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) say they want to see more multi-faith rooms around campus to pray.

Currently, students have access to the multi-faith prayer room on the third floor of the Student Campus Centre (SCC).

However, many Muslim students say having a single prayer room on campus isn’t ideal, especially when their classes may be far from the SCC, like in the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) building.

“It would be nice to have a prayer room available somewhere nearby the TRSM because our building is so off-campus,” said Iram Cheema, a fourth-year business technology management student at TMU. “If I’m being honest, I don’t even know exactly where [the prayer room] is,” she added. “I feel like it’s very hidden, at least for us business students.”

Yousuf Ahmed, a fifth-year marketing student, agreed with Cheema, saying that having different multifaith rooms on campus would be more convenient for students of

COMMUNITIES

on each day of the week.

Nicole Gabriele, a fourth-year architecture student and a member of the first-ever equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) task force within the architectural science program, said that students will want to continue social justice events in the future because of the week’s success this year.

“I know we’re gonna continue to do this within our department,” Gabriele said, adding that she hopes other departments feel inspired to have their own version of Social Justice Week.

The EDI task force at the architectural science program helped design and plan the People, Power & the Park exhibition, which occurred on the evening of Sept. 29, as part of Social Justice Week. The exhibit had installations showing Allan Gardens as a social justice hub for the past 125 years.

Roach said the exhibition shows that social justice is about connecting people to real-world experiences. “It’s always been about trying to bridge this gap between the people here on the campus and people in the community,” Roach said.

Gabriele, who said this was the first time the EDI task force helped curate a Social Justice Week exhibit, said having a focus on Allan Gardens was a perfect way to teach students that so-

cial justice surrounds the TMU community as the week came to a close.

“A lot of people don’t know its rich history of having protests,” she said.

Thousands gathered at Allan Gardens in 1965 in protest of Canada’s neo-Nazi groups. Throughout the 70s and 80s, LGBTQ rights groups would organize at the gardens to fight anti-gay legislation in Toronto.

In recent years, anti-poverty activists have used Allan Gardens to challenge evictions in the city.

For Michel Dumont, the Indigenous artist in residence at Imagine the Park, a collaboration between Allan Gardens and TMU’s Office of Social Innovation, the main goal when it comes to issues of social justice is awareness. “Visibility is important at all costs,” he said.

Roach said she hopes what people take away from Social Justice Week is that students have the power to take charge. “Change doesn’t just happen automatically,” she said. “It always requires making demands, mobilizing, organizing and pushing for it.”

After two difficult years online during the pandemic and a lack of support from the community, Roach said the planning committee for Social Justice Week wasn’t initially sure they wanted this year’s event to run.

After careful consideration, they decided this would be the final one.

“It’s now a time for reflection,” she said. “It’s a time for us to think about whether it’s reasonable for us to

multiple religions.

Abdullah Patel, the vice president of marketing at the Muslim Students Association (MSA) and a fourth-year marketing student, said the multi-faith room is one of the most “heavily-utilized resources” that students have on campus.

Before he knew about the multifaith room, Patel said he used to pray in various halls and alleyways before learning there was a prayer room available on campus.

“As soon as I found out there was a prayer room, it really made my life easier,” he said. Patel said that 100 to 150 Muslim students regularly use the prayer room.

During the pandemic, the multifaith room was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, hindering students’ abilities to observe their prayers in a safe and clean space.

Patel said the room’s closure had created a problem for students who lived in residence at the time.

“Students would have to resort to using an empty hallway or stairwell, somewhere that isn’t as clean or private,” he said.

After returning to in-person classes in March 2022, Ahmed Taasif, a third-year computer engineering student, said he often uses the multi-faith room on campus. “I would go pray there for four days [a week],” he said.

“Visibility is important at all costs”

PEYTON KEELER-COX/THE EYEOPENER

JES MASON/THE EYEOPENER

have to always beg for support; beg for space, time, energy, resources and so on from the university.”

The Eyeopener reached out to the university for comment on this year’s Social Justice Week being the final one and the school’s role in the decision for it to come to an end. Despite reaching out multiple times for comment from the school, The Eye was forwarded back to Roach for more information on Oct. 4. After a final attempt at getting comment on Oct. 7, The Eye was once again told on Oct. 14 that there was not yet any comment.

Roach explained that she doesn’t want the initial goal of social justice week to be lost. She remains hopeful that students in future years will continue advocating for change throughout the university.

“Although Social Justice Week

might go away, it doesn’t mean that the dialogue stops,” she said. “It just might look different, depending on who shows up and what they do.”

The lack of space for a multi-faith room has been an issue at TMU for a while. Previously, there was a second multi-faith room located at 111 Gerrard Street on campus.

enrolment, with 31,533 undergraduate students as of 2021 but has six spaces available for “religious, secular and spiritual practices on campus.”

As of the fall 2022 semester, the MSA is holding in-person Friday prayers now that COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. According to Patel, the Friday prayers may be held at different locations around campus, depending on availability and spacing.

He also said the MSA has reached out to different offices on campus to secure one location for the year.

Cheema suggested there should be a prayer room in the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre, saying it can be difficult to locate the SCC when time is limited between classes.

She added that she had attended Friday prayers “a few times,” but said that students shouldn’t feel like they have to stop practicing because of a busy class schedule.

“It’s important to have somewhere available where you can go and observe your faith, especially with a university that has students coming from all different religions,” said Cheema. “It’s really important to allow students to continue to practice that all while being in school.”

“It would be nice to have a prayer room available nearby the TRSM” However, that space is currently being redeveloped for academic use, according to TMU’s website. The website states that construction will begin in 2022 and “could serve as the new home of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.” In 2016, The Eyeopener reported that there was a need for more than two spaces. Six years later, the school is back to one space. When asked about the second space on Gerrard Street, the university said in an emailed statement that they were “aware of a multi-faith room available on the third floor of Oakham House.”

Last school year, there were 36,465 full-time undergraduate students at TMU, according to the school’s website. McMaster University’s website shows that the school has comparable

“Change doesn’t just happen automatically” Roach described feeling that this was “a full circle moment” as the week ended and students came up to her, wanting to “continue these conversations.”

“This is what Social Justice Week is all about,” Roach said. “It’s trying to train our lens on moving beyond the kind of static sort of language that we hear often about equity, diversity, inclusion, to actually hearing the voices of the people who are so often left out of the narrative.”

11

FUN ZONE

By Rochelle Raveendran Students in “Introduction to Creative Writing” breathed a comfortably deep sigh of relief last Monday, after learning that their classmate who has been convulsing with unmasked coughs like a cat retching up a hair ball during an exorcism, only has the flu.

Second-year English student Timothy Riley was the target of silent, seething fury from his peers for letting his saliva spray unencumbered as he expelled multiple violent bursts of air from his lungs.

He punctuated each cough by wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, wiping it on his desk and occasionally, wiping the desk with his mouth.

“Relaaaaaaax guys, it’s just the flu!” said Riley during the 10 minute lecture break. “You think this is bad? You should’ve seen what I was hacking up last night. Vomit! And you don’t wanna know what was coming out the other end…”

He then leaned forward to moistly whisper into the ear of Jenny Smith, a third-year communications student, the unwanted answer: “Watery diarrhea. Though it’s not a common symptom of influenza, some people are still affected.”

Smith said her disgust dissolved

PEYTON KEELER-COX/THE EYEOPENER

into relief upon hearing Riley’s health disclosure. For the duration of the class, flecks of spittle had intermittently flown from Riley’s mouth onto the back of her neck.

“At first, I thought the tingling sensation was my nervous system finally giving up on me,” Smith recalled. “But hey, as long as it’s not COVID-19, I don’t have a problem absorbing a stranger’s fluids through my pores.”

Riley disclosed to The Eyeopener that he always wears a mask while walking outdoors around campus, because “viral strains [can] ride the autumn breeze into your nasal passages.” In the eerily still, unventilated air

of a Kerr Hall classroom, he argued, microbes have nowhere to go and just die.

Using this ironclad logic, he ripped off his mask as soon as he sat down and began drizzling fellow students with his salivary rain.

“I don’t study creative writing to be restricted,” Riley added. “I wanna be free to express myself and extend that right to my droplets.”

Second-year business student John Diplo said he took no issue with Riley’s unmasked hacking. He felt it added an immersive effect while the class analysed 19th century novelist Thomas Hardy’s poem “During Wind

and Rain.”

“It was like seeing a 4DX movie at Cineplex, minus the surcharge,” said Diplo excitedly. “Though I did pay $600 for this course, so I guess it was inclusive?”

Similarly, instructor Nicholas Purell was indifferent to both the incident and—more broadly speaking— any interpersonal relationships in his classroom.

“I’m just here to cash cheques and benefit off of the free Microsoft 365 subscription to finish my novel,” he explained.

When Purell lectures, he presses his back against the white plaster wall,

standing as far away from his students as physically possible. Not because of the pandemic, though—he just can’t stand them.

“When I look at these kids, all I see are future customers after I include my novel as mandatory reading for my Advanced Creative Writing class next semester,” he said.

Only one student was unsatisfied with Riley’s behaviour: fourth-year philosophy student Sophie Marbles.

She believes being sequestered indoors for two-plus years has caused people to forget basic etiquette.

Thanks to her hyper-awareness of how others perceive her, Marbles said she lives her life with the aim of inconveniencing as few people as possible.

“The world would be a better place if more people over-thought every minuscule decision they ever made,” she said.

As Riley recuperates from his illness, he plans to drink extra fluids by lugging a three-litre thermos of turmeric and ginger tea with him to the rest of his classes. He will continue not wearing a mask and has no sympathy for dissenting voices. “Before the pandemic, no one wore masks if they had the flu,” Riley said.

“Why should we act differently now just cause we know better?”

Ask the expert: What are those pigeons thinking about?

“They’re either all really dull or they are planning something substantial”

By Zarmminaa Rehman

jects is to immerse ourselves into geons can be found in. their way of life and then break down “Just looking doesn’t give you the You have all seen pigeons roaming their true intentions using previous full story of these magnificent creaaround our beloved Toronto Met- research studies. tures,” claimed Kingfisher. “Just ropolitan University (TMU) camfrom their build, you [can] see they pus, but have you ever stopped and have a growing craving and drive “They share a collective wondered what goes on in their for justice.” seven to nine brain feathery little noggins? Without a Given the vast number of pidoubt, these foul fowls seem to have geons available to study, it was cells” been through a lot. Why do they aleasier to group them into categoways look like they’ve just returned ries to better predict their thoughts, from a brawl behind the Gould Over a three-week period, King- said Kingfisher.

Street dumpsters? fisher and some students took turns Not all of the pigeons are the same, As innocent as they might look, sleeping, sitting and eating with the they fall into four categories: there they always seem to be up in your pigeons. They recorded their find- are type-one alpha trait-exhibiting business, obstructing your every ings and then gathered together pigeons, type-two beta inclined pipath to classes, never flying higher last week to dissect and summarize geons, type-three really dull pigeons than two metres off the ground and their discoveries. and then there are the perpetually occupying the Sheldon and Tracy Like body language analysts, King- confused ones—type-four pigeons— Levy Student Centre (SLC) concrete fisher and others picked apart the that are so inept, we leave them be. stairs. But is there a reason for their various poses and positions the pi“Type-four pigeons are those ones suddenly scheduled crew meetings in PEYTON KEELER-COX/THE EYEOPENER the school’s most crowded areas?

We shouldn’t analyze animals without the proper credentials—that would be wrong. Luckily, Maxine Kingfisher, a professor at Avian University who has a PhD in Ornithology (the specification of Zoology that focuses on birds) is willing to help us get to the bottom of whatever these pigeons seem to be cooking up.

Kingfisher decided that the best way to understand the feathery sub-

with multiple spots or patches of white on them, you know the ones that seem like they would be main characters? Well, behind those eyes are no thoughts or completely useless ones,“ said Kingfisher.

Similar to type-four pigeons, typethree pigeons lack quite a lot.

“These guys are harmless as far as I’m concerned because they share a collective seven to nine brain cells.”

It was no surprise that Kingfisher deduced from her findings that there is evidence of dubious planning going on behind the scenes. The ongoing suspicion amongst the researchers is that despite the alphas being more towering and sturdy, there might be a Trojan Horse-type situation afoot, in which the short betas are the real ringleaders.

Kingfisher says findings support the idea that the only real pigeons we should worry about are the betas.

“Alphas are only thinking about getting fed and being tough. While they have some kind of brawn, betas surpass them in terms of brilliance, savviness and of course, skill.

They can fly two and a half metres in the air.”

She added that many people don’t know that betas are actually few and far between. They are also “built different” and give off an “easy-tocatch” vibe because of their robust build and a lustrous, dual-gray toned feather composition, Kingfisher explained. They have very distinct mulberry purple ombres around their necks and are referred to—affectionately—as “pretty bois,” she added.

The TMU Campus Bird Society (CBS) has been discussing the likelihood of an alliance of pigeons and other campus critters, like rats.

Changes on campus, such as habitat-friendly potholes being filled and pristine resting spots like the sought-after SLC steps being taken over by students, had very distressing impacts on the pigeons.

This time, the betas are stepping up and preparing—the only question now is, for what?

12

OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE TMU STUDENT CENTRE - 55 GOULD ST. - OAKHAMCAFE.CA