Vol. 55, Issue 9

Volume 55 - Issue 9

March 30, 2022

theeyeopener.com

@theeyeopener

Since 1967

2

NEWS

Sunshine List: The Ryerson employees who had a pocketful of ‘sunshine’ in 2021

By Heidi Lee, Thea Gribilas and Edward Djan Ryerson broke last year’s record for most employees on the Sunshine List, with a total of 1,601 in 2021.

The list, formally known as the public sector salary disclosure, statement, is released annually by the provincial government and contains the salaries of public sector employees who earned more than $100,000.

The 2021 Sunshine List includes the employee’s first and last name, position, salary and taxable benefits.

Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi is again in the top spot among all Ryerson employees, receiving $426,973 in 2021 with $36,777 in taxable benefits. Lachemi was also the only Ryerson employee to receive over $400,000.

The second highest paid spot at Ryerson was that of vice president, administration and operations, held Editor-in-Chief Tyler “Totally Healthy” Griffin News Edward “Sweetheart” Djan Thea “Breaking Bad-die” Gribilas Heidi “Deja Vu” Lee Features Abeer “Seokjin’s Wife” Khan

by Saeed Zolfaghari, who made $353,822 in 2021.

Former Ryerson University president Sheldon Levy had the second highest taxable benefits, behind only Lachemi, receiving $15,475 and a salary of $247,094.

Levy is listed as receiving a special arrangement annuity according to the list. No specifics on the arrangement are available on Ryerson’s website.

This year, of the 1,601 employees on the list, 279 made over $200,000—up from 194 in 2020.

Six Ryerson employees on the list made $300,000 or more, up by one from the year prior. The average salary of those employed by Ryerson on the list is $155,178, slightly higher than the year before when the average was $153,100.

Donna Young, dean of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, was the highest paid dean with a $306,884 salary and $1,182 in taxOnline Alexandra “19+ Wristband” Holyk Abby “Covid Immunity” Hughes Arts and Culture Elizabeth “Working Girl” Sargeant Business and Technology Charlize “200 Quick Hits” Alcaraz

ILLUSTRATION: VANESSA KAUK

able benefits.

Ryerson computer science professor Alex Ferworn was the highest paid professor in 2021, receiving $265,872 with $1,182 in taxable benefits.

Lisa Barnoff, an associate professor in the School of Social Work, was the highest paid associate professor in 2021. Barnoff made $268,280 with $1,166 in taxable benefits.

Photo Laila “Fuck Fact-Checking” Amer Vanessa “Spreading Gospel” Kauk Jes “BABY <3” Mason

Fun and Satire Rochelle “Go To Bed” Raveendran

General Manager Liane “Huzzah!” McLarty

Media Sonia “Shaky Cam” Khurana

Advertising Manager Christopher “My Ads!” Roberts

Web Developer Doug “These...Journalists” Nguyen

Design Director J.D. “Issue 9 Motherfucker” Mowat

Communities Serena “Cats!” Lopez Sports Gavin “Mustard Man” Axelrod

GRADUATION

IS JUST THE BEGINNING Apply today to enhance your education through a specialized Graduate Certificate program. centennialcollege.ca/graduate-certificates

The Sunshine List has not been adjusted for inflation since its inception in 1996. A $100,000 salary adjusted for inflation would equate to approximately $157,661 in 2021.

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

Credits

Managing Editor: Gavin Axelrod Editor-in-Chief Tyler Griffin Contributors: Jack Wannan Jack MacCool Mario Russo Ilyas Hussein Crina Mustafa Alex Wauthy Donald Higney Nashra Syed Mitchell Fox Alex Baumgartner Joseph Casciaro Alexandra Holyk Mariyah Salhia Ben Okazawa Jess Mazze Matthew Lin Robert Vona Web: Doug Ngyuen Photo: Laila Amer Vanessa Kauk Jes Mason Illustrators: Andrew Yang Berry Shi Photographers: Josh Kim Jojo Qian Curtis Martin

Christian Bender

The return of sports was a long time coming

PHOTO: JES MASON / THE EYEOPENER

By Gavin Axelrod I’m writing this at 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC). Athletes are starting to head home, the custodial staff are making their rounds and the bright lights that once shone upon the moderately-filled stands have been turned off. The clicking of my keyboard and the air vent humming are the only sounds that fill the silence in the MAC balcony.

This is the top of our mountain Every night I’ve spent at the MAC over the last three months

has ended the same—edit stories; size photos; complain about the lack of air conditioning; write social media captions; file our work; pack up and head home. But before I leave—when I’m certain I’m one of the last people left in the building—I always get up from the blue couch and perch myself over the railing.

There’s something so pure about leaning over that railing in the dark, overlooking the gleaming hardwood. Nothing beats being alone in an empty gym.

Whenever I’m up in the darkness of the MAC balcony, I feel like a kid again, fantasizing about getting on the court in front of a packed sea of spectators. It gives me a warm feeling inside my stomach. Well, that

The disparity between varsity and club teams

PHOTO: JES MASON / THE EYEOPENER

By Jack Wannan Kevin MacDonald has seen what it means to be on a varsity sports team and a competitive sports club at Ryerson University. When he was a sport media student, MacDonald worked as an announcer on the PA system at the Mattamy Athletic Centre for five years. During that time, he saw the school’s top tier teams compete.

On one hand, MacDonald saw the elite play of varsity sports teams. But on the other, he saw teams where players and managers alike were careful with their budgeting.

3

Ryerson University’s baseball team is one of the 20 sports labelled as a competitive club. This means, while the team has organized games against other schools, players have to pay a player fee, unlike those on varsity teams. For many students, this means they have to scrape together funds if they want to play ball.

“A lot of the guys that I grew up playing with, [their] parents paid for baseball every single year,” said MacDonald. “When you get to the university age, a lot of guys, myself included, [their] parents didn’t pay registration fees and now [they] are

having to work to pay for it.”

Having graduated in 2019, MacDonald is now an assistant coach for Rams baseball where he sees the same juggling act to find the funds to play in the players he coaches.

Club status sports teams at Ryerson allow students to explore new sports or to continue competing in sports they played during their childhoods. However, the price tag attached can cause players and team managers to watch their cheque books. It’s a balancing act for everyone involved.

Rams curling coach Perry Marshall said the team is “obsessively [under] a zero-based budget model,” adding that the club is strict with their spending and only uses funds when necessary.

“Whether it’s partially [player] fee-based or wholly [player] feebased, or whether fundraising is a part of it, or sponsorship…we have to be creative to be able to generate the revenues that we need to be able to support the activities of the club.”

Club-status sports teams rely on athlete’s player fees to help keep them going, among other streams of funds. They also utilize grants, attain sponsors or hustle with fundraisers to make ends meet.

ics, hear from the coaches tasked with navigating their squads through uncertain times, dive into could also just be because the MAC the world of the university’s digiis the hottest building on campus tal ballers and much, much more. and I’m sweating through my shirt.

But every time I begin to make my I can’t help but exit from the building and walk down think...‘Damn, the stairs, I can’t help but think to myself: ‘Damn, it’s good to be back.’ it’s good to be The return of sports at Ryerson back’ was a long time coming. This collection of stories aims to celebrate the return of the Rams, while adWhile this special issue puts the dressing inequalities that still ex- spotlight on Ryerson’s best, its risist on the playing field which were ing stars and unknown faces in illuminated by the pandemic. Rams athletics—the real MVPs of this project—are our dedicated These stories squad of sports writers and photographers. Through cold fall nights discuss at Downsview Park, empty arena themes and preseason games and packed posttopics anyone season clashes, they’ve carried our can relate to sports section all year long. Plus, we can’t forget about everyone I’ve always said the best kind of that’s been reading our stories and sports writing goes beyond the box- sharing them across social media. score. It doesn’t throw numbers or Both the Rams women’s basstats in your face, but rather it’s gen- ketball and men’s hockey teams uine and authentic. It tells stories of will compete at nationals this athletes and coaches that are more week, with the hopes of reachthan what you see on the court. ing the pinnacle of their sport at Although this is The Eyeopener’s Canada’s university level. But for annual Sports Issue, these stories us at the sports section of The Eye, discuss topics and themes anyone this issue is our championship can relate to—even if you don’t know game—it’s the top of our mountain. how to dribble a basketball, throw a So get comfortable, adjust the spiral, skate or enjoy lifting weights. brightness on your phone and As you scroll and flip through put on a good soundtrack beThe Year In Sports issue, you’ll meet cause it’s time for the main event. the unsung heroes of Rams athletThis is the year in sports.

The curling club holds a number of fundraisers that relate to the sport, such as clinics at curling clubs that help members improve their skills.

These prices can be costly for students, especially those who are already juggling tuition, rent and other expenses that come with living in Toronto. Every club is a unique case, as the cost for their program fluctuates based on the resources needed to operate. Some clubs, like the barbell club, have an entry fee as low as $40. Others can cost hundreds of dollars per season.

However, if one thing is clear it’s that players won’t be denied the ability to play if they simply cannot afford the fee. Some teams have accepted incremental payments from students, and others have sometimes accepted whatever amount a player was able to give.

“Nobody’s denied, [we’re] not gonna deny people from participating,” said Rams wrestling club coordinator John Cho. Club teams offer a middle-ground between intramurals and varsity sports, allowing student athletes to push themselves competitively in a wide range of sports.

“With the club, at least it gives people an option to be competitive without having to be part of a varsity team or being at a varsity level,” said Jordan Luu, who participates

with the Rams barbell team and helps out as an executive member.

A team getting their status changed from club to varsity level rarely happens. The last switch of the sort took place more than 10 years ago when the women’s hockey team was promoted to the vasity level.

Nick Asquini, manager of sport operations at Ryerson, said the university isn’t currently focused on promoting any clubs. He said they are instead currently “focused on returning athletes to play” after COVID-19 first disrupted their schedules in 2020.

It may also be unrealistic for promotions to be expected. Cho questioned if the school would be able to pay for more teams to have varsity status: “Where’s the money going to come from?”

Promotion could be hard, or borderline unattainable. It’s certainly not something that many Ryersonbased clubs envision as something they can achieve at this moment.

“We’re always trying to push to get to that next level, and show them that we deserve to be recognized as much as possible,” MacDonald said.

“It would be great if we can be classified as ‘varsity.’ But moreso, it’s just [getting] the recognition, and the assistance that comes with that recognition, is what we’re striving for the most.”

4

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

Maybe anime and sport aren’t all that different PHOTO: BERRY SHI / THE EYEOPENER

By Alex Baumgartner The worlds of sports and anime couldn’t seem farther apart.

Sports are high-intensity, filled with emotion and praised for the camaraderie between teammates. Fans form connections with their favourite athletes, forever enshrining them as icons of the game.

On the other hand, anime is fastpaced. Whether it’s characters in Kuroko’s Basketball entering “The Zone,” a state where players reach their max potential, or Hinata and Kageyama’s fast set and spike combination in the quick attack from Haikyuu!!, there’s always a move or moment that gets you jumping out of your seat. In sports-themed anime, characters experience highs and lows—devastating losses, continuous bumps in the road and bonds made with their teammates as they strive for glory. Lessons that run deeper than the sport itself are prevalent in these types of shows.

Maybe the worlds of sports and anime aren’t that different.

Anime saw an increase in popularity as of late, especially during the pandemic. Over 100 million households streamed at least one of Netflix’s anime titles in 2020 alone—a 50 per cent increase from 2019, according to The Economist. With the popularity of anime only growing, sports anime hasn’t taken a back seat either.

Comic Book Resources reported that out of the most popular mangas, Slam Dunk—a basketball manga created by Takehiro Inoue in 1990— ranks in the top 10 all-time, with over 157 million copies sold worldwide. Sports anime are remem-

bered not only for the story, but for Gilbert says he’s watched over the characters that leave a mark on eight sports anime series, but the the audience. one that takes the top spot on his list is the long-time classic boxing anime Hajime no Ippo. The series follows a “I was doing the shy high school student named Ippo Dempsey Roll, I Mauknouchi who breaks out of his thought I could do shell thanks to boxing.

Published in 1989, Hajime no Ipboxing, I thought I po’s manga has 133 volumes and is was Ippo” one of the longest ongoing series in Japan. In 2000, the manga was made Justin Gilbert, a third-year chem- into an anime. Gilbert says he enistry student at Nova Southeastern joyed the show so much, he felt as University in Florida, has been if he could be one of the characters. watching anime since he was in “The fights were so well drawn and elementary school. While he start- animated, it had me doing the moves ed off with shonen anime, a genre after each episode,” says Gilbert. “I was usually targeted towards younger doing the Dempsey Roll, I thought I audiences, including shows like One could do boxing, I thought I was Ippo.”

Piece and Dragon Ball, he quickly Gilbert also expressed his apmoved on to the sports genre. preciation for the development of characters throughout sports anime. “[In Haikyuu!!,] Tsukishima didn’t really love volleyball, he just played it. But as the show progressed, you learned about his backstory,” explains Gilbert.

Kei Tsukishima wasn’t the type to show emotions when he was first introduced as a character, but one defining moment that came later in the anime showed how the character development in sports anime can move an audience.

“I won’t lie, I cried when he got that block. I got emotional” In the third season of Haikyuu!!, Tsukishima and his team are playing against one of the best players in the country, Wakatoshi Ushijima. Tsukishima jumps to try and block a hit from Ushijima, which he does. It’s only one block, but immediately after, flashbacks are shown from earlier in the series which foreshadowed a moment where he’d find his passion for volleyball. In this pivotal moment, Tsukishima

clenches his fists and screams “ALL RIGHT!” as he celebrates the point and his love for volleyball.

“I won’t lie, I cried when he got that block. I got emotional,” Gilbert recounts. To this day, over seven million people have watched Tsukishima’s block on Youtube.

While Gilbert isn’t an athlete himself, he was still able to find love for sports anime because of the excitement and emotions displayed within the genre. On the flip side, a pair of Rams athletes who have spent their whole lives on the court also found a connection with anime.

Liam O’Leary-Orange and Jaren Jones of the Rams men’s basketball team say they can be found binge-watching anime when not on the hardwood.

“I remember when I was a little kid we had this little TV in the room and Naruto used to play on the TV,” laughs O’Leary-Orange.

O’Leary-Orange’s love for anime carried over into his adult life. Before every game, he watches an AMV, or anime music video, to get hyped up before he gets on the court. His favourite is a fight scene from Naruto in which Guy Sensei takes on the show’s most powerful villain—Madara. Guy Sensei has to put his life on the line and open his “eight inner gates” to take on Madara. Despite being heavily overmatched, Guy Sensei risks everything for this battle.

“It shows me no matter what fight I get into on this court, no matter what battle’s in front of me, there’s a way through it,” O’Leary-Orange says.

While he admits he hasn’t watched any sports anime, he sees himself getting into the genre in the future.

“Kuroko’s Basketball, that's one on my watchlist,” he says. “I’ve heard so many good things about that. That’s something I love to do and love to watch mixed into one.”

“I love the concept of sports anime because it mixes two cul-

tures together. It gives a common ground for two people that are different to share a similar passion,” O’Leary-Orange adds.

Jones says he is a huge One Piece fan.

The third-year Rams guard says he is “waiting to start” watching sports anime and has Haikyuu!!, Kuroko’s Basketball and Blue Lock on his list.

“I feel with sports animes you get the fun side of competition [and] making friends, but instead of it being an adventure of fighting, it’s all [channelled] into a sport,” said Jones. “With a great storyline, good action and unpredictable twists, it makes for a fantastic story.”

“It gives a common ground for two people that are different to share a similar passion”

Jones says that he and O’Leary-Orange aren’t the only players on the basketball team who like to watch anime. In the dressing room, some of them talk about anime for so long they end up losing track of the time.

“We will get into a conversation about a show, which leads into a conversation about another show and another show—next thing you know one hour and 30 minutes go by,” Jones says. “We could’ve been home by now but the conversations were just so good.”

Jones enjoys having anime conversations with his teammates and not always having to talk about basketball, especially given how little free time students have off the court. “[You wouldn’t think] someone who is six-foot-ten, a basketball player, getting all the rebounds… watches anime,” says Jones. “Anime has so many different types of fans.”

5

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

Year in Gaming: Rye gamers making mark in digital world The Eye’s 2033

By Ilyas Hussein It’s early on Saturday evening. Your team is heading into the final match of a best-of-three series.

After two close games prior to that, it’s all tied up.

You put on your headset, set up all your gear and take a deep breath. It’s time to dial in.

This is how weekends looked for many Rams esports players. After long days of practice and scrimmages, the week would culminate in an important match against another collegiate team. Throughout the school year, the university has had varying amounts of success in games such as Valorant, Overwatch, Rocket League and sive (CS:GO).

Valorant is a team-based, first-person shooter game where players with a unique set of abilities attack and defend multiple bomb sites. The Rams squad competes under the banner “Naru’s Minions” and has qualified for playoffs in the American Video Game League (AVGL) and the Collegiate Esports Association (CEA). This is their first year competing with a full roster, and it took them some time to figure out their team dynamics. However, once they sorted out their team chemistry, they only improved.

“Coming into this, I thought since none of us knew each other, we would lose every single game. This was definitely not the case, as we made the playoffs for several collegiate leagues,” said Mustafa “OP” Ali, a Rams Valorant player and first-year business management student.

“I still remember the feeling of us cheering after all of it unfolded” One match against a collegiate team early in the year resulted in a wild series. Their opponents had been vocal online about their confidence for a week leading up to the game. In the match, Ali was dealing with audio issues and couldn’t hear his team for the entire last map. However, the squad managed to pull through with the victory in the series, including a triple overtime win in the final game.

“In collegiate, excessive trash talk is prohibited and can get you disqualified,” said Ali. “I still remember the feeling of us cheering after all of it unfolded; I felt so relieved and proud of us.”

The Valorant crew has a bright future ahead of them, as most members plan on sticking together next season. “With more practice and server work, I think our team could become one of the

best in Canada,” Ali said.

Ryerson also competes in Overwatch, a team-based, first-person shooter game made

by Blizzard Entertainment. The “hero shooter” features different characters with unique abilities and numerous game modes for competitive play. Though the release of a sequel— expected to change the landscape of the franchise—is planned for next month, the Rams team has been focused on the season at hand.

“Honestly it has been a great and enjoyable experience this year,” said Xavier “Afrodiaq” Oshinowo, an Overwatch player and second-year media production student.

This was Oshinowo’s first year participating with the team, coming to Ryerson after studying and playing tennis in the U.S. at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Following a long break from any type of competition, Oshinowo returned this fall through gaming.

“It has been a while since I have done anything team-related in sports or esports, so it was amazing to be in that environment again,” said Oshinowo.

The highlight for him this year was playing against an opponent he knows from his time playing tennis—St. Lawrence University, located in Canton, N.Y. The series finished in quick fashion, with the Rams taking it 3-0, reminding Oshinowo of his past defeating the university in his other craft. “We absolutely rolled them,” said Oshinowo with glee. “It wasn’t a contest.”

Despite many successes, the year hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Ryerson esports teams. For example, the Rocket League team had several ups and downs throughout the season.

“In the NACE (North American Collegiate Esports) Starleague, our pool is mostly Canadian teams and there is some amazing talent in there, so we aren’t doing too well in that right now,” said Sean “Krusty” Duimstra, a Rocket League player and third-year math and its applications student.

The squad also lost a key member of their top-level team after Liam Parmar graduated in 2021. This resulted in a major tryout at the beginning of this school year to fill the vacant spot. “It was great to see a lot of people in the server for Rocket League,” said Duimstra.

In early February, team captain and secondyear accounting and finance student, William “Willymandem” Muhallin, decided to step away from the team for personal reasons, but plans to return in the summer. The team decided to call up third-year accounting and finance student, Lucas “Folly” Damiani, from

their B-team to replace Muhallin.

“We’ve gone through a lot recently, but it’s really rewarding in the end when you win after sticking it out,” said Duimstra. “We definitely learned how to adapt a lot this year.”

Their season isn’t over just yet, but the team hopes to improve their roster for next year in preparation for the Collegiate Rocket League qualifiers—the major collegiate circuit funded by the creators of Rocket League, Psyonix. The Rams qualified in season 2 back in 2018 with Liam “Cat” Parmar on the team. They haven’t qualified since then, but it’s been their goal to do so.

It was also a rough season for the Rams’ CS:GO roster, who faced many internal issues this year. “We, unfortunately, experienced quite a bit of turmoil as a team. We have the talent to be extremely good, but just don’t have the camaraderie right now,” said Avery “Webb” Nielsen-Webb. Despite missing the NACE starleague playoffs, they were still ranked fourth in all of North America for col-

Sports Almanac

By Alex Wauthy We collected our best predictions, estimations and hopes for what the sports world will look like a decade from now in The Eyeopener’s official 2033 Sports Almanac.

Jan. 29, 2033 The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announces a Canadian expansion, bringing a basketball team to Toronto. The team will begin its inaugural season in 2034-35.

An expansion draft will take place in January of 2034, four months before the start of the season. Toronto has yet to announce a formal team name, however, WNBA hall-of-famer Candice Parker will serve as the first head coach in franchise history.

Feb. 13, 2033 Tom Brady wins his ninth Super Bowl and third in five years since unretiring in 2028.

“With more practice and Brady’s San Francisco 49ers defeated the server work, I think our Buffalo Bills 7-3 in Super Bowl LXIII. The team could become one of 7-3 score is the lowest in Super Bowl history, beating the previous 13-3 record also held by the best in Canada” the Brady-led New England Patriots. Brady threw for 235 yards with one interception legiate teams. while defensive end Nick Bosa wins Super This was also the last dance for the team as Bowl MVP. a whole. The two star players, Dustin “Masor” Ma and Aidan “N3XT” Buchanan, are both June 7, 2033 graduating at the end of this semester.

Arizona Coyotes centre Auston Matthews “The future of our team doesn’t look too caps off a tremendous season, leading his team bright at the moment, but I hope things change to their first Stanley Cup win in history. The for the better next year,” said Nielsen-Webb.

Coyotes win the Stanley Cup in six games Each competitive esports team at Ryerson and celebrated in front of all 5,000 fans at says they're excited for the upcoming unveil- their shared home rink with Arizona State ing of the Gaming Lab— a facility with com- University. Matthews takes home the Conn puters available for students to have in-person Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable practices on. Ryerson Esports president and player of the postseason. After signing with third-year media production student Benson the Coyotes in the summer of 2024, he Lam says the space should be operational dur- finally fulfills his promise to his home state. ing the summer.

Matthews’ former team, the Toronto Maple According to Nielsen-Webb, the CS:GO Leafs, have yet to make it past the first round team could have benefited from the oppor- since 2003, exactly 30 years ago. tunity of having a facility like this earlier in the year as technical issues were the demise of June 15, 2033 their winter season.

LeBron James Jr., son and former teammate of “We couldn’t even play in the match that LeBron James, wins his first NBA championship eliminated us from the playoffs. and Finals MVP with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

One of our players' computers Infamous sports commentator Skip Bayless broke the day before one of the expresses that he feels Bronny James ran from matches and wasn't able to get it the free-throw line late in game six of the NBA fixed in time. If he just had access finals, taking after his father. Blasphemous to a facility, it could have saved our season critiques aside, Bronny James is living up to from ending early,” said Nielsen-Webb. his father’s reputation, averaging 27.8 points, According to Lam, a major reason why the 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in the research space is being established on cam- NBA finals. The Cavaliers defeat Damian pus is to prevent situations like that from Lillard, who would rather stay loyal than win happening again. a championship, and his Portland Trailblazers “It's important for gamers because it means in six games. having more access and better benefits when it comes to the things they love,” said Lam. Aug. 2, 2033 Despite the fact not every Rams esports U Sports and the National Collegiate team has been able to win, each player said Athletic Association (NCAA) reach an they can always think back to the friendships agreement combining the two distinguished they made along the way and those important organizations. The new deal will result in matches on the odd Saturday evening. transfers between Canadian and American “All the guys are more than teammates now. post-secondary athletic programs, a We’ve made significant bonds with one an- combining of conferences to increase crossother,” said Ali. “As a competitive player, I've border play and variations to the formatting always focused on winning, but with them, I of esteemed NCAA tournaments, such as felt like we all competed for the enjoyment of March Madness. The potential matchups at a playing together.” combined tournament would be endless.

OUA Anti-Racism Report highlights key issues in university sports Words by Ben Okazawa When touring the campus in his senior year of high school, Dashawn Stephens wasn’t considering the University of Waterloo as his first choice for university. After all, they had gone 0-8 in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) games the season prior.

Stephens, a wide receiver prospect at the time, had competed with the Toronto Junior Argos from 2014-15 and was being recruited by a number of Canadian university football programs during his senior year.

As he sat with his mom watching the team practice, he scanned the field and did a quick mental count. There were dozens of guys on the turf, but only five of them were Black. As a native of Toronto’s Jane and Finch neighbourhood—which has a visible minority population of 74 per cent, according to the City of Toronto—he was shocked.

“I actually did want to go to Waterloo,” says Stephens. “But I was scared to take that jump because I didn’t see people who looked like me.”

colour (BIPOC) who felt out of place in the OUA. The league’s OUA Anti-Racism Report found that 71.3 per cent of its student athletes who participated in the census are white. In addition, 48 per cent of BIPOC student athletes reported that they experienced some form of racism during their time in the OUA. The October 2021 report breaks racism down into several distinct categories. What most think of as racism, like the use of racial slurs or blatantly racist language, is defined as explicit and overt racism. Other forms of racism mentioned include: microaggressions, discriminatory hiring practices, player (non-)recruitment and assumptions of athlete wealth.

The presence of these different forms of racism, as well as a lack of diversity in the league years after Stephens’ campus visit to Waterloo, has remained. However, this report was an important first step in creating an equitable environment in the OUA. The report’s origins go back to 2020, when the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others at the hands of police sparked global outrage, resulting in protests attended by tens of millions in North America, according to The New York Times. Global News reported that two-thirds of Canadians supported the wave of protests and social media Stephens is far from the only Black, Indigenous or person of activism, the ripples of which were also felt in the OUA.

OUA chief executive officer Gord Grace says the events of summer 2020 were certainly a factor in the conception of the report. “Like everybody, we saw what was going on,” he says.

“We thought there was some work that we could do.” The OUA first formed a task force known as the Black, Biracial, Indigenous (BBI) Task Force. According to Grace, once all initial workshops were concluded, the task force evolved into a formal committee, now known as the BBI Advisory Committee.

Created in 2021, the advisory committee is made up of a combination of student athletes, coaches and administrators with the aim of increasing diverse representation and abolishing systemic racism in the OUA. After partnering with the Indigeneity, Diaspora and Anti-racism in Sport (IDEAS) Research Lab, the OUA started funding the Anti-Racism Report in the fall of 2020.

The report is the result of a survey launched in February 2021, which received 5,001 responses from members of the OUA. One of the report’s senior data analysts, Braeden McKenzie, says the IDEAS Research Lab was pleased with the number of responses they received. He says in order to best represent the population of the conference, it was important to get representation from student athletes, coaches and ad-

7

THE YEAR IN SPORTS ministrators across all 20 OUA institutions.

The survey states that 4,058 of the responses came from student athletes. However, the population reflected in the census results is predominantly white, even in sports like soccer that are known for being diverse in other amateur leagues. In the OUA, only 33 per cent of reported soccer players were racialized. In comparison, the Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) demographics database shows that more than half of its soccer players come from racialized backgrounds. The OUA’s Anti-Racism Report also found that BIPOC individuals make up 42 per cent of basketball players in the conference. In the NCAA, that number is nearly double at 77 per cent.

This begs the question: where’s the gap? How has the NCAA succeeded where the OUA falls short? According to the AntiRacism Report, money talks. White student athletes in the OUA are reportedly more likely to receive athletic scholarships as well as financial support from relatives.

Former Rams men’s soccer lead assistant coach Kasy Kiarash says money is a big part of the problem, but academic barriers play a role in access as well. Kiarash knows about the struggle for athletic success better than anyone. His story defines hustle: he remembers when former director of athletics at Ryerson, Ivan Joseph, told him in 2014 that he didn’t have a job opening or money in the budget for another coach at that time. His response? “I’ll see you on Monday.”

Kiarash had secured a fund from the government of Ontario and done his research and preparation if the Rams didn’t have the budget to hire him. He says the youth employment fund allowed him to volunteer in his field of study, while the government covered a portion of his expenses and minimum wage base pay.

“I was scared to take that jump because I didn’t see people who looked like me” Kiarash laughs, remembering the shock on Joseph’s face at his persistence. For the first six months, he operated the athletic department’s clothing store and volunteered as a soccer coach.

After the new year budget came out, Kiarash says Joseph took a chance on him and gave him an opportunity to work as a fulltime financial analyst and a paid assistant soccer coach.

This type of hustle was nothing new for the Iranian-born Scarborough, Ont. native. Reflecting on the barriers that lead to a lack of diversity in the OUA, Kiarash thought of his own time as a student athlete at York University. He remembers the hour-long bus ride to get to school. He also remembers his reliance on the Ontario Student Assistance Program—if he hadn’t qualified for it, there’s “no way” he would’ve been able to attend university.

He explains that scholarships in the OUA are all academicbased, even athletic scholarships. This makes it difficult for students who have financial barriers and are not excelling academically to participate because their focus is working to make money for their basic needs and pursuing their athletic dream. “When you look at some of the best players, sometimes they’re not coming to university, because their academics aren’t strong enough or they just can’t afford it.”

A 2015 Toronto study by McMaster University associate sociology professor Karen Robson supports Kiarash’s views.

It states that “income, race, and gender were intimately linked in explaining the [post-secondary education] confirmations of students.” The study goes on to list Black and Indigenous men as the most disadvantaged in transitioning to university or college from high school.

The maximum athletic scholarship in the OUA is $4,500— only awarded to student athletes who graduate high school with at least an 80 per cent average. At Ryerson, average annual tuition fees range from $7,035 to $11,140 for Canadian students.

Add that to the cost of living in downtown Toronto—which can be more than $2,000 a month, according to The Globe and Mail—and a $4,500 scholarship doesn’t amount to much.

BIPOC students who do enroll in universities still have forces working against them. According to a 2018 study in the

Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, racialized people in Ontario are less likely to make use of mental health services than white people. Racialized students say they don’t feel as though therapists understand the intricacies of being racialized with poor mental health, as previously reported by The Eyeopener. The Anti-Racism Report states that it’s no different for student athletes. Nearly 45 per cent of 3,818 respondents reported having experienced racism in mental health services and just 1.6 per cent say they utilized their university’s mental health services to discuss race-related incidents.

Fourth-year Rams men’s basketball player Liam O’LearyOrange is aiming to change that. The youngest in his household growing up, O’Leary-Orange says he felt voiceless at times. It’s apparent in the way he talks; every word is careful and measured.

But as an upperclassman and one of the few returning players on a young Rams team, he says he feels a responsibility to his juniors. His sense of leadership and his memory of that voiceless feeling motivated the six-foot-seven forward to join the committee that acts as a liaison between Ryerson’s student athletes and athletic administrators, the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), as an inaugural member in early 2022.

“Later on, I found my voice,” he recalls. “But maybe there’s a rookie on the team that wants to be heard.” O’Leary-Orange says a big focus of SAAC thus far has been strengthening mental health services for all Rams student athletes.

Not all BIPOC student athletes have experienced racism in the OUA, though. Fourth-year Rams women’s volleyball player Lauren Wong describes her time with the team as some of the best years of her life, despite its unorthodox beginning. After missing recruiting deadlines during her final club season with the Scarborough Titans Volleyball Club, Wong missed her chance to make the Rams roster. She was contacted by NCAA schools and had other options in Canada, but chose to walk on at Ryerson.

Staying close to home and prioritizing her education was more important to Wong than a guaranteed spot on a volleyball roster. Because head coach Dustin Reid had already seen her play, Wong landed the last spot on the team without even having to try out. She didn’t disappoint, getting her career off to a blazing start with an OUA East Rookie of the Year award.

Since then, she’s been a conference All-Star and has nothing but good things to say about her time on the team. “There are no boundaries between any of us,” she says. “[Our team] does a really good job in making everyone feel included.”

“There’s a rookie on the team that wants to be heard” The Anti-Racism Report mentions that several BIPOC student athletes found it easier to connect with coaches from similar backgrounds to themselves. Coaches can relate on a more personal level to the experiences of the player, which Stephens distinctly remembers experiencing during his time as a student athlete. Over the course of his four-year OUA career, Stephens had just two Black coaches, but they made a long-lasting impact.

“A Black coach will be able to resonate more with me and my journey…the types of systemic racism I may encounter as a young Black man in school, at work,” he says. “I was just able to gravitate to [my Black coaches] better.”

During Wong’s four years with the Rams, she had a different experience. She says she and her teammates were coached as players on the court and people off the court, and weren’t treated differently based on their skin colour or ethnicity.

But with BIPOC individuals making up just 21.5 per cent of the OUA’s coaching population, not all student-athletes get to experience what Stephens recalls so fondly. Kiarash believes this could be due to implicit bias that influences hiring practices. “It’s just this unconscious bias of just going out to recruit [someone who looks like] yourself,” he says. He says this runs deep, especially in people and families in the same culture, and especially in minority groups, where there is a sense of trust and familiarity. He says coaches and people have to be aware of unconscious bias when recruiting players and recruit based on character, not just familiarity. A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that implicit bias does play a role in hiring

decisions, leading to a lack of diversity in the workplace.

The Anti-Racism Report notes that implicit bias in hiring is certainly a problem in the OUA as well, with several racialized coaches reporting feeling as though their white counterparts have longer leashes and easier paths to success, while they have to jump through more hoops in order to get hired.

The report mentions a next step to increasing diversity in the OUA is a combination of training administrators and coaches to ignore their implicit biases and hiring solely based on merit.

Kiarash credits Joseph for being a leader in merit-based hiring practices at Ryerson. He remembers Joseph hiring several BIPOC coaches during his time with the school, most notably Roy Rana, who is now an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

“If you come here, I promise you I will look out for you, and have your back and support you” McKenzie says that OUA schools have been actively looking for ways to improve after the report was released. According to McKenzie, several programs have reached out to the IDEAS Lab to learn how to approach conversations with administrators, coaches and student athletes about anti-racism and increasing diversity. “They really want to engage and plan their next steps carefully.”

The BBI Task Force has already had great success in its early stages, according to Grace. On top of partnering with IDEAS Lab to launch the Diversity Report, the OUA has established the Black or Indigenous Student-Athlete Bursary, anti-racism workshops for league executives and an antiracism initiative led by OUA football coaches and student athletes. All of that has happened in the past year. COVID-19 threw a wrench in their plans to progress, but Grace asserts that the OUA is far from done.

Planning through the sports hiatus to return to athletics took up a lot of time that he says league and university administrators would’ve instead spent focused on increasing diversity and combatting racism in the league. However, with restrictions lifting and the pandemic seemingly in the past, Grace has big expectations for the future of the league. He plans to address the Diversity Report and the issues it’s raised at what’s known as the OUA Congress in May, which is to be the first face-to-face meeting with OUA administrators and university athletic directors in two years.

Stephens, still taken aback by the lack of diversity on the field during his visit, remained on the sidelines as he watched the Warriors practice. He recalls feeling nervous and “scared to take that jump.” One of the five Black players he noticed on the turf approached the younger Stephens, sat with him and asked him where he was from.

The player, Richmond Nketiah, was just a young man at the time. He told him he knew what was going through his mind. He knew that the prospect was looking around, not seeing too many people who looked like him. And then he said something that changed Stephens’ life: “If you come here, I promise you I will look out for you and have your back and support you.”

It was the push he needed. The jump from the familiarity of home to Waterloo was scary, but he realised he wasn’t taking the leap alone. Stephens committed to Waterloo for the following year and says he doesn’t regret his decision whatsoever. “He ended up being one of my best friends to this day,” he said of Nketiah. “He never let up on that promise.”

Although it didn’t make his university athletic experience perfect, establishing that connection was an important first step in making Stephens feel at home as a Black student athlete in the OUA. In the same sense, launching the OUA Anti-Racism Report was an important first step towards combatting racism in Ontario university sports. However, it’s exactly that: a first step. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and it won’t happen overnight.

“From the report, to the scholarships, to the campaigns… we’re making progress,” says Grace. “But, at the same time, I know we can do a lot more. That’s what the message is.”

8

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

The playbook to navigating teams through a pandemic

By Jack MacCool Just two-and-a-half months prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Niko Rukavina got married and now has an eight-monthold child at home. On top of that, he became the interim head coach of the men’s volleyball team this past fall.

“I would say it was a rollercoaster,” said Rukavina. “Handling the highs of the rollercoaster, but also the downs and the low points. I think that’s been a challenge, but also an exciting part of coaching.”

The pandemic greatly impacted the way teams went about day-today life. Social gathering limits made it impossible for entire teams to train at once; contact tracing made it challenging for athletes to access the facilities they once frequented; and the effect the pandemic has had on mental health is yet to be fully understood.

According to a 2021 survey from Statistics Canada, 25 per cent of Canadians 18 and older screened positive for having symptoms of depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the pandemic.

This number was up from 21 per cent earlier in the pandemic in fall 2020.

While student athletes have been at the forefront of the return to sports at Ryerson, Rams coaches have also been impacted greatly by the pandemic. They had the tall task of acting as leaders in their community, guiding athletes through unprecedented times and facilitating a positive experience for their players. Throughout the last two years, coaches did everything in their power to try and make the next sporting season the best one yet, even if it was in jeopardy.

Rukavina knew the 2021-22 season wouldn’t come without difficulties. He and his staff did their best to create bonds with their players that would hopefully translate to the hardwood once games started.

“Obviously everybody got a lot better at doing things on Zoom,” he said. “To not be able to be faceto-face, let alone be on the court together, was very difficult.”

Rukavina said mental health is a top priority for any program he’s a part of. He stayed in constant communication with his team; whether it was simple check-ins on their mental wellbeing or talking volleyball, he reiterated they weren’t alone and there would be positive takeaways once the pandemic was over.

Rukavina described a team building activity he did with the team to share some laughs during lockdown.

He challenged his players to a virtual game of ‘keep up’ where each player had to send a video of them keeping a volleyball up for as long as they could. Rukavina said the exercise brought the team together and gave them something to laugh about.

“We were just grateful to be on the court, grateful to be playing a game [and] grateful for the opportunity” “We were just grateful to be on the court, grateful to be playing a game [and] grateful for the opportunity,” he said.

Nobody knew what was in store when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, but for Rams men’s basketball coach David DeAveiro, he knew he had to get his son home.

At the time, DeAveiro’s son was playing in a basketball tournament in the U.S., so his main concern was getting him back to Ottawa where they could be together.

DeAveiro was then hired as head coach of the Rams men’s basketball team in April 2020, one month into the start of the pandemic. Once it became clear that the 2020-21 season wouldn’t happen, his new goal was to provide his athletes with outlets to be successful and make sense of the world around them.

“We would bring in guest speakers who would talk to our kids, especially about what was going on with the George Floyd situation,” said DeAveiro. “[We brought in]

From left to right: Jason Saker, David DeAveiro and Niko Rukavina. (PHOTO: JES MASON/THE EYEOPENER)

more Black speakers, identified role models for some of our kids, listened to their stories and their tales about things that they went through and things that they’re doing now to be successful.”

DeAveiro accepted that it would be challenging to create strong relationships with athletes that he had never coached, but that didn’t stop him from doing everything he could for his players. He focused on helping his players get to where they wanted to get to, had candid conversations with them about what their future plans were and tried to help them find jobs and opportunities to play professionally overseas.

Coaches don’t only have families at home; they also have a family in the gym, training room and on the court that they need to take care of.

This added stress took its toll on DeAveiro, but he continued prioritizing the mental health of himself and his team.

“I think the other thing is that this was hard on everybody. We’ve talked to the athletes about what the athletes have gone through, but nobody really talks about the coaches,” he said. “This was hard on coaches too.”

DeAveiro said the most recent COVID-19 restrictions in December 2021 that prevented the team from playing were the hardest on him. He saw himself starting to fall victim to depression, so to combat it, he travelled back to the U.S. to be with his son who plays for the basketball team at Valparaiso University —just to be around the sport

he loved so much.

“With the pandemic, it allowed a lot of people to spend more time with their family. So I got to spend more time with my family, my children, especially those who are a little bit older doing their own thing,” he said. “My son was in college, my daughter is in university, so it just allowed me more time with them that I wouldn’t normally have.”

“We’ve talked to the athletes about what the athletes have gone through, but nobody really talks about the coaches” Jason Saker worked from home during the first year of the pandemic. It was early 2021 when the opportunity to be Ryerson’s fastpitch coach arose, and he jumped at it.

Saker said he had always wanted to coach at the university level and being able to do so for his alma mater was a vision come to life.

“I love saying that I graduated from Ryerson, so if there was an opportunity to give back in any aspect, this was definitely one way that I feel I was able to contribute.”

But taking on the role of coach in the midst of a pandemic was no easy feat. Like many coaches, Saker wanted the season to be about the players and he did everything he could to establish that from the get-go.

This included interviewing graduating players and any returning players to get their opinions on

the upcoming season and how he could make it a great experience for them.

“For me, it’s never about the wins and the losses, although it’s always better to be on the winning side than not, but I wanted to let them know that I was there to support them in any way possible,” he said.

Saker knew the 2021 season would be different from those in the past, and he did his best to navigate his team through the new challenges. In a normal fastpitch season, the team makes overnight road trips to face programs all over the province. But with COVID-19 restrictions in place, the team wasn’t able to stay in hotels, making travelling and competing that much more difficult.

Nonetheless, Saker said he was happy with the way the season went, and happy for his players that they were able to compete in the sport they love after so much time away.

When you see Rams coaches in action, they’re probably hollering at players on the court or leading them with fiery intensity. But, behind the scenes, their role is much greater.

The pandemic pushed them to be humans first and coaches second, offering their guidance and support in uncertain times.

Whether it was through games of virtual ‘keep-up,’ long chats on Zoom or offering professional mental health support and resources, Rams coaches did it all over the last two years for their players—their second family.

Rams athletes pull back the curtain on their pre-game routines

By Crina Mustafa

Aaron Rhooms, men’s basketball: “Before every game, following our team talk, I’ll stay back and listen to my favourite song on max volume. The song is almost four minutes long and I cannot leave until it is finished. It helps me get into the right headspace for me to have a good warmup and be ready for the game.” Song: Miss the Rage by Trippie Redd feat. Playboi Carti

Have you ever worn the same jersey to a game without washing it because, otherwise, your team might lose? Don’t worry, it isn’t weird. In fact, many athletes have their own little wacky superstitions or rituals that they follow before their own games!

After speaking to some of the athletes that wear a Rams jersey, here are some of the rituals they go through before every game or Ankit Choudhary, men’s basketpractice. ball:

“I usually read different books but mostly around the same concept: books that help you mentally evolve and can give you perspective. That can also challenge you in certain ways and overall just teach you new things.”

Zoe Kuck, women’s volleyball: “I always need to listen to the song Mirrors by Justin Timberlake in full before I have a game. I got obsessed with that song when I was in competitive swimming and would listen

Jyoti Ruparell, women’s volleyball: “I have a few things I do on game day—the normal ones like having a playlist, waking up at a certain time, getting to the locker room at a certain time. The one thing out of the ordinary I do is, I have a GoGo Squeez [applesauce] before the Savahnna Robinson, women’s game—it’s become a ritual now.” soccer: “One of my pre-game rituals is to eat Answers have been edited for length and a banana right before the game. I do clarity. Read the full story at yearinsthis before every soccer game.” ports.theeyeopener.com. to it before every meet, and now I just find it relaxes me. Since it’s a good length I get to think about our strategy for the game during it and just relax. I’ve only ever forgotten to listen to it once and I ended up losing that game, so pretty self-explanatory there!”

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

9

Rebranding Ryerson bigger than name change

By Mariyah Salhia Just before the midseason break, first-year defender Saije Catcheway walked into the Mattamy Athletic Centre dressing room with her teammates hours before a game.

There, she and her teammates looked around the room, their eyes catching sight of their new jerseys hanging in the stalls.

Catcheway’s last name was embroidered on the back, with only a capital “R” outline in blue adorned on the front; the brand new jerseys were the first of the team’s road design that didn’t include the name “Ryerson” like the old ones did. It’s a moment that Catcheway can’t get out of her head.

Now, she’s waiting for the real changes to be made.

Ryerson University’s name change has been one of the most contentious issues on campus since it was announced in August 2021. Conversations about funding, timing and potential new names have been discussed on a nation-wide level for almost a year, with a shortlist of names promised by the University Renaming Advisory Committee by the end of the winter 2022 semester.

Indigenous students on campus say news of this name change has been particularly important, but like all Indigenous issues, the range of opinions about the decision are diverse; some students are excited about the name change, while others think it’s an unnecessary change to the school’s identity. The impact of the switch has reached all facets of the school—including the Rams, who are one of the most branded organizations within the university.

“I just think those are what impact people more immediately than changing the name right away” On June 3, 2021, the Rams women’s basketball program was the first varsity team to independently drop the name “Ryerson” from their team. Other varsity clubs followed suit, two months before Ryerson’s official announcement of a name change on Aug. 26.

Ryerson Athletics also released a statement on June 9 supporting athletes in their decision to independently drop the university’s name from team monikers. By the 2021-22 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season, all Rams varsity teams were donning redesigned jerseys that didn’t include the school’s namesake.

Richard Norman, a postdoctoral fellow at the Ted Rogers School of Management through the Future

PHOTO: JES MASON

of Sport Lab at Ryerson, says creating change in sport is about creating more diverse spaces. He says this includes addressing norms and practices that are attached to violence, like offensive mascots, traditions and namesakes—like Egerton Ryerson. It’s important for teams to interrogate what the legacy of their team is, he explains.

“I think it's really important that you say ‘all right, the connection with this name is creating emotional responses and traumatic responses from people,’” Norman says. “And if we don't honour that, then what is our role as [we are] continuing this colonial project and on the mechanisms that are there. Are we really allowing that conversation to shift, to change and actually to make space for the peoples that have been oppressed for such a long period of time?”

But Indigenous athletes on the Rams say getting new jerseys isn't the only progress they want to see. For them, changing their name should be the first step on the road to progress for the school’s relationship with Indigenous students and communities.

Gus Cousins remembers getting into the sport of baseball as a kid.

He recalls seeing photos of himself celebrating a first or second birthday at a Toronto Blue Jays game with his parents.

“I have a feeling that probably kickstarted it at a very young age,” he jokes.

Twelve years ago, at the age of nine, Cousins started playing baseball competitively. Before coming to Ryerson, he played several seasons for the East York Bulldogs and was excited to start playing at the university level.

Cousins was born and raised in Toronto; his father is Indigenous and his family's band is Carry The Kettle, of the Nakoda Nation. He says while the name change is necessary for the institution, there are

more pressing issues the school could be diverting funds to.

“Last year, my band’s reserve out in Saskatchewan went through a whole boil advisory,” says Cousins.

A boil water advisory is a recommendation by local health officials to use boiled or bottled water when a community’s drinking water has been contaminated.

He worries that with the school investing so much time and money into the rebrand, people might be getting away from the issue at hand; the mistreatment of Indigenous communities in Canada.

He says Indigenous Peoples in Canada are still facing unfair conditions. According to the Government of Canada, there are still 34 long-term drinking water advisories across 29 communities. Since the beginning of 2022, three new advisories have been added.

In 2021, the Borgen Project reported that 33 per cent of off-reserve First Nations and Métis are food insecure, as are 54 per cent of people living on Indigenous reserves. COVID-19 remains a threat to Indigenous populations as well, with, the CBC reporting rising case numbers in Indigenous communities around Canada, and a lack of health care professionals was cited as a cause for spread.

In 2017, The Eye reported that the cost of a name change could cost “millions of dollars.” For Cousins, he’d rather see that money go towards improving living conditions for Indigenous communities.

“I just think those are what impact people more immediately than changing the name right away.”

Norman says athletics dropping the Ryerson moniker from its teams and the name change of the school as a whole should be a launch point in making athletic spaces more inclusive, but not the end. He explains that understanding the intention

of the name change and being able to recognize the violence attached to Ryerson’s namesake, is where progress will start. Norman says it’s important to understand how the name is creating emotional and traumatic responses for people.

tournaments are where some of her fondest memories of the game come from. It was at one of these tournaments that her team became the first mainly-women squad to win the championship at the Indigenous tournament.

Being an Indigenous woman playing hockey in the OUA, she knows she’s a role model for young athletes.

For her, being on the team is about much more than her own progression as an athlete.

“I don't see it as it [just] propelling me forward,” she says, “But me going forward, I know is setting an example for the younger generation in my community.”

To Catcheway, the name change is about more than just an institutional rebrand; it's a symbol for change in Canada.

“The running water, the boil water advisory, the health care systems, the [Child and Family Services] systems, all of that for Indigenous people…are ongoing issues that really are only taking time because they're not a priority,” she says.

“The running water, the boil water advisory, the health care systems, the [Child and Family Services] systems...are ongoing issues that really are only taking time because they’re not a priority”

Not acknowledging the harm the namesake caused prohibits the conversation from shifting and changing to make space for people who have been oppressed within sport and society for such long periods of time, he adds.

Part of the reckoning will mean diversifying all facets of sport, including coaches and referees. “Having that representation is an important recognition of our visual expression, so that people can see themselves in these places. ”

When she was ten years old, Catcheway started playing hockey in a boys league, in her hometown of Winnipeg. She remembers how much her dad loved the game and skating, so being on a team was a big deal for her family.

But it wasn’t on this team that she found her love for the sport.

Her favourite time of the season was in the springtime, usually right after play ended, because that’s when she and other Indigenous hockey players would come together for tournaments.

“We call them ‘native tournaments,’” she says. “They're Indigenous hockey tournaments where you put together a team of Indigenous athletes and you have a tournament for a weekend.”

For Catcheway, whose family is Skownan First Nation, these

Catcheway says sometimes it’s difficult to feel progress from the name change, especially when it feels like it's unfolded so slowly, but she’s been appreciative of the support from her team.

“It's hard to say conscious efforts are being made because there really isn't much we can do,” she says. “ I really respect that [the team is] still on board, even with the unknown of it all.”

She says the name change should happen, not necessarily just for the sake of rebranding, but because it’s proof that people outside of the Indigenous community are able to recognize that change is necessary.

“There have been conversations about it and seeing people who aren't Indigenous make some points about it, I think it's just very foreign [to me] and I like to see it.”

On Orange Shirt Day, the team took a photo in their jerseys and didn’t include the Ryerson moniker.

She says small actions like that make her feel like bigger change is possible.

“It doesn't have to be grand actions or anything like that. But I think just little thoughts and people being conscious of it is where change is going to happen,” she says.

“So it's been really cool this season and sort of being a part of it.

For her, it’s about being supported by people who aren’t directly facing the impacts of Ryerson’s history.

“The whole reason for it is a lot more meaningful than just a name change.”

10

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

Year in Photos: Highlights from Ryerson’s return of sport Words by Mitchell Fox It’s been a long year for us all and Rams athletes are no exception. They faced the ups and downs of a return to play this season, seeing triumphant victories as well as demoralizing losses. While the roar of the crowd may have been hidden behind masks, players could find all the support they needed in their close-knit teams and the games they love.

In the following photos, taken by our incredible photographers here at The Eyeopener, you’ll see the emotion and the passion athletes have from hockey, basketball, soccer and volleyball. They’re matched with some of the most memorable moments of the 2021-22 season, featuring everything from goalie fights to game-winning goals.

Rams men’s basketball team jumps to victory on March 5

While a late-season 5-1 victory over the rival University of Toronto Varsity Blues would usually be enough of a story on its own, the Rams men’s hockey game on Feb. 25 brought extra intrigue.

A tough game, consisting of 19 penalties and lots of physical play, reached its peak at the end of the second period, when Rams goaltender Garrett Forrest got into a scrap with Varsity Blues backup goaltender Jett Alexander near the benches.

Forrest would finish the game with 32 saves (and four penalty minutes) in a victory that saw the Rams increase their lead atop the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Division, a position they held onto until season’s end.

On March 5, Rams guard Marcus Upshaw soared during player introductions ahead of a game against the Laurentian Voyageurs.

The energy before the game was matched during play, as the Rams pulled off a nail-biting 75-71 victory, thanks in part to an emphatic 28-point performance from rookie forward Aaron Rhooms and clutch free-throws from veteran guard Jaaden Lewis. The victory, paired with another close win the next day, would prove valuable as the Rams secured home court advantage for their first-round playoff matchup on March 16. Upshaw and the squad would bring the energy into the postseason, where they knocked off Laurentian in the first round, before being eliminated by Carleton.

Rams women’s soccer player Keira Kent had plenty of reasons to celebrate after she scored both of the team’s goals in a 2-1 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs on Oct. 24. Kent provided an 18-yard blast in the first half and a goal off of a corner to give the Rams the lead in the 68th minute.

The victory would prove to be an important one, keeping the Rams’ playoff hopes alive and providing the fourth installment of a six-game undefeated streak.

This picture of fourth-year libero Olivia Yang in a four-set loss to the York Lions would turn out to be reminiscent of the Rams women’s volleyball team’s season. Despite all of their best efforts, including throwing their bodies at the floor, there were some pained expressions over the course of the season, which they ended with a 3-10 record. Nevertheless, three straight-set victories to close out the season would serve as a reminder of the skill and passion the team brought every night.

11

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

The unsung heroes of Rams athletics

Michelle Bell, an athletic therapist for the Rams, watches the women’s basketball PHOTO: JES MASON/THE EYEOPENER

By Alexandra Holyk When Vince Chu is on the clock as the team manager for the Rams men’s basketball team, he likes to get to the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) early and shoot hoops before turning his attention to the rest of the team.

He’ll get the gym ready for the players 30 minutes before practice starts—bringing out the basketballs and setting up the shot clock and water bottles so the athletes and coaches have nothing to worry about once they get there. When Chu has a spare moment, he’ll watch videos on YouTube of the behind-the-scenes work within the National Basketball Association (NBA), workout videos and highlight reels, because he can’t see himself doing anything that isn’t related to basketball.

“The goal will always be to focus on how we can make our programs better than they were yesterday” In high school, Chu didn’t have a plan for post-secondary. All he knew was that he wanted to play basketball, and one day make it to the NBA, like his friend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2018.

Born to immigrant parents from Vietnam and growing up in Hamilton, Ont., Chu’s goal was to finish school and “figure it out after” in an effort to please his parents. “[My parents] didn't fully understand what basketball was to me, they just thought it was a hobby for me to lose weight at the time. They didn't know that it was a love and passion,” he says.

After three years at McMaster University, Chu applied to transfer to Ryerson's business management program.

“Throughout my life, I've struggled through maybe like, three different career paths,” he says.

“The only constant thing about my life that I knew that I always loved was basketball.”

However, Chu’s grades weren’t good enough for him to be accepted as a transfer student, so he retook some high school classes in order to make the move to Toronto.

“It's not where I thought I would be at 22, 23 years old. But honestly, I just had to put that all aside and have a little humility and just embrace it,” Chu says. “If I put in the work and just put my head down, then one day, I can hopefully reach the NBA at some capacity.”

When it comes to Ryerson’s sport scene, the athletes dominate the spotlight. But behind the bench, there’s a strong network keeping the Rams running that many fans don't know about. Whether they’re working directly with the team making sure athletes are in tip top shape for the playoffs, or being the loud, booming voice over the MAC’s PA system, these unsung heroes are finally getting their time to shine.

Every day is different for Rams athletic therapist Michelle Bell; from attending practices to offering one-on-one therapy sessions with student athletes, to getting on calls with coaches to prepping for evening games. It’s why Bell believes that athletic therapists are the heartbeat of a team, with the MAC becoming her second home, and the athletes her second family.

Bell has been working as one of three athletic therapists for the Rams since 2014, but her journey

at Ryerson didn’t start there. While she was studying athletic therapy at Sheridan College from 2007 to 2011, she worked with the Rams as a student therapist. She says her positive experience with the teams, coaches and mentors led her to apply to the full-time position three years later without hesitation.

“Ryerson had definitely opened my eyes to what it was like to be within sport, and our programs were elite level,” she says. “My supervisors and mentors were all amazing to shadow and [helped me] understand what the role involves.”

Over the last eight years, Bell says she’s established close connections with many athletes, seeing herself as a big sister and supporting them beyond sport. “When you're in this role, you are not only a certified athletic therapist, but you become a provider,” she says, adding that she’s helped athletes focus on a career path, review their resumes and has even driven them home after games and practices.

Though Bell is first and foremost an athletic therapist, she also helps out with managerial duties, counselling for athletes, basketball operations, financial management and event planning. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the necessary health and safety protocols added another task to her list.

Bell has started several initiatives to provide student athletes with a safe and comfortable environment, including asking a “question of the day” to give them a chance to talk about anything but the sport they play or their injury. She strives to take a deeper dive into conversations outside of sport, and says she hopes to continue developing Ryerson’s therapy program with a similar mindset.

“The goal will always be to focus on how we can make our programs better than they were yesterday,” she says.

Kevin MacDonald hit the mic at the MAC when he was in his first year of the RTA sport media program in 2014. The first event he called was a volleyball exhibition game while training with RTA sport media alum and former PA announcer Alex Bloomfield—or “the voice of God,” according to MacDonald.

MacDonald remembers Bloomfield looking over his shoulder and telling him what to say and do to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

Once he was comfortable on his own, MacDonald was able to develop his personal PA announcer style and quickly became the iconic voice for Rams games at the MAC. MacDonald says he initially wanted to apply for the announcer posi-

tion with the Rams because he had “a pretty deep voice and it could sound kind of cool.” However, it was announcing the starting lineups that really made him fall in love with the role.

“I pick up the energy and I go, ‘Now here's the starting lineup for your Ryerson Rams,’ and the first few times I did that, the crowd [was] getting into it and cheering when I said that—it's very addictive,” MacDonald says. “They're obviously not cheering for me, they're cheering for the players, but the energy is a high that you keep chasing.”

“At the end of it, hopefully my cheques will be signed by the NBA” “I know that I’m very much in the background—I’m just background noise at a lot of these games,” he continues. “People do hear me but it's not like they're actively listening to whatever I say, but it does give a cool little atmosphere boost when I jump on the mic.”

Throughout his years on the mic, MacDonald has established several pre and postgame rituals. One of them includes keeping track of every game he’s called in a tally on the scorers table—he’s announced almost 300 games to date.

In 2018, MacDonald was set to graduate and leave his PA announcer job at the MAC. Though he called a few games here and there just before the pandemic, MacDonald also works as the announcer at Humber College along with Ryerson where

he re-debuted earlier this academic year, training the next generation of announcers. “[Coming back] was pretty cool because there's a few senior players on the volleyball and basketball teams that knew me when I was still the regular announcer,” he says. At the same time, MacDonald also says he felt old while talking to first-year students, who would've been 10 years old when he first started at the MAC. Like Chu and Bell, MacDonald also wears many hats when it comes to working with the Rams.

Aside from being on the mic and working as the assistant coach with the men’s baseball team, he is also director of operations for the men’s hockey team.

“I'm kind of a jack of all trades with their team…[When] they need something done they turn to me and I figure out how to help them get it done,” he says.

Chu says that although he “jumped at the opportunity to hand out waters and towels” when he first got to Ryerson, his role with the Rams goes beyond just carrying out their equipment.

“These guys have definitely made me feel like a part of their family. I even have my own spot in the locker room,” he says, adding that the players can come to him about anything, basketball-related or not.

Chu says his role at Ryerson is pretty solidified and he looks forward to the next few years he has with the Rams. However, he is also eager to take on more responsibility and improve his skill set and knowledge of the sport.

“At the end of it, hopefully my cheques will be signed by the NBA.”

PHOTO: JES MASON/THE EYEOPENER

KA 819 #856050

12

Two convenient locations INQUIRE NOW! Let us Welcome you in 2022 All-inclusive living in downtown Toronto’s premier student residences.

Parkside and CampusOne — student living has never been like this.

CAMPUSONE

Live-Parkside.ca | 416.977.8000 | 111 Carlton St

Live-CampusOne.ca | 647.288.0827 | 253 College St

*CampusOne is an independently owned and operated residence affiliated with the University and the University assumes no responsibility in regard to any agreements entered into by students/residents with the Owner and the Operator. The University makes no representations or warranties and assumes no responsibility for the conditions of services provided at the Academic Residence.