The Voice of the University of Toronto at Mississauga
MEDIUM THE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2008
VOLUME 34, ISSUE 19
www.mediumonline.ca
Penning Penelope
Caught in celebrity hype
Majors host “Paint the Rink Pink”
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UTM gets together for diversity MEGHA KUMAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The University of Toronto Mississauga’s Students’ Union (UTMSU) organized this year’s Unity Through Diversity (UTD) week featuring different events each day from February 4 to 7 in the Student Centre. All the events were free and over 2,000 students attended in the first two days alone. The events line-up included the crowd favourite International Food Bazaar on the first day. Many of the university’s student clubs shared free treats with members dressed in traditional clothes.
“We as a community understand and demonstrate through such events, that our diversity strengthens us.” - Walied Khogali, UTMSU president
Photo/ Melissa Di Pasquale
Despite heavy snowfall UTM Students made it out to try the drums provided by the Wolfond Centre for Jewish Campus Life during the Traditions and Customs event on Wednesday February 6 at the Student Centre, part of the week long celebrations of Unity Through Diversity.
Students got to taste Sri Lankan kottu, Indian bhel puri and Chinese delicacies among a variety of other snacks, platters, and desserts. Tuesday saw the Student Centre transformed to host World Issues Day with displays highlighting the different socio-political issues involving cultures and communities at home and abroad. The Traditions and Customs event on Wednesday focused on the more positive contributions of culture around the
world, with participants ranging from University of Toronto Mississauga’s Catholic Club, Anime Club, and the Muslim Students’ Association, among others. Although attendance faltered due to heavy snowfall, students who were able to come to the event enjoyed the Jewish drum beat circle and custom designs at the mehndi (henna) stand for two dollars, the proceeds of which were donated to the Humanity First charity. UTMSU’s president, Walied Khogali, was very pleased with the number of clubs and students who took time out to participate and make UTD a success this year. “This year, UTMSU intended to increase participation in Unity Through Diversity. This year we had a record turnout of club participation and student turnout. In fact, in my years of involvement, I have never seen the student center as lively and crowded as at UTD Week events, with the exception of February 7 - Student Day of Action,” said Khogali. The president also wanted to thank club executives, volunteers, University of Toronto’s Students’ Union, University of Toronto Mississauga’s Athletic Council, Residence Council and the Campus Life Committee for their collaborative efforts toward making diversity issues an important part of campus life. “In an age where the concept of multiculturalism and diversity is questioned by pundits and policy makers, we as a community understand and demonstrate through such events that our diversity strengthens us. The fact that we identify with our cultures and heritage makes us better Canadians,” said Khogali.
Students against Israeli Apartheid SAIRA MUZAFFAR NEWS EDITOR Coinciding with the sixtieth anniversary of the forced displacement of millions of Palestinians during the 1948 Al-Nakba, the Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) organized Israeli Apartheid Week from February 4 to 9 featuring a series of lectures and panels and a demonstration in front of the Israeli Consulate on Bloor Street. The events were focused on raising awareness about Israel’s continuing encroachment and seizure of Palestinian land and resources, which remain in direct violation of the United Nations’ resolutions. The series of events involved
SAIA collaborators from the University of Toronto, Ryerson and York, along with many community and corporate sponsors. The lectures featured prominent speakers on the historical and current crises of the siege of Gaza, such as Salim Vally, who was a student member of the Soweto uprising against apartheid in South Africa. During a panel lecture held at the Bahen Centre on February 7, Vally shared his insight regarding the strong parallels between the history of apartheid in South Africa and the present-day conflict between the state of Israel and Palestinians. “This is evident in the treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, who are forcibly enclosed in open-air prisons and surrounded by
the apartheid wall,” said Golta Vahid, the University of Toronto’s SAIA spokesperson.
“It would be great to see more engaging and critical thinking on campuses. Too many people are afraid to question the status quo.” - Golta Vahid, SAIA spokesperson According to Vahid, Israel’s practice of apartheid extends far beyond the wall it has built between its settlements and the disputed land.
“In Israel proper, apartheid manifests itself when different laws are applied to different ethnic groups, for instance, under marriage laws, property laws, and citizenship laws,” she said. The lectures also discussed the effectiveness of academic boycotts and sanctions against Israel, gender, and apartheid and the memory of AlNakba, which means `the catastrophe’ in Arabic. Over the last couple of months, Israel has sealed borders around Gaza to crack down on militant rocket attacks against the state. It has also withheld fuel, water and electricity, which drove the civilian population trapped inside to break through the Egyptian border in search of basic necessities and med-
ical care. Now in its third year, SAIA representatives hoped the week-long series of events would encourage more dialogue among students. “It would be great to see more engaging and critical thinking on campuses. Too many people are afraid to question the status quo and to make demands from the state that is supposed to represent them,” said Vahid. She also added, “What SAIA would really like to do is to normalize debate about Israel, particularly on campuses. However in the long run, we are targeting the apartheid state of Israel and the institutions that support it through boycott, divestments, and sanctions.”