Vol 42 issue 5

Deadline looms for UTSU board Two differing board structure proposals have been tabled on the agenda at the UTSU AGM NICOLE DANESI NEWS EDITOR UTSU members will vote to implement one of two proposed union board structures this Wednesday at the union’s annual general meeting.

Moved by Khrystyna Zhuk, a UTSU directors of Arts and Science, and seconded by Daman Singh, a director representing University College, the proposed board structure features six appointed equity positions responsible for advising UTSU on matters related to justice and equity. Each equity director would be responsible for chairing one of six proposed subcommission portfolios: LGBQ, transgender, indigenous, women, disability, and racial matters.

Also proposed in the motion by Zhuk, students running for VP equity would be prohibited from running as part of an election slate and would only be able to run as independents. Changes also proposed

by Zhuk include the option to allow faculties and colleges to run inter-

JASMEEN VIRK/THE MEDIUM

The vote will take place on Wednesday at the UTSU AGM. nal elections to elect representatives to the UTSU board.

Alongside Zhuk, six other students worked to put forward the proposal, including UTSU directors Angelo Gio Mateo, Mathias Memmel, Steve Warner, Auni Ahsan,and co-presidents of the Victoria Uni-

versity Students’ Administrative Council, Ben Atkins and Gabe Zoltan-Johan.

Proposing a different board structure is Grayce Slobodian, who was UTSU’s VP external last year and this year’s orientation coordinator. Seconded by Suryana

Thappa, the proposal includes 12 director positions representative of different stakeholders.

Of the 12 director positions, the proposal allocates one position each to represent mature students, commuters, racialized students, international students, LGBTQ stu-

dents, sustainability matters, firstyear students, resident students, indigenous students, women’s matters, athletic matters, and disability issues.

Both motions propose that the VP campus life position become an elected position, rather than one that is hired by the executive team.

UTSU must pass a new board structure by October 17 to be compliant with changes to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. Last year, then-UTSU president Yolen Bollo-Kamara told The Medium that although the consequences of failing to pass a compliant structure on time were uncertain, new bylaws could be imposed on the union, the union could face legal problems, or it could potentially dissolve.

UTSU members, including all full-time undergraduate students at UTM and St. George, will vote on which structure to adopt at the AGM scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The public meeting will be held in OISE G162.

Candidates debate student issues Conservative, Green, Liberal, and NDP discuss issues at forum held at UTM RYAN ATKINSON More than half of the attendees at last Wednesday’s #UTMSPEAKS: Federal Elections Forum attended as undecided voters ahead of the October 19 national election.

Hosted in IB, the debate featured candidates running within the new Mississauga-Erin Mills riding, the constituency in which UTM is geographically situated.

Participating candidates included Andrew Roblin of the Green Party, Michelle Bilek of the New Democratic Party, Iqra Khalid of the Liberal Party, and Bob Dechert of the Conservative Party and current MP for MississaugaErindale.

Attended by over 170 UTM and Mississauga community members, the event was jointly moderated by Siddharth Singh Chaudhari, president

Brampton facility updates Greater details revealed about what the Brampton facility could mean for students in the city.

Medium News, page 3

Access versus value Will a postsecondary establishment be of value to students if it’s closer to home, but farther from reprofs?

Medium Opinion, page 4

Super Classy High Ends released their latest album, blending country, humour, and instrumentals.

Medium Arts, page 5 AYMAN KHAN/THE MEDIUM

Over 170 people attended the debate held on Wednesday evening. of the UTM Debating Club, and Erin Tolley, professor of Canadian politics at UTM. The forum was divided into four segments, each focusing on various topics, including youth unemployment, postsecondary education

debt, the environment, the state of Canadian democracy, the Canadian economy, and international relations.

When registering for the event online, students were asked which candidate they planned to vote for. Of the 137 people who responded, 50.8 percent

were undecided, and of the remaining poll participants, 4.8 percent were in favour of voting for the Green party, 28.2 percent for the Liberals, 12.1 percent for the NDP, and 4.03 percent for the Conservatives.

Debate continued on page 3

Rebel turned hero UTM student Wali Shah went from a night in jail to becoming an awardwinning mentor.

Medium Features, page 8

Canadian Navy at UTM Jean-Luc Alexander Amyotte is a second-year student training as a naval cook and medic.

Medium Sports, page 11

2

«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 10.05.2015

UTMSU discuss AV costs and “reverse racism” September 24, 12:41 p.m.

Motor Vehicle Collision Campus Police took report of a motor vehicle collision at Outer Circle Rd and The Collegeway. Both vehicles had minor damage and neither party was injured.

September 24, 5:00 p.m.

Theft under $5,000 A student reported her U-Pass, Tcard, and $115 cash stolen from her wallet. The student’s items were stolen from her backpack that was in a locker during the student’s chemistry lab. The student had not locked her locker.

September 25, 5:00 p.m.

Theft under $5,000 A student reported his bike stolen outside the main entrance of the RAWC. September 25, 6:00 p.m.

Medical Call Campus Police received a call from RAWC staff about a student who was injured during a basketball game.

Two players had collided during the game and one player sustained minor

injuries.

September 26, 4:45 p.m.

Trespass to Property Act Campus Police investigated a UTM student for lending his card to a guest in order for them to use the RAWC. The guest was trespassed from the RAWC. September 28, 3:40 p.m.

Medical Call A student reported to Campus Police that she had injured her ankle while playing quidditch. The student was transported to Credit Valley Hospital.

September 29, 6:45 p.m.

Trespass to Property Act Campus Police received a report of a person using another person’s card to gain access to the gym. The person was trespassed from UTM. September 30, 10:10 p.m.

Personal Safety Concern A student reported seeing a suspicious male in the field area at Deerfield Hall. The male was gone when police arrived.

These reports are those that have been released to The Medium and do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list.

Students can contact the UTM Campus Police at 905 828 5200, Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

The next UTMSU board meeting is scheduled for October 26.

ALAHEH AMINI The sixth UTMSU board meeting last Monday involved UTMSU executives and directors discussing possible ways to deal with the revisions to audiovisual costs for certain club events, as well as equity on campus.

UTMSU president Ebi Agbeyegbe said that students will have to rent speakers for events outside the Student Centre. With some of the clubs already receiving low funding and the difficulty of affording the costs, they considered buying the equipment.

“UTMSU talked to senior administrators over the summer about the newly implemented AV costs,” said Nour Alideeb, UTMSU’s VP university affairs and academics.

“They responded saying that the provost allocates a certain amount of money each year for AV costs.”

According to Alideeb, the provost pays $25,000 and splits it across the three U of T campuses, meaning

each campus receives approximately $8,000 to fund AV equipment.

The rest of the cost would now have to be paid by student groups and organizations. The Medium has not independently verified this claim.

According to Francesco OtelloDeLuca, UTMSU’s VP internal and services, purchasing audiovisual equipment would not solve the problem, but would alleviate it.

It was suggested that a petition be created for clubs and societies on campus that states that they do not want to pay the full amount needed for audiovisual usage. Walied Khogali, UTMSU’s executive director, argued that the students in the past lobbied against the AV costs.

Khogali suggested reaching out to student governors and encouraging them take greater notice of the issue.

Khogali also said that the problem with the AV costs should be solved by the administration instead of being the student union’s concern to resolve, since the deci-

sion was made by the administration.

Also discussed at the administration’s sixth board meeting was UTMSU’s controversial social media post defining the term reverse racism, posted on July 28.

As previously reported by The Medium, the definition outlined the term reverse racism as a term which “does not exist”.

Khogali brought up the possibility of lobbying the administration to hold an equity course at UTM. To this, Alideeb responded that some students could find it uncomfortable to take an equity course; she thought it could instead be implemented in sociology or women and gender courses.

Amir Moazzami, VP part-time affairs, recommended bringing scholars and professors to talk about the equity subject, because, he believes, it could drive more students to learn about the subject.

The next UTMSU board meeting is scheduled for October 26.

North to undergo further reno

SAMUEL KAN/THE MEDIUM

North Building renovations are expected to be completed by summer 2018.

ALAHEH AMINI UTM is preparing for the start of Phase B renovations to the North Building, anticipated for March 2016.

Expected to be completed by summer 2018, the building will consist of six stories, double the size of Deerfield Hall, and will accommodate the sociology, philosophy, historical studies, language studies, and political science departments. The building is expected to architecturally mirror the Instructional Centre and

Deerfield Hall using a mix of related construction materials and design concepts.

Designed by Perkins+Will Toronto, the new building is expected to prioritize student space both within the interior and exterior of the facility, offering open areas for study and leisure as well as additional classrooms.

The building is also anticipated to attain a gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

First established in 1967, the North Building has already undergone one of two phases of renovations. The first phase of renovations, completed in fall 2014, resulted in the construction of Deerfield Hall, now home to the mathematical and computational sciences, psychology, and English and drama departments.

The expansions are part of an initiative that began in 2011 to address the rapid population expansion, with a projected 20,000 students expected to attend UTM in upcoming years.

Green party pledges to eliminate tuition fees Debate continued from cover Questions posed to the candidates were generated by UTM students and were not circulated to the candidates prior to the event.

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT Roblin outlined the Green Party’s “commitment to a tuition-free university”, stating that this will “help release the burden of debt that our students are graduating with”. Roblin also spoke about establishing a jobs program to retrofit homes locally and stressed the need to invest in science and engineering education.

Bilek spoke about the NDP’s desire to work in collaboration with NGOs, the government, and the private sector “to bring in more paid internships”, as well as offering “on-the-job training incentives for organizations, companies, businesses, and the government”. Bilek also spoke about promises to provide more youth support, including through employment insurance, co-operative education placements, and grants as other incentives for businesses to employ young people.

Announced by the Liberals early last month, Khalid spoke about the Liberal Party’s “commit[ment] to investing $1.3 billion over three years for job creation specifically for youth, also committing to 40,000 youth jobs each year over the next three years through an investment of $300 million annually.

Dechert spoke about the Conservative government pursuing a “plan of low taxes and balanced budgets” to create “1.3 million net new jobs since the recession”.

Dechert also stressed the need to support the “manufacturing

sector, scientific research, and experimental development here in Ontario”.

STUDENT DEBT Regarding university student affairs, the candidates were questioned as to their party platform on assisting students with the increasing tuition fees and student debt.

Bilek emphasized that the NDP aims to help “low-income students be able to apply and receive grants as well as loans”, adding that the establishment of a grants-andloans program “will ensure that low-income students and people struggling to afford postsecondary education will have the ability to have their education paid for”.

Khalid responded that the Liberals promise to “have more money in the pockets of average Canadians”, proposing this through “decreasing the taxes that the average Canadian has to pay by seven percent”. Khalid also added the desire to “ensure that young parents have more money in their pockets to run their homes through increasing child benefits”.

Roblin responded with a promises that the Green Party will eliminate postsecondary tuition fees by the year 2020, claiming, “An educated society is going to benefit every aspect of our economy, our society, and our general wellbeing.”

Roblin added that the Green Party will “eliminate any existing and future federal [student] debt above $10,000”.

When asked how Roblin’s party planned to eradicate university and college fees by 2020, and forgive student debt over $10,000, he said, “Currently we are subsidizing

the fossil fuel industry by about $1.4 billion every year. They are a very profitable business. They don’t need our subsidies. We could redirect that funding towards postsecondary education, especially in science and engineering, where we can facilitate new technologies, investing in clean tech.”

When candidates were asked to raise their hand if their party was committed to eradicating college and university tuition fees, Roblin was the sole candidate to pledge his party’s commitment.

Speaking on the issue, Dechert mentioned the Conservatives’ past support providing “money to every college and university in Canada to build infrastructure”, including UTM’s Instructional Building.

Dechert also referenced the Conservative government’s efforts to provide grants for student loans and increase the number of student grants, saying that such efforts “made it easier for middleclass students to get student loans and easier for them to pay them”.

Following the debate, a reception was held at the Blind Duck, giving students the chance to network with candidates and extend conversations initiated from the forum.

One of the key figures to organize the debate was Naveed Ahmed, UTMSU’s VP external.

“We want students to ask the difficult questions and to know what’s going on in politics,” said Ahmed, who told The Medium that the debate is part of a larger goal to increase voter turnout.

The event was hosted in partnership by UTMSU, the UTM Debating Club, and UTM’s Political Science and Pre-Law Association.

10.05.2015 THE MEDIUM NEWS

»

3

»WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR IN THE FEDERAL ELECTION?

Joanna Skrzypek 1st year, forensic science

Marie-Sakura Ferland 1st year, science

i don’t follow politics.

Politics isn’t my thing.

Abraham Torres 1st year, forensic science

Matt Miller 1st year, political science

Trudeau is the way to go.

I don’t know who I’m voting for yet. I’m halfway through watching the Macleans debate.

Saini outlines potential plans for Brampton facility SIDRA WEQAR UTM has revealed more details about its plans for a possible facility in Brampton. According to UTM principal Deep Saini, the Brampton presence, if selected, would use virtual technology to deliver content along with some physical facilities for teaching.

“We are certainly not looking at setting up a whole UTM-style campus in Brampton,” said Saini in an interview with The Medium, who explained that the facility would use virtual interactive technology as part of the method to educate students.

“We have a rich experience of delivering education through interactive videos, like we do for our Mississauga Academy of Medicine,” said Saini. “Now we have common classes where students would be sitting at the UTM campus and downtown Toronto and they are taught as a common group through very powerful video linkages that are interactive.”

The virtually interactive facility would allow U of T to provide ser-

JEANLOUIS REBELLO/THE MEDIUM

Principal Deep Saini says that a facility in Brampton would use “interactive videos” for learning. vices to students in Brampton at a fraction of the cost related to establishing a campus. According to Saini, however, the virtual interactive features would not be used as the sole teaching method.

“I am certain that there would be physical teaching facilities in the Brampton facility too,” said Saini.

“You can’t do everything through interactive videos.”

On March 3, the Blue Ribbon Panel was appointed under Brampton mayor Linda Jeffrey to address increasing demand for a university in the City of Brampton. In a letter to the media, the City of Brampton announced that they hope to ease access to students who have to burden themselves with the cost of travel and housing at distant universities.

The Blue Ribbon Panel is expected

to recommend which postsecondary institution will best serve Brampton’s needs by December 2015. If U of T is selected, the university must formally apply to the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities for consideration next year.

Former Ontario premier William G. Davis will chair the panel and Jaipaul Massey Singh, chairman of the board for the Brampton Board

of Trade, will vice-chair. Along with other members of the Blue Ribbon Panel, they are responsible for presenting the project plan to the mayor and City Council after a few monthslong procedure of speaking with interested institutions.

Saini also commented on the issue, stating, “It’s really strange that somebody from Brampton should be able to get to downtown Toronto more easily than to get to UTM, where the distance is much smaller.

The transportation is not very efficient. We simply want to offer [students] more choices and this may increase the enrollment of Brampton students and make it easier for those who are enrolled today to receive that education.”

Although a location within the Peel region has yet to be decided, various land options will be considered after finalizing the university.

Accessibility for students and commuters is said to be a priority in deciding the location by the City of Brampton.

4

«

10.05.2015

MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Maria Iqbal editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Maria Cruz managing@themedium.ca News Nicole Danesi news@themedium.ca A&E Kate Cattell-Daniels arts@themedium.ca Features Farah Qaiser features@themedium.ca Sports Eric Hewitson sports@themedium.ca — Photo Mahmoud Sarouji photos@themedium.ca Design Sarah Yassine design@themedium.ca Copy Akshaya Sharma copy@themedium.ca Online & Blog Corey Belford Kimberly Johnson blog@themedium.ca online@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Menna Elnaka A&E TBA Features TBA Sports TBA Photo Christy Tam Copy TBA GENERAL STAFF Webmaster Luke Sawczak web@themedium.ca Distribution Manager Alex Ciesielczuk distribution@themedium.ca Ads Manager Mayank Sharma ads@themedium.ca BOARD OF DIRECTORS Maryam Faisal, Jeremy Wu, Leo Jiang, Natalia Ramnarine, Rebecca Xu, Saima Khan (ex-officio), Christine Capewell (ex-officio) COPYRIGHTS All content printed in The Medium is the sole property of its creators, and cannot be used without written consent.

DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed in the pages of The Medium are exclusively of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Medium. Additionally, the opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in The Medium are those of advertisers and not of The Medium.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style and coherence. Letters will not exceed 700 words in print. Letters that incite hatred or violence and letters that are racist, homophobic, sexist, or libelous will not be published.

Anonymous letters will not be published.

MEDIUM II PUBLICATIONS 3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200, Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6 themedium.ca

To contribute, email editor@themedium.ca

Does proximity trump value?

U of T needs to be clear on what we will be getting out of a Brampton facility I’m sure I’m not the only person whose parents have told them that they used to travel long distances by foot to go to school when they were growing up.

So I guess we should be grateful that schools are coming closer to us with the development of online education and the recent news that Brampton might finally get its own postsecondary institution.

At long last, the many students who spend over an hour to commute to UTM from the city (including me) will now have the choice to earn their degrees closer to home.

Principal Deep Saini makes a good point when he says that it’s easier for someone to commute to downtown Toronto from Brampton than to Mississauga, which is much closer.

By transit, it can take up to two hours for someone to commute to UTM from the north end of Brampton. That’s two hours that a person could have spent studying or relaxing, and it surprises me that after all these years, things still haven’t improved.

So talk of having access to postsecondary education within Brampton itself is exciting, to say the least. But is that excitement

well grounded?

Well, as we learn in a follow-up story on the issue this week, U of T’s own plans for Brampton are not as clear as the hype makes it sound.

First of all, U of T clarified that it’s not looking to build an actual “campus” in Brampton. Instead, the “facility” that they intend

According to Deep Saini, U of T’s plans for a possible Brampton facility involve a reliance on “interactive videos” for learning. to build is supposed to act as a branch of UTM. “What does that mean?” you might ask.

As this week’s article notes, U of T’s plans for a possible Brampton facility involve a reliance on “interactive videos” for learning. I don’t know about you, but I have trouble picturing a video accomplishing the kind of interaction that’s achieved through physical classrooms.

Granted, even today’s physical

classrooms don’t always achieve a great degree of interaction between professors and students.

That’s kind of hard with ever-increasing classroom sizes.

Also granted, Saini also said that videos wouldn’t be the exclusive method of instruction at the facility.

But to express interest in building a postsecondary facility in a city with a relatively large population of postsecondary students without actually planning to offer the same services that they’d receive elsewhere is highly disappointing at best, and a complete rip-off at worst.

Yes, the Brampton facility with virtual learning would cost much less to build than an actual Brampton campus.

But if the savings in costs (and consequently, tuition fees, I would hope) translates to anything like the ratio of tuition fees to value of education we get here, at an actual university campus, then I would seriously wonder what kind of learning students would get from watching videos at a non-campus in Brampton.

I think I’d rather walk to a distant school if it meant getting an actual education.

It’s like Saini said: “You can’t do everything through interactive videos.”

No, you can’t. And greater access to university doesn’t necessarily mean greater education.

YOURS, MARIA IQBAL

CORRECTION NOTICE The Sept. 21 issue contained several errors.

The photos for “Group fitness creates friendly competition” and “UPass queues last hours” should have been credited to Junaid Imran and Mahmoud Sarouji, respectively.

The article “Artists take advantage of natural resources” contained several errors regarding Robert Wysocki’s installation. The correct name of the installation is traction and it uses 30,000 pounds of Bunker “S” sand. The article “U of T considers Brampton campus” erroneously stated that the university was considering a campus, whereas in fact it is only considering a “facility or building” that would be a node of UTM. The headline has also been changed.

10.05.2015

»

5

Think you’re classy? High Ends agrees Super Class delivers wit, humour, and just enough spice to keep boredom at bay KATE CATTELL-DANIELS A&E EDITOR As arts editor, I get stuff in the mail sometimes. It’s one of the perks of the job—mystery mail appears on my desk.

Before I get into this, you have to understand that I have really weird tastes in music. The kind of taste where I say to someone, “I listened to Tori Amos’s new album over the weekend,” and whomever I’m talking to answers, “Oh. Cool,” in a way that makes me absolutely sure they don’t know what I’m talking about.

I don’t blame them—Tori Amos is a little obscure—but some days I want to walk around raging that no one has heard of or cares about the kind of niche market indie folk-rock I listen to.

First world problems, I know.

For the above reason, High Ends got lucky. I got an album that happens to be right up my musical alley, landing somewhere on the indie rock spectrum. The general tone of the album is undoubtedly alternative; a cross between Spirit of the West and Purity Ring, passing through Broken Social Scene on your left.

There’s one other thing you have

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Don’t judge a book by its cover—or a CD by its cover art, for that matter. to understand: I’m a die-hard lyricist. Even if I don’t like the music that much, I’ll listen to a song if the lyrics intrigue me. In the case of High Ends’ new album Super Class, the lyrics are, in fact, quite interesting. They are for the most part surrealist, but with a really enjoyable

sense of humour.

There are some albums in this world that I only own because I’m a big fan of maybe two or three songs.

Then there are other albums that are just good listening overall, with no standouts or major letdowns.

Super Class leans towards the latter

but, of course, I do pick favourites.

The album has only 10 songs. Of these, two really stand out. I especially enjoyed “I’m Gonna Keep on Dancing”, which, though repetitive, has a great bouncy rhythm of the kind that causes me deep embarrassment on public transit early in

the morning. And despite what I said before about being a die-hard lyricist, another favourite is “River Cruise”, an instrumental song that caught my attention.

Listen to “Cappuccino” for humour and “Ocean Song” if your tastes lean towards country music. The truth is that I lost interest about the time “Ocean Song” rolled around, and was starting to feel like I’d had too much of a decent-butnot-quite-spectacular thing. However, the penultimate song, “Feel/ Sleep/Aliens”, grabbed me and drew me right back in. The track is weird and experimental. It takes risks none of the other songs do.

Basically, what I want is an album filled with songs like this one that do things a little differently.

There are a lot of singer-songwriters out there. Jeffrey Innes, who writes and performs most of Super Class, has a lot going for him, especially if he continues to cater to those who want something a little different from today’s Top 40. But I think there is also an edge to him, or at least his music, that doesn’t get all the attention it deserves. Keep the humour but show me the edge, too.

Better yet, walk the edge.

MMM

Damon may not be the only thirsty Martian Matt Damon lands on Mars just as NASA discovers water beneath all that bright red dust MAYANK SHARMA Ever since I heard that Ridley Scott was involved in the making of The Martian, I was ecstatic. Having read Andy Weir’s novel, which The Martian is based on, I knew this film would be nothing but entertaining.

And, in all honesty, it was even better than I expected.

The Martian explores the life of Mark Watney (Matt Damon) after he is stranded on Mars by NASA (who, along with Andy Weir, were used as consultants in the making of the film in order to stay true to the book and illustrate realistic depictions of space travel) due to unforeseen circumstances, and shows his attempts to survive on an inhabitable planet while waiting for help to arrive.

The film takes on a Robinson Crusoe-esque theme in which Watney uses nothing but wit, humor, and hope to overcome the challenges that cross his path, from rationing food to creating avenues of communication to contact NASA and for his own survival. Damon’s portrayal of Watney’s character is simply magnificent and is, with-

MOVIETECHGEEKS.COM/PHOTO

Discoveries in space travel mean going to the moon is so Apollo 13. out doubt, one of his finest performances to date. However, most of the credit goes to the movie’s setting—Mars. The bleak landscape built in the set enhances Watney’s feelings of loneliness and claustro-

phobia.

Scott has once again been able to redefine the science fiction genre with his signature style of allowing the audience to feel a sense of appreciation for the beauty of space

and a simultaneous sense of fear that it can be life-threatening. The Martian has an ensemble cast consisting of Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, and Chiwetel Ejiofor

each delivering a commendable performance.

The timing of this film’s release makes it a perfect companion to what is currently going on in science and astronomy news. The film explores the concept of manned missions to Mars and researching more about the conditions of the planet. Elon Musk’s idea of the colonization of Mars has been a hot topic recently and he explicitly states that in order for humans to survive, we must explore Mars as an option. The shocking discovery of liquid water on Mars and the contributions of a fellow U of T student, Rebecca Ghent, towards the Mars Rover that is scheduled to land in 2020 serves as a reminder of how science continues to progress and explore the unknowns of outer space.

The Martian is without a doubt one of the best thrillers of 2015 and is guaranteed to keep your eyes locked on the silver screen. So if you are eager to know whether NASA is actually able to bring Mark Watney back home, grab your 3D glasses and head to your nearest cinema.

MMMM

6

«ARTS

THE MEDIUM 10.05.2015

Mississauga opens its doors to art As a part of Culture Days, the city of Mississauga exposes some of its best-kept secrets Rumi Gallery ADELAIDE ATTARD

The Rumi Gallery, located in Port Credit, is one of Mississauga’s hidden gems.

The gallery sits in a residential area, in between an auto repair shop and a fitness studio. Built with ceiling-high glass windows and a simple yet classy entrance sign, the Rumi Gallery is hidden away but certainly worth the trip.

Founded in 1990, the gallery features antiques, fine art, and restored furniture from the 18th to 20th centuries. The Rumi family decided to renovate the space 17 years later and transform it into the gallery it is today. The Rumi

Gallery exhibits works that focus on contemporary art and the postwar period. Some of the artists include Jean Albert McEwen, Louise Nevelson, and sculptors Sorel Etrog and Jean Arp. Upon entry, I’m directed to the Matthew Varey tapestry exhibit, which has been on display since September 12, and features Varey’s wool and linen tapestries. A pamphlet explains that Varey’s works resemble maps and focus on “elements of war, woven into something soft”.

I had the chance to speak with the enthusiastic art director, Joseph Rumi, about his familyowned gallery. “What makes the Rumi Gallery so special is its au-

thenticity. We take pride in the art here because we offer museumquality pieces right in your neighbourhood.

“I encourage students to come and see art for themselves,” he continued. “Coming to Rumi Gallery is different from going to any other museum because you can actually interact with the art. It is one thing to experience art in a classroom while looking at a slideshow, but it’s another thing actually seeing it in the flesh. It is like night and day,” Rumi said while lifting Nevelson’s 3D art off the hooks on the wall. “Each piece has a story, and we are here to tell it.”

HAILEY MASON/THE MEDIUM

Souterrain Impressions ANDREEA MIHAI Heritage Mississauga presented the grand opening of Canadigm’s The Souterrain Impressions Exhibition for Doors Open Mississauga on September 26.

Souterrain Impressions showcases 3D prints of WWI carvings done by soldiers in the caves near Vimy Ridge, France.

The front area of the Stonebrook Presentation Room displays Canadigm’s story.

In 2009, visual artist Zenon Andrusyszyn saw a documentary on the chalk caves near Vimy Ridge.

Farmers in the area had mined them for building materials. In WWI, soldiers lived 33 feet underground in the quarry. After the war, farm waste covered the entrances to the

cave and preserved the soldiers’ carvings until they were discovered in 2001.

The caves are on private property and inaccessible to the public due to safety reasons. Andrusyszyn wanted to preserve and share the carvings with the world. He founded CANADIGM, the Canadian Historical Documentation and Imaging Group, and enlisted his colleagues in the non-profit project.

The volunteers spent their two weeks’ work vacations in the caves, searching and cataloguing 200 names and carvings by flashlight.

Their next step was to scan each carving. The team used a $22,000 3D laser scanner controlled by a laptop computer. The tight quarters of the caves prompted the team to scan each carving multiple times

and from different angles. They later overlapped the shots to reconstruct the carvings.

Of the 200 carvings catalogued, 40 have been printed so far. The back area of the presentation room hosts the collection.

One of the pieces the Canadigm team is proudest of is a print of a letter box carved into the wall by William Beckett and Thomas Mason of the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders). A 3D print usually takes 22 hours. The mailbox took three days.

The soldiers carved “Toronto ONT. Canada” at the top and “France 1917” at the bottom. Andrusyszyn says the soldiers probably used it for their letters home.

When the exhibit closes on November 28, the collection will be divided among various museums.

SOUTERRAINIMPRESSIONS.STRIKINGLY.COM//PHOTO

Visual Arts Mississauga HAILEY MASON Visual Arts Mississauga, located in beautiful Riverwood, functions as an artistic instructional centre where children, teenagers, and adults can participate in a variety of art courses and workshops.

Classes include oil, acrylic, and watercolour painting, as well as hand-building with clay, drawing techniques, photography, and more. VAM also sells paintings done by local artists, which are displayed on the walls between classrooms.

Founded in 1977, VAM aims to enrich the community with an appreciation for the arts. Their mission is to provide valuable artistic HAILEY MASON/THE MEDIUM

experiences in the form of classes and workshops to anyone interested in expanding their creative talents. The foundation strives to connect members of the community through a shared passion for art.

The day of Doors Open Mississauga, the MacEwan Terrace Garden was in full bloom and provided an enchanting backdrop to the visual arts building. For the event, VAM’s classes were running as scheduled with the addition of a free art tutorial for Doors Open visitors. Visitors were welcome to join the VAM staff in the designing of art trading cards—a card that serves as a sample of the artist’s work. The room filled quickly

with excitable children, parents, and first-time painters. Visitors chose from a selection of paints, markers, and magazines to decorate their trading cards. The staff were eager to offer advice and friendly conversation during the event. When the cards were complete, visitors had the option of holding on to their art or exchanging it with someone else. Children enthusiastically shared their art and swapped cards back and forth.

Visual Arts Mississauga’s Doors Open event reinforced their mandate. The art trading card tutorial gathered members of the community in a mutual respect for art and educated outsiders on the culture of the organization.

10.05.2015 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Night life at the Gardiner Pottery museum opens its doors for evening clay classes

CHRISTOPHER ANTILOPE Do you ever feel that people are looking at you funny? Talking about you behind your back? But you can’t tell whether you’re overthinking things or if people are actually speaking ill of you?

Meet J. Alfred Prufrock, the spirit of social anxiety, self-consciousness, and social awkwardness.

Written by T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is, well, a personalized love song by and for the poem’s narrative writer, Prufrock himself. Think of it as Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift writing a song about their woes to themselves (Where are you now? / What do you mean? / Shake it off…)

That’s how insecure the protagonist of the poem is. Prufrock wants someone to care about him, to notice him, and to see what he sees and interprets.

The only person who can do that, though, is him.

The poem, along with other works from the early 20th century, is on the syllabus of Professor Geoff Hamilton’s Twentieth Century American Literature class. What is interesting about Hamilton’s class is that all the students have the opportunity to share their thoughts on a work first, and the grand reveal, or interpretation, is left to the end of the analysis.

From the start of Eliot’s poem, there is unease and uncertainty, a common theme during the modernist 20th century era. Beginning with an Ital-

ian excerpt from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Eliot writes of the uncertainty of knowledge and whether escape from this life is possible. That is what “Prufrock” is about: escaping the uncertainty of the world, its industry, and its lifestyle.

Prufrock speaks about himself declining in fertility, in age, in power, and in emotion. He worries about people seeing his bald spot or the way his legs seem too thin. Prufrock is among the masses of people who notice not him, who lives in the present, but rather relics of the past, like Michelangelo. What has Prufrock contributed to this world other than his own internal worries?

His enemy is that which is unstoppable: modernism. Modernity has stunted the profundity of all things in the new world. There is music, there are movies (but no “talkies” yet), and there are automobiles and industry.

Suddenly, he becomes one of an uncountable many. He feels lost in the world as well as lost to himself.

The poem makes you want to meet Prufrock and give him a tap on the shoulder and say, “It’s all right, buddy, you’re gonna be okay.” But how do we know? Perhaps even we, 100 years after this poem was written, still feel like Prufrock. One among the thousands, millions, billions, wherever we go. Just one number among countless others.

Was Prufrock depicting the future emotions of those capable enough of seeing the truth? Who knows… But still, even today, the people “come and go / talking of Michelangelo”.

REWIND KEENA AL-WAHAIDI There’s only one name that comes to mind when the word “fabulous” comes up in conversation—and that’s Cher Horowitz.

Clueless, an adaption of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, Emma, hit theatres in July 1995, and it has been an iconic film for generations since. By the time the world was introduced to Cher, Dionne, and Tai, the ’90s revolution of fashion, lifestyle, and slang was well under way.

That being said, everything cool about the ’90s could only evolve from Beverly Hills, the place to be in the mid’90s. When the movie opens with “Kids in America” by The Muffs, suddenly it doesn’t look so bad to not only be a kid, but one in America to boot.

Clueless is still making headlines 20 years later. In 2014, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea introduced herself to the music scene in her debut music video, “Fancy”. The video, a parody of the film, featured Azalea wearing the classic yellow plaid suit fans have come to know and love, and re-enacted a few easily recognizable scenes. She even went as far as to get a few lookalikes from the film to play Cher’s long-lasting buddies.

Clueless follows Cher, a privileged, wealthy teenager in the midst of sunny, unpredictable California. Boys love her,

she can negotiate for higher grades, and she has what it takes to mold her newfound friend, Tai, into a walking, talking version of herself. But the thing is, she’s clueless.

Cher isn’t dumb, stupid, or out of the loop. She’s just clueless—maybe there are better secrets to the way she lives her life, or maybe there are some steps she should have skipped along the way.

Probably because she makes way for new girl Tai. Literature fans will forever be worshipping the Clueless legacy. Emma by Jane Austen follows Emma, who befriends Harriet—from whom Tai has inherited the dull, impressionable status written all over her face—and it’s only much later that Emma realizes her matchmaking, which is her signature pastime, must be put to a stop.

It’s your regular teen movie—but it also isn’t. The plotline seems as simple as any young generation rom-com to make its way into theatres. But the film serves as an essential fashion metamorphosis, starting trends like plaid-everything, headbands, and feather boas all over.

Alas, when her stepbrother, Josh, claims that Cher’s life has no direction, Cher tries to convince him otherwise.

“Yeah” he replies, “towards the mall.”

MMMM

FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/CITYOFTORONTO/PHOTO

Downtown Toronto’s Gardiner Museum offers classes for beginners and experts alike.

KATE CATTELL-DANIELS A&E EDITOR I head downstairs to the basement of the Gardiner Museum, a place I haven’t been since I was in grade six. I sit on a stool in the hallway with a few other people, most of whom seem to be old hands at this. I’m a little nervous. What if all I come up with is a blob of decimated clay that looks more like a mud pie than a piece of art?

Once in the room, I realize that this is not really a place for beginners.

Two instructors are available to help or answer questions, but for the most part everyone gets a slab of greyish clay and a whole lot of free rein. Out of a class of maybe 12, more than half sit down at clay wheels, shaping vases and bowls seemingly out of nowhere.

Others pull jars of glaze, or special ceramic paint, off the shelves above the sink. Clearly, the regulars here have come back to finish their pieces.

I try to clear my mind and relax a little. It’s just a piece of clay. And even if my final creation is really terrible,

no one got hurt. I can just squish my clay back into a ball, stick it back on the table for reuse, and call it a night.

Without really thinking about it, I start to roll my clay into little balls.

Within seconds, the palms of my hands are coated in a grey film. I kind of like the feeling of the cool clay—it reminds me of being in kindergarten, when I was that kid who was always at the paint table. And then later, in middle school, we did an art project with oven-baked clay. And there was that field trip to this very museum in grade six, where I’m pretty sure I was the only one who thought it was neat that we were missing school to look at ceramics and squish some clay around. My point is, there’s a sculptor in me somewhere.

I cut a flat, round base and start piling my tiny spheres around it. They’re all different sizes, which I think is what I want, but sticking them to each other—and not knocking everything else over while doing it—is really not that simple. Basic clay theory, I know, states that it’s best to make your final product out of as few separate pieces

as possible. The less gluing together, the stronger your creation will be.

So what I’m doing, sticking all these balls on top of each other, is frankly kind of stupid. But I like the look of it and honestly, who cares if it all falls to bits?

Honestly, when I signed up for a “clay class” I was sort of under the impression that I was going to get a lecture and a demonstration and then an assignment. Would I know more about working with clay than I do now? Probably. Would I have come up with this weird vase-thing made up of clay balls? Probably not.

By the time I finish, I get two compliments: one from another student, who tells me he likes my piece, and another from one of the instructors, who calls my creation “cute”. All right, so it’s not high art. But I had fun. And it’s a pretty cheap thrill: only $12 for a student, which is the same, if not less, than I’d pay for a movie night. I decide to fork out an extra $5 to have my piece fired so I can actually use it for something. The instructor says I can pick it up in two weeks.

8

«

10.05.2015

Transitioning from a jail cell to success The “King of the Castle” composer has several awards and accomplishments under his belt MAHNOOR AYUB Several years ago, UTM student Wali Shah was simply a young Pakistani boy attending primary school in Canada. From an early age, he was painfully aware of his “new immigrant” status.

While his accented English, cultural Pakistani clothes, and homemade Pakistani food for school lunches were subtle reminders of his status, the most significant thorn in his side was the onslaught of belittlement he received from his peers. Shah began to feel that his hopes of fitting in, making friends, or even passing by unnoticed were not going to materialize.

Needless to say, after years of tolerating ridicule, he did what people expect any teenage boy in a similar situation to do—rebel.

Getting involved with gangs, bashing people, and from his own narration, “getting into all sorts of trouble”, became Shah’s way of life when he hit his teenage years.

His turbulent lifestyle continued until he was faced with assault charges and found himself spending a night in jail at age 15.

Six years later, I sit amazed after listening to Shah’s powerful composition

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Wali Shah is now a third-year UTM student studying sociology.

“King of the Castle”.

After Googling him, I learn that along with his slowly growing hip-hop music career, he is also one of the 10 Canadian postsecondary students to have received the prestigious 2015 3M National Student Fellowship Award for demonstrating outstanding leadership.

Shortly before the interview, I receive a call from him. Having just read about another one of his awards, the 2015 Bell Canada’s Youth Hero Award, I’m certain that this is a call intended to reschedule. However, my paranoia dissipates when he mentions how nice the weather is, and requests for the interview to be conducted outdoors.

“I’m so grateful to be here. There are so many children who would do so much for an education at the University of Toronto,” says Shah, a thirdyear sociology student who was recently named one of Canada’s Top 20 under 20.

Shah repeatedly refers to the struggle his parents faced and how this is

something most immigrant families can relate to. Growing up in a small apartment in Canada, he mentions how finances, cultural differences, and bullying were only part of the problem. Shah laughs as he refers to this as a struggle faced by a majority of the student community at UTM—expectations from your parents.

It’s these passionate and heartwrenching experiences that continue to fuel Shah’s powerful spoken word poetry.

He recounts his own poetry about his early struggles: “So imagine a child at six years old, Who was constantly bullied, Even his parents would scold him, So thin from malnutrition, No food in his belly And no food in his kitchen.”

Following his night in prison, and on the road to turn things around, Shah soon found himself standing outside his English teacher’s office.

His teacher patiently heard about his bad day, and then went back inside her office, returning shortly with a book that Shah claims changed his life: The Rose That Grew From Concrete, by Tupac Shakur.

Poetry continued on page 10

Gossip expert dishes on the good behind job LaineyGossip.com’s founder talks about Hollywood’s social issues, celeb tactics, and her moral lines MARYAM FAISAL Last week, Lainey Lui, the face behind the gossip blog LaineyGossip. com, was here to talk about her personal experiences and views on social issues within Hollywood. The Q and A, arranged by the Sociology and Criminology Society and the sociology department, aimed to highlight the “sociology of celebrity culture and the business of gossip”.

Lui initially worked at Rogers Communications. Today, she is a gossip expert, a reporter for CTV’s etalk, a cohost for The Social (a CTV daily talk show), and has recently penned a book about her mother titled Listen to the Squawking Chicken.

As someone who has never been a fan of celebrity culture and had no idea about who Lui was, I entered the event hesitant. Gossip has several negative connotations—it’s often considered false or vapid. But for Lui, it’s more than that.

“Gossip is communication—it’s a transfer of ideas from one person to another focused around a subject and in that conversation, you are able to communicate your values, your expectations, and your standards,” says Lui. She believes that

ANDREEA MIHAI/THE MEDIUM

To Lainey Lui, gossip isn’t all bad, and it isn’t something to be embarassed about. communicating about celebrities or a subject brings to light what you consider to be acceptable behaviour.

When asked how she came to know so much about celebrities, she retorts, “But you would never ask someone who has followed the Leafs their whole life, ‘How do you know so much about the Leafs?’ I don’t understand why when somebody

knows the dating history of Ben Affleck for the last 20 years, when they’re questioned, it’s weird or vapid. I don’t consider it something to be embarrassed about.

“Some people know sports statistics, and other people know exactly what Nicole Kidman wore to the Oscars in 1997—that would be me.”

To her, a lot of people don’t admit

that they follow celebrities because of how others will judge them for it.

“It’s okay to know more about celebrities than you want to admit,” she says.

There are a lot of things that Lui doesn’t believe in covering, but as long as it’s fun to read and engages her readers, she says its fair game.

However, child celebrities are

a topic that Lui chooses to avoid.

According to her, some celebrities choose to put their children out in front of the cameras, but if they don’t consent to it, she doesn’t believe in trying to find out more than what they are willing to show. She also doesn’t like covering stories about celebrity deaths. “To me, the story ends when their life ends,” she says.

As Lui’s blog grew, she encouraged her readers to talk about feminism and race in Hollywood and wrote more about how these issues were reflected in pop culture.

Lui also touched upon the fact that celebrities often use certain tactics to change their fan base and to be seen as more mature. “Avril Lavigne’s only [had] 14-year-old fans and she [used to be] the biggest deal in Canadian music. Justin Bieber, this year, has proven that [his music] can at least get into clubs with a 20-plus audience and they’re not booing [him],” she says. “He’s doesn’t have to be sincere [about it]. He just has to get enough people to think he’s sincere and that’s what’s interesting about studying [celebrity] motivation.”

Gossip continued on page 9

10.05.2015 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Going digital with woes: the modern-day diary Despite our increasingly technology-dependent society, keeping a traditional diary still has benefits KAITLYN FERNANDES

The ability to document every moment is a tool unique to the lives of millennials. While our parents may have written about their day in a journal and occasionally taken pictures, millennials can update their status within moments of acing a test or eating a meal, while simultaneously taking selfies. Not only have Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram revolutionized the way we communicate with others, but the websites can also serve as tools for self-reflection: modernday diaries.

But when every moment of our lives can be tweeted or snapped, does there remain a place for the humble art of journaling in our increasingly tech-dependent society?

PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH The primary and most acknowledged benefit of keeping a diary is stress relief. While walking around UTM I often overhear students talking nonchalantly about how stressed out they are, or how around exam season they can’t seem to get any sleep.

If not because they’re pulling allnighters to study, students can often lose sleep due to stress. An article by Harvard Health Publications explains that “writing about thoughts and feelings that arise from a traumatic or stressful life experience may help some people cope with […] emotional fallout”.

The research that produced these findings was led by Dr. James W. Pennebaker, who is the chair of the psychology department at the Univer-

ASSIA MESSAOUDI/THE MEDIUM

If every moment can be tweeted or snapped, is the art of journaling now unnecessary? sity of Texas. Pennebaker’s research delves into the effects of expressive writing, also known as stream of consciousness writing, which, according to the article, is said to “foster intellectual processes” since writing about a traumatic event can “help someone break free of […] endless mental cycling”. The research also goes on to show that a reduction of stress can lead to a stronger immune system.

So journaling can not only benefit one’s emotional health, but can also have a positive effect on one’s physical health.

WHAT ABOUT THE GOOD TIMES? For many people, having something bad occur in their life can be the trigger that first introduces them to journaling.

First-year life sciences student Anjali Rai told The Medium, “It’s only when I have bad experiences that I

Gossip isn’t all bad Gossip continued from page 8 Another topic, raised by both sociology professor Erik Schneiderhan and attending students, was diversity in Hollywood.

“Diversity in Hollywood is just a reflection of diversity in the world,” Lui said. “Political representation isn’t unlike Hollywood. Over 50 percent of collective votes in Canada and the U.S. are from women.

However, in the U.S. only nine percent of elected representatives are women. The same thing [is true for] Canada—I think the percentage is probably a little bit higher but not [that] much, maybe 12 percent.

“That’s weird because you’re voting for people who are making decisions for you as a woman, [but] who aren’t coming from the female experience. Hollywood is only reflecting back to us what we are living every single day,” she added. “We have to change. We have to demand stories that are not told as often. We have to have and confront conversations that we might not always want to have and that make us uncomfortable.”

While I wasn’t completely convinced that gossiping about celebrities was valuable, her talk was indeed insightful and open-minded.

Perhaps being a gossip enthusiast

isn’t always about what a celebrity did and didn’t do. It’s also about analyzing and criticizing that what happens in pop culture is a reflection of what we can do to change ourselves as well.

“I found it great that [Lui] spoke on [social issues] because it’s important for people with that kind of voice and social media presence to shed light on the fact that it’s not all glitz and glamour, and problems like racial relations, misogyny, and a lack of diversity are still extremely present in Hollywood,” said Daron Blackburn, a third-year student majoring in CCIT. “It may have been the best event I have attended at UTM.” Professor Jayne Baker was one of the individuals from the sociology department who helped make the event possible. “I imagined it being a fun event that captures what it actually means to use a sociological perspective that, at its most basic, could be understood as understanding people in a broader context,” Baker said. “Given we are immersed in one way or another in a culture obsessed with celebrity, we can use that knowledge as the basis for thinking more broadly about things like diversity in film, representations of bodies, and how to create change.”

write and try to get my feelings out,” though she used to write more regularly in the past.

Rai’s tendency to only write about bad things that happen to her is echoed in the studies performed by Pennebaker. From my own personal experiences, I can say that I don’t think an event needs to be “traumatic” for writing about it to serve some kind of purpose. And while writing about things that upset you is usually the gateway to starting a regular diary, I don’t think that writing needs to be confined only to those moments when you find yourself upset.

Aside from a tool to relieve stress, a diary or journal can be a great way to record your own life story. It was my senior year of high school when I started to keep a regular journal.

While I had let the rest of my secondary school years pass me by, I knew that senior year was going to be a really important time in my life, so I

decided to keep a log of everything that was happening and how I felt.

During that time, I recorded what I was thinking when picking out my university, and how it felt to hang out with my best friends, who are now spread out across Ontario. Now when I look back, I have memories that go far beyond the reach of a camera lens.

PAPER VS. TECHNOLOGY While social media has become a bigger part of people’s lives in recent years—sites like Facebook and Instagram have become a sort of modern day journal and album, Facebook uses the timeline to allow users to see into their friends’ pasts via photos and past posts—there are still those who choose the humble diary, each for their own reasons.

When I asked Rai if she thought Facebook served as an adequate replacement for a journal, she disagreed. “Facebook is too public,” she

says. “Why would you want to broadcast your feelings and emotions to everyone?”

Rai brings up an interesting point: that Facebook is a manufactured account of one’s life. It isn’t a place to share your feelings; many people learn this the hard way when embarrassing posts written in the heat of the moment are spread over the Internet quickly.

What social media sites do best is capture the factual details of what happens in our lives—the who, what, and where. But journals allow us to go beyond merely logging events—they challenge us to find meaning in our thoughts and actions, and thereby give us a greater sense of self.

ALTERNATIVES FOR THE DIEHARDS For those who still feel like the classic Moleskine journals are ready for retirement, there are online alternatives aside from social media sites that can help you start journaling. Aside from blogs, which have the downside of being public, apps like Penzu and Day One are great user-friendly platforms that allow users to create private journal entries, which also have the main advantage of being password protected.

Since many millennials have grown up with the comfort of the white noise of their laptop fan and rhythmic clicking of their laptop keys, there may be space for a new normal to coexist with the humble Moleskine.

Shakespeare may have written his plays by hand, but several bestsellers today have been typed using a computer. Keys do not quell creativity.

10

«FEATURES

THE MEDIUM 10.05.2015

Balancing life and loans Last weekend was the CIBC Run for the Cure event.

One of the winning recipes, the S’mores

run, it is a volunteer-led event that raises

Brownie Bites, was submitted by Tara Fader,

funds and awareness for breast cancer re-

the communications coordinator for Student

search.

Housing and Residence Life.

This year, Ryan Cerrudo, the communi-

Now if this was Madeleine Brown—our

cations officer for the Institute for Manage-

former features editor and culinary expert—

ment and Innovation, and Carla DeMarco,

I’m sure that she’d have a story to share

the communications and grants manager

about her own s’mores or a brownie that

at the Office of the Vice-Principal, are co-

she baked for lunch.

They held UTM’s first annual Best Bites

The Globe and Mail columnists Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw discussed personal financial literacy.

cut winner—there were two.

For those who aren’t aware of this yearly

organizing the event.

ANDREEA MIHAI/THE MEDIUM

ted for the contest, there wasn’t one clear-

But since it’s only me here, let’s talk about brownies—specifically, about eating them.

contest to raise funds for the run. Entrants,

I’ve always felt like a brownie is nothing

limited to UTM staff and faculty, submitted

more than halfway between a cookie and a

their favourite recipes, which were then pre-

cake. To add to the brownie’s ambiguous

pared by Chartwell’s chefs. The bites were

character, it can be fudgy or cake-like, and

then sold on September 16 and tasters

can include chocolate chips, frosting, nuts,

could vote for their favourite recipe.

and much more.

According to the co-organizers, over $350 were raised for the UTM Run for the

Let’s check out what Fader’s recipe involves.

Cure team through the Best Bites contest.

ANDREEA MIHAI Last Thursday, students gathered in the Li Koon Chun Finance Learning Centre to hear The Globe and Mail columnists Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw speak about personal financial literacy.

Carrick outlined how our financial reality has changed in the past 30 years. The cost of tuition has gone up, the job market has changed, and early retirement has become unrealistic.

Carrick said that students need to think strategically about how the things they want to do fit into the workforce, and to tailor their studies accordingly.

“Connect what you’re studying with what employers want, and you’ll make it easier for someone to snap you up,” he said.

To deal with student debt, Carrick advised making the minimum payments to start, then increasing them as funds increase.

“Get those loans paid off, because your financial life isn’t going to start until those are paid off,” Carrick said.

The default payback period is 10 years.

Carrick pointed out that paying 200 to 600 dollars a month for 10 years adds up to money that can be used to travel or buy a house.

During the Q and A session, a firstyear student asked about balancing a job during school and avoiding stress.

Carrick advised that working about 40 hours a week during the summer at a good job might be enough to avoid working part-time during the school year. He also advised that students should also start looking for summer jobs after the winter break. Most wellpaying government jobs start hiring in January or February.

Carrick also encouraged students to inform themselves about the products banks sell them, such as credit cards and student accounts.

A student chequing account, he said, shouldn’t have any fees. He once received an email from a man whose son made 80 debit transactions in one month and had to pay a $40 fee because he went over his transaction limit.

The fundamental problem with students and credit cards, he found, is that students don’t realize they have to pay the money back.

Carrick recommended having a credit card for online purchases or booking things, and storing it in a drawer otherwise. “My rule is to never use a credit card unless you have the money to pay sitting in your chequing account and you can pay it off that day or the next,” he said.

Waiting for a monthly bill may result in realizing that the amount is too much to pay. Missing a few months can blow your credit rating and make it difficult to get a loan in the future.

Changes in our financial reality mean that we’ll be doing things at a different pace than previous generations. Before, people could have bought their first house at 20 and paid off the mortgage by 40. Now, Luciw said, that pace is unrealistic in face of current financial pressures, such as buying a car or paying for daycare.

Everything costs more and housing prices have gone up.

Carrick pointed out that our life expectancy has increased. Early retirement at 55 no longer computes if we expect to live to 90 or 100. “If you expand the years you’re working, you don’t have to be in a big rush to get started,” said Carrick. “It’s okay if your pace for reaching all these financial milestones doesn’t match the pace of people who expected to live to 70 or 80.”

Carrick advised students to take their time with buying a home and to consider how much they make, along with where they are in raising a family.

If prices continue to rise in the next 10 years the way that they have in the past 10, Carrick said, a house in Toronto could cost two million dollars.

Carrick also encouraged students to rent their homes.

“Don’t let anyone tell you that renting is a bad deal,” said Carrick. “It’s not a bad deal, and it’s [a] smart deal.”

Renting may allow individuals to save money that would go to a mortgage or property maintenance and use it towards retirement, or building an investment portfolio.

An investment portfolio, said Carrick, offers more liquidity than a house. A house may also restrict flexibility in the case of moving to take a job in another location.

“Do the math, look at the whole situation, and don’t do something because it’s expected of you,” said Luciw.

“Do it because it makes good sense.”

One of the positives for our generation, Carrick said, is that we have information at our fingertips. We can ask the Internet our financial questions and make informed decisions.

Columnists at The Globe and Mail have made online calculators to help individuals figure out their financial situation before making a decision.

Once students find a job, Carrick advised them to set up automatic transfers of five percent of their gross income into a savings account.

Though it won’t be possible to save throughout life—for example, saving will be difficult when one’s kids are young—saving when possible helps build the concept of smart spending.

Another student in the audience asked about balancing life and debt. If our generation is paying back student loans, it may mean we won’t be able to afford sports or after-school activities for our kids.

“It’s important to decide what your lifestyle priorities are and then scale back in other ways,” Luciw said.

Shah aims to be an educator Poetry continued from page 8 Shah read about and instantly related to all of Shakur’s struggles. He realized the beauty of speaking through poetry, and refers to it as what shaped and has continued to shape a lot of the work he does today.

Shah spoke about some of the work he’s currently involved in. “I’m working with the Peel District School Board, and no one knows about this, so you’re some of the first people to know,” he said excitedly. “We’re

collaborating on a project called Change the World, and these videos will hopefully reach every student in Peel, educating them about what we can do to stop bullying.”

Shah was also determined to share his concerns and initiatives for mental health on campus.

Shah shared his secret to where he’s gotten today: take time for yourself. Shah aims to be an educator someday, pursuing his degree in social sciences, and is working towards incorporating art into everyday as-

sessment.

“I would love the day when instead of writing an essay, I could write a poem,” he said.

After we took a moment to rant about the upcoming midterm season, I realized that I had to ask how it felt to have been named one of Canada’s Top 20 under 20. This prompted a shrug from him. “You know, the best part about Top 20—I mean, it’s not even just the award. It’s just that I met 19 other really awesome people.”

Out of the five recipes that were submitS’mores Brownie Bites (With additional instructions provided for clarity) SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar,

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

butter, baking soda, corn starch, and

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

salt. Stir until all ingredients have been

• 1¼ cup sugar • 11 tbsp butter • 2 eggs • ⅛ tsp baking soda • 1 tbsp cornstarch • ¼ tsp salt • 1 tsp vanilla extract • ½ cup chocolate chips, milk or semisweet (Graham crackers were used) • ¼ cup semi-sweet baking bar, chopped (Hershey’s milk chocolate bar was used) • Marshmallows

blended well.

4. Spread the brownie mix into a greased pan.

5. Layer the Graham crackers or chocolate chips to cover the brownie mix.

6. Layer the mix with the chopped chocolate bar pieces.

7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. To test when the brownies are ready, insert a toothpick into the brownie near the edge of the pan—if it comes out clean, it’s ready.

8. Once fully cooked, layer the marshmal-

METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to approximately 370 F. 2. Beat the eggs with the vanilla extract.

lows on top and let them melt.

9. Allow the brownie to cool before serving. If you’re aiming for bite-sized pieces, simply cut the brownie into strips.

10.05.2015

»

11

Physical discipline leads way to Navy UTM student prepares himself for cooking and combat by working out in athletic facilities ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR Jean-Luc Alexander Amyotte walks into the Medium office dressed head to toe in his sharp naval uniform.

Amyotte represents the Canadian Navy here at UTM; whether he’s in a second-year criminology class, walking the campus, or in the weight training facilities, he follows the disciplines learned through many years of training.

Amyotte trade is naval cook and medic. This past summer, he spent nine weeks living in an intensive military lifestyle. During that time, he received his basic military qualification.

“Back at my home base, I’m primarily a cook, and then when I go on the ship I’m a cook and a medic. In case of a battle, cooks aren’t going to be at the bottom of the vessel—they’re going to go up and take care of the wounded,” says Amyotte, who takes as much pride in being a medic as he does a cook.

At 14, Amyotte joined the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets and enjoyed every moment of it. Even though the navy is an important way of life, his education is his top priority.

“Once I aged out at 19, I realized I wanted to experience more, so I joined the navy. Because I wished to pursue a degree in school, I had to join the reserves, which is part-time,” he says. Following in his uncle’s foot-

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Amyotte spent nine weeks in Quebec this past summer training for the navy as a cook and medic. steps, Amyotte wants to use his naval training to become a police officer when his time on the sea is complete.

Proud to call the men and women he trains alongside his family, he reflects on a moment of courage and sacrifice.

“There was a gas leak during a training exercise,” he says. “Two members of the crew were trapped inside a lodge area.

“The leak started in the kitchen, making a fire, which set off the alarms. As everyone evacuated, I decided to check and see if everyone was accounted for, because once there’s a fire, they seal off the sections.

Luckily I found the men and brought them to safety.”

It’s imperative to be in perfect shape to be in the navy. You have to do recertification tests every six months to prove you’re physically fit enough to make it to the next level.

Everything from push-ups to sandbag drags—you’re doing it all to show you can manage the mental and physical stress.

“The 180-pound sandbag mimics a human body. You have to drag it a certain distance on the gym floor without stopping,” says Amyotte.

“I use the gym here a lot to keep healthy; you have to work out on your

free time to maintain a healthy, physically active lifestyle. If you slack off, you won’t pass the tests.

“Staying physically fit is crucial to what we do,” he adds.

Amyotte’s next test is in December. The test will simulate a real-life combat mission, in case he was ever to face that kind of critical situation.

Amyotte works out at the RAWC two times a week to prepare for that test. He emphasizes working his core muscles, reducing the risk of severe injury. Also, working the chest and arms and gaining upper body strength is necessary for strenuous movements and challenges such as

holding heavy equipment for hours on end.

Amyotte also has the responsibility of feeding a large number of people who need to be kept full of energy.

“I like to eat healthy—I eat a lot of carbs. For the guys on the ship, I’ll make high-carb meals using potatoes, steak, fish, rice, and vegetables.

The guys seem to love apples, too,” he says. He enjoys cooking for the large group. Intense training demands concentration and physical commitment at all times, with mealtimes as an opportunity to socialize and rest. Knowing he brightens the days and fuels the minds of naval officers makes Amyotte’s experiences worthwhile.

Amyotte expresses what he hopes to accomplish with the navy once his training is complete and he’s fully certified.

“I want to be out on a ship every summer experiencing the world as much as I can,” he says. “I expect to be deployed in the Caribbean, Alaska, or the Arctic. Cooks are in high demand, so I’m expecting to get a call one day soon.”

Amyotte reflects on the discipline he’s thankful the navy has taught him.

“No matter the challenge, you have to do it if you know it is good for you,” he says. “Second, look your best— impressions matter. Lastly, maintain a positive attitude—whether you’re peeling potatoes or shooting a rifle.”

UTM’s cricket club is a “wicket” hit UTM’s Cricket World Cup is coming to students wanting to compete and represent their country SHAHRIYAR NISAR Cricket may not be the most popular sport in Canada, but its popularity at UTM is certainly on the rise. After being chosen as the Sports Club of the Year by UTMSU, the UTM Cricket Club has plans to make this year bigger and better for all cricket fanatics.

Membership for UCC increased by 20 percent this year during clubs week, and the club is looking to achieve heights it has never reached before.

Cricket is believed to have originated in England, but the first ever international game was played between Canada and the U.S.A. in 1844. Australia is currently the leading team in international cricket, having won the Cricket World Cup last year.

Cricket has three different formats: test cricket, one-day cricket, and T20 cricket. A test match lasts for five days, one-day games consist of 50 overs aside, and T20, the newest format, is perhaps the most popular amongst youth and in Canada too, as it is the

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Pickup cricket takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Gym C. shortest and most exciting form.

Cricket is a great way for students to meet new people and socialize, especially for first-years. It is an excellent source of entertainment and relaxation. Pickup cricket is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Gym C—

the home of cricket at UTM—where anyone can drop in and play. It’s at the drop-in sessions that players socialize, learn the game, and form teams for intramurals that play a set schedule during the fall and winter semesters.

The intramural league began on September 24, and division 1 and two finals will be played on November 3.

Just like last year, the UCC will be organising the UTM Cricket World Cup, where all the students will get an opportunity to represent their coun-

try and showcase their talent. Last year, this was the marquee event for the club as the turnout exceeded expectation.

Cricket is a simple game that newcomers can grasp rather quickly. In cricket, each team takes a turn to bat and bowl, and the team with the most runs at the end wins, somewhat like baseball. There is a limit to the number of people who can bat and bowl, and players in the field—or, in the case of UTM, the court—are used to prevent the flow of runs. A batsman can be out for various reasons, but the most common is when a fielder catches the ball. The cricket played at UTM is a little different from the traditional game, however, as the weather is not a factor in the gym.

Last year was perhaps the best year in the UTM cricket team’s history, as they won the tri-campus for the first time. Having tasted success, the UTM cricket team is hungry for more and will look to leave no stones unturned this time around.

12

«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 10.05.2015

Blues run away with 46th Argo Cup Blues running back sets single game record for most rushing yards, defeating York 40-3 ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team defeated rivals York University Lions 40-3 on a rare Friday night tilt.

On York turf, the two teams clashed for the 46th annual Red and Blue Bowl. It was the third straight year the Blues have come away with the Argo Cup. Toronto now holds a 28-17 head-to-head record over York since they first met in 1970.

With the win, Toronto improves to 2-3 this season with tough competition still ahead. The Blues haven’t made the playoffs since they last won the Vanier Cup in 1993. To edge their way into the playoffs this year, they’ll need to win two out of their next three matchups: Western (5-0), Waterloo (0-5), and Ottawa (2-3).

Third-string running back, Alexander Malone of Toronto, broke a U of T single-game record for most running yards. Malone rushed 31 times for 315 yards and one touchdown.

Quarterback Simon Nassar, who’s playing in his final year for the Blues, went 13-of-27 for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, Nassar led a dynamic of-

ROHAM ABTAHI/VARSITYBLUES.CA

Running game has been a non-issue since starting RB Lucas Gavac injured his knee in preseason. fense, which led the OUA in many offensive categories. This year, the offense ranks seven spots lower, ultimately looking for the spark that made them so prominent last year.

Leading the defense on the cold and windy night was rookie linebacker Matt Renaud, who had seven tackles. Third-year UTM

student and Mississauga native Cory Williams had a great defensive game, sacking the York quarterback twice for a total loss of 32 yards.

York managed to score late in the third quarter, snapping the Blues’ chance at a shutout when York’s kicker Nick Naylor hit a 27-yard

field goal.

Diminishing the confidence of a young York squad, Raul Madan, receiver for the Blues, caught his second touchdown of the game, which ended a 13-play, 78-yard drive.

Blues back-up quarterback Marcus Hobbs was busy filling in for Nassar on the York one-yard line,

rushing for a touchdown with the quarterback sneak play. Hobbs also filled in for the injured first-year punter and UTM student TJ Morton.

First-year place kicker Anthony Iafrate had his best game of the season one week after missing a crucial field-goal late in the fourth quarter against Carleton. Iafrate hit three of his four field-goal tries, making a career long 36-yard attempt. A great asset towards field position, Iafrate averaged 55.4 yards per kickoff.

In an interview after the game with a Varsity Blues media crew, Malone said he didn’t know he had broken the single-game record until after the match.

“I’ve never really had an opportunity to rush like this,” he said.

“Starting the game, I was second string and out of nowhere I was thrown into the game and running nonstop. The [offensive line] made it so easy—it wasn’t a struggle.”

Malone, who is injury-free for only the second season out of the four years he’s spent with the program, looks to make the same impact in their next game as the possible starting running back.

The Varsity Blues take on the Western Mustangs at Varsity Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m.