Vol 43 issue 11

Proposal to reform Portal

Women have rights too

Slammin’ talent on campus

Bravery behind the badge

Volleyball teams face losses

News, page 2

Opinion, page 4

Arts, page 5

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

Professors talk Bill C-16 at U of T debate Jordan Peterson claims that the Canadian government might come after his clinical license KAYVAN AFLAKI WITH NOTES FROM MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR Following a series of controversial statements, U of T psychology professor Jordan Peterson took part in a debate on Saturday, November 19 at 9:30 a.m. to discuss Bill C-16 and gender provisions provided under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

The debate was live-streamed on a website provided by U of T, and was shared on Peterson’s YouTube channel. The website required a Silverlight software, which stirred some tweets addressing U of T with, “Here’s a way to limit your audience.

Who came up with these broadcasting ‘solutions?’”, “Frustrated with technical issues with the #C16forum debate,” “Cannot open media file,” and several others.

The website worked shortly after the debate resumed.

Participants facing Peterson in the debate were Brenda Cossman, U of T law professor and director of the Bonham Centre for Sexual Di-

RICHARD LAUTENS/THE STAR

Peterson debated with a U of T law professor and a UBC education professor on gender provisions. versity Studies, and Mary Bryson, education professor and senior associate dean at the University of British Columbia.

Mayo Moran, Trinity College provost and law professor moderated

the debate.

Peterson elucidated that the recent outpour of public attention on the issue of gender pronouns was not just a by-product of Bill C-16, but also a more proliferative prob-

lem.

“There have been about 140 print articles, and millions of people have been tuning in online. Something’s up. it’s not just a discussion of Bill C-16,” said Peterson.

“It is implicit that Bill C-16 […] is an assault on objectivity itself.”

“If universities think that sciences will be immune from the ideological doctrines embedded in these pieces of legislation, they better think again.”

Peterson also spoke about the importance of dialogue between conflicting camps, citing his 40 years of experience studying authoritarianism.

He argued that freedom of speech is “not just another value,” but an underpinning of Western civilization.

“We have to be unbelievably careful about infringing upon the mechanism by which we keep chaos and order in balance. We’ve seen that happen many times in the course of the 20th century,” he said. “The only thing that can possibly save us is dialogue of this very sort,” Peterson also addressed the Human Rights Tribunals as a “kangaroo court” that, in his opinion, posed a threat and should be abolished.

Debate continued on page 2

AGM reviews budget and allows bylaw changes UTMSU AGM eliminates ministries, proposes Student Centre expansion, and reviews deficits

$192,376 this year, $143,945 more than last year, which, according to Zhao, was due to the breakage of a boiler in the Student Centre that had to be replaced.

MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR During UTMSU’s AGM last Wednesday, all motions passed, including the removal of UTMSU’s nine ministries, creating three new commissions, and working toward a Student Centre expansion. The meeting concluded in just over one hour.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: According to UTMSU’s VP internal Jackie Zhao, The Duck Stop convenience store has experienced deficits worth $16,461 because of its start-up cost.

Zhao also stated that UTMSU has raised its minimum wages to $13 per hour and has hired more students, in addition to extending the hours of operation from 8:00 a.m. to midnight on weekdays.

Ministries were also among the

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Students at the AGM passed a motion to remove UTMSU’s nine ministries. higher costs this year with $225,579, while in 2015, they costed $163,437.

Zhao stated that the increase was particularly because of the “Free

Breakfast Wednesdays” that now feed between 350 and 400 people a year, which is more than last year.

UTMSU has also been holding more

events like the Block Party and the trip to see the Raptors game that contributed to the higher cost.

Maintenance has also costed

REMOVAL OF MINISTRIES A motion to remove the ministries of UTMSU has been passed.

There are currently nine ministries, including the Ministry of International Students, Ministry of Student Services, Ministry of Education and Outreach, Ministry of Student Life, Ministry of University Affairs & Academics, and the Ministry of Social Justice.

UTMSU’s president Nour Alideeb stated at the AGM that they noticed a decline in the students’ involvements at the ministries, since they have to give nine hours of their week to participate in the meetings.

AGM continued on page 3

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 11.21.2016

Peterson “denounced” in the downtown debate on Bill C-16 November 11th, 2016, 3:15 PM. Trespass to Property Act. A non-UTM student attempted to gain entry into the gym with a student card that did not belong to him.

November 13th, 2016, 12:15 AM. By-Law Offences.

Campus Police were advised of excessive noise emitting from a Magrath Valley residence unit. Campus Police attended the location where a large group of students were observed outside the unit. Officers spoke with the primary occupants of the party and asked for the party to be terminated.

Party was terminated without incident.

November 14th, 2016, 1:15 AM. By-Law Offences.

Campus Police were advised by residents that their unit was egged.

November 15th, 2016, 1:55 AM. By-Law Offences.

Campus Police received a complaint of people vaping inside a resident unit.

November 15th, 2016, 8:30 AM. Mischief.

Two parking signs in P3 of the CCT garage were found damaged.

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 8477.

Portal update proposed

RICHARD LAUTENS/THE STAR

Professor Cossman says Bill C-16 does not criminalize the use or misuse of gender pronouns.

Debate continued from cover

DARA SALAMAH

After two years of consultations across the University of Toronto, proposals to reform the Portal system have been made by three vendors at a Q&A session this past Wednesday.

Vendors D2L, Instructure, and Blackboard presented tentative Portal replacements entitled Brightspace, Canvas, and Blackboard Ultra.

Simone Laughton, a key member of the portal project and an instructional librarian at UTM library, stated in an email to The Medium that the aim of the new Learning Portal would be to have a similar functionality as that of a smartphone—such as integrated teaching and learning applications.

Laughton explained that the new Portal will have an “operating system” of core functionality referred to as “Learning Management Engine,” similar to any smart phone.

All three interfaces had a notably unified and jointed interface.

BRIGHTSPACE VP Global Strategic Sales of D2L, Adam Moore, stated in an email to The Medium that Brightspace “engages students with the tool they love, such as social and mobile applications, game-based learning, simulations, and advanced learning analytics.

Moore also stated that Brightspace is designed to work on all mobile devices. Students using Brightspace can remain “organized” through tools that incorporate alerts on progress, assignment notifications, and updates on courses or grades.

Brightspace is designed to work across all mobile devices, and is available on a laptop, tablet, or phone.

CANVAS Stan Wendt, Instructure’s Regional Director of Higher Education in Canada, told The Medium, “We strongly believe in developing with the end user in mind and creating a beautiful user experience.”

Wendt explained that Canvas considered social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

According to Wendt, Canvas students are involved in an “engaged experience” on Canvas through automatically generated to-do lists that incorporate all the upcoming assignments, quizzes, or discussion threads a student has to complete.

Other features of Canvas include a display of recent feedback on submissions. Here, students can reply to this feedback with their comments.

BLACKBOARD ULTRA “Our new generation of teaching and learning products that we refer to as ‘The New Learning Experience’ or ‘Ultra’ are designed based on empathetic research conducted by our team,” wrote the University of Toronto’s customer success advocate with BlackBoard, Tristan Plummer, in an email to The Medium.

Plummer stated that BlackBoard Ultra offers a “streamlined set of capabilities that work harmoniously together.” The BlackBoard Ultra app is also available on mobiles, on browsers, and on virtual classroom softwares such as “Collaborate Ultra.”

“Based on the vendor presentations and the university community’s feedback, a recommendation will be made to the provost in December 2016. Once that is completed, a roadmap will be developed for implementation,” stated Laughton to The Medium.

The date of implementation of the new portal is yet to be estimated.

He also referred to Ursula from The Little Mermaid—who wanted to take the movie’s protagonist, Ariel’s, voice—as an example of the people who talk about compassion and do not “in the least have your best interests in mind.”

Following Peterson’s 10-minute statement, Cossman took to her podium to address the audience.

“I’m here today, as a lawyer, as a law professor, as a civil libertarian, and as an expert in equality rights and freedom of expression, to correct [some of the] misunderstandings,” she said.

Cossman explained that several provinces and territories, including Ontario, have been actively instituting the protections guaranteed by Bill C-16 since 2002, and that such legislation presented at a federal level is “nothing unprecedented.”

Rhetorically asking whether the provisions granted under Bill C-16 could criminalize the use or misuse of gender pronouns, Cossman responded: “Not even close.”

Cossman also argued that Bill C-16 does not introduce any new offences under the criminal code, but provides provisions for existing legislation, particularly on “advocating of genocide,” the “public incitement of hate,” and the “willful promotion of hatred.”

She also referred to section 7-18 of the Canadian Criminal Code, explaining that if an existing offence was motivated by threat, it could result in a greater sentence.

“This has no impact on pronouns, unless an accused was misusing pronouns while assaulting someone. In other words, there is nothing in Bill C-16 that comes close to criminalizing the use of pronouns.”

Cossman also addressed the is-

sue of mutual and embodying respect towards others.

“I worry that we’ve moved into a place now, not a post-truth politics, but a post-empathy politics, where we no longer seem to care about people,” she said. “This, at the end of the day, is about people. It’s about trans and non-binary people.

How bloody hard is it to simply treat these people with respect and dignity?”

“I have in fact been denounced today, and what I’m saying has in fact been described as hate propaganda.”

— Jordan Peterson Bryson assumed the podium as the third speaker of the event, and drew on a number of statements made by Peterson in his online lectures, videos, and interviews.

“This is hardly the stuff of academic scholarship,” said Bryson. “I am a member of the Global Education Initiative of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and I can tell you, without a shred of doubt, that there is no link between the public claims of professor Jordan Peterson […] and a body of easily-accessible academic scholarship.”

Bryson also argued the credibility of Peterson’s statements, and claimed that he has used “rhetoric more common to Breitbart News,” which is considered a right-wing online media, and that his arguments are “based on political grounds, rather than scholarly evidence.”

Peterson extended an invitation to Bryson to debate the gender identity scientifically.

The floor was open for the last

30 minutes of the debate for questions through email from online viewers, or by pencil and paper from the live audience. Moran recited the questions to the panelists.

One of the questions directed to Peterson asked if he holds “the same stance regarding other discriminatory language in the Human Rights Code, such as being able to use racist terms with regards to students.”

“I have in fact been denounced today, and what I am saying has in fact been described as hate propaganda,” said Peterson. “So one thing I’d like to suggest to you, every single person in the audience: You’re next. So keep it in mind.”

He then answered saying that he doesn’t think the issues that the question posed are the same, adding that the use of gender pronouns does not indicate “a mark of respect.”

“That assumes that [if ] I’m using he or she, then I’m actually indicating my respect for them, but that’s not true,” he said.

Other questions asked about the role of clinical psychology in helping individuals with their identity, to which Peterson responded saying that he has helped people make a “genuine identity” and plans for their future.

Peterson also pointed out that the Canadian government might “come after his clinical license” for his claims.

Moran gave closing remarks by addressing the National Day of Transgender Remembrance on November 20.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect going into today’s debate,” she also said. “I can only hope that some illumination has happened today.”

Hashtag C16Forum was trending number two in Canada on Twitter during the debate.

11.21.2016 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Five Days of Giving raises $600

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»HOW DO YOU COPE WITH

UCS holds series of events to raise money for charity

STRESS?

Mahnoor Rizwan Financially econ

Matthew Halsall Crim & polisci & history

Make a plan of what I have to do and take it day-by-day.

Watch comedy TV shows.

Jordan Li Finance specialist

Antara Kamath Economics specialist

Go outside and get some fresh air.

Music and nature walks.

AIMEN ALI/THE MEDIUM

Money from the Five Days of Giving charity will go to the Sick Kids Foundation and Canada Zakat.

ALICIA BOATTO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR UTM’s Undergraduate Commerce Society raised over $600 from their Five Days of Giving charity event last week.

UTM Free the Children, UTM Residence Council, World University Services Canada-UTMSU, UTM Helping Hands, and UTM Muslims Student Association also collaborated with UCS for the week-long events.

“In total, UCS raised over $600 from the henna fundraiser, raffle sale, Christmas stockings filled with goodies sale, and general donations,” stated Rebeeyah Jabeen, UTM’s president of the Undergraduate Commerce Society, to The Medium.

“Half of the funds will be used to purchase toys for children at the Sick Kids Foundation, and the other half will be used to purchase food for low-income families with Canada Zakat.”

From Monday to Friday, various events were hosted throughout the campus, including gift-wrapping with Santa, a food and toy drive, and making sandwiches for the less fortunate.

20 students participated in making over 90 sandwich packs and 15 students volunteered to wrap over 130 presents for children.

“During the three days, about 45 student volunteers helped collect the donations in Davis and OPH,” said Jabeen.

“About 20 students participated in making over 90 sandwich packs, and 15 students volunteered their time to wrap over 130 presents for children in about two and a half hours.”

UCS also reached out to faculty for

donations, and collected three boxes of clothing, food, and toys from different departments on campus.

On Wednesday, a Wish List Drive with Sick Kids was also held to help collect toy donations.

“We managed to buy 15 bags of toys,” said UTM Helping Hands’ president Mohammed Amin to The Medium. “Everything from stuffed animals, to childcare care items, even books.”

“We wanted to get at least one corporate sponsor to help with the toy drive. We managed to get Mastermind toys on Hurontario, and they’ve actually donated a few LEGO boxes,” said Amin.

UTM’s Helping Hands, a newlyfounded organization this year, achieved their goal of raising $300, according to Amin.

Other plans for the organization include hosting a clothing drive for the homeless this December and early January of 2017.

UTMSU approves new commissions AGM continued from cover Members at the AGM have also voted for creating three new commissions to replace the nine ministries instead: Campaigns and Advocacy, Student Life, and Student Services.

Aideeb will supervise all the commissions, but will chair one of them.

UTMSU’s VP internal, Jackie Zhao, will chair the Student Services commission, and the VP campus life, Tyrell Subban, will chair the Student Life commission.

The commissions will offer a place where students can discuss their concerns and what they want to see in the services that UTMSU provides.

They will also offer an “intersectional space” for students to take part in leadership roles, develop new ideas, and give back to their communities.

A student asked how UTMSU will make sure to maintain the nine ministries’ platforms in their new commissions. Alideeb said that they “never want to group things together

and further marginalize individuals,” adding that commissioners will be able to discuss different items and call out on different students, depending on what they want.

Another student, Abdel Rahman Mouftah, asked what strategies UTMSU will use to “make sure that nothing gets overlooked.”

Alideeb stated that in this year’s commission meetings, they already divided the sessions into two. The first half was a discussion of issues pertaining to students, while the second half was splitting the students into the different ministries. She explained that they would have a similar type of structure, where a portion of the meeting would be everyone together, and another portion would involve discussing specific issues.

EXPANSION PLANS The last student centre referendum that took place three years ago failed.

“Three years later, the individuals who are still left are feeling the suf-

focation because of the size,” said Alideeb.

UTMSU will plan drop-in sessions, online forums, and consultation groups. Alideeb also clarified that the university has a say in regards to what happens to the buildings on campus.

When asked by student Salma Fakhry when they should expect to see the referendum get done, Alideeb stated that she does not want to rush the process.

“I’m hoping that the referendum can be held in a maximum of two years,” she said.

AUDITOR’S APPOINTMENT Another point on the agenda was the auditor’s appointment. Zhao suggested that UTMSU keep the same auditors from before, given that a “good practice” would be to change them every five to seven years.

Alideeb explained that the current auditors are estimated to have been there for five to six years now.

Town hall cancelled

FACEBOOK.COM/UTSU98/PHOTO

The cancellation is a result of the first town hall’s low turnout.

FARHAT AMINI UTSU’s second town hall event scheduled last Friday for anti-Blackness has been cancelled, following a low turnout in its first town hall on November 19.

When asked about the reason behind the cancellation, UTSU’s president Jasmine Wong Denike said that the first town hall “failed” to offer a space for the voices of Black students.

“We heard that the space was uncomfortable to be in, and that poor organization and communication pertaining to the event caused it to be tokenizing,” wrote Denike.

“While making an effort to confront anti-Black racism within the organization, the UTSU should have meaningfully engaged with Black student representatives to ensure that those individuals had ownership of the space,” she added.

Denike informed The Medium that for UTSU to create a space for Black students, they will need a “deference of power” to them.

Denike also stated that UTSU has

a “commitment” to work on engaging with clubs on campus to improve the services they provide to all their members, and that UTSU will prioritize such work in the upcoming months.

“The University of Toronto Students’ Union will actively prioritize the communication with representatives from Black student organizations on campus moving forward,” said Denike.

The BLC did not respond to The Medium’s request for comments, as of press time.

As previously reported by The Medium, the first town hall had poor student turnout with only one Black student in attendance among a total of ten attendees, five of which were UTSU executives.

The purpose of the town hall was originally to collaborate with the Black Liberation Collective, but shortly after the meeting, the BLC released a Facebook statement claiming that the group was not invited to the meeting.

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11.21.2016

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Women decide for themselves Despite what they think, pro-life groups hold no authority over a woman’s body For some, the word “abortion” holds more weight than it does for others.

Some think the word is synonymous with death. Others think the word represents a woman’s right to make her own choices.

I’ve been itching to comment on this since UTMSFL distributed pamphlets in Davis two weeks ago. The only reason why I didn’t last week was because Trump got elected, and I thought that deserved some attention. However, I think both of these topics do share some similarities.

Trump has been back and forth pretty much since he hit the campaign trail, but he has also been known as one to support pro-life.

During his interview with Leslie Stahl for 60 Minutes, Trump claimed that he was pro-life. He added that he will be appointing pro-life justice for cases around abortion. Stahl asked Trump what would happen to the women who wouldn’t be allowed to get an abortion in a specific state, and he clearly stated that they would need to go to another state.

Earlier this year, Trump also said that, should abortion become illegal, there should be some form of punishment for the woman. When Chris Matthews from MSNBC interviewed Trump on his views, Matthews asked him what form of punishment should be dealt. Trump said he didn’t know.

He later retracted this statement.

This doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Trump was facing a rape case not too long ago. He’s called women deplorable names on numerous occasions. He was openly caught admitting that he’s sexually assaulted women, which prompted several others to come out and allege that he had assaulted them as well. This is someone who openly referred to Hillary as “such a nasty woman” during their debate.

Obviously, Trump isn’t the only one who’s pro-life.

It’s not too big a surprise to people by now that UTMSFL is in the middle of a lawsuit threat with UTMSU. For those who don’t know, the reason behind it stemmed from UTMSFL being denied club status by UTMSU. They then filed a legal proceeding against UTMSU demanding that the union reverse their decision on the grounds of the decision being “a breach against their right to freedom of expression and association, and a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, among seven other petitions listed in the legal suit.”

Two weeks ago, UTMSFL was in the Davis Building handing out pamphlets on their views. The cover contained a picture of a fetus with the question, “Shouldn’t all human beings have human rights?” Flip to the

inside and “They Should” is splattered across a photo of an aborted fetus.

This appalling imagery panders to the laziest form of shock value. To take a photo of an aborted fetus in an attempt to shame women for their choices is unacceptable. Groups who take it upon themselves to spread a hazardous message shouldn’t be recognized as clubs on this campus. To force gruesome images in the faces of students for the sake of defending their own opinion is not something that should be fought for. Regardless of whether or not it’s admitted, all any pro-life group achieves is telling women that they should feel bad for something they had every right to do. That they should feel bad about “murdering a child” when nothing is known about the woman’s life, her reasoning, or how she’s coping with her decision.

Nour Alideeb, UTMSU president commented on the act. “Students for Life is an anti-choice group. The UTMSU, and I as a woman, do not condone anti-choice groups. The UTMSU believes that women and other individuals who can bear children have agency over their own bodies and have the right to make decisions for themselves.”

I absolutely agree. No one has the right to tell women what to do with their bodies, or to shame them for the decisions that they do make. Pro-life groups have no place in ultimately trying to guilt a woman into making a decision that will affect the rest of her life. And for what? So pro-life groups can feel like they’ve accomplished something by forcing a woman’s hand into giving birth? Meanwhile, there’s clearly little to no thought put into how the woman is doing.

Not to mention, what if there was a woman walking by in Davis that day who happened to have made the decision to have an abortion? Was the goal ultimately to make her feel like garbage? What if she already feels bad? Do pro-life groups not understand that these decisions could very well already be on women’s minds?

Who gives them the right to shove that decision back in her face? It has nothing to do with them. Equally, there’s no call to do it to women who are considering abortion. No one should be made to feel bad for having one. I don’t know why I have to put this in writing.

I don’t expect a mutual understanding to be reached between me and those who don’t agree with me.

Plainly, I believe that pro-life groups and pro-life supporters are accomplishing nothing other than standing by the decision to deny a woman the right to make her own choices. And pro-lifers who may be reading this will probably think that I’m a heart-

less monster for not defending the decision to force women into doing something that they don’t want to— which brings me to my next point.

What never ceases to baffle me is the irony of arguments made by groups like this. Seemingly unaware of the fact that they are attempting to strip women’s rights, UTMSFL immediately cried that their freedom was being breached.

What about the woman’s freedom?

Does she not deserve a life? Does she not deserve to make choices regarding her own damn body? Does she need to justify every choice she makes to people who can’t seem to get it through their heads that this has nothing to do with them?

Pro-life groups are always so quick to provide “facts” on abortion. So, allow me to provide facts on pregnancy and labour.

When women are pregnant, there are a lot of things that change. Now, I’ve never given birth so I’m going to quote whattoexpect.com here. They report that tons of changes happen to the body, such as swollen body parts, migraines, morning sickness, hemorrhoids, gas, constipation, food cravings, fatigue, stretch marks, frequent urination, contractions, and abdominal achiness.

Those are just some of the things that can happen during pregnancy.

When in labour, women run the risk of perineal lacerations, which are tears in the perineum (the area between the vagina and the anus).

According to fitpregnancy.com, the tears can range from a minor one that usually requires few to no stitches and minimal pain, all the way to tears that extend to the rectal sphincter. The site also reported that women run the risk of umbilical cord issues, abnormal fetal heart rate, and amniotic cavity issues during labour. Women could also hemorrhage. And if you think that death in childbirth only occurs with unsafe abortions, you’re wrong.

Death can occur in delivery as well.

After pregnancy, women can also face the challenges of postpartum depression and anxiety. In addition, women now have to sacrifice their free time, any plans they had for the future, and worry more about supporting themselves and an additional body.

That’s a lot to ask of a woman who didn’t want a child. It’s also pretty bold to claim that babies have a right to life without taking into account anybody else’s who’s involved. It’s worse to hand out photos of aborted fetuses in an attempt to, I don’t know, “raise awareness.”

It’s sad that arguments for women’s rights still need to be made. It’s aggravating. But it’s absolutely necessary to shut down those who believe they

have more say over what a woman should do than the woman herself.

Pro-life groups may think they’re fighting for a greater good in saving babies, but they’re not. They’re only reinforcing the idea that others should choose what a woman can and cannot do with her life and her body.

Now, please don’t get me wrong.

I’m not saying that you should avoid pregnancy altogether, and I certainly don’t mean to scare anyone thinking about having kids. And everything stated in this editorial is merely my opinion on the matter. I don’t mean to sway someone to my side. People are going to believe what they believe.

But I’m telling you what you’ll hear later anyway. This isn’t news. Childbirth is natural and beautiful, and welcoming a new life into the home can be very rewarding and exciting.

But women who don’t want to have children, or who have made the decision to get an abortion, are just as valid as anyone else.

I wasn’t aware of UTMSFL’s decision to hand out pamphlets. I’m glad that I wasn’t there when it happened.

I was appalled to learn that a student group took it upon themselves to march into a building and preach about what a woman should and should not do with their body. Who gives pro-life groups the authority to make decisions over what a woman does with her body? No one. The disgraceful decision made by any prolife group or supporter to suggest otherwise goes ignored by me. But the sad part is that this decision affected many students who were passing by in Davis that day. I honestly can’t wrap my head around the decision to stand by handing out these pamphlets and ultimately shaming women for a decision that they choose to make.

Distributing these pamphlets, regardless of whether or not it was intended, destroys the image of the university being a safe space for students.

Women have every right to make their own decisions without having to answer to groups who are so misguided that they think they know better. I shouldn’t have to tell adults this. You don’t own anyone. Stay out of it.

YOURS, MARIA CRUZ

CORRECTION NOTICE The Nov. 14 article, “Chewing out the male-female binary” misspelled KhaRå Martin’s name.

In the article, “UTMSFL spreads their message”, the online version did not reflect that Alideeb had responded by press time.

11.21.2016

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So you think you can slam, UTM? English and Drama Student Society hosts second annual Slam and Chill at Blind Duck Pub ADELAIDE ATTARD ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR Last Thursday, The English and Drama Student Society hosted their second annual Slam and Chill event.

Hosted at the Blind Duck Pub, students from all years and majors gathered to share their work. For some, it was their first time performing.

Megan Judd, EDSS’s social events director, was the MC for the night.

She was funny and welcoming each time she invited a new person onto the stage. Each performer had a different story that they expressed in their poems and monologues. All the audience had to do was sit back, relax, and snap their fingers.

Zineb Hamaimou took the stage first with a poem about her experience as a Muslim woman.

As the evening progressed, the pub was filled with applause, cheers, and snaps. Ophxlia took the stage and performed a slam piece, with almost every line receiving cheers, claps, and hollers.

Zaynab Al-Kari, a second-year English student, shared her poem, “Blossoms.” This poem was her first slam piece. Al-Kari grew up in Syria, where she lived until the war started.

Her favourite tree on her farm in Syria inspired the poem. The audi-

AIMEE PADILLO/THE MEDIUM

EDSS showcases emerging slam poets at the Slam and Chill event last Thursday evening. ence was silent throughout her entire performance.

Amira Deka-Oirie, last year’s slam winner, presented a slam piece about her body and the male gaze. She listed off nine things she wished people wouldn’t ask her, simply because she wears a hijab. Her piece was wellrehearsed and filled with the same passion and vigor that won her first place at last year’s Slam and Chill.

To finish off the first half of the event, Brent Wood, an English pro-

fessor at UTM, got on stage with his cobalt blue acoustic guitar. Since there was no mic stand, Brent attached a lapel microphone to his shirt and began. He looked at the audience and said, “Tonight I’ll be playing ‘Sisters of Mercy’ by Leonard Cohen. It’s a healing song and I think we really need that.” He even invited members of the audience to join in if they knew the words.

During intermission, the Blind Duck provided complimentary food.

Wings, mac and cheese nuggets, Jalapeno poppers, samosas, and spring rolls were available. The cash bar was open all night.

Rudd took the stage after intermission and brought the audience’s attention back to the performers.

The second half of the show included monologues. Carl Kersey, EDSS’s associate artistic director, shared a monologue that began with, “Good morning, Mr. President.”

His seamless monologue was not

the only work that discussed the recent events in the United States.

In the first half, Valentina Pastorello, known as Valkyrie, performed her first-ever slam piece. Similar to Kersey’s piece, Valkyrie’s poem was flawless and about the fears of America’s political situation.

Although all performers had a certain sound and feel to their poems, EDSS’s academic events director, Crimson Craighead, and a volunteer judge, Kaityln Fernandez, chose the top three performers based on form and audience reception. Al-Kari received third place and was awarded with a $20 Tim Hortons gift card. Deka-Oirie won second place, and received a $30 Chapters gift card. The first place winner was Ophxlia. She won a $50 Boston Pizza gift card.

Mehak Kawatra, president of EDSS, took the stage to say a few words before the show ended: “At the beginning of the show, I never thought I’d say this, but we had such a great problem. We ran out of chairs because of tonight’s turnout.”

EDSS hosted a wonderful night full of poetry and spoken word. They created an environment that welcomed each and every performer to the stage, regardless of experience.

Bringing back the Broadway classics Class Productions Theatre Society performs songs and skits from classic Broadway productions KIMBERLY DAY After attending the Broadwaythemed cabaret show of Gotta Dream by Class Productions Theatre Society, I was feeling pretty happy. Last Friday, Class Productions showcased this event in UTM’s MiST Theatre. With their consistent humour and family-friendly entertainment, the cast grabbed my attention the whole night.

Class Productions Theatre Society is a theatre group based in Mississauga that provides familyfriendly shows to the community.

Last week’s show was far from a disappointment. Broadway-themed performances such as “Belle,” “I Can Cook Too,” and “God I Hate Shakespeare,” kept the audience fully invested throughout the night.

The event starred Rosemary Brown, Phyllis Dougherty, Alan Johnstone, Linda Johnstone, Robert Johnstone, Isabelle Ma, Aurora McClennan, Cheryl McClennan, Scarlett McClennan, and Phuong Nguyen. The evening provided a

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

“Gotta Dream” featured three days of Broadway-themed performances in UTM’s MiST Theatre. glimpse into past and recent Broadway productions. The songs were categorized according to either the shows they originated from or common themes they shared.

Act 1 kicked off with “Belle,” a song from the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast. Following this piece, the act divided into four parts: “On the Town,”

“Will Power,” “Matilda,” and “Just Be.” I found “On the Town” to be especially entertaining due to the songs performed. The two songs in this section were “Come up to

my Place,” and “I Can Cook Too.” The cast also performed the classic, “New York, New York,” which became a worldwide hit through Frank Sinatra.

The next set of performances were from “Will Power,” a category dedicated to the works of Shakespeare himself. “Will Power” began with “God I Hate Shakespeare.”

This act comes from the production of Something Rotten, a story based on the Bottom brothers, who failed to succeed at their theatrical work due to their successful rival, Shakespeare. One actor played the role of Nick Bottom, while others around him marveled at Shakespeare’s plays.

Other performances given from “Will Power” included “I Hate Men,” and “Where is the Life That Late I Led,” both from Kiss Me Kate.

Although I’d never heard of Kiss Me Kate prior to this event, these two performances were my favourite in the whole production.

Broadway continued on page 6

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THE MEDIUM 11.21.2016

The shadow of an artist Cohen leaves legacy behind at Thomas Fisher Library

MARIA CRUZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THEDAILYBEAST.COM/PHOTO

Leonard Cohen’s collection of personal documentation is available upon request at St. George.

HAILEY MASON A&E EDITOR Less than two weeks ago, the world lost a legend.

Leonard Cohen graced the art scene with his revolutionary ideas on identity, sexuality, self-discovery, and politics. On November 7, he left us with only his influence, imprinted on every page of his novels, in every stanza of his poetry, and every note of his music.

Born on September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec, Cohen belongs to the growing body of gifted Canadian artists. Like many artists, Cohen was a wanderer. He moved between Quebec, the United States, and Greece. Cohen settled in Los Angeles, where he died peacefully in his home. Cohen was 82 years old.

The experimental singer, songwriter, poet, and novelist paved the way for later musicians and writers.

Cohen published his first novel, The Favourite Game, in 1963. In a self-reflexive, semi-autobiographical story, a young man gains purpose and identity through the act of writing. I first picked up this novel at a used book store several years ago. Standing between the dusty shelves of forgotten books, I flipped to a random page and started to read. I felt inspired while reading those first few lines, although I was too young at the time to grasp the significance of the novel.

Cohen’s second novel, Beautiful Losers, tells a convoluted, multi-dimensional tale that rotates between scenes of Aboriginality and the thriving counter-culture of the 1960s, including sex, drugs, and public protests. The novel brims with every kind of commentary: social, political, historical, sexual, and religious. In 1966, the time of the novel’s publication, Beautiful Losers was received as highly controversial, owing to its graphic depictions of sex and masturbation.

The content of this novel was scandalous, yet important. Cohen redefined social barriers and opened the gates to a new kind of artistic conversation.

Cohen was a catalyst for change.

The Spice-Box of Earth, Cohen’s second collection of poems, raises issues of religion, sexuality, and self-

awareness. His language flows with sensuality and promise. All the while, Cohen’s words are respectful. His voice lacks judgment. Cohen humbly expresses ideas as he sees them, encouraging a dialogue with his audience about prevalent issues.

Cohen’s words echo shamelessly across the pages and in our ears. One of my favourite songs by Cohen is the title track of I’m Your Man. Released in 1988, I’m Your Man is Cohen’s eighth studio album. Rhythmically, “I’m Your Man” captures a contemporary jazz sound. The composition includes trumpet, keyboard, strings, and Cohen’s deep, resonant voice— “gravelly,” as critics describe it. Lyrically, this piece encapsulates Cohen’s humility and poeticism.

Throughout his career, Cohen donated thousands of documents to the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, located within Robarts Library at St. George.

The collection includes early manuscripts of his novels and collections, handwritten notes, letters, newspaper clippings, photographs, transcripts of interviews, fan mail, sketches, old envelopes, and posters.

The collection also includes a sealed box of letters between Cohen and his family and friends. He instructed the library to open the box only after his death. However, Cohen requested that the contents of the box remain private until the deaths of his correspondents.

The Cohen collection includes several boxes of the relics listed above.

I sat in silence at a small desk in the Reading Room for almost two hours, yet I only made it through two boxes. I began with a box of letters dated in the early 1960s. In one letter, Cohen writes to a friend, stating that he spent all his savings on a house in Hydra, Greece. As his letters progress throughout the 1960s, you can trace his residence in Greece. In a letter dated in 1962, Cohen writes to a friend in Montreal and tells them about his mother’s extended visit.

Cohen explains feeling trapped in his home. He writes to several more friends and relatives, discussing his mother’s visit in detail.

On March 27, 1960, Cohen writes

to the Canadian publishing company, McClelland and Stewart, thanking them for the upcoming publication of his poetry collection, The Spice-Box of Earth. In one passage of the letter, Cohen advises them to avoid “delicate fonts.” He requests his poems to be published in a large, black font that stands out on the page. Cohen wanted his words to be loud and unmistakable.

In a later letter, Cohen muses over titles for an upcoming poetry collection. It was fascinating to trace Cohen’s creative process. He remarked that if he couldn’t devise a better title, he would settle on the name suggested by the publisher, “Wandering Fire.”

I wrote down the name and searched for it online when I got home. It doesn’t exist. I suppose Cohen managed to create a better title.

Cohen’s handwritten notes and early manuscripts were among the most humbling pieces in the collection. One double-sided page includes Cohen’s first draft for a piece of writing, according to the label on the folder. Yet, I couldn’t decipher Cohen’s illegible scrawl. I imagined him writing the words down in a frenzy, trying to record his ideas before the thought had passed.

I also discovered sketches that Cohen had drawn in pen. Some were self-portraits, while others depicted the faces of women, most likely his partners. The boxes also contained black-and-white photographs of Cohen among family and friends. One image depicts Cohen standing on a dock in Hydra, smiling with his hands in his pockets.

One of my favourite pieces in the collection was a poster for a Cohen show. The year was unspecified. A small cardboard rectangle promised poetry and jazz from Cohen and the Lenny Breau Trio at the Manitoba Theatre. Admission was $1.

Even in Cohen’s letters and correspondences, there is a distinct wit and musicality to his writing. His talents were not purely reserved for the public gaze.

Most of Cohen’s collection is available upon request at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

My Canadian Fiction class with Brent Wood has produced some pretty challenging work. Not in terms of difficulty, but in terms of content. Falling Angels by Barbara Gowdy is easily one of the hardest books I’ve had to read during my university career.

The novel follows the lives of three sisters, Norma, Lou, and Sandy, as they cope with the atrocities life throws at them. Everything from an abusive father, sexual assault, an alcoholic mother, and even a scene where one of the sisters is sodomized by a nail in her youth—the novel doesn’t shy away from these events.

One of the admirable things Gowdy does with her story is create a narrative that’s relatable to young women. Gowdy exposes readers to the lives of a dysfunctional family, allowing us to sift through the chaos of their lives and attempt to make sense of it all. Every reader is given a different angle on tragedy, as we watch how the sisters grow up and develop with their own coping mechanism.

One of the best things about this novel is Gowdy’s ability to incorporate humour into the story. The humour offers readers a better chance

to digest the material, while simultaneously reminding us that there is a time to laugh when everything around you seems to be crumbling.

Gowdy is a phenomenal writer.

Her ability to capture the horrors of reality while maintaining humour speaks to her ability as an author.

Her abilities also speak to readers; she puts everything on the table and doesn’t shy away from the truth. The trauma in Falling Angels punches readers in the gut. The book is reminiscent of the darkness many of us have had to face. Now, readers may not be able to relate to being sodomized by nails, but many women can relate to the three girls in one way or another.

Many people may have a hard time reading this novel. But I think it’s far more crucial to notice how the girls cope and live their lives. There are difficult scenes that will stick with us, but that’s the point. We continue to live our lives in spite of these horrors, and I think right there lies the importance of this story.

Falling Angels masterfully delves into the ways we continue moving forward after traumatic experiences. These are the events that have shaped us. Ultimately, we all find a way to overcome the demons in our past.

Broadway reaches UTM Broadway continued from page 5

The third category of Act 1 was “Matilda,” a production currently on tour in Toronto. The brief introduction given for this section stated that the performances are a modernized version of the classic tale. This modernity was evident through the contemporary costumes worn by the performers in each song. “Loud,” for instance, focused on the idea that looks are more important than intelligence. While the costumes were a modern depiction of beauty, the choreography was still suitable to Matilda’s initial generation. This act was an excellent coordination of different moments in time. “When I Grow Up,” was another strong performance. The song describes the wishes of young children to grow old so they can be free from their parents and rules.

The final category, “Just Be,” presented the idea of acceptance, both towards yourself and others. Performances from this category included “We Are What We Are,” from La Cage Aux Follies. This song represented crossdressing males and exemplified acceptance towards this practice.

There was also “Not my Father’s Son” from Kinky Boots, which shared a darker, more realistic view of the lives of many people in the LGBTQ com-

munity. This song describes a young boy who knows his father would disapprove of his crossdressing if he found out. The song featured this struggle and the emotional turmoil of being rejected from your family, simply for being yourself.

The final song in this section was “Just Be,” also from Kinky Boots. This song presented the notion that not everyone is equal. Some people stand out from the crowd, but they should still be accepted for their individuality. This performance truly highlighted the pride and courage of the LGBTQ community.

Act 2 of the evening featured one category, titled “Wild, Wild West.”

This section offered performances from several different shows, each set in the Wild West of America. All the performances provided insight into the shaping of American history. My personal favourite from this category was “Old Fashioned Wedding” from Annie Get Your Gun. This section also featured acts from the renowned Oklahoma, including “Kansas City,” “All Er Nothin,” and “Oklahoma.”

The Broadway-themed performances given by the Class Productions Theatre Society stirred my newfound interest in the Broadway community. The evening was inspirational and a pleasure to watch.

11.21.2016 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

REWIND MEGHAN MUISE

Laden with suspense, subtle romance, and stifling sexual tension, Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps follows Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) on his quest to clear his name of a crime he did not commit.

The film opens with Richard, referred to as Hannay, rushing out of a theatre after a fight breaks out during Mr. Memory’s (Wylie Waston) performance. In the mob of people outside, he meets Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim), who asks if she can come home with him. Hannay agrees and brings Annabella home.

He discovers that she’s a spy who’s on her way to see an important figure in the spy network—a man located in Scotland whose defining characteristic is that he’s missing the tip of his pinky finger.

Hitchcock immediately builds suspense with Annabella’s odd requests to Hannay, such as turning over a mirror or not answering the telephone on multiple occasions. The shrill ringing of the telephone becomes a motif during the initial scenes of the film, demonstrating Hitchcock’s clever use of sound to build suspense. This sound, paired with Annabella’s morbid warnings, works to agitate the viewer. These two features parallel the time limit which has been placed on Hannay’s life.

During the night, Hannay is startled awake. He finds a near-death Annabella, who stumbles into his room with a knife in her back. Hannay finds a map of Scotland in her hands that details the location of the man with the missing part of his pinky. Terrified for his life, Hannay flees his apartment. From there, he becomes entangled in a thrilling and intricate

spy story.

Hitchcock’s use of suspense occurs in an episodic manner. First, Hannay must escape from a train, then from a farmer’s house, then from the police.

He runs through the barren hills of Scotland, moving from one moment of action to the next.

While on the train, Hannay meets Pamela (Madeleine Carroll). They engage in a brief conversation before Hannay abruptly kisses her in an attempt to hide his face from the police searching the train. He encounters Pamela again much later in the film.

This second meeting occurs when Hannay stumbles into an election meeting and pretends to be an important guest to avoid capture. Pamela reveals Hannay to the police and he is subsequently captured. The police request that Pamela join them in the police car, where they handcuff her to Hannay to keep him from escaping.

Thanks to a herd of sheep blocking the road, Hannay manages to escape, dragging Pamela along with him.

After a lengthy chase scene, the two come across a small hotel where they decide to spend the night.

The sexual tension builds between Hannay and Pamela as they attempt to hide the handcuffs from the hotel keeper. They do this by holding hands, keeping their hands in Hannay’s coat pocket, and in one instance, cuddling in front of a fire. This tension grows further when they are forced to share a bed, leading Pamela to remove her wet stockings. As she does so, Hannay’s hand trails down each of her legs suggestively because of the handcuffs.

The 39 Steps beautifully exemplifies early instances of Hitchcock’s unique mix of suspense and romance, a trademark of his work. The film promises action, romance, and mystery.

Piecing together the past Thomas Hardy exhibition follows timeline of Hardy’s life

MARYAM RADWAN/THE MEDIUM

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is now featuring its collection on the Victorian novelist/poet.

NICOLE SCIULLI STAFF WRITER The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is currently displaying ‘Moments of Vision’: The Life and Work of Thomas Hardy. Thomas Hardy (18401928) was an English author and poet during the mid to late 1800s. Michael Millgate, a Hardy scholar and U of T professor, donated the collection to the library. The collection includes Hardy’s manuscripts, first edition novels, autographs to fans and other authors, photos, and letters. The layout of the exhibition follows a timeline of Hardy’s life.

Hardy began his career as an architect. In 1867, Hardy attempted to publish his first novel, The Poor Man and the Lady. Several publishers rejected the manuscript. However, one named George Meredith believed in Hardy’s potential, and told him to keep working on his writing. Hardy published 14 novels, including A Pair of Blue Eyes, Far from the Madding Crowd, Tess of the d’Urbervilles and The Mayor of Casterbridge. The exhibition showcases many first editions of these novels, and some reprint editions with vibrant illustrations.

In addition to the books on display,

there are also letters, photographs, and other artifacts that offer insight into Hardy’s personal life. A blueprint for Hardy’s estate, which he named Max Gate, is featured on display. Hardy designed the house himself. His brother, whose name is unknown, built it. Hardy moved into Max Gate with his wife, Emma Gifford, in 1885.

The exhibition also involves Hardy’s wives. Hardy married Gifford in 1870. Gifford’s death in 1912 inspired Hardy to publish Poetry 1912-13.

Hardy married Florence Dugdale in 1914, who was 39 years younger than him. Both women had a deep appreciation for literature. Emma wrote diaries and her own autobiography, although it was never published.

Dugdale was a writer of children’s stories, who published her first novel, The Book of Baby Birds, with Hardy’s help.

Hardy’s first commercially successful novel was Far from the Madding Crowd. It was originally published anonymously as a monthly installment in Cornhill Magazine. Far from the Madding Crowd is set in Wessex, a fictional town that appears throughout Hardy’s literature. The story follows farmer Bathsheba Everdene, including her relationships with men

and her dealings with the harsh farming backdrop of Victorian England.

Far from the Madding Crowd has been adapted into two movies and one play.

Although Hardy enjoyed writing literature, the rejection of his final two novels—critics deemed them obscene and distasteful—discouraged him from writing fiction in his later years.

In place of prose, Hardy adopted poetry. In one autograph from Hardy to George Morley, an upcoming author at the time of the autograph, Hardy comments that “literature is a precarious profession at the best of times and in average cases requires a greater expenditure of labour than any other to produce a steady income.” Though Hardy may have lost faith in his writing abilities, the public disagreed. His work was nominated twice for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Hardy is an iconic Victorian author. This collection showcases his extensive writing career and reveals his personal experiences, leaving Hardy enthusiasts with a deeper understanding of the literary icon.

‘Moments of Vision’: The Life and Work of Thomas Hardy is on display at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library until February 24.

What do you mean you’re offended?

KEENA AL-WAHAIDI STAFF WRITER

YOUTUBE.COM/PHOTO

Ted Balaker’s documentary traces the ill effects of comedy.

Why are we so sensitive? In 2016, political correctness has become a reigning force in Western society.

We’ve become hypersensitive towards anything that has the potential to offend.

With everything on the Internet, it’s only expected that people will find something that rubs them the wrong way. But when is that line crossed?

And how far is too far?

In a 2015 documentary titled Can We Take a Joke?, director Ted Balaker explores the ways in which the general public absorbs the edginess of comedians. Many comedians featured in the documentary argue that a joke is exactly that: a joke. Humour is not meant to accommodate people’s judgements. “If you’re easily offended,” says comedian Heather McDonald, “please don’t come to a comedy show.”

It seems ridiculous that society is easily offended by people who are paid to be funny. Can We Take a Joke? argues that audiences like to be offended. Having something to talk about gives people a spark.

Gilbert Gottfried, a world-renowned comedian, is entertained by society’s hypersensitivity. “When people are outraged at something, they’re also patting themselves on the back, like, ‘Hey, I’m a good person. I was outraged.’”

Society is increasingly fearful of witnessing their favourite comedians target “sensitive” subjects. Can We Take a Joke? addresses the controversy of political correctness. For this reason, the documentary stresses the importance of making fun of ourselves. Learning to take a joke is far easier than stirring up controversy.

Isn’t it time for us to accept that we’re all just as flawed as each other?

Or should we force comedians to make fake apologies for statements

they completely meant to say? At what point does this become overkill?

We can’t live our lives expecting everyone to make apologies.

Comedians who change their comedy routines to suit the interests of the audience can’t even guarantee their happiness. McDonald recalls a time she planned to perform an act about a Hispanic girl she saw on television, who “was clearly white, but spoke like she was a Latina gang member.” The producers were against the idea and wanted McDonald to portray someone less controversial. McDonald’s act was still there, but the humour was lost.

Can We Take a Joke? relies on society’s failure to embrace blunt comedy. Although comedy isn’t always conventional, it’s supposed to make us laugh. Comedians are risk-takers.

They find the line and deliberately cross it. After that, it’s up to us how we choose to react.

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11.21.2016

Coping with a loved one’s illness Constable El-Rifai shares how his father’s illnesses pushed him physically and mentally MOTASEM SULEIMAN

I climb up the stairs of the Davis building and make my way to UTM’s Campus Police office. Through the window, I see Constable Tareq ElRifai waiting for our interview.

As we settle down into our seats, El-Rifai pulls a coin from his wallet, tosses it in the air, and lets it fall onto the table. He tells me that the coin, inscribed with “1943”, was produced the same year that his father was born. The girl who gave the coin to El-Rifai was born in Safad, Palestine, where his father was born.

This introduction leads into the story of his father.

“Three years ago, my dad suffered from several neurological conditions, like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. My dad went through extreme phases of different moods. He would question us and ask who we were,” El-Rifai said. “A year later, my dad entered the phase of paralysis. He could not move his legs or walk anymore. I decided to take the responsibility for my dad and abandoned my life. I catered for him with my mother and created a bond with

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Constable Tareq El-Rifai is currently a member of UTM’s Campus Police office. my mom like no other.”

“I fed him with my hands, lifted him to the bathroom for showers and other purposes, and learned how to administer his medications,” he continued. “I embraced him with hugs and kisses every night, even though sometimes he didn’t recognize who I was. At this point, I felt like I became the father.”

El-Rifai recalled how his friends urged him to send his father to a care facility. “They told me that they will take care of him, cater to him, and serve his needs. They would ask, ‘Why are you taking the time to help him out? Free yourself from stress and get your life back, it’s your life.’”

El-Rifai refused to send his father anywhere.

“He’s my dad. He never put me down, he made sure that I had anything I needed,” El-Rifai said. “He worked very hard just to keep everybody happy. As long as there’s breath running through my lungs, blood circulating around my body, and a soul occupying my body, I would not send him to the senior home.”

“I cared for my dad because I didn’t

want anybody to treat him badly in those senior homes. I preserved his honour and dignity by keeping him beside me,” he added.

“One night I was trying to sleep because I had work at seven in the morning. At 3:30 a.m. my dad fell off his bed. My dad was around 180 pounds,” El-Rifai said. “My mom walked up to my room and stared at me. She did not want to wake me up because she knew that I had work. But she couldn’t help but wake me up.”

She told El-Rifai that she needed his help, which he agreed to offer.

“I mentally prepared myself to carry my dad for the first time, as this was the first time he had fallen.

You know, it’s hard to see him lying down on the floor and not being able to stand up by himself,” El-Rifai said.

Though, after several attempts, ElRifai still had trouble lifting his father. “I weighed 260 pounds, and my waist’s circumference was 42 inches. I used to smoke frequently and eat junk foods. I didn’t care about my health or how I looked. I had no desire to be fit or muscular.”

El-Rifai continued on page 10

Syrians and students trade languages U of T’s NMC-CESI holds weekly workshops to provide Syrian newcomers with educational resources AMIRA ABOZAID Every Saturday, at the U of T St. George campus, workshops are organized by the Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations - Cultural Exchange and Support Initiative, which is a volunteer effort started by a group of students and faculty at the U of T NMC department.

Since February 2015, this initiative provides newcomer Syrian youth with educational resources to help with their language acquisition, assist those willing to continue their education, and allow them to mingle with Canadian society through an engaging cultural exchange program.

It all started at the Plaza hotel in Toronto, where many refugees stayed upon their arrival. Last January, Rasha Elendari, the president and co-founder of NMC-CESI, reached out to Syrian youth living there, and informed them about the program. From there it grew.

The workshop takes place every Saturday from 12:00 p.m to 3:00 p.m., where co-founders Elendari and Rob Martin, and their team consisting of volunteers who may

AIMEN ALI/THE MEDIUM

Since February 2015, the NMC-CESI has been holding weekly workshops for Syrian newcomers. be fluent Arabic speakers or those interested in learning Arabic, meet the Syrian youth with a script. The script acts as a dialogue that undergoes translation from both the Syrian youth and non-Arabic-speaking volunteers, acting as an exchange of knowledge of their fluently-spoken language. Those who are fluent

Arabic speakers with a different dialect than the Syrian one have the chance to learn a new dialect.

The script is not just a dialogue to help both the volunteers and Syrian youth get the hang of the English and Arabic languages. The script also serves as a gateway to help the Syrian refugees understand what it’s

like to live in a Canadian society.

One of the scripts focuses on Canadian law, which is not only a great way to help them understand the rules of the country, but also explain their rights to them.

Last week, the workshop’s script focused on colleges and universities. The dialogue allowed Syr-

ian newcomers to understand that there are two types of students in post-secondary education: parttime students, and full-time students. The main idea behind this dialogue was to help them understand that studying and working are manageable if you become a parttime student.

While this is a great initiative created to help Syrian refugees feel welcome, it has also created a family.

I found that attending the workshop was more like being invited to a multi-cultural full house. Elendari is the leader of the family. She isn’t just there to make sure every Syrian newcomer is seated with a group of volunteers and a script in hand, but also ensures that they’re learning.

Following studying, activities are held, ending with a dish prepared by one of the Syrian learners, as well as the Dabake dance.

Not only has the program had several Syrian “graduates”—which helped them find jobs and support themselves—but these graduates have returned as teachers to help other newcomers.

11.21.2016 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

ECSpeRT hosts “Project X” MIXER Last weekend, ECSpeRT hosted the 2016 MIXER event, including several workshops and scenarios FARAH QAISER FEATURES EDITOR Last week, the Erindale College Special Response Team hosted the annual MIXER event, where multiple Campus Emergency Response Teams were invited to take part in workshops and scenarios scattered around the UTM campus.

The Association of Campus Response Teams is a volunteer-based association which promotes communication and development between existing CERTs in North America.

As a part of ACERT’s mandate to encourage unity and leadership, the association hosts two annual conferences: NCCER and MIXER. However, these conferences are hosted by individual CERTs. When applying to host a conference, proposals need to consider physical resources (such as rooms, catering options, and local leisure activities) and logistics.

“Schools apply to ACERT to host, and they choose the best host,” explains Meadow Libby, a fourth-year forensic anthropology specialist and psychology minor. “This year, we were chosen. This is the first time ECSpeRT has ever hosted a conference.”

Incidentally, this is also the first time that ECSpeRT has ever applied to host an ACERT event.

CHEN GONG/THE MEDIUM

Last weekend, 12 different campus response teams attended the MIXER event.

“It’s a ton of planning before you even get confirmed as a host,” says Libby.

This year, the MIXER theme was “Project X,” inspired by real-life incidents that occurred during a party in Australia.

“We wanted to keep the theme to something that was applicable to what campus response teams do.

There’s been themes in the past. The last MIXER had a mass casualty sce-

nario with a plane crash. There’s been zombie apocalypse themes. But we wanted to do something that was really applicable,” says Libby. “All universities have residences, and all residences have parties. Substance abuse, sexual assault, and mental health emergencies are all things that we would frequently encounter in our age group, and the most popular demographic that we deal with are university-age students.”

According to Libby, 12 different campus response teams attended the MIXER event, with an approximate total of 150 participants.

This year’s MIXER event involved several workshops, such as “Embracing the inner zombies of your response team,” facilitated by Augusto da Silva, a former member of the St. John Ambulance organization, “Toke, Toke, Pass: Party Drugs and the First Responder,” facilitated by Mike

Thomas, which focused on drugs and the resulting symptoms that are likely to be encountered by campus responders, and “Sleeping like a rock: the undifferentiated patient,” facilitated by Jeff Bilyk, a Full-time Land and Casual Flight Paramedic in Southwest Ontario. The event also included a banquet, the Annual General Meeting, 14 different scenarios (including a mass casualty scenario), and a competition.

On Sunday, one of the mass casualty scenarios involved a party gone horribly wrong. The party-goers had injuries such as bruises, open wounds, and slit wrists. The extreme cases involved individuals with severed hands and a young lady who had just gone into labour. Campus response teams then entered the scenario and were judged on the basis of their responses. Based on the teams’ responses in various scenarios, the CERTs were judged in an overall competition.

“What makes MIXER unique from NCCER is that you sign up with your campus response team. But we actually mix everybody up into teams,” says Libby.

“So you can meet people from all different schools, and learn how they respond and their level of training, and the different ways they run their team.”

How do you get sponsors for your club?

The “Sponsorship for Clubs” workshop featured Darryl Chow, U of T’s director of corporate relations HALEY WEST Do you have the desire to create a group or initiative that is going to feed into a passion or cause outside of school, but aren’t sure how to get started? Or perhaps you don’t think there’s a way to get the money you need to start, without first developing a stream of revenue?

Thanks to the “Sponsorship for Clubs” workshop, hosted by the Centre for Student Engagement, more student groups have gained insight in how to begin the process of acquiring sponsorship.

However, to gain sponsorship, you can’t just walk into a business and say you need $5,000. Sponsors need you to answer their needs as well.

According to Jim Tobin, the director and head of sponsorship for Scotiabank Canadian Marketing, “Sponsorship is the solution to a marketing problem. Think about how you might help to solve it.” By offering corporations the opportunity to create awareness, show community responsibility, showcase products and services, and generate sales leads, you are contributing to an integral part of the sponsorship relationship.

Sponsoring is not donating. It involves commercial incentives, either through the placement of a logo or a product. A donation is where there is no reciprocation of any kind, while a

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Last week, the Centre for Student Engagement hosted a “Sponsorship for Clubs” workshop. sponsor is looking to gain access to a wider audience, and connect with people they don’t currently reach.

Whether that be through social media, access to a podium at an event, or linking the sponsorship back to them, thinking about how you are going to incorporate them into the event and offer a rare opportunity to help them reach their target market is crucial to framing yourself as a good investment for sponsors.

When determining who to approach about sponsorship, do the research and identify the types of companies that might be interested

in the benefits you are offering.

Don’t be afraid to make use of personal connections, but most importantly, according to Darryl Chow, the director of corporate relations at U of T, “know what you are worth.” An awareness of whether you are asking for too much, or too little, is paramount. The key is “getting the right people, at the right time, to send their message.”

Developing an action plan is next—plan being the operative word. You only have one chance to make a first impression. After doing your research, the action plan usu-

ally starts with a cold email. Amir Kharazmi, who is responsible for business development for Blue Sky Solar Racing Team, emphasizes this, saying that “everything starts with that cold email.” The aim of the email is to set up a call, the aim of the call is to set up a meeting, and the aim of a meeting is to close the deal.

Helping your targeted sponsor to understand what you are trying to achieve, and then framing it so they see why they need to be a part of such an achievement is essential to gaining sponsorship. Frank Gu, the managing director of the Blue

Sky Solar Racing Team, shares that “if you want a sustainable relationship with sponsors, there has to be something they can provide, and something we can provide in turn.”

When looking for sponsorship for any group or event, it is essential to remember that, as Chow says, “No amount of revenue should ever compromise the integrity of your institution.” It is also essential to remember that the University of Toronto has the right to refuse sponsorship from any organization that is directly or indirectly inconsistent with the university’s values.

Sponsorship doesn’t always mean asking for money, although that can be a part of it. Isha Chaudhary, a fourth-year student and the member services coordinator for ECSpeRT, says, “We’re looking for external sponsors, obviously to help fund events, but also to have items to give to the competitors, like gift bags and such. It’s the main reason we look for sponsors.”

“Offer organizations the opportunity to engage, not the opportunity to give you stuff,” advises Chow. Focus on what you offer, why you offer it, and what benefit it is to the university, students, alumni, and community. Showing exactly what one could gain by being associated with you, and then following through, is the best way to start a long-term relationship with a corporate sponsor.

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THE MEDIUM 11.21.2016

How did a Trump presidency happen?

A panel of UTM political science professors reflected on the recent U.S. presidential elections AYESHA TIRMZI On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election and became the 45th President-elect of the United States, beating Hilary Clinton by 306 electoral votes. Trump became the fourth U.S. candidate to win the Electoral College despite receiving fewer votes.

Last week, a panel consisting of UTM’s political science professors was held in order to reflect and promote a healthy discussion on what had occurred.

The panel, moderated by political science professor Ed Schatz, tackled different aspects of the election, such as analyzing the voter turnout, why people voted for Trump, Trump’s campaign rhetoric in regards to gender and race, Trump’s take on climate change, and the international and domestic implications of this election outcome.

Professor Randy Besco stated quite candidly that the election was so typical and standard when compared to the past U.S. elections that no one should have been surprised by the results. Almost all the Republicans voted for the Republican candidate and vice-versa for the Democrats.

And yet the reality is that we were all caught off-guard.

The reason behind such a paradox was not the election itself, but the

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Last Monday, the panel discussed different aspects of the presidential election. candidates running. Trump was a unique candidate: he had never held political office before, declared bankruptcy several times, had no policy agenda, and was the first Republican candidate that was not endorsed by any of the previous living Republican presidents (which is unprecedented in U.S. election history).

As for why Trump won the elections, the panel stated that the turnout for white, working-class voters was higher than usual. This demographic refers largely to individuals in the service industry, who often do not have college degrees and had lost their jobs due to a decline in the rate of manufacturing in America. What was different about this election

was that Trump energized parts of white, working-class Americans that other elections did not. In comparison, the number of voting AfricanAmericans declined this time, while the exact number of voting LatinoAmericans has currently not been agreed upon.

The deeper motivation behind voting for Trump, all the panelists reiterated, was that he appealed to economic anxiety present within the working-class, by offering them jobs they had lost. An interesting facet of Trump’s appeal was that it contained an element of nostalgia. The working-class people who voted for him were not all from low socio-economic backgrounds, but those who used

to be better off than they were now.

Trump’s appeal was based on “how things used to be,” as he promised to bring those elements back into their lives that were stolen by “others.”

Professor Erin Tolley mentioned that there was a lot of talk about gender in positive terms by the possibility of the first female U.S. president.

But gender was also talked about in a negative manner with Trump’s misogynistic remarks, fat shaming, and sexual scandals.

But when we look at the election results, race seemed to matter much more than gender in the end. Overall, Clinton did win a majority of the women’s vote, but a demographic breakdown shows that she did not

attract a majority of the white women’s vote—many supported Trump due to their partisan-identification with the Republicans. So, what we saw in the results was that partisanship and race were a much more salient factor for the female voters as compared to gender. A message that we get from Trump’s victory is how women who voted for Trump prefer a maintenance of traditional gender roles—there’s a discomfort in seeing a woman in the White House. Tolley further stated that this election proved that when both male and female candidates exhibit similar behavior, while both candidates do get punished, the female candidate tends to be punished more severely by voters.

Professor Mark Lippincott remarked on some of the issues within the Trump campaign, where the most serious was the extent of lying that had taken place. On November 2, the Washington Post-ABC News Tracking Poll found that on the issue of honesty, the American population viewed Trump as the more honest candidate by eight points more than Clinton. Having said that, in the previous seven weeks, one fact-checker found 490 lies issued by the Trump campaign.

The remainder of this article can be found online on The Medium’s website.

El-Rifai trained Entrepreneurship 101 El-Rifai continued from page 8 “I shed tears with my mom. Can you imagine not being able to lift your dad when he most needs your help?” ElRifai continued. “My dad looked at us. He asked me who I was and why I was crying. He looked at my mom and started crying.”

It was through this experience that El-Rifai began to turn his life around and devote more time to getting fit and healthy.

“I jogged to a GoodLife gym in Richmond Hill Market. I spent an hour and a half on the treadmill. In four months I lost most of my weight and gained giant muscles,” El-Rifiai said.

“I learned how to lift. I took what I learned and repeated it. I set new limits for myself. Music fueled my emotions to lift heavy weights, especially the song ‘Shake Me Down’ by Cage the Elephant. It was my dad’s favourite song,” he continued.

The guilt of not being able to help his father that night caused El-Rifai to grow emotional during his workouts.

“I couldn’t forgive myself. I even tattooed my indexes with a tear on each one.” El-Rifai then revealed the tattoos on his hands: a green tear on the index of each finger.

On October 9, 2014, El-Rifai attempted to wake his father. When he wasn’t responding, a call to the police was made.

“I collapsed on his bed. I placed his head on my lap. After two minutes,

the police arrived. I accompanied him to the hospital,” El-Rifai said.

“After one hour, the doctor allowed me and my mom to enter the room.

I gently lifted his head onto my chest and kissed him on the cheeks. I whispered, ‘Dad, I know you can hear me.

I love you. Mom also loves you. Thank you for bringing us to Canada. I will take care of your daughters and your wife, and everything will be okay.’”

“I shed tears with my mom. Can you imagine not being able to lift your dad when he most needs your help?”

— Tareq El-Rifai El-Rifai’s mother sat by the bedside the entire time. “Suddenly, my mom received a message from my sister.

She sent us a picture of her newborn baby,” El-Rifai said. “My mom opened my father’s eyelids and told him, “Look, it’s Ameera, your recent granddaughter.”

It was then that El-Rifai’s father passed away.

“I heard the angel of death knocking on the door,” El-Rifai said. “He claimed my dad’s soul and ended his journey.”

As I left the office I thought about how lucky the students of UTM are to have campus police who are both brave on the field and at home.

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Last Thursday, U of T’s Impact Centre held the first “Entrepreneurship 100: Conversation” event.

DEVANSHI ADHVARYU

On Thursday November 17, U of T’s Impact Centre held the first “Entrepreneurship 100: Conversation”— the first of a tri-event. In an interview with The Medium, Leo Mui, the manager of the Entrepreneurship Initiative section of the Impact Centre, said, “This is the first time this iteration of the event has been held.”

According to Mui, the event had an average of 300 attendees.

“Entrepreneurship events have been held a lot, but this is a brandnew format, as we’re going to have

a lot of audience participation by asking the audience questions,” said Mui. So what does it take to become an entrepreneur? Mui says that you must first take interest in what you want to do and you must be flexible to change.

When pursing a high-risk task, being faced with adversity is likely.

James Standen, founder of nModal, says that “failure is only scary if you are doing something that isn’t difficult.”

Entrepreneurship is unique because you have a chance of creating something that is completely your

own. On this topic, Mia Andrews, the founder of Manjya, says, “No one can replicate your drive. No one can replicate your personality.”

The common theme in the event’s panel was the emphasis on the individual’s passion and drive. While becoming an entrepreneur requires a significant amount of effort, facing challenges with an open mind is crucial to succeed.

“Entrepreneurship 100” will hold its second event on November 24, where panelists will discuss where they get their ideas from. The last event, held on December 1, will discuss implementing those ideas.

11.21.2016

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Led through strong communication UTM women’s volleyball loses to St. George Red 2-1, but there’s hope going forward ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR Tamara Scepanovic, a second-year UTM Life Science student is not only an athletic and dynamic setter for the UTM women’s D-League volleyball team, but she’s also a strong leader with a great attitude.

Even though the women lost to the St. George Red 2-1, there’s lots to look forward to for the next half of the season.

Scepanovic, who led all players with 15 set assists, takes her leadership responsibilities seriously. To her, it’s enjoyable leading a group of women who have “an especially good line of communication.” To be a good team, you have to have open lines of communication and be willing to express yourself with a loud voice and confidence. From the sidelines, it’s obvious the women have great comraderies and leader.

Standing strong in front of the net, Scepanovic keeps a keen eye on every movement of the ball, preparing for the action to come

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Tamara Scepanovic attempts to block a shot during an intense rally. her way. “I touch every ball, and mediate between the passer and the hitter.” She adds that “there has to be a take charge mentality.”

Scepanovic is a player committed to winning every battle; she dives

and puts herself in harm’s way, knowing how crucial it is to win every point.

UTM managed to keep the score close in every set (25-23, 22-25, 17-25). In the second, St. George’s

number 17, Kelsey Fuchs, gave UTM all they could handle with her serves, allowing her team to score on multiple occasions, thanks to the spin and strength she put on the ball. UTM’s Zoe

Wright led all players with eight attack kills, while Jessica Maltese was a significant attacking player, helping her UTM squad with one attack ace. Dina Ceren for the St. George Red was a tough opponent to manage, scoring three attack kills, 13 set assists, and adding one block.

Having lost some veteran players in the off-season, the women are doing the best they can with the new faces they have on the court and bench. “We’re only halfway into the season, and the games that we’ve been losing we haven’t been losing too badly. The scoresheet doesn’t dictate how strong we really are,” says Scepanovic.

“Going forward, we have to keep fighting,” Scepanovic says. All the pieces are there to create a successful team—all they have to do is keep learning and battle with the same mentality.

Come out and watch the women play next Sunday, November 27 at UTM. Witness the first serve at 1 p.m. against UTSG Black.

Playing defensive ball Jiu-Jitsu saved UTM men’s volleyball team loses 2-1 to St. George Red Fonseca’s life KEVIN DANG

Patrick Bilas and his teammates concentrate on their opponents.

ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR Patrick Bilas, a fourth-year geography student here at UTM, is a great defensive asset for the UTM men’s D-league volleyball team. Bilas stands tall in the backcourt, and uses his body length and athleticism to keep his team alive in sets.

Even though the men lost to the St. George Red 2-1 on Sunday, November 20, Bilas believes his team could beat them in a rematch.

Bilas, who has two attack kills and two blocks, has a good under-

standing of the game and sees the court through a coach’s lens. “We hustled hard towards the end after our rough start. We just need to go back to basics for our next game and look forward. It was great having our bench come out and win us a set at the end. We’re disappointed we didn’t play as good as we thought we could,” says Bilas.

“Our strategy is more left-sidemiddle, so I have to put in a defensive effort. I have to cover all the holes and work hard to ensure there are no open spots on my side.

Then I try my best to block the

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spike,” says Bilas.

Even though the men have a losing record, they’ve had some bad luck losing close matches that could have easily gone in their favour instead. “We’re up there for sure, we’re at the calibre. We haven’t seen St. George Black, but we feel like we’re up there and we have a chance. We work hard, and we practice hard, we have a good coach, team, and lots of potential.

Compared to past years, we’re doing well,” says Bilas.

D-league continued on page 12

Nuno Fonseca, a strength and conditioning coach who has taught at many Mississauga schools, such as Meadowvale and Streetsville Secondary, is passionate about teaching Jiu-Jitsu to youth. Fonseca’s primary goal is to keep kids off the streets in hopes they don’t follow the same path that he took in his youth.

Fonseca moved from Portugal to Toronto when he was one year old.

His father worked construction in northern Ontario, so he was raised by his mother and sister. During his childhood, Fonseca faced bullying day in and day out. “The area where I lived in, man, the violence, the gangs, and drugs. These people would beat you up and steal anything—your shoes, your cell phone.

I was bullied immensely. I was bullied at school every day. I was bullied to the point where I skipped class, and one time, I skipped like 15 days in one month.”

To counter the bullying, Fonseca needed to join a group of friends to feel a part of something. Unfortunately, he joined the wrong group.

“It became a negative lifestyle when

gangs and drugs ensued.”

Soon the drug intake gained a toll on him and his loved ones. “Nobody knew about it, not even my girlfriend, until one day I confessed it to her. She gave me an ultimatum.

Quit coke and go to therapy, or get out.” So Fonesca got his act together and chose to go to therapy.

After two years of psychotherapy, Fonseca developed a mindset that allowed him to adopt healthy life choices. He found leadership and positivity through Brazilian JiuJitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing at Xtreme Couture MMA gym. Since 2008, Fonseca has been making JiuJitsu bigger than himself, and used it as a way to educate youth on the horrors that one can adopt by getting involved with the wrong crowd.

“The school board is telling me that they love what I do, the teachers are telling me that I’m doing a good job, and my students tell me how much they love it.”

Fonseca continues to reach out and educate the youth. He doesn’t want to just enhance their athletic abilities; he wants to push them to have positive mindsets in order to help them in the future.

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«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 11.21.2016

Bilas blocks the spike D-league continued from page 11

Bilas takes pride in playing defence, because as seen in many professional leagues, championship teams win based off the strength of their defence. “We have to have good starts and stick to our game plan. We also have to execute and pass well, and just play good defence, because defence wins games,” says Bilas.

We hustled hard after a rough start. We just need to go back to basics for our next game and look forward.

The second set of the match was filled with intense excitement as both teams went back and forth fighting for the winning point.

UTSG Red was the more powerful team in the end, taking the set with a strong smash from starter Sitan Wong.

UTM’s player of the game surely went to number three, Sean Leschak Klugman, who tallied nine set assists, two service aces, and three blocks.

With more than half the season left and plenty of time to make up ground in the standings, the men focus on getting better each and every day. The team members’ greatest strength is that they don’t give up on one another, and push each other harder each and every practice, “because we want to succeed together,” says Bilas.

Come out and support the men next Sunday as they battle the UTSG Black in the RAWC at 1 p.m.

The Eagles play their last game next weekend until students return from winter break, where action will pick back up January 15.

Kicking up the cardio Bootcamp class at UTM is one way to boost your cardio

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Bootcamp classes take place Wednesdays 11:10-12 p.m. in the UTM dance studio.

DEVANSHI ADHVARYU At this point of the semester, assignments, midterms, and exams are all piling on top of each other. The question is, how does one cope with the stress that lingers even after the tasks are completed? The answer is a simple one. Get your body moving and release those endorphins.

Working out not only helps relieve stress but also boosts memory. The Huffington Post states, “Regular physical activity boosts memory and ability to learn new things.” It is clear to see that exercising is a better alternative than chugging that venti cup of coffee right before a major due date.

The RAWC offers many free programs that help students engage in an active lifestyle. One in particular is the boot camp that happens every Wednesday.

In the boot camp, each circuit consists of 30 to 60 minute intervals of high-intensity workout, and then a 30-second break.

Ayah Abdeldayem, a fourth-year biology for health sciences and chemistry double major and instructor for the boot camp says, “When we’re talking about physical activity, it has been proven that students who participate in physical activity actually have higher GPAs than those who don’t. It also helps with feeling awake.”

“It doesn’t have to be an intense workout; it could just be getting your body moving, and it helps keep your body refreshed and your mind more alert,” Abdeldayem adds. “Other than that, there are obviously physical benefits, like improvements in cardiovascular health.”

By the end of the boot camp, you’re sure to be wiped, but the cognitive and

physical benefits are rewards that even hours of studying can’t achieve.

Students can recreate a bootcamplike circuit at home or in the UTM athletic facilities. Engage in exercises such as jump rope­—the exercise works your thighs, calves, and shoulders, and is a great way to maintain a good cardiovascular system. Incorporating air squats into your workout routine is a great habit. The exercise will work your glutes and thighs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides. Keep your back straight and squat down by bending both your knees and dropping your hips, as if you’re sitting in a chair. Bend your legs to about 90 degrees, then slowly return to starting position.

Whatever your physical activity wishes or needs are, there is always opportunity and knowledge available in the training facilities.