Vol 43 issue 24

Vandalism in Davis elevator

Keep your curiosity

UTM’s artists on display

Our 2017 Valedictorian

The final hurrah for UTM Soccer

News, page 2

Opinion, page 6

Arts, page 9

Features, page 12

Sports, page 15

A year in review: UTMSU’s platform After one year in office, Unite UTM talks what platform points were achieved and what’s in progress

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Among Unite UTM’s platform points was to return each executive’s salaries if they do not work toward all their platform points by the end of their term in office.

ALICIA BOATTO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR Last year, Unite UTM was elected in what was considered historic UTMSU elections with four teams and two independents. One of the victorious slate’s main promises was that they would return their salaries to students if they do not work toward their platform points. A year after, The Medium spoke to each of the five elected executives and received a response from four, who addressed what the union has achieved, what’s in progress, and what couldn’t work.

During the 2016 Spring UTMSU elections, the current union, running as Unite UTM, pledged to donate their salaries if their campaign promises were not met.

Some of the team’s promises included working toward a grade forgiveness policy; free post-secondary education for all students; eliminating the $35 exam remark fee; lobbying for a minimum $15 minimum wage across campus; reforming governance at UTM; creating a Nap Room; a heated bus-shelter at IB, Deerfield and Hart House; free men-

struation products on campus; study space expansion; cheaper, healthier and expanded food options on campus.

The Medium received responses from four out of the five elected representatives.

“We promised that we would give our salaries back if we did not work towards accomplishing everything on our social contract,” Nour Alideeb, president of the UTMSU, wrote in an email to The Medium. “We stand by our promise and we’re very proud to say that we genuinely worked towards accomplishing everything that we set to do, and the year has yet to be finished.”

Alideeb recapped the promises her team has achieved throughout their term such as free feminine hygiene products across campus bathrooms, removing the $35 exam remark fee, and implementing a Nap Room in the Student Centre.

GTA U-PASS Another promise made by the team was to establish a GTA wide UPass. Whereas the GTA U-Pass was not achieved, according to Alideeb, the union has successfully lobbied for it. She further elaborated that UTMSU engaged in negotiations

with Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency.

“Over the past year, we were the first students’ union to meet and lobby for the GTA U-Pass with Metrolinx (the provincial transit agency).

They said they were open to seeing this project happen, and would require statistics and detail to determining fares and working with municipal transit authorities. From their direction, we came up with a survey, with support from MiWay, that can account for where students are commuting from and what respective transit systems they use,” wrote Alideeb.

“The work going forward highlights that it is a multi-year project that requires careful analysis and strategic lobbying of municipal governments and the Ontario Government for funding, direction and assistance.”

While Alideeb credited her team’s work with Metrolinx, VP Internal Jackie Zhao wrote to The Medium regarding the difficulties the GTA UPass presented.

“My team and I have accomplished each of the Internal campaign points except a GTA U-pass,” he wrote. “As we’ve mentioned before, we have worked extensively on the GTA U-

Pass, as we’ve been collecting data and are the first and only group to be speaking with Metrolinx and MiWay about a GTA U-Pass.”

“The GTA U-Pass is still in progress, along with the Student Centre expansion, but there’s also a progressive plan that I hope next year’s team will be continuing to fulfill, unless they have an even better one to work with,” Zhao continued.

Zhao also credited the addition of more locker spaces, a bursary for international students, an emergency food plan fund, and increased club funding as his achievements while in office.

The Medium reached out to Zhao on Sunday for further details on the bursary and the food plan fund, but received no response, as of press time.

FREE TUITION The team had also campaigned to either lower or establish free tuition fees. As previously reported by The Medium, Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne said that free Ontario tuition was not feasible. She had explained that free tuition would restrict access to post-secondary education, as the government would have to come up with more money to afford the free

education.

Alideeb had told The Medium then that she was not pleased with premier Wynne’s response, and that the “Fight the Fees” campaign had statistics which supported their cause. Alideeb recited the union’s actions this year in regards to free tuition.

“I wish we could have achieved free tuition for all. I think we really shook up the place with our first Day of Action in four years; we set the tone across the country that students in Canada want free tuition for all, and that it is actually possible,” wrote Alideeb. “Instead of free tuition, my team was able to remove unnecessary fees like the $35 exam remark fee, we implemented free menstrual products in all washrooms across campus, and we’re currently working on removing the $15 exam reproduction fee.”

FOOD OPTIONS The group had promised to expand food locations, which Alideeb credits as a success with the inclusions of Chatime in the Blind Duck Pub, as well as Fusion 5 in the Temporary Food Court in Davis, and Bento Sushi in the Instruction Centre.

UTMSU continued on page 2

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 03.27.2017

UTMSU executives address their platform points UTMSU continued from cover As reported on September 12, UTM’s director of hospitality and retail services, Vicky Jezierski had stated to The Medium that consultations took place with students in the form of a survey back in 2011, right before TFC and IB were built. Jezierski had added then that a Student Advisory Committee was also set up, open houses were held, and consultations resumed with the Residence Student Council, the Graduates Council, and UTMSU. “UTMSU has taken active involvement in committees with the administration to discuss food options on campus,” wrote Alideeb. “We know that Davis will be gutted in the upcoming months to make room for a new and improved food court with a variety of options, so stay tuned for that.”

HEATED BUS SHELTERS UTMSU’s VP external, Marise Hopkins, added in an email to The Medium that the university plans on expanding the Temporary Food Court in Davis to include new food options, including Thai Express. Hopkins explained that UTMSU also tried to lobby the university for including a Popeyes as well, but Popeyes was not on the top ten foods that students demanded when completing a campus survey.

Among the other platform points for Hopkins were heated bus shelters at the Instruction Centre and Hart House, sponsoring two World University Service of Canada students, and OHIP for international students.

Hopkins commented on her progress

ANUM SYED/THE MEDIUM

An Equity Service Centre was originally scheduled to open in February but it remains closed. for these points.

“As VP external, we lobbied the administration to install video surveillance for the shuttle bus stops at both Hart House and the IB building,” wrote Hopkins. “Initially we wanted them to install a heated bus shelter there, but due to lack of space and accessibility in that area, it was not physically possible.”

Hopkins conceded that the union is still working on the health care for international students. She also stated that she has recently been working on a relief project pertaining to the East African drought, where she hopes to set the ground for next year’s executive team to continue from.

“We ran into difficulty when trying to secure commitment from the administration to sponsor two WUSC students,” said Hopkins. “Some priorities were long-term goals, like achieving free education, securing

Swastika signs in Davis elevator FARHAT AMINI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Two swastika signs in the Davis freight elevator were removed by UTM’s Campus Police after being reported on March 10 by a university staff member.

According to the manager of the campus police services, Robert Messacar, in an interview with The Medium, the two swastikas were each around two inches in height. He conceded that the incident was not made public because students do not use the freight elevator.

“It was an area that’s not generally utilized by our community members and we’re looking at it as a one-of-akind incident at this point,” he said.

“Unfortunately these [incidents] pop their head up every once in a while.

It’s the first one we had in quite a while […]. I believe it’s the first one we’ve had in 10 months or a year.”

As previously reported by The Medium, there has been comments promoting rape culture in the Student Centre’s male washroom back in February last year.

Messacar thought that the lack of frequent vandalism incidents on campus show that the campus is rela-

tively safe.

“I think it says that our community is still very safe. The fact that these very rarely happen, I think speaks volumes for our community,” said Messacar. “What we keep saying is that unfortunately we are not immune to influences that go on everywhere in the world.”

“We are very proud of our diverse community here at UTM […],”added Jane Stirling, UTM’s director of marketing and communications. “But we want to do everything we can to make sure that the students are supported, the faculty and staff—our community feels welcome here [and supported] and that any incidents like this are dealt with immediately, directly, and appropriately.”

Stirling also explained that if students or staff are affected by incidents such as these ones, the Equity and Diversity Office is open for support.

The situation is currently still part of an open investigation, and community members are encouraged to inform campus police regarding any information they might have, according to Messacar. The case has also been reported to the Peel Police and is being treated as “a hate-bias incident.”

OHIP for international students. Still, we brought a lot of awareness to the issues and look forward to next year’s team continuing the work.”

VP UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS Vanessa Demello, the VP of university affairs and academics also wrote to The Medium to discuss the projects completed while in office.

“As VP university affairs and academics, I have worked towards achieving all of my campaign points by working with students through commissions and ministries (before they were phased out), the Office of the Registrar, and the greater UTM Administration and Community,” Demello wrote.

Three new commissions were introduced to replace UTMSU’s nine ministries this year, including the Ministry of International Students, Ministry of Student Services, Minis-

try of Education and Outreach, Ministry of Student Life, Ministry of University Affairs & Academics, and the Ministry of Social Justice. The new commissions were Campaigns and Advocacy, Student Life, and Student Services.

“Certain goals may be perceived as difficult to achieve due to things that need to go through the U of T governance process or have been worked on but not achieved since they are long term goals,” Demello continued.

“From my understanding, the incoming UTMSU executives plan on continuing the work that was started this year and are striving for even more.”

Demello also reiterated the removal of the exam remark fee and the establishment of co-op at UTM and the implementation of the anti-calendar.

The Medium reached out to her for further details on the co-ops at UTM, but received no response, as of press

time.

UTMSU’s spring election results for the 2017-2018 academic year were ratified last Tuesday at the union’s board meeting. Fresh UTM slate had swept the elections against UTM First. Alideeb and Demello had taken a leave of absence and were the campaign managers of the victorious slate.

Both Alideeb and Demello stressed that although results for some projects have not been achieved this year, some are still currently in progress and going through administration approval.

“We are currently working to create a UTMSU syllabus and are waiting for approval to move the Cr/NCR deadline to the Last Day of Classes,” wrote Demello, adding that the union has also conducted a survey with students to see their course preferences during the Summer session, and has accordingly sent the survey results to the administration and governing bodies.

“As for study spaces, the university will be starting renovations in Davis very shortly, which will see a massive increase in study/lounge space,” Demelllo added. “North Phase 2 will also have an adequate amount of study space to satisfy our ever growing population here at UTM.” Promises made by the rest of the executive team included providing heated bus shelters at Deerfield and IB, lobbying toward OHIP for international students, and getting more locker spaces around campus.

The Medium reached out multiple times to UTMSU’s VP equity Maleeha Baig, but did not receive a response, as of press time.

03.27.2017 THE MEDIUM NEWS

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The platform points of Unite UTM

Nour Alideeb – President

Jackie Zhao – VP Internal and services

1) A grade forgiveness policy

1) Emergency food plan fund

2) Creating a Nap Room

2) More locker spaces on campus

3) Free Post-secondary education for all students

3) International Student Bursary

4) Establishing a Mentorship program for first-year and upper-year students 5) Fighting against rising fees: Tuition Incidental and Ancillary 6) Lobbying for $15 minimum wage on campus

4) Sustainable green products for clubs and societies 5) Establish a GTA U-Pass 6) Introduce Summer Club Space Allocation 7) Increase club funding 8) Multi-lingual UTMSU Newsletter

Maleeha Baig - VP equity

Marise Hopkins – VP external

1) Combat sexism, misogyny, and build consent culture on campus

1) Heated bus shelter at IB, Deerfield, and Hart House

2) Lobby for Racialized and Indigenous Counsellors, Mental Health

2) Lobby for cheaper, healthier, and expanded food options on campus

3) More diverse destressor programming

3) Combat xenophobia through the WUSC program

4) Combat Islamophobia, Racism, Homophobia, and all systemic forms of oppression

4) Challenge anti-blackness on campus

5) Establish Task Force on Multifaith Space

5) Lobby for OHIP for international students and more international student services/support

6) Establishing an Equity Service Centre 7) Free hygiene products on campus 8) Equity/Indigenous Breadth Requirement

Vanessa Demello – VP university affairs and academics 1) Improving mental health services, debunking myths, and monthly pro gramming 2) Work towards eliminating AV costs for clubs and societies 3) Work towards eliminating Registrar fees, deferral, exam review fees 4) Expanded summer course options 5) Reform of Academic accommodation processes 6) Study space expansion

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 03.27.2017

Sexual assault posters removed U of T takes down posters amid concerns of policy breach

March 16th, 2017.

Alarm.

The fire alarm for the Davis building was activated. The cause of the alarm was found and repairs were conducted.

March 16th, 2017.

Trespass to Property Act. An unknown male used someone else’s T-card to enter the gym facilities.

March 20th, 2017.

Police Assistance.

UTM staff reported fraudulent use of a U-pass. Campus Police identified

and cautioned the user of the fraudulent U-Pass.

March 21st, 2017.

Police Assistance.

A lost and found T-card and U-Pass were reported to Campus Police. The Tcard had been altered. Campus Police is investigating.

March 21st, 2017.

Mischief.

Campus Police were advised of mischief in regards to lab equipment.

Campus Police is investigating.

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

FACEBOOK.COM/SIVXUOFT/PHOTO

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

Harassment reports during elections ALICIA BOATTO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR At the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union’s board meeting last Tuesday, the chief returning officer, Sahab Jesuthasan, stated that there have been several claims of harassment made against one the running candidates in the union’s Spring elections.

The names involved in the harassment were withheld for confidentiality. The CRO stated that there was neither a definitive procedure for dealing with harassment accusations in the Election Procedure Code, nor was there a clear outline of how many demerit points should be issued if harassment claims were made.

Some operation issues with the T-Card scanners also occurred on March 8, the first day of the voting period, at the polling stations. The scanner delays caused the voting polls to open at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. As a result, there were many “double-envelopes,” according to the CRO. The Medium reached out to the CRO for further clarification on the “double-envelopes” and the scanner issues, but did not receive a response as of press time.

The CRO commented at the meeting that he was obligated to post all reports of misdemeanor on the Wall of Transparency, which is made to update students on the demerit points for each team. However, Jesuthasan chose to withhold this information due to the “unclear protocol” and the confidentiality of the complainants.

As previously reported by The Medium, the Wall of Transparency was last updated only on the second day of the elections. Jesuthasan admitted he was “slow” to update the wall because he became “overwhelmed” during the election period.

He also added that he got flooded with pictures of the board and points from people asking for disqualification of candidates. He therefore conceded that posting points after the election would allegedly limit such attempts to discredit candidates.

The CRO, on the other hand, credited UTMSU’s VP external and this year’s chair of the Election and Referenda Committee, Marise Hopkins, and the rest of the ERC members for their quick response to candidate appeals.

This year’s elections featured additional polling stations in the Kaneff Centre, which, according to Jesuthasan, had a high student turnout at around 200 votes. He recommended these polling stations be kept in next year’s elections.

Several amendments were suggested by Jesuthasan throughout the board meeting, including that the ERC needs to decide on a course of action if allegations are made in the future; amendment of the process to only display demerit points after the elections had taken place; and removal of the Deerfield Hall polling station due to having the lowest turnout, at only 58 votes.

UTMSU’s Spring elections ran from March 8 to 10, and concluded with the victory of the Fresh UTM slate.

Silence is Violence - University of Toronto launched a “Survivors Speak Back” campaign.

MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR

Silence is Violence – University of Toronto released their “Survivors Speak Back” campaign on March 16 in an effort to share stories from sexual assault survivors and their experiences with U of T administration. Shortly after, the university hired contractors to remove their posters across campus.

Among the many posters were, “U of T paid my rapist to live at a hotel across from my residence throughout the investigation”; “When I asked the university why they’d rehired my rapist to work with undergraduate students after finding him responsible, they said: As far as we’re concerned, the case is closed”; “My rapist was fired from his Student Life position following the attack. He was rehired to a different division of Student Life shortly after.”

“Using boxcutters and screwdrivers, U of T paid to scrape the words of survivors of #sexualviolence from the campus,” stated a tweet by Silence is Violence on March 19.

The founder of U of T’s Silence is Violence, Ellie Adekur, told The Medium in an interview that the university hired the contractors the following morning after the posters were hung. She stated that they specifically removed the sexual violence-related posters.

“The university hired contractors to come to the St. George campus specifically to remove the Silence is Violence posters,” she said,“And we only really know that because I ran into a crew of them when I was coming into my office the next morning, and I just asked them who they were and why they were only taking down the posters about sexual assault and leaving out all the other ones.”

According to U of T’s executive director of personal safety, high

risk and sexual violence prevention and support, Terry Mcquaid, in an interview with The Medium, the posters were removed because the university has a policy on areas where posters are approved, and people can only post in those approved areas.

When asked if the Silence is Violence group posted it in a nonapproved area, Mcquaid responded saying, “I’m not completely aware of that, but from my understanding, at the approved areas, all the posters are there.”

“Using boxcutters and screwdrivers, U of T paid to scrape the words of survivors of #sexualviolence from the campus,” ­— SIV tweet.

Adekur did not confirm Mcquaid’s comments. She stated to The Medium that the posters were removed from every location on campus, including the public message boards.

“We’re also currently dealing with staff removing posters from indoor message boards on campus too,” added Adekur, “I think Terri is saying what she needs to in her role, and it’s disappointing, but largely something to be expected from the University.”

The Medium also interviewed two of the participants and the organizers of the Survivors Speak Back campaign: Paylysha De Gannes and Tamsyn Riddle.

In response to the university’s removal of the posters, De Gannes stated that she’s not surprised at the move. “I also do understand the administration’s standpoint on why they did that, because it’s all about upholding reputation, so I’m not necessarily surprised,” she said.

Riddle stated that she, along with other organizers, were first “dis-

couraged” by the university’s move to take down the posters. However, she added that the campaign’s Facebook posts attracted over a thousand people interacting with them, as well as sharing and talking about the stories.

“The whole dialogue is to literally take these stories and put them all over the campus, [so that] survivors would be able to see these and understand that ‘We’re not the only ones,’” said Riddle. “And [while people are] walking around campus, they would sort of have to confront it and be able to learn about it. And it also serves as a way to be able to tell the administration what is going on.”

Among the other posters were allegations against the university for not acting enough upon the survivor’s report. Another poster addressed the Community Safety Office, alleging it wouldn’t allow one of the survivors to stay in emergency housing “after they contacted my stalker without telling me.”

The Medium reached out to Laura Bradbury, the director of the Office of Safety and High Risk, as well as Althea Blackburn-Evans, the director of U of T’s media relations, both of whom directed The Medium to Mcquaid.

Mcquaid explained that she is the one who oversees the activity of the Sexual Violence of Prevention and Support Centre in terms of supporting the conversations, and is the point of contact, since she has a role in the education prevention that is in partnership with different actors across the university.

“I can’t speak to specific cases; I certainly can speak to the desire of the university with the policy to move forward in responses and sensitive ways to meet the needs of the survivors, and […] reaching out where we know that people want to see supports, accommodation, and services,” stated Mcquaid.

Posters continued on page 5

03.27.2017 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Concerns regarding U of T Sexual Violence Policy

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5

»WHAT’S YOUR PLAN AFTER GRADUATING?

Alyssa Bartlett 4th year, CCIT & PWC

George Yang 4th year, Economics

Move to Canada and get a job at UTM/Mississauga

I’m still thinking myself.

David Han 4th year, Life sciences

Amber Cloves 4th year, CCIT & PWC

I don’t really know.

Getting my TEFL license teaching English as a 2nd language and travel to Spain or Chaina to teach English.

FACEBOOK.COM/SIVXUOFT/PHOTO

Organizers of Survivors Speak Back expressed concerns over the sexual violence policy.

Posters continued from page 4 De Gannes also addressed that the new sexual violence policy did not implement the consultations that were held in advance with the U of T community. According to her, the consultations offered a good space for different people to provide their views. However, she said that they had their drawbacks. “[…] During the entire counselling session, counsellors were on their cell phones during the entire consultation,” said De Gannes. “So if I felt that something was uncomfortable for me, I don’t know how I would feel using their support when they are being paid to be there and they couldn’t even spend two hours paying attention. They were literally on their phones the entire time.

“The consultation process was okay in itself, but upon the publication of the actual policy, it was interesting how little of what was mentioned in our consultation actually made it to the final draft,” De Gannes added. “[Although there are] terms that are well-defined or adequately defined, there were other documents the university used as a reference, so in order for you to get a full comprehension of the policy, you have to re-

fer to those other documents.”

De Gannes added that these documents did not go through the recent consultation process.

Mcquaid addressed these claims, stating that she has heard of what consultants feel not being included in the final draft of the policy. She stated that there are lots of opportunities, however, to include their opinions in other levels related to the operations of the Sexual Violence Prevention Centre.

“There’s lots of opportunities to include those thoughts in the centre operations; things like including students in the education, and provincial rollout and things like that. That’s where that information belongs,” said Mcquaid. “So we’re going to be building those partnerships with various groups who want to be involved. I think we’re so much in the right direction to have those requests mapped.”

The Survivors Speak Back campaign was ignited with a question, which Silence is Violence posted on Facebook, asking people if they have experienced sexual assault.

“We basically just said: If you’ve experienced sexual assault at the University of Toronto—or not even that, if you’ve experienced sexual as-

sault period […] in any capacity, either you chose to report or if you’re looking for academic accommodation or mental wellness, tell us what happened,” said Adekur to The Medium, in regards to how the campaign started. Within the first 24 hours following this question, the organization received around 70 responses.

Mcquaid told The Medium that she hopes the organizers of the campaign coordinate with her to work on what the survivors want and to create spaces for them to “come forward and to disclose.”

“It’s a large institution […], so collaborative relations are going to be really helpful to get this message out and make sure that on the ground, people are supported; and even for those responders who are dealing with the impact, they are given the education […] needed to get the message out, so I’m really looking forward to what work we can do together moving forward,” stated Mcquaid.

According to Adekur, the next branch of the campaign will focus on who’s responsible for what is happening at U of T, as well as what they can do to confront the university and ask for a change.

Nothing would have been the same if not for your dedication, passion, and interest. Thank you all for your outstanding work.

Thank you all for an outstanding year.

- Menna Elnaka

Amna Azhar Alaheh Amini Alicia Boatto Ayesha Tirmzi Christina Kefalas Dara Salamah Devanshi Adhvaryu Disha Patel

Eesha Hasan Ellie Leung Farah Qaiser Farhat Amini Farida Abdelmeduied Fatima Alvi Giang Tran Kassandra Hangdaan

Kayvan Aflaki Maria Cruz Noor Al-Lababidi Reem Taha Sahiba Shah Sharmeen Abedi Shveta Bhasker Ward Surour

Entrepreneurs Night hosts 14 guest speakers MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR

The UTM Entrepreneur’s Club held its first Entrepreneurs Night last Thursday at Spigel Hall in Davis, featuring 14 special guests who shared their experiences to the students in attendance.

The president of the Entrepreneurs Club, Stephen Ayeni, told The Medium that the event aimed at connecting students interested in entrepreneurship with real-life entrepreneurs and experts in the field, to help motivate them to follow their goals.

“The mission of the UTM Entrepreneur’s Club is to encourage and promote entrepreneurship here within the UTM community,” said Ayeni. “We believe that this event strongly aligned with our mission, and we are proud of the impact this event has had on our student attendees.”

Students were given a chance to engage in an activity which divided them in small groups and allowed them to go around and talk to the guests. Following the end of the night, many students stayed for almost an hour after to informally chat with the guests.

“We had nine distinguished high profile entrepreneurs present captivating, engaging, and mean-

ingful presentations to our 45 student attendees,” said Alyeni.

Some of the featured speakers included the co-founders of Flyte Socks, Hung Jean and Jeffrey Trinh; co-founders of Dash MD, Zack Fisch-Rothbart and Cory Blumenfeld; the founder and CEO of Femme Fatale Media Group Inc., Emily Lyons; the vice president of growth at 500 px, Sylvia Ng; student investor, Jacob Ennis; and MBiotech associate director, UTM professor Leigh Revers, in addition to several others.

“The event was a great success.

We are pleased to have primarily received positive feedback regarding the event from both the event attendees, and our special guests,” stated Alyeni. “We feel as though the attendees have gained much value from being in attendance at the event, and we are very proud of that.”

Alyeni explained that the club had a similar event in November 2015, which was “simply entitled UTM Entrepreneurs Night.” However, the event then only had seven high-profile special guests and 30 student attendees.

In regards to future plans, Alyeni stated that the club will continue to organize similar events, and will work toward promoting entrepreneurship within the UTM community.

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03.27.2017

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Never stop being curious One thing I’ve learned by being in this position is to always ask questions It’s fitting that one of our final articles of the year was a speech by Toronto Star reporter Daniel Day on the importance of keeping honest. His talk focused on the importance of factchecking and sticking to your guns in the face of politicians like Trump and Ford. Though, Dale’s advice stretched beyond that of the journalist.

Dale explained during his lecture that when the Toronto Star first broke news of Ford’s crack use, no one believed them. According to Dale, the paper lost of tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of subscriptions from people who refused to believe the information. He revealed that the newspaper also gets constant hate from Trump supporters (surprise, surprise).

But, Dale’s lecture reminded me of the lessons that I took away from this job and my five gruelling years on this campus. It’s strange to look back on my time here and be reminded of what this newspaper has taught me.

To be reminded of the lessons that I have taught myself. To think back on the timid doormat versus the woman now who doesn’t let opposition scare her from stating an opinion.

Looking back on my time here, The Medium has taught me a lot. Rather than drone on for pages, I figured that I would just reflect on some of the most important things that I’ve learned from being a journalist and a student at U of T. One of the biggest things I learned here was don’t let people step on you.

I think it’s part of human nature to be competitive in some areas, but there is a way to do it and a way to not.

When I first came to The Medium, there were several editors here would thought it would be appropriate to welcome me in with pretention. They showed no respect and treated me like their inferior simply because they believed that was the case. And they thought this was acceptable. The last time I checked, we were all students.

So, unless you pulled the Pope out of quicksand, don’t get it twisted— you’re not better than anyone. Suffice to say, we don’t speak.

But when I joined this paper, I took the abuse. I tried to make nice at first and even contemplated quitting, because I know that would have pleased them. I even cried. Coming straight

out of high school as the girl in the back of class with the My Chemical Romance hoodie and pounds of eyeliner, I didn’t really have a backbone.

It was difficult, but I kept going. I pushed myself past their belief that I couldn’t do it. I’m now writing my final editorial as editor-in-chief.

Similarly, my infamous controversy with UTMSFL taught me the same lesson. After our news editor had written an article on their distribution of pamphlets, I was pretty stunned to see tweets from their group wrongfully accusing me of harassing my staff. To them, our news editor “clearly agreed” with their message, and they began saying that they hoped I wasn’t giving her a hard time.

They even emailed her to ask if she was getting any flak. We then needed to issue a statement reminding people that we obviously speak for ourselves, and our news editor wrote a letter about it all.

But, this is exactly my point. You shouldn’t take that from people. Don’t let people put words in your mouth.

Don’t let them act better than you.

Don’t let them blatantly lie or mistreat you. People don’t speak for you. You speak for you.

This is something I think Dale wanted us to take away from his lecture. When you ask the tough questions and stand strong in your beliefs, you’re going to upset a lot of people.

But, it’s part of the job. If anything, it’s part of being human. But these are the things that have driven me to succeed and stand by my thoughts and decisions. There isn’t one thing that I have regretted doing this year, and I think that’s how it should be.

I also want to remind everyone that you deserve answers, which is exactly what Dale was talking about in his lecture last week. Regardless of whether or not the administration wants to talk—you deserve to hear the truth.

You pay to be here. Even to those new students coming in who will be lucky enough to ride here for free, you deserve answers. Don’t get confused when the university tells you that they’re working on something. How are they working on it? When will any news of their changes be introduced?

Why can’t they tell you anything?

They can only tell you something is “confidential” for so long before you

start to call their bluff.

Silence is Violence, as I mentioned last week, began putting up posters as part of their “Survivors Speak Back” campaign, which was promptly removed by U of T. This week, The Medium spoke to Terri Mcquiad, who oversees the activity of the Sexual Violence of Prevention and Support Centre to get her take on this. She told us, “I can’t speak to specific cases; I certainly can speak to the desire of the university with the policy to move forward in responses and sensitive ways to meet the needs of the survivors, and […] reaching out where we know that people want to see supports, accommodation, and services.”

Okay, but...the university has failed then. You can speak to the desire of the university to move forward in approaching the needs of sexual assault survivors with sensitivity. But, the university clearly hasn’t done this. If they did this then Silence and Violence wouldn’t have had to start a campaign exposing the university for their mismanagement of students. So, we didn’t get much of an answer. I understand that in this circumstance, there is the argument of confidentiality. But, there is also the argument of the university’s beloved reputation, which they wouldn’t dare tarnish.

There are holes in that statement, and as a student, you should have the right to comment on them. It’s pretty much common knowledge to the journalist that when you start to frustrate someone, you’re usually asking the right questions. Always keep that in mind.

There are still so many people, after all these years, who say that they don’t care about this paper or they don’t read us. The majority of students probably haven’t even heard of us. But, you should get involved. You don’t have to write an expose on sexual assault on campus, but at the very least you should be educated about it.

Journalists are the ones who ask the important questions for the general public. We’re the ones who ask questions that demand the truth. We ask the question that people may not even think to ask. It’s our job.

This doesn’t have to just be true of journalists, though. Stand by your convictions. Question people when they don’t answer you. Always seek to find the truth. I’m about to leave this

university and I have finally begun to understand that U of T doesn’t get to hide behind their reputation without acknowledging the students who keep them in business. These are the people who promise to serve the students. They shouldn’t be taking your money while simultaneously keeping you in the dark.

One of the last things I learned here is to be humble. As I mentioned in a previous editorial, we are not better than anyone just because we go here.

U of T proves time and time again that they are not all they’re cracked up to be. Once you start digging, you run into another wall they have placed in front of students to keep us from the answers that we deserved a long time ago. As I mentioned in this very editorial, we also don’t get to act better than anyone, period. Be kind to yourself, but don’t disrespect others in the process.

I think over the course of this year I’ve said all I needed to say. Thank you to professors like Brent Wood, Chris Koenig-Woodyard, Ira Wells, Divya Maharajh, Laurel Waterman, Daniela Janes, and Rahul Sethi for getting me through my years here. Thank you to my staff this year, who have stuck by my side, worked their asses off to maintain their sections, and helped to keep the integrity of this newspaper intact. A particularly large thank you to Mahmoud Sarouji, Luke Sawczak, and Maria Iqbal for all their help and guidance this past year. A big shoutout to the people I have met these past five years who have been by my side throughout my university career.

I wouldn’t have been able to last this long without all of you.

Just remember: be curious. Stand up for yourself. Demand the truth.

Never stop asking questions.

YOURS, MARIA CRUZ

CORRECTION NOTICE The March 20 article “Celebrating UTM’s Francophone talent” had misspelled Josiah Villegas’ name.

The article “90 seconds: ready, get set… pitch!” had misprinted Sarazana Hasin Zafar’s name.

03.27.2017 THE MEDIUM OPINION» 7

I’m graduating and I have no regrets University isn’t just about academics—it can be the best thing that happens to you I had one goal when I started my freshman year at the University of Toronto Mississauga: End it with no regrets. As I’m jotting down these words, I’m literally chuckling at how ridiculously fast the four years passed. And I remember every single bit of it. I’ll always remember it.

First semester of first year was terrible. I hated it here. I was missing home, I didn’t like my courses, I wasn’t doing very well academically.

I didn’t know how to get involved. I was just lost. I wanted to be a journalist, that was something I knew. But I found the professional writing program, which was basically the only thing I liked in Canada at the time.

In the second half of my first year, I took this writing course where my professor once told me that I just didn’t have the writing style it takes to be a good writer. I don’t think he meant it, because he was a very nice professor and I still talk to him now, but it really affected me. I remember crying and thinking that if the one thing I liked wasn’t working out, then why am I still here? I thought about quitting. I thought about transfer-

ring. I thought about going back home even. But I didn’t. I challenged back. I believed in my goal.

Three years later: I interned at one of the world’s top media networks: Al Jazeera. I became the news editor of the campus newspaper, The Medium.

And I blog for the U.S. Huffington Post.

If you asked me before if I thought this would happen, I would have probably laughed at you for even asking. I kept denying it for so long, and I used to make fun of whoever tells me I’ll miss this place. But the truth is now that we’re one week away, I’ll actually miss it. Very much. Because nothing would have happened if it weren’t for UTM. I’m nowhere close to where I was four years ago. I’m not the same person. When I started, I was only that girl crazy passionate about positivity and world change. Yeah, naïve, I know. UTM has taught me so much.

It opened my mind to the real world.

I learned to talk, to fight my fears, to take risks, to admit my faults, to enjoy the moment, to discuss, to argue, to debate, to ask, to not be afraid, and

well, that it’s okay to cry from stress— all the time.

I found myself here.

Then comes what’s extremely cliché, but I’ll call it one of my lifechanges: The Medium. And I won’t say this only because I worked there, but because The Medium helped me find out who I am and what I want. I joined the campus newspaper in the last three weeks of my first year, and haven’t stopped writing since then.

And being an associate news editor for two years and this year’s news editor was the best thing that happened to me.

It’s the family that I made in this Medium office that will forever be associated with my undergrad years— or what people call the best years of your life.

Running after articles, followingup with writers, editing, writing up to three articles a week when needed (while trying to maintain a good academic standard), complaining about not getting responses, coming to the office every Sunday with this family, singing the craziest songs there are, and whining when I get more re-

sponses only when I get home after I’m done work. That rush every week, although stressful and exhausting, was enough to be the highlight of my fourth year, if not the highlight of my whole undergrad.

If anything, since there’s this one week left of school, I know one thing for sure. Or two actually. The first is that I absolutely have no regrets.

There’s nothing that I’d go back in time and do differently. There’s nothing that I wish never happened. And I’m very, very thankful for this.

The second is that, yes, I know my long-term goal, but right after graduating, I absolutely have no clue what’s going to happen. I have no idea how I’m going to get started in my journalism path. And I realize I’ve spent so much time worrying about this, but now, I’m not any more. Because at this moment, and because of this campus and because of this work, I believe dreams are achievable. I’m still going to fall in every pit and make every mistake there is possible, but I am going to reach it.

Why? Because I believe in what I want and its message. I believe I’ll

get there someday. I believe if I hope to motivate people, there will come a day when I manage to share, even just on Facebook, positive posts that make someone’s day. I believe in my goals.

And I’ll forever credit this to the four years I spent here. I am ready, no matter what the future is keeping in store for me, I am ready to challenge it back.

So if there’s anything I’d close my remarks with, it’s that university isn’t just about academics. There are so many things, beyond what you can imagine, that can be achieved. Talk to as many people as possible, work on your fears, go out of your comfort zone, get involved, fail and get back up, chase your passion regardless of what every person says to bring you down…you’ll safely graduate, saying “I did it! I graduated. And I absolutely have no regrets.”

Menna Elnaka News Editor

The stigma surrounding a woman’s choice When I was 20, I had an abortion.

I was living on my own for the first time. I was given bad advice by a walk-in clinic about my birth control, and a few weeks later I was peeing on a stick.

After a series of long talks with my partner, my mother, my friends, and a counsellor, I booked my appointment. My mom drove me to the clinic where I cried in the waiting room, surrounded by silent women. I was taken to a room with a counsellor. I told her that though I was crying, this was my decision and I wanted to continue. She nodded and told me, “I know this sucks,” and gave me a hug.

We spoke until I calmed down, after which I changed into a gown. Another nurse took me to the table. She asked me about the stories of each of my tattoos, asking me to expand on each piece as the procedure started.

She held my hand the entire time. A few moments later it was over and I was guided to recovery.

My abortion experience is rare, because it happened in a clean, safe and non-discriminatory environment. The women in the clinic were supportive and understanding. I did not have to cross a picket line of protestors shouting abuse. I did not have to cross province lines, or borders. I felt human. To this day I owe each of those women a debt of gratitude, for making a sad day somewhat bearable.

A few days after my procedure, I thought I had developed a complication. The clinic I had gone to was closed for the night, so I Googled a women’s healthcare line and I called the number. A polite nurse asked me a few questions about my general health, and then asked what she could

help me with. I described what had happened, expecting the same flood of kindness and empathy I had experienced at the clinic recently—expecting at the bare minimum professionalism. After a few moments of silence she politely told me that she did not help murderers and hung up.

Murderers.

I held the phone to my cheek and listened to the dial tone as I sat there, transfixed. I had been denied help. I had been shut down. Branded. Murderer. I wondered if others that I passed on the street could see the stain of it on me.

I live in Toronto. There were other places to call. I got the help I needed.

I was lucky. Many other stories would have taken dramatically different courses at that point.

I’m telling you this story because of the global gag rule, and because reproductive rights are under serious threat. I’m telling you this because as far as accessibility goes, Canada is not doing much better. I’m telling you this because, due to Trump’s executive order denying financial aid to reproductive health organizations that even discuss abortion, women are going to suffer and die. Many, many women.

Being pro-choice does not equate to being pro-abortion. I mourned my abortion, mourned the choice I had to make, but that does not equate regret. It took me time to accept this.

For a long time I clung to shame. I wrapped myself in guilt and let it weigh my steps. Murderer. I let people tell me how I was supposed to feel. I let shame silence me. I am pro-choice, for now and for always, but I carried a grief I felt I wasn’t allowed to have.

I had made a choice, a tough one, a complex one but more importantly a personal one. My choice.

In the months following my abortion it was a struggle to talk about it.

Everything in my body pushed me to silence. If it was spoken about to a select few friends, they were brief conversations, moments of relief that were immediately followed by guilt.

Murderer. I once cried to my partner about how I could still feel that stain on me, I could still feel that nurse rejecting me. It was only after I read about women speaking openly about

Listen to women around you. Listen to those who need support and offer it willingly. Reserve judgement. Equally as important: Be loud. their experiences that something shifted. I began to refuse the label I had been allotted by a woman who had never seen my face, never spoken to me beyond a five-minute phone call. I spoke openly about my experiences, and the more I spoke, the more other women shared with me too. I cannot tell you how many women have heard me speak openly about my abortion experience and confided in me about their own experiences.

Sometimes that’s all it takes. This sharing of experiences is how we create communities, it is how we heal. It is also how we mobilize, how we sway policy, and how we beget change.

When you criminalize abortion, when you restrict access to services

for women, you don’t stop abortion.

You stop safe abortions. You stop access to vital educational services that diminish the rates of abortion, like sexual education and contraceptive access. This isn’t just my opinion.

The ramifications of the global gag rule are well known, ironically leading to an increase in abortions, safe or unsafe, as contraceptive dispersing is disrupted and often halted.

Over the next four years of a Trump presidency with the gag rule in place, Marie Stopes International (an international reproductive healthcare organization) estimates it will cause 6.5 million unintended pregnancies, 2.2 million abortions, 2.1 million unsafe abortions, and 21,700 maternal deaths.

The gag ruling is an international problem. Abortion access in Canada is a massive issue, with some provinces only having one clinic (or in the case of PEI, no clinics). Additionally, though clinics may exist within urban centres, rural communities find access much more trying, with some women having to take time off work and travel immense distances to receive help, often at great financial strain.

Unplanned pregnancy can be terrifying, especially for young women who feel trapped and isolated by their lack of resources. It’s also a time of vulnerability, where women need support and open conversations about all their options. The goal of our campus at UTM is to be a public, safe space for all of its students and a place free of judgement or discrimination. Seeing signs on campus carrying photos of mangled fetuses (keep in mind that over 90 percent of abortions oc-

cur before 12 weeks), I can only feel empathy for the women at UTM who are grappling a difficult and personal choice while faced with blatant, shame-ridden propaganda. I’ve been there. It’s hard to believe that an organization like UTM Students for Life, who claims to come to women with understanding and love, instead attempts to shame young women into making the choice this group has decided is right for them.

If, like me, you feel that accessible reproductive health is a necessity, there are a few avenues available to you. First and foremost—listen. Listen to the women around you. Listen to those who need support and offer it willingly. Reserve your judgements.

Equally as important: be loud. Contact your local law and policy-makers and question them on their allocations of funding. Ask your policy makers why Mifegymiso, the abortion drug, is only available in three clinics across Canada, despite being on the World Health Organization’s “List of Essential Medicines.” If you have funds at your disposal, consider making a donation to Planned Parenthood—they need your support now more than ever. Support your student union as they face repercussions for refusing to allow a student society to bully women on campus and make them feel like their choices make them somehow less than. If the past few months have been any indicator, we’re going to need all the love and empathy we can get.

Erin Foley Fouth-year English major

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«OPINION

THE MEDIUM 03.27.2017

The merit behind student journalism As a student, staying informed about campus news is just as important as world news And so it’s over for another year.

I speak to you as the outgoing managing editor, and the incoming editorin-chief.

Wild, right? Who would have thought a photo editor would suddenly become the next editor-in-chief of a campus newspaper? A lot of people didn’t, yet here I am. It definitely has been a long journey, but it’s not over yet.

You go through these four years and hope to God that you learn something other than how to write an essay the night before it’s due, every single time (and they said I couldn’t do it).

And you know what, I did learn a lot here. But when I say here, I mean at The Medium.

Sure, I learned a lot academically, and my mind has been opened to all these ideas and various thoughts. But that was all because I sat in a classroom paying attention to the professors. Though, at The Medium, everything that you passively learn in class became much more real. We all think that we have to wait until we enter our so-called “real world” to face the horrors that exist. But nope, it actually isn’t far away at all. In fact, it’s right here on our own campus.

And without The Medium, there’s no way I would have known that.

From the minute we step onto this campus, and even before that, we’re

told that U of T is a Godsend university and the Harvard of the north.

Nothing bad happens here. We just come to campus, get good grades, get a degree, and in a few months, our careers are well on their way to success, right?

No, there are just as many things wrong here as there are in the real world. And as always, whenever an institution as big as U of T exists, there are always people who will make them look as beautiful as possible.

Read a few of our articles and you’d know. Though, that’s the problem— there are still a lot of people who don’t read our articles. There is this mentality that the politics and the news about what happens here doesn’t matter, because we’re all just here to get our degrees and leave, right?

Well, I will remind you that you pay quite a bit of money to attend this school, and wouldn’t you want to know what your money is going towards? You fund this school, so you have a right to know exactly what’s going on. And who else is going to tell you, other than your own campus paper?

No, this isn’t a plug to try and promote us. This is a reminder to current and future students that your campus newspaper isn’t just an office of wannabe journalists waiting to poke their nose into anything they can find.

We’re not just “student journalists,” as people love to say.

We’re journalists.

For the past nine months, I’ve been working on this journalism documentary, and I’ve been interviewing journalists and professors in the field as well. And after I finished one of the interviews, one of my interviewees told me that what we do here at the campus level is no different than what the Toronto Star or the Globe and Mail do.

And they were right. To the people who currently volunteer and write for our paper, or take photos—never stop. Your role here is important. No matter the section you write for, no matter what you like to write, you are a journalist. Without the work that you do, this paper doesn’t exist.

Because face it, our role as a campus newspaper is just as important to a democracy as any other newspaper.

We hold those in power accountable, we ask the questions that no one else wants to ask, and we aren’t afraid to do so. We are the voice of UTM because we give you the information that you need to hear. Do we please everyone? No. But that’s not our job.

To those who are currently editors and are either leaving or were voted back in, your work to this news agency has been integral to this UTM community. We’re small, but we’re not

forgotten, and you all are the reason why I’m still here and why I’ll be here again next year, fighting for what’s right.

You may think that we’re just student journalists, or just some nosey students, but that isn’t the case at all.

Pick up one of our papers and read.

We are all victims to reading a headline and moving on. Don’t do that anymore. Read past the headline. Stay informed, and don’t believe everything you read at face value.

U of T isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Any power that paints itself as perfect never is. You have to question everything in this life. You need to educate yourself, and you need to keep yourself aware of the many things happening in the world. Just because you may not like or agree with something, doesn’t mean you should ignore what’s happening. Staying informed and understanding what is happening in your community, wherever that may be, is essential to your survival.

Don’t blindly assume that all is well or all is bad. Just as there are terrible things happening outside of our campus, there are even worse things happening here. And guess who’s going to tell you all about it? The Medium.

Your own campus newspaper.

So to those who may not be on this campus just yet and are hoping to, to those students who are here now, to

our professors, and to our administration: we are journalists. We are journalists who are going to inform, keep power in check, and we will fight for the truth.

We are The Medium, and I have faith in my new team next year that we will continue to do our job adhering to the principles of journalism.

Because without us, you won’t know that U of T just took down posters for the “Survivors Speak Back” campaign and used policy as way to make sure they don’t look bad.

Thank you to those who voted me in. Thank you for trusting me and believing in me. Thank you for allowing me the chance to take what you’ve taught me, and to now pass it down to future journalists. To those reading this or any section of the paper, thank you. To the outgoing editor-in-chief, Maria: without your guidance, patience, and friendship, I wouldn’t be where I am today. You’ve set the bar high for me, but it’s a challenge that I’m willing to venture on. Thank you for everything you’ve done, not only for me, but for this paper, and our outstanding team of editors.

Journalism matters, and so do we.

See you next year, UTM. Mahmoud Sarouji Managing Editor

03.27.2017

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9

Grads cross border into new territory New exhibition at Blackwood Gallery showcases artwork from art and art history graduates HAILEY MASON A&E EDITOR As the school year comes to a close, many students will graduate and enter new phases of life, myself included. Although it’s an exciting time, the feeling is bittersweet. Fortunately, graduates of the art and art history program have left behind a piece of their legacy at UTM, if only for a little while. Blackwood Gallery currently showcases Verge, an exhibition featuring artwork by the graduating students.

According to the exhibition statement, the term “verge” refers to a state of transition, or a border waiting to be crossed. Verge therefore acts as a fitting title for this exhibition. The pieces on display confront issues of identity, popular culture, and sexuality, among others. They rely on a diverse blend of mediums, including paint, print, sculpture, and photography.

Verge occupies Blackwood’s main gallery, as well as the e|gallery in CCIT. It consists of two exhibitions.

The first segment opened on March 15 and ran until March 25. The second segment opens this coming Wednesday.

While touring the first exhibition, I began at Blackwood’s main studio before moving on to the e|gallery. The

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Verge includes paintings, mixed media pieces, photography, and sculptures by graduating students. room displayed several pieces on each wall, while the floor collected three sculptures. I started with the right wall. I first arrived at Subin Ee’s pair of unnamed mixed media pieces on MDF (medium-density fibreboard).

The two boards, both of equal size, contained an abstract fusion of neutral shades. Colours of black, brown, and grey dominated the piece on the left. The colours blurred with each other in an indistinguishable pattern.

When I stepped closer, the mixed media components become more apparent. I noticed that certain colours behaved as different layers. The brown,

for instance, was a matte, scratchy surface, while the black was reflective and glossy.

The twin piece relied on lighter shades of white and beige, which lightly coated a layer of black scrawls.

Each piece possessed a raw and intriguing personality. I always tend to gravitate towards abstract pieces, perhaps because of their openness to interpretation. Ee’s pieces offered a clever blend of mixed mediums that certainly invited individual meaning.

As I travelled to the other side of the room, I experienced a strange attraction to Rebecca Filman’s work,

“And Observations May Be Made.”

Her collection featured five pieces of screenprint and India ink on paper.

The prints depicted obscure imagery from what appeared to be the late 1800s to early 1900s. Some portions appeared in a grainy, black-and-white style, while other, smaller sections were slightly coloured in a dull orange hue.

The prints showed fragments of biological anatomy (some human, some insect), coupled with the antiquity of old technology. Three prints also contained snippets of typed text to accompany the images. My favou-

rite piece portrayed a half-formed image of an old diver’s suit, cast in black-and-white. Inside the helmet, the head was replaced with an ambiguous blob, coloured with the dull orange hue. I enjoyed the simplicity and minimalism of Filman’s pieces, in addition to their antique appearance.

I then walked to CCIT, where the remaining pieces were displayed in the e|gallery. I discovered Mikaela Lima’s “Veiled” tacked to the wall. I first noticed the Plexiglas net. The transparent shards splayed out in the shape of a circle, accompanied by four photographs. The portraits depicted four women, unsmiling, with the Plexiglas net draped over their heads like a veil.

When I stepped back, the effect of the photos changed. The net became invisible, and the women’s faces seemed hazy, or clouded over by some unknown substance.

Verge supplied the art and art history graduates with a final farewell.

The exhibition offered them a stepping stone into their next chapter, whether they choose to begin their careers or continue their education.

Verge shared each student’s journey.

Verge’s second exhibition will open on March 29 and run until April 8 at Blackwood Gallery and UTM’s e|gallery.

EDSS leaves discrimination in the dust English and Drama Student Society perform original play about oppression in the 20th century NICOLE SCIULLI STAFF WRITER Last Friday, the English and Drama Student Society premiered Ashes and Dust, a play written and directed by Max Ackerman.

The plot follows the protagonist, Simone Merlette (Fuschia Boston, Jahnelle Jones-Williams), a young African American woman from the fictional town of Jacob’s Landing in Massachusetts. Simone aspires to be a musician, but faces many obstacles within the community that prevent her happiness. Ashes and Dust conveys the hardships women of colour experienced at the start of the 20th century. Throughout the play, Simone struggles with racism and isolation.

Ackerman sought inspiration from Thornton Wilder’s 1938 play, Our Town. This play focuses on the lives of everyday citizens. He based Simone off Wilder’s character, Simon Stimson. Both characters are church organists, but their struggles cause

ENGLISH AND DRAMA STUDENT SOCIETY/PHOTO

In Ashes and Dust, Simone must confront racism and loss while pursuing her dream as a musician. them to decline into addiction.

Ashes and Dust was divided into three acts. Each act represented a different time in Simone’s life, portrayed by two different actresses.

Act I presented Simone’s childhood, where she learned to read and sing from her best friend Edwina Ka-

miski (Emma Ratcliffe). Both girls experienced racism, as Edwina is Polish. Act II involved Simone leaving Jacob’s landing for Boston, where she learned to play music from Josephine Leroy (Afreen Shar), a church organist. Josephine was wise, saw faith in humanity, and inspired Sim-

one’s love for music and song. In Act III, Simone returned to Jacob’s Landing to face her family and the townspeople.

Boston often interacted with Jones-Williams, who played young Simone. She spoke to Jones-Williams directly or placed her hand on her

shoulder, which contributed to the reflective quality of the production.

The ideas of racism and rejection in Ashes and Dust are universally applicable, even in modern society. The townspeople of Jacob’s Landing turn a blind eye towards Simone and her problems. The most common phrase they use is, “leave well enough alone.”

The set for the play was simple, with a black curtain used as a backdrop and several chairs and a piano used for different scenes. The clothing style was also subtle: the cast wore black-and-white. The simplicity of the scenes allowed the audience to interpret the setting with their own imagination. It also heightened Simone’s story, because she tells the audience what the setting looks like during her monologues, adding to the emotional significance of each place. The lighting was dim and silhouetted key characters. It also changed throughout to accentuate the characters’ emotions.

Ambition continued on page 11

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«ARTS

THE MEDIUM 03.27.2017

An evening of art sampling with UTSC Senior UTSC arts management students wrap the year at launch party for capstone project HAILEY MASON A&E EDITOR

On March 22, senior arts management students from U of T Scarborough marked the end of the school year with the launch of their capstone project, EAT MY ART. The project consists of seven podcast episodes, each featuring a different artist or arts manager across disciplines. In the episodes, guest speakers share their involvement with the arts, including personal journeys and experiences. The first five episodes feature Mitchell Marcus, Casey Mecija, Meags Fitzgerald, Alan Stanbridge, and Umbereen Inayet.

Last Wednesday, The EAT MY ART team hosted a launch party at the Ernest Balmer Studio in Toronto’s Distillery District. In keeping with the theme of “art tasting,” the event offered visual art, performance art, and live recordings of two new podcast episodes. Teigh Fitzgerald and Grace Phan acted as MCs for the night, mediating the performances and hosting the final podcast episode.

The small studio was packed with guests. They mingled around the stage, sampled treats from the cupcake decorating table, and scanned the artwork on display.

The visual artwork occupied the back wall of the studio. The display included pieces by Patricia Abuel, Ruba Al-Wakeal, Carol Cheong,

HAILEY MASON/THE MEDIUM

EAT MY ART is a student-produced podcast that features guest artists and art managers.

Danielle Fitleberg, Eric Slyfield, and Nishkka Vora. The collection contained photography, paintings, and drawings.

I particularly enjoyed Cheong’s “Donuts (I, II, III, IV, V).” This series looks exactly as it sounds: five donuts of different flavours. The lifelike pastries hung in a vertical line on the wall of the studio.

Cheong crafted her donuts using acrylic paint on canvas. However, they looked real enough to eat.

The performances commenced with a monologue by Christian Teatro, which he titled “Red Strings.” His act was followed by

Abuel’s performance, “Le McDo.” In this curious demonstration, Abuel stood at a table at the back of the studio. A complete McDonald’s meal—hamburger, fries, chicken nuggets, and condiments—rested on the table in front of her. Abuel proceeded to chew the McDonald’s food, spit it out, and rearrange it artistically on the white plate.

She improvised the whole performance and never once spoke. The resulting meal resembled a dinner you would receive at a fancy restaurant, looking nothing like fast food that had been chewed and reproduced.

After Abuel’s performance, the hosts recorded the sixth and seventh podcast episodes. Fitzgerald and Phan took advantage of the live audience, encouraging the crowd to participate in the episodes by clapping and shouting phrases. The first recording featured Prom King, a Toronto-based troupe that specializes in improvised theatre. The trio performed several brief comedy sketches.

They enthusiastically interacted with the audience between acts, in search of ideas for their next sketch. Prom King’s performance was well received by the audience,

owing to its relatable jokes and humorous incorporation of the audience’s ideas.

Following Prom King, Fitzgerald and Phan welcomed Leah Erbe to the stage for the recording of the final episode. Erbe currently holds the position of program manager at The AFC, an organization that offers support to professionals in Canada’s entertainment industry. In the episode, Fitzgerald and Phan interviewed Erbe, who offered thoughtful responses about her role at The AFC. Erbe focused her discussion on self-care in the art industry. She explained the importance of mental health and wellbeing, particularly how selfcare is essential for emotional and artistic success. This relaxed exchange between Erbe, Fitzgerald, and Phan complemented the livelier performances of the evening.

Altogether, EAT MY ART creates a repository of inspirational stories for aspiring artists. The featured individuals seek to engage listeners and inform them of the many possibilities in the arts.

The “art tasting” launch party gave a unique celebration of a successful project. The event not only offered a platform to promote EAT MY ART, but it also provided a space for community and student artists to share their work with the public.

EAT MY ART is currently available for streaming on Soundcloud.

Jane Austen meets The Walking Dead Pride and Prejudice and Zombies distorts Austen’s classic novel with the addition of zombies SHARMEEN ABEDI STAFF WRITER

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

As a die-hard Jane Austen fan, I have watched the BBC adaptation and film version of Pride and Prejudice several times. Recently, I decided to give Pride and Prejudice and Zombies a try. This adaptation of Austen’s classic novel was originally published as a book by Seth Grahame-Smith. In 2016, director Burr Steers brought GrahameSmith’s novel to the big screen.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a cross between Austen’s most popular novel, Pride and Prejudice, and a zombie apocalypse. The heroine, Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James), and her sisters are all well-trained in martial arts. Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley), who is “Colonel” Darcy in this adaptation, is the same haughty, eligible bachelor from the novel, but with an added trait—the ability to fight zombies.

EW.COM/PHOTO

The movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies reimagines Jane Austen’s novel.

I’ll admit, I didn’t have high expectations for this movie. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The movie starts off slow—the Bennet family doesn’t appear onscreen for 15 minutes. But things quickly start to get interesting.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies provides a perfect blend of the modern-day zombie apocalypse and the 19th century Austen era.

One of the most interesting aspects for Pride and Prejudice fans is the way this film weaves lines from the

novel into an apocalyptic setting.

When Mr. Collins (Matt Smith) asks the Bennet family which one of his cousins he should thank for the delicious meal, Mr. Bennet (Charles Dance) replies, “My daughters are trained for battle, sir,

not the kitchen.”

James stands out as Elizabeth Bennet for her independent nature and expert fighting skills. In one of her more notable lines, she says, “I shall never relinquish my sword for a ring.” Riley takes some getting used to as Mr. Darcy, owing to his raspy voice and youth. But by the time the movie was finished, I was more satisfied with his portrayal.

Overall, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies follows Austen’s novel very closely. The only main additions are the zombie scenes, obviously.

These scenes are not as common as I thought they would be. They also weren’t too gory. For fans of the novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies will come as a sharp contrast to the BBC and film adaptation. For those who haven’t read the novel, the plot may seem a little disorganized.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is not a movie to be taken too seriously. Rather, it should be seen for what it is—a reimagining of a classic novel with a post-apocalyptic twist.

03.27.2017 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 11

A milestone exhibition VAM launches annual Members’ Show and Sale

REWIND AISHA MALIK STAFF WRITER

CHEN GONG/THE MEDIUM

Visual Art Mississauga’s annual Members’ Show and Sale features artwork by local artists.

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This year, Visual Arts Mississauga celebrates its 40th anniversary. VAM marked this milestone with the celebration of their annual Members’ Show and Sale. Last Thursday, VAM opened its doors for the opening reception of the exhibition.

Eldiana Begovic, VAM’s events, exhibitions, and volunteer coordinator, introduced herself and offered explanations of the event and the art on display. Begovic, an alumna of UTM, informed me that 2017 has been a year of growth for VAM so far. She explained that the past few years have generally seen an absence of young artists. Luckily, this year’s Members’ Show and Sale showcased the work of several young artists.

As Begovic explained, VAM is a mandated not-for-profit organization, committed to providing a costefficient space for learning and exhibitions. VAM offers a sanctuary for artists of all ages and skill levels. According to Begovic, it’s a space where “beginners can paint next to experienced artists.”

The Members’ Show and Sale featured mixed media pieces, oil paintings, and acrylic paintings. Judy Daley, the curator of Helson Gallery in Halton Hills, announced the winning pieces of this year’s contest. First place was awarded to Johanna Dako’s “Glacier,” second was Grazyna Ad-

amska-Jarecka’s “Red Migration,” and third place went to Linh Thai’s “Summer 1998 in the Mekong River.”

I had the pleasure of meeting Thai, who offered me a glimpse of the process behind her work. “Summer 1998 in the Mekong River,” a piece consisting of paper cutouts and charcoal, was praised by Daley for demonstrating a strong example of spontaneity in a traditionally labor-intensive medium. Inspired by a family picture from her native Vietnam, the piece depicts a serene snapshot of the Vietnamese countryside.

“A lot of my artwork is based on family,” Thai said. “It’s a bit nostalgic.”

When I asked her about the inspiration behind her winning piece, she said “I’m afraid that I’ll forget.” Due to modernization, scenes like the ones in Thai’s art are becoming increasingly rare.

I also spoke with Alexandra Romano, who featured her acrylic painting, “Iridescent Garden II,” in the exhibition. “Iridescent Garden” is an abstract piece that pulls viewers into its colourful and hypnotic rhythm. Romano hopes her audience will derive their own meanings from her piece. She notes, “I want people to have their original opinions. There’s no other way.” Romano discussed her inspiration and the difficulties young artists face. Beyond the struggle of obtaining proper exposure, pricing can often be a problem for young artists.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Arts and Entertainment section this year. Your passion and support have made every issue possible. I would like to give a special thanks to my two associates, Adelaide Attard and Reem Taha, for all their help.

In addition to youth artists, the Members’ Show and Sale featured work by Canadian filmmaker Peter Rowe, known for the TV series Angry Planet. His mixed media piece on display is titled “Ink Therapy.” Rowe’s involvement with VAM came about rather coincidentally. The Riverwood Conservancy was once a privatelyowned horse ranch, where Rowe groomed horses as a teenager. About four years ago, Rowe decided to investigate the horse ranch. But instead of finding the ranch, Rowe was pleasantly surprised to discover VAM. With a recent victory over cancer, Rowe’s talent and energy are as vibrant as ever. These emotions manifest themselves in his piece. “Ink Therapy” evokes something new, yet controllable. The combined order and chaos within the brilliantly coloured piece inspires viewers to explore its chaos.

Among the other pieces on display, I found Clive Kay’s “Ballet in Pink” particularly striking. The painting depicts a lone ballerina in a sweeping pose. She stands poised on her toes with her arms extended gracefully in the air. The neutral background emphasizes the ballerina’s pink tutu.

Kay’s heavy brushstrokes make the dancer appear as if she’s melting—a testament to the fragility of beauty.

The annual Members’ Show and Sale will be on display in the VAM gallery and studios until April 1.

Adelaide Attard Abdullah Nasser Aisha Malik Avleen Grewal Ayesha Tak Ayesha Tirmzi Bev Tang-Kong Dagale Mohammed Dara Salamah Deema Abu Naser Delaney Rombough Edric Bala Farah Qaiser Farida Abdelmeguied

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most notable fantasy films in American history. Directed by Victor Fleming, the film is known for its pioneering use of Technicolor, a method used in colour films. The familiar story of The Wizard of Oz remains one of America’s favourite films.

One of the most memorable scenes in the film is the transition from sepia to colour. Dorothy (Judy Garland) leaves her dull life in Kansas and enters the colourful world of Oz. The change in colour shocked the original audience because of the rareness of colour films in the 30s.

The soundtrack and music was also positively received by the audience. The Wizard of Oz won an academy award for Best Original Song for “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

The Wizard of Oz was considered “different” and “interesting” for its use of non-traditional characters, including a scarecrow, tin man, and talking lion. The film is still widely received and shown in modern theatres on special occasions.

It also touches on the theme of friendship. In Kansas, Dorothy does not have many friends. But once she embarks on her journey in Oz, she meets several friendly characters.

Dorothy befriends Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr).

Throughout the film, Dorothy’s friends encourage and help her. Although she only knows them for a short amount of time, she expresses immense gratitude when she leaves Oz. The film also deals with the anxieties of growing up. Dorothy leaves the comfort and familiarity of her home and travels to a foreign place. She enters a new world full of unknown terrors, like the infamous Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton).

The film beautifully depicts dreams and adventures, but also shows the importance of home and appreciating what you have. Inevitably, Dorothy wants to return to her family. After all, there’s no place like home, as the film teaches us. The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic that expresses themes that are still prevalent in the modern world.

A musician rises from the ashes Ambition continued from page 9

Ashes and Dust also focused on singing, music, and religion. Throughout the play, the cast sang, pretending to be the church choir—the one place where Simone felt she belonged.

“Amazing Grace,” Simone’s favourite hymn, reoccurred throughout the story. Simone first sings this piece with Edwina as a child, then she practices it when she is a choir minister’s assistant, and finally, when she runs her own choir. Simone relies on her faith to guide her musicality.

She often refers to singing as “God’s breath.” She claims that singing occurs when words aren’t enough.

Boston engaged with the audience and brought them in to her personal struggle. Mussié Berhane also of-

Fatima Wasif Halah Butt Haley West Janina Malapitan Jason Coelho Keena Al-Wahaidi Kimberly Day Kristen Ladas Latisha Lobban Laurella Jose Mahmoud Sarouji Maria Cruz Meghan Muise Mrinalini Fernandes

fered a compelling performance in his role as Simon Merlette, Simone’s father. Simon struggled to build a life for Simone after his wife’s death.

He was angry at the world for never recognizing his work, as well as his constant struggle to achieve his goals.

Berhane’s emotional investment in the role certainly showed; I could truly feel Simon’s pain.

Simone’s story resonated with the audience. Her experience connects with those who have ever felt isolated or oppressed. But despite these conflicts, Simone teaches us that we are worthy of love and acceptance. Most importantly, there’s a place for everyone in the world.

Ashes and Dust ran from March 24 to 25 in Spiegel Hall.

Nicholas Fazio Nicole Sciulli Nour Elabd Olivia Adamczyk Rachael Masih Reem Taha Rhenice Bowman Saad Ghazzawi Sahiba Shah Sharmeen Abedi Vanessa Cesario Victoria Danesi Yijun Liu Zahra Sina

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03.27.2017

Class of 2017, meet your valedictorian Psychology student Nolan Anderson has been involved in sports, mental health awareness MAHNOOR AYUB ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR Every year, the U of T Alumni Relations Office interviews three people from the graduating class to decide upon a valedictorian. Being one of the three this year, Nolan Anderson, a fifth-year student pursuing a psychology major and two minors in philosophy and French, was successfully selected as valedictorian for the graduating class of 2017.

The Medium sat down with Anderson to reflect on his undergraduate years, especially his involvement, achievements, and struggles over the years.

“I’ve been involved in two main areas, sports and volunteering for mental health, in my first year at UTM and second year of school because I transferred from McGill, where I had a bit of an experience with some mental health issues,” says Anderson.

“When I transferred, having recovered and being in the process of recovery, I wanted to keep learning and helping others, because I found that helping others helped me, and so I started volunteering with [the Health and Counselling Centre] and then [Peer Health Educators],” says Ander-

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

This year, Nolan Anderson has been selected as the valedictorian for the graduating class of 2017. son. He continued further with PHE after being hired as a Team Leader for the Mental Health group, where he became involved UTMental, a campaign which aimed to raise awareness about mental health issues through conversation.

“These experiences were a bit more [time-intensive], but it was definitely a worthwhile experience to reach more people and challenge myself to share my story, which is at the same

time scary, but also very important,” says Anderson.

Anderson believes mental health is a critical issue for post-secondary students, who tend to experience anxiety and depression that comes out in different ways, along with the stress that is involved with university. He says, “It’s good to have resources like the HCC, and it was good for me to be able to be a part of that.”

Anderson continued with his work

on Mental Health Advocacy with a national network of young leaders, known as jack.org, who give talks to raise awareness about mental health issues.

“I’ve been involved with them for the past few years. I went out to conferences, and then I was also involved with a program called the Jack Talk program, so I got trained [to be] a speaker,” he says. “I gave about 20 talks at high schools across Ontario

about mental health, why it’s important, try to normalize the conversation and share a bit of my story.”

Anderson describes the work to be similar to his work at PHE. “Just talk about what these issues are, what stigma is and how to take care of yourselves and others, which is actually really simple, and so it’s cool to see the impact there.”

On the notion of stigma, Anderson refers to the five years he has spent here.

“Most of my friends have graduated, and there is a slight stigma associated with that—but I’ve enjoyed my time here, and I didn’t see the point in rushing through it,” he says.

“If I didn’t come back this year, I would haven’t met the royal family either.”

Anderson was chosen to represent the jack.org network at the royal visit of 2016. “In October, I traveled to British Columbia with 12 other students, who were speakers and chapter leaders, to talk to the royal family about youth leadership in mental health.”

Anderson also mentions his involvement with sports.

Nolan continued on page 13

Max’s Big Ride to embark on third year Max’s Big Ride, Max’s Big Climb, and the Ice Cream Ride will raise funds for DMD research FARAH QAISER FEATURES EDITOR This summer marks the third year where Andrew Sedmihradsky (the global mobility coordinator at UTM’s International Education Centre) and his son, Max, will bike across the region in order to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy and fundraise towards finding a cure. This year, the Sedmihradskys are planning three events for the summer: the inaugural Ice Cream Ride, the second annual Max’s Big Climb, and the third annual Max’s Big Ride. All funds raised through sponsors and donations will go towards funding DMD research via Jesse’s Journey.

This year, Sedmihradsky will be reversing the route for Max’s Big Ride. The father-son duo will instead start at Hamilton on Sunday, June 4 and arrive in Ottawa eight days later on Monday, June 12. The route reversal is largely to involve a greater number of Hamilton-based

RYAN CERRUDO/PHOTO

This year, the father-son duo has reversed their route to start at Hamilton, and will end in Ottawa. supporters at the beginning of Max’s Big Ride, and to end the ride while Parliament is still in session—and to potentially meet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“This year, we’re working again with MP Karina Gould, and it looks

like there’s something in the works for us to be welcomed onto Parliament Hill on the 12th,” says Sedmihradsky. “We can’t really get any promises, but we’re hoping to meet some MPs again and have a good event to cap off the ride.

“We’ll also be stopping that morning at the Centre for Neuromuscular Disease at the University of Ottawa […] for a reception. There are a lot of researchers doing work around Duchenne there. It’s great for us to see the type of work they’re doing

[…] and it’s maybe their career’s focus to find a cure. But I think that on the flip side, they also thought that it was useful for some of the researchers there—the younger ones in particular—to see a family that’s affected by Duchenne.”

Max’s Big Ride will first kick off with an “Ice Cream Ride,” which is a chance for the public to get involved and ride alongside the cycling duo on the first day.

“We wanted to find a way to involve other people in what we’re trying to do. The Ice Cream Ride is just really the first part of the first day.

When we set out from Hamilton’s Bayfront Park, we’re inviting other people to come ride with us. It’s a family-friendly event. We’ll ride 13 km into Burlington and stop at [Spencer Smith Park] there. We’re calling it the Ice Cream Ride because that’s how I bribed Max when he was four years old to go on the ride,” says Sedmihradsky.

Ride continued on page 14

03.27.2017 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 13

Truth in the age of Trump Five years at UTM Nolan continued from page 12

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale compared late Toronto mayor Rob Ford to Donald Trump.

SHARMEEN ABEDI STAFF WRITER Last Monday, Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale visited UTM to give a lecture about “Truth in the Age of Trump.”

In the past, Dale has covered news regarding the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford, as well as the current U.S. president Donald Trump. He began his lecture with a comparison of the two.

A common question he is asked is whether Rob Ford prepared him for Donald Trump. Dale thinks that he did. “The ability of a well-off man to convince struggling people that he is their only true champion is something they both have in common,” he said. Dale compared how both Ford and Trump made comments about not losing any voters even if they committed murder.

However, he also focused on the differences between Ford and Trump.

“I think comparing Donald Trump and Rob Ford has become unfair to Ford,” he said. He remarked that although Ford was caught saying racial slurs on tape, he never “made a systematic effort to harness bigotry.”

Despite lying on several topics such as his drug use, Ford never lied as frequently as Trump. As an example, Dale mentioned how Trump lied about being “Michigan Man of the Year” in an effort to win Michigan during the election—however, that award does not exist. “He just invented the whole thing,” said Dale.

One of the things Dale learned from covering Ford and Trump is the importance of the media calling out their lies.

“We are not deviating from our core mission if we call a lie a lie. That is our core job,” emphasized Dale. He stated that if a politician is lying, then it is the media’s responsibility to factcheck the information and report on it.

Dale discussed how difficult it can be to change a narrative that is provided by a powerful person. “No matter how many stories people heard about Donald Trump’s bankruptcies, none of that was going to convince a substantial percent of the population that he was not a successful business person. This is a narrative that he managed to create over a number of years, and it is very hard to challenge.”

Similarly, there are studies that show that in 2016 Hilary Clinton was an unusually honest politician. However, there was already a powerful narrative in place that portrayed her as a liar and a dishonest candidate.

Dale has also learned from his experience as a journalist just how serious a “trust crisis” can be for the media. He said that most of the recent discussion around facts and news is centred on the U.S., which is why in Canada, we feel a “moral superiority.”

However, when the Toronto Star first published the news about Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine, no one believed the story.

“We lost tens of thousands of dol-

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Features section this year—this section would not have been the same without your passion!

I’d also like to give a special shoutout to my two associates, Mahnoor Ayub and Jessica Cabral, for their enthusiasm, writing, and hard work this year.

Lastly, I’d like to thank this year’s editorial board for all the fun, laughter and (questionable) entertainment in the office.

lars’ worth of subscriptions from people who were angry that we had reported something they thought was not true.” He also added that this came not from people who did not like Toronto Star, but rather from its regular readers. “People for various reasons, are simply much more skeptical than they used to be,” he said.

What reporters can do about this issue, as Dale explained, is to call out nonsense. “If we want people to trust us, we have to level with them.”

He stated that this does not mean that they should insert their own opinions, but rather that journalists should relay the facts and tell people the truth.

Dale mentioned that he gets a lot of hate from Trump supporters for fact-checking. However, at the same time, he also gets a lot of support from people who appreciate it. The purpose of fact-checking, he said, is not to sway the election or convince hardcore Trump supporters not to vote for him. Rather, it’s to persuade the thousands of people who may be undecided.

“This election was decided by less than one percent of the vote in three states. That’s 50,000 people flipping his way instead of Hilary Clinton’s. I don’t think we have to convince the entire population of any country to believe us. If we can make 10, or five, or even one percent of the population slightly more knowledgeable, then we can make a real difference.”

Aisha Malik Amira Abozaid Amna Azhar Ayesha Hassan Ayesha Tak Ayesha Tirmzi Devanshi Adhvaryu Farhat Amini Farida Abdelmeguied Fathiya Mohamed Fatima Alvi

“I’ve been involved [in sports] since the beginning, and I’ve always played a competitive level of soccer. But then when I came to UTM, I decided that I would take a step back and just play for fun, because there is no Varsity here, which was great, because it made me rediscover some of the fun that I was missing.”

He adds further “This did make me realize I put a lot of pressure on myself the first year to do it all and succeed, so just focusing more on taking care of myself and those sorts of activities was very beneficial; and then eventually I did get to play Varsity when it came out here, but still keeping in mind that I couldn’t push myself too hard and knowing my limits was important.”

Anderson emphasizes the importance of the support he received from his family and friends when he transferred by saying that without them, “I wouldn’t have been able to open up and share, because sharing is also a risk, and now I’m aware of which situations are right to share in, because you still want to be mindful of the message so that it does have impact.”

He mentions how during his experience as an executive for club called Burst Your Bubble, Chad Jankowski (then, health education coordinator) reached out to him as a potential volunteer for the Health and Counselling Centre. Anderson also describes how after a few years of working together, Jankowski nominated him for a Gordon Cressy Student Leadership award, through which he was selected to be interviewed for valedictorian.

“Taking psychology helped me ground my understanding in regard to the real aspect of psychological disorders, because it gives you the language you need for talks,” Anderson says. “I’ve been referred to as the mental health guy, and basically I have my opinions and everybody has those, but in a public setting, you need to put those aside to give respect to a diversity of experiences.”

Anderson also mentions this as one of his reasons for continued involvement with Jack.org. “The staff

Haider Shah Haider Syed Haley West Jessica Cabral Katherine Booth Kristal Sulavella Kristen Ladas Mahera Islam Mahnoor Ayub Manpreet Minhas Marium Faisal

develops strategies based on evidence, and that is why it is youth-led because it’s more effective. I found that really cool, and that’s why I’ve been so involved, because their approach is very innovative.”

“Seeking support is okay. Both mental health and academic help are actually related, and to use smaller steps towards breaking the inertia is very helpful,” he adds.

He also mentions how, “I think for me, school is not a race to the end.

You want to be successful of course, but it’s a time to also enjoy the process, because I’ve gained so much from these experiences, tangible skills, [such as] public speaking at jack.org.”

Anderson also completed a fulltime internship at jack.org in the summer and emphasized the importance of being involved early on to build connections and networks which may help later.

Anderson encourages seeking support by encouraging others to “ask for help when you need it. The earlier you do it, the less are the chances that it will escalate. The same can be said for academic help, because school is your focus. Understanding how to prioritize your tasks, and understanding that if you’re going to succeed, it will take sacrifice, so don’t worry if it’s not going your way. It wasn’t going my way initially. You need to find a balance.”

Anderson isn’t completely decided on where he is headed to after graduation. He elaborates by saying, “I would like to look into programs more seriously. People like to have those plans laid out, but I found with gaining experience that I just want to do well with what I’m doing, and making decisions as they come along. Initially I had really high goals, and I would be really stressed if I wasn’t actively achieving them, but recently, I’ve learnt how to mellow down.”

Anderson will address the Class of 2017 at the Last Lecture event, hosted by the Alumni Association, where the anticipated keynote speaker is UTM alumnus Alfredo Tan (H.B.Sc.), who is the group director and global marketing solutions for Facebook/Instagram.

Motasem Suleiman Nicole Sciulli Olayemi Morgan Sahiba Shah Saima Khan Sharmeen Abedi Shayna Jan Umaima Ghori Vibhor Rohatgi Yasmeen Alkoka

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THE MEDIUM 03.27.2017

“Cram the cruiser” with donations Last week, the Campus Police held a food drive, where all proceeds went to the Seva Food Bank JESSICA CABRAL ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR On Tuesday March 21, the Campus Police held their first ever “Cram the Cruiser” food drive event in Spigel Hall. All proceeds from the event were donated to Seva Food Bank, which is a local organization that works towards providing nutritious food to low-income families in Mississauga.

“I’m a big believer in community service, and I really encourage our officers to be involved in community service as well,” explains Robert Messacar, manager of the campus police services at UTM. “One of our building patrollers is connected with [Seva], and she just recently won the volunteer of the year award with that organization, which we are quite proud of her for.”

Messacar explains that all mem-

MESHA GHAYUR/THE MEDIUM

All donations went to the Seva Food Bank, which provides nutritious food to low-income families. bers of the campus police department share a passion and interest in community service. While they were brainstorming ways to better serve the community, Messacar says that

many officers approached him independently with the idea of launching a food drive.

Bobbi-jo Duff, a corporal in the UTM Campus Police department,

was responsible for coordinating and promoting the event through social media. She explains that regional police services, like Peel and Halton, often hold “cram the cruiser”-style

food drives in collaboration with food banks where participants can donate and fill the police car right outside their local grocery store.

“Hopefully we can make it an annual event,” Duff says.

Donating the proceeds to Seva felt like a natural progression in the relationship between the food bank and the UTM community. Duff explains that the university partners with various external agencies for students to do volunteer work with and obtain part-time employment. Seva Food Bank happens to be one of the many organizations where UTM students volunteer.

“Even if people can’t donate today, we’d love if people could just drop donations off at the campus police office, and we would make sure it gets to the food bank as well,” Duff says.

This year features the first Ice Cream Ride

MAXSBIGRIDE.COM/PHOTO

Max’s Big Ride, Jesse’s Journey, and the University of Toronto Mississauga are expected to announce details of their partnership next week.

Ride continued from page 12 Upon arrival at Spencer Smith Park, event attendees will have the chance to enjoy ice cream, and then everyone will head back to Hamilton for lunch.

“After that’s over, I’ll set off on the actual Max’s Big Ride, which is the 600 km trek to Ottawa.”

Sponsors and collaborators for this year include Rudy’s Ice Cream, Grupetto (which doubles as a coffee shop and a store for cycling apparel), Urkai European Bikes, KNA Food Drive, Stand for Duchenne Canada, and Fondation La Force. The logo for Max’s Big Ride is the same as the one used last year, which was designed by Chris Williams, one of the directors for Walt Disney’s Big Hero 6.

Currently, Sedmihradsky is unsure about other mini-events happening along the ride, as everything is still being planned. However, he says that there are supporters of Max’s Big Ride in Cobourg “who want to welcome us into the town,” along with others located in Belleville.

This year, Max’s Big Ride will pass through Mississauga on a Sunday,

so there is no stop, nor arrival party, scheduled for UTM so far. However, Max’s Big Ride continues to have a special relationship with UTM—in fact, Sedmihradsky teases hints about a partnership which is forming between the two.

“There will be some type of partnership announced regarding Max’s Big Ride, Jesse’s Journey and the University of Toronto Mississauga,” says Sedmihradsky. This partnership arose out of a speech that principal Ulrich Krull gave, where he asked staff members to share their stories.

Sedmihradsky then wrote to Krull, and states that “it turned out far better than I ever imagined. […] It’s phenomenal. It’s weird how all the pieces have fallen into place.”

The details of the partnership are likely to be announced next week.

Last year, Sedmihradsky did not train as extensively for Max’s Big Ride, because he believed it wasn’t tough. This was also around the time his second child, Isla, was born.

“This year, I go the gym every day.

Last year, we tried to do it in seven days, but this year, [….] we made some more allowances. [For exam-

ple, last year], one day was a 100 km, which is a lot on a cargo bike. The bike weighs a lot and it’s too long for Max to be out there. [So now], each day averages about 60-70 km, which isn’t too bad when you’ve got the whole day to do it.”

The last event for the summer, Max’s Big Climb, will take place on Saturday, July 15. This event is

“It turned out far better than I ever imagined. […] It’s phenomenal. It’s weird how all the pieces have fallen into place.”

—Andrew Sedmihradsky once again occurring at 143 m-high Sydenham Hill, which is known as being the training ground for Clara Hughes, the six-time Canadian Olympic medalist in cycling and speed skating.

“This year, we’ve got more time on the hill. Last year, we had to stop at 10.

Instead, this year we’ve got one lane closed until 12 p.m. So we’re going to

take the fastest eight men and eight women—they’ll race in head-to-head knockouts,” says Sedmihradsky. He added that this style was inspired by the ongoing March Madness events.

The winners of each category would be crowned the “King” and “Queen of the Mountain.”

Following a bit of research, Sedmihradsky has also planned for a “horse-kill relay race” to be held.

“I found out that Sydenham Hill on Dundas used to be called horsekill road, because it would be too tough for working horses to pull wagons up the hill, and they died.

So I thought that—and hopefully the animal lovers don’t misinterpret what we’re doing—it’s going to be a relay, with teams of four cyclists going up as many times as they can in an hour.

Whoever goes up the most [will win] a trophy. In the event of a tie, the team that’s raised the most money in pledges will win.”

There will also be a Hill Challenge, which is a chance for members of the public to simply reach the top of the hill on a bicycle of their choice, and will receive ice cream, food, and a participation ribbon. “That’s to en-

courage people who maybe aren’t into racing, or don’t want the pressure of the clock, but still want the accomplishment of climbing the hill,” says Sedmihradsky.

As for Max, he is once again excited to be embarking on Max’s Big Ride, and has been asking his parents several questions. Sedmihradsky jokes that he should brush up on his storytelling skills, as Max always tends to request a story (generally about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) when the bike is heading up a hill.

“Up until this point, Max never really asked about his muscles or his medication. He’s had some conversations—they tend to happen in the mornings, when I’m at work, and Kerri, my wife, is getting him ready to go off to school. So he’s more aware of the situation now, and obviously, we don’t tell him that it’s a fatal disease. But he knows that his muscles are weak, and that he needs to take his medication,” says Sedmihradsky.

“Obviously, that’s a conversation you never want to have with your kids, but […] I want him to know that he can come to us for information about his disease.”

03.27.2017

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Eagles kick around at provincials UTM men’s varsity indoor soccer team finish OCAA provincial championships with 1-1-2 record

ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR The UTM varsity men’s indoor soccer team competed for the provincial championships on March 23 at Redeemer College. The men fared well against the tough competition, ending off the tournament with a 1-1-2 record.

The Eagles fought hard against the Fanshawe College Falcons in their first match of the tournament. The beginning of the game saw opportunities on both sides, but both teams couldn’t find the back of the net after the first 45 minutes. In the second half, UTM scored their first goal of the tournament, but the lead was short-lived as Fanshawe found a way to climb back into the contest, scoring two quick goals. Fanshawe would eventually win 2-1.

Shortly after the Eagles played again, but this time against the host school Redeemer College Royals. The Eagles scored the first goal of the game again, but they couldn’t keep the short lead for long. After halftime, the Royals came together and rallied for the game-tying goal. Though UTM didn’t

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The UTM varsity men’s indoor soccer team fared well at the OCAA provincial championships. win the contest, they didn’t manage to give up the lead to Fanshawe ending up in a tie, 1-1.

The beginning of the second day of competition on March 24 saw the Eagles sitting tied for last in their Men’s Pool B. They trailed behind Fanshawe

and Mohawk, who were the only winning teams so far. UTM shared the same record with Redeemer and St. Clair with 0-1-1 records.

In their third game of the OCAA provincial’s tournament, the Eagles battled hard against St. Clair Col-

lege. Right away, St. Clair scored twice, taking the 2-0 lead going into halftime. The Eagles weren’t able to commit to a solid attack or defend the speedy St. Clair forwards. UTM saw two more goals hit the back of their mesh before the final whistle. St Clair

took the decisive 4-0 win.

The Eagles’ fourth and final game against the Mohawk Mountaineers saw the best results. With nothing to lose, the men seemed more relaxed and crisp committing to a competition style of play. The Eagles scored two goals in the first half and managed to come out of the break with the same competitive edge, scoring the third goal in the second half. Mohawk managed to put one past UTM Eagles goalkeeper Aaron Peters, but couldn’t find the net again. The Eagles finished off the tournament on a high note with a win.

The OCAA championship game saw George Brown and St. Clair battle it out. George Brown proved they were the best team at the tournament, taking the gold medal with the 1-0 victory.

It was the last game of the indoor season for the men, who now look forward to the outdoor season beginning next September. The men will try to get back on track next year where they left off a couple of seasons ago, when they made the playoffs in their inaugural season.

Athletics for UTM summer students UTM summer students interested in competitive sports opportunities on campus should come forth

YASMEEN ALKOKA

As classes come to an end and exam season begins, there will still be plenty of opportunities for students to stay active this spring and summer at the RAWC. The Medium sat down with Rachel Tennant and Cameron Walker, the program coordinators at the Department of Physical Education, to learn about the available programs this summer.

All the drop-in fitness classes, such as Zumba, continue to run throughout the summer. “We are a 12-month-a-year program. We do run programs 12 months a year. We do recognize that during exam periods, we lose our gym, so we have to pare down our programming for that, but we do offer—there’s a pretty full contingent of fitness classes that are offered all spring and all summer. The pool continues to have drop-in rec swimming

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Fitness classes are one of the options available to UTM students in the summer. two or three times a day, and there are some instructional classes,” says Tennant.

“We have dedicated hours during

the middle of the day [for certain activities], even in July and August, when we have summer camp. We have badminton 12 to 1 every day

on one side of the gym, and on the other side will be basketball from 12 to 1 every day,” adds Walker.

Aside from the planned hours of

activity, students still have the option to rent out equipment and use the field or gym as usual. When there is a smaller student population on campus, Tenant says it is “less organized sport—more casual.”

“I would say that something that is less used by students but should be more used is the schedule tool at the bottom of our page. So if you go to utmeagles.ca and then scroll to the bottom, there’s a sortable tool,” Walker explains. “It’s a fiveday schedule and you can sort it by seeing everything. Or if you want to just see drop-in sports opportunities, you want to see just recreational swimming opportunities, you want to just see group fitness opportunities, sort through to what you want, and it’ll display for that day—sort of the first three—and if you want more details, you just hit the day.”

Summer continued on page 16

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THE MEDIUM 03.27.2017

UTM sports in summer time ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR Christopher Sommer, the founder of GymnasticBodies, spent 20 years coaching the U.S. national gymnastics team, and he recommends some different exercises that are sure to make you realize the muscles you didn’t even know you had. UTM students can prepare themselves more effectively for heavy weights by strengthening and increasing flexibility in their stabilizer muscles or lesser known muscles.

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Summer weather provides the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

Summer continued from pg 15 When it comes to organized sports for the summer, there has been some discussion on running tournaments, but it requires some more student interest. “I’m sure if there was some interest from students, we would be able to run a couple of small leagues,

“If there’s something that students want, they should definitely come and let us know.”

— Cameron Walker whether that’s soccer, basketball, or another sport, if that was high in interest. I know that volleyball is up and coming as well. We have beach volleyball courts that people can use,” says Walker. “If it’s something that

students want, they should definitely let us know.”

“Once the field is open, we have a dedicated group of faculty staff and students who go out and play soccer on the field, and that’s a long, long, long standing program, and tons of folks participate over the course of the summer. It’s a lot of fun and a good way to get out into the sun,” Walker adds. He also says that even people who have graduated, or even retired, can come back just to kick a ball around and enjoy the weather.

All ages and all levels of playing ability are welcome to join.

Classes might be over soon, but if you are returning for summer classes or just want to purchase a summer membership for the RAWC, there are still opportunities to “just get out there and find something fun to do and be active,” encourages Tennant.

J-CURL Think of this as a controlled, slowly rounded straight-legged deadlift, but with light weights. It can kick-start stubborn thoracic, or mid-back, mobility while teaching you to use your hamstrings. Begin by standing up straight, legs locked, holding a bar waist-high with your arms shoulderwidth apart. With your chin tucked

tightly against your chest, slowly bend over, one vertebra at a time from the neck down. Keep your arms straight and the bar close to your legs. Lower until you can’t stretch any farther. As you become more flexible, stand on a box, with the goal of reaching your wrists below your toes. Slowly stand back up again, one vertebra at a time, keeping your chin tucked—it should be the last thing to come up. Aim for 10 reps.

DISLOCATES These are outstanding for shoulder and pec mobility. Perform them at the end of a workout, when your shoulders are warmed up. Start by holding a lightweight bar waist-high with an overhand grip and your arms double shoulder width apart. Keeping your arms straight, slowly raise the bar above your head and then back behind you, ending with the bar against the back of your legs. Don’t arch your lower back. Bring the bar back up and

A congratulations to the UTM men’s D-league ice hockey team for winning the championships.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to The Medium’s sports section this year.

We had a great year tackling different events, topics and community members.

We have the opportunity to make the section even better next year with more involvement from students and athletes who want to practice their writing skills and get published.

A special thank you to Jack Krist and the rest of the UTM Athletic Department for taking the time to ensure the sports section had adequate up-to-date information and resources for publishable material. Also, thank you to the coaching staffs and players of all UTM sports teams; they were very approachable and supported answers to questions to the best of their abilities. It was a pleasure serving UTM athletics the past two years and watching their development into outstanding OCAA competitors.

Eric Hewitson Sports Editor - The Medium

HINGE ROWS This is an excellent finishing move for the mid-traps (critical for handstands and just about everything in gymnastics) and external rotator muscles in the shoulders. It also irritates the shoulders less than most other variations I’ve tried. Visualize it as popping up like Dracula in a coffin, then hitting a double biceps pose. The catch: your hands are holding rings the entire time. Set up a pair of rings to hang about a foot above your head when you’re sitting on the floor. While sitting on the floor, grab the rings, lay back, and lift your hips off the ground, keeping your heels dug in.

Focus on making your body (head to heels) straight. Sit up until your head is between the rings. The bend at your waist and elbows should be about 90 degrees. Slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat five times.

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Fellow sports enthusiasts,

Sincerely,

around. Repeat five to 10 times.

Amanda Borthwick Vanessa Cesario Danica Post Oscar Adamczyk Devanshi Adhvaryu Noor Al-Lababidi Disha Patel Nader Hadi Fatima Alvi Kevin Dang Gustavo Silva Kaitlyn Fernandes Jason Coelho Junaid Siddiqui Jessica Cabral Joshan Ramnauth Vanessa Cesario Wilfred Andrew Yasmeen Alkoka