Volume 44 issue 1

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

September 5, 2017 Volume 44, Issue 1 themedium.ca

North B underway

Open your mind and be informed

Art in 200 visual parts

Riding with Max!

Get that stress under control

News, page 2

Opinion, page 4

Arts, page 6

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

UTM expands mental health initiative Margaret Trudeau is invited to give a lecture at UTM regarding the stigma surrounding mental illness KAYVAN AFLAKI The former Canadian First Lady and mental health advocate, Margaret Trudeau, is expected to share her life story and personal struggle with mental health challenges during a free lecture on September 18 in IB. Margaret Trudeau’s talk comes as part of a broader University of Toronto mental health and wellness campaign, which seeks to engage “in creative ways to develop healthy lifestyle choices, learn how to cope with the challenges of failure while seeking success, and building capacity in students … to understand that mental health is a component of our overall health and wellbeing.”

Nicolle Wahl of the UTM Office of Communications told The Medium that Trudeau is a prime choice to host the talk due to her personal experience. Trudeau’s struggle “furthers the important conversation about promoting mental wellbeing

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

It is hoped that students and faculty can learn to better cope with feelings of anxiety and stress. and ending the stigma about mental health issues.”

The former First Lady became a spokesperson for mental health

awareness, after the loss of her son, which caused her to experience depression and mood swings.

Andrea Carter, the assistant dean

of Student Wellness, Support & Success, reinforced the significance of Trudeau’s talk at UTM, emphasizing the important role it played

in breaking down the social stigma surrounding mental illness.

“At UTM, we engage in awareness, education, training and antistigma strategies with students, staff and faculty. For example: the UTM Wellness Ambassadors Program provides students with information, tools, and resources to empower them to make healthy choices in support of their personal and academic goals; and supports the development of internal systems and structures that encourage and foster student health and wellbeing on campus. Furthermore, the mental health framework addresses the mental wellbeing of faculty as well.”

According to Carter, the program was founded in 2014 by the Provostial Advisory Committee and has been providing students at all three campuses with resources and services to handle mental health concerns.

Initiative continued on page 3

U of T denies hosting a nationalist rally UTSU is unsatisfied with the administration’s statement that denies the occurance of the CNP rally ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR Following online backlash, the University of Toronto has denied the booking of a Canadian Nationalist Party rally on the St. George campus on September 14.

The CNP describes itself as a “federally registered political party in Canada occupying a center-right position on the political spectrum.

Advocating for a strong national identity, the CNP espouses social traditionalism and fiscal conservatism.”

University president Meric Gertler released a statement against the protest in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“As we prepare to welcome students, faculty and staff to our campuses for the start of another academic year, it is important that we reaffirm our collective and unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” read Gertler’s statement.

“These are among the University of Toronto’s core values. They are cornerstones of outstanding scholarship, teaching, and learning, which can

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

The CNP indicated that it would hold a rally at UTSG in September. thrive only by embracing the broadest range of people and encouraging the free expression of diverse perspectives in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Bigotry, hate, intolerance

and violence have no place on our campuses.”

The university detailed in a news release that the nationalist group had made no official booking with the

campus.

“The university learned the organization had indicated in a Facebook post that it would hold the rally on U of T’s downtown Toronto campus in

September. The organization did not have permission to hold the event at U of T,” the news release read.

According to the U of T news page, the University of Toronto has ordered a cease and desist letter to the nationalist group in order to prevent any perceived affiliation with the school and the CNP. The University of Toronto Students’ Union was on alert after the university’s response to the rally.

“One of the concerns that we have is that the initial response of ‘we don’t have a booking’ so we can’t make an assessment,” Matthias Memmel, UTSU’s president, said in an interview with The Medium. “You don’t need a booking to come to a determination on whether or not an organization on their website is talking about returning to a high population of Eurocentric values. You don’t really need a booking to come to that conclusion.”

In an email to The Medium, UTMSU president Salma Fakhry outlined her team’s stance on the rally and the University’s official statement.

Rally continued on page 2

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 09.05.2017

North building underway North Building Phase B expected to be completed on schedule

August 24th, 2017.

Police Assistance Campus police were called to attend the Innovation Complex for an unidentified odour. Campus police and engineers attended. Ventilation system was inspected and all appeared in order.

August 29th, 2017 Police Assistance Mississauga Ambulance contacted campus police to assist in locating an injured male who was at OPH. Campus police met with EMS and escorted them to the injured male. The male was then transported to hospital.

August 28th, 2017 Theft over $5000 Campus Police received a report of theft of copper piping from a construction site.

August 30th, 2017 Police Assistance Campus police were called to attend the RAWC for an injured student.

ECSpeRT and EMS attended. The student was transported to hospital.

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

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

UTSU wary of CNP rally denial

WENDELL MACAPAGAL/THE MEDIUM

UTSU prepares for the possibility of a nationalist rally downtown.

Rally continued from cover “The fact that a white nationalist rally was “cancelled” doesn’t take away the fact that white supremacy is ever present at the University of Toronto.

It is embedded within its framework, structure, administration and in some particular student unions,” said Fakhry.

UTSU is in talks with U of T administration to prepare for the possibility of a nationalist rally at St. George Fakhry stated that the current UTMSU executives are working with multiple organizations, including the Coalition Against White Supremacy, in order to combat systematic racism within the university. The UTMSU stated that the next few months will be an opportunity to educate students and the university community.

“There’s nothing that physically

prevents people from walking on to the campus, the campus itself is quite porous. It’s integrated with the city that in part is why people like to study at St. George,” Memmel continued.

Memmel stated that he and his team of executive directors are currently working with the administration to “encourage them to have a policy specifically on external partners attending on-campus events.”

“One of the things there has been a lot of talk about is if there’s going to be a counter rally,” said Memmel, “One of the things that we don’t want to do and be responsible for us would be to encourage people to attend a counteraction where potentially their safety would be compromised.”

Memmel added that his team is still talking with the U of T administration and media relations in order to figure out how to proceed in the event the rally takes place.

The UTSU has no current plans to counteract the rally until it becomes clear that the CNP will proceed with their plans on September 14.

AIMEN ALI/THE MEDIUM

The exterior and interior renovations on North Building Phase B are currently in progress for 2018.

KAYVAN AFLAKI North Building Phase 2 is still currently in development and expected to open on schedule in late August of 2018.

UTM’s chief administrative officer, Paul Donoghue, acknowledged in email correspondence with The Medium that construction of the North Building Phase B was “ontime and proceeding as scheduled.”

The new Phase B will house the departments of Sociology, Political Science, English and Drama, Language Studies, Historical Studies and Philosophy. Also housed in the building will be the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, classrooms - some of which will be ‘active learning’ classrooms, study spaces, and special event and gathering space. The building will boast a silver Leadership in Energy and Environment Design certification, as well.

Phase B is part of a two-step plan

to redevelop UTM’s north campus and will complete the phased demolition of the original North Building. The original structure was built more than forty years ago as a “temporary” structure.

According to a 2014 UTM Campus Council public agenda, the overall construction initially cost $121.2 million dollars. Donations, matching funds, provincial funding, and reallocation of the campus operating budget have largely financed the construction costs to date.

In an interview with The Medium in September 2016, Donoghue had acknowledged that latching onto the original North Building longer would prove to be “a sinkhole for money”.

“It’s expensive and inefficient to operate. It just didn’t warrant further investment of resources to upgrade,” he had stated.

When asked about the food options available on campus, Dono-

ghue cited spatial constraints as the primary reason that Phase B would lack food vendors and an eating space.

“The space program did not allow enough room for expanded food services. Only a small coffee kiosk will be included in the special event space located in the main atrium,” Donoghue said “the building will be served by the facilities already located in Deerfield Hall which will be joined to North 2, the nearby Instructional Building and Oscar Peterson Hall. Other outlets on campus include a planned revitalized Meeting Place with a permanent food court.”

“There will be an official ribboncutting and opening event. usually held in September or October, after the building is occupied. Details will be broadly communicated closer to that date,” added Donoghue.

The grand opening ceremony is expected to take place early in the Fall 2018 term.

O-Week prepares first years Administration gave TED-like talks to motivate new students ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR The Office of Student Transition sought to welcome students and provide them with academic advice to help them succeed during the last week of August.

The orientation aimed to introduce new students to the UTM community and tips for success before the beginning of the academic year.

According to a UTM News article on, “O-Week is all about welcoming new students to campus, helping them become familiar with the environment and learn all the things they’ll need to know to be a successful student,” says Jessica Silver, a manager with the Office of Student Transition. “UTM has a lot to offer, including academic and social support, fun opportunities to get involved and more.”

O-Week held several TED-like

talks from teachers and alumni to give advice to the new students.

The three day orientation also featured ways to manage time in order to be a successful student.

Faculty and alumni presented TED-styled talks to prepare new students for academic success at UTM and for future endeavours “This year, the event also includes a new feature—a special pinning” ceremony led by Dean of Student Affairs Mark Overton, that will highlight the core identities of UTM student life—community, creativity, communication, innovation and sustainability—with a small gift for participants,” read the UTM News article.

UTMSU’s annual frosh week coincided with the Office of Student Transition’s O-Week.

Both orientations occurred during the final week of August and introduced new undergraduate students to the campus and campus life. UTMSU’s frosh featured events such as a trip to Canada’s Wonderland, a food fest, and two pub nights, whereas O-Week sought to integrate students into UTM’s academic atmosphere.

Silver credits the multiple orientations as a way to provide students with many opportunities to get involved in various ways and to discvover themselves both academically and personally.

This marks a second instance that two distinct orientations were held for students in order to provide new undergraduates with a variety of choices for different preferences, the first time being in 2015.

09.05.2017 THE MEDIUM NEWS

UTM housing beehives

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»WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR THIS YEAR?

Hospitality department seeks to become more self-sufficient

Carey Hao 1st year, Social Sciences “Go to sleep before 11:00pm”

Christian Thormeyer 1st year, Management “Get a 4.0 GPA”

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Harvest from honeybees expected to be served on campus in Oscar Peterson Hall for students.

FATIMA WASIF

UTM’s hospitality and retail services have installed three beehives on the roof of IB as part of an environmental initiative.

The bees are part of an initiative by hospitality services to help nurture and protect them from the danger of increasing environmental burdens that have led to reduced numbers in recent years. Fostering the bees presents an opportunity for greater self-sufficiency on campus in terms of food services through honey production.

“We always at the hospitality department try to find creative ways to support the environment and be more green and self-sustainable,” says Vicky Jezierski, UTM’s director of hospitality & retail services in an interview with The Medium. “We do have more than one thinking here

besides helping the environment.

We’re also being very local, bringing honey to the university, to the university students, and to our population.”

“A few select students will have the chance to interact with the bees during the next harvest which should yield more honey than the first” The first harvest from the beehives resulted in the production of forty kilograms of honey. The produce is expected to be used chiefly for residence dining starting in the fall, but also to educate students about the bees.

“We will have a session in probably October or November where

we will invite our beekeeper to speak about the program,” Jezierski stated, “We will also have honey there and with the help of Chartwell chefs we will show students how to use it in recipes,” she continued. Any leftover honey will then be sold at cost to the UTM population.

A select few students will also be able to interact with the bees during the next harvest. The beehives are expected to be a permanent fixture on campus with the hopes of doubling the amount of hives by next year.

Other hospitality plans include an indoor vertical farm, which can be found at OPH, intended to grow kale, lettuce, and basil for use around campus. According to Jezierski, the project had been purchased from UTM grad students.

The hospitality and retail services have also installed two dehydrators to manage waste and aid future composting of the campus.

Aayushi Patel 1st year, Sociology

Michael Jiang 1st year, Comp. Science

“Get a higher CGPA”

“Don’t be late for class”

De-stigmatizing mental illness

Davis upgrade coming Davis renovations will provide a new permanent food court

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

The aim is to help struggling students and faculty.

Initiative continued from cover

AIME ALI/THE MEDIUM

The project, beginning this fall, will focus on renovating the food court.

AYESHA HASSAN The William G. Davis building is expected to undergo construction on the food court and main entrance later this term, to become a permanent food court.

Estimated to take 18 months to complete, the focus will be on renovating the food court into a “new living room” that holds enough seating for a thousand people, according to Paul Donoghue, UTM’s chief ad-

ministrative officer.

The building’s upcoming renovations will also extend to the outside entrance by Inner Circle road, in the hopes to establish “extended bus lanes to reduce traffic outside of Davis,” according to a U of T news release.

As of press time, there is no word whether the food court will feature vendors supported by the Chartwells contract, or if the school will seek to bring in a variety of outside

companies.

Over this past summer, the Davis building underwent renovations to update “two 70s-era lecture theatres,” while several science labs have been upgraded over the past few years as part of a larger project to modernize the building.

Further details on the project are expected to be discussed during an upcoming Campus Affairs Committee meeting on September 14.

“One of the barriers to maintaining good mental health is the stigma that is attached to mental illness. Often, individuals struggle with “blips” in their mental health and don’t seek out support because they are afraid it means they have a mental illness or are not able to manage as well as their peers,” said Carter.

“The truth is, in every person’s life there will be times in which feeling anxious or sad is an expected response to the stress and challenges one might be experiencing.”

By hosting talks such as Trudeau’s, Carter hopes that students and faculty can learn to better cope with feelings of anxiety and stress. She argues that by breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health through dialogue, individuals will be more

inclined to communicate their own feelings of anxiousness and sadness.

“Talking about mental health and wellness normalizes the times in which we all experience challenges.

There is so much pressure to be ‘perfect’; a simple review of Instagram or Facebook will leave you believing that everyone wakes up in the morning beautiful, can survive off of kale shakes, and has a perfect life. This simply is not true,” said Carter.

“Conversations about how to manage stress, anxiety and failures assist not only in helping students, staff and faculty to establish healthy lifestyle choices and coping mechanisms, but it also assists in de-stigmatizing mental health issues.”

Tickets to Trudeau’s talk can be booked online on UTM’s website under the “50 Years of UTM” tab.

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09.05.2017

MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Mahmoud Sarouji editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Menna Elnaka managing@themedium.ca News Alicia Boatto news@themedium.ca A&E Kassandra Hangdaan arts@themedium.ca Features Mahnoor Ayub features@themedium.ca Sports Vanessa Cesario sports@themedium.ca — Photo Olivia Adamczyk photos@themedium.ca Design Mirabelle Eze design@themedium.ca Copy Ayesha Tak copy@themedium.ca Online Meg Sharpley online@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News TBA A&E TBA Features TBA Sports TBA Photo TBA Copy TBA GENERAL STAFF Webmaster Florence Cao web@themedium.ca Distribution Manager Alison Ross distribution@themedium.ca Ads Manager Mayank Sharma ads@themedium.ca Cartoonist Anthony Labonté COPYRIGHTS All content printed in The Medium is the sole property of its creators, and cannot be used without written consent.

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

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

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To contribute, email editor@themedium.ca

Inform yourselves UTM, always Ask questions and be constantly informed so that you can learn to understand My first editorial, how do I start this?

I hate that summer is over.

Though, as the Editor-in-Chief of this paper I have to say that I’m excited. Excited to re-instill the importance of journalism to the new students and the students continuing their time here in University.

I wrote in my last op-ed in March about the importance of the school newspaper. And I still strongly believe in that.

I’m constantly asked what I’m doing now that I’ve graduated. And besides thinking of the best possible way to say, “NO IDEA” I obviously tell them that I am the Editor-inChief of a newspaper. And when they ask which paper, I inform them that it’s UTM’s newspaper, and I get the look. The look that says “Oh…wow… a student paper?” No one has to say anything for me to immediately understand the judgement being rained down on me.

Though it is important now, that I as the EIC of this newspaper inform you, the reader, that this newspaper stands for much more than an opportunity for students to learn journalism. We may be a bunch of students who are working to produce content,

however we’re a bunch of people with a passion for the journalism we do here at The Medium.

What we do matters. To be informed is to understand. When you read our newspaper it’s important to be informed and understand the campus your money is put into. This institution is much more than a hub of academia. You can choose to treat it like that, but are you really getting the most out of your experience if all you do is come to get an education? The last thing you’ll remember in the future is how you once went to school and sat in a lecture for 8 semesters. What you will remember is the experiences that you allow yourself to embark on, whether you choose to join a club or be a part of something other than the academia you pay for. And The Medium offers you the chance to be informed and stay informed.

Socially we are conditioned to make judgments and decisions based off hunches and prior experiences.

However, we fail to adapt and push ourselves to learn more than what we’ve been given. We learn what we have to and we don’t bother making the attempt to learn more. And don’t

get me wrong, I too do this. Though, you need to be aware of the fact that doing this will not help you improve and grow. A part of growing is consistently aiming to learn more, and knowledge will help you understand more.

A lot happens on this campus, and if you use your time to just focus on academics, you lose sight of yourself and what it truly means to have knowledge. Memorize all the content you want, do all the readings you have to, do the best you can in school, but remember that on top of that, it’s essential for your well-being to learn just as much about the institution you are paying towards for 4-6 years.

Coming to this university, you are easily blinded by all the colourful booths, the smiling faces, the school banners and colours, the inspiring speeches, the beautiful building, the perfect campus, the excellence, and the vastness of it. And believe me, I too believed in only what I saw. But now it’s your turn to make a decision that you’ve been here for 1 week, or 3 years. Are you going to continue to live your life understanding everything at face value? Or are you going

to ask questions, and gain as much knowledge as you can to understand the world as much as you can?

I can tell you that the journalists that work with me here at The Medium will ask the easy and hard questions to spread knowledge to you, the student. Because this is a team that believes in the importance and the impact of their work to the student body and even the administration.

Call us student journalists, call us a little journalism club, but we will not back down in the face of resistance especially when students have the right to be informed of everything that affects them on this campus. It can be everything from the most recent production at Erindale Theater from our Theater and Drama students to the newest lawsuit. No matter what it is, you have the right to know. And my team will do everything they can to make sure you know.

So, while you’re studying, pick up our paper. Take the time to learn and understand something new. Most importantly, stay informed, UTM. YOURS, MAHMOUD SAROUJI

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09.05.2017

How to create: 200 expressions of art Art Gala Forum hosts art auction event highlighting portfolios of over 29 international artists works are expressive of a kind of

KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR

“philosophical struggle,” and reflective of her varying moods. Besides

After walking through the doors of

some paintings like “Heroically Tall”,

the Art Square Gallery—a two-part

which bear recognizable shapes of

setting comprised of a gallery and

indistinct trees reaching into a blue

a quaint backroom café—I begin to

sky, the rest of her collection is much

think I’ve made a mistake. I expect

more ambivalent in terms of its inter-

to see rows of neatly lined artworks,

pretation.

comprising the exhibition entitled the

A grouping of three paintings

Square Foot Project, hanging on the

huddle together on the floor piques

white walls. Instead, I see a haphaz-

my interest. The works are similar

ard collection of art pieces strewn on

in that the principal color in use is

the floor. A cadre of artists hammer

blue, transforming the canvases into

12-by-12 frames into walls, balance

what I see as oceanic waves. However,

on ladders, and direct one another. It

each canvas is distinct in the types of

turns out that the opening reception

hues and gradients of blue employed.

date of the gallery, August 28, was ad-

“Late Breaking”, for instance, involves

vertised incorrectly.

cooler tones of blues that remind me

Despite the confusion surrounding

of clear skies. Slapped Into Life, on

the opening date, I wander freely and

the other hand, uses darker, more in-

acquaint myself with the makeshift exhibit. The exhibition hosts over 200 works by the Art Gala Forum—a

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Viewers enjoyed a selection of works ranging from acrylic paintings to metal welding.

non-profit group of twelve artists—in

this lone qualification, the creative

A visceral reaction pulls me to-

There, she unearthed a passion for

collaboration with seventeen guest

process is left to the artist. Indeed, my

wards the acrylic works of Connie

painting in lieu of drawing. Gorsline’s

artists. The witty exhibition title ref-

cursory observation takes note of the

Gorsline, a fine art guest painter of

style is abstract, and this style is evi-

erences the sole artistic restriction of

diverse artistic styles done in ceramic,

the exhibit. Gorsline began paint-

dently translated in her works.

the collection: works must be limited

textile, acrylic, mixed media, sculp-

ing after taking a beginner drawing

When I speak to Gorsline herself

to a twelve-by-twelve sizing. Besides

ture, and more.

course at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

about her style, she states that her

timidating, shades of blues blending into black. The resulting effect being a more turbulent, and ominous vibe exuding from the painting. The last piece in this grouping is “Exhaling Acrylic”. The shades of blue here are midway between its two relatives.

Square continued on page 7

Honouring Canada one canvas at a time AGO pays tribute to Canada’s sesquicentennial anniversary with exhibitions by Native artists KEENA AL-WAHAIDI

Art-goers in Toronto will tell you that the Art Gallery of Ontario never shies away from giving Canadian art the consistent praise it sometimes lacks.

Their newest exhibit shines light on nationalism, history, and a great Canadian past that is seldom forgotten.

It’s called Every. Now. Then: Framing Nationhood, and its crossing boundaries that some of us didn’t know existed.

I continue my way through the exhibition and I pass a room which holds a painting that catches my eye.

A familiar Lawren Harris piece sits above a display that’s closed off with string. His 1931 “Grounded Icebergs” is quite similar to the pieces I’m used to observing.

I am surprised Harris is not featured more in the exhibit, but I decide to realize a few things about this piece, nevertheless. Harris is a Brantford-born artist and a member of the iconic Canadian Group of Seven.

However, something interesting to consider is that Harris is not celebrated here. As much as a national treasure he may be to some, this exhibit

JILLIAN SEGOVIA/THE MEDIUM

Native artists display textiles, landscapes, and settings in light of the Canadian experience. does not welcome him as bravely as I did a couple of minutes prior. Some art-goers who have relished this exhibit may not even find joy in his painting if they’re true to the message of the exhibit itself.

Harris is a figure that shapes Canadian art to be true to our landscapes and identity. His idea of the north involves landscapes splattered on his canvases, but is a common por-

trayal of the actual experiences of the north. Settlers silence those who matter in the north, and so his art isn’t so much appreciated here as it is shamed. Harris’s presence as a hot shot Canadian painter almost appears invasive. There’s a sense of regret that we’ve allowed him to identify Canadians and the art we live by.

The exhibit runs quickly while its message resonates slowly. It takes me

a good two rounds of the exhibit to fully understand the issues that are buried so deeply within it. Some pieces of art struggle with defining Canadian identity. We are forced to question how we reckon with it and what makes up our national recognition.

An image is taken from the “Wanted” series, by Camille Turner and Camal Pirbhai. The collection comes from a repertoire of pieces that tries

to avoid showcasing slaves in their wretched pasts, but instead, portrays them in a new and positive light. The piece does not relive slaves and their history, but rather showcases slaves in juxtaposition to the future. For instance, speaking on the phone in this piece is considered a form of liberation. It’s something that is honest and true.

Only a few steps into the exhibit do I find a wall full of small paintings

by Métis artist Rosalie Favell entitled From an Early Age – Revisited depicting family gatherings and childhood outings. It’s a colourful string of work that pops with not only colour, but memory. This idea that growing up in an aboriginal family is exactly what it’s supposed to look like. On the left, there’s an image of the family embracing each other beside Christmas decorations. Near it, there’s a framed piece of three children on a horse and another piece of a children’s birthday party. There’s beauty in this normality, especially if you can make art out of it.

The pieces I’ve uncovered are different, yet the same. They convey the notion that Canadian nationalism is something we all share but the ways in which we express it differ.

09.05.2017 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Tale screening Hitting the right notes Short stories receive screentimes NIRANHJITHA PATTAHIL I arrived late in chilling weather at Mississauga’s Celebration Square to see Art on the Screens, an event featuring short stories on wide screens. All the stories were detailed, often with lyrical and animated ballads. Some stories had English subtitles that were at times coupled with a nonsensical track.

The ones that stuck out to me were these three short animated stories.

The first one was cleverly named the “Bear Story” and it featured anthropomorphic bears along with a wide range of other animals. With its multi-faceted backgrounds and the animators’ use of seemingly basic elements, this story left me stunned.

The unusual camera techniques and angles helped convey emotions that are native to humanity. Truly this film is one you cannot bear to miss.

The second short story that caught my attention was titled “Diane is strange.” This film encapsulated the prejudice we normalize and conform to as social beings. This film focused on chauvinistic social norms and gender constructs. The film documented the importance sex has on an individual’s gender identity and how these taught ideas can create damaging relationships. “Diane is strange” showcased, not only how arbitrary our gender roles are, but how these stereotypes can harm an individual’s personality.

The last one, entitled “The Gift”,

featured a unique blend between experimental music and art. The use of unusual color palettes enabled the film to explore themes surrounding isolation and absences as one gets older. The film chronicled the lifestyle of an organism from being co-dependent to mutating into something completely independent. It also led me to the epiphany of how the human experience can also be a blend of co-dependency and independency.

As children, we are dependent on our parents. However, as we grow older, we start to become more independent. The film communicated this with the use of contrasting perceptions that showed accounts of what it’s like to be human.

With all the twists and turns that life contains, the enigmatic storyline of “The Gift” showed how we can lose clarity of purpose throughout our lifetime. However, the film offered hope when it suggested that life can grant the ability to resolve itself in the end. The film suggested that the irregular pieces of one’s chaotic life will somehow fit together until you see a bigger picture one day.

The overarching feature that all the films tried to convey was empathy— something innately human. Empathy towards another’s suffering, perseverance, and overcoming obstacles, are all such simple ideas when written out. But when presented with music, as is the case Art on the Screens, it is truly a bewitching sight.

REWIND VICTORIA DANESI The solemn lyrics of The Doors’ “The End” opens alongside the sight of mass destruction and Apocalypse Now. It introduces the audience to the horrors of war. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now depicts a soldier’s need to embark back into the jungle.

The storyline is a Vietnam War based epic that follows Captain Willard’s (Martin Sheen) mission of locating and assassinating fellow American Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Previously lauded for his heroic actions and an extensive military career, Kurtz eventually went hysterical and abandoned his duties to become a spiritual leader of a Cambodian tribe.

It becomes apparent that the film is not just meant to be a re-enactment of the Vietnam War. In fact, Willard’s journey delves into the descent into one’s own madness. In order to complete his mission, Willard coldly kills an innocent civilian for making risky decisions that resulted in the death of his fellow soldiers . These actions raise the question: has he gone mad just like Kurtz? The psychological battle that Willard goes through is what makes the film so intriguing: You are witnessing not just a soldier completing a mission, but a human trying to make sense of the world and where he stands.

The sweeping cinematography and abrasive supporting characters makes the film an engrossing view. There is a famous scene in which a squad of helicopters travel to a village with “Ride of the Valkyries” playing. It is riveting to watch, yet also horrifying, because of the known death and destruction that will soon follow. One of the most memorable characters, yet only appearing for a few scenes, is the boisterous and surfing obsessed Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall) who assists Willard’s travel.

Kilgore fiercely proclaims his love of war and destruction. His orders to have a few of his men go into the water and surf whilst battles are still waging is bizarre, and because of it, also memorable.

The production of Apocalypse Now can possibly be considered even more interesting than the film itself. Filming spanned 200 days while a typhoon destroyed all the sets during production. Coppola did not have an ending to the film before the start of production. Sheen replaced the previous lead actor who had already worked on the film for weeks. The obstacles during the creation of this film makes its completion a feat.

Apocalypse Now is an intense and thought-provoking display of one soldier’s physical and psychological mission through the jungle, and the trials and tribulations that accompany it under the backdrop of war.

Local musicians take over open microphone evening NICOLE SCIULLI

On August 30, the Mississauga Arts Council hosted Amphitheater Unplugged, an open live microphone event for aspiring musicians to showcase their talent. Hosted by Arlene Paculan, Amphitheater Unplugged is a recurring summer event held every Wednesday at Mississauga’s Celebration Square.

Almost unnoticeable if not for the music emanating from it, the Amphitheater is behind the fountains in Celebration Square. Amphitheatre Unplugged allowed musicians and singers to sign up for a performance as the night went on, so there was no shortage of talent.

The performances consisted of singers, musicians, or a combination of the two. Singers came in all ages. A notable performance was from a band called The Dreamboat, hailing from a music school that won the Band Choice Award at Mississauga Music Awards. The band played “Spirits” by The Strumbellas. Though the individuals in the band possessed talent, I would have wanted to see a more cohesive fusion of their talents, especially through expanding the band by more than three members. Perhaps another singer or bassist, could have added another dimension to their performance.

Younger singers pleasantly surprised audiences with their singing abilities. For example, Adriana Serra’s melodic rendition of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin” wowed the audience.

Serra had a raspy, soprano voice. As I listened to her, I felt compelled not to turn away. I listened until the final note of the song. As she sung, Serra strummed a guitar which added vibrancy to her performance.

Another younger singer, Mikayla Howsam sang an original song with a fun and upbeat tone. Paculan, the

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Performers shared musical talents with original songs. host, is Howsam’s teacher and accompanied her performance on the piano.

Later, it was revealed that Paculan and Howsam co-wrote the original song together.

The event also showcased aspiring musicians who are family members.

Duo Lyssandra Dawn Capistrano and Lana Denise Capistrano are sisters that each sang a solo. Lana played keyboard while she sang “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna for a subtle, yet powerful cover. Lysandra sang Jessie J’s “Flashlight,” and drew an ovation from the audience.

But the local talent did not stop with singing. Wizdom, a rapper, engaged with the audience as he performed an original song that he produced with a friend. Wizdom reminded me of Eminem’s rapping style. Other performers took a more comedic approach like Birhan Sakar.

Sakar performed a quasi-singingspoken-word song called “You’re Welcome.”

The sound technician, who goes by the name Steve, also graced the stage.

Though he normally plays in a band, Steve disclosed that this was his first solo performance in seven years. He played an original song called “Random House” on his electric guitar.

The melody put the audience in a trance with its psychedelic, alternative sound. It felt like you were transported to another world.

Outdoor open mics in Mississauga is a novel way for aspiring artists and local talent to highlight their abilities.

It is also a fantastic opportunity for aspiring artists to sing on a professional stage with a supportive crowd.

They can also network with others in their industry for new opportunities for gigs and find like-minded people that want to hone their craft. Not only are events like Amphitheatre Unplugged beneficial for the musicians, but the audience gets to hear some of Mississauga’s finest talents.

Art Square Gallery features diverse mediums of artwork Square continued from page 6 Gorsline and I share the same favorite piece: “Slapped Into Life”. For me, the harsh and directionless strokes create a scene a chaos. My first reaction is one of intimidation and fright. For some, the piece induces feelings of melancholia—and I can’t help but agree, given that on another perhaps more somber day, I too might have felt the same. Though Gorsline accepts this response, she underscores her attempt to convey a sense of power, mystery, and brooding. However, I fail to see the conveyance of power; and ultimately, I disagree. I think power requires a degree of control, order, and direction—yet all these aspects were absent in “Slapped Into Life.”

Instead, the scene is too chaotic and the image too formless for me to overlook a more overpowering motif of disorder.

A brief walk across the room

brings me to the works of Jack Stekelenburg, an abstract metal sculptor who is also a guest artist of the exhibition. Stekelenburg’s chosen medium, metal welding, fascinates me because of its tangible conception: the process of metal welding requires a forge to heat and bend metal into a desired shape.

Stekelenburg’s collection is entitled “Faces”, and its composing pieces stay true to this namesake.

Rows of metal frames are shaped into abstract faces. What is notable of this collection is that Stekelenburg, similar to how composers use the same sets of twelve semitones to make diverse music, reused six to eight shapes to produce different facial features. One piece called “Einstein” portrays an oval-shaped face with a group of four circles projecting from the head to represent hair.

I like this piece, simply because the artist’s humorous personality shines through—viewing this caricature,

with its clear exaggeration of Einstein’s hallmark feature (voluminous hair), draws laughter from me.

Another piece called “Paul” is one that I think has the most inviting facial expression among the bunch.

I make out a bright smile and kind eyes from “Paul.” This same kind of characteristic is present in all the remaining pieces.

Although seemingly disconnected, all artworks in the Square Foot Projects are united by a single restriction. It requires that the artist must create within a twelve-bytwelve dimension. Though this restriction limits the physical space by which the artists can work with, does it indirectly restrict the creativity found in the collection? I don’t think so. In fact, the diversity of mediums and motifs found in the Square Foot Project are its attraction.

Square Foot Project runs until September 25.

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Max’s Big Ride returns with research Max’s Big Ride returned for the third time this past summer, holding their first ever Ice-Cream Ride MAHNOOR AYUB FEATURES EDITOR Pedaling strong for a third year, Andrew Sedmihradsky (the global mobility coordinator at UTM’s International Education Centre) and his son Max cycled through Canada’s 150th Anniversary celebrations this summer through Hamilton to Ottawa for Max’s Big Ride. Max’s Big Ride is an initiative to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy and fundraise towards finding a cure. The inaugural Ice Cream Ride on June 4th kicked off the 9-day journey.

“When we first started doing this in 2015 - Max was 4 at the time and so trying to explain that we were going to ride 600 km was difficult,” says Sedmihradsky, “and so I just said that we are going to ride from ice-cream shop to ice-cream shop.”

Sedmihradsky then wondered if a similar strategy would work well with encouraging adults to come out. “We had a really good response, we had about 100 riders come out for the ice-cream ride, raised approximately $5000 in pledges,” he says. After completing the icecream huddle at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, the Sedmihradsky family began the 600km trek to Ottawa.

Although forecasts for June 4th initially predicted a 90% chance of

KERRI SEDMIHRADSKY/PHOTO

Max’s Big Ride returned for a third year and, once again, passed UTM during their 9-day ride. thunderstorms, Sedmihradsky describes how soon after, the weather “cleared up, the sun was shining, it was beautiful, you couldn’t ask for better weather,” after which the duo rode into Toronto.

“Probably one of the biggest things that happened along the way was that we managed to get on Breakfast television,” says Sedmihradsky. He mentions how the UTM communications liaison

reached out to media in Toronto and managed to get some traction.

“I didn’t know how big it was, I’ve been living in Australia, I moved to Canada 3 years ago and prior to that, 8 years I was in Australia, so I only had some idea what it was until I got there,” says Sedmihradsky, referring to his experience with appearing on Breakfast Television.

Waking up at 5 am, Max and Andrew reached the studios by 6 am,

where Sedmihradsky describes how, “Max has been on TV a few times but it has always been recorded, but this time it was live TV.” Sedmihradsky laughs as he recalls his time at the network. “With the monitors in front of you, you can see yourself on TV and as soon as [Max] saw himself on TV everything went out the window—he started blowing on the table and pulling all these weird faces.” Al-

though Sedmihradsky mentions becoming momentarily distracted from the topics he wanted to address, he describes the reception as being very positive. “The audience described the scenario as relatable and the BTV host [Kevin Frankish] was great and said, ‘oh he’s just behaving like a typical 6-year-old.’”

Sedmihradsky describes how “people as far as Kingston were honking their horns and saying oh I saw you on BTV and that was incredible, a real boost to the ride.”

While supporters of Max’s Big Ride from Cobourg already had a welcome planned, Sedmihradsky describes how the duo’s appearance on Breakfast Television made the event bigger. “The business improvement association of Cobourg got involved, there was a huge welcoming thing for us outside town hall, a fire truck was there, the police gave us an escort into town, there was a group of 10 cyclists that rode in with us, we got presented with a bunch of cheques, Max got some presents, it was wonderful,” he says.

Describing his experience cycling from town to town, Sedmihradsky says “it’s just really humbling the support that you get, it only started off as a website that I made in my basement a few years ago.”

Max continued on page 10

ACEing through the summer into fall Joseph Maghamez, a first-year student, arrived in Canada from Syria with his family in January 2016 MAHNOOR AYUB WITH NOTES FROM WRITER DEEMA ABUNASER Over the summer, Joseph Maghamez completed the Summer ACE at UTM program. This program is designed for students who have not met English language proficiency requirements. It allows him to begin school at UTM in the fall, pursuing studies in life sciences. After being forced to leave Aleppo due to the growing civil conflict, The Maghamez family arrived in Canada in January 2016. The Medium sat down with Maghamez for a candid conversation about his experiences and what he is looking forward to for the upcoming school year.

“The ACE program was fun outside of the classroom,” says Maghamez. Although he says the “exam was much harder,” than he expected, he was able to make quite a few friends in what he describes a “multi-cultural group,” that allowed them to learn from each other.

Around the time of the completion

DEEMA ABUNASER/THE MEDIUM

Joseph Maghamez, an incoming first-year student, will pursue studies in life sciences. of his baccalaureate in 2015, Maghamez describes how “Aleppo wasn’t safe at that time, and [my] family decided to move to Latakia, the coastal city.” After spending half their summer in Latakia, the Maghamez fam-

ily decided to move to Lebanon. “We needed to move out of Syria as it was not safe anymore. At that time, [my] uncle in Canada was working on our papers in Canada to move us out here as a private sponsorship.”

Maghamez and his family arrived in Lebanon closer to August. After spending 4 months there, they moved to Canada in 2016, on the fifth of January.

“The first 2 weeks [I] spent adjust-

ing here [and] then started the ELT program in Toronto,” says Maghamez. “I lived in Mississauga while I was doing the courses at St. George.

Monday to Friday,” he elaborates, “I finished my 3 months over there, then I was here in Mississauga trying to improve my English more. I went to schools, I went to adult school, I trained in college. I tried IELTS 4 times, during the time […] I was trying to upgrade my English I was also working.”

Maghaamez found out about the ACE program at UTM after counselling with an advisor. He says “it was another way around the IELTS, because I was struggling.” Two weeks after starting his second job, Maghamez began classes for ACE at UTM. He describes how “you can take integrated English so you can comprehend, and […] understand most of the academic language.” The ACE program also provided Maghamez with residence on campus, which he describes gave him the opportunity to “discover the campus more.”

ACE continued on page 10

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Summer research with Smarti Gras II Undergraduate students present work done over the summer at the second Smarti Gras celebration portance of narrowing down one’s research interests, noting that it “is useful to think about the courses you have enjoyed and why” and the associated importance of networking and getting to know your professors. She elaborates how starting small, with low-commitment volunteer positions can be beneficial. Zain also believes her experience “helped [her] work on [her] skills as an undergraduate researcher.”

MAHNOOR AYUB, SHAYNA JAN, NICOLE SCIULLI

The second Smarti Gras event was held on August 16 at the Instructional Building. This summer research celebration was a chance for student researchers to demonstrate their research projects through either presentations or posters. There were research projects from various programs, including biology, chemistry, psychology, and ICCIT. The Medium spoke to a few researchers to find out more about their projects and what is next for them.

PROJECT: “COMMENTING ON ONLINE GOSSIP BLOGS: EMOTIONAL VALANCE AND USE OF INTERNET MEMES” The rapid progression of the entertainment industry, fueled largely by a blazing advancement in technology, has allowed for the production of a multilayered entertainment experience. Today, an average consumer can enjoy special effects, orchestrated soundtracks, a thoughtful screenplay, and more. However, in spite of all these electronic masterpieces, it is interesting to note that the same value can also be found in the simplest of “art” forms, namely the “meme.”

Memes have become a pillar in the world of entertainment. They are enjoyed over various platforms of social media, and popularized to the point of holding significant commercial value, as the board game “What do You Meme?” is currently gaining

PLACEBO ANALGESIA AND ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN NEURONAL ACTIVITY

AIMEE PADILLO/THE MEDIUM

A view of the poster exhibition at Smarti Gras, the second summer research festival. traction. Fortune Magazine described last year that in August 2016, according to Google Trends, which tracks how often people search for particular terms, search entries for “memes” surpassed those for “Jesus”.

But is there more to memes than meets the eye? Maham Zain, a fourth year Psychology student at the University of Toronto St. George campus, definitely thinks so. This past summer, Zain had the opportunity to work in the digital well being lab as a part of UTM’s summer research program. The Digital Well-Being Lab, led

by Dr. Anna Lomanowska, focuses on studying online behaviour and interactions with digital devices to investigate how digital technologies can be used to promote well-being.

Currently active areas of research

at the Digital Well-Being lab include the study of virtual intimacy and virtual social touch, the expression and perception of empathy online, and online self-care. Alongside her colleagues, Zain aimed to delve deeper into the meaning of the meme, or the MEMEing, if you will. The term ‘meme’ was originally coined by Richard Dawkins in his book, The Selfish Gene, where he described them as units of culture. Zain and her colleagues worked to fine tune this definition and apply it to reality.

Together, they looked at the different features that make up a meme, classifying any image with impact text and strong displays of emotion as having “meme features.”

Zain also studied online gossip blogs such as Jezebel, drawing a con-

nection between the tone of the articles and the presence of memes in the comments section. In order to determine the emotional tone of the article, they used a linguistic analysis software called LIWC. The group was able to establish that articles with comments containing memes tend to have a higher overall positivity score.

This allows the group to conclude that memes have in fact become a medium for people to express their emotions, which can further have effects on whether articles are well received.

When asked about her experience this summer, Zain describes her time as “extremely enjoyable” and she implores all UofT students to get involved and take advantage of research opportunities. She mentions the im-

Over the summer, Areej Fatima, a fourth-year student pursuing a double major in biology for health sciences and psychology, along with her colleagues at the PAIN lab, continued investigations on the activation and spread of neuronal activity in CD-1 mice. Preliminary results suggest the implication of an activated endogenous opioid receptor system as being one of the contributing factors underlying the placebo effect.

The word “placebo” comes from the Latin word place’bo’, meaning “I shall please,” but has a literal definition of a substance or treatment with no active therapeutic effect. In medical research, randomized interventions can assign a placebo—a treatment made to resemble an active medication or therapy—to a treatment group because it is believed that patient expectations about the effectiveness of a drug can influence results.

Summer continued on page 10

A sky show starring the sun and moon Professor John Lester organized a viewing party for UTM students and sky observers on August 21 FARHAT AMINI

On Monday, August 21, across the GTA, crowds of thousands gathered under the open sky across North America to witness perhaps a lesser but nonetheless still awe-inspiring sight, a partial solar eclipse.

Dr. John Lester, a professor in the department of chemical and physical sciences was planning a trip to a city in the path of totality for August 21, but was then unable to make the journey. Lester then began organizing an eclipse viewing party for UTM students and sky-observers, bringing his equipment down to the pathway in the middle of Kaneff and Davis, allowing observers to view the eclipse.

The equipment consisted of a few eclipse glasses and two telescopes.

One telescope allowed people to reflect the eclipse onto their hands. The other telescope was installed with a filter that reduced the light passing through, allowing people to look at a larger image of the eclipse. Viewers were also encouraged to bring their own pin-hole cameras or other home-made viewing equipment.

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A solar eclipse viewing party was held between the Davis Building and the Kaneff Centre.

Lester commented on how the tables facing Kaneff have holes in them and as the eclipse started taking place, a crescent moon was visible on the ground reflecting the image – exactly the same way that a pinhole camera would do.

A solar eclipse allows scientists to

see the outer parts of the sun that are difficult to detect with fine detail and resolution under normal (brighter) conditions, Lester explains. He further describes how the corona of the sun (an aura of plasma that surrounds the sun and other stars) has a temperature higher than the inner

surface of the sun and a solar eclipse provides a rare opportunity to obtain data regarding the corona.

Lester noted that although in Mississauga we experienced only seventy percent of the total eclipse, the signs were visible, such as “feeling as if it was a cloudy day with minimal

sunlight, a slight cooling in the temperature.”

Lester also mentions how “I think [home made equipment] is great because it shows people that you can experience [the eclipse] without totality – even without high tech equipment.”

Although the viewing party was an enjoyable experience for participating students, Lester feels unfulfilled by viewing a partial eclipse.

He says, “I’m told the experience of having the sun go dark – you can feel the temperature drop, animals respond like it’s night […] – it is so unreal that you don’t ever experience anything like that any other way […] it’s like the experience of a lifetime.”

Regarding the solar eclipse predicted to take place across North America in April 2024, Lester says ,“I’ve seen the path, and it certainly comes very close, so it may not actually come right through Mississauga.” Lester further adds how any one wanting to see the eclipse might have to travel to Buffalo or Kingston to get into the path of totality.

“It’s in April, so I hope I don’t have a final exam on that day,” he jokes.

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Reducing pain and exploring the genome Summer continued from page 9 Placebo analgesia refers to the phenomenon of experiencing pain reduction after the use of a placebo.

Fatima mentions how her interest in pain psychology and neurophysiology was piqued after attending lectures for the PSY391, Psychology of Pain. Then, Fatima began discussions with the PAIN lab Principal Investigator and PSY391 course instructor professor Loren Martin. “I mentioned I was interested through the course and asked to meet him in his office hours to ask him more about his research,” says Fatima. She then began working in the lab as a volunteer, continuing in the summer as a Research Opportunity Program student.

“When I started I wasn’t too familiar with mice,” says Fatima, “but now I know the mouse brain atlas and frequently used techniques for slicing brains.” Fatima mentions how initial days in a lab can be challenging, especially when faced with complex and delicate laboratory equipment, and so she says how “I was here pretty much right after my exams ended for the winter semester, trying to familiarize myself with how the lab works.”

Fatima will continue work on placebo analgesia in the PAIN lab throughout the year, in the form of an undergraduate thesis project.

She describes how her initial thesis work beginning in the fall will include what is referred to as hot plate testing. A hot plate test can measure pain responses to high level-pain after learned cues. “We condition mice with morphine or saline and block receptors to see if the same effect is seen or if the same structures are activated – basically if the same neuronal activity is seen,” says Fatima.

Although she mentions how her experience has been worthwhile and

AIMEE PADILLO/THE MEDIUM

A poster exhibit was displayed in the Instructional Building for the second Smarti Gras event. rewarding, Fatima discusses the importance of taking the time to understand your research interests. “I love learning about brain physiology and I enjoy what I do in the lab, but research is time intensive and requires patience,” she says. Fatima describes further how “you have to get used to being in the lab and waiting on your experiments for a greater part of the day, but I hope to continue graduate studies in a similar area, so it has been very good training for me.”

PROJECT: THE GENOMIC LANDSCAPE OF POLYMORPHIC TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS IN CHLAMYDOMONOAS REINHARDTII

Shanza Ayub, a third-year double major in biology and math, pursued a ROP (BIO299Y) over the summer in Professor Rob Ness’s lab (an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at UTM.) The Ness lab combines experimental evolution and genomics to investigate how the generation of variation at the molecular level interacts with genetic drift and natural selection. This is to determine patterns of biological diversity. Ayub’s project focused on the genomic landscape of polymorphic transposable elements in chlamydomonoas reinhardtii, which studies the movement of transposable elements, also known as “the jumping gene,” throughout the genome.

When Ayub was searching for possible graduate studies, she wanted to

combine her interest in math and biology, which lead her to find bioinformatics.

Her project aimed to describe genome evolution and the spontaneous mutations in a single celled alga called chlamydomonas. This alga, Ayub mentions, is used because it’s easy to culture, and has a small genome which can be used to study the eukaryotic genome.

Transposable elements are sections of DNA that move or “jump” from one genome to another and makes up 50% of the human genome. In early studies, TE was considered “junk DNA” but after further research, scientists found that TE plays a role in gene expression and helps to create different types of cells, depending on the sequence they move in to. Also

known as a transposon, TEs switching positions throughout the genome can cause mutations.

Rob Ness’s Lab also focuses on the mutation and recombination seen with TEs using chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The lab wants to see how new mutations affect the alga’s fitness, take whole genome sequences, and combine those results with experimental data to learn how they function and predict fitness levels of future mutations. The Ness lab also looks at recombination rate variation by combining experimental recombinant lines with genome sequencing.

The group further aims to understand how recombination variation depends upon the individual and which genome characteristics predict the recombination rate on a small scale.

Ayub worked on how TEs move throughout the genome, and where they accumulate. She, along with her colleagues, looked at the distribution of TEs, identifying where they are in the genome.

Ayub’s work primarily consisted of gene mapping which required her to learn Python in the first month of the research program. Ayub mentions how the project will continue into the year, since obtaining substantial results can take time. “TE variants have to be found and mapped which can take 9 to 12 hours per variant,” says Ayub, “but in the end results can be quite rewarding.” She goes on further to say, “I had a lot of fun working in Professor Ness’ Lab and it helped me explore my interest in cell biology and participate in research that can help us understand how genomic evolution and gene expression is affected in an environment with mutations and movement.”

Ayub presented her research at the summer research celebration on August 16, 2017.

Ready for UTM Cycling for awareness ACE continued from page 8 After completing the ACE program on August 23, Maghamez became eligible to be a full-time student at UTM. Fulfilling English language proficiency requirements through the ACE program provides students with three options: becoming eligible for full-time studies upon acquiring the required grade, part time if the grade is between C+ and B-, or a requirement to take private classes for improving scores in English if grades are less than C+.

“Back in Lebanon, I worked 2 months at a copy center and we had free time.”

- Joseph Maghamez When asked about how his experience has been in Canada so far, Maghamez describes how “Canada is amazing, you don’t get to travel much because you’re busy most of the time, [but] you get to enjoy your friends.”

Maghamez also commented on his experiences about meeting open-

minded people and the multi-cultural environment in Toronto when “trying to find a Canadian culture,” but realized the culture itself is largely multi-cultural. Maghamez also describes how finding employment in Canada has allowed him to feel more independent, “back in Aleppo I didn’t have to work because I was young […] still in high school and my dad was a pediatric doctor. But in Lebanon, I worked 2 months at a copy center because we couldn’t study and we had free time.”

Although Maghamez is looking forward to interacting with the UTM faculty and learning about research, he says “the reason why I chose UTM was because it offered us free transcripts for our grades, my baccalaureate from high school.” He further describes how “other universities charged 500 dollars for a transcript,” along with requiring an online version.

Eager to begin his undergraduate career, hoping to one day follow his father’s footsteps towards medical practice, Maghamez says, “I’m excited, I’m very excited. I’ve been waiting 2 years to start university, and now I feel like I’m ready to start.”

Max continued from page 8 Upon arriving at Parliament Hill, they were greeted by members of the professional staff from the UTM Office of Student Transition, the International Education Centre, and the Centre for Student Engagement. “They just happened to be in town for a conference, and so they had a big banner made up saying we’re proud of you and as we pulled up into parliament hill members of parliament were there to greet us,” says Sedmihradsky.

Max’s Big Ride saw the addition of a new passenger this year: Sedmihradsky’s 15-month old daughter, Isla. “She loved it, she would cry if we went off on the bike without her and Max was responsible for feeding her,” Sedmihradsky jokes as he says further, “that adds a little bit of extra weight but not too much, maybe I have to put them both on diets.”

The group also paid a visit to the Centre for Neuromuscular Disease at the University of Ottawa, being invited their last year through Jesse’s Journey. After they were informed about the ride, Sedmihradsky describes how

“they just took it upon themselves, they had this huge reception planned, Max got his own lab coat with the University of Ottawa Medical School insignia.” Sedmihradsky also mentions the interest they received from physicians and DMD researchers, describing it as an opportunity for students to appreciate the impact of their research.

Elaborating on the ride and Jesse’s Journey’s partnership with UTM to establish a graduate fellowship in Patrick Gunning’s lab (professor in the chemical and physical sciences department), he says, “through our three different events, we raised about $35,000 and that will go towards - and has surpassed what was required to hire a PhD student in his lab,” referring to the graduate fellowship.

Sedmihradsky also eludes to a partnership between the Gunning lab and researchers in Ottawa, adding how “it’s really great to be in a place like where in the same building there is work that could potentially change Max’s life - you can’t say that about many workplaces.”

The last event for the summer,

Max’s Big Climb, took place on Saturday, July 15. Similar to last year, it occurred at the famous 143-metre high Sydenham Hill. The event consisted of competitive head-to-head knockout races. “It’s funny because the runner up from last year actually won the race this year, and so we’re happy to see consistent support from our participants,” says Sedmihradsky.

This year, Andrew Sedmihradsky, along with the Centre of Student Engagement, are planning a community innovation project set to take off on Sept 22. The project will invite volunteers with expertise in graphic designing and marketing, and aims to get more students involved with the initiative.

As for Max, Sedmihradsky says he is “holding stable and loves Max’s Big Ride,” as he starts to ask questions about his disease. Sedmihradsky goes on further to say “when you get news like this, it’s important, for me at least [….] I thought there’s still a chance and there’s still time and so you have to fight.”

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Managing stress throughout the year Mental health nurse, Najwa Alshammasi, talks about healthy ways to deal with stress during the school year and that’s very important,” says Alshammasi.

Make time to socialize. Being a university student does not mean that you cannot have a social life.

YASMEEN ALKOKA With classes starting up, our days will soon be filled with stress and anxiety. Learning how to manage both stress and time could really benefit university students and their overall mental health.

I recently sat down with Najwa Alshammasi, a mental health nurse at the Health and Counselling Centre. She offered some tips to help students manage their stress levels during the school year.

ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE You should establish a routine and do your best to stick with it.

Alshammasi says, “Taking a look at your schedule now that you’ve registered for classes, and knowing your capabilities is how to figure out what works for you. Ask yourself, ‘What have I managed in the past? What have I struggled with?

Moving forward, what can I do differently?’” These questions can help you formulate a plan for the semester.

Keep an agenda. “Everyone has a phone now,” Alshammasi points out. There are calendar apps available. Find which method works for you and use them. “Until you get used to it—eventually that will

DELANEY ROMBOUGH/THE MEDIUM

Managing your time is key to maintaining your mental health. come natural to you, but I think the first month starting out, it’s good to have things [like that] available,” she says. It is all about trial and error.

SELF-CARE It is also important to make sure that you are taking care of yourself.

Exercise­ —those are the most important things,” Alshammasi adds.

Get your eight hours of sleep. Go

for a walk in between classes. Call up a friend for a quick chat. Take the time to care for your own wellbeing and you will find your stress levels decreasing.

KNOWING YOUR RESOURCES “It’s okay to ask for help,” Alshammasi reminds us. For academic support, there is the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. For

physical and mental health support, there is the HCC. CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE Alshammasi emphasizes that we should maintain connections with friends and keep in touch with family because they are our support system. “Sometimes when you’re over-stressed, you isolate yourself and forget to connect with people,

FINDING A BALANCE The best way to manage stress from university life is to find the right balance. A mix of academic focus, self-care, socializing, and even having fun are all part of a balanced lifestyle as a student. Organize your time and do not let yourself be overwhelmed by one activity.

Alshammasi suggests mindfulness—the act of being present. “Trying not to worry about what’s in the past and what’s going to happen in the future, and just doing what is in the now. [Mindfulness] keeps you away from developing anxiety, depression, and stress,” she says.

POSITIVITY Stress is often seen in a negative light, Alshammasi mentions. Stress can be a good thing—if it is the right amount. It can be motivating. It can push you to work hard to conquer the causes behind the stress. Having a positive attitude can also reduce stress and anxiety levels before they grow out of our control.

UTM athletics: past, present, and future Varsity program coordinator, Jack Krist, sits down to talk about the evolution of UTM Athletics VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

I recently sat down with varsity program coordinator, Jack Krist, about the evolution of UTM Athletics and what we can expect this upcoming year. Seeing as Jack has been a part of the UTM athletics program for nearly 22 years, his expertise in the field was very useful.

Krist explains that “we went from a tiny little Gym C [which was] our only gym and then essentially… expanded and got this facility. We [are] able to now look and see what we could add.” From inducting men’s and women’s soccer into varsity only three years ago, UTM can now officially welcome both the men’s and women’s basketball teams to the varsity level this fall. They were previously competing in the d-league, which meant they only competed against teams at University of Toronto St. George and Scarborough.

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Men’s and women’s soccer were inducted into the varsity program only three years ago.

UTM men’s and women’s basketball will soon be competing against colleges such as Sheridan and Humber. The women’s basketball team will

still continue to have a d-league team while the men will not.

Aside from varsity sports, UTM also offers many intramural campus

rec and extramural teams, such as ball hockey, indoor cricket, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.

These are for those students who

want to play a sport recreationally while still being competitive.

With the addition of assistant program coordinator for varsity and recreational sport, Brittany Tierney, working alongside Krist and Cam Walker, program coordinator of recreational sport, they will ensure a successful campus rec and extramural year. Darren Turner, the fitness program assistant for strength and conditioning, has also been added to the full-time UTM athletic staff. Turner trains the varsity teams to ensure they are in the best shape possible both during the season and in their offseason, while also coaching the Olympic weightlifting team.

At UTM, our athletes don’t just pride themselves on their athletic abilities but also their academics. According to Krist, UTM had 13 national scholars last year out of a possible 68 athletes. This means they received a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

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THE MEDIUM 09.05.2017

The evolution of Eating healthy at UTM The following tips will keep you healthy during the school year UTM Athletics NICOLE SCIULLI

Athletics continued from page 11

Krist also explains how fortunate we are to have our athletes playing on their respective teams for 4-5 years.

Most college programs are only 1-3 years, so this gives their athletes a shorter amount of time to gel and get to know one another and their playing styles.

“The more effort you put in, the more reward at the end of the line.

I think if everyone is putting in that effort the teams will succeed.”

Krist goes on to say, “[There’s] such a sense of community at UTM as opposed to at some of the bigger campuses and the downtown campus where you’re just a number.” He adds that “the more people you meet through sport and physical activity, those are the

friends you’re going to have for life.”

“Every year our coaches are stressing that team concept—that we need to work as a team,” says Krist. The notion of team unity is crucial on any sports team. You have to know your teammates and feel a sense of togetherness in order to succeed. Krist explains that all he wants from his coaches is to “[get] the athletes to buy into what they’re saying and getting them to work hard. The more effort you put in, the more reward at the end of the line. I think if everyone is putting in that effort the teams will succeed.” At UTM, the men’s and women’s teams of every sport support one another and this is just as important as having the support from your own team.

UTM Athletics has come a long way since the days of only having “tiny little Gym C.” Our program is still evolving, but with the help of our stellar coaching staff, knowledgeable program office workers, and dedicated athletes, we are on our way to victory.

With the school year back in session, it is so easy for students to fall back into their daily routine of eating food that is fast and easy but not exactly the most healthy. We enter university and revel in the many food options on campus. From Tim Hortons to Subway and dorm cafeterias, students will often opt for food that is the most convenient, especially after a long night of studying. With the numerous fast food options, some students will tend to put on extra weight. They struggle under the pressures of academics that influence sleep patterns and eating habits. For students that want to avoid this phenomenon, it’s important to plan a healthy diet for the incoming school year so they can get the energy they need to perform well.

It’s important to start off your day with breakfast. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast have a healthier weight, are less tired, and are in better moods. Some healthy and quick breakfasts include whole wheat toast with cream cheese and cereal with milk and raisins. People

should not go more than four hours without eating because they can become tired and will not have the drive to complete tasks. Some good snacks to keep you going include chopped up vegetables, trail mix, or yogurt with fruit on top.

For main meals, start with core ingredients to incorporate into your meals, such as meats, fish, fruits and veggies, nuts, and natural oils. Try to get foods that are high in fibre like whole grains, lentils, and veggies. Look for recipes that adapt to the items you have in your fridge. If you have leftovers, you can freeze the food for another time, or save it for lunch the next day. It’s a smart idea to prepare lunches for the next day and cook in bulk. This reduces frequency of cooking and worry about what you’re going to eat for the week.

If you live on campus and have a meal plan, stick to healthier options.

Go for grilled food instead of breaded or fried foods. Look into what the campus menu will be and assess which healthy items you should eat regularly. Tell your friends you’re eating healthy so they can help cheer you on and give you the incentive to stick to your diet.

It’s good to have a balanced meal to help you get the right nutrients. A good rule of thumb is to fill half your plate with fruits or veggies, a quarter grains, and a quarter meat. Drinks also play a role in your overall health.

Drinking lots of water is a must, especially if you’re active. Drink soda and alcohol sparingly. That’s not to say that having your favourite cheat food or drink occasionally is wrong, but everything should come in moderation.

Healthy eating is only one step to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to incorporate exercise in your daily routine for 30 minutes a day as well. Join an intramural sports club on campus, go to the RAWC for a quick workout, and take advantage of the free exercise classes at UTM, like yoga and pilates, to get you a little more active during the week.

Above all, maintaining a healthy lifestyle comes down to your willpower. If you set a goal for yourself to eat healthy, treat your goal like how you study. Work hard with the tools you’ve been given so you achieve the desired result and you can enjoy university in a healthy way.