Volume 44 issue 19

MEET MIEL, PAGE 16

CUPE and U of T’s agreement

Critiquing The Medium

26th Annual Drama Festival

Science and community

What is mysophobia?

News, page 2

Opinion, page 6

Arts, page 5

Features, page 13

Sports, page 15

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02.12.2018

Unit 1 to vote on tentative agreement If Unit 1 agrees to the proposed deal and the agreement is ratified on February 12th, no labour disruption will occur MENNA ELNAKA MANAGING EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR CUPE 3902 Unit 1 and the University of Toronto reached a tentative agreement last Thursday, February 8th, which requires ratification by Unit 1 members at an ascension meeting on February 12th. If the agreement is ratified at the meeting, all Unit 1 members will vote on it immediately until February 16th, which, if approved, will end the possibility of a strike.

According to the U of T bargaining page, ratification is defined as: “A democratic approval process whereby members of the bargaining unit vote to accept or reject the terms of the tentative collective agreement reached by the University and Union.

The ratification vote happens at the end of collective bargaining, after the University and the Union have reached a tentative agreement.”

The ratification will see all members of the bargaining unit vote on the proposed agreement. The agreement requires more than 50 per cent of the vote in order to be approved and

VIDEO COURTESY OF LARA GAMGOUM

Last Wednesday, Unit 1 members and supporters gathered outside Simcoe Hall for a rally. implemented. Each member of the bargaining team is granted one vote.

If the agreement is not ratified, the two bargaining parties will return to the conciliation period and attempt to draft a new deal.

CUPE 3902 Unit 1 has previously set a strike deadline of February 26th for an agreement to be achieved and ratified. If a tentative agreement is not met by this date, then the labour union is in a position to legally insti-

gate strike action.

Representing around 7,000 employees including teaching assistants and instructors, Unit 1 had initially set a strike deadline of February 26.

The University and the CUPE 3902

have been partaking in bargaining meetings with the help of a provincially-appointed conciliator.

The announcement of a proposed tentative agreement came a day after a strike rally was held by CUPE on February 7th.

Last Wednesday, Unit 1 members and supporters gathered outside Simcoe Hall for a rally to sound their demands. U of T’s Students’ Union released a statement on their Facebook page shortly after the rally, addressing the university’s vice-president and provost Cheryl Regehr, with their concern regarding the strike.

“We urge you [Regehr] and your colleagues in the University administration to do whatever you can within the collective bargaining process to avoid a strike,” read UTSU’s statement.

It added a set of demands in case the strike does happen, including having an extension for the Credit/ No Credit policy, for divisions that originally do not allow the policy to temporarily implement it, and that students will not have to delay their graduation because of the strike.

Unit 1 continued on page 3

UTMSU and pro-life group head to court Students for Life allege that UTMSU’s denial of club funding violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms FATIMA WASIF ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

A final decision of the lawsuit filed by anti-abortion group UTM Students for Life (UTMSFL) against the University of Toronto Mississauga Student’s Union is pending, following a court hearing held on January 24th.

“With regards to the recent proceedings, all I can say is that we had a good hearing before an excellent judge. He reserved his decision.

We are hopeful for a result in our favour,” said Chad Hagel, president UTMSFL, in an email to The Medium.

The decision could take several months to be delivered according to UTMSU’s president Salma Fakhry.

The lawsuit, filed in 2016, alleges discrimination by the UTMSU after their refusal to acknowledge UTMSFL as an established club and grant them funding.

UTMSFL.NCLN.CA/PHOTO

UTMSU and UTMSFL appeared in court after a three-year legal hiatus.

UTMSU claimed that their decision was made on grounds that UTMSFL represented restrictions on a

woman’s right to choose.

“There is no further update on the allegations, they remain the same as

when the Students for Life launched the application,” said Fakhry.

Current UTMSU executives were

not required to present themselves in court during current proceedings, with lawyers appearing on behalf of them instead. At the time the lawsuit was filed, the claim named former UTMSU executive Russel Adade as one of the defendants. Adade was the VP Campus Life for the 20152016 academic year. It was not specified if any other former executives are required to appear in court.

A similar lawsuit occurred between a pro-life group and the Ryerson Student Union in 2017 with the judge’s verdict in favour of the student union. The union had denied the campus’ pro-life group due to their belief that the group opposes a woman’s right to bodily autonomy and the judge ultimately ruled in favour of the union’s decision.

Despite having a denied club status, the Students for Life group continued to campaign on campus last academic year and engaged in conversations with students regarding their platform points.

02.12.2018 THE MEDIUM NEWS

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Student unions get dildos UTSU and other Canadian student unions received similar packages

February 1st, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police and ECSpeRT attended the CCT building for a student that had fallen down the stairs. EMS attended and the student was transported to hospital.

February 1st, 2018 Mischief Campus Police were advised of graffiti in the southwest CCT stairwell between the 2nd and 3rd floor. The graffiti was generic in nature and not hate related.

February 1st, 2018 Trespass to Property Act A non-community member was soliciting in the TFC. Campus Police advised the male to leave the premises but he refused to do so. Campus Police took the male into custody and trespassed him from UTM.

February 2nd, 2018 Theft A student reported to Campus Police the theft of his laptop from the fourth floor silent study area of the library.

The student left his laptop in a cubicle and upon returning, his laptop was gone.

February 2nd, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police were at the Blind Duck Pub when an argument ensued between a non-community member and pub security. The male refused to leave and so was taken into custody and then trespassed from UTM.

February 4th, 2018 Disturb the Peace Campus Police were dispatched to a residence area for a possible fight.

Upon arrival, a group of people loitering dispersed.

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

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

»DO YOU SUPPORT

CUPE’S RIGHT TO STRIKE?

Klay Lima 1st year, Anthropology

Anna Nicolaou 2nd year, Statistics

“I don’t know too much about the issue, but I need the specialized TA help.”

“I really hope they don’t go on strike; they work really hard.”

NATALIE NG/THE MEDIUM

There is currently no indication of the origin of the packages.

JENNY LIU

A mysterious package containing sex toys was delivered to the University of Toronto Students’ Union last week.

The UTSU has now joined at least seven other university student unions across Ontario in becoming the recipient of unsolicited amazon packages. The packages contained a variety of items such as phone cables, first-aid kits, and sex toys.

The student unions, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Amazon, have yet to determine the identity or the intentions of the sender.

“We’ve received two very unim-

pressive dildos,” stated UTSU’s president Mathias Memmel.

He added, “The dildos are blue and white, matching the UTSU’s colours, which was a nice touch.”

UTSU President Mathias Memmel labelled the mysterious adult gifts as “unimpressive,” and “low-quality” Salma Fakhry, the president of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU), claimed that UTMSU has not received such

packages.

According to Amazon and the RCMP, they have been investigating since the incidents first occurred in late November of 2017.

According to a recent report by the CBC, the University of Regina first received the anonymous box containing kitchen counter protectors. However, the student union continued to receive up to 40 random items, totaling over $1,000 in value.

Investigations show that the items may have been purchased using untraceable Amazon gift cards. They may also be from distributors in China.

New deal not for public viewing

WENDELL MACAPAGAL/THE MEDIUM

Aaron Currie 5th year, Criminology

Nadia Sadeqi 3rd year, Bio and Chem

An ascension meeting will take place February 12th at Convocation Hall to ratify the agreement.

“I support it, but I wish the university would work with them to make a deal.”

“If they have their reasons and no one’s listening, they should use their rights.”

Unit 1 continued from page 2 The details of the proposed agreement are currently not available for public viewing. According to CUPE’s Twitter feed, all members of Unit 1 have access to the agreement through their membership portals.

As of press time, no changes or updates have been posted to Unit 1’s website regarding the proposed agreement.

In online bargaining groups, some members of the union have expressed concerns that the new agreement does not fully represent all member

concerns, such as appropriate salaries.

Unit 1’s demands include better mental health benefits and an increased pay rate with the university.

The February 12th ascension meeting takes place at Convocation Hall at 6.30 p.m.

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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 Fatima Wasif A&E Keena Al-Wahaidi Paula Cho Features Jessica Cabral Marium Faisal Sports Amrish Wagle Photo Chen Gong Yasmeen Alkoka 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.

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To contribute, email editor@themedium.ca

Advice for The Medium—an antidote to irrelevancy The Medium sucks. Here’s how to fix it.

I know few who associate Mondays with a fresh edition of the school paper. Even less who anticipate with dread or want, or any feelings at all.

The Medium has become irrelevant in the collective mind of UTM. This sucks, not least because we are all forced to pay for it, but because a school newspaper should be more than what it is now: a toilet read.

Here’s some advice: Take yourselves seriously.

A campus newspaper is supposed keep students informed, and in doing so keep check on all the elected student officials. Historically, reporting on the student union has been the bread and butter of The Medium.

I would even say it’s one of their primary responsibilities.

Here is a snippet from an older student handbook: “One of the little pleasures we at the Medium II get out of our relationship with ECSU, is that the fact that no matter what we print, they can’t sue us (they’re the legal publishers, and it’s somewhat difficult for them to sue themselves).” Wasn’t that refreshing to read? Do you think any of the elected student officials are even slightly worried about an interview with the Medium?

Since the start of the 2017-2018 academic year, “Past UTMSU president hired for new position” is the only article that comes close to equipping students with facts to think critically about the UTMSU. The article curiously fails to make the connection that the incoming new hire was

the UTMSU president the year they rejected the campus pro-life club for ideological reasons, even though The Medium covered the resulting lawsuit. It seems fair to at least wonder if this person is suitable to represent all marginalized voices as the campaigns and communications coordinator.

What about their choice to invite Sandra Hudson to speak at their black history month event? The first and only comment on the UTMSU’s event page reminds us that Sandra Hudson was sued by the UTSU for embezzling $247,726.40 from students. The suit was settled, but isn’t it mildly inappropriate for the UTMSU to invite a speaker that was recently litigating against a sister union? Maybe they are doing a great job, in which case why doesn’t The Medium show off the progress they’ve made on their various campaign promises? The campaign promises that I can’t seem to find anywhere?

It’s not just the UTMSU either; In the most recent article about the academic affairs committee, there was no mention of Jihan Khatib and Nour Shell being absent in two of the three meetings. Even if these students who campaigned for their positions were to have perfect attendance from now on, they would have missed a third of the meetings.

The Medium is too timid, groping and uninvolved to captivate. And evidence for this is found no where better than the opinion section. Specifically, in Ayesha Tak and Mahmoud

Saroujis’ articles.

No one opens The Medium expecting sophisticated opinions on female actors or middle eastern politics. Few op-ed pieces are relevant to students, and critical opinion is no where to be found. The Medium staff are supposed to be some of the most informed people about the campus, here is an idea, write about UTM! I’d love to hear the editor’s opinion on the price increases to the student dorms, what does he think about the defunct state of CFRE? Do you think we really need a GTA U-Pass? Is the amount we spent on the Duck Stop a good idea? Are you concerned that UTM might have to compete with the Sheridan-Ryerson expansion?

Or at the very least, don’t write lies. I’m of course referring to The Medium’s copy editor. To Tak’s credit, her writings in other sections are precise and forthright. And sure, it is the opinion section, which technically and unconvincingly separates Tak from the political leanings of The Medium. But I don’t think it’s a controversial opinion that any content in The Medium should be treated as if it is going to be read. As if it’s important.

I won’t rehash what has been said before. When professor Jordan Peterson, an academic with more than 9000 citations is characterized as “can’t make his mark in the field of psychology”, really, enough said.

Tak recently wrote another op-ed piece. She misrepresents the facts

once again. Watch the video, then read her description and you’ll see what I mean. It feels Ayesha Tak and Mahmoud Sarouji are not concerned with the campus and her people, and they don’t believe their words could have any influence. Their opinions are written as if no one will read them. It is through the cracks of bland indifference that carelessness and virtue signalling seeps through.

The Medium doesn’t need to look very far to find aspiration. The Varsity has a much more active comment section, with a comparable selection of op-eds. Enhancing internationalization, undergraduate research, why students should petition for acceptance of Rohingya refugees are the first three titles. The first two are explicitly about U of T, while the third at least has a call to action for students. These articles feel like they are inspired, genuinely caring, and focused. In other words, they feel like they matter.

The Medium isn’t a victim of apathy, it’s a cause. The people there need to understand the power and responsibility of a student publication. I hope to see the day when The Medium becomes a force to be feared and a helmsman for change.

RUSSELL WU

CORRECTION NOTICE The February 5 article “Networks, resumes, and, a little bit of luck” has been corrected.

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That’s too much drama for the night U of T Drama Coalition, featuring UTM Drama Club, held performances at Hart House Theatre PAULA CHO ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR In collaboration with Hart House Theatre, the U of T Drama Coalition presented its 26th annual Drama Festival. The event, spanning over the course of three nights provides a high-profile showcase for original one-act plays all written, directed, and performed by the numerous drama societies at U of T. This year, the festival was adjudicated by Torontobased theatre practitioner and U of T professor Jill Carter.

The performance last Friday night opened with the play titled “I Can’t Trust Anyone, Everyone Hurts Me: A Comedy” from the theatre troupe UC Follies. The play depicts a comedic, late-night look into the lives of three young people of colour, deciding whether they can forgive those who mistreat them, who lie to them, and who turn out to be different than they thought. The set is in a trendy restaurant where the actors take turns asking for Wi-Fi, playing cards, and looking over eighty-page menus with unconventional food items. Soon, the three main characters learn that their favourite musical

FACEBOOK.COM/DRAMACOALITION/PHOTO

Friday night of the U of T Drama Festival brought humour, depth, and creativity. artist is being charged with sexual assault allegations when supporting actors read out missed notifications on their digital devices. The play essentially addresses contemporary issues in a comedic light—such as through Facebook rants and retweets.

Shola (Aba Amuquandoh) deletes all songs and photo evidence of “the enemy of all women” and condemns Dane (Anyika Mark), whom is in de-

nial of the musician’s actions.

At one point, Shola powerfully says to Dane, “Why are you trying to make things grey, when some things are simply black and white?”

Dane reveals more deeply rooted insecurities of her cheating boyfriend and how she continuously justifies his actions. The piece culminates with Dane recognizing her worth and vowing to rely on her friends and

to be unapologetically herself.

The Green, The Gold, The Grey comes from the drama society St. Michael’s College Troubadours and portrays two men held captive for crimes they did not commit. Set in Ireland, all the actors pull off Irish accents with humour and skill, adding to the overall tone of the play. At the start, Mountjoy (Claire Morgan) and Grace (Eileanor O’Halloran)

appear trustworthy and likeable, as they are detectives casually dressed in cream sweaters and denim. They bring in Enda (Rachel Bannerman) and Ronald (Matt Lalonde) as suspects for a terrorist bombing which has incited mass riots.

Enda and Ronald fight with each other onstage. Each is distrusting and hateful of the other. However, they are forced to converse in this inescapable situation and end up divulging their pasts filled with hardship and violence. Their conversation humanizes them, as they grow sincere and believe each other when disclosing that neither set off the bomb. We realize that Mountjoy and Grace are in fact the villains trying to frame their innocent fugitives just so they can make an arrest. They wickedly force Enda and Ronald to make a decision on who goes down for a crime neither committed, and the play heartbreakingly ends with both confessing in an attempt to save the other.

Night two of the Drama Festival brought humour, depth, and creativity to the Hart House Theatre stage.

The festival ran from February 8 to February 10.

Just dance and everything will be OK The evening was filled with Just Dance games, a hula hoop, foosball, and food from Rhythm RACHAEL MASIH This past Friday, Rhythm Performing Arts held an event titled “Just Dance Games Night.” The club, as well as many non-members, gathered in the Presentation Room of the Student Centre. The night was filled with dancing, games, and food.

Around 20 people participated in this de-stressor event. The event fostered new friendships, whether it be from dancing together or joining in on a board game. The night drew people together and allowed students to drop their inhibitions at the door.

For some, one of the most nervewracking experiences in life is dancing in front of others. At face-value, an event like this might seem intimidating. Dancing in front of a group of dancers may force people out of their comfort zones. However, the crowd was welcoming, cheering throughout the evening.

In the left corner of the room, there was a sole pink hula-hoop for participants to try. Near the back wall, food covered a gray table. A

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Rhythm Performing Arts held a games night that included Just Dance. twister board lined the floor in the back right-hand corner. People bent, leaned, and slipped onto the floor in fits of laughter as they played.

A smorgasbord of card and board games filled a table at the front righthand corner—Uno, Sorry, Cards Against Humanity, and more. When

people needed a break from dancing, they ventured towards the games table and joined a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity.

People listened to the music and grooved from the comfort of a chair to the mix of oldies, upbeat pop, and music from around the world.

If they found board games boring, people charged towards the foosball table for some action. Students conducted a foosball tournament in the background of the event.

Personally, I lost myself for chunks of time just watching the dancing. When the members of Rhythm

played Just Dance, their movements matched the dancers on screen perfectly and it was like watching the performance of a choreographed dance. Even members who didn’t have controllers to play hopped in behind the players and contributed to the dance.

Rhythm Performing Arts hosted a successful event. Playing Just Dance helped people relax during midterm season and let loose in a time crammed with tests, assignments, and essays. The club created a positive environment, so that everyone felt comfortable. They also provided many options for people who didn’t want to dance, but who still wanted to join their friends, de-stress, and maybe watch a little bit of dancing.

Folks collected groups of friends and showed up to have a good time, and that’s what I think the event was all about. No fancy footwork and no pressure to perform perfectly. During a time when stress uproots the worst in us, Rhythm reminds us that it’s okay to breathe, relax, and just dance.

02.12.2018 THE MEDIUM ARTS » 9

Give me electric loving BØRNS performs his notable hits at REBEL night club

DELANEY ROMBOUGH STAFF WRITER

TWITTER.COM/HEYBIGSTAR/PHOTO

The night ended with a rendition of “Electric Love” from the album Dopamine.

KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR

Well-written indie music is, arguably, hard to come by. What strikes me about, BØRNS, whose real name is Garrett Clark Borns, is the care he exhibits in the craftsmanship of his lyrics. The poeticism of his lines, merged with the often funky beats of his songs, makes for a good musical journey. Popularly known for songs such as “Electric Love,” and “10,000 Emerald Pools,” BØRNS graced the stage at REBEL night club this past Friday. Opening acts included artists Mikky Ekko and Charlotte Cardin.

Mikky Ekko was the livelier act.

After playing singles such as “Not The One,” Ekko ended his act with “Stay”—a song collaboration he did with Rihanna. Charlotte Cardin’s musical genre, a blend of pop,

electronic, and jazz, was a welcome contrast to Mikky Ekko. Her performance was simple: she played the piano with bandmates joining her on stage. When she sung “Main Girl,” while manning the piano, her smooth voice was reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. In terms of the ambience of the concert, the pit filled up only after BØRNS appeared on stage.

The poeticism of his lines, merged with the often funky beats of his songs, makes for a good musical journey.

After a brief interval of silence when the opening acts concluded, BØRNS walked on to the stage in

his signature brown suit. His outfit choice stayed true and authentic to the cover art of his first album, Blue Madonna. First, BØRNS sung “God Save Our Young Blood,” a song he produced in collaboration with Lana Del Rey. Green, blue, and red strobe lights flashed into the pit as the song rolled out. What followed the opening song was a selection of tracks from BØRNS’ most recent album Dopamine. Following this, all of Blue Madonna was performed.

Most notably, however, the concluding song was “Electric Love.”

Personally, the song is a crowd favorite and BØRNS’ greatest hit thus far.

With lyrics talking about the experience of some kind of esoteric “electric love,” and lovers sweet like “candy running through my veins,” BØRNS encapsulates the angst and poeticism buried in our hearts.

BØRNS is on tour until May 2018.

The West Wing Weekly podcast is an episode-by-episode discussion of the eponymous hit TV show, The West Wing, hosted by Joshua Malina and Hrishikesh Hirway. Every week, Malina and Hirway take listeners through a behind-the-scenes analysis of one episode of The West Wing.

They discuss the various plot points in the episode, the actors’ stage directions and the script, and Aaron Sorkin’s little nuances that make this such a brilliant TV show.

Malina appeared on The West Wing beginning in season 4 as Will Bailey, who had various roles in the White House during the Bartlet administration. Malina has also worked with The West Wing creator and writer Aaron Sorkin on several other projects, including the Broadway production of A Few Good Men and Sorkin’s show Sports Night. Hirway is a big fan of The West Wing and met Malina shortly after they both graduated from Yale. Hirway also hosts the podcast Song Exploder.

Malina and Hirway also regularly have guests on the podcast. Some of the past guests have included former cast members of the show such as Bradley Whitford (who played Josh Lyman), Rob Lowe (who played Sam Seaborn), and Allison Janney (who played CJ Cregg). Other guests include former government officials and the writers and producers of the show, including Aaron Sorkin himself. Having guests on the podcast is great because these people are able to give so much more insight and detail

about their characters or the creation of the show and you can really see how their personalities influenced the show.

One notable guest was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In this particular podcast, Malina, Hirway, and Trudeau discuss their favourite parts of the show’s third episode, the importance of including women in positions of political power, and Trudeau’s gender-balanced cabinet.

Malina was initially hesitant of considering women for the position of director of the presidential campaign in the episode. In response, Trudeau says, “There’s a mix of things there. It’s a lesson for everyone about getting involved and not sitting back and taking the political world for granted.”

Hirway comments that “It’s hard to feel some of the optimistic political idealism represented in The West Wing.”

While the podcast doesn’t have Aaron Sorkin’s witty banter that the TV show does, Malina and Hirway do great analysis of every episode and they keep the show light and funny, occasionally throwing in running jokes from the series. The West Wing Weekly is a great accompaniment to the TV episodes whether you’re a new fan watching for the first time or if you’re a long time viewer of the show and want to know more about one of the best TV shows, arguably, in the past 20 years.

The West Wing Weekly is currently in the middle of season four with new episodes released on Wednesday nights, the same night that The West Wing was originally on TV.

Bring your art for some helpful criticism The Art Gallery of Mississauga holds ART CRIT, an event allowing artists to critique each other NICOLE SCIULLI STAFF WRITER Hidden in a nook of the Art Gallery of Mississauga are artists of all ages and walks of life who mingle, share, and relate their experiences with one another.

On February 10, the AGM hosted ART CRIT. Earlier this month, artists submitted their work to be critiqued by peer artists and members of the arts community. Artists put forth a body of work that would receive feedback and discussion regarding their pieces. People went up, explained their work, and received feedback on what they did well and where they can find opportunities to improve their work.

Some interesting works included Rosalie Lam’s Fu series. All her paintings follow the theme of happiness.

Lam developed an interest in calligraphy when she lived in Beijing. She says that there are more than one hundred characters that represent happiness. Her work fuses her calligraphy by using the various fu characters as the main component in her paintings.

Her work, painted from acrylic or oil

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ART CRIT gives artists the opportunity to submit their works for critique by peers. on canvas had a welcoming feel to it, with the pastel palette of lavenders, whites, and light greens, and included East Asian-inspired lower decor. In one piece called “Celebration,” Lam makes the Chinese characters look like they explode off the paper in conjunction with the firecrackers she painted to represent the beginning of the Chinese New Year.

Some of the art showed a humorous response with the manipulation of realistic figures. Devon Ross’s work had a series of paintings that depicted animals in a humorous

way. For example, one work entitled “Cardinal,” was a picture of a cardinal bird dressed as a Cardinal—which is a Catholic figurehead. The paintings were reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh’s brushwork style, given that Ross used the medium of acrylic paint on a canvas.

Stephanie Avery’s work took on a comedic flair of its own. Avery took magazine ads, painting startlingly humanoid characters or alien-like creatures over the original cover models.

It was an interesting critique of consumer culture. This is because ads are

filled with digitally-manipulated bodies that are so ubiquitous in society, people become conditioned to their absurdity. She would paint over the ads in water colour to get the effect.

One of her works, titled “Secrets,” featured a characterization of a Victoria’s Secret model. It was humourous and makes the observer think about what someone defines as normal versus absurd.

Other people used a digital creation to present their work. Simran Patel used a photograph of a city background and added a digitally

drawn woman in Indian wedding attire meditating on the roof. The stark contrast between the brightly colored woman and the faded and busy city streets represents both the peace and chaos that life has to offer.

The struggle of migration is also explored in Esmond Lee’s work. Lee uses photography to create evocative pieces about his family’s intergenerational struggles. In particular, his photography tells the story of immigrants and discovery of identity influenced by Eastern and Western values. He comes from an architecture background. Lee plays with natural shadow and light in his pieces that represent the opposing values. One piece that stands out is a picture of his mother’s desk. The room is dark and there is a faded piece paper with writing on the desk, which is illuminated by a desk lamp and a flower bathing in its light. Lee says that this was to demonstrate his mother’s nurturing spirit and the many sacrifices she made for Lee when their family immigrated to Canada.

ART CRIT is held in conjunction with the Visual Arts Mississauga exhibition.

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A scientist bats away barriers at UTM Ph.D. candidate Cylita Guy studies bats, engages the community, and encourages representation JESSICA CABRAL ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

For fourth-year Ph.D. candidate Cylita Guy, pursuing doctoral studies in ecology and evolution, offered her an outlet to combine her passion for the natural world with her curiosity for infectious diseases. As an ecologist, science educator, and woman of colour, Guy believes that promoting the accessibility of science content and the diversity of role model representation will generate the greatest engagement from the community.

Describing her path to graduate school as “convoluted,” Guy explains that she began her undergraduate journey gaining experience working in animal clinics with the hope of becoming a veterinarian. With support from the people in her life, Guy shifted her aspirations from veterinary school to medical school, created a portfolio, and completed her applications. During the same time, Guy was working on a fourthyear research project in conservation that ignited a new passion for learning about the transmission of infectious diseases between wildlife

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CYLITA GUY

Guy initiated a Junior Bat Biologist Program in collaboration with the High Park Nature Centre. and humans, as well as an interest in the research process as a whole. Her new desire to address the questions surrounding the interspecies spread of disease led Guy to decide against submitting her applications to medi-

cal school.

Now, as a Ph.D. candidate, Guy focuses her research on bats, the medically important zoonotic viruses they carry, such as rabies, Ebola and Hendra, and their ability to transmit

these viruses to humans. From an ecological perspective, Guy is interested in understanding how some bats can contract rabies infections, clear the infection, and recuperate to a healthy state, while other species,

like human beings, can die from the same virus.

In addition to her research, Guy works as a host at the Ontario Science Centre where she facilitates science-based interactions and activities for visitors ranging from babies to grandparents. As part of her job, Guy attempts to make science accessible, exciting, and engaging for all-ages. She delivers planetarium shows, leads nature walks, and organizes workshops for toddlers tailored towards exploration and observation.

“I definitely spent a lot of time at the science centre as a kid and my parents were really big on promoting exploration of our natural world. I think that for me, it’s important that science is accessible and that people find it exciting, because I think that’s how you start to engage people and drive them towards science-based careers,” Guy says. “Even for nonscientists, I think that having the confidence to sit down and read an article or learn something new about how the world works can be a really powerful experience.

Bats continued on page 14

#LetsTalk about mental health inequalities Professor Melissa Milkie discusses associations between socioeconomic status and mental health AYESHA TAK COPY EDTIOR

Two days before Bell’s annual Let’s Talk day, The Medium sat down with professor Melissa Milkie from the Department of Sociology at UTM. Milkie teaches SOC318: Sociology of Mental Health and Mental Disorders. The course explores the relationship between mental health and sociological predictors.

According to the SOC318 syllabus, the students begin the course learning about the medical or biological model of mental illness: “What a lot of people understand, in our society as a [. . .] common understanding is that if people have anxiety, or depression, [or] anger, these things are internal, they are in the body. Maybe chemicals or hormones or genetics.

And that [if] something goes wrong, there’s a malfunction. And then the disease appears or problem appears.

Then the sickness or illness as we call it, might be in the person’s body, in the individual,” explains Milkie.

The medical model of mental ill-

NATALIE NG/THE MEDIUM

The sociology of mental health and mental disorders course is taught by professor Milkie. ness then individualizes the problem and ignores the structural causes of deteriorating mental health. To challenge conventional thought associated with the medical model, the students are encouraged to use their sociological imagination to think about mental health.

“A structural sociological view is that we see that the problem is in the structure of society—in the everyday roles that we have neighbourhoods, communities [. . .] that’s built right in, which is a shock to a lot of people because it’s a normal functioning society and yet it’s not working,” Milkie

continues, “In a lot of ways it doesn’t allow a lot of people to be as healthy as they should be. And so the sickness is in the society, not in the person.”

In addition, the stress process models incorporate stress and support at the individual, family, and

community level. Milkie describes that looking at structures, the institutions, and roles form the social constructionist perspective. When asked about this perspective, the professor explains, “Whatever different behaviours we see exhibited by different people get labelled as a certain kind of disorder, like anxiety disorder or ADD [. . .]. We‘ve come as a society to say ‘Okay, the people exhibiting these behaviours are different or odd in some way. And we’re going to lump them together and give them this label.’”

According to the American Psychiatric Association, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the “authoritative guide” for healthcare professionals in diagnosing mental disorders, with the latest edition being DSM-5.

“It’s a massive book [and] it has grown overtime. We see large portions of people being diagnosed.

And there’s an industry [. . .]. They’re selling their drugs that ‘treat’ people,” says Milkie.

Health continued on page 14

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THE MEDIUM 02.12.2018

Learning to do empathy through stories The equity and diversity class, instructed by Dr. Liz Coulson, hosted a story exchange experience ZEAHAA REHMAN

During the snowy afternoon of last Wednesday, room 210 in the Instructional Building there was an empathy-building workshop.

Dr. Rosa Hong, assistant professor at the Department of Language Studies, and Dr. Liz Coulson, program undergraduate coordinator for education studies as well as part-time lecturer at the Department of Language Studies, co-organized the workshop, which was offered to the second-year education studies class, EDS220: Equity and Diversity.

“Rosa Hong had attended an event

by Narrative 4 at Harvard Business School,” Dr. Coulson explained over an e-mail to The Medium, “She brought the idea to me and we applied for a grant through the language studies office which we received. We decided the most appropriate course would be in equity/diversity as my class goals align with this program.”

This workshop consisted of a storyexchange led by Lee Keylock, director of programs at Narrative Four, a non-profit based in the US that holds workshops at universities across the world to “build a global network of authors, edu cators, and students who

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The power of personal storytelling can be used to build empathy and spark collaborative change. use the power of personal story telling to build empathy and spark collaborative change.”

The workshop was held in collaboration with the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, the International Education Centre, and various student affairs offices, along with inviting special guests from the Dean’s office.

“The potential to build strong re-

lationships between people is the rationale I had for bringing this to my equity class,” Dr. Liz Coulson mentioned, “which functions on the principles of inclusion and peace building.”

Lee Keylock began the workshop with asking the room what empathy meant to them and concluded the discussion by saying that “validating someone else’s experience is really

important.” He then segued into an explanation of the importance of listening in building empathy, and what listening looked like.

“We try and stay out of judgement when we [listen] which is not the same as saying we don’t have judgement, because we do,” Keylock added.

Keylock then randomly paired every participant in the room and asked them to find a place in IB without dis-

tractions to share a story that in some way defined them. The participants could resort to the prompts given, or use their own. Narrative, as Lee Keylock stated, “is one bridge that you can put between people.”

“Being able to understand what others have gone through and to put yourself in their position is something that is very hard to do,” noted Coulson, adding that “The experience of the exchange and telling someone else’s story in first person is a powerful first step to experience what that might be like.”

After breaking for a refreshment, the participants reconvened and formed circles of 10-12 people where each member shared the story their partner told them, in first-person.

Keylock reminded the participants that the stories, which were often vulnerable and private, would not leave the room.

According to Keylock, “When we understand where people are coming from or when we know someone and we understand their visceral experience with difficulty or alienation, it becomes,” as Coulson highlighted, “Very difficult to hate [them] up close,” because, as Keylock further stated, “There is nothing soft about empathy.”

Fixing society, not people Find community Health continued from page 13

When asked about the fluidity of mental disorders and how they get added or removed, such as homosexuality being a mental disorder according to the DSM until 1974, the professor explains: “It changes overtime. The specific one change over time, as you mentioned, was considered mental illness in prior generations—to not be heterosexual.

Now we see new ‘disorders’ coming up, like video gaming disorder is one. That, of course, we would have never talked about in the past. What is a video gaming disorder and do we all have it? And if so, are we all diseased? So, it’s quite important to follow the social changes that have occurred and look at the political context.” Milkie further questions, “Why are the powerful in society labelling particular behaviours as this disorder? Then, how are we treating people in that category?”

Since the interview preceded Bell’s annual Let’s Talk day, and among the flurry of #LetsTalkUTM events promoting the importance of mental health, it does not escape notice that many campaigns focus solely on removing mental health stigma.

“I don’t pay so much attention to the campaigns. I think there’s definitely a place for them. And we’ve seen on campuses increases in anxiety and different problems. Whether

that is because of awareness, less stigma than the past, that might be a good thing,” the professor continues, “But I guess as a sociologist, I want to [. . .] look at some fundamental inequalities that produce differences in distress.”

“It’s quite important to follow the social changes that have occured and look at the political context” says Milkie Milkie gave an example of young adults who are not on campus or away from university: “Those students probably have more stressors.

And they have a lot of difficulties [and] distress that we might not be focusing on. And they may have fewer resources to get themselves help.

So maybe that campaign, and again I don’t know because I don’t really tune into it too much, maybe they’re just like ‘Oh, that’s such an easy thing—to just get help.’ But what if you’re not on a campus or where there’s a resource like that. Or what if you don’t have money for that kind of visit to a professional? Or what if you’re in a neighbourhood where you don’t have easy access to the kind of people who would help you?”

Since the #LetsTalk campaign on campus centres around the different

problems that students face while speaking out, The Medium asked Milkie her opinion on how to start viewing solutions from a socioeconomic lens. She replies, “It’s important to have available resources and multiple types, probably not just one type of resource. And multiple pathways for people who are having difficulties linked to distress, to be able to focus on their health, and not be penalized somehow—come back into the system.”

The professor also adds, “We know inequalities exacerbate some of these things. Youth have a whole host of stressors that they are experiencing related to their future. The future is ambiguous and the future doesn’t promise certain kinds of jobs, even now with a degree. [. . .] What can we do to alleviate that pressure?“ She mentions how restructuring education to support health may have benefits, along with restructuring “neighbourhoods and so on, before we go on trying to treat more and more individuals that end up having distress.”

Milkie continues, “But also, again, we sort of want to go upstream to the problem. We can just keep fixing people, or we can fix the society.

If there’s a lot of people suffering from anxiety because of excess work expectations, overload, financial strains, family problems, what can we do to alleviate that as a society?”

Bats continued from page 13

I had a really great time as a kid, so I want to continue to facilitate those kinds of interactions both within the walls of the science centre and with other things I do.”

While doing her field work in High Park, Guy initiated a Junior Bat Biologist Program in collaboration with the High Park Nature Centre.

She approached the centre with an idea to expand their adult program to reach a younger audience. From June to August, the Junior Bat Biologist program allows youth to operate bat detection equipment and teaches them the process of data collection and bat analysis.

Despite her many successes, Guy explains that her identity as a woman of colour made her experience in science “a little bit more challenging,” as it provoked a mental barrier that she had to overcome. Guy emphasizes the importance of visible representation, because she didn’t realize women of colour worked in the field of ecology until she became involved with the community herself.

“When I would sit in my undergraduate classes and look at who was teaching my ecology courses, we would see a lot of one type of person,” reflects Guy. “I think that sometimes it’s difficult, whether for people of colour, or people from

different socioeconomic status, or those who are first in their families to pursue a university degree. It’s hard to see yourself doing something in an environment where you don’t have a relatable role model.

Getting into ecology, mentally, it was a little difficult, because I didn’t see a whole lot of black ecologists.”

During her undergrad, Guy worked at the Ontario Science Centre, had a full course load, and paddled as a competitive dragon boat racer. She reveals that her key to maintaining a work-life balance is “staying busy and finding your sense of community.”

“Sense of community varies for everyone. My sense of community was always through physical activity.

When I paddled, my team was my sense of community. I don’t compete anymore but now I rock climb.

Twice a week for two hours, I book it off in my planner and I go climbing with my rock-climbing partners.

I get to talk to people about different things, and hear about different stuff,” Guy explains.

Although, as Guy notes, some young women of colour may be apprehensive about pursuing a science-based career. She recommends networking and reaching out to the role models around them. Guy suggests sending emails and explains that other women in STEM are receptive to helping those who may be dealing with the same obstacles.

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Coming clean about germophobia Mysophobia is a very common phobia amongst people and can cause issues surrounding day-to-day activities AMRISH WAGLE S&H ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mysophobia, or germophobia as it is commonly known, is defined as a pathological and irrational fear of germs or contamination. Considering the fact that most germs are harmful, mysophobia may seem logical. However, not all germs are injurious to health, and on the contrary, some are even necessary to maintain a healthy immune system. Mysophobia extends far beyond a cautionary aversion of germs to an almost overwhelming impulsion. In fact, it’s closely related to OCD, which can itself drastically increase chances for having mysophobia. Overall, this association entails an obsessive preoccupation with germs that constantly diverts attention to the possibility of contamination. As such, the secondary aspect of this condition involves being engrossed by compulsive behaviour to reduce the apparent perception of contamination. Mysophobia is also linked to a prevalence of anxiety or depression within family members.

Thus, one can be genetically predisposed to developing the phobia. As well, trauma or distressing life events can also act as a major instigator, including an upbringing focused on cleanliness. Such traumas are found

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Individuals experiencing mysophobia usually engage in excessive cleaning or decontamination. to be statistically and extensively correlated with mysophobia. This can include experiencing yourself or witnessing loved ones undergo a certain disease that subsequently triggers a strong aversion to germs within the individual’s psychology.

Although symptoms for a phobia manifest when the fear-eliciting stimulus is present, the mere thought

or apprehension of it can also elicit a strong influence. Mysophobia compels an individual to avoid anything that may be perceptively in close proximity to germs. This can include various tasks such as shaking hands, or even avoiding locations such as public bathrooms. Not to mention, individuals usually engage in excessive cleaning or decontamination,

especially in their home. Washing hands or showering continuously is also a common symptom that can lead to skin damage, if done to an excessive extent. In addition, cleanliness involves not sharing your own, or others’, personal items and belongings. Lastly, a major constituent of mysophobia is also avoiding physical contact with others, including social

situations involving close contact or crowds.

Physical symptoms that act as common indicators of a person with mysophobia, including nausea, breathlessness, sweating, increased heart rate and blood pressure, trembling, choking, chest pain, dizziness, and even an underlying fear of dying.

Treatment involves either psychological counselling or medication, although a combination of both is usually most effective. The former strategy includes therapy, particularly exposure therapy, where the stimulus that is causing the phobia is exposed to the individual in a gradual progression. This method is continued until the patient can fully control his phobia while under the complete presence of the stimulus. This exudes a safe process that utilizes habituation to ease the patient into overcoming mysophobia. Cognitive behaviour therapy can also be applied where the focus is maintained on exposing and changing the negative mechanisms and patterns of thinking that lead to self-destructive behaviour. Medication can also be useful with careful moderation and includes commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or anti-anxiety medications.

Post’s passion and pride for the pitch UTM’s Danica Post is in her last year of studies where she will retire her varsity soccer career LABINA KHALID STAFF WRITER Danica Post is a fifth-year undergraduate student doing a double major in criminology and psychology, along with a minor in sociology. She has been playing soccer at UTM since her first year and has been named one of the captains this year.

Post has been playing both indoor and outdoor soccer since she was three-years-old. Her first coaches were her parents, and it was great to have their support in her early stages of learning. This encouraged Post to continue playing soccer throughout her life.

When Post reached the age of 12, she joined her first competitive team.

Since then, she has been a part of many teams. When Post first came to university, she was a part of the Tri-Campus team before it became varsity. Spending so much time with her team enforced a family-like bond between the team.

Upon becoming the team captain, Post says she felt a sense of pride and also responsibility. It meant a lot to her as it showed that the coaches believed she had the “skills and dedica-

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Danica Post has played soccer at UTM since her first year. tion to help the team succeed and to help the team grow.” Post admits that she did not always have these skills.

During her time at UTM, she felt herself grow as a player and believes that her coaches saw this growth as well.

Which is why they felt she was ready

to take the step of becoming the team captain.

Post lives a busy life. She works, has classes, attends team practices, trains in the gym, plays soccer games, studies, and has other after-school commitments. However, despite all of

this, Post doesn’t feel overwhelmed or find it hard to balance everything. She admits to being the type of person who “needs a lot to stay productive” and wouldn’t be as productive without a busy schedule.

To Post, soccer is “an opportunity

to destress, to be with friends, to work hard, to work towards a goal, and to let go of everything else.” For Post, the game holds a thrill and demands an attention that drives everything else out of her mind as she is playing.

When she is playing, any thought, hurt, or tension vanishes from her mind. Her focus is 100 per cent in the game.

Post cherishes moments when she and her team execute set plays that they spent time learning in practice.

She loves seeing her team grow, improve, and work hard during practices and games. There have been moments of disappointment, but Post and her team as a collective have treated these moments as lessons. Every disappointing game leads to the team gathering and figuring out what went wrong in order to prevent it from happening in future games.

Post believes that her most exhilarating moment would be qualifying for provincials this indoor season. It would be a great way for Post to close out her soccer career as she does not feel she will continue to play during her master’s program next year. Althought, her heart and support will always be with the UTM Eagles.

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THE MEDIUM 02.12.2018

Miel: a female weightlifting trailblazer Miel McGerrigle Wynne gained great success in her life from both her career and weightlifting journey VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Miel McGerrigle Wynne, co-coach of the Olympic Weightlifting team at UTM, is one of the most accomplished athletes to come out of our university. From her various medals received at competitions, her relentless training ethic, and humble personality, it is a wonder how UTM snatched up such an icon in the world of female Olympic Weightlifting. She attended UTM for her undergraduate studies and completed a double major in French literature and French linguistics with a minor in history before attending Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. McGerrigle Wynne now practices as a business lawyer for the Region of Peel. She is also an international referee for weightlifting.

McGerrigle Wynne is native to Vancouver but moved to Ontario at the age of 18 to study at UTM. A lot of what influenced her decision to study at UTM was the weightlifting program we have here. Her weightlifting coach at the time moved to Oakville with his family and she followed suit.

During her first year at UTM, she lived with her coach and his family. Her routine mainly consisted of school, home, and training. However, in her second year she decided to live on campus and found this much easier. McGerrigle Wynne was working at the “Fit Stop,” which is the RAWC today. Living on campus allowed her to be able to train more which she really enjoyed.

Beginning as a gymnast for 10 years, McGerrigle Wynne explains that one day a weightlifting coach came into her club looking for women who wanted to retire gymnastics and start a new sport—weightlifting. She says, “At that time, women’s weightlifting was not in the Olympics. And [the coach] said that one day it will be and that I could possibly go.” She continues, “That was my dream, as a gymnast, to go to the Olympics. But I didn’t get that far. I competed within the province.” McGerrigle Wynne decided to make the bold move and take up weightlifting. For about six

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Miel McGerrigle Wynne was a member of the Canadian national team for a number of years. months, she was doing both gymnastics and weightlifting. She humbly admits to being pretty successful at weightlifting right away, owing much of it to her background in gymnastics which allowed her to get the technique down quickly. “[With weightlifting] everyone thinks of lifting heavy weight. It’s not just that. There’s a lot of technique involved and I’ve heard some people say it’s gymnastics with weight,” says McGerrigle Wynne. This transition process definitely had its challenges, going from an all-female gymnastics club to a predominately male weightlifting club. She admits to missing gymnastics during the transition phase and said it was difficult to get used to the routine of doing a set and then resting before doing another one. With gymnastics, there were no breaks it was more continual.

McGerrigle Wynne began training as a weightlifter in 1994, and in 1995 she attended the first ever Junior World Championships that had women’s Olympic Weightlifting. This took place in Warsaw, Poland and she received a silver medal in the clean and jerk lift, and came fourth overall in her weight class. An amazing

accomplishment for only training in the sport for one year. McGerrigle Wynne was a member of the Canadian national team for Olympic Weightlifting for a number of years.

She began as Junior National and moved to Senior National as she got older. In 1999, she competed in the first ever Pan Am Games that had women’s weightlifting. The Games took place in Winnipeg and she won the entire competition. She returned to the Pan Am Games in 2003 where she placed fifth overall. In 2006, she competed in Melbourne, Australia for the Commonwealth Games where she received a bronze medal.

She also attended the Junior World Championships where she received a silver medal in the clean and jerk.

She also competed in the first World University Championships held in Tel Aviv, Israel. McGerrigle Wynne has also competed in many other World Championships.

Weightlifting has also given McGerrigle Wynne the opportunity to travel and see so many wonderful places that may not have been visited otherwise. “It’s been a great opportunity for me…I’ve gone all over the

world,” she says. Starting from 1995 until about 2008, some places she has competed in include, Poland, South Africa, Israel, France, Greece, Finland, Australia, Dominican Republic, various places in the USA and Canada, including the Yukon.

McGerrigle Wynne had a couple of injuries during her years as an Olympic weightlifter. Her first injury happened in 2003 at the Western Canadian Championships in Edmonton. “At that time, the lift I did was a Canadian record, so it was okay,” she chuckles. She snatched 92.5 kilos and that set the Canadian record for the time. It has since been broken, but she says, “It was great because it was not just a Canadian record, but it was a record for me as well.” As she did the lift, however, she tore her labrum.

She explains that she was still able to lift it over her head and was unsure what happened. After completing the snatch, she still had to complete her clean and jerk. Being the relentless athlete she is, McGerrigle Wynne popped a couple Advil and went out to complete the clean and jerk. The Olympics were happening less than a year after tearing her labrum, where

she was an alternate. Because of this, she decided to prolong her surgery date for September—when the Olympics were over. Despite the pain she was in, she worked hard to strengthen her shoulder and continue training in case she was given the opportunity to compete at the Olympics. Even after her surgery though, she was able to recover quickly.

The second injury McGerrigle Wynne endured was near the end of her weightlifting career. She injured her knee during an exercise and had to have surgery to repair it. She does admit that this was one of the factors of her retiring weightlifting.

Towards the tail end of her weightlifting career, McGerrigle Wynne met fellow co-coach, Darren Turner. At this point, she was not competing at the national level, but she was still continuing to train at UTM. When she first began coaching, she was only coaching one athlete while training at the same time. McGerrigle Wynne admits to really enjoying it and soon after, Turner asked her to assist him with coaching the Olympic Weightlifting team at UTM. She says: “I really enjoy coaching, you see a different side of things. You’re not the athlete lifting the bar so, you have a little bit less control over what’s happening but it’s very interesting dealing with different types of people. Every athlete has their own kind of character and they have different focuses. So it’s interesting dealing with all the different athletes that come in here.” She has been coaching for roughly six years now.

McGerrigle Wynne commends weightlifting not just from an athletic standpoint, but for the overall benefits that people receive from lifting weights. Almost every Varsity team at UTM engages in weight training to improve their overall performance, as both a team and as individual players.

UTM is fortunate to have Miel McGerrigle Wynne’s success and skills with the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. She’s a successful female athlete who guides other athletes through their long and rewarding weightlifting journey.

Women’s basketball: battle of the birds The UTM women’s basketball team lost by a substantial amount during their game against Humber SHANNON SCHILLING

Last Wednesday, February 7 the RAWC showcased a basketball match between the Humber College Hawks

and U of T’s very own, UTM Eagles.

The Hawks were poised to start the game, the Eagles welcomed them with vicious flight. The game, however, seemed one-sided during the first quarter, and the Hawks were winning

by over 20 points.

There was some emotional buildup when UTM’s Akashia Moore fought and stole the ball from a weak pass by the visiting team. Unfortunately, nothing came out of the quick

grab. UTM did a good job at acquiring more points in the second quarter, but the Hawks were still winning.

We came out to battle with more fury in the second-half, but a few careless fumbles may have proven

costly for any significant comeback.

With three minutes to go in the third quarter, the score rested at 67-19 for the Hawks—we are no match.

The game ended 98-31 for the Hawks.