Volume 44 issue 24

Board meetings unannounced

The beginning of the end

Forest Movie in CCIT

Story of UTM’s valedictorian

UTM Eagles place third

News, page 2

Opinion, page 3

Arts, page 5

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

UTMSU’s campaign promises reviewed The Medium reviews the campaign points of current UTMSU slate Fresh UTM after a year in office

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Fresh UTM consisted of president Salma Fakhry, VP university affairs Maya Tomkiewicz, VP internal Vikko Qu, VP equity Sagal Osman, and VP external Jose Wilson.

ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR

Last year, Fresh UTM was elected on a platform that promoted making fees more affordable for students and increasing student services. The elected team consisted of president Salma Fakhry, vice-president university affairs and academics Maya Tomkiewicz, vice-president internal Vikko Qu, vice-president equity Sagal Osman, and vice-president external Jose Wilson. The executives have been in office since May 2017 until the end of April of 2018.

President Among the points Salma Fakhry mentioned in an introduction video posted on the UTMSU’s Facebook page in September this academic year, was that for her term in office, her “eyes are on the Student Centre expansion.” The UTMSU has not presented any information to students

regarding an expansion or held a referendum to poll student’s opinions regarding an expansion.

Previous UTMSU executives have lobbied for an expansion but have stated that the project will be costly and require time to develop a concrete plan. The UTMSU has argued that the Student Centre is at maximum capacity due to the large increase of student enrolment and how more space is needed.

Fakhry has taken a leave of absence from March 5th to March 22nd, which coincides with the campaign period of the current UTMSU executive elections.

She has not respond to The Medium for comment on her team’s campaign points last year and their achievements this year.

Vice-president university affairs and academics Announced on their Facebook page on March 21st that the UTMSU has been lobbying for two new grade

forgiveness policies for students over the course of the academic year including a midterm deferral policy and a course retake policy.

According to the Facebook post, the midterm deferral policy would allow students to take an exam or to submit an assignment with no further documentation required.

The course retake policy would impact the grades shown on a student’s transcript if they have taken the same course twice. The policy would only show the second mark achieved if a student retook a course for their degree. Currently, if a student retakes a course at UTM, the original mark would still be a part of the student’s CGPA, even though both marks would be visible on a student’s transcript.

“This has been a long discussion at UTM for the past six years. We now have made significant growth and headway in negotiation and guidance with the UTM dean of academics, UTM registrar, and various depart-

ment chairs who now see the merits of an academic policy that seeks to forgive students for a mark that damages their GPA so long as they seek to get a better mark the second time around,” read the UTMSU Facebook post.

“We are committed to ensuring academic policies exist to preserve and ensure greater mental health for all students. We recognize that first and second year is daunting for many, where they may not have all the skills necessary to achieve the best marks,” the post continued.

Vice-president internal According to the UTMSU’s introduction video in September 2017, a part of Vikko’s Qu campaign points was to provide new services for students and continue to work towards a new GPA UPASS. In September, the UTMSU handed out pamphlets to students picking up their UPASS to survey who would be interested in a GTA transit pass. The results of

the surveys were not released by UTMSU. During Qu’s election period, he stated that they would be hosting a referendum following the survey collection data. The UTMSU has not released any updates regarding their work on a larger UPASS or their negotiations or held a referendum following the transit survey in September.

Qu did not respond to The Medium’s request for comment on his work this past year.

Vice-president equity One of the main campaign points that the vice-president equity, Sagal Osman, focused on was opening the Equity Centre for UTM. “This year, she is focused on opening UTM’s first ever Equity centre,” stated UTMSU president Salma Fakhry in UTMSU’s executive video in September 2017.

Points continued on page 2

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»WHAT DO YOU THINK THE

Equity centre remains unopen

STUDENT UNION DOES?

Osman Mahamoud 1st year, Life Sci.

Lanting Qian 3rd year, Biochemistry

“Collaborative events.”

“I don’t really know what they do.”

ANUM SYED/THE MEDIUM

Fresh UTM promised to open the equity centre since September.

Points continued from cover

Rushi Chakrabarti 4th year, Biology

Hamdan Tariq Bhatti 3rd year, Math and Stats

“They manage the school and the student experience.”

“Take care of students.”

One UTM team earns demerits

Osman had previously stated to The Medium in October 2017, “The UTMSU is very excited to have our own equity service centre. Not only will it be a space for folks to access valuable information and other types of resources, but it will also be a safe space that allows individuals to decompress and organize with other community members that they identify with.”

A sign on the room in the Student Centre reads “Coming soon” and has been posted for over a year. The centre has not been established and the space has remained unused.

Osman did not respond to request for comment on her work as

vice-president equity this year.

Vice-president external Jose Wilson pledged to bring more food trucks on campus to provide more food options to students.

Poutine and BeaverTails food trucks could be commonly seen outside the CCT building several times a month over the course of the year.

Wilson also promised to promote the Fight the Fees campaign on campus. Last year, a National Day of Action was held downtown in Queen’s Park to protest high tuition fees. This year, UTMSU hosted a Provincial Day of Action in the Student Centre, which included a banner drop detailing points regarding free tuition, cheaper transit, and OHIP for international students.

Wilson also did not respond to The Medium’s request for comment on his work in office this year.

The UTMSU has established several different bursaries for students to assist with textbooks, accessibility needs, and child-care needs. The team has also helped host a Tax Clinic to help students file their taxes. Other promises made by the team included OHIP coverage for international students, and making university life easier and more accommodating for international and part-time students.

None of the current UTMSU executives responded for a comment on any of the work they have done while in office this year.

UTMSU withholds board meetings No meetings have been announced and no minutes released

UTMSU.CA/PHOTO

UTMSU has neglected to post their minute meetings since February 2017.

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR

The demerit points were posted on the wall of transparency.

ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR In the University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union’s elections this month, each member of One UTM received five demerit points for an “unintentional abuse” of stats.

The posting for the demerit points stated that the points were awarded due to the slate’s campaign manager discussing UTMSU matters with a student, despite taking a leave of absence from the union. The post did not name the campaign manager.

The infraction occurred on March 6th with the posting of the demerit points being posted on March 19th.

The candidate for vice-president internal Yan Li was awarded five additional points for conducting an interview with UTM TV, even though Li is a club member. All candidates are required to take a leave of absence from all clubs and committees in order to avoid a conflict of interest. The points were posted on the wall of transparency on March 16th.

If a candidate reaches or exceeds 35 demerit points, they become disqualified from the campaign race.

The election period for the UTMSU elections concluded on March 22nd, with the unofficial results expected to be announced this week.

The University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union’s minutes for their board meeting have been absent from their website for the entirety of the academic year.

As of press time, the last posted board meeting minutes on the UTMSU website was on February 15th, 2017.

The UTMSU hosts monthly board meetings in order to present to the board of directors the work their executive team has done or plan on doing. The recorded minutes for those meetings are typically approved at the next board meeting and posted to the UTMSU website to encourage transparency.

Former 2016-2017 UTMSU president Nour Alideeb told The Me-

dium in an email on November 29 of 2016 that the minutes for board meetings need to be approved at the next board meeting before they can be posted online.

The board meetings are also meant to be open for any paying student to attend. This academic year, none of the meetings were advertised or promoted for by the current executive team.

According to the UTMSU bylaws, “The Board of Directors shall meet no less than once per calendar month during their term in office, the Executive Committee is responsible for presenting a schedule of meetings for approval at the beginning of each session, notice of meetings including date, time and place, shall be given no less than fourteen (14) days to the Board of Directors.”

The bylaws also state that there are three types of Board of Director meetings: scheduled meetings, joint meetings, and emergency meetings.

The Medium asked on March 15th for the date and location of the next board meeting and was told that dates have not yet been established.

The Medium was not referred to the joint board meeting being held at St. George on that same day.

Vice-president internal Vikko Qu, who is taking over the UTMSU presidential duties while Salma Fakhry is on a leave of absence, did not respond to The Medium’s request for comment.

Executive director Munib Sajjad also did not respond to The Medium’s request for comment, regarding the lack of minutes and announcement of meetings.

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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.

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.

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To contribute, email editor@themedium.ca

Thriving after a tiring journey

It is at the end of the path that I realize the strength and beauty of being a journalist Eleven Months later and this is it. As the last issue of our paper hits the stands, I feel a mix of emotions.

This was a year of immense learning that came with a large amount of mental and emotional stresses.

Before I can even continue to talk about the rest of this year, there are people that I absolutely need to mention.

To Alicia, Vanessa, Mahnoor, Kassandra, Mirabelle, Ayesha, Meg, Florence, Alison, and Mayank—I am indebted to each and every one of you. You’ve inspired me every step of the way and brought this paper to another level. Your patience with me as I was going through this process was more than I could have asked for. I know that things were stressful at times, but your resilience to get your work done at the best standard possible was something to look up to. It was your optimism and your fight to bring amazing and great work to the forefront that molded The Medium into what it is. For that, I wholeheartedly thank you. I will miss all of you dearly and I can’t wait to see the amazing things each and every one of you accomplish. You’ve made my Sundays and weeks exciting and you’ve brought me out of some very low points in my life. I am so proud and grateful to call you my teammates and my friends. Thank you.

To Menna and Olivia—we’ve all been here with this paper for quite some time now and it’s been a wild time. You’ve both grown into wonderful human beings with goals and

dreams that I know you will achieve.

You’ve been with me for so long and have spread your love and positivity and truly taught me what it means to be humble, patient, and grateful for every single day. You’re both an inspiration not only to myself, but to everyone who has worked with you.

Your ability to come to the office and spread nothing but joy and motivation in times of hardship was what brought this team together.

Olivia, you go be that awesome cosmetic scientist and enjoy every step of the way there. Keep spreading your love to the world, and love will spring right back. Thank you for being the one associate that actually responded to my emails when I was photo editor with more than three words, thank you for being such an amazing friend, and thank you for believing in me. Your strength and amazing heart will not go forgotten.

Menna, your journey is just beginning. Don’t worry about your age, continue to be the happy human you are, and keep fighting for what you love and believe is right.

You will not fail, you will be an amazing journalist. Ryerson is lucky to have you. Thank you for being a friend and supporting me through this long and tough year that we both faced. The world is about to be hit with one amazing journalist.

You all brought a strength to The Medium that has definitely bloomed since my first days here. You’re all strong and remarkable individuals.

Never forget that. Be proud of your work this year, team.

The journey to this point was long and arduous. I managed a lot and I still do every day. However, this journey was worth every minute.

I quickly learned that the only way to face this job was not to think about anything other than the day at hand. To truly take things dayby-day and work through it all as quickly and efficiently as possible. I never did know what would happen the next day, but I did know that I would learn something new every time.

It takes a lot to be a journalist. Every member of this team has had to go through something that drained them and made them want to quit.

Juggling school and this job is not an easy thing to do. And all of it was for you, the reader.

They’ve asked the questions you’ve been afraid to ask or were just unaware of. They’ve delivered informative articles about all kinds of events and happenings on campus that were crucial to the growth of our students.

The Medium isn’t a club, magazine, or anything else. The Medium is UTM’s journalist outlet, and we bring you information that you may not have been aware of.

UTM, I challenge you to start asking questions and continuously push yourself to stay informed. I can’t stress enough how important it is to seek information and be critical of it.

I also challenge you to be as patient as you can in this whirlwind of an academic environment. Yes, I un-

derstand that you have to keep your GPA up, attend your classes, and get all your work done, but a year after graduation I can promise you that life will be okay. Everything takes time—your life is yours to take at a pace you want to go at.

I am afraid and so worried about the future. I’ve cried and wondered why the hell I was even trying to achieve anything remotely related to what I loved. I realized that the love for my life, friends, family, and my work is what’s going to keep me going. I don’t have dreams, I have goals. Every day I will be pushing myself to get to those goals.

Don’t give up UTM, you’ve got this. Every day at this institution is a day of learning and experiencing.

Please don’t ever stop believing in yourself. You are important, you will achieve your goals, and resilience will get you to where you want to be.

I’m excited to be back next year.

To the team next year, get ready for a lot of important and memorable work. I can’t wait to work with you all, and I’m excited to see where we take The Medium next year.

Stay informed, love yourself, and never give up on yourself.

I believe in you.

YOURS, MAHMOUD SAROUJI

CORRECTION NOTICE The March 19 articles “Seven years of ideas with TEDxUofT”and “PSLA talks future of political journalism” has been corrected.

Another year ending with no regrets Set your goals, be ready to take on all kinds of challenges, and you’ll get there Last year, around the exact same time as now, I wrote an opinion piece titled: “I’m graduating and I have no regrets.”

Toward the end of this piece, I said I had no idea how I was going to set a foot in my journalism path, and that “I’m still going to fall in every pit and make every mistake there is possible, but I am going to reach it.”

Little did I know that I’ll literally really fall in every pit and struggle to get where I want.

My year after graduation has been tough. I recently wrote an op-ed about it titled “Post-undergrad disappointments”, and yes, there were many of them. Everyone around me who graduated the same year worked fulltime, even if they weren’t fully satisfied with it, and because journalism is very competitive and the sector is dropping overall, I wasn’t very successful in working at what my dreams had hoped for, which was CBC or The Globe and Mail—and yeah, I know that dream was way too ambitious for a fresh graduate. I worked as the managing editor of The Medium, and it was great, but with it being a part-time job, I wanted more. I couldn’t get myself to switch my field in order to find a fulltime job though, because I believed

and still believe in my passion toward journalism, and I know I will get there someday.

Instead however, since November 2017, I decided to make the best of the academic year by writing down points that I wanted to either change or work on myself. That included improving my leadership and networking skills, and to end the year with an acceptance letter to master’s in journalism.

Jump forward five months later, I can safely say I can check these points off my list. I did end it with my acceptance letter from Ryerson University to the Masters of Journalism program.

This year, as I now recall back to it all, has been a blessing. I spent a huge portion of it stressing and worrying, sometimes even depressed because of the disappointments, but it has taught me what I wanted to learn, so I’m grateful—for my work as the managing editor of The Medium and the networking I’ve done, and the politics I’ve involved myself in outside the newspaper too. The team this year at The Medium though, the family we made, the stories we covered, the articles we edited, the leadership skills we enhanced—they were all, indeed, a blessing. Although it took me time

to realize the value of the challenges this work brought along, I wouldn’t trade it with anything, because I understand. I understand that it taught me what I couldn’t have easily learned anywhere else. Now I don’t even know how I’ll leave this place after two years of working here and another two years of volunteering for it.

Once again, just like I ended my last year of undergrad saying I had no regrets, I end this academic year saying I have no regrets. Just like I said last year, I’ll fall in every pit but will take the challenge, I’ll repeat it again: I— hopefully true this time though, unlike last year—really am ready for it.

I’m ready for the next challenge and the next chapter of this life.

And so should you.

I’ve said it before and will repeat it now and for as many times in the future as I can: do not make university just about your grades. It’s much, much more than that. Most of you get this chance once in your life. Value it.

Make the best of it. Go out of your way, challenge yourself, do something you never thought you would, ask questions, challenge yourself again, set goals as high as possible, don’t let go of your passion, never close the door

for your dreams. Just don’t waste it.

The post-undergrad life isn’t usually easy, as cliche as this sounds—it’s just not. You’ll always find competition and luck playing for or against your way. It’s challenging. But if we believe it’s possible, we can do it. You can do it. Don’t be afraid of believing in what you want to do with your life, even if everyone around you tells you it’s crazy. Believe that if you have a passion for something, combined with will, commitment, and hard work, there’s no way you won’t get there. Believe that it takes endless trials before you give in to the errors and accept if it’s not meant to happen.

I realize that we waste too much time worrying about our future, and it’s okay. I don’t know how to change that either actually. But while stressing about your future, at least make sure you are not missing on the chances of the present. And always, always, regenerate the positive energy in yourself. That’s how you’ll get where you want. That’s how you’ll become the person in your dreams.

YOURS, MENNA ELNAKA MANAGING EDITOR

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OPINION THE MEDIUM 03.26.2018

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EDITORIAL BOARD ELECTION RESULTS Editor-in-Chief Mahmoud Sarouji News Editor Ali Taha

PHOTOS

Sports & Health Editor Vanessa Cesario Features Editor Jessica Cabral Arts and Entertainment Editor Paula Cho Photo Editor Yasmeen Alkoka

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2018/19 EDITORIAL BOARD!

THE MEDIUM MAGAZINE ON STANDS SOON

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Investigating nature and technology Forest Movie by Canadian filmmaker Matthew Blais was a year-end screening hosted by CSA SAHIBA SHAH STAFF WRITER

Canadian filmmaker Matthew Taylor Blais explores themes of selfdiscovery, nature, and fear in his first experimental narrative feature, Forest Movie. Hosted by the Cinema Studies Association this past Friday in CC3150, Forest Movie attracted a handful of attendees.

Blais is credited as the writer, director, and editor of Forest Movie.

Blais’ short film, Clouds of Autumn, premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, and his film Popsong premiered at the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Forest Movie opens with a black cat and a tree full of pink flowers outside an apartment building in Vancouver. A girl with a rose tattoo on the back of her hand lies in bed with her cellphone, cancelling her commitments for the day. Her apartment is full of houseplants. A dreamcatcher hangs on the ceiling of the hallway. The girl packs a backpack and a portable chair and heads out.

She almost leaves without her cell-

VIFF.ORG/PHOTO

Filming for Forest Movie took place at the Pacific Spirit Regional Park. phone but grabs it at the last second.

She walks around the forest, sets up her chair, and stares at the forestscape, falling asleep eventually. In a 26-minute shot of a single scape, time passes, sunlight shifts, and morning turns to night. The sound of airplanes flying overhead reverberate from time-to-time. The girl

wakes up in darkness and tries to make her way out of the forest. She navigates through the darkness using the flashlight on her phone. The film ends with her walking back to her apartment.

The president of the Cinema Studies Association, Janina Malapitan, who is a second-year CCIT student,

said, “One of the basic characteristics of experimental film is the nonnarrative. There was no clear beginning, middle, end. There wasn’t a lot of character development or audience investment. […] I really loved it. There’s just something meditative about looking at just one shot, one scene, without anything else telling

you how to understand it.”

Forest Movie plays with the contrast between nature and technology.

Even deep within the forest, signs of technology manage to invade the quiet. However, the film makes no attempt at painting technology in an overtly positive or negative light.

Malapitan said, “You went from a meditative look at the forest until you realize that [the girl] needs to get out of there. She almost left without her phone at the beginning of the movie. Imagine where she would be if she didn’t have her flashlight.” The experimental narrative allows for a liberal amount of introspection.

A majority of the film was shot at Pacific Spirit Regional Park in Vancouver, Blais’ hometown. In a press release for the film, Blais added, “Living in British Columbia, it’s hard not to make a film about nature. I started thinking about it a lot, questioning why we find it so beautiful and entrancing. I realized that perhaps without this beauty, we would be too terrified to venture off into it. Without awe, there is only fear. Without fear you are left with indifference.”

Halfway here, between everywhere This year’s art and art history graduating class held a two-part exhibit at the Blackwood Gallery PAULA CHO ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR Halfway/Between is a two-part exhibition that features the work of 11 graduating students of the art and art history program. Currently on display at both the Blackwood Gallery and e|gallery, Halfway showcases the artists’ diverse perspectives and approaches to the idea of interstice— the narrow, often unknown gap, between the present and future. As the graduating class prepares to enter a new chapter, their works emphasize the current transitional space they occupy—somewhere halfway.

Upon entering the Blackwood Gallery, I am immediately drawn to Alissar Soujaa’s three-part painting series, depicting different iterations of water. All three canvases slightly sway as they are suspended from the ceiling with nearly invisible fishing lines, allowing movement to the piece. The first painting, titled “Seascape,” portrays an abstract but clear representation of water. Numerous shades of blue are utilized to fill the canvas while small brushstrokes of white paint provide dimension. The second painting, “Against the Tides,” is a portrait of a woman engulfed in

MEHAK ADEEB/THE MEDIUM

The exhibit emphasizes the current transitional period of the lives of the graduates. waves. Her dark brown hair and detailed facial features stand in stark contrast against the light turquoise background. Lastly, “Fernweh” is a traditional landscape painting and shifts away from the previous two aquatic illustrations. For me, the image feels like a conclusion, as the ominous grey skies transition into warm-toned yellows and pinks. Although water is still present, the relation between the sky and green fields maintains focus and evokes a feeling

of serenity.

In the exhibition brochure, Soujaa says her paintings “ultimately represent escapism.” “‘Fernweh,’ in particular, represents a place I dream of, that I can escape to,” Soujaa says.

Another piece I found compelling was Cherie Novecosky’s water-colour monoprints, exploring the unconscious state of our bodies during sleep. Each print portrays a different unmade bed, visualizing the link be-

tween body and mind through the stages of rest.

Novecosky explains, “Our bodies twist and skew our bed sheets during sleep, leaving traces of our psychic lives. Can these sheets reveal the joy, fear, and separation we experience during the day?”

The images are simplistic and printed in black and white, leaving the piece largely to personal perception. Along with the prints, a handwritten note is mounted on the wall.

The title “Guest House” can be interpreted as a metaphor for our bodies housing all the emotions we experience. Perhaps these feelings come and go, but they impress upon and shape who we are.

Also noteworthy is Yihan Li’s work displayed at the e|gallery.

“Please Take One: Invasive Species” is a sculptural stack of papers over three feet tall, composed of drawings of invasive species spanning from thirteen countries. At first glance, the piece is minimalist but bold. Li intends for the species to be hidden from immediate view to visualize how they aren’t noticed until they cause serious damage. I reach for the paper at the top of the stack to discover incredibly detailed and unique line drawings of a squirrel and bear.

Li says that she drew the animals overlapping each other to “show their influence and power at varied scales.” By combining elements of the increasingly hazardous effects of invasive species, Li presents a personal and creative means of spreading awareness.

Halfway runs until March 31. Between will serve as the conclusion of the graduating exhibition, from April 4 to 14.

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Let’s slam and chill: the EDSS edition EDSS hosted an annual poetry slam at the Blind Duck Pub which featured a variety of poets RAHAEL MASIH STAFF WRITER

This past Friday, the English and Drama Studies Society (EDSS) threw their annual Slam & Chill event at the Blind Duck Pub. The evening was relaxed and didn’t adhere to a strict time schedule.

Though the event started at 7 p.m., the performers took the stage around 8 p.m.

The stage saw several talented performers that night.

Pamela Price performed first with a poem about identity and the pressures of growing up. Latisha Lobban recited a poem called “Best Friend” about the pain of unrequited love mixed with the hope and happiness that comes with friendship. Maleeha Baig performed a poem called Forgotten. Baig detailed a bit of history for her poetry and mentioned that her slam poems all begin with “Mama always says” to pay homage to the lessons that her mother has taught her over the years. Baig touched on a topic that many would identify with— the hurt of being forgotten as we move on, meeting new people, and leaving some behind. Her poem used repetition in an effective way to add

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Performers included Daniel Omiyi and Maleeha Baig. rhythm to the piece. She paced her poem well and it was a joy to listen to.

The next performer interpreted the slam poem in a gripping way.

The audience was confused as Daniel Omiyi took the stage and began to move the furniture. He performed his poem, “Love’s Ways,” as a threepart series.

The first part was the reading of the poem itself. The poem spoke to the way that people interpret love differently as they experience new things.

He highlighted how love starts out soft and sweet, and can morph into a thing of bitterness and mistrust, that must be given and received with control and care.

For the second part, Omiyi danced for the audience. He played a Spanish song and performed smooth movements that flowed with the music. His dance was delicate just like his poem.

For third part of Omiyi’s performance he sat on a chair and improvised a story with a strong emphasis

on happiness. To steer away from negativity, Daniel asked for prompts to create a happy story. Omiyi created a story from love, friendship, and summer days. His story was admittedly mundane, but he was a joy to watch. His voice lulled and I felt as though I was watching an ASMR video with the soft music he played in the back. He acted out multiple parts and made his show about movement, happiness, and reverence for the small things.

Zaynab Alkari performed a stunning slam poem about her complicated relationship with boys. Her nuanced approach to her attitude towards men was refreshing. There were so many lines that hit the crowd with so much intensity that there were snaps flying through the air as she spoke relevant truths. One line that stood out to me was: “I might as well be deaf and blind—that’ll turn them on.” This was in reference to the persistence of men wanting women to be objects to be viewed. The phrasing in Zainab’s piece was original and powerful. I was enticed with her the entire time she was on stage.

The structured portion of the evening wrapped up with the head of the EDSS, Christina Khokhar, reading a sweet rhyming poem about what poetry means to her.

She then opened up the stage to anyone who wanted to share original or published poetry. Ali Taha read “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Yasmeen Alkoka read a motivational piece she wrote that originated as a text to a friend.

The night was calm and fun. It was a great place to see some talented performers, have a few munchies, and get to know people on campus.

Paul and Anshita dance to the rhythm Rhythm Performing Arts’ co-presidents talk about their dance history and UTM involvement KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR Finding your rhythm and groove within a supportive dance community is an aim that Rhythm Performing Arts strives for. Whether it’s been teaching members the style of hiphop to the Indian classical dance of Bharatanatyam, co-presidents Paul Rodriguez and Anshita Khanna helped make it happen. Hailing from diverse dance backgrounds, Rodriguez and Khanna bring a panoply of skills to the team.

Born in 1993, Rodriguez credits his early dance inspiration to the song “Get Down,” by the Backstreet Boys, released in 1996.

“Proper training from instructors or in a studio was not something my parents could afford for me, so a lot of my journey was literally replicating what I saw others do on TV,” Rodriguez says.

It was when Rodriguez turned 12 years old that he began dabbling in his Latin cultural roots. He was introduced to styles like salsa, bachata, and merengue at family gatherings. When he turned 16 years old, Rodriguez began freelance instructing and choreographing group routines in Latin dance styles.

When it came to support for his dance career, Rodriguez admits that he did not receive unreserved encouragement.

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Both presidents have had extensive training in hip-hop and Latin styles.

Rodriguez explains, “From my family, they were extremely content with knowing I took an interest in the dances from our culture. To them, it was a leisurely appreciation for who we are, but that’s all it meant to them.

When it came to wanting to know more, take classes, perform at shows, or take auditions, they never truly agreed that it was the best use of my time. It discouraged me a lot.”

However, Rodriguez noted that as his exposure as a dancer increased— through hosting classes and freelance performances—his personal motivation grew. He credits his biggest support system to his time at UTM where he was able to join Rhythm Perform-

ing Arts. The exposure to proper training and classes at Rhythm, along with encouragement from Khanna, has helped Rodriguez further his dance career.

Before entering Rhythm, Rodriguez admits to dancing alone without the appreciation of dancing as a collective.

“Being in the club has also taught me confidence and professionalism since we don’t ever see ourselves as just a band of friends ‘doing a little dance,’ but a hard working unit that outputs the best possible dances we can physically do—and with a smile,” Rodriguez adds Khanna, on the other hand, has

been dancing for 14 years. She began her studies at Shiamak Davar International in India, and then moved over to the dance company’s studio in Toronto for four years. Then, Khanna began training under Rhythm Performing Arts since 2014. Since then, Khanna has been trained in hip-hop, jazz, Bollywood, contemporary, Latin, and Indian classical dance styles.

She says she dances as a form of catharsis.

“It is the only time I feel fully in tune with myself,” Khanna says.

“Dance has always been there for me to make any day better and to release my bottled emotions.”

One personal challenge that Khan-

na has encountered while dancing is striving for perfection.

“I have always been a very competitive person and in my early dancing days, I’ve always wanted to be the best in my class. I would tell myself that practice makes perfect; and I needed to be perfect. But I soon realized that that saying is untrue—you can always improve but perfection is a myth,” Khanna says.

Khanna admits that her parents have been very supportive of her dancing career. Her parents have financially and mentally supported her when it came to dance. For instance, Khanna recalls that when she expressed interest to further pursue her dance career, her father helped her sort the means for her to achieve this goal.

When asked about the importance of dance, in general, Khanna thinks it means more than the physical act of moving one’s body.

“The definition of dance is to ‘move rhythmically to music.’ People always see dancing as just that—the act of moving your body—but all dancers know that to means so much than that. It is so physically demanding and mentally challenging. It teaches discipline and professionalism. It takes countless hours of work, many tears, and lots of rejection. But when you love something so much, the good exceeds the bad,” Khanna says.

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Celebrating a launch EDSS introduces launch of With Caffeine and Careful Thought

REWIND KEENA AL-WAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

The EIC of EDSS, Shalini Nanayakkara, said that the event had a favourable turnout.

KEENA AL-WAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR

Volume five of the English and Drama Student Society’s undergraduate journal, With Caffeine and Careful Thought, celebrated the launch of its 2018/19 edition last weekend.

Held in the red room of the Student Centre, the journal’s theme this year was survival. Embodied in the setting of the event and in the journal’s pieces, the event attempted to showcase its theme wherever it had the chance to. The room was decorated with flowers and remnants from nature. It fit right in with the journal’s attempts at showcasing survival in more than one way.

According to the EDSS, celebrating the diversity of natural elements was meant to help attendees realize the ways in which we survive the seasons, to make way for blossoming we do after the harsh winter.

There was a set of writers who were up for reading that night— some read short fiction, others poetry, and any writers who read research out loud also read out their excerpts.

Present at the event was the journal’s editor-in-chief and launch coordinator Shalini Nanayakkara.

After revealing the book cover, she joined the flow of writers who were expected to read.

Before all the readers had finished reading their pieces, Nanayakkara also invited any last minute writers up to the front, in case anyone had any jitters they wanted to crush before the night was over.

“The contributors were all really eager to read or perform their work, whether it be a poem, short story or essay, even if they were shy,” she said. “I think this really speaks volumes about how much talent there is at UT—and the more opportunities there are for students to express themselves, in and out of the classroom, the better.”

Celebrating the diversity of natural elements was meant to help attendees realize the ways in which we survive the seasons [...] for blossoming.

Rebecca Zseder presented her work entitled “Coffee Culture,” a poem about the differences between male and female experiences leaving a night on the town. She spoke elo-

quently, like a reader well-versed in spoken word poetry.

Writers, editors, illustrators, and department professors had contributed to the overall making of the journal, but the amount of support that the launch had received was what made the success of it so important. Lines didn’t hesitate to form at the table, with journals selling at $10 a book.

On the event’s reception, Nanayakkara said, “I thought the turnout was amazing. We were stunned but so pleased that so many people felt so passionately about their work to invite friends and family to this special event, and that so many UTM students in general wanted to become more engaged with a campus literary community.”

She also claimed that the efforts that were put into the journal’s production turned out to reach the goals the EDSS set out for: “This year, the English and Drama Student Society set a goal to be bigger and better so people can get involved and enjoy themselves more on campus, and the journal launch really brought it home for me. We put a lot of work into the publication and this event for students, and it turned out exactly [what] we hoped it would be.”

If you thought your movie character crushes were bad, it probably does not beat my undying love for Aladdin.

Thankfully, I love Princess Jasmine so much that I’ve let go of my unhealthy obsession just a little bit, and have left Jasmine and Aladdin to love one another in cinematic eternity.

Aladdin is a 1992 Disney movie, packed with love stories and desperation to rule. After street-side Aladdin finds a lamp and frees the genie within it, he wishes to go from rags to riches to impress Princess of Agrabah, Jasmine—who must find a suitor to marry before her birthday. Wanting to find someone she truly loves, Aladdin whisks her away from her balcony on a magic carpet ride, but when she finds out that he lied about his whereabouts, the plot unfolds.

Agrabah is a spitting image of any modern day West Asian country, such as Iraq. Ancient street images and rustic buildings are reliant on painting this image. The sultan’s palace, where Princess Jasmine resides, resembles the Taj Mahal with its complex structure and elegant architecture. However, unlike most viewers’ notions, the film is thought to be set somewhere in the Middle East rather than in India.

Bringing in Robin Williams as the

KEENA AL-WAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR As an English major, I have my favourites and my throwaways. I do dabble in Victorian literature. My bookshelf is lined up with Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen texts. I also enjoy the occasional Indigenous text or Romantic period book. However, when I tell people how far up the list Shakespearean texts are, the question that always prevails is, “What’s your favourite play?”

Trust me, being an English major with a favourite Shakespearean play is never easy to decipher. There probably aren’t any that I hate, however, the best of them all is Hamlet, which I had the chance to read again in ENG220 this year.

The real story of Hamlet starts when he decides to take revenge on his uncle-turned-stepfather based on the ghost of his father coming back from the dead to inform to do so, because he was killed by said uncleturned-stepfather.

There’s never an in-between with Hamlet. People either tell me they’ve been absolutely whirled by its framework or they’ve found it to be too long—especially with such narcissistic characters and ambiguous concepts.

Hamlet himself is a catalyst for

genie was captivating; he brought something different to the tale of our typical Disney love story. He’s rich with comedic interludes and he gets to be Aladdin’s best friend, whether Aladdin is open to the idea or not.

Meeting him for the first time, he whips up a microphone and a neon sign with Aladdin’s name on it, and exclaims: “Aladdin! Hello, Aladdin, nice to have you on the show. Can we call you Al, or maybe just Din? Or how about Laddie?”

Aladdin gets increasingly suave when he pulls out his carpet to show Princess Jasmine the entire world—in one night. Although travelling the entirety of the globe with a guy you just met might be dangerous, the rug is indestructible to the guy’s credibility.

“Usually, he’s the same cheerful Aladdin. But sometimes, he just seems sad. He [...] goes off by himself.”

—Princess Jasmine The film’s themes never get old, even just over 25 years later—your charisma and strength in character will always beat out superficiality. If you stay true to yourself then others will do the same.

both sides. He’s indecisive and depressed, but also sort of a raging lunatic—if you choose to believe he is. What about him is so alluring but also causes people to have such a mutiny over his personality? What makes Hamlet alluring yet complicated is that although Shakespeare was terrifyingly adept at understanding the human condition and questions we have about ourselves, he laced this into the character of Hamlet eloquently.

Through this, Hamlet is a character we love to hate. He’s like Ross from Friends, or Kimmy Gibbler on Full House. He’s such a train-wreck that when we close our eyes to shield our vision from him, we have to open them just a bit to see what ends up happening to him.

Maybe Hamlet isn’t mad like the play suggests, but he’s certainly a mad genius if you want to give him that. In order to find out if his uncle is really guilty of murder, he stages a play recreating the scenes of his father’s murder. This is done so that Hamlet can watch his uncle’s reaction.

In this case, actions usually speak louder than words—unless you’re a young prince bound to a dysfunctional family with a healthy appetite for revenge.

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03.26.2018

Class of 2018, meet your valedictorian From Calgary to UTM, valedictorian for the class of 2018, Cherie Novecosky, shares her experiences MARYAM FAISAL ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

Every year, shortly before the final exam season, the UTM Alumni Relations Office interviews candidates for valedictorian for the graduating class. This year, the office selected Cherie Elizabeth Novecosky, who’s doing a specialist in art and art history. With graduation right around the corner, Novecosky reflected on her undergraduate years with The Medium.

“It [being chosen as valedictorian] wasn’t something I thought could actually be a possibility,” Novecosky said with a laugh. “I was speechless.”

Novecosky won the Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award after being nominated by the chair of the Department of Visual Studies, professor Alison Syme, who she said was one of the most “influential and inspiring” people she studied under at UTM. After winning the leadership award, Novecosky was considered for the valedictorian position and got it after, according to her, she “connected really well with them” at the inter-

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHERIE NOVECOSKY

Cherie Novecosky will be graduating with a specialist in art and art history. view. “When they told me I got it, I teared up a little bit. I had no idea the leadership award would lead to this.

It’s an absolute honour, something

extremely special and I can’t wait.”

Having spent the last five years in a program that allowed her studio time alongside academic focus, Nove-

cosky has been actively involved on campus. She was the art and art history liaison for the Department of Visual Studies’ student society for

two years and the vice-president of the dance club in her third year. She has also represented her program at the Ontario College Fair and the Creative Art Fair. She’s also holding a solo art exhibit in the Faculty Club at UTSG in early June. Her work is currently being displayed in the Blackwood Gallery as part of the Art and Art History Grad Show until March 31st.

Other than professor Syme, Steph Sullivan, DVS’s undergraduate counsellor has been a constant “source of strength” for Novecosky throughout her undergraduate years, “I went to her once every semester just to make sure everything was on track and she has been a rock for me,” Novecosky said.

When asked to describe a turning point for her at UTM, she recalled a time when she was extremely close to dropping out of UTM in her third year, due to some deeply personal struggles. However, after going back home to Calgary and regrouping with her friends and family, she knew what she wanted to do with her life and was certain of it.

2018 continued on page 10

UTM Scribes return with the third Slate Last Friday, the UTM Scribes club launched the third volume of their creative writing magazine, Slate SYEDA HASAN With final exam season looming ahead, UTM students are gearing up to finish their pending assignments or cramming in a bit of studying in between their classes. The library is packed consistently and if you’re lucky enough, you might just be able to snag an empty study room. Deerfield Hall presents a similar scene.

The tables are full, but it’s not hard to spot Myra Farooq sitting on a couch, wearing a red beanie. Farooq is in her fourth and final year of study at UTM, specializing in English and minoring in professional writing and communication. For the past two years, she has also been serving as the president of UTM’s creative writing club called UTM Scribes.

On Friday March 23rd, Farooq and her team will celebrate the launch of their third volume of Slate, a magazine by the UTM Scribes, which presents the creative work of UTM students in the form of short stories, journal entries, poetry, and art.

The idea for forming a creative

NESALIN SAMUEL/THE MEDIUM

The third volume of the Slate magazine features journal entries, short stories, poetry, and art. writing club at UTM was first presented to Farooq through a Facebook page. “Before the start of my first year at UTM, a guy named Joseph posted on UTM’s ‘accepted’ page for that year stating that he wanted to start a creative writing club. A few of us responded and then met up at the Square One library two weeks before

classes started. We formed our constitution there,” Farooq laughs. The team juggled with assigning roles for quite some time. Farooq started off as the secretary and then transitioned to the role of vice-president for half a term. She was assigned presidency of the club in her third year and continues to fulfill that role. “Although I

am the president, I consider myself and my two VPs as a team because we’re always doing things together,” says Farooq.

Slate was a dream that, according to Farooq, the whole team had, but didn’t become a reality until their second year. The magazine does not have a specific theme and accepts

submissions from all disciplines.

“The only criteria we have is that the content should have low sexuality and low profanity. Other than that, there are no specifications. In fact, the more ‘out there’ your piece is the better, because it allows us to represent UTM’s creativity. We encourage diversity,” Farooq states. The pieces, as she explains, aren’t categorized either. The magazine is a mix of poems, short stories, and other subjects in a random order, and as Farooq says, “We created chapters in the first volume, but the team and I didn’t feel comfortable putting things into categories.”

When asked about the roles that were required to make Slate a success, Farooq states, “We have our coeditors-in-chief who are in charge of managing the editing team. Then we have our own photographers and illustrators. We send the accepted pieces to them and they decide which ones they want to provide artwork for.

Slate continued on page 9

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So long UTM: the class of ‘18 looks back With graduation right around the corner, The Medium hears thoughts from outgoing students SAHIBA SHAH ZEAHAA REHMAN TANISHA KUMAR

With less than three months remaining before convocation hall streams with black gowns, camera flashes, and decorated parchment, final-year students anxiously await graduation.

As the cold end-of-the-semester air at UTM appears to be equal parts anticipation and equal parts anxiety, graduating students are busy polishing resumes, connecting with references, and forgetting to go to class.

As fellow graduating students, or students waiting for their turn next year, we may find ourselves asking—how are students coping with completing their undergraduate years? How are they preparing for the next chapter? And how did they get through it all? Speaking to students two months after they clicked “request to graduate” on ACORN, and ready to enter their last weeks of undergraduate classes, The Medium interviewed several graduating students.

Amna Azhar, 4th year, Psychology.

“I’m very excited,” says Amna Azhar, a fourth-year student pursuing psychology, biology, and professional writing and communication, when asked how she feels to be part of the graduating class and entering the world that she has been preparing for. Azhar says she had always been

GHEYANA PURBODININGRAT/THE MEDIUM

With graduation comes the stress of employment, among other worries. interested in biology and passionate about writing, however, “Psychology was not planned at all.”

Azhar feels that during her four years at university, every year she developed upon her learning techniques, gauging what would work for her and help her in her academics.

“Since first year, I learned what works for me and what doesn’t.” She adds that she began to understand since then that university is not only about academics, and that “Pursuing your hobbies and being a part of everything that you enjoy is equally important.” Thinking back to her first year at university, Azhar says, “During the

Headstart [program] at O-week, I met Chad. He was then the coordinator for the event [I was attending] and he told all of us one thing—always remember to smell the roses. He told us that we must always make time for things that matter to us or the things we enjoy. This is one thing I hope all the first-years know because I realized it very late.”

Azhar also says that there are many opportunities in the university which can help students in their development, and that “No one should not make use of them.”

Although she does face the stress of graduation, employment, exams, and

collecting documents, graduation is something she is “definitely looking forward to.”

Currently, Azhar is doing research in psychology and biology using zebra fish as a model organism, and wishes to take a year off after graduation to work and explore if, with certainty, she wishes to pursue research or associated fields.

Alanna Thompson, 4th year Sociology and Criminology.

Before applying to university, Alanna Thompson, who’s a fourth-year sociology and criminology major and president of UTM’s Sociology and Criminology Society, was told

by high school teachers to expect her grades to drop by 20 per cent in university. Determined since high school to pursue a career in law, she did not let those pre-conceived notions get in the way of succeeding in her studies.

“I came in thinking that it was going to be extremely difficult, and I was going to face a lot of struggles— but that wasn’t what happened. I was able to keep obtaining my high grades […]. If you put in the effort and time, you can still succeed in university as well,” says Thompson.

However, balancing academics, work, and life, as Thompson says, can be difficult. If not right away, Thompson managed to gain that balance through her years at UTM. Living on residence in her first year, the UTM SCS president recalled, “I was literally a hermit. I literally sat in my dorm room at my desk, and all I did was study and do readings. I didn’t, you know, go make friends, I didn’t go talk to people—I didn’t care. I just locked myself in and did my work, and I thought that’s what I had to do in order to succeed in university.”

Thompson came out of her shell in second year as her class sizes got smaller and more intimate. Navigating through her programs, she met more people and got involved in extra-curricular activities, which included becoming a member of the SCS. Grads continued on page 10

The collaborative world of publishing Slate continued from page 8 Up until now, we didn’t have a marketing director, so it was my job, along with my VPs Sasha and Sarena, to send out calls for submission and ensure that everybody knew we were accepting pieces for Slate.” Farooq also works with the graphic designer to make sure the cover is up to par with the Scribe’s vision. “In the beginning, most of us didn’t have much of a creative say in the design of the cover, but we wanted something that would look nice in somebody’s shelf.

The feather theme works because it relates to the club’s logo,” says Farooq.

With the original team behind Slate all graduating this year, the idea was that if Slate were to end afterwards, then it should end as a trilogy. “We wanted to keep the cover design and the theme similar for all three issues in case we weren’t able to continue the magazine. The cover represents all of us who were there from the beginning. We’ve given next year’s team the freedom to change up the whole design or re-launch the Slate with a whole new look.” Apart from overlooking the design and layout, Farooq also works with Createspace in order to ensure that tiny details, such as page margins, quality of photos, and positioning of text are

NESALIN SAMUEL/THE MEDIUM

The president of UTM Scribes says the magazine has “a lot of historical fiction this year.” in proper order. However, as Farooq emphasizes, it is the editing team that deserves all the credit as they are the ones that ensure that everything is up to publishable standards.

This year the magazine received 80 submissions. “We could only afford to accept forty of them,” says Farooq.

In response to the type of submis-

sions received this year, Farooq describes, “We got a lot of historical fiction this year, and an equal amount of poems and short stories.” None of the pieces are outright rejected, instead submitters are requested to make suggested edits and re-submit. According to Farooq, “There’s no such thing as a bad piece. Either a piece

needs lots of editing, or it needs very minimum editing. We work with the author to make their work fulfill our standards.” If a piece is not edited in time, the author is asked to re-submit the next year. However, authors can sometimes reject the edits made by the editing team, and Farooq says, “This is when it gets really hard. We

can’t force them to make the edits so we have to omit their piece because it isn’t fair to everyone else.”

Once the magazine content is chosen, and the layouts are created, the team conducts a four-to-five hour proofreading session in order to polish the magazine before it gets sent for printing. “It’s a really fun experience because there are always pieces that one or two of members can relate to. We have discussions about these pieces,” says Farooq.

The manuscript is then sent off to be published and the copies usually arrive a few days before the launch date.

“Last year the copies arrived twoand-a-half months late. It was a nightmare. We only had the proof copy to show to our guests at the launch.” This year, the copies have arrived two weeks early. Farooq concludes the interview with her sentiments regarding the Slate now that she’s graduating this year. “From starting university with no creative writing club on campus, to having the Scribes and three volumes of Slate published and being interviewed for all our work—it’s surreal. We’ve all put so much efforts into everything and I’d really like to say that it was a collaborative effort.”

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THE MEDIUM 03.26.2018

Until the 2018 last lecture 2018 continued from page 8

“I got myself together. I told myself, you’re not stopping anymore, you go and you go hard, and you go fast and you get it done. It was the most trying year but also the most rewarding one,” Novecosky explained.

After graduation, Novecosky will move back west and start her master’s in counselling psychology at the University of Victoria, while hoping to do art therapy on the side.

Reflecting back on her time at UTM, she said it has made her “a much stronger woman, has made me find who I actually am and made me realize I have a voice I didn’t know I had. I feel very confident going forward with my decisions, knowing they’re right for me.” She emphasized the importance of her family but also the importance of her group of friends at UTM who have been her support system throughout the five years.

When asked about any advice she had for other students, she replied, “[The] journey has not been easy and I want people to know that it hasn’t because life is hard, school is hard. But it’s not about what happens because we all share in the struggle, but it’s about how we overcome those struggles and get past them. If you’re struggling, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and you can make it there, because, look at me, I almost dropped out and here I am. You have to keep going. Use the resources around you, they’re there to help and there’s absolutely no shame in using them to help you get to where you need to go.” Novecosky noted the Health and Counselling Centre as being one of the best resources she received help from at UTM.

While recognizing that juggling five courses per semester, volunteering, and a job is no small feat, Novecosky mentioned that she de-stresses by “moving around.” After going to the library to study, her break would consist of going to the RAWC and taking either a yoga class or going for a run just to, as she said, keep movement in her body instead of focusing entirely on a particular midterm. “When you’re studying, you’re working your brain all day. For me,

“You have to keep going. Use the resources around you, they’re there to help and there’s absolutely no shame in using them to help you” I felt I needed to do the opposite. To give my mind a break, I needed to be in my body which I still do now,” she said.

To end on a lighthearted note, we asked who would she be if she could be anyone for a day. After a hesitant pause, she laughed, “Ellen DeGeneres. I love making people laugh and I love dancing. I’d have so much fun doing it.”

Novecosky will be giving her class valedictory address at this year’s Last Lecture on April 23rd in the Kaneff rotunda, alongside UTM alumnus, Zaib Shaikh. After graduation, Shaikh pursued an acting career. He is best known to Canadian audiences for his role as the imam in the CBCTV comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie. Currently, Shaikh serves as the City of Toronto’s director of film and entertainment.

Hopes, plans and lessons Grads continued from page 9

In her third year, Thompson played for the UTM men’s intramural ball hockey league. She joined at the request of a friend and was the only girl in the league. Thompson notes, “I was so embarrassed at first, but I did it both semesters and it was a blast.

I’m glad I did it in the end.”

Thompson became president of the SCS in her fourth year, and worked to provide academic support, resources, and events for students in the sociology and criminology programs. She worked with the SCS to introduce facilitated study groups this year for SOC 100, something that had not been introduced before. For Thompson, one of the best parts of being in the society was meeting professors in her programs and maintaining meaningful relationships with them.

In her fourth year, Thompson juggled studying for the LSAT, applying to law schools, taking a full course load, tutoring, and taking on her role as president of the SCS. She emphasizes time management as one of the most important aspects of her undergraduate career. She says, “So this year was the year I had to buy an agenda […]. I altered my routine and started getting up really early and doing my studying before I had to go to school, before the day was done, so that it’d be done and I didn’t have to worry about it.”

According to Thompson, getting a degree is just one aspect of university.

She notes, “You don’t want to look back on your four years of university and wonder what it is that you did the entire time and what you accomplished besides getting your degree.”

According to her, getting involved in school, meeting students and professors, and enjoying your time at university is equally as important as studying.

“Don’t be first-year me. Don’t sit in your dorm room and not talk to anybody, seclude yourself, and think that you need to live with your nose inside of a book for the next four years

in order to do well and succeed. Get out there. You’ve got to get involved, meet people, do things, because you want these four years to be something that you remember.”

Thompson sees herself becoming a courtroom litigator in the future.

She’s also interested in securities, an interplay between corporate and criminal law, as well as sports and entertainment law. After months of preparation, Thompson successfully took her LSAT in February and will be attending York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in the fall.

Bidour Al-Rawi Bidour Al-Rawi, a fourth year pursuing a double major in Biology for health science and chemistry, as well as serving as the president of the Erindale Biology Society (EBS), shared her experiences and what she would have done differently.

“University has been a choice ever since I was a child. Both my parents went to university, so I wanted to be, first an engineer like them, and then a dentist like my other role model,” Al-Rawi says. “I did look into some college institutions, but I never applied.”

“First year, I’d say was my easiest year of university,” reveals Al-Rawi.

“I wanted to be a dentist before starting and after first year, I was like ‘Yeah sure, let’s stay there’ because first-year went well,” she continues, chuckling, “It went downhill after.”

In response to whether or not she had ever second-guessed her fields of study, Al-Rawi says, “Yes, a lot of them. The hardest courses I’ve ever taken were in chemistry. I always doubted my chemistry major.”

“You know the hoodies that say ‘biology’ and ‘chemistry’? I bought a biology [hoodie] but I never bought a chemistry one because I was like, ‘What if I leave my major?’” She shares. “Now I’m almost done, so I’m going to buy one.”

“What made me stay was the fact that I actually found it interesting and enjoyed chemistry, enjoyed the topics. The professors were very good, so despite it being hard, I still

really enjoyed it, so I tried to survive,” adds the EBS president.

Addressing what she would have done differently in her first year, Al-Rawi mentions that she would have tried to find out about the jobs available on campus. “For my fourth year, I worked as a photographer for the athletics department, which was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had—I met really amazing people.

I got to travel with the teams to different universities and colleges. I improved my photography. I wish I did that since first year because they hire these people every year but I never looked into what opportunities were available.”

In reference to post-graduation plans, Al-Rawi suggests, “If you’re applying to grad school, apply early, ask for reference letters early,” and continues to say, “If you don’t have to worry about that, then make sure you do something to enjoy it, to remember it. Make your fourth-year memorable by being part of a club, a society, getting an interesting job, just a cool new experience, because it is your last year of university. You don’t want to make it stressful. You also want to enjoy it and make good memories.”

“What keeps me going is the fact that I want to reach my goal,” AlRawi shares, “My parents have also been very supportive. They’re always driving me and giving me motivation to keep going.”

“It’s a mix of emotions,” Al-Rawi admits. “I’m very happy to be done.

I’m tired of studying and tired of waking up in the morning, but I really do want all of that to come to an end—I want to graduate.”

“But at the same time,” she continues, “I’m going to miss, you know, my friends, I’m going to miss my job, some professors.” Al-Rawi laughs as she continues to say, “It’s also very stressful because I still don’t know which program I’m getting accepted into. So it’s also like, ‘I’m graduating, but to where?’”

Convocation ceremonies for Undergraduate UTM students will be held on June 13 to 14, 2018.

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Eagles get bronze medal at provincials The UTM men’s soccer team had a successful provincial tournament, placing third overall VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

After playing six games in three days, our UTM Eagles placed third overall at the OCAA Provincial Championships for men’s indoor soccer, held at Redeemer College.

Beginning on March 22 and ending on March 24, the men demonstrated incredible determination and unity which garnered their success this indoor season.

The men started off the provincial tournament with a game against the Conestoga Condors. The men dominated the entire game and were given countless scoring opportunities, but could not seem to bury any in the back of the net. The first game resulted in a 0-0 tie—a decent start to the tournament. The second game of the day was against the George Brown Huskies. Within the first three minutes, UTM’s goalkeeper, Aaron Peters, throws the ball passed half to teammate Zimba Galloway, where he faked the goalie and scored bottom-right corner, put-

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The men’s soccer team played six games over three days to place third in the OCAA. ting UTM in the lead. Immediately after this goal, rookie player Adam Czerkawski scored, making the score 2-0 within the first five minutes of the game. Despite George Brown conceding two goals early on, they continued to battle which lead them

to scoring their first goal. A powerful shot to the top-left corner made the score sit at 2-1. Throughout the game, the George Brown goalkeeper was notorious for coming too far out of his net. UTM’s Juan Prieto punished the goalie by accurately plac-

ing the ball into the net from half.

George Brown did not let the twogoal lead hold them back and less than two minutes later, they scored their second goal of the game. During the last two minutes of the game, the George Brown goalie got caught

too far out of his net once again resulting in another UTM goal, but this time by Damian Koscielniak.

The Eagles took the game 4-2.

The second day of provincials was not as successful as the first with the men tying both games. The first game was against the Durham College Lords where UTM was first to score. This was, however, followed by a goal from Durham which kept the game tied at 1-1. Although UTM made some costly mistakes, Galloway still managed to score another one for his team. This was unfortunately followed by another goal by Durham resulting in their second tie of the tournament at 2-2. Their fourth game of the tournament was against host team, the Redeemer Royals. This game ended in a 1-1 tie with Pietro scoring his second goal of the tournament by a perfectly placed ball by Josh Iskra, where Pietro one-timed it into the net. UTM finished second in their group, advancing them to the semi-finals against the Humber Hawks.

Soccer continued on page 12

Recapping the 2017-2018 athletic year The accomplishments of several UTM teams are highlighted over the course of the year AMRISH WAGLE ASSOCIATE S&H EDITOR

A review is nothing less than taking a thousand-step journey, except the footsteps lie in front of you. Looking back, our UTM Eagles have come a long way since the day we began the journey on September 5. In fact, this school year, the Eagles have sustained phenomenal victories, heartbreaking losses, and profound change.

It being the first year having a varsity team for women’s basketball, the players sure have hit the ground running and accumulated five wins overall. However, this year serves as nothing but an opportunity for the team to find its sea legs and set up a good base from which their successors can build on. As such, the team members have established great chemistry both on and off the court. Not to mention, both the coaches and players have received their first taste of varsitylevel competition. Comprehending this rubric for women’s varsity basketball will be the first vital step for these Eagles to shape their future. The men’s basketball team also entered the varsity level for the first time this year and won two games against the Sault College Cougars. They also dominated two tournaments, as well as an

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The 2017-2018 athletic year saw a variety of victories, heartbreaking losses, and profound change. exhibition game.

The Eagles have demonstrated phenomenal prowess within the realm of cross country. Sophie Glanz made it into the UTM record books by being an OCAA award winner by achieving OCAA Cross Country Rookie of the Year, and making it into first-team All Ontario. As if this wasn’t enough, Glanz placed fifth overall in provincials. The UTM women’s team placed fourth overall at provincials. Glanz and Nevison, who made it to second-

team All Ontario, as well as two runners from the men’s team, Kale Heino and Haseeb Malik, all qualified for the national competitions. These results serve as a testament to the huge splash the Eagles made in the domain of cross country for this year.

Switching to varsity soccer, the men’s team have garnered three wins, three ties and five losses throughout the year, whereas the women’s team won their first outdoor game since entering the OCAA. The men’s indoor

soccer team has worked admirably to receive nine wins, seven losses, and a tie. They also finished in third place at the OCAA Provincial Championships—a remarkable accomplishment for our Eagles. These statistics just serve as evidence that the Eagles are facing tremendous resistance within varsity soccer.

Such a progression of success is also visible in UTM’s varsity badminton. This team has an aggregation of devoted players that qualified for re-

gionals last year and provincials this year. In fact, they placed in second at the OCAA regionals for women’s singles, both women and men’s doubles, as well as mixed doubles. As for provincials, UTM’s very own Rachel Wong even received bronze for her outstanding performance.

Unfortunately, the D-Leagues are where the Eagles ran out of luck.

Over the course of the year, the men’s ice hockey team had three wins, the men’s soccer team had two, and men’s indoor soccer had one. The rest of the D-League teams are still looking for their first win, and the 2018-2019 year will be their opportunity to redeem themselves.

The HCC and RAWC have also hosted several events to promote athleticism on the campus. These included Meet a Friend Café, Move-U Motivator, Glice, YOLO Pub Night, a cooking class event, Let’s Talk UTM, and many others. These pursuits were all focused to act as simple monthly reminders for students to make healthy choices and stay active.

Bringing the year to a close, the Eagles have accomplished a lot and have an even more unfathomable future ahead. To do so, the Eagles must remember to stay as they always have: to stay hungry and to stay determined.

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«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 03.26.2018

Miller joins Eagles roster Eagles finish third in Ontario The UTM women’s soccer team signs Sydney Miller

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The team’s final game of the championship ended 4-0 for UTM. Soccer continued from page 11

The game against Humber started off intense, with both teams clearly wanting to win and make it to the final game. With three minutes left in the first-half, a UTM defensive breakdown allowed the first goal of the game to be awarded to Humber.

The second-half started off well for both sides. UTM was pressing the Humber defense which finally lead to a goal by Ben Haidara. The game was then tied at 1-1 with a possibility of going into overtime. Unfortunately for UTM, another defensive mistake resulted in a second Humber goal off of a corner kick. Despite their efforts, UTM was not able to tie it back up. Although this meant that UTM would not be advancing to the final game, they still did not come

home empty handed. The men had a chance to win the third place title which they did deservingly. In their final game of the tournament they played the Seneca College Sting. The first goal was scored halfway into the first half by UTM defender, Daniel Koszela. Three minutes into the second half, Galloway gets his third goal of the tournament from a pass by Haidara. Galloway then set up midfielder, Phillippe Contreras, which was followed by a final goal by Jaimin Rehal. The game ended 4-0 for UTM. Although this was not the ideal result UTM wanted, the men should be very proud of their efforts. They showed resilience, determination, and a strong team bond throughout the entire tournament. Our UTM Eagles are now the third best team in Ontario for men’s indoor soccer.

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Miller has been playing soccer since the age of five and is looking forward to playing for UTM.

VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR This past Sunday, March 25 marked an important milestone for the UTM women’s varsity soccer team. Georgetown-native, Sydney Miller, has officially accepted her offer to UTM and will be enrolled in the life sciences program. She has been playing soccer since the age of five and is looking forward to continuing her career at the OCAA level.

When asked if she is excited about attending UTM, Miller said, “Yeah for sure. I’m ready for the change cause where I go to school right now, it’s tiny. And like the town is tiny so I know practically everybody. So, I’m excited to meet new people.” Although Miller is excited, feeling nervous is also common for first-years.

“Anything new like this change, you kind of get nervous no matter what,” Miller admits.

Head coach, Damian Yearwood, is

also looking forward to having Miller join the team. “Sydney has a surprising amount of surety and composure for a young defender,” says Yearwood.

“In the fast-paced demands of OCAA soccer, that is an incredibly valuable attribute.”

With her calm demeanor, she will be a huge benefit to the defensive line. The UTM women’s soccer team is fortunate to have both a confident and calm player join their team next season.