The Mike, Issue 5 (2017-18)

The official student newspaper of the University of St. Michael’s College since 1947.

Volume LXX, Issue 5 December 1, 2017 readthemike.com

FEATURE

FEATURE

ARTS

OPINIONS

Faith in the Process: President Mulroney’s USMC (pages 4–5) Dante’s Journey Through the Visual Arts at Kelly Library (page 6)

Double Blue Forever: The Basilian Tradition (pages 8–9) Why the New SMCSU Should Fund St. Mike’s United (page 10)

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NEWS

News Editor: Aaron Panciera news@readthemike.com

Volume LXX By students, for students.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Josh Scott editorinchief@readthemike.com MANAGING EDITOR Liam McConnell managingeditor@readthemike.com BUSINESS MANAGER Rhonda Rathburn business@readthemike.com

WEBSITE EDITOR Angela Feng SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Emily So OUTREACH DIRECTOR Josh Simpson DESIGN MANAGERS Varisha Naeem, Garnet Ryu

MANAGING ONLINE EDITOR Prijanga Ahilan

DELIVERY MANAGER Vacant

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Jamie Stalcup

STAFF Emily Barber, Pran Sathiy, Braedon Balko

NEWS EDITOR Aaron Panciera news@readthemike.com ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Bardia Besharat OPINIONS EDITOR Julia Orsini opinions@readthemike.com ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR Bryan Liceralde FEATURES EDITOR Téana Graziani features@readthemike.com

CONTRIBUTORS Chan Lee, Rashida Abbas, Zoë Paddock, Rory McCreight, Lara Connell, Joshua De Jesus, Samer Henry, Lindsey Peng, Richard Naylor, Christoper Saïnidis, Matthew Simoes FACULTY ADVISOR Randy Boyagoda COVER IMAGE Layla Pereira-DaSilva LOGO DESIGN Le nonpareil Chris Quental

ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR Sara Alonzi

VACANCIES Video Editor (1), Design Manager (1)

ARTS EDITOR Miranda Mirabelli arts@readthemike.com

If you’re interested in any of the above positions, please email Liam at managingeditor@readthemike.com.

ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR Ascenza Paolella

The Mike has been the official student newspaper of the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) since 1947. It is published bi-weekly, 12 times a year, with a circulation of 2,000, delivered to over 40 newsstands across U of T’s St. George campus.

LOGOS EDITOR Francesco Rampino logos@readthemike.com SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR Jiaxing Huang science@readthemike.com SPORTS EDITOR Ben Denomme sports@readthemike.com PHOTO EDITOR Layla Pereira-DaSilva ILLUSTRATION EDITOR Jennifer Boothby COPY EDITORS M. Kalaczynski, Rebeca Ancer, Mara Ng, Kristine Sahagun

The Mike is a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP). The Mike is published by The Mike Publications Inc. and printed by MasterWeb Inc. on recycled newsprint stock.

The Mike has complete editorial autonomy from USMC. All editorial inquiries should be directed to editorinchief@ readthemike.com.

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You can also find us on the web at readthemike.com.

Toronto’s UNESCO Bid Accepted

USMC’s own Prof. Granata proves instrumental in the process Chan Lee CONTRIBUTOR In June, Toronto submitted an application to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Paolo Granata, an Assistant Professor at USMC, was an instrumental part of the application. With its acceptance into the network, Toronto joins Montréal as the only two Canadian cities on the list. Last month, Toronto officially became the 10th city to be declared by UNESCO as a Media Arts City.

The Creative Cities Network is comprised of 180 members from 72 different countries that cover seven creative fields: Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music, and Media Arts. The city of Toronto was officially designated as a Creative City of Media Arts.

This international recognition means that, according to the official website of the Creative Cities Network, Toronto will be “placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.”

When asked why he decided to pursue this application, Granata stated, “I think McLuhan’s ‘city-as-classroom’ pedagogi-

Granata will be helping to coordinate the network’s efforts with the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) by “drawing on a really rich chapter in the history of St. Mike’s, namely our association with Marshall McLuhan, and using that to do something that is central to President Meric Gertler’s vision for the University of Toronto,” said David Mulroney, President of USMC. On November 20, the Mayor of Toronto, during the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts, announced UNESCO’s designation and personally thanked the University of Toronto and Granata, who believes that “education and urban engagement play a fundamental role to make the cities creatively flourish and prosper.”

With the success of the bid, it is likely that, with the influence of Granata and the University of Toronto, students will soon engage more with the city of Toronto and all the creativity and potential it has to offer.

Faculty of Theology Awarded Prestigious Research Grants The Faculty of Theology won over $300,000 from SSHRC for two long-term projects Bardia Besharat ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Last month, the Faculty of Theology at the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) received more than $300,000 in research grants from the the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The SSHRC is a federal agency that mandates funds for social science and humanity related research at the university, or post-secondary, level.

Heading these projects are Michael Attridge, Darren Dias, and the Dean of USMC’s Faculty of Theology, James Ginther.

ada, which offers very limited funding in the form of competitive grants. The fact that faculty members from St. Mike’s received almost a third of a million dollars in grant money this year is not only significant in terms of fulfilling our mission; it’s also important in terms of the university’s reputation.”

The first project, led by Attridge and Dias in collaboration with Gilles Routhier from the Université Laval in Québec, is titled “One Country, Two Catholicisms: Divergent Evolutions of the Church in Quebec and Ontario, 1965–1985.” This four-year project received $118,000 in SSHRC funding. The Mike was able to learn more about it from Attridge himself.

In addition to being a prestigious award, the grant will also provide new opportunities for students to become involved in research positions. It will also create the potential for joint courses with Université Laval.

“The purpose of a university is to ‘create new knowledge’ and advance human understanding in a significant way through research/discovery, and through teaching,” said Attridge. “This requires financial resources. One important source of support is the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Can-

cal approach is the perfect complement to classroom learning, and a way to help students develop their own learning interests to face the rapidly changing world.”

Attridge also highlighted that these grants are prestigious awards, and that they further establish the prestige of USMC’s Faculty of Theology.

“One of the most important things that we expect to discover is that there are multiple forms and expressions of Catholicism, even in Canada. A central impulse of the Second Vatican Council — held from 1962–65 — was to decentralize the church and to allow for regional diversity in its decision-making,” said Attridge.

“It’s our theory that over the past 50 years this has in fact happened and we’re curious to see what this looks

like,” Attridge continued. “Our study focuses on the period 1965–85 and compares four dioceses — two in Québec and two in Ontario, looking at such things as catechesis, liturgy, ecumenical, and interreligious relations, and social and political affairs. It’s a very interesting project that not only pertains to the Catholic Church in Canada, but also contributes a piece to Canadian history.”

In addition to this project, Dean of USMC’s Faculty of Theology James Ginther was awarded $207,000 for his project, “Editing the Lost Works of Peter Lombard.”

This project, which Ginther will head, involves a team meticulously editing a set of lectures given about the Bible, authored by Peter Lombard, a medieval theologian. In this project, the team will analyse how teachings of the Bible have evolved over time, involving new methods in teaching such as observing philosophy and logic.

Both projects have large implications as they will not only contribute substantial amounts of new information to each of their respective fields, but also because they will tread some new exciting intellectual territory.

NEWS

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Need to Know: SMCSU Your 2017–18 SMCSU at the close of the winter semester Aaron Panciera NEWS EDITOR Following a tumultuous 2016–17 academic year, the St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU) looks to establish itself as a functioning governing body that University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) students can rely on. As is our duty, we are committed to both updating students on the current state of SMCSU, as well as hold the union accountable to the promises that were made to students.

With under a month remaining in the semester, much about this reimagined SMCSU is still a mystery. For this reason, we are bringing you everything you need to know about the current state of SMCSU.

coming SMCSU events and student involvement on the St. Mike’s campus; and, our Facebook page will serve as SMCSU’s main means of communication,” Strazds wrote in a statement to The Mike. “As a council, we unanimously agreed that SMCSU needed a fresh start in terms of its social media [presence].”

Revamped Website

Vacant Positions

Along with the completed social media updates, SMCSU plans to redevelop the current website, smcsu. com, to better service and keep up-to-date the current USMC community. Many complaints have been lodged about the current SMCSU website, as it does not fit the current “re-imagined” council.

One of the main questions surrounding SMCSU following the election in October was how the council planned to fill its three vacant executive positions: Vice-President Athletics, Vice-President Finance, and Vice-President Religious and Community Affairs (RCA).

“The ‘Re-Imagining Student Government’ report drastically changed the structure of the Council, as well as its roles and responsibilities,” Douek said. “This restructuring provided the impetus for our plan to redevelop the existing SMCSU website.”

According to SMCSU President Samantha Douek, it is only a matter of time before these vacant positions are filled.

However, there are still a number of positions that need to be filled before this project can begin, including the paid positions of webmaster and (four) photographers. Applications for these positions will close on December 12 at midnight. SMCSU’s goal is to have the redesigned website up by January 2018.

“After considerable discussion, we concluded that it is unreasonable to expect students to take part in an election with midterms underway and the December exam period approaching, so we decided to hold the elections in January following the break,” Douek told The Mike. “We are currently in the process of planning, and working out the specifics of, the upcoming election, and, as soon as we do so, we will make an announcement to relay the information to all students.”

“We want the website to be a source of information for USMC students, not only on issues related to the Council’s inner-workings and affairs, such as the Council’s budget, agenda, and minutes, etc., but also on issues that are relevant to individual students,” Douek told The Mike.

New Social Media Accounts

Relationship with Administration

Earlier this month, SMCSU created new official Facebook and Instagram accounts, and the Facebook page and Instagram account will serve slightly different purposes according to Kate Strazds, Vice-President of SMCSU.

One of the key questions coming after the findings of the Reimagining Committee concerns SMCSU’s autonomy, going forward, from the current administration.

There have been fears that USMC President David Mulroney and his administration would essentially take control of SMCSU through various reforms intended to increase accountability.

“Our Instagram, @usmcsu will frequently post on up-

Issue 5 At A Glance...

Inside, we do our best to keep you up-to-date on what’s happened around the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) and with the St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU).

We cover SMCSU in News, as well as the prestigious SSHRC grants received by members of USMC’s Faculty of Theology, and the fact that Toronto’s UNESCO bid was accepted.

We’ve also got two Features to offer you: our Editor-In-Chief, Josh Scott, interviews USMC President and Vice-Chancellor David Mulroney, and our Opinions Editor, Julia Orsini, writes about USMC’s Basilian Tradition, what it means to her, and what it means to a great deal of others.

Since the winter semester’s drawing to a close, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the pressure. We feel

your pain. A recent U of T grad provides some much-needed encouragement in Opinions, and we offer some advice in stress management in Features. If you’d rather forget about school temporarily and think about Christmas, we have an article on what Christmas was like in the 1940s in Features as well.

In Arts, we cover the Dante exhibit held at Kelly Library, and some of the top albums of 2017. Logos features details about the philosophy of USMC’s Gilson Seminar, the SMC One course we introduced you to in Issue 4. On the subject of philosophy, a writer discusses the philosophy of DIY in Science & Tech. Issue 5 also includes the third volume of our “Students of St. Mike’s” series, featuring equity activist and writer, Chanell Adams.

Find all of that, plus a lot more, inside!

According to Douek, this has not been a problem for the current SMCSU thus far. She claims that, “Because all of our conversations and dealings are founded in mutual respect, SMCSU and the current administration are able to maintain a good relationship.”

According to Douek and SMCSU, the administration has helped, not hindered their performance. She mentions Oriana Bertucci, Director of Student Life at USMC, and Mulroney as two key, helpful figures as the new executives attempt to reinvent SMCSU. Douek says that Bertucci has offered “both insight and assistance as needed,” with Mulroney providing “invaluable advice with respect to leadership and government.”

Future Plans and Policy Initiatives While overcoming past SMCSU deficiencies is a vital part of the current SMCSU’s job, SMCSU councillors and executives are still coming up with policies and events for the current academic year. These include, but are not limited to, co-chairing Winterfest 2018 with Innis College and University College, introducing an equity commission, and planning the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for January.

According to Strazds, the AGM will be an important opportunity for USMC students to connect with SMCSU. “The AGM is going to be students’ first major opportunity to learn about SMCSU, give input on events, share their expectations for SMCSU, and decide what policy initiatives (at USMC and U of T) we want to pursue as a student body,” Strazds told The Mike.

SMCSU also plans to introduce “an equity commission,” which will be “part of other studnt societies on campus,” Strazds said.

Along with these events and policies, The Academic Affairs Commission is currently planning on setting up study nights before and during exams. Ideally, upper-years from each program will attend these to “answer questions and/or provide program-specific exam exam tips,” said Strazds.

Do you know what the difference is between Krystal Dos Santos and Cinderella?

Krystal doesn’t run away from the ball(game).

Congratulations to Krystal Dos Santos for winning our first ever social media challenge!

We hope you have fun at the Raps vs. Cavs game this January, Krystal!

Signed, The Mike Elves (making all of your swishes come true)

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FEATURE

Editor-In-Chief Josh Scott editorinchief@readthemike.com

Faith in the Process

President David Mulroney’s USMC Josh Scott EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Earlier this week, I spoke with University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) President and ViceChancellor David Mulroney in his office in Founders House. Our conversation touched on the past, the present, and the future of St. Mike’s. It gave Mulroney the chance to present his version of USMC and how he views his term, and gave me the opportunity to ask him some of the more pressing questions on the minds of USMC students today. The occasion marked the first time someone from The Mike had sat down with him in over two years. Given all that’s occurred in the interim, we had a lot to talk about.

Mulroney, a USMC graduate himself, was initially invited back to St. Mike’s while he was working at the Munk School of Global Affairs after over 30 years spent in Canada’s Public Service, many as a career Foreign Service Officer. “I was asked to come, I think, in part because there was a sense that St. Mike’s needed a change and that it needed to address some issues — and that it would be a special assignment,” Mulroney told me. In light of this, he thought, “[my return] should have a limited term, and so, we agreed on three years,” beginning July 1, 2015.

Past, Present, and Future “I’ve tried to, in each of those years, take a different focus and theme,” said Mulroney. His first year focused on “putting a new system of financial administration in place.” His second year focused “on undergraduate student life,” and saw the introduction of Randy Boyagoda as USMC Principal and Vice-President, the launch of the Gilson Seminar, the hiring of new teachers, and the welcoming of the Sheptytksy Institute of Eastern Christian Studies to St. Mike’s’ downtown campus.

This year, Mulroney’s been “focused on consolidating those things — those gains — and also doing some work to reimagine [USMC’s] relationship with the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies (PIMS) and really encouraging both sides, St. Mike’s and PIMS, to be more ambitious when it comes to academic collaboration, as well as to think a little bit about the future of [USMC’s] Faculty of Theology.”

“What I’m proudest of is that I had a game plan and I’ve followed it,” said Mulroney. “One is to look at the financial and business administration of [St. Mike’s].

Two is to look at undergraduate student life, and three is to look at things like graduate and postgraduate life.

And I think I will have addressed all of those things. I think I will have helped to put [St. Mike’s] in a place where an accomplished successor can come in and serve with distinction for some time to come.”

I also took the opportunity to ask Mulroney if there’s anything he thinks he might have done differently if he had the chance. “Anyone who says that he or she anticipated every single thing or knew everything about the university would be stretching the truth,” he replied. “I think I’ve learned a lot. I’ve probably made my share of mistakes, but I approached [the job] with the best will and the best intentions that I could bring to it, so I have no regrets. It’s been a challenging process, but it’s been one that I’ve taken deep satisfaction from.”

The Open Letter I asked Mulroney about the open letter penned by USMC faculty and staff over the summer that accused Mulroney, in response to comments he had made at a June 19 conference to Catholic communicators from around the world, of doing a disservice to USMC students, dishonouring USMC’s legacy, and shaking their confidence in him as President.

“What bothered me about the letter and the reaction since then is the mischaracterisation that I denigrated all students, and I never did that,” said Mulroney.

“Anyone who looked at the record and things that I’ve written and said on this topic will be clear and they should have been clear, frankly, that I’ve always said that there was a fault, and that if there was blame to go around, the blame is on [USMC] for failing to engage students.”

“I also heard from an awful lot of students who said things like, ‘I didn’t know where my money was going, and I’m glad that we’re making sure that it goes to things that can benefit me and other students like

me.’ I’ve heard from people who said, ‘I was active in student government in my high school, so I tried to run for student government at St. Mike’s, and I didn’t really feel welcome or I didn’t get on with the particular agenda that was there and I’m glad that’s been changed.’ So, by and large, while some people haven’t liked what happened, a lot of people have, and I think it was the right thing to do. Was it an easy thing to do? No, but it was the right thing to do, and I think this will show as we go forward with the new SMCSU administration.”

The SMCSU Financial Audit In March 2016, USMC publicly released only the Executive Summary of the St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU) Financial Audit, which outlined gross financial mismanagement on the part of SMCSU dating back across the previous decade.

The summary alluded to kickbacks, falsified invoices, and unidentified expenditures, among other things, across the past six years. I asked Mulroney why USMC chose not to release the full results of the SMCSU financial audit.

He replied that the decision was in order to “protect the privacy of individuals who came up [in the audit].

In releasing the Executive Summary, I’m more than confident that we released everything that was necessary… We all felt that this told the story of what had happened.” He also told me that this course of action was also at the advice of the accountants who led on the audit and the lawyers they consulted.

“I sat down and I talked to just about everybody whose name did come up,” he said. “We talked about what had happened, and I explained what we were going to do and what we weren’t going to do. In cases where I felt that people had possibly taken money that didn’t belong to them I asked that it be returned.

A significant amount of money was returned. Not everybody agreed to do that. In some cases, we asked that people undertake voluntary activities in the community and at least some of the people named did… In part, to try to make up for some of the mistakes they had made.”

I also asked whether this was the extent to which the officials who were found responsible were held accountable. “Yes,” he said, “in part, because most of them had left the campus by this point. In some cases, we also asked that, where people just simply refused to consider doing any kind of community service, we did ask them voluntarily not to be part of our community life for a number of years — to reflect on that, simply because we were in such profound disagreement about what it is to be part of the St. Mike’s community.”

The New SMCSU’s Autonomy

Layla Pereira-DaSilva / THE MIKE.

I also asked Mulroney to address widely held concerns that the new SMCSU will be much less autonomous than previous versions of SMCSU — concerns that this will, as a result, hamper its ability to serve the interests of all USMC students. In his response, he deflected them: “I wouldn’t be worried about SCMSU’s autonomy. I think the greater question

FEATURE is building up SMCSU’s capacity to do things like manage $140,000 of student money every year, and to manage the several million dollars that are in the fund for investing in student facilities. Those are the really serious questions. SMCSU will continue to be autonomous.”

When I asked Mulroney whether stipulations such as the one outlined in the new “Re-Imagining Student Government at St. Mike’s Report” that requires a USMC Administrative Advisor to co-sign on any expenses exceeding $500 might result in USMC having undue influence over what SMCSU seeks to fund, he replied that “that’s a natural consequence of what we’ve been through. For now,” he said, “I think that’s appropriate in terms of where we’ve been, and it’s really to safeguard funds that all of our students put in the pool for student activities.”

“SMCSU needs to operate at a really high level for the benefit of all its students,” Mulroney added. And from what I saw in our conversations, I think [this year’s administration is] really eager to do that, and so, we said we would help them.”

When I asked Mulroney whether he thinks that an LGBTQ+ club like St. Mike’s United should receive funding from SMCSU, he replied: “That’s entirely up to SMCSU.” I also asked whether he thinks a prolife club like the University of Toronto Students For Life should receive funding from SMCSU, and his answer was the same, though he did add that he is, himself, “really keenly interested in pro-life causes.”

Whether in practice this will be SMCSU’s decision “entirely” remains to be seen, and will be something worth paying close attention to come January and the next steps of the USMC club recognition and funding process.

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is that there is a real passion in the public service of Canada for transparency, probity (meaning the careful and thoughtful management and stewardship of funds), and value for money. Student government should be something that you leave and serves as a springboard to maybe being in government in some other capacity — I really believe that. But the prerequisite is that sense of stewardship, and the notion that not one penny that crosses the desk belongs to you, that you’re not entitled to any special perks, that you should be grateful for the opportunity to serve. I am very confident that our current SMCSU administration radiates that.”

Being a Catholic University Federated Within a Secular Institution According to Mulroney, “it’s a great challenge and it’s a great opportunity.” He views St. Mike’s as offering “an intellectual tradition, the Catholic intellectual tradition, that is valid and reflects the wisdom and experience of the Church — which created the modern university — and also, an approach to knowing that says that the world is basically intelligible: that it’s beautiful and that it’s full of meaning. The intellectual traditional springs from that orientation and also a willingness to accept the possibility of the transcendent. This is something that we offer uniquely on the University of Toronto campus and it’s a wonderful plus.”

USMC: An “Intentional Community”?

The Future of SMCSU Mulroney isn’t concerned that only nine students applied for six SMCSU positions, leaving three currently unfilled. “We’re coming off of a tough year for SMCSU,” he said. “I am very confident that this will be a successful year for the current administration, and that that will in itself be a great advertisement for participation in student government, and I say that as a guy who comes from government.”

Regarding SMCSU’s relationship with USMC going forward, he said: “We want to grant SMCSU the maximum degree of autonomy possible, but we also ask them to respect who and what [USMC is] as a Catholic institution.”

USMC has also been working to build up SMCSU’s “capacity,” in terms of “training, systems, getting away from cash management, and getting away from a situation where there would be sort of an empty safe with case from club nights in it, cash that wasn’t counted from many weeks,” said Mulroney. “Building a system where people are aware of what their tasks are.”

“This is the one thing that I do bring to this place from my past: I come from government and one of the things I’m proudest of as a Canadian public servant

“There will be some requirement for what we would call “swing space,” where we move out of one place and into another,” he said. “We’ll try to make that as painless and swift as possible. While it is an inconvenience in some senses, it’s to get to a much better place than we’re at right now.” He also highlighted that USMC is “getting some good influence as [they] work on this,” reffering to the fact that USMC has visited Ryerson’s new, award-winning Student Learning Centre.

“Any organization that faced the problems that we faced would take a hard look at what happened and ask what went wrong and how do we make sure that never happens again? That’s really what this is all about. How do we ensure that we’ve got the best student government at St. Mike’s? I think we’re on track to do that. But it’s going to take some work.”

“We welcome everybody. Everybody is free to be part of this community. But at our heart, we have certain values, and I call them gospel values, that distinguish us, and they include the fact that we care for one another and that the university cares for its students.

That’s why I was so concerned about some of the problems at the very heart and core of SMCSU, not of all students, but of what it represented — a failure on our part to really care for students as we should.”

Layla Pereira-DaSilva / THE MIKE.

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According to Mulroney, USMC is an “intentional community.” By this, he means that “we’re here for a reason and we live as a community for a reason. Our intention is, I think, focused on those gospel values: that we care for one another, that we think that our lives have meaning, that we think that the role of the Catholic University is to have sort of an extended conversation with its students about what constitutes being a human being fully alive, what constitutes a good life.”

“It’s not a lecture,” Mulroney clarifies. “It’s not a discussion where we insist on people having the same answer. It’s certainly not a discussion where you can’t push back and argue in return.” He also acknowledges that being such a place is more difficult today than it was when he was an undergraduate student in the 1970s. However, he views these changing circumstances as making St. Mike’s as an institution “all the more valuable,” and as something Catholics and non-Catholics alike find attractive in a community and place of study.

Layla Pereira-DaSilva / THE MIKE.

The Student Society Leadership Policy I also asked Mulroney to clarify what the following sentence in USMC’s new Student Society Leadership Policy means to him: “Leaders [of student societies] accept their ethical obligation to act in accordance to USMC’s mission as a Catholic University that is dedicated to the academic and spiritual life of its students.” He had the following to say: “It means that they accept the ethical responsibility to be part of that process, to care enough for students, to care for their well-being, that you want to make sure that their physical safety is paramount, but also that they are treated with respect and that the resources that they contribute to this university are managed respectfully.”

“It’s also asking them, frankly, not necessarily to agree with but to respect the fact that we are a Catholic institution and that our name is on a lot of the activities that they engage in, in that we ask them to reflect on that before they engage in things that may bring them or us into disrepute,” he added. Of course, how this might apply in practice remains unclear.

The Mike and the Role of Student Newspapers “I think that if I look back at what happened in the past… there is a job for The Mike to report on student life itself and sometimes to report critically, and I think that may have been a missed opportunity in the past at the level of The Mike or The Varsity, where maybe there were some questions, some tough questions, that needed to be asked.”

“You need autonomy from us—from me and the [USMC] administration — but you also need autonomy from SMCSU and from government to be able to serve students as they should be served. And the healthy Mike that’s asking those tough questions is probably the single most important guarantor of USMC student interests, in ensuring that student money is being spent correctly, that I can think of, so I encourage you, and I think that you’re off to a good start.”

The Brennan Hall Renovations

Life After USMC

I asked Mulroney how exactly USMC plans to accommodate USMC students during the Brennan Hall renovations — which are occurring in part in order to move USMC’s Registrar’s Office out of Alumni Hall and into a more student-friendly location. The bulk of the renovations are projected to begin in spring 2018. He told me that this is something USMC is still working out in their consultations with students, and that this will be a particular focus for USMC’s Bursar, Effie Slapnicar.

“That’s a good question,” said Mulroney, with a smile.

“I’m currently on the board of the three Catholic hospitals in Toronto that have amalgamated, and that takes a lot of my time now and I can see it taking more of my time. I also want to turn to something that I’ve left off, and that is the daily study of Chinese characters in Chinese language. So I’ll come back to that.” He also added that he wants to become more active in his parish. Mulroney’s term as USMC President completes in June 2018, and the search for his successor is already well underway.

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ARTS

Arts Editor Miranda Mirabelli arts@readthemike.com

Kelly’s Newest Exhibition Delves into Dante’s Universal Appeal

Responses to Dante’s poetic masterpiece through the lens of art Emily Barber STAFF REPORTER The latest exhibition at John M. Kelly Library started off in style — on November 16, Dante’s Journey Through the Visual Arts officially opened with a presentation and reception that left little doubt of the enduring appeal of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.

The presentation, held in Alumni Hall, featured an introduction by none other than Cardinal Thomas Collins in which he warmly endorsed the wisdom, beauty, and truth that is to be found in the Divine Comedy; and made it clear that we can all appreciate some Dante in our lives. The Cardinal also stressed the illuminating power of the poem and its importance as a guide.

He stated that, for him, it has the power to help us go through this world that is so often “a dark forest,” a reference at the start of Dante’s visionary journey to Hell and back — literally.

Henrike Lange — Assistant Professor of Italian Renaissance Art, Architecture, and Literature at the University of California, Berkeley — took the audience through both a visual and literary experience of the poem in her presentation Seeing Dante Reading. She focused on the visual landscapes throughout the Divine Comedy and how they engage readers’ imaginations as well as providing them with the experience of walking with Dante as he delves deeper and deeper into Hell — guided first by the great pagan poet Virgil and then by the love of his life Beatrice through Hell, Purgatory, and

ultimately to God in Paradise.

es continue to have significance for people all around the world. The poignant, intense, unrequited love that he had for Beatrice and his desire to envision the afterlife are but two of the themes that Lange touched upon as being universal to the human experience. There is something in Dante that any human being can identify with regardless of time, gender, race, or faith.

Emily Barber / THE MIKE.

Lange also focused on humanity’s evolving response to Dante through the medium of art, as the evocative landscapes woven into the poem have inspired countless artists over the ages to reimagine Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven in a variety of ways. Showing examples that range from the great Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti to works by her own students back in Berkeley, she traced Dante’s influence on the world of art as a means of speaking to how resonating and universal Dante’s work is. For despite the infused political commentary from 12th century Florentine intrigue that figured predominantly in Dante’s life, the core messag-

A further testimony not only to the enduring interest of the poem but its continuing relevance to the St. Mike’s community are Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni — the couple through whose generosity the collection of rare books and art in Kelly Library was made possible. Both are St. Mike’s alumni, and expressed their affinity for the college and the important role it played in making their University of Toronto (U of T) experience a memorable one. Their legacy seems to have made quite an impact — for in addition to the prestigious speakers, U of T faculty, and alumni present, many current U of T students were in attendance as both event volunteers and audience members.

The reception in Kelly Library following the presentation was the official unveiling of the rare books and artwork, accompanied by refreshments. St. Mike’s Principal Randy Boyagoda and President David Mulroney were among those enjoying the various works on display. The exhibition can be found on the first floor of Kelly Library.

Mindhunter: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted The finale lives up to its title Rashida Abbas CONTRIBUTOR Good psychological thrillers are hard to come by. So, I was relieved that Mindhunter did not fail to impress me. If you’ve seen it, I’m sure you believe that the Mindhunter of this show is Holden Ford, but what you won’t see coming in the last episode is that it’s really his mind that’s being hunted. Here’s a thorough review of how Mindhunter got there.

When I made it to the last episode, a surprisingly obvious line spoken by a peripheral character finally made me realize what David Fincher wanted us to see. Holden and Wendy Carr arrive at the Georgia District Attorney’s office where she says that their “work” is glossing over the victims and the real pain that is suffered. In just a few sentences she exposes the indecency and the actual horror of the people Holden and his team are really experimenting on. As the District Attorney puts it, “You haven’t seen the victims’ bodies. You haven’t seen the horrible acts they committed.” These are probably the most transparent lines of this show and they are spoken for the sake of the audience who is so immersed in Holden’s smooth tactics and easy going conversation style with the serial killers that they have forgotten what a serial killer does.

When we first enter the show, we are wary just like Holden is with his first soirée into the world of serial killers. Once he gets comfortable and gets the hang of talking to them, so do we as viewers become fooled into believing that we are talking to a person who only comes from a broken background instead of one who has mutilated and raped innocent girls. It’s hard to distinguish the line of reason from the line of insanity.

Holden is shown to be interested in their psychology, but he himself gets caught up with the disfigured boundaries between sexual play and rape. This is very obviously shown in the scene where his girlfriend is role playing and he is unable to commit to her sexual game because he keeps thinking of how it is all a game for the serial killer. It becomes apparent that he can’t separate his work self, who sympathizes with the serial killers, from the private self, who enjoys sex and does not see it as a means to control his broken life.

This confabulation of both parts of his life is culminated in the last scene of the season where he willingly visits Ed Kemper at his hospital room to apparently have a friendly conversation with him. When Holden walks into Ed’s room, I don’t think he imagined he would be sweating and scared for his life. And that is the scary part: the fact that he never saw a confrontation with Ed coming. But more than that, he never predicted that his conversation would end with him being comforted and hugged by a serial killer. The season ends with him having an anxiety attack because Holden realizes just how psychologically messed up he has become to think he is friends with a serial killer like Ed Kemper.

What kind of a person is he if serial killers start to feel comfortable around him? That is what is messed up about the show: the fact that CIA officers investigating the minds of serial killers could become so enthralled by their subjects that they don’t realize when the lines are blurred between compassion and the horrific reality of their subjects’ actions.

Being a psychological thriller about serial killers, you

would expect a plethora of gruesome, violent scenes flooded with mutilated bodies. David Fincher intentionally chooses to exclude the gory crime scenes, so that we would feel immersed in the world of serial killers and eventually forget what they do. Indeed, Holden never sees the bodies in real life, only pictures. That is why it is easier for him to disassociate from the horrific nature of his work. Holden does many questionable things, like say things that bring him down to the level of the serial killer in order to extract information from them. How many acts like these can be justified until it is downright immoral for Holden to be joking around with serial killers about sexualizing a 14-year-old victim?

These are the questions we should be asking ourselves about people like Holden and even psychologists today who are forced to have conversations with psychopaths and sociopaths in order to retrieve valuable information preventing future psychopathic minds from being formed. This honourable work comes with its own dangers, specifically to the minds of the interviewer who can become psychologically disturbed by what the serial killers/psychopaths say. It is clear from the gore-less format of this show that the director means for us to mull over what happens to the minds of those who believe themselves to be hunting other minds. For David, the hunter is the hunted because after all, each of us in our own way is teetering between the threshold of reason and insanity.

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Top Albums of 2017

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The music you should hear before the New Year Ascenza Paolella ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR 2018 is just around the corner, which means it is time for this year’s best albums so far. 2017 has been a year of defined new voices, fresh sounds and powerful records. Some of the biggest and most influential artists have delivered defining albums this year.

There were releases from Kendrick Lamar (DAMN.), Drake (More Life), Lorde (Melodrama), and a classic artist, Roger Waters (Is This the Life We Really Want?). Albums of this year have also included breakout artists and mid-tier acts Khalid, who was the winner of the American Music Awards’ “New Artist of the Year,” Cardi B, SZA, and Julia Michaels.

Let’s begin with “Song of the Summer.” The songs of the summer according to Billboard are: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi, feat. Justin Bieber — “Despacito (Remix)” Ed Sheeran — “Shape of You” Shawn Mendes — “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” Demi Lovato — “Sorry Not Sorry” DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller — “Wild Thoughts” Camila Cabello feat. Quavo — “OMG” Fifth Harmony feat. Gucci Mane — “Down” Lil Uzi Vert — “XO Tour Llif3” — WINNER

There is no doubt that you were caught singing at least one of these songs during summer 2017. “XO Tour Llif3,”

from Lil Uzi Vert’s album Luv is Rage 1.5, won this year’s “Song of The Summer” award at the MTV Video Music Awards. This hip-hop track by the 23-year-old recording artist peaked at No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Now onto the top albums of the year. To begin, according to Billboard, Migos’ Culture is ranked No. 1.

However, according to Rolling Stone, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. has ranked No. 1 as well. Now, every listener has their own opinion but, according to rap fans, Culture could not have arrived at a better time; it is deemed to be the perfect distraction from the madness going on in the world by simply being a reflection of its trio of creators. On the other hand, DAMN. takes a classicist route to rap music. With its display of showy rhyme schemes, raising of political screed, self-examination with a touch of crazy bass, DAMN. came fast, furious, and pure in nature. Both albums approach the genre of hip-hop differently, but DAMN. has been critically acclaimed as the best and most popular album of the year, so far, by many critics.

Toronto’s very own, Drake, has been mentioned many times with his album More Life, but so has one of Time’s most influential teenagers, Lorde. Drake calls his work More Life a “playlist,” not an album, or even a mixtape. This may be why it sounds so expressive, emotional, and typical Drake. The album is a pop visionary’s dream and is a tour of all the grooves in Drake’s head, from U.K. spunk “No Long Talk,” to Ca-

ribbean dancehall “Blem,” to South African house “Get It Together,” according to Rolling Stone. However, if you are looking for a break-up album that brings you through all the emotions, Lorde’s Melodrama is just the album you need. The Queen of Rock and Roll and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks said, “If she had been my age, and lived in our age, she probably would have been the third girl in Fleetwood Mac,” when asked about Lorde in an interview. This goes to show you that Lorde’s bold and vivacious musical talent does not only make young teenagers fangirl, it has made the Queen of Rock and Roll herself fangirl as well.

To conclude, let’s talk about the top selling albums of 2017 so far. Sam Smith dominates at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time since his album, The Thrill of It All, opens at the top. The debut of this album helps the singer-songwriter return to No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 for a fourth total week on the top.

Let’s not forget Taylor Swift who has just released her newest sensation, Reputation, which is already the top-selling album of 2017 as it sold 1.05 million copies in its first four days according to Nielsen Music.

Now, whether you are looking for a pop album or a hip-hop album, or even a new artist to discover, 2017 has been the year for bold new music and bold new artists that will make your subway rides, car rides, or even your alone time so much better.

The End of a War, The Dawn of a Revolution Christian Dior, an original exhibition at the ROM Layla Pereira-DaSilva PHOTO EDITOR My grade 11 European History teacher was unimpressed when I devoted our research period to a book on Christian Dior. He was even less impressed when I tried to reason that fashion was a valuable source of history, a position I still maintain. I based my reasoning on the fact that Marie Antoinette once accessorized her hair with a replica of Belle Poule, the French frigate that damaged a British ship during the Battle of Ushant, effectively involving the French in the American War of Independence.

Over two centuries later, Dior’s legendary creative head, John Galliano created the “Marie Antoinette” dress. The 18th-century inspired gown featured panels that depicted the rise and fall of France’s indelible queen. One panel pictured Marie Antoinette in a glamourous guardainfante with the iconic mile-high hair; on the other, she is portrayed in a markedly plain dress heading toward the guillotine.

In conjunction with Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, a 500-piece retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents Christian Dior in commemoration of the fashion house’s 70th anniversary. On display in the ROM’s Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume, the exhibition features a modest number of famous pieces like: the “Venus” ball gown (1949), the “Tour Eiffel” evening jacket (1949), the “Palmyre” ball gown (1952), and the “Delphine” cocktail dress (1956). “We don’t really need another great Dior exhibition with all the fabulousness.

There’s one in Paris,” said Alexandra Palmer, Senior Curator. “I’m an academic,” she continued. “What I love is to unpack all this stuff and explain things from a different point of view.”

Palmer purposefully drew from 22 collections from 1947 to 1957 — characterized as the house’s postwar golden age. “The Christian Dior fashions in this exhibition are beautiful. But beauty alone does not explain how Dior made ‘women feel like women again’ after the Second World War,” Palmer said, “And why millions of women around the world were influenced by his designs. It is this complicated mix of the personal, the aesthetic, and the economic that makes fashion such an endlessly fascinating subject of research, and explains why a dress is so much more than just a pretty dress.”

Seventeen months after the end of World War II, Christian Dior presented his first collection entitled “Corolle.” “It swept away the wartime masculine style with padded shoulders and knee-length skirts,” Palmer explained, “Replacing it with an ultra-feminine silhouette that accentuated the bosom and waist, quite unlike wearing wartime fashions.” At the time, Editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Carmel Snow dubbed Dior’s collection the “New Look.” The cinched waist and full skirt created the postwar ideal of hourglass femininity, which garnered the haute couture house instant fame.

At a time when women’s roles were changing, postwar women were expected to give up their wartime jobs and resume their post in the private sphere. Though some may be inclined to dismiss Dior’s vision as retrogressive in that he redrew the lines of femininity, Dior himself explained that: “All around us, life was beginning anew; it was time for a new trend for fashion. The war was over… What did the weight of his sumptuous materials, his heavy velvets, and brocades matter?

When hearts were light, mere fabrics could not weigh

the body down.” Indeed, “the return to more constricting styles after the freedoms of wartime dressing seemed at first counterintuitive, but at the same time, Dior had a very strong idea that resonated with how women wanted to look,” Palmer said. “I wanted my dresses to be constructed like buildings, moulded to the curves of the female form, stylizing its shape,” Dior explained.

By 1953, Dior accounted for 5% of all French exports.

“Dior wanted all women to be elegant, regardless of finances,” Palmer explained. “His fashions captured the excitement of postwar modernity and have stood the test of time. With the assistance of his imaginative pattern makers, tailors, and seamstresses, Dior created striking, elegant, and poised fashions that accommodated all women for all times of day and night. This sophisticated and integrated vision continues to resonate and guide the creativity of the House of Dior.”

My takeaway from the exhibition was that my grade 11 defence of the relationship between fashion and cultural history was defensible. Had my defence taken place today, I would have directed my teacher to Christian Dior, and perhaps to Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography. As Woolf writes: “Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than merely to keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.”

Christian Dior runs from November 25, 2017 to March 18, 2018 at the Royal Ontario Museum.

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FEATURE

Opinions Editor Julia Orsini opinions@readthemike.com

Double Blue Forever: The Basilian Tradition Higher learning: the storied past of USMC and the Basilian Order Julia Orsini OPINIONS EDITOR

USMC students in the Winter in the Quad (Photographs Collection, Item: 1967-68.53, USMC Archives, USMC).

The History of the University of St. Michael’s College The Basilian religious order began in France in 1822 and spread to Toronto. Fr. Burns explains the Basilian mission in Toronto thus: “The European immigrants such as the Irish, Italians, and Polish had a very basic education system.

With the Basilians’ assistance, they went from agricultural workers to Catholic leaders.”

In 1852, Bishop de Charbonnel (see Charbonnel Lounge in Elmsley Hall) founded the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) on the grounds we walk on today, with the assistance of John Elmsley, so as to provide a Catholic education to men in Toronto.

USMC, Clover Hill Buildings, 1870 (Photographs Collection, Item: 1870.2, USMC Archives, USMC).

As I read the most recent issue of The Blue Banner, the St. Michael’s College School’s (SMCS) Alumni Magazine, I couldn’t help but feel pride in knowing that my family is one piece of the multigenerational bond that is the Basilian Tradition. (SMCS is the private Catholic all-boys university preparatory school of USMC. It is under the direction of the Basilian Order in Toronto on Bathurst and St. Clair.)

Growing up as the only female cousin on my dad’s side of the family, I was surrounded by St. Mike’s “Old Boys” (SMCS alumni): from my dad, John Orsini ’77, and my uncle John Grilli ’78, to numerous cousins who talked about attending SMCS as children and have since graduated (Robert Grilli ’12, Joseph Orsini ’13, Mario Orsini ’15, and Thomas Grilli ’17).

In 1881, USMC federated with the University of Toronto (U of T) under the leadership of John R. Teefy (see Teefy Hall), Superior of USMC from 1889–1904.

Originally, the Basilians adopted the eight-year educational system from France that combined high school and university. But changes were necessary when they fully merged into the Ontario school system. Fr. Henry Carr, the Superior of USMC from 1915–25, helped introduce the division between high school and university in order to better serve the Catholic population.

Marilena Tesoro, Head of HNMCS, and a USMC alumna, believes the decision to create the female high school equivalent to SMCS was a direction for “St. Mike’s to blossom into the 21st century.” “The two religious orders have similar values, but yet are so different in how they educate their students due to the different sexes,” she continued. “Still they were able to bring all of that together, those charisms, under one-fold with this school.” Tesoro believes it was God’s plan that she was called to work at HNMCS — the culmination of her lifelong USMC friends and her positive experiences at USMC.

The high school and USMC operated in the same building known as “Clover Hill.” St. Michael’s College eventually outgrew its facilities, and on September 10, 1950, the high school moved to its new location at St. Clair and Bathurst.

Personally, I was thrilled to be a student at HNMCS because in addition to all that the school offered to me, I was finally able to contribute to those SMCS discussions at the family dinners and bring arts into the conversation.

Building the Bridge: Hearing from You

Our family Christmas meals were boisterous with debates about sports and politics, and fond recollections of life at SMCS. I felt left out of the conversation because my cousins were either looking forward to continuing the tradition or were already in the midst of realizing it.

I so wanted to become a part of this inner group, and expressed my devotion by learning the “Hoikity Choik” at a young age, attending their annual Homecoming, and wearing my dad’s oversized SMCS sweater. My desire to join was finally realized when I chose SMCS’s sister school, Holy Name of Mary College School (HNMCS) as my high school. But enough about me.

In order to fully appreciate the multi-generational impact of the St. Mike’s tradition, we must first step back to the humble beginnings of the Basilians, as represented in Laurence K. Shook’s Catholic Post-Secondary Education in EnglishSpeaking Canada, and in discussion with Fr. Burns, CSB.

Elmsley Pl. , The Thurible, Through St. Michael’s: With the Camera” (Photographs Collection, Item: 1939.17, USMC Archives, USMC).

Snowball fight in the Quad! (Photographs Collection, Item: 1967-68.52, USMC Archives, USMC).

It wasn’t until 1912 that women were allowed to attend USMC. However, it took almost a century after that to create a collaboration between the Basilian Fathers and the Felician Sisters to provide an all-girls Catholic education experience for grades 5 through 12. In 2008, Holy Name of Mary College School (HNMCS) opened its doors and provided the opportunity for SMCS alumni to give their daughters the same Catholic educational experience that they and their sons had enjoyed for years at SMCS.

The Basilian influence and the high school experience of the SMCS “Old Boys” contributed to some wanting to continue the tradition at USMC. Both my father and my uncle are proud graduates of USMC and continue their involvement in the Basilian tradition. John Grilli, SMCS ’77 and USMC ’82, quarterback for both the SMCS Kerry Blues and the U of T Varsity Blues football teams, lives the motto coined at SMCS: “Tradition Never Graduates.” When asked why he is still heavily involved at SMCS, Grilli said, “I really do care about the legacy of SMCS because somewhere down the road my grandchildren may go there. Who would have thought that my nephew would have gone there, and even my brother-in-law. St. Mike’s, whether at high school or university, touches people in a lot of different ways.”

My father, John Orsini, continues to participate at HNMCS events as an SMCS alumni

FEATURE

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representative. “I never thought I’d be able to give the same opportunity to my daughter as I experienced at SMCS,” he said. “I am so glad the Basilians were forward thinking to include our girls in the fold.”

There are also plenty of current “Old Boys” that have decided to continue the Basilian Tradition here at USMC. Two of them had this to say: Jonfranco Monaco (SMCS ’15, USMC ‘19): “I chose to attend USMC primarily because I attended SMCS. Word on the street was that the sense of community, which was very strong at SMCS, carried over and was present throughout the USMC community. Upon arrival, [I found] this was very much so the case. Today, I am Head of Volunteers for the Inspire Conference 2018, as well as a Senior Mentor in the USMC Connect program. Without a doubt, had I not been so comfortable being a part of the USMC community, I would not have accomplished what I have here, today. USMC felt like home.”

Adam Nangini (SMCS ’15, USMC ‘19): “I chose to attend USMC from SMCS because at SMCS the community was strong and supportive and I figured that since that was such an integral part of my growth as an individual in high school, that I would seek to continue that in university.”

The Mike’s own, Pran Sathiy, during 2016 Orientation Week (Marc Belli / USMC).

Continuing tradition is also important to current female students at USMC, such as Julia HookongTaylor, who attended Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School, a religious order that worked with the Basilians to form a co-educational university college.

“Looking back on the decision I made — I was largely influenced with the experience my brother had at his high school, St. Michael’s College School,” said Julia. “I wanted to find the closest thing to the sense of community I saw there. I think it’s interesting that even though one school is private and one is public Catholic, they both seemed to share similar core values and aims, probably due to their corresponding religious orders being so closely linked. When it came time for university, [USMC] seemed like the right fit; something familiar that could be an extension of the tight-knit communities I have come to appreciate and cherish about these institutions.”

“St. Basil’s Church (Toronto). View from the southwest taken outside a board fence on St. Joseph Street. The roof line shows where the addition was made to the south. Left background shows sacristy with kitchen for St. Michael’s College. St. Basils Church in 1889. Notice the new roof on the extension which Father Brennan had just finished. The wing at the rear was demolished in 1922.”

(Photographs Collection, Item: 1886.3, USMC Archives, USMC.)

“There is something appealing about going home,” said Mazzanti. “And this was home. And when I look at the people that surround me in my life today, I met the vast majority of them in Brennan Lounge, or in my political science classes. These are the people that became my kind of life circle, people who are the godparents to my kids, so I came back here because I felt a real strong sense of community when I was here, and I was hoping to get that same feeling coming back after such a long period of time.”

“I hope that beyond the top-level world class education, students leave here with the sense that they were part of the community, a community that cared for them, and a community that will continue to care for them and their children,” he continued. “There’s a real sense of being home — I feel like I’m back at home and I wish that for every student here, because it’s great.”

When asked how he compares the high school to the university, Mazzanti said that he has found a lot of the same types of students here, including a number of “Old Boys”: “There [are] a lot of positive people that are really committed to their faith, committed to their studies, [and] they sound like they’re committed to their families and their friends, whether its staff or whether its students.”

The Basilians, in part, through St. Mike’s and its connected institutions, have had a remarkable, intergenerational impact on thousands of families.

When asked about the Basilian intent, Mazzanti said that, “Their mark has been felt in high school and university levels in this country. We’re going to try to be a good home to any student who wants to join this community.”

Mazzanti’s statement, when asked about his hope for the future alumni of USMC, whatever walk of life they come from is: “There’s great value going into a college like St. Mike’s that has a really strong sense of community, camaraderie, and the sense of other as being important. The sense that they’re supported by not only professors, the student services, but other students. There’s a nice sense of community and that people are working with each other and not going through this alone.”

St. Mike’s: A Home to All

Through education, and centres of learning like USMC, SMCS, and now HNMCS, they have provided guidance and support to innumerable students from across not just the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), but also the world. In the process, they’ve helped to transform young, enthusiastic student minds into great leaders — regardless of gender, race, or religion. Their door is and will continue to be open to all.

This is why many of us lose our voices during Orientation Week chanting the “Hoikity Choik,” “Bubbaloo,” and many other chants. This is why whenever people ask what USMC is like, we are quick to refer to our tight-knit sense of community. This is home. Home is St. Mike’s.

This is our USMC. Like many before me and many to come, I’m proud to be a St. Mike’s student: I’m proud to be part of something greater.

Finding Tradition at the Registrar’s Office I also had the privilege of interviewing Giancarlo Mazzanti (USMC ’84), our new Registrar and Director of Student Services here at USMC. Mazzanti previously worked at SMCS for 32 years, and has now returned to the USMC. He described his experience working at USMC as a “going home” personal celebration.

Pre-Bed Races outside Convocation Hall during 2016 Orientation Week (Marc Belli / USMC).

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OPINIONS

Opinions Editor Julia Orsini opinions@readthemike.com

A New Hope

Why the new SMCSU needs to fund St. Mike’s United Angela Feng WEBSITE EDITOR As the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) completes the club recognition and funding processes, it is worth noting how important this year’s decisions will be in defining the new St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU). Approaching this year with a clear focus on inclusivity and student wellness is a must for this student government. An effort to amplify marginalized student voices through club recognition is a good first step toward encouraging equity throughout St. Mike’s student life.

It is clear that St. Mike’s wishes to provide a welcoming environment for students to engage with one another and a school rife with opportunities. However, we must first recognize the historical efforts at St. Mike’s that have prevented the development of a truly equitable environment in the past. Students who identify as LGBTQ+ have specifically been singled out, facing discriminatory treatment on the USMC campus. For decades, SMCSU was complicit in silencing both these allegations and attempts to vocalize resistance.

Various organizations within USMC, including past versions of The Mike, have silenced and denounced LGBTQ+ groups in the past. The actions at St. Mike’s have always reflected those of the papacy. As the Catholic Church has increasingly encouraged universal compassion and support for people whose identities it has historically opposed, USMC has too become a more accepting environment. In 2003, Queer @ SMC (Q@SMC) became the first club of its kind to be granted club recognition from the SMCSU. That same year, USMC’s Basilian fathers suspended the religious signature requirement for official club recognition, which has since been removed from the SMCSU constitution. Unfortunately, Q@SMC dissolved shortly thereafter.

Many other colleges fund LGBTQ+ groups through levies. This money is specifically used to fund groups that have been approved by the college’s constituents through a referendum. Vic Pride! and Rainbow Trinity are two examples of levy groups. USMC does not currently fund any LGBTQ+ groups through levies or through club funding at all. Restructuring has caused a major delay in SMCSU’s club recognition process, leaving many groups precariously operating with no definitive knowledge of their budgets. On the bright side, this does encourage a careful and considerate evaluation of how the SMCSU might choose to allocate its funds this year. As the body that represents the well-being and desires of the student body, SMCSU has had more time to connect with its student body and recognize that there are unmet needs within its marginalized communities. This year, SMCSU has the ability to recognize advocate groups, including St. Mike’s United, a new group that represents LGBTQ+ students in the USMC community.

With a focus on creating safe spaces on campus and providing meaningful support to and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, St. Mike’s United is the first organized student group of its kind at USMC in over a decade. Funding St. Mike’s United would be seen as a conscious choice by the SMCSU to work with and support its LGBTQ+ community. Queer identities have largely been ignored at USMC, and there has been little in the way of organized community support. An action of this kind is past due, especially if SMCSU and the USMC community at large is to establish itself as an inclusive community.

How do we reconcile traditional Catholic values with contemporary on-campus sensibilities? While USMC will always be defined by the Catholic values

that shape it, like the Catholic Church itself, SMCSU is not purely shaped by followers of the religion.

Culture is reciprocal, on and off campus. Pope Francis himself has urged his followers to focus on values of acceptance and compassion when faced with others who are different from themselves. As our society struggles to let go of old prejudices, so does the Church. No longer do we impose the death penalty on people who get divorced or sleep with their wives on their periods. So why should we actively discourage or choose to not fund LGBTQ+ groups? This point of view is inconsistent with USMC values, Catholic values, and on-campus culture, and simply does not belong in rational decision-making environments.

More so than many other groups at USMC, these groups need funding, but more importantly they need the support that would come from official recognition by their student body. For so long, USMC has been seen as an unwelcome environment for the LGBTQ+ community, and we cannot operate in good conscience if we continue to promote opportunities and a campus culture that is inaccessible to USMC students that feel unsupported and unwelcome.

While funding St. Mike’s United does not amend for past actions, it certainly is a good start. As one of the last colleges on campus that does not specifically designate safe spaces or fund LGBTQ+ student groups, SMCSU and USMC need to step up. Their support is crucial to USMC’s future as a purveyor of positive, inclusive, and conscientious student life.

Angela Feng is a second-year USMC student studying Cinema Studies and Anthropology. She’s The Mike’s Website Editor and The Varsity’s Campus Politics Columnist. In her spare time, she dreams of life after school, otherwise known as interning.

The Shame of Walk of Shame

A retrospective examination of the controversial 2014 film Zoë Paddock CONTRIBUTOR As it turns out, I’m not the only one who has strong feelings about the movie Walk of Shame. I thought that perhaps, before starting on this article, I should look at what some of the reviews were like, and this tidbit caught my eye: “Watching the redoubtable Elizabeth Banks try to breathe life into the stillborn farce Walk of Shame is like watching a team of paramedics perform CPR on the corpse of Ulysses S. Grant.” I know it might seem a bit redundant to write an article about how bad a movie is when it seems as though others have fully covered that ground, but I want to be clear that there are two separate points here: A) This is a bad movie in the most typical sense of the word — poorly made, uninspired writing, etc.; and B) its central premise is disturbing and utterly unfunny. This second point is what I think is particularly worthy of mention.

First though, what is the movie actually about? Elizabeth Banks of Hunger Games and Zack and Miri Make a Porno fame stars as a high energy news anchor in L.A. trying to get her next break. (Insert dysfunctional series of events here) leads to Banks’ character ending up out partying with her friends, and eventually in the company of James Marsden, who plays the role of stupidly handsome, post-modern poet. All seems to be going well until it turns out she is being offered a very prestigious new position and needs to appear on the air that morning. And, surprise! She accidentally gets locked out of Marsden’s apartment while he

slumbers angelically upstairs.

Up until this point, the movie is a classic; hardworking but often overlooked woman takes an opportunity to have fun and quickly regrets it. Going forward though, we are treated to a theme that isn’t usually so blatant; women who wear certain kinds of clothes are either sluts or sex workers, and further, that sluts and sex workers are undeserving of assistance, safety, or any sort of human regard. Banks made the mistake of daring to wear a tight, bright yellow dress out of the house that night and there is not a minute of the movie after this point that is not centered on what she is wearing and how that means she ought to be treated.

She is chased, attacked, ridiculed, and reviled by a variety of people for the rest of the night as she tries desperately to find shelter, food, and help. One of my personal favorites of these situations are the two policemen who push her back out onto the street as she cries out for help because they are so certain she is a prostitute veering out of her lane. She is kicked off a bus, asked by a 12-year-old to “show him her boobs,” and called a witch by a group of rabbis.

These sorts of situations aren’t unlikely. These are things that happen. From school dress code incidents to southern Senators, it is a common theme in our culture that the dangerous and harmful things that happen to women happen because of what they wear.

What really drives the nail home in this movie though, is that this is all supposed to be funny. It is supposed to be gut-bustingly hilarious that this grown woman almost dies, has to grovel and prostrate herself to get someone, anyone, to help her. The joke here is supposed to be that no one knows that she’s really an upstanding citizen — a good woman who wears different clothes who people would want to assist, not a bad woman who should be punished and shunned. If only they knew!

As if the title didn’t give it away, Walk of Shame is a messed up mistake of a movie. It makes it perfectly clear to the girls and women watching it that if they don’t get in line and fly right, they too could end up like Banks, wandering the streets of L.A. asking someone, anyone, to believe she isn’t a prostitute and help her get home. The message that this is a spectacle to laugh at is alienating beyond belief, and it paves the way for the Weinstein’s and the C.K.’s of this world.

What we as a culture accept as funny matters. Because the people who aren’t laughing are the people who know it could happen to them.

Zoë Paddock is a recent New College graduate. She studied Sociology and Philosophy and now splits her time equally between working in a women’s shelter and panicking about what to do with her life.

OPINIONS

Website: readthemike.com Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @readthemike

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Editorial:

Onward and Upward Inside this issue, you get to hear from the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) President and ViceChancellor David Mulroney. Mulroney’s term began July 1, 2015, and it completes in June 2018.

It has included a number of undoubtedly positive changes. It has also been filled with controversy. The vast majority of it has concerned the St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU).

Mulroney’s term has seen the SMCSU Snapchat scandal; SMCSU’s prorogation (for nearly a year); the revelation of the Executive Summary of the SMCSU Financial Audit (which partially revealed, among other things, the fact that SMCSU had severely mismanaged much of its student levy money over the past six years); the “re-imagining” of SMCSU; questions regarding the new “re-imagined” SMCSU’s autonomy; the open letter addressed to Mulroney written by USMC faculty and staff that accused him of doing a disservice to USMC students, dishonouring USMC’s legacy, and shaking their confidence in him as President in the comments he made at a conference to Catholic communicators over the summer; as well as a number of other events and allegations. These events and allegations have spawned a wide-ranging series of questions. On pages 4 and 5, I ask him some of them.

That being said, there’s also a lot more I could have asked him about, so it’s a good thing we’re just getting started.

As the public face of USMC, a Catholic university federated with a secular university, in the University of Toronto (U of T), it does to recognize that Mulroney’s

job is a difficult one. This has especially been reflected in the range of responses his words and actions have inspired.

Some students have viewed the changes that Mulroney has instituted as positive, others as negative.

Some have been more ambivalent.

Some students like his tone and the way that he’s gone about making these changes. Others, not so much. Some have no idea who he is or what he’s done.

And that’s where we come in.

Under my leadership, our mandate is to keep USMC students informed, engaged, and represented. We hope to continue to do so through our Opinions section and its inclusivity; our News and Features sections by providing a USMC student perspective on, and more focused coverage of, USMC and U of T than you’re able to find anywhere else; and our Editorial Board op-eds (when something difficult or uncomfortable needs to be said, I promise you that our Editorial Board will say it).

USMC students deserve nothing less.

Our focus will also continue to be toward asking those tough questions. Questions like the ones I approach in my interview with Mulroney, questions like: • •

Should USMC have released the full results of the SMCSU Financial Audit?

Did USMC do enough to hold responsible SMCSU officials accountable?

• • • •

How autonomous will the new SMCSU truly be?

Should the new SMCSU fund an LGBTQ+ club?

Should the new SMCSU fund a pro-life club?

Will USMC have a hand in either of these decisions?

Right now, we’re asking ourselves these questions. If you’re a USMC student, you should be, too. Questions that also include: • • • • •

Where is my student money going?

What sort of USMC do I want?

What sort of SMCSU do I want?

Is USMC serving me well enough?

Is SMCSU serving me well enough?

Of course, the above also applies to us: please do let us know if there’s anything you’d like us to cover, or anything we can do to serve you better. We’re always looking for feedback and ways to improve. Likewise for any questions about how we operate.

Same goes for if you’d to get involved. We’re always looking to grow. The Mike is only ever as good as the team that produces it, and thankfully, I’ve got a wonderful team.

In 2018, you can continue to expect integrity, audacity, and a good deal of might from The Mike.

You can also expect bigger and better.

Your 2017–18 Editor-In-Chief, Josh Scott

Some Encouragement from the Other Side A positive note for students from a recent USMC graduate Rory McCreight CONTRIBUTOR Like a couple of you I’m sure, I just finished my law school application. From the LSAT to rounding up references, tailoring essays for different schools to just working up that nerve to press submit — it’s a long and daunting process. Not to mention expensive, a separate issue from the scope of this article, but my full application process ran me over $1,000. I digress, what I want to say is my application process could have taken a much more serious mood had I not paid attention to my University of Toronto (U of T) emails after graduating.

Undergraduate Administrators, in this instance I’m talking about Eric Correia of the Philosophy Department, who was passing along a job posting that was specifically interested in recent U of T philosophy grads — I couldn’t believe my luck. So, I applied, went through the rounds of interviews and I have been happily working for an awesome legal tech startup, Blue J Legal, for almost six months now. I’ve been really fortunate.

My law school application originally felt like do or die, I had to get into law school or else I was just another unemployed schmuck with a university degree. Here’s something I didn’t realize, but maybe should have, in hindsight — that the University of Toronto doesn’t give some regular university degree. The school faculty will tell you this, the news will tell you this, and alumni will show up to remind you, but you are at a top tier university and you are doing top tier work here. This hard work and grind will pay off, but you are going to have slug it out a little longer — a month minimum, four years max (give or take a year or so).

After I graduated last May, I didn’t know how I was going to move forward, where I was going to apply for a job in my year between undergrad and law school, or how I was going to get a job with a philosophy degree. Then I got an email from one of U of T’s kind

Here’s the thing though — most of you will be similarly fortunate. (And if you pay attention to those email blasts you’ve been ignoring, opportunity might even knock sooner than you expect.) Whenever I talk about my great new job with my family, my boss, former professors, they say the same thing when I tell them how lucky I was: “You worked hard for this.” They’re right, and I do myself a disservice when I forget this.

I worked hard, put hours of work in and tried my best and it’s paying off. It’ll pay off for all of you too, just a little way down the line, whether that’s after a J.D. or a graduate degree on top of undergrad, the hard work and anxiety you’re running through now will pay off.

Now that the chaotic and unpredictable experience of undergrad has passed, I can see things more clearly and plan forward. I have a great job that I don’t need to leave for law school, there’s no more do or die situation, I can do what I want and what feels right. I can stay at my job and help the company grow, or I can go back to school, work hard again, and grow professionally. There’s no longer that rush, or despair, to do one or the other — I can take my time and take pride in what I have accomplished. Soon, you’ll be able to, too.

Jennifer Boothby / THE MIKE.

Rory McCreight is a recent USMC graduate and The Mike’s former Sports Editor. He currently works as a Legal Analyst at Blue J Legal and, when he remembers, enjoys reading a good book.

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LOGOS

Logos Editor Francesco Rampino logos@readthemike.com

Coming Together

USMC well represented at the annual Cardinal’s Dinner Lara Connell CONTRIBUTOR Imagine this: 1,700 people from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) gather at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC); people from all different backgrounds, professions, vocations, and walks of life. What you are picturing is the 38th Annual Cardinal’s Dinner, which I had the honour of attending along with a number of other students and faculty representing the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC). The Cardinal’s Dinner is an annual dinner hosted by His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto and Chancellor of USMC, in the name of the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Cardinal Collins addresses an eager crowd (The Archdiocese of Toronto).

Year after year, the occasion seeks primarily to promote fellowship within the broader community, which includes other groups outside of the Catholic Church

in Canada. Its other, and perhaps better-known goal, is to fundraise for charities. Over the years, it has raised over $6 million toward various charities across the city.

This year’s Master of Ceremonies was USMC President and Vice-Chancellor David Mulroney, who was honoured for his service to USMC as his term soon comes to a close. Also in attendance with the USMC delegation was Vice-President and Principal Randy Boyagoda, along with other college faculty, Commuter Dons, and members of the new SMC One course, The Gilson Seminar (to which I belong). Throughout the evening, various remarks were delivered by politicians such as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie (a proud USMC alumna), and Marco Mendicino, Member of Parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence. Each spoke about the importance of a community which seeks to aid the impoverished and the commitment of the government toward doing so.

Although this should ideally be the aim of every level of government, it is worth noting that this is not always the case. It is for this reason that Cardinal Collins spoke of a certain contradiction in our society, which he said beholds an “intolerance of tolerance, in which the free and respectful exchange of differing ideas, upon which a healthy society depends, is abruptly terminated with the excuse that we are all too fragile, like snowflakes, to engage in a courteous encounter with viewpoints that differ from our own.” He continued on, saying that “our society is poorer for that.” In addition to this, the Cardinal discussed the sanctity of human life, with emphasis on the “cold shadow of euthanasia.”

As you can probably tell, USMC was well represented at the Cardinal’s Dinner (The Archdiocese of Toronto).

In reflecting upon his 10 years as Archbishop of Toronto, he called attention to the four guiding principles of the Archdiocese’s pastoral plan. He encouraged the faithful to live vibrant lives in service of one another, reaching out to those in need and evangelizing our culture. The Cardinal’s speech highlighted the various charitable works of the Church, including that of healthcare and education. Special recognition was also given to USMC in its contribution to higher Catholic education.

Now perhaps you have read this far and are now thinking to yourself, “This is all well and good, a fancy dinner full of religious individuals applauding the contributions the Church has made. But how is this relevant to me?” And perhaps you think it is not, but I’m here to tell you that it is. Because the Cardinal’s message was not just for those in attendance, nor was it just for members of the Church. It was for all of us. If there is one thing that should be taken from the dinner it should be this: it is necessary for leaders in the Church and government (and even leaders in our society, such as you, the reader) to speak on the importance of charity, but it means very little if their actions do not reflect their words. The same goes for each of us. We live in a dark society that is desperately in need of the love of Christ. We are called to live a life of faith and action, bringing the love of Christ to each person we meet. To each St. Mike’s student reading this, it is my hope that we can prove ourselves worthy of the Cardinal’s praise by living as faithful stewards in service of one another and a greater good.

Rethinking What We Thought Re-encountering God through logos Joshua De Jesus CONTRIBUTOR

As a member of the University of St. Michael’s College’s (USMC) Gilson Seminar in Faith and Ideas, I was given the privilege of reading a classical text, St. Augustine’s Confessions. Over the years, this piece of work has withstood the test of time and has continued to enter discussions over various academic disciplines.

Augustine is looked at as a master of rhetoric, philosophy, and theology. The work Confessions gives the reader a front row seat to its author’s style of writing and thought. Part of our assignment for this text was to imitate Augustine’s style. In my paper, I chose to adopt Augustine’s desire to understand the puzzling questions of humanity — specifically, our desire to understand God and His encounters. I am aware that many first-year students are not given the opportunity to read such a famous piece of work, which is why I have chosen to share my imitation to give you the opportunity to encounter the style of Confessions in the context of the university experience. Also, being aware of this section’s name change, I decided to focus my imitation on God’s encounter with us through logos: “O Lord, Bearer of Truth and Wisdom, during my youthful years as a student of logic at the University of Toronto, I failed to grasp the essence of logos in You. You make Yourself known to us by appealing to our emotions, and Your Will is justified through its ethical foundation, yet where do You exist in reason? Can You, Lord, Who Are Omnipotent, not appeal to the mind of

logic?

At that time, I was well practiced in my faith and my studies of logic, yet the two seemed distinct in their persuasion to me. You, Lord, gave me all through my faith and in turn I praised You and served with piety and humility. You led me to the pastures of Your Grace (Ps 23:2), and allowed me to prance among them in joy. Through prayer, You moved my soul (2 Chr 7:14) and comforted it in its grief. Through Your Holy Will, You set a foundation of morality which appealed to me. But, in my work as a student, I failed to find You in the persuasion of logic. In analytical philosophy, I was in pursuit of the practice of logical persuasion and justification. In mathematics, I would derive formulas which would explain the logical connections between

patterns. In science, I would apply these formulas to various phenomena in our universe. Yet, in this pursuit of logical understanding, I failed to find You in my work.

Do You, Lord, exist only in miracles? Are those miracles only of a metaphysical state? Why Lord, Creator of all things, have You gifted me with logic, if You fail to appeal to it? For You must appeal to logic, Lord, since You Are Logic itself. For “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1): this Word is Your Holy Scripture, Which is the basis of our rational formulation of faith. You, O Lord, divinely appeal to Your children through Your Word.

Humanity quenches their thirst for truth through meditation upon Your Word. In following Your Word, Your children stand in adoration of Your creation. Furthermore, Lord, is this not what I have been practicing as a student of logic? Are my logical persuasions through analytical philosophy not akin to Your divine persuasion through Scripture? Is my derivation of formula through mathematics not grounded on humanity’s pursuit of eternal truth, which is You? Are my explanations of various phenomena in science not the adoration of Your creation?

O Lord, Who Are Perfect, I thank You for my gift of logic, for through its usage I glorify a faculty of Your Being, ultimately preparing myself for Eternal Life with You.”

“Logos” written in Greek.

SCIENCE & TECH

Science & Tech Editor Jiaxing Huang science@readthemike.com

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The Exciting World of Autonomous Vehicle Research A glimpse into the future of driverless cars Samer Henry CONTRIBUTOR The future of vehicles and transportation is looking more exciting than ever, with research on artificial intelligence (AI) maturing into commercial applications. We are starting to witness the future early on with terms such as “autonomous (self-driving) vehicles.” Cutting edge technologies devised at numerous labs at the University of Toronto (U of T) are prime examples, but why is there a hype on autonomous vehicles? This short article will aim to summarize some of the advantages of self-driving vehicles: namely that they will be safer, greener, and smarter.

Vehicles in the future will be safer once they are fully autonomous. That means there will be no need for a driver on the steering wheel by 2025 in selected cities that would mandate that cars be driverless. The absence of a driver on the steering wheel will allow the computer driving the car to perform a number of diverse measurements mimicking the five human senses in order to quickly detect an external stimulus faster than human reaction times, which adheres to road signs and lane dynamics.

Another safe technology incorporated into these vehicles is collision avoidance, meaning that vehicles can quickly detect other vehicles approaching at an intersection via radar and therefore slow down, preventing collision and decreasing accidents by a staggering 90%. The research I conduct at the Wireless and Internet Research Lab at U of T ensures collision avoidance by developing the radio and radar antennas to be reliable 100% of the time, even in tunnels and areas with low connectivity coverage.

In addition to being safer, vehicles in the future will also be greener as they harness the power of the sun via efficient solar panels to self-charge, even in cloudy environments. Tesla’s new electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster, unveiled only last week, can achieve an acceleration and speed slightly less of the Bugatti Veyron, currently the fastest car on the planet. Finally, autonomous vehicles will be smarter in the sense that you would not need to park your car when it is not in use. Instead, it would drive people around (think Uber!) and provide an income for its owner. Vehicle entertain-

ment will reach new levels because distractions aren’t an issue anymore.

It is truly an exciting time for autonomous vehicle research, and I would encourage you to keep updated as new discoveries are made every day.

There are also even some limitations to be mindful of, including the ethical issues currently being raised in parliaments all over the world. As yet unanswered questions as to whether a car can hit a running pedestrian by mistake in order not to disturb its sleeping owner inside, or whether a car should skid off the road to avoid hitting a deer, injuring its passengers in the process. There is a lot of worry surrounding how our lives could and will be affected by robots in the future, but that’s a story for another day.

The Philosophy of Science, Truth, and DIY The truth about learning and the evolution of scientific institutions Lindsey Peng CONTRIBUTOR The scientific method is without a doubt the best-invented tool for humankind to acquire knowledge. Before the 20th century, the predominant way to gain knowledge was through induction. The world is observed and theories are made to explain the phenomena through logic and rationalities. Today, most of the scientific research is based on empiricism (deduction), where an additional step is added to test out the hypothesis through experimentations. The key point is that the theories proposed now have to be testable and falsifiable, which was not the case in pure induction. This adds a large certainty in our acquired knowledge, especially the ones that last for a longer time, since they withstand more trials of testing.

However, the confidence and reliance in the scientific method sometimes ends up a trap, as a blind faith instilled to generations engaging in the field. Students of science are not made to study philosophy such as the theory of knowledge. Therefore, the young scientists inherit blind spots that they never question, despite being taught skepticism and critical thinking. The first problem of empiricism is based on its own philosophy: no amount of positive observation about the hypothesis can allow the conclusion to be true. We are only certain if something is untrue falsification. Second, there is, literally, an infinite number of plausible ways/ hypotheses (that we can imagine and be completely unaware of) that can be proposed to explain a chain of observations. Scientific community first has to take out all the theories that cannot be tested. Among the ones that are left, humans have built-in intuitions/biases that dictate some hypotheses to be more likely than others.

Physically, it is not possible to exhaust all plausible ways to falsify a hypothesis nor is it possible to exhaust testing all plausible hypotheses. Therefore, the

final conclusion of what is “right” completely relies on the majority consensus and biases from the collective scientific community. We may call it sound rationality or logic, but we forget to examine how much unconscious workings and external factors affect our biases, such as language, culture, and the dynamics and psychology of groups and individuals. On top of all this, we know for a fact much that much of academia is infiltrated with motivated reasoning (i.e. socioeconomic impacts) which adds another layer of intense biases to abide with the paradigm. When observation comes into our hand, how we theorize it depends on the paradigm we rely on. For example, the astrologers had monopoly control over the paradigm of cosmology, and every new observation of the sky required an ever more complicated theory of motions to fit their fundamental geocentric models. Challenges to their paradigm undermined the well-established power structures, and hence they were met with huge resistance, until the church no longer backed up the special interest of the establishment.

Human nature has not progressed much from the days of astrologers (geocentric model) versus the Copernican revolutionaries (heliocentric model). You cannot challenge the principles of geology if you aren’t a geologist, you cannot challenge the principles of climatology unless you are a climatologist. The scientist working in the current paradigms has little career incentive to examine unconventional ideas. Without major findings and groups of similar-minded people, an unorthodox idea will not be adopted.

When is the last time something was taught to us and we accepted it as fact even though it actually made no sense to us? If scientific theories are correct, they should make sense to all people with common sense.

Yet, we seem to compartmentalize science as this complicated jumble of mess without actually trying to coordinate it with the reality. In his book, “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a Curious Character, Richard Feynman told two interesting stories about university freshmen and Einstein’s assistant, and demonstrated an interesting phenomenon on how people “know” and are educated. He realized that many people do not learn from understanding and also, how fragile our knowledge is, even with more learned people. It is indeed a weird phenomenon that was talked about by Nassim Taleb: our “knowing” of a particular subject is confined to exam questions in classrooms, and we fail to know what it means in any other real life practical situation.

Should we challenge the institutions and tumble them down? I do not think that is the answer. For most of us, what matters is not the recognition of being right versus wrong, but more on what works or not. Thanks to technology, we are seeing such movement in society: the maker movement (a Do It Yourself, or DIY, group), Hackerspace movements, volunteer computing, crowdsourcing, open source community, etc. These are the forces that ignore well-established institutions.

People do projects on their own initiations without being told from top-down controls. Resources and opinions are liberalized and shared and, therefore, evolve together. Despite the rigidity of power that remains, we can expect unexpected productivity growth and innovation still in societies because of people such as you who do things for the sake of curiosity and innovation.

Through doing and making things, we indirectly bridge that gap of public education that has been missing: learning things to make sense of the world we live in, not to complete papers and exams.

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Sports Editor Ben Denomme sports@readthemike.com

To Lift or Not To Lift

SPORTS

A beginner’s guide to the sport of powerlifting Ben Denomme SPORTS EDITOR Powerlifting is a sport known for its simplicity of concept and for the intense dedication and strength its athletes show. When in competition, athletes will perform three lifts to test both their physical and mental endurance.

These three lifts consist of the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift.

The bench press is a movement in which the competitor lies down on a bench, and with feet planted on the floor, uses their arms to bring a loaded barbell above them to their chest and back up to the same position. The squat makes use of a loaded barbell draped across the competitor’s shoulders, and, from a standing position, the competitor must squat as low to the ground as possible and then come back up. In a deadlift, the loaded barbell begins on the ground, and the competitor must use their arms to lift the bar from the ground up until their legs are straight.

While the lifts are indeed simple in concept, performing them is a very different story. First, there is the added difficulty of the competitor being judged on the quality of their lift. There are three appointed judges, all of whom sit on a different side of the competitor. The head judge gives commands to the lifter, telling them when to begin lifting the bar and when to rack the weight. The other two judges, along with the head judge, assess the overall quality of the lift by looking at different aspects of the competitor when they are lifting. For example, during the squat, the competitor cannot move their feet after they have begun the lift, and they must hit the proper depth on the descent.

Hitting depth simply means that the lifter has squatted far enough so that the hip joint is below the top of the knee.

If a competitor breaks any of the rules of the lift they are performing or does not follow the head judge’s commands, they will receive a no-lift. Of course, aspects of a lift like hitting depth on a squat or touching the chest on a bench press are often difficult for a judge to accurately assess. Thus, it may become subjective. To combat this subjectivity, each judge can award the lifter a white light (meaning the lift was good)

or a red light (meaning the lift was not good). Two or three white lights mean that the lift was completed in a satisfactory manner.

Placing the competitors in a powerlifting competition is done using a mathematical operation called the Wilks score. The Wilks score considers both the mass of the lifter, and the total amount of weight they lifted over the three lifts. The result is a score which is considered like a point total — the higher it is, the better the competitor’s score. Using this method, a lighter lifter who lifts a smaller amount of weight than a heavier lifter may still place better than the heavier lifter depending on their Wilks score.

Powerlifting athletes, as with all athletes, do not only practice their competition lifts. Rather, they employ a wide array of strength-building exercises to bring up their competition lifts. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects of powerlifting is that the three lifts each only target a specific part of the body. This is false, as each lift uses the entire body in different ways. For example, although a bench press seems to only use the arms to lift the weight, it is the chest, abdominal muscles, and even the legs which give an experienced lifter the ability to push absurd amounts of weight.

While powerlifting may not draw crowds even close to the size of those of soccer or football, the fans that do show up are treated to an electrifying and intense display of sheer will. When a lifter steps up to a bar loaded with four times their bodyweight and can pull it off the ground using nothing but pure strength and determination, the feeling is indescribable. It sounds almost like fantasy to say that a person weighing 220 pounds was able to deadlift 927 pounds during a World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) meet, but Cailer Woolam achieved this feat this past August.

World records are being set all the time, and the famous names in powerlifting have all been vying for control of the biggest totals in each weight class. This includes people like Kevin “Oak” Okolie (2,127 pounds

total in the 220 class), Eric Lilliebridge (2,425 pounds total in the 308 class), Jen Thompson (987 pounds total in the 138 class), and Stefanie Cohen (900 pounds total in the 123 class).

Of course, these athletes are professionals, and their totals are extremely difficult to achieve without complete dedication, grueling lifting sessions, and motivation to continue even when it seems impossible.

These aspects of the professional powerlifter are what make watching them compete so heartening. It is the culmination and fruition of everything they worked so hard to achieve. Even if they don’t have the best total, as long as they lifted heavier weights than last time, their training was a total success.

Now, one of the best parts about going to a large university is that there is almost a guarantee that if more than one person likes something, it exists as a club — thus, the University of Toronto (U of T) Ironsports club.

The Ironsports club was founded in 2012 on the principle that students should have easier access to strength sports. Both powerlifting and Olympic-style weightlifting are covered in the club’s repertoire, and there are meets, open training days, and seminars that cater to both sports. The training days exist so that the experienced powerlifters and weightlifters have the chance to coach the less-experienced, and the seminars provide all members with helpful tips on all things pertaining to the strength sports.

Perhaps the most exciting part about membership in the Ironsports club is the ability to compete in the different meets held every year. For powerlifting, there is usually a bench press/push-pull meet in the fall semester and a full three-lift meet in the winter semester. These meets are a chance to compete with U of T’s best strength athletes, and all members are welcome to compete regardless of experience.

Even if the thought of competing is frightening at first, just going to cheer on the lifters is a good way of participating.

A Tale of Two (Hockey) Cities

Hot takes from punditland: Leafs Nation finds solace while Oil Country’s season slips away Richard Naylor CONTRIBUTOR

NHL.com.

This wasn’t the roadmap. This wasn’t the plan. For a franchise that dwelled in the basement of the standings for a better part of a decade, there weren’t supposed to be any steps back this time around.

If you read that description of the first quarter of the National Hockey League (NHL) season to the average Toronto Maple Leafs fan back in September, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pegged the team in question as their own beloved Maple Leafs. Pessimism is in our nature — after years of trading away high draft picks, ridiculous free agent signings, and coaching changes galore — it’s not hard to believe a Leafs fan would wander back to assuming the worst; to assume that last year’s big (and many would argue, early) step forward into the playoffs was merely a mirage.

Not to say the expectations weren’t high this year.

Many pegged the Leafs to keep moving forward given their young forward talent (led by budding icon, Auston Matthews). The feeling of meeting lofty expectations is just something that a pessimistic Leafs fan isn’t used

to yet.

Alas, the same can’t be said for the team the opening paragraph is written about. After coming a game away from the Western Conference Finals last May, the Edmonton Oilers were the “it” team among TV panelists, bloggers, and the average fan on Twitter, pegged to be in the running for the Stanley Cup in 2017–18. With a lackluster 9–13–2 opening quarter of the season, the Oilers are already left to dig themselves out of a hole, next to some usual company in Arizona and Buffalo at the bottom of the standings.

With this, for Oilers fans, comes that all-too-familiar feeling of frustration. A quick search of the Oilers on Twitter will yield results of a fan base in turmoil.

Hardcore fans and bloggers blame management, while the mainstream media blames the players.

Bloggers ridicule the mainstream media, who are stuck in their ways and don’t challenge the status quo, and the mainstream media belittle bloggers who’ve never picked up a hockey stick in their lives and don’t know

these “good hockey men” like they do. The Oilers’ struggles have manifested in a (Twitter) war amongst those who follow the game and love it most.

Here in Toronto, it’s a different story. For the first time in a while, being a Leafs fan feels easy. It’s low maintenance. Sure, arguments between old school fans/media and bloggers pop up about Head Coach Mike Babcock’s lines or his use of hard-nosed Matt Martin instead of a better option on Twitter or Reddit, but after a 15–9–1 start, Leafs fans are in unfamiliar territory: meeting lofty expectations while looking on as other fan bases spiral out of control for a change.

There is no hangover from last year’s coming out party.

With nearly three quarters of the season remaining, there’s still a lot of time left for the Connor McDavid-led Oilers to turn things around, and more than enough for the Leafs to prove that pessimistic fan right. But for now, as a lifelong Leafs fan, I’ll take solace in this, in newfound ease, watching the Buds stick to their roadmap.

FEATURES

Features Editor Téana Graziani features@readthemike.com

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The Alternative Guide to Exam-Prep Some suggestions for a stress-free finals season Christopher Saïnidis CONTRIBUTOR

Jennifer Boothby / THE MIKE.

It’s that special time of the year when Toronto becomes dark and grey, illuminated only by the brief periods of sunshine breaking through the heavy clouds, and by the holiday lights of store fronts and house façades. It’s also that special time when tens of thousands of university students complete mandatory exams, testing our abilities to survive long and sometimes droning lectures and readings.

Exams, like the holidays, have basically established themselves as a tradition. And like surviving the family gathering with those all-too-well known annoying family members, exams can be survived with the right skills and tips.

First, before planning your marathon of over-strenuous studying, take a day to just indulge in mindless relaxation. Got a film you’ve been dying to see? Go and watch it. Have a show you want to catch up with?

Binge-watch it. As long as you feel you have the time to waste, taking a mental relief day is like having a ‘cheat-day’ on a diet — you’ll know that eventually you will have to return to the right path, this is just a ‘temporary pause.’

If indulging in some grade-A Hollywood productions doesn’t do the trick — the University of Toronto (U of T) offers an extensive range of physically mindful classes that should assist with the stress and anxiety of the exam period. From Aquafit to Zumba, both U of T’s Athletic and Goldring Centres offer classes from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, with registration not being necessary. As recent statistics demonstrate, Canadians are continuing to fall behind more and more on physical activity in both children and adults. And while holiday shopping for that special someone indeed tests our patience and bodily stamina, nothing compares to the sweat from moving your hips to the beats of South Asian rhythm in a BollyX class.

Someone once revealed that schools place your exams in a location other than your normal classroom because you are more likely to psychologically associate the material you’ve learned within the class setting you were in the entire semester. Thus, by taking your exam in an unrelated location, you are expected to forget what you’ve learned during the exam and not do as well. Harsh, right? Obviously, I can neither deny nor validate this claim (saving it for the Psychology majors out there), but just before going in to your exam, make sure you have a good night’s sleep the night before, and that you bring some water for those moments of reflection. Also, I definitely recommend eating before your exam. There is nothing more embarrassing than having your stomach growl like a monster in an utterly silent environment (trust me, even the prof looked at me).

Where to grab some pre-exam sustenance you ask?

Well, why not boast about the art of Scandinavian relaxation and head over to the FIKA Café in Kensington and experience the classic break time tradition of grabbing a coffee or tea, and dessert? When the weather casts Toronto onto its unfavourable side, a relaxing spot to study and flaunt those atrocious Christmas sweaters provides the good cheer we need. In addition to that, an immense upside to this café is the really limited use of Ikea furniture.

To grab a quick and filling lunch, Hey Noodles on Dundas near Spadina provides classic Chinese noodles at various levels of spiciness, all at a fair price for the budgeters out there. The compact interior has recently gotten a nice uplift, providing the space with a welcoming touch (not Martha Stewart level, but still great). Both lunch and dinner times result in this place being jam-packed with people, so definitely have contingency plans if you are not able to escape class early.

Study. How to study? I’m not one of those people who will scientifically recommend one of the optimal methods out there. All I can offer to readers is that, if you have a method or plan you think works best for you, then continue it. Why mess with perfection?

Flash cards, handwritten or typed notes — all are just a tiny minority of the various methods. The one trick I must admit that seems to work better (at least for me), is reading materials physically and not electronically. There is just something classical, nostalgic even, about learning from books or print-outs and holding the paper in your hands that electronically generated materials just can’t offer.

If there is a major recommendation in this opinion piece I must stress, it’s that the study-buddy system is the greatest lie one can tell themselves will help them study. However, using the pretext of an exam to get together in this magical time of the year is completely worth it. Even if you spend 90% of the time talking about nothing related to your course whatsoever. In the end, if you still feel that somewhere, somehow, deep within, you accomplished something, that is what matters. On a side note, University College Library has a spectacular ambience for those with a preference for studying alone. Its large windows provide the space with ample natural lighting and the 1970s-style study stations combine to produce a great environment for absolute peace and concentration.

And of course, go to the gym, eat right, and do all that good stuff. That should help get those coveted A’s.

Please note all of these recommendations are certainly non-scientifically investigated, only expertly suggested! Happy Holidays, and remember the next break is right around the corner in February.

The Secret History of Alexander the Inept Matthew Simoes CONTRIBUTOR

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FEATURES

Features Editor Téana Graziani features@readthemike.com

Students of St. Mike’s: V3.0: Chanell Adams Support and opportunities for University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) students interested in the literary arts are scarce. In light of this, and as The Mike looks to provide a platform for the recognition of exceptional USMC students, this issue’s Student of St. Mike’s will focus on at a current student who is writing to an audience beyond profs, TAs, and pads of paper in her room.

Chanell Adams is a third-year USMC student with a passion for writing. Her specific aim is toward empowering women and promoting equity between genders: connected notions that have gained a lot of traction and circulation through positive awareness campaigns and social movements. However, they are also both part of a larger conversation that does not occur nearly enough, even within the student community.

Chanell attempts to connect with her readers — no matter their gender — through her written works, which draw upon her personal experiences. Her readers find it easy to empathize and put themselves inside Chanell’s own narratives. In the process, they naturally become part of a two-pronged initiative geared toward the continued empowerment of women, one that ultimately allows Chanell to promote and facilitate discussion in new and effective ways.

Pran Sathiy / THE MIKE.

What year are you in and what are you studying?

I’m a third-year USMC student doing a major in Equity Studies and a double-minor in French and Women and Gender Studies.

Chanell Adams (Pran Sathiy / THE MIKE).

How did you get into writing?

In elementary school, I used to write mini-novels for fun about my friends,

Pran Sathiy STAFF WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER

family, and all the big deal issues I could endure at 12 years old (haha). As I got older and began receiving more exposure to the real world and real world issues, writing became less about entertaining people and more about creating relatable pieces about what I was going through and how I would get through it.

What inspired you to write articles about empowering women?

Again, after going through certain things in my own personal life as a young woman, I found that writing them out actually helped me sort my own ideas and create direction for my life.

I came to realize that things that I had experienced could well have been experienced by other women. Sometimes you just need to hear that everything is going to be okay or that it’s okay to be upset and to cry, and I figured that by writing about it, I would possibly be that voice to another young woman who may need to hear it. Thought Catalog being a blogging site and Mogul, the same, both geared toward empowering women, I decided to try to reach out to women and even other individuals that way.

Moving forward with your passion for writing, how has the university environment (specifically the parts outside of academics) helped to foster that passion?

University is a place where you meet all different types of people coming from different walks of life. While the ma-

jority of my writing is based on my experiences, I also find inspiration in the experiences of other women and the solutions they came up with. Intersectionality is also something that influences my writing, such as how aspects like race, religion, and culture can affect the outcome of situations. That being said, the coolest thing I have learned from university is that although there are many walks of life and many different stories, there are so many commonalities that, if the time is taken, could surprise you!

Pran Sathiy / THE MIKE.

You can find some of Chanell Adams’ work on Thought Catalog (https:// thoughtcatalog.com/chanell-adams/2017/02/to-the-one-who-hurtme-the-most/) and Mogul (https://onmogul.com/).

Tales of Christmas Past

An account of Christmas in the 1940s by Sr. Johanna D’Agostino, IBVM Sara Alonzi ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR A little girl stands outside in the chilly winter weather watching parade floats drift past. She has waited all year to see a certain gentleman in a red suit with a snow white beard. Finally, after much anticipation, he arrives down the street on his sled, presents in tow, and elves all around him. Santa Claus gears up for the final event. He would climb the big ladder into Eaton’s Toy Land, and stow away the presents for the children he would be visiting on Christmas night. With a flourish, and an exuberant “Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!”

Santa Claus disappears into the building, and the parade comes to an end.

In 2017, Sister Johanna D’Agostino, IBVM, of the Loretto Sisters recounts her favourite memories of her childhood Christmases during the 1940s. “Christmas Eve would always be the big celebration,” she says.

“Because I’m Italian, my whole family would gather, including my extended family.” Her mother would prepare the week before Christmas by making Italian pastries and traditional dishes. The house would be decorated, and a beautiful nativity scene would be placed under the decorated Christmas tree. A wreath was hung outside the front door.

Then came the big night! Once the guests began to arrive, it was a moment of reunion and a time to catch up on all of the family news. There were so many peo-

ple present, that there had to be two separate tables to fit everyone when it was time to eat. Sr. Johanna stresses that “the most important part of the Italian tradition, and also her own family’s tradition, was having the family come together and be united once again.” After opening presents, some family members would go back home and some would stay to sleep over. She stated, “There were so many people that we would sleep anywhere and everywhere.”

Christmas Day would be spent visiting her grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents, and her Confirmation sponsor. “It was easy to do back then because we all lived in the Italian District, right on College and Manning,” says Sr. Johanna. They would go house to house and by the end of the day, the families would gather together again for dinner to indulge in a Christmas turkey.

hood memories of Christmas but is even happier that the celebrations and family reunions have continued on to this day! She celebrates two Christmases now, one with her family and one with the Loretto Sisters.

Even though the Santa Claus parade has changed over the years, Sr. Johanna still visits the annual spectacle just like she did as a child, and always carries a wish list with her to hand in. At the 2017 Christmas Parade when Santa Claus passed by, she yelled out her wish to him, but is unsure if she will receive what she asked for. When I asked her what it was, she told me it was a secret! However, she is sure that it will come true.

Toward the end of the day, I asked Sr. Johanna what she thought the important message to take away from Christmas was. She said that the most important part of Christmas to her is “the birth of Christ.” She believes that preparing during Advent, and always remembering the gift of Christ during Christmastime, makes the holiday sacred for herself.

Sr. Johanna feels extremely fortunate for her child-

Jennifer Boothby / THE MIKE.