April 4, 2018 Issue by On the Record News (Formerly the Ryersonian)

Hockey player covers Paralympics

International students make Canada home

page 9

pages 6 & 7

yersonian R WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018

ryersonian.ca Volume 72 Number 21

Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism

Equal pay for equal work well is this going to be enforced?” Hargrove says there are still lots of questions that need to be answered to ensure these rules have the intended effect. Mazerolle said he was glad to hear about the legislation being put into effect officially, but said many workplaces with a union already pay their workers equally. Ryerson’s HR department has not yet confirmed with the Ryersonian if this new legislation will have an effect on student workers at the school, or if they’ve always paid their employees equally. Career Boost (formerly work study) positions are not unionized at Ryerson, while full-time positions are. The new “equal pay for equal work” rule came from the province’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act. This is the same act that raised Ontario’s minimum wage from $11.40 an hour to $14 on Jan. 1. To continue with this act, Premier Kathleen Wynne promised a $15 minimum wage, which is set to go into effect next January.

ANNA CIANNI RYERSONIAN

Intimates for every body

page 8

COURTESY JALISA LUCES-MENDES

What’s online Check out ryersonian.ca to read about a new app, created by Ryerson students, to help students find cheap food downtown.

Listen

Employers in Ontario are now required to pay part-time workers the same rate as full-time employees doing the same job. The legislation, which came into effect across Ontario on April 1, makes it illegal for part-time, casual and seasonal employees to make less than their full-time counterparts, if they are doing the same work. Ontario is the first jurisdiction in North America to legally require equal pay for part-time employees. “For students, this is really good news,” said Maurice Mazerolle, director of the Centre for Labour Management Relations (CLMR) at Ryerson University. Executive director of the CLMR Buzz Hargrove agreed, “It’s a great move from the government.” However, Hargrove, who has been advocating for legislation like this for many years, has some concerns. “Will employers comply? How

@anna_cianni13

Watch Morning Update

weekdays at 10 a.m. on CJRU And subscribe to the podcast

Ryersonian This Week on iTunes and Google Play

Morning Update weekdays at 10 a.m.

Ryersonian This Week Fridays at noon

Available on Facebook Live, ryersonian.ca, and on screens throughout the RCC

an 2

R yersonian

News

HOEM prices not student friendly page 5 Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Mixed feelings about U-Pass SERENA LALANI AND MATTHEW CHIN RYERSONIAN

The aim of the Universal Pass (U-Pass) is to benefit students who commute, but some are confused about how the new pass would work and how much it would cost. “To be honest I’ve never actually heard of the U-Pass,” said Ryerson student Simone Gavros.

“I don’t know if there was any advertisement about it but I’ve never been aware of it. So I feel I’ve either been out of the loop or it hasn’t been advertised.” The U-Pass is a proposed discounted Metropass for fulltime, post-secondary students. It would provide students unlimited access to the TTC during the academic year for a lesser price than the current Post-Secondary

Metropass, which costs $116.75 a month. For the U-Pass to be implemented at Ryerson, a referendum must be held and a majority of the full-time students who vote must be in favour of the pass. University of Toronto St. George, one of the schools that was to be a partner, recently held a referendum and students rejected the offer. Abbey Humphreys, a firstyear history student at Ryerson, was surprised to hear that Ryerson will still be voting on the U-Pass in the fall, in light of UofT’s rejection. “I thought all four schools had to say yes in order for it to be approved,” said Humphreys. Some commuter students, who say they understand the U-Pass. believe it would be a good value for money, if implemented. “I take the subway from North York to here so (the U-Pass) would definitely benefit me because when you’re down here you jump on the subway a couple times a day and it’s not always worth it for me to get an unlimited pass for the month so I just use PRESTO,” said second-year hospitality student Sabrina Jean. If approved, students will have to pay an additional $280 every semester toward their tuition. There will be an option for students to opt out on a case-bycase basis. Those will be handled by the university and how that would work has not yet been defined. Third-year social work student Paige Jemmet also said she thinks that adding the fee into the cost of tuition is beneficial. “That way you don’t have to be coughing up out of your own pocket and it’s already part of your school fees,” she said. For students that don’t rely on TTC to get around, an extra $280 a semester — working out to $70 a month — for the U-Pass just isn’t worth it.

Paul Fermo, a second-year business tech management student, wasn’t pleased after hearing that the pass would be mandatory for all full-time students. “(If U-Pass were approved,) I’d be a bit pissed off. I don’t want to spend $12 going back and forth, plus an

additional $70 that I’ll probably use only once or twice a week,” said Fermo. Ryerson will vote on the implementation of the U-Pass in fall 2018. @serena_lalani

Are you a creative in ﬁlm, theatre, fashion or music? Cast Meet Crew is a user-friendly app for creatives looking to work and collaborate with other creatives. For a limited time, students who sign up with a Ryerson email account get the premium version for free. Post casting calls, network with artists from around the world, send unlimited invites, and list up to six talents with 18 media ﬁles for each.

Meet your crew today!

Available from the App Store or Google Play For more info, visit castmeetcrew.com

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 R yersonian PERSONAL INFORMATION

News 3

onian

A Q-and-A with privacy expert Ann Cavoukian, distinguished expert-inresidence at Ryerson University’s Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence BRANDON BUECHLER RYERSONIAN

Last month’s Cambridge Analytica scandal reignited concerns over Facebook’s hold on our private information, resulting in advertisers pulling ads from the platform, class action lawsuits against the media giant and users beginning the #DeleteFacebook campaign. Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm, is accused of illegally obtaining the data of more than 50 million Facebook users in an attempt to influence political outcomes. In the wake of the scandal, the Ryersonian spoke to one of the world’s leading privacy experts about why students should care about the data breach, what the consequences for Facebook should be and how well Ontario fares when it comes to data privacy and online security. Ann Cavoukian is the former Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. As commissioner, she developed Privacy by Design, a framework that tries to proactively embed privacy into the design specifications of technologies,

infrastructure and policy to protect privacy from its origination. After serving three consecutive terms as commissioner, Cavoukian now leads Ryerson University’s Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence, as a distinguished expert-in-residence. Why should students care about the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica fiasco? Students should care about it because if they’ve got Facebook

I’m sure Canadians were caught up in there. I don’t know the numbers, but that’s one of the reasons why the federal privacy commissioner, Daniel Therrien, launched an official investigation into this. He’s very concerned about it and he thinks it’s outrageous that (Facebook) is not holding up to their agreements. I think, of course, some Canadians will be impacted. The whole movement, the hashtag #DeleteFacebook is growing dramatically and I think the consequences for

Privacy and security in the age of Facebook

COURTESY RYERSON UNIVERSITY

Ann Cavoukian leads Ryerson’s Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence.

the FTC said they’re going to launch an investigation into this. Here’s why it’s such a big deal: their ruling was a landmark decision in 2011. The consequences for violating the consent decree? $40,000 a day per violation – multiply that by 50 million. Two trillion dollars in one day? Yes. They’re taking it very seriously. The financial consequences of this will be very sig-

And if people don’t want to leave Facebook, people at least need to revisit their privacy settings and set them all anew. accounts, their information is going to countless unknown third parties without their knowledge or consent. And this should not be the case; that’s why Facebook is being slammed so hard by regulators in multiple jurisdictions. They’re violating a number of agreements. I think people need to be in control of the information that they put on social media and Facebook said that you could control it, that you could restrict access to your data – and now it’s clear that’s not what they’re doing. What are the chances Canadians were caught up in the 50 million accounts that were compromised?

Facebook are going to be severe. If you were still commissioner, what do you think an appropriate consequence for Facebook would be? It would depend on the extent of the damages that (Daniel Therrien) finds. But, for example in the U.S., Facebook signed a consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2011 – the FTC regulates privacy down there – and the FTC said to Facebook: ‘You’re not honouring the commitments you made to users.’ You have to abide by the terms (of) the consent decree, which says you have to honour their request for privacy. (Last week),

nificant. And there’s already class action lawsuits that have been initiated. But I think even worse than the financial hit – they’ve already taken a 13 per cent hit to their stock – greater than that, could be the mass exodus of their customers. Is it really reasonable to think that there will be a mass exodus, though? Facebook is so deeply ingrained in how we operate online. It will depend on what other instruments arise, social media platforms that people can migrate to. The old adage “too big to fail” is so yesterday. When Facebook came in, Myspace was huge. I don’t know if you remember

Myspace, but that was a platform that was huge and within a year or two, Facebook totally took over and Myspace is gone. Nobody’s on Myspace. So, I want to suggest that they have to take this very seriously. And if people don’t want to leave Facebook, people at least need to revisit their privacy settings and set them all anew. Because I can tell you right now, they’re going to be taken very seriously. What’s the state of Ontario’s data privacy and online security? Are we doing OK? We’re doing great. The reason we’re doing great is first, we have independent oversight – privacy commissioners. I never reported to the government of the day; I reported to the legislative committee through the Speaker [of the House], so I had a lot more freedom. I criticized the government a lot in my reports and if I reported to the government of the day, they would’ve fired me. We’ve also been doing Privacy by Design for years, to complement our regulatory compliance, our privacy laws. Privacy by Design is all about trying to proactively protect data right at the beginning to try and prevent the privacy harms from arising. You want to prevent the harm, not deal with the aftermath. We’ve been leading in this area. In 2010, Privacy by Design was unanimously passed as an international standard by the International Assembly of Privacy Commissioners and it’s been translated in 40 languages, so it has a real global presence. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. @bueky21

44 News

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

yersonian

PERSONAL FINANCE

R yersonian

Students want tax tips RYAN TUCHOW RYERSONIAN

Isaiah Campbell, a computer science student at Ryerson, doesn’t do his own taxes. His parents do them for him. Campbell says there should be more resources for students so they can learn how to do their taxes themselves. “I think it should be part of the curriculum that is mandatory (in high schools) because it is an important life skill that I think people should be able to do. When I have to become independent, it will become more of a thing I am stressed about.” First-year business management student Shaeth Tirulokan also doesn’t do his taxes. While he isn’t currently working, Tirulokan said that he will start once he gets a job. “Obviously, I’ll be doing my

own taxes. I’ll try to learn how to do my own taxes when I start getting income. I kind of do wish our program teaches us how to do your taxes so we can be more knowledgeable ... I remember something about when you receive your bursaries you can include that in your taxes, but some people don’t know how to do that.” Ryerson student Megan Devoe says she has other people who file her taxes for her. “I leave it up to my parents basically and they pay someone to do it for them … It’s easier to let them do everyone in the same household. Right now, I’m pretty happy I don’t need to deal with it myself.” Like Campbell and Tirulokan, Devoe also believes there should be more education on taxes available to students. “When you’re in high school, there should be this course maybe that teaches you your options

when it comes to taxes and what you can do. Because I’m definitely guilty of still definitely not knowing what happens. I just give my mom my T4 and that’s it.” Stephanie Ciani, a first-year fashion design student said that she’s a bit different than the average Ryerson student, when it comes to taxes. “I’m older than the typical university student, so I have been doing it for about 10 years now. In high school we had a class that I took, but also my mom (worked) in payroll. It’s just something I’ve always been comfortable with,” she said. “Elementary and high school should be preparing you for the actual real world applications. So I feel like focusing more so on those kinds of things instead of things that you’re not actually using in the real world would be more useful.” Tax season doesn’t really stress

Ciani out because, as a student, she doesn’t have a lot of income to worry about, and as she said, “I like the tax rebates, so I’m down.” Kamal Khera, the MP for Brampton West and the parliamentary secretary to the minister of national revenue, explained why it’s important for students to file their taxes. “I was a student back in 2013. We all work hard. It is difficult and it is stressful, but students need to understand why it is important to file taxes. You can get so many credits that many people don’t know about. Moving expenses, child-care benefits if you’re a parent, (the) cost of monthly transit passes, tuition, textbooks, GST rebates are all things you can get credits for.” Khera said the CRA is investing nearly a billion dollars to improve services like their call centres, as well as to tackle tax evasion.

“There are a lot of places students can go to if they need help filing their taxes. There is the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. This is a long running program that sees community organizations help eligible community members with a modest income file their taxes, free of charge.” Anyone can visit the CRA website to find a tax preparation clinic near them. The deadline to file taxes, for most people, is April 30. The Continuing Education Students’ Association at Ryerson (CESAR) is running a tax clinic where eligible students can get assistance filing their taxes. More information is available on the CESAR website. The last day to use this clinic is April 7. @RyanTuchow

KA 819 #824202

Now leasing for September! LIMITED 8 MONTH LEASES AVAILABLE &

@ ParksideStudentResidence

APPLY @ LIVE-PARKSIDE.COM ·

Walk or bike to class at Ryerson University

Private bedrooms & bathrooms

Fully furnished suites

24-hour, state-of-the-art fitness centre

Group & private study lounges

Recreation centre with billiards & arcade games

Garage parking available

Internet included in every suite

Individual liability leases & roommate matching available

Amenities & utilities included are subject to change. Limited time only. See office for details.

R yersonian

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Student friendly?

DAVID LAO | RYERSONIAN

Ryerson’s newest student residence is too expensive for students, say critics SERENA LALANI RYERSONIAN

Toronto’s housing affordability crisis has spilled over onto Ryerson’s campus in the form of HOEM, the school’s newest and most expensive student residence yet. The residence is set to open

News 5 4

onian

this fall, its cheapest option for students being a four-occupant apartment costing a little over $1,400 per person per month. “The development of a new residence building is necessary. However, the key piece that Ryerson students are looking for is affordability,” said RSU president Susanne Nyaga. “Although there

are some great amenities in this building, I think students would have been willing to forgo a gym if that meant a more affordable price.” HOEM is the product of a partnership between Ryerson University and Canadian Student Communities Inc. (CSCI) Matthew Stein, CSCI project manager, told the Ryersonian that the price was decided based on value and neighbouring market

prices. “We asked ourselves, ‘Are we delivering the value for which we’re charging?’ and we believe we are,” Stein said. However, there are alternatives in the area with lower price tags. Off-campus student residence Campus Common is a popular choice for Ryerson students. Its cheapest option is a three-bedroom unit for $895 per person

STUDENT SPECIAL Receive 20% off with code:

TCA2018

MATT HAMILTON TEAM SHUSTER

EUNJUNG KIM TEAM KIM

KAITLYN LAWES TEAM JONES

THE BEST CURLERS IN THE WORLD ARE COMING TO RYERSON’S MATTAMY ATHLETIC CENTRE

APR 10–15, 2018 FOR TICKETS VISIT THEGRANDSLAMOFCURLING.COM THEGRANDSLAMOFCURLING.COM

#GSOC

Now Offering 8 Month Leases!

JARVIS STREET

YONGE STREET

All-inclusive living in downtown Toronto’s premier student residence.

THE ROM

QUEEN’S PARK

LITTLE ITALY

KENSINGTON MARKET

CAMPUSONE

CHINA TOWN AGO

N O W QUEEN WEST FASHION DISTRICT

ENING UMMER

SPADINA AVENUE

Fall 2018

@serena_lalani

YORKVILLE

BLOOR STREET

UNIVERSITY AVENUE

Secure Your Space.

@GRANDSLAMCURL

METRO HOSPITAL

MATTAMY ATHLETIC CENTRE MAPLE LEAF GARDENS

COLLEGE STREET

DUNDAS STREET

L E A S I N EATON G CENTRE CITY HALL

Fully-furnished suites Professional, on-site management Bike storage with on-site repair station

Individual liability leases KING STREET

RIPLEY’S AQUARIUM CN TOWER AIR CANADA CENTRE ROGERS CENTRE

GARDINER EXPRESSWAY BILLY BISHOP AIRPORT

This is CampusOne. Close to Ryerson, OCADU and directly across the street from UofT. Apply Now at Live-CampusOne.ca or visit us at 253 College Street for a tour TODAY! *CampusOne is an independently owned and operated residence affiliated with the University and the University assumes no responsibility in regard to any agreements entered into by students/residents with the Owner and the Operator. The University makes no representations or warranties and assumes no responsibility for the conditions of services provided at the Academic Residence.

(with product)

Acne, Acne Scars Free 15 min Electrolysis/Laser

HOCKEY HALL OF FAME

Roommate matching Fireplace Lounge 9,000 sf 3-meal Food Program Communal & Quiet Study Rooms Best in class WiFi included ROY THOMSON HALL Video Game Lounge 24/7 on-site security Penthouse Level SkyLounge Directly across the street from UNION STATION And more... UofT’s St. George Campus

FREE FACIAL Dry & Oily Skin

QUEEN STREET

FIVE STAR AMENITIES

Movie Theatres Ping-Pong Lounge

KING WESTInnovation Lounge Fitness Centre ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT Arcade Lounge

per month. While Campus Common does not offer all the amenities and modern furnishings of HOEM, there are nearby listings that are comparable and yet preferable. For example, a two-bedroom apartment at the nearby Karma Condos costs $2,850 in total. “(HOEM’s) rates are similar to the rates of renting in downtown Toronto ... Overall, our campus needs more options for residence however, it needs to be at a student friendly rate,” Nyaga said. “We already hear from students that the current residence prices could be better, so I don’t understand the logic behind increasing the cost.” However, Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi says the university has been fighting for years for lower rent prices, but that CSCI was responsible for the final price. “This housing is a partnership. The building has been constructed and paid by a private partner,” Lachemi said. “All we could do was try our best to lower (the price), but it’s not something that we have control over because it’s completely done and paid for by the private sector … We negotiated, we pushed very hard. However, at the end of the day, it’s their decision.”

ST LAWRENCE MARKET

victoryskincare.com

Yonge & Beautiful Cosmetic Clinic 384 Yonge Street, Unit 8 At Aura Shopping Yonge/Gerrard 416-921-2512

bestbeautydeal@hotmail.com

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Features yersonian

R yers

Welcome to Canada. We’re th In the aftermath of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, Ontario sees spike in international student enrolment

students have been enrolling in American colleges since the election of Donald Trump and indicated a 45 per cent drop in the enrolment from foreign students. Similar drops have been reported in Britain as well in recent years. In the 2017-2018 school year, 123,639 international students enrolled in a college or university in Ontario. That’s 24 per cent more than the previous academic year. “Lots of people who would normally go to (the United States) instead look up north to the friendly neighbour,” said Jos Nolle, dean of Seneca International. Nolle came to Toronto from Holland because he married a Canadian. He said Trump isn’t the only exterior factor increasing the flow of international students into Canada – Brexit, the U.K.’s exit from the European Union, has also become a major influence. “The U.K. has started becoming a lot less welcoming to international students,” he said. Ryerson alone experienced a 40 per cent increase in international student enrolment last year. Other Toronto schools experienced this increase as well, but on a smaller scale. The University of Toronto – which already draws a large number of international students – saw a 22 per cent increase in applications from international students. Nolle also said more international students, specifically those coming from India, are starting to choose Canada over the United States.

The is be

COURTESY ANIRUDDHA BHATT

Aniruddha Bhatt, 25, chose Canada over the U.S. and Britain because the country gives him a “sense of belonging.” JULIA KNOPE AND DANA DWAIK RYERSONIAN

Aniruddha Bhatt remembers looking out his plane window and seeing a snowy white landscape. The view marked a key lifetime moment: the end of his 34-hour plane journey from India, and his arrival in Canada. Bhatt hopped on that plane on Dec. 20, 2017, leaving the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. He arrived in Toronto on Dec. 22, just before Christmas. He said he wanted to experience the “hype” of a North American Christmas and he wasn’t disappointed. “It snowed the day I landed, and it was one of the most beautiful sights I have seen in my life,” Bhatt said. “Like a wonderland.”

He left behind his family, his job and his life to study computer engineering at George Brown College. Bhatt was lucky. He had relatives he was able to stay with in Toronto for the first few days until he found a spot in a student residence, which he located through online listings upon arrival. The weather is what he remembers most from his first few days. For the first time, he understood what it meant to endure a Canadian winter. “It was quite a (memory),” he said. “I visited Lake Ontario and took a walk in downtown Toronto, all packed with snow.” Bhatt came because he thought achieving his dream career would be easier with a Canadian education. He said because of recent events – the

***

election of President Donald Trump and Brexit – the U.S. and Britain weren’t favourable options. It appears , he’s not the only one to feel that way. *** Over the past five years, international student enrolment in Ontario has grown by 70 per cent in public universities and 185 per cent in public colleges, said Tanya Blazina, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Education. In 2017 The New York Times reported on a survey conducted by the Institute of International Education, an American nonprofit organization that conducts research on international education. The data from the survey confirmed that far fewer international

“You’re attracted to the places that give you a sense of security, a sense of belongingness and enthusiasm at the same time,” Bhatt said. “You have a lot of scope in terms of work and industry.” He said he has been “pleasantly surprised” by the help that has been provided to him throughout his adjustment. He was embraced by teachers and classrooms and quickly found a job. Bhatt also said how refreshing it has been for him to live in a multicultural society. When he rides the streetcar or takes the subway, he is pleased to see a people from different backgrounds and ethnic groups, including his own. He also said that he has the impression that immigrants find more success in Canada than other first-world countries.

sonian

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Features

he friendly neighbours. “You hear in the media things about Trump and Brexit and how they aren’t immigration friendly and how they’re more pro towards (people in) their own country, “ Bhatt said. “It might be good for them, but looking at it from the perspective of an immigrant, it doesn’t serve our essential security,” he said. *** “The only reason I didn’t go is because of racism,” said Shishir Kc on why he didn’t move to the United States to go to school. Kc is an international student from Nepal. When he spoke to his friends living in the U.S. about potentially going to school in America, they told him, “it’s not good out there.” He arrived in Toronto almost a year ago with plans to become a chef. Despite his bachelor’s degree and three years of work experience from back home, he thought a Canadian degree would yield better opportunities. He’s not yet finished his two-year culi-

in the United States and the U.K. than in Canada. Ning was an international student, who came from China 20 years ago. “I see thousands and thousands doing the same path I did,” she said. “It wasn’t easy.” Her main reason for choosing Canada was because of how welcoming it seemed to newcomers. “It’s not (a) surprise in (Toronto) we have a large international population,” she said. “Geographically and from a global perspective.” She said studying internationally is the current trend in higher education. York has also seen an increase in international students, although it hasn’t been as dramatic as other schools. She said the school’s target is to have international students account for 20 per cent of all students in the next couple of years. Nolle said attracting international students is a “very competitive” field, but that Seneca’s mandate is to provide spots to domestic students first. “It would be nice to get international students in, but we aren’t going to say no to the domestic,” he said.

e only reason I didn’t go ecause of racism. — Shishir Kc nary management program at George Brown College, but he’s already working as a line chef at Momofuku Noodle Bar. When he first came, he wasn’t planning on staying in Toronto after finishing school, but now he wants to stay for at least another year. If all goes well, he said he might end up staying four to five additional years before heading home. Seneca marketing student Karthikeyan Kumaran had a similar mindset to Kc. “Considering the things happening in the U.S. and unsafe things, Canada was more of a place where it has different cultured people and it gives you a safe environment,” Kumaran said. *** It’s important to note, however, that the U.S and the U.K. are still at the top of UNESCO’s 2014 top 20 list of all countries for international students. Diana Ning, the associate director of international student and scholar services at York, said that’s because there are more schools

***

International students pay about three times the average of domestic students, but there are specific reasons for this dramatic difference. For each domestic student who enrols, the ministry gives the school a grant. When it comes to international students, there’s no grant from the ministry. In fact, Noelle said that there are additional fees the school must pay. He said the school also helps provide international students with services they need, which equates to extra costs. This includes services like securing visas, health insurance, work permits and alternate learning aids. “We’re helping them holistically with every aspect of their life,” he said. “We’re talking about a youth’s life: learning to live alone, learning to live abroad, learning to succeed ... it’s a real challenge.” But these fees for higher learning are still hard for some international students to manage. *** “I had a Ryerson professor insinuate to me that (I’m) already lucky to be (at Ryerson), so what more do (I) expect? (He said,) ‘If I came to your country, you wouldn’t be expecting for me to get a scholarship, would you?’” said

Adela Zyfi, a 22-year-old international student from Albania. She said this conversation with her professor happened when she went during office hours. Zyfi said being perceived as wealthy and privileged, because she’s an international student, is common. As an international student Zyfi pays the university nearly $25,000 per year, while domestic students in the same biomedical sciences program pay around $7,500 each year. “I am sitting in the same classroom with my domestic (student) counterpart, we’re listening to the same professor, doing the same coursework, writing the same test with the same equipment,” said Zyfi. “I don’t understand why (my tuition) has to be double to triple.” International students across Canada are permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours each week by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. And according to Zyfi, that doesn’t cover the basics of being a student. “It’s just not enough,” she said. “It’s not enough when you consider tuition, rent, food, living expenses and going out like a normal human being.” International student adviser Tharsy Selvanantham explains that the 20-hour limit has been placed, “so students can have a balance between school and work,” and added that 20 hours of work is a lot for one week. Zyfi came to Canada for a better education than what she was offered in her home country of Albania. She said she knew the costs before coming to Toronto, but she thought she would have more financial support once she arrived.

COURTESY KARTHIKEYAN KUMARAN

Marketing student Karthikeyan Kumaran.

COURTESY ADELA ZYFI

*** To offset these costs, as of March 2018, Ryerson International Student Support is awarding 10 scholarships to international students, as well as an emergency bursary, which students can use one time during their studies at Ryerson. But 10 scholarships means only 10 students are helped. Despite the overwhelming support Bhatt received, he said he wishes international students had access to more financial aid. “Domestic students are more favoured … but ironically international students are the ones who need it the most because they pay higher fees than domestic students,” he said. Despite the fees, Bhatt said the work opportunities provided as a result of receiving an education in Toronto make up for his costs. “I’m finding a new reason every other day to stay here,” he said. @JuliaKnope @DDwaik

Biomedical sciences student Adela Zyfi.

COURTESY SHISHIR KC

Culinary management student Shishir Kc.

an 8

R yersonian

Arts & Life

Toni Marlow video & photos ryersonian.ca Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Comfort and style for every body MACKENZIE ALLEN RYERSONIAN

A Toronto brand is fighting the battle for inclusivity and comfort, one pair of undergarments at a time. Toni Marlow, a Ryerson Fashion Zone startup, is dedicated to “defying gender norms, challenging stereotypes and building a positive, powerful and progressive future” with its signature line of all-inclusive boxer briefs. “I needed underwear that was comfortable, that suited me,” said founder and lead designer Jalisa

Luces-Mendes. “I knew a lot of my friends in the same demographic probably had the same problem, so I sent out a survey and got back a good amount of responses that indicated there was a need here to fill.” Luces-Mendes says that she sent the surveys out in April or May of 2015, and that the first prototype was completed in July of that year. The company’s genesis would come almost a year and a half later, when Toni Marlow officially launched at the end of 2016. “I graduated from Ryerson in

COURTESY TONI MARLOW

2015 for business management/ entrepreneurship . . . and from there we just hit the ground running,” she explained. The founder connected with the Ryerson Fashion Zone, thanks to someone she worked with on her previous startup (Proof.It Rentals, a sort of “Rate My Profs”style platform for landlords and rentals). The Fashion Zone helped give her the support necessary to grow Toni Marlow into what it is today. “(Toni Marlow) is important because of the often still radically binary design, marketing, and retailing of fashion today,” said Ryerson School of Fashion professor Alison Matthews David. “Which now starts from earliest childhood with pink and blue clothing and accessories . . . Even mass-produced diapers and pullups come in ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ styles, so children have gendered ‘underwear’ before they’re even wearing underwear.” Toni Marlow currently offers specially-made boxers for women and trans men, designed to better fit their bodies. They include a layer inside that lifts up, allowing you to insert pads with wings; another model of “packer” boxers features a pocket in which you can insert a prosthesis. “Underwear is worn more privately, but access to undergarments that feel and look good for everyone on the gender spectrum has not been a given, which can lead to having problems with ‘comfort’ both in terms of sizes and styling,” said Matthews David. “We are very much a comfort-loving society, but comfort is more than physical, it’s psychological as well.” Toni Marlow is dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in more ways than just clothing; it donates a dollar from every sale to suicide prevention through Egale Canada. “Suicide affects everyone,

COURTESY TONI MARLOW

Above: Toni Marlow models hoist a sign at a fashion show. Left: A model, adorned in TM boxer briefs, walks the catwalk.

whether it’s your own personal thoughts, feelings, or actions, or those of someone else . . . I personally believe it’s preventable, with the right knowledge, support and tools,” said Luces-Mendes, who strategically focused Toni Marlow’s charitable efforts on the issue after losing a childhood friend to suicide. Luces-Mendes said the company also works with suicideprevention.ca, because not all of the brand’s patrons fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. She’s gone as far as to include a suicide prevention page (including statistics, infographics and links to further information and support) to Toni Marlow’s official website as a testament to her passionate fight for the cause. “When we think of underwear marketing or take a walk through the Eaton Centre, we’re bombarded by larger than life-sized

images of thin, almost-naked white models in ads for brands like Victoria’s Secret,” said Matthews David, who saw Luces-Mendes speak at the school of fashion’s Transdressing event in November 2017. “I personally find this type of marketing offensive. Looking at TM’s website and product line gives a completely different message about diversity and body positivity. It’s refreshing and empowering.” So what’s next for Toni Marlow? According to Luces-Mendes, the company is only getting started. “I want to bring our community to the forefront of media, fashion and retail,” she said. “How can we foster allyship, conversation, and just make the world a better place for everyone.” @Macksimum_

R yersonian

Sports

Rye blogger’s photo gallery ryersonian.ca Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Rye to Pyeongchang

COURTESY AILISH FORFAR

JULIA RANNEY SPECIAL TO THE RYERSONIAN

After leaving an unmatched imprint on the Ryerson Rams women’s hockey program in only two years, star forward Ailish Forfar continues her career on the other side of the camera. The second-year RTA sport media major came back from Pyeonchang last month after video blogging about the Paralympics. Forfar won the opportunity to

cover the Paralympics by submitting a video to a contest by Samsung. She boarded the plane to South Korea only days after her career as a Ram came to a close. The experience allowed her to reflect on her journey as an athlete. “I’ve had success, but now I can tell stories of Paralympians just as passionate as me,” said Forfar. Forfar came to Ryerson in 2016 after playing three years at Dartmouth College, As team captain

this season, she led scoring with 11 goals and 23 points and helped the Rams earn their first ever post-season win. She’s also a dynamo off-ice, where she’s an Academic All-Canadian and participated in a humanitarian trip to Cambodia last year. This year, she’ll serve as a student leader helping to fundraise and plan a humanitarian trip to Ghana. As captain, she pushes her teammates to contribute to the community.

“She has an ambition to help others and that’s what makes her a great leader,” said head coach Lisa Haley. “She recognized her role as captain is about making those around her better players and that’s what she focuses on doing both on and off the ice.” While in Korea, Forfar received the news she was the first Ryerson women’s hockey player to win the prestigious Marion Hilliard Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions

to community service. The blogging experience follows the humanitarian ethos of her other travels. “It was a culmination of everything sports is to me, specifically the level of unity and global connectedness of sports,” said Forfar. The experience was one she said she would “never forget.” @RanneyJulia

an 10

R yersonian

Editorial

Read more Opinions online ryersonian.ca Wednesday, April 4, 2018

EDITORIAL

Entering adulthood Most fourth-year students are ending their undergraduate journey in less than two weeks. Some students will pursue a post-graduate education while others won’t. And for those who are not, the thought of possibly never going to school again can be daunting. Since we were four years old, we’ve been students. That’s 18 years of our lives dedicated towards learning, testing and attending class. So there are definitely upsides to graduating. It’s a relief realizing that we won’t have to wake up for an 8 a.m. lecture just to fall asleep in the classroom, pull an all-nighter studying for an exam, or ever have that back-to-school feeling after a relaxing summer vacation, ever again. But the anxiety that comes from the realization that graduating officially marks the beginning of adulthood is nerve-racking. Going forward, we won’t see our friends every day, we won’t be able to complain about our classes anymore and most of all, we won’t all have one thing in common: being a student. This time last year, it was a given that the semester was ending, but we still had the comfort of knowing where we would be the next year. We knew on some level where our lives were going and what we had to do to get there. Now, we don’t. Now we will be the ones telling the younger students to, “enjoy it while it lasts.” No longer being a student is scary, and it’s important to

prepare for what’s to come. You are now in the pilot’s seat. You don’t have to follow a strict system which seeks to define you based on your grades. You won’t have to speak to your classmates that you secretly dislike. You can choose what happens next. Whether or not you’ve figured out what you want to do after these last two weeks, knowing that there are endless possibilities for you outside of campus and student-life can be liberating. Being an adult doesn’t have to be daunting. You have the ability to define the kind of adult you want to be. Students have proven that they are capable of implementing change, so why not change the way society sees adults? We don’t have to be these individuals who have their whole lives figured out. There’s still room for self-discovery. You are about to start a new adventure of figuring out your identity outside of being a student. You will gain new experiences, a broader sense of self, and meet a variety of new people outside of school. Everything that we’ve been through as students has helped shape who we are today and has prepared us for what’s to come. So embrace this change with the strength and resilience that we’ve all learned throughout our academic journey. We’ve been through a lot of stress and tears throughout the past 18 years and now it’s our turn to shine as adults.

MELISSA ORO | RYERSONIAN

OPINION

Banning homework RYAN TUCHOW RYERSONIAN

Last week Elizabeth Ballantyne Public School, an elementary school in Quebec, banned homework. I believe they have the right idea as I’ve also been one of the many students that see homework as a large source of stress in their lives.

According to the 2003 Brown Center report on American education, homework can be a source of stress between parents and children at home. Schools in Canada have been banning homework for the past few years and at Elizabeth Ballantyne Public School, the decision is already proving to be a good one. Michael Brown, the principal of the school, explained in an email that there are a number of positive changes since the ban was implemented. “We feel there is a better vibe in school,” wrote Brown. “Fewer student-teacher conflicts. Professionals who come to the school were the first ones to point out (the) change (in atmosphere) to me, which was nice to hear…” Ryan Bird, a spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board, said the TDSB is not considering banning homework. With this, the TDSB shows it is just holding onto old ideas around the value of making kids do work when they get home. By keeping homework around,

the school system is inviting stress at a time when kids need to grow and develop as human beings. Working hard in school under the daily deadlines of regular in-class work mirrors how a reallife job operates. Giving children work to take home might encourage them to continue to take work home with them when they become adults, which can ultimately affect their mental health. Kids deserve to be kids. I can only imagine the fun times I could have had if I wasn’t stuck doing homework. Homework stole some of my opportunities to be a kid because its purpose was to make me an adult. Why not give kids a break? When they’re out of school, they really should be out of school. Children are only young for a short time. They have their whole lives to work. @RyanTuchow

R yersonian