February 1, 2017 Issue by On the Record News (Formerly the Ryersonian)

Why I won’t see Split page 10

Musicians@Ryerson search for play spaces page 8

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ryersonian.ca Volume 71 Number 13

Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism

RSU execs feel Mosque shooting 6 Fest blues

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SHAWNTAE HARRIS RYERSONIAN

Torontonians attended a vigil Monday to mourn victims of the Quebec City mosque shooting. ryersonian.ca What’s online Text goesout here. Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx Check the ryersonian.ca for articles on vapxxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx ing, RSU elections, Brock Ryerson rivalry and Xxxxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx xxx xx xvs. x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxxxx xxxxx more..... Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx

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Two Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) executives on the election path are butting heads over recent controversies regarding 6 Fest refunds. According to RSU vice-president Neal Muthreja, the union got “lost in the hype” of the festival. Muthreja — Ohana slate’s presidential candidate — says fellow RSU executive Harman Singh, who organized 6 Fest, botched the event’s refund process. Muthreja is running against Singh, the RSU’s vice-president student life and events, for president. Singh is with the Spark slate. RSU president Obaid Ullah is also running on Spark for faculty director of engineering and architectural science (REAS). “It’s better to do your own thing than half-heartedly support someone else,” said Muthreja, explaining why he’s running on a

different slate than his colleagues. Muthreja said Singh mishandled the refund process for students’ tickets. Refunds occurred because the concert’s date was changed from from Sept. 23-24 to Thanksgiving weekend, Oct. 9-10. Some students couldn’t attend as a result. “I know Harman tried his best, but certain things didn’t go his way. He could have done better planning,” said Muthreja. A statement was posted on the RSU’s Facebook page in November regarding 6 Fest. “We know we’ve let you down in many ways and you deserve an explanation,” the statement read. According to Muthreja, Eventbrite transferred 6 Fest refund money backto the RSU account days after the concert. Muthreja said this was done because communication with Eventbrite was difficult. After issues with Eventbrite, the RSU decided to send students their money through e-transfer. Please see 6 FEST, page 2

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Students still awaiting refunds

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Muthreja says that in mid-November, he wanted to issue cheques to students, but Singh believed e-transfers would be the quickest and easiest option. “We thought of doing cheques but we never did cheques,” Ullah said. An email was sent to students who did not receive payment through e-transfer. Some students say they did not get this email. Nadia Ramsumeer, a fifth-year Ryerson student, messaged the RSU on Facebook. They replied to one of three messages and gave two different numbers that did not pick up. “I think they need to take more responsibility. Whatever happened was out of their control, I’m not mad. But, I feel like they just don’t want to deal with the problem,” said Ramsumeer. In a message to the Ryersonian, Singh wrote, “I very much believe that communication is

something the students’ union has to improve on.” After waiting approximately three months after 6 Fest for ticket refunds, The Eyeopener reported Singh was transferring RSU refund money into his personal bank account. According to Ullah, Singh transferred RSU refund money into his account due to limit restrictions. Muthreja says “the whole refund process could have been done faster if they would have listened to me. They’re not focusing on the key issues like communication and fiscal responsibility. That was one of the biggest reasons they created the divide.” “There’s nothing more frustrating than getting no clarity,” said Mohammed Amin, a McMaster University student. Amin applied for the refund for his four tickets and has not received the money. Since October, Amin has sent

over six emails to the student union with no response. “If they take on this responsibility they need to be held accountable,” said Amin. Muthreja says he wants to create RSU bylaws to ensure members are not allowed to transfer student union funds into their personal accounts. Muthreja added that the transfer of money into personal accounts is not the “cleanest way” of doing things. “I feel like concerts are good but they’re a huge financial black hole,” said Muthreja. “The two main points I’m running on (for RSU president with Ohana) is fiscal responsibility and communication. It’s hardwired into my brain to help the student union get out of the deficit somehow.” RSU is in deficit of $812,000 as of the 2015/2016 academic year, according to a financial auditing report. The deficit for the 2016/2017 is not clear. Singh

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Students with 6 Fest tickets were disappointed when the show was postponed.

said he cannot comment on the finances for this year since the “books aren’t closed.” Singh wrote that all 150-200 leftover refunds should be done by the third week of February. The current vice-president

student life and events said he will set up a table at the Student Learning Centre (SLC) to speak with students about the refunds. @shawntaeharris

Victim film called ‘rape narrative’ ROBYN BELL RYERSONIAN

An RTA School of Media (RTA) student has received backlash for a short film following a perpetrator’s perspective of sexual assault. Some students are offended by the content of the film, Victim, using social media to voice their concerns. The film was approved by media school faculty members for a practicum project. Third-year creative industries student Fiona Kenney was upset

by sympathetic language used to describe the main character in the document outlining the approved projects. “The idea that these students and this story ... made it through an interview process with faculty and were APPROVED makes me feel angry, sick and frankly unsafe on campus,” wrote Kenney, in a Facebook post Friday. The film, described as a psychological thriller, follows Sean, a “funny,” “caring” and “seemingly kind-hearted” college student as

he’s stalked by an unknown man. In the film’s finale, the stalker is revealed as the boyfriend of a woman he sexually assaulted at a party. Dylan Authors — writer and director of Victim, and a thirdyear media student — said his film highlights the important issue of sexual violence on university campuses. He said he wants to show that seemingly pleasant characters are capable of sinister acts. According to Kenney, there are

many students in the class who are upset with the assignment, though they don’t want to speak against professors who grade their work. Kenney said she is worried that, by allowing this project to move forward, it will send a message to students that this “rape narrative” is OK to produce. “(Victim) can show that this reality among college settings is a real issue,” said Authors. “I’m trying to show that (sexual violence) is a reality and I’m trying to do it

in a negative light.” Authors added that his group is planning on doing extensive research, including speaking to survivors of sexual violence.

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It’s complicated: RSU and CFS

Candidates for RSU executive positions discuss the Canadian Federation of Students DENI VERKLAN RYERSONIAN

The Ryerson Student Union’s (RSU) relationship with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is starting to become more “productive,” says vice-president education, Victoria Morton. In September, tensions between the RSU and CFS were rising after the release of the RSU’s report on its membership with the CFS, along with a joint letter the RSU and nine other student unions wrote expressing dissatisfaction with the federation. The report touched on concerns with CFS’s transparency, governance and offered services. It also highlighted issues with the national CFS’s website not including meeting minutes and the CFS bylaw that prohibits member student unions, like the RSU, from listing more than $500,000 of membership fees in their budgets. The joint letter echoed many sentiments of the RSU report and expressed concern over how the CFS responds to criticism and dissent among its members. During a debate hosted by the Ryersonian on Sept. 20, former RSU president and chairperson for the CFS-Ontario, Rajean Hoilett, denounced the report, saying it had “gross inconsistencies” and “inaccurate information.” Daniel Lis, who is running for vice-president of education on the Spark slate in the current RSU election and co-authored the report, said he would co-operate with the CFS. But he said he shares concerns voiced by Morton and former vice-president education Cormac McGee. McGee bypassed the CFS by contacting government officials directly. During his 2015-2016 term, he presented TransForm Ryerson’s vision during the university funding model rework, the discussion of unpaid internships and Ontario’s new tuition framework.

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For the past couple of years there have been tensions between the Ryerson Students’ Union and the Canadian Federation of Students.

At the time, the Ryersonian reported that McGee said, “It does make it more accessible, but it’s not the end. This is a work in progress, but it’s a good step.” In years prior to TransForm Ryerson’s election into office, the RSU was closely aligned to the CFS and its tactics. This led to protests for certain issues, such as the 2014 Freeze the Fees camp-out in front of Jorgenson Hall where predominantly RSU executives and CFS officials called for lower tuition fees while braving subzero temperatures. The Ontario government raised tuitions by 2.2 per cent in fall 2015. According to the CFS, Morton broke a bylaw in November, stipulating that she must be present at all CFS rallies and protests, including the 2016 Fight the Fees campaign. Morton believes that her breaking the bylaw was justified. In a tweet, Morton said: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. But hey, #FightTheFees right?” Ohana slate’s candidate for

vice-president education, Natalia Burgos, says that the Fight the Fees campaign was one of the CFS’s “greatest initiatives.” “As tuition fees are expected to go up by three to five per cent every year, I think it’s necessary that we find creative solutions to this problem,” says Burgos. She added that Ohana does not plan to “draw awareness to the CFS.” Lis says that there were some aspects of the RSU-CFS relationship that she strongly thinks “need to be reviewed and that need to be assessed…. It’s my job to work with (CFS), so I will. But if the students decide no, then no. If the students decide yes, then yes.” Lis says although many of the CFS’s campaigns are “on point,” there are some that are “outdated” such as the No Means No campaign, which was already under review by the CFS prior to the release of the September report, and how they would advocate for indigenous education through government officials as opposed to the CFS traditional tactic of

“protesting in front of buildings.” Elevate vice-president of education candidate Vajdaan Tanveer, says he’s interested to see what students want to do about Ryerson’s membership with the CFS. “I think there is a lack of information and I think there’s confusion about what exactly that relationship looks like. What I’d be interested in doing is bringing the federation onto campus to hold them accountable and have our students see what they like and what they don’t like. At the end of the day, I do not get to make a decision on whether we should be with that organization or not,” says Tanveer. According to a CFS bylaw, student union executives cannot initiate a student movement to leave the CFS. To leave the CFS, Ryerson students would first have to collect signatures from 15 per cent of Ryerson’s students, or 9,000 signatures, before moving onto a referendum vote by paper

ballot with a quorum of 10 per cent voter turnout. Continuing Education Students’ Association at Ryerson (CESAR) would be unaffected if the RSU left the CFS. CESAR president Rabbia Ashraf says that CESAR is “cautious” of the tensions between RSU and CFS, adding that CESAR isn’t getting “caught up” with the tension because it puts its more than 16,000 students’ needs first. “If there’s anything we can learn from this year, is that there is an appetite for change in the CFS. There’s an appetite for it to be a very different organization that it is now,” says Morton. “We’re starting to open dialogues that both sides have been very hesitant to have for a while.”

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Rye’s tech community slams Trump’s travel ban LAURA WOODWARD RYERSONIAN

The DMZ and Ryerson tech leaders signed an open letter, titled “Diversity is our Strength,” in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban. “As connected economies,

decisions by the United States can directly impact every business north of the border. The recently signed executive order to block entry of citizens from seven countries has already impacted several in our community. As a community, we are all affected,” the letter says in part.

“As a community, we stand together in opposition to the marginalization of people based upon their race or religion.” Trump’s travel ban prohibits nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — from entering the U.S. for 90 days.

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director of the DMZ, signed the open letter to condemn exclusion. “At the DMZ, we’re greatly concerned about the impact of this order and any proposals that would marginalize a group of people. As a united tech community, we’ll continue to make our views on these issues heard,” Snobar said. The open letter supported Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s message to welcome refugees, and called on members of the tech community to share their immigrant experience. “We believe providing refuge to people seeking safety should remain our compass. In the hours following the U.S. decision, many members of our community have privately shared personal stories of their immigrant experience. We ask them now to share those stories publicly so they may be amplified.”

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Trump’s executive order on immigration also suspends the American refugee program for 120 days. More than 150 Canadian leaders in the tech and startup communities signed the letter — including Ryerson Futures president Matt Saunders, business development director John MacRitchie, Chang School manager Jose Garcia and DMZ executives. Garcia says he disagrees with Trump’s travel ban and said the impact could spill over into Canada. “Those immigrant tech-preneurs that will be excluded due to this segregation will not be able to start new ventures or work for the technology sector in the U.S.,” Garcia said. “This in turn will impact the Canadian tech sector negatively, due to less innovation and collaboration opportunities with those potential startups.” Abdullah Snobar, executive

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Top Hat vs. iClicker ALLAN PERKINS RYERSONIAN

The semester is in full swing and most students have already bought their required class materials. Among those are the two most prominent interactive learning tools — Top Hat and iClicker. Ryerson does not have a policy in place that mandates the use of one or another, and that’s caused some overlap. Top Hat is a digital program where students can answer lecture questions on their website, app, or by text. iClickers are more conventional and mostly require a TV remote-like device for interactive participation. Grant Weaver, a first-year sport media student says he’s fed

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up about this. In the first semester, he paid for a Top Hat subscription — which costs $24 for four months, $32 for a year or $72 for a lifetime membership. On Friday, Weaver also needed to buy an iClicker for a geography class, which retails at the campus store for $69.95. “I’m not impressed by the university at all,” said Weaver. “Whatever decision they make (between the two) it’ll be better if they just choose one.” Patrice Dutil, a professor in the politics and public administration department, agrees. “I think it’s unfair if students have to buy a combination of technologies (that) do the same thing,” he said. Eric Kam, director of Ryerson’s

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Learning and Teaching Office, said the university is aware of this and is trying to find a solution, although there is no timetable for any sort of deal. “It’s not just as easy as picking a company and saying, ‘OK, you win,’ because we’re a public sector institution and there’s things that go on when you want to make a financial deal,’” he said. According to Kam, Ryerson’s academic freedom policy allows professors or instructors to choose whichever platform they think is best. However, individual departments or faculties have the ability to override this. He thinks that it’s up to the professors or instructors to decide what is best for their students.

The Office of the Ombudsperson at Ryerson presents its

Dutil has used Top Hat for the last six terms and was not aware of the iClicker platform, but loves the convenience that Top Hat provides. “I think that it adds a great deal to my lectures, I think the students are a lot more engaged in the lectures as a result,” he said. Weaver says they agree. “Top Hat is better because you don’t have another piece of technology to carry around. Everybody has phones, everybody can get the app and it’s a quarter of the cost of an (iClicker).” However, Restiani Andriati of Ryerson’s Digital Media Projects Office thinks that until a solution is reached, iClickers are the best bet. “We already have so many students who purchased (iClickers) throughout the years so we’re trying to keep that so students who already have iClickers don’t need to go and get another (platform),” she said. Students may be unaware from semester to semester if they’ll be required to buy these

platforms or not. If used for only one class or semester, Top Hat is over $30 cheaper. But Top Hat’s value in comparison to iClicker decreases if used for more than one term. Plus, iClickers are much easier to resell to fellow students. There are also slightly cheaper versions of iClicker products available online, but many instructors or professors still mandate the use of physical clickers. “I just wish they’d choose one,” said Weaver. “Paying for both is a waste.” “It will take as long of a process as it takes to get to a point where it’s fair for our students,” Kam said. President Mohamed Lachemi says he agrees. “We want to make sure that our instructors have choices and flexibility when it comes to digital learning resources, but at the same time we need to be mindful of cost for our students,” he said. @patientperk

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Suspect Video Closes At one time, almost 41,000 films were crammed into Mirvish Village’s Suspect Video ALLIE DOWNHAM RYERSONIAN

Hard-copy titles of everything from Hollywood classics to trash cinema cover the walls of what customers called “the Internet before the Internet.” Before the video rental store’s five-month liquidation, owner Luis Ceriz struggled to find space for new copies. Since 1991, Suspect Video — opened by Ceriz and former partner Merrill Shapiro — has been a dimly lit chamber tucked under the wing of Honest Ed’s. Ceriz, a former Ryerson film student, describes it as a spot where alternative ideas assault visitors. A quarter-century later, it’s January 2017, and Ceriz has announced on social media that fate is telling him to close already. Fluorescent lights beam down on now empty black shelves. Two CRT televisions on display play nothing but static. There hasn’t been heating for days and a nearby burst pipe has gushed muddy water into the storefront. Ceriz predicts “locust and pestilence” will come before his store shuts down. Fortunately, those plagues never came, but Suspect Video’s doors would close forever by the end of the month. The store, Honest Ed’s and other tenants in Toronto’s Mirvish Village are making way for Westbank, a real estate development company that bought the 1.8-hectare site in 2013 from David Mirvish, son of “Honest Ed” Mirvish. Before his death in 2007, Ed had subsidized village tenants and businesses for over 50 years. In a December CBC interview, David said his father’s low rents let people “have their dreams and do new things,” but didn’t foster strong retailers. Westbank is planning to tear down existing buildings and develop over 1,000 new rental apartments, a public market, retail space and more on the lot. Ceriz and staff feel good that Suspect

ALLIE DOWNHAM | RYERSONIAN

Luis Ceriz, owner of Suspect Video, stands among empty shelves. The store has been liquidating for five months, the right photo shows a corner of what still remains.

managed to live far into an age where streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube dominate the entertainment industry. The store’s been named among Toronto’s best video rental stores by blogTO and NOW magazine, citing its extensive collection in horror and exploitation genres. “A lot of cult video stores would just have an exploitation section. But because we’re so anal about it, we go way further,” Ceriz says. “In terms of sections, everything from hick-sploitation,

vet-sploitation, rape-revenge, when animals attack, we’d subcategorize everything. There’s a shark one, bear one, bees, everything.” Jesse Marcelo Sarkis, a fourth-year image arts student, frequented Suspect Video for three years. He describes his visits to the store as “media archeology.” “You’re going on a dig,” Sarkis says. “There’s a lot of stuff here that doesn’t exist anywhere else anymore. It’s gone.” Ceriz and former partner Shapiro, who left the business years ago, offered a mere

450 films at Suspect’s grand opening on Aug. 3, 1991. Neither had any retail experience or long-term business plan. In fact, the pair wanted to make movies instead. Both planned to use the store to build relationships with film distributors. Ceriz wanted to make horror films, while Shapiro preferred black comedies. “After a couple of years of knowing them, we’d say, ‘Actually, we have a couple ideas we want to do. If we have them done, would you distribute them for us?’ A solid idea we never followed up on,” Ceriz says. Although Ceriz says he didn’t have a clear vision for Suspect, he described the common video rental shop with one word: boring. “It was very much like going into a supermarket, where everybody bought the same carpet, grid walls, all that stuff,” says Ceriz, adding that store owners oversaturated their inventory with Hollywood titles. “I was present many times when the customer representatives would say, ‘You should get five copies of that, five copies of this.’ I was just thinking: this is all shit. Why the fuck would you want that many?” Ceriz says his goal for Suspect’s film collection was to uncover interesting releases and stock up on classics. But, what he learned at the Silver Snail — where Ceriz had his first job — set Suspect Video apart from competitors. “With comic book stores, you don’t just carry comics,” Ceriz says. “You carry magazines, books, statues, toys, posters, whatever. With every video store, and it sounds ludicrous now, they would only carry movies.” Neatly placed on shelves and tables inside Suspect are issues of Rue Morgue — a Canadian horror magazine — and figures of Godzilla and Ridley Scott’s Alien. Other collectibles like an out-of-print VHS copy of Wes Craven’s Last House On the Left and a CD recording of a mass at the Church of Satan sit behind a glass

sonian pane. Prices ranged from a few bucks to almost $100. Ceriz and staff also hosted fan signings at the shop, welcoming filmmakers like Lloyd Kaufman, Dario Argento and Peter Jackson — who directed violent horror-comedies like 1992’s Braindead before making the internationally acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. One of Suspect’s more memorable guests was Gunnar Hansen, otherwise known as the frenzied “Leatherface” in 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The horror icon attended the shop’s grand opening to mingle with fans. “He’s quite tall, very imposing because he’s very wide too, but very nice,” Ceriz said. “He came and chatted with everybody and signed tons of stuff. He gave us recipes too.” Afterwards, Hansen, Suspect staff and friends finished the signing and went for dinner at Southern Accent. Ceriz and Shapiro went home exhausted, but longtime employee Glenn Salter says Hansen was bent on seeing the wilder side of Toronto. “We took Gunnar out to a strip joint on Yonge Street, The Brass Rail. It was actually pretty fun, especially when we said he was Leatherface in the original Texas Chainsaw. The DJ announced it on the PA, and immediately, all these strippers started surrounding our table.” Salter says Hansen was treated like a celebrity. “Appropriate though,” he says with a smirk. “He is Leatherface, after all.” Ceriz says Hansen remembered the whole night when they crossed paths at a Niagara Falls convention 20 years later. By that time, Suspect had grown into a staple for Toronto film lovers. Ceriz and staff had collected thousands of titles for sale and rent, released an over 80-page magazine, and opened a Queen Street West location in the late ‘90s, only to watch it die during a sixalarm blaze in 2008. “The buildings around us burnt,” Ceriz says, adding the building’s condition made attempts to recover “one-off” collectibles, titles and personal scrapbooks too dangerous. “It became a very busy time because you’re dealing with the insurance company, and this place was still around.” The way film lovers found new movies had also shifted. “When new things came out in ‘91, you were paying a lot for those VHS copies,” Salter says. “Thankfully, people were renting big back then, so they turned big profits anyways. Once DVDs came along,

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the ratio of rents just really decreased. You may have paid $90 for a tape, but it might have rented 300 times. In the DVD era … if you rented it 50 times, that was a good rental.” Like most video stores, Suspect Video felt Netflix and other streaming services imposing on its profits, as Netflix introduced on-demand streaming to its catalogue in 2007. By 2011, the service had toppled industry giants like Blockbuster, whose brand was eventually bought in a bankruptcy auction. Some standing video rental stores in Toronto have managed to stay afloat by offering obscure, rare and out-of-print titles streaming services won’t offer. But Queen Video owner Howard Levman still says Netflix is a “bad word” in his house, attributing the closing of his business’s flagship location to the streaming service. Eyesore Cinema founder Daniel Hanna, who worked at Suspect Video’s Queen Street West location, said operating a video store isn’t a “capitalistic goal” anymore, but a service. Jack Cameron, another Suspect Video staffer, added when video rental shops with vast collections close, some titles simply vanish. “It’s a real shame, and the most disappointing part is that people are more concerned with convenience than real choice.” Although most of Suspect Video’s

rentals — classic and obscure — have been sold off, Ceriz continues to order in new DVDs and Blu-rays to sell. “I think there’s a future too, but I don’t think in rental,” he says. Some DVDs are releases of modern favourites, while others bring forgotten films back from the dead. Buyers receive remasters of these obscure flicks with additional hours of commentary, documentary footage and more. These titles — along with Suspect Video’s usual books, toys, vinyl soundtracks, collectibles and other oddities — will be sold on the business’s website; Ceriz says it will be revamped in the next two months. “I’d always urge people to get hard copy,” he says. “When it’s gone, who knows when it’ll be available.” He says he plans to draw Canadian horror fans that order from American websites. If online Canadian customers order films and collectibles from Suspect Video instead, Ceriz says they won’t get dinged with exchange rates, international shipping and customs costs. “In the long run, you’ll get three DVDs for the price of two,” Salter says, adding the site will better handle small labels that are often expensive on Amazon. Ceriz says he’ll also launch a podcast where he’ll discuss upcoming films, retrospectives and more. Although the physical location is closing, Ceriz says going online will let him

devote time to exclusive releases and smaller distributors. With Suspect Video, Honest Ed’s and a string of other tenants relocating or disappearing, Torontonians wonder what will become of Mirvish Village. “When you tear this place down, it’s just one less reason to live in this city,” says customer Alex Macleod, who discovered Suspect Video 14 years ago. “Any other video store that goes out of business, fine. That’s what happens. It’s sad, but time to move on. But (this development) is just a symbol of destruction — something much bigger. I don’t like it.” Like many regular customers, Macleod treated the store as a social club. They don’t always buy, but they always talk. Patrons gather round the counter long after the money and goods go through, ranting about films most have forgotten while others listen and contribute from afar. “Going online, that’s a very sheltered thing,” Salter says. “This is a social thing. If you’re lazy, (online’s) a great pro.” Before Macleod leaves Suspect, he lingers at the door. He scans the aisles one last time, the shelves and bins he’s been sifting through since high school. As he opens the door, he turns to Ceriz and waves goodbye. “Luis, give this fucking place a Viking funeral.” @AllieDownham

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Flipping through photo books at Ryerson Artspace ryersonian.ca Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Musicians@Ryerson help local talent

Bands say campus group is important to their development MADISON GOOD RYERSONIAN

The closing of historic Toronto venues is making it harder for local musicians to thrive. Hugh’s Room, The Hoxton and The Central are just a few of the venues that have closed in 2016 and 2017. But Musicians@Ryerson, a student-run group, is making efforts to keep local talent alive. “(Hugh’s Room) is home base for the folk community and amazing shows happen there all the time,” said Anita Cazzola, former vice-president for Musicians@Ryerson and singer in the folk duo The Lifers. “For us, it’s a space that we’ve wanted to play in as our music’s progressed. It’s kind of been one of those bucket list items.” Kieran Ramnarine, vice-president of events for Musicians@ Ryerson, said booking events

is even harder now because the majority of the venues closing were student-friendly and affordable. Ryerson has been improving its music scene on campus with festivals and a new music and culture minor which was implemented this school year, but it’s still not up to Musicians@Ryerson’s standards. Over the past couple of years, Musicians@Ryerson has become more active to provide students an opportunity to showcase their talent. It offers weekly open mics at the Ram in the Rye, free music lessons and community jam sessions. “Musicians@Ryerson was a huge part of my life when I was here,” said Cazzola. “It was really helpful for us at the beginning because our first show was Ryerson’s battle of the bands in 2014. It was at the Imperial Pub and that

was kind of our first step into the water of playing in Toronto.” Last year, the group looked to the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) to get more space for equipment and jam space. Currently, the members store instruments in the group’s office, leaving no room to sit and get work done. “To put it frank, no, Ryerson doesn’t provide enough space for Musicians@Ryerson,” said Ramnarine. “We often get shafted on the rooms we do book, by reschedules, double-bookings, room changes.” Yet, Ryerson’s president, Mohamed Lachemi, said space is always available on campus. “There is not a single week where I am not addressing an issue about space,” said Lachemi. “There is always a process here at Ryerson where … there is a committee that will look at how best to make that space for the

community, students and faculty. I can tell you that there is always a long list of needs, and I can tell you that we are not short of ideas of the need of space.” Ramnarine has a vision for the future of Musicians@Ryerson and it includes a dedicated room and more staff. “We’re working hard to make venues easier to access for students, but it’s an uphill battle.” No matter what space Musicians@Ryerson is given,

keeping the community thriving is important for local bands. Juan Udarbe and Zack Henderson met each other through Musicians@ Ryerson and later started their band, Little Boxer. “People are always going to be resourceful. I remember practising on stairwells and (in) empty classrooms,” said Udarbe, Little Boxer’s bassist. @MadisonDGood

ROBYN BELL | RYERSONIAN ROBYN BELL | RYERSONIAN

Left and above. Little Boxer performing at the Horseshoe Tavern.

R yersonian

Sports

Men’s basketball suffers first loss ryersonian.ca Wednesday, February 1, 2017

JORDAN ARSENEAULT | RYERSONIAN

Dragon boat goes indoors MADONNA DENNIS RYERSONIAN

In a team sport, how much weight does each individual really carry? Dragon boat racing is a sport where the team that works best together, wins. What happens when you dismantle that team and test each paddler on their own strength and endurance in an intense indoor competition? On Saturday, Ryerson’s dragon boat team competed in the fifth-annual Ontario University Indoor Championships (OUIC) organized by P3 PaddleZone, a paddling training centre. The race took place on ergometers (ERG), machines specifically designed to replicate the stroke used in

dragon boat racing. Rookie paddlers raced for 250 metres while veterans raced for 500. Arthur Yuen, a second-year biomedical student, said he “didn’t really know what to expect” the first time he used an ERG. “But now it’s every bit as intense as other competitions. The atmosphere here is great.” Engineering student Jeffrey Wu had a different expectation for the championships. This is his fourth year in mechanical engineering and he said he now has the time to join the dragon boat club. “It’s pretty much everything I expected. Lots of screaming, lots of fun and lots of great energy,” said Wu. Ryerson’s dragon boat club holds practices on the ERGs

several times a week. Paddlers on the team are expected to take advantage of the machines to improve their stroke. “The machine is such an awesome piece of technology to help you out with your paddling ‘cause you can really focus on all the little fundamental skills that you’re learning,” said Jodie Yew, a fourth-year student on Ryerson’s team. “And it’s kind of satisfying watching the time go down as you’re paddling – even though you’re not moving.” This is different from a typical dragon boat race, held on the water during the summer with 19 other paddlers on-board. But Scott Murray, an organizer from P3 Paddle Zone, said the winter is a great time to host an indoor

dragon boat competition. “This is the perfect time because there’s snow outside and the summer still feels a bit far away so it gives you something to organize your training for,” said Murray. Ryerson’s dragon boat club head Nick Fan told the paddlers that this may be the last time Ryerson will host the OUIC until 2020. He has instructed them all to treat the competition seriously and give it everything they have. OUIC started five years ago at Guelph University. There were around 30 paddlers signed up for that event, compared to the 131 paddlers that competed this year. “Ryerson attended and they saw a vision, they saw an opportunity for growth and their vision

matched mine,” said Murray. Ryerson has hosted the OUIC three out of five years. Originally the host would change each year, but other schools haven’t stepped up to hold the event at their school. “But it’s always a great way – sometimes to find a diamond in the rough. Find that shy person who maybe doesn’t have that outgoing personality and you’re like, wow, look at their skill,” said Murray.

@madonna_dennis

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Editorial

Read more Opinions and Editorials online ryersonian.ca Wednesday, February 1, 2017

EDITORIAL

Candidates’ bios lacking Here we are, five days before the polls open for the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) 2017/2018 election. It’s about time to learn which slates are running, what their platforms are and, most importantly, who the heck is in them. Yet finding out the “who” is easier said than done. Campus news outlets, such as the Ryersonian, interview candidates and inform the student body about who’s running. But our readership doesn’t reach all 43,000 students that go to Ryerson, leaving many unaware of what their options are or even that there’s an election happening. While there is information on candidates’ personal and slate Facebook pages, students need to know the names and slates of candidates to find it. If students try to do their own research on the RSU’s site, they’d have a hard time finding out more than just names and titles. As of Monday, most candidate biographies were blank. The only candidates with some information posted on the RSU site are running with the Elevate slate. Again this was as of Monday, and more may come on the RSU site as we get closer to the election. But even if they do, does that little bio blurb tell us who these people really are? It’s the same as reading someone’s cover letter or scrolling through their Instagram account. The only things you’ll see are what they want you to see — the best version of

themselves — packaged all pretty and tied with a bow. So if you missed articles and the website is relatively useless, where is a student to go to learn more about the people who will be paid $35,000 next year? Walk down any hall on campus and you’ll find walls littered with election posters. Their big smiling faces beaming at you, with lofty promises emphasized by cheesy infographics. Maybe they hope their name will seep into your subconscious, so that when, and if, you get to the polls, you’ll go for the names you recognize. The excessive use of posters has been a staple of campus elections for years, killing trees and littering campus. It clearly doesn’t work in motivating the majority of students to vote, as only a small minority cast ballots. It’s time for candidates to redirect their efforts to more effectively reach students. Focus less on flyer wars and more on meeting students, creating a stronger online presence and make their qualifications (or lack thereof) easy to find. Instead of expecting students to find their platforms or take their poster promises without questioning or context. It’s time for students to care and demand easier access to information about who represents them. It’s time to care not just because we pay them, but because it’s our democratic right.

JACLYN TANSIL | RYERSONIAN

U.S. President Donald Trump blows out a vigil candle in wake of the Quebec City shooting.

OPINION

Why I won’t see Split EMILY THEODORE RYERSONIAN

When the trailer for Split came out last summer, I was intrigued. It showed three girls being abducted and taken to a bunker, an unoriginal but frightening premise. My fascination faded into sad astonishment when the trailer was over; I realized the antagonist’s mental health issues with dissociative identity disorder was central to his character and his evilness. “An individual with multiple personalities can change their brain chemistry with

their thoughts,” says his therapist, played by Betty Buckley. It’s later revealed that his dissociative identity disorder transforms him into a beast — his villainy rests on his mental illness. M. Night Shyamalan, you got it all wrong. This character is an unfair Hollywood cliché that says that violence and mental illness reinforce each other. In reality, people with mental illnesses are two and a half to four times more likely to be victims of violence than any other group. And as media reflects society, this movie contributes to mental health stigma. Mental illness should not be construed as menacing and evil for shock value. I like to be scared, but not at the expense of demonizing a minority. Jessica Rong, a member of Ryerson SMASH (Students for Mental Awareness, Support, and Health), says she’s upset by the movie, especially as someone

who has a mental illness. “Coming to terms with my mental illness is a process that has taken me years. It’s because of these harmful stereotypes and images that are constantly produced, and reproduced, that this process becomes even more difficult.” Kristen Jess, an English student and research assistant at the Modern Literature and Culture Centre, found the effect of his character to be harmful. As campaigns like Bell’s Lets Talk gain traction, Jess said she was surprised to see a movie like this become popular. “People are interested in empowerment and giving a voice to minorities and disenfranchised groups. Belittling and silencing them is almost outdated.” Look beyond Split’s entertainment value and see the bigger picture. @EmilyfTheodore

R yersonian

Voices

Read more Voice online ryersonian.ca Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Going the distance When you have mental health challenges, long-distance relationships can be difficult

SARAH CUNNINGHAMSCHARF RYERSONIAN

My boyfriend and I have a fantastic relationship. We’re best friends, we make each other laugh and we support and love each other unconditionally. There is a “but,” though. We have been in a long-distance relationship (LDR) since we started dating, and I have been battling a generalized anxiety disorder for years. Dealing with those two situations at the same time is really hard. Evan and I don’t have a traditional love story where: girl meets boy at the bar, they flirt, and after an appropriate amount of time, they go on their first date. No, not us. We met on Tinder in October 2015, beat the odds and we’re proud of it. We liked each other’s smiles, eyes and booties, and two weeks later we were boyfriend and girlfriend. It’s one of our favourite stories to tell. Before you get grossed out, I promise we aren’t one of those vomit-inducing couples who are so into each other that they manage to stay together while living in different countries. Evan goes to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., for his undergraduate degree in commerce while I’m at Ryerson for journalism. We figured it wasn’t that far. Young love and stuff, right? The first few months of our relationship were manageable with our constant texting and phone calls so we could get

COURTESY RYAN O'DRISCOLL

Evan Romano and Sarah Cunningham-Scharf.

to know each other. But as the months dragged on and we realized we both had another year of school to survive (we’re both graduating in June 2017), the distance seemed more and more insurmountable. The most challenging days often correlated with the days my anxiety and other mental health challenges were hardest to overcome. I would wake up in the morning with a sense of dread and wonder how my mind would handle the day before me. Somehow, I didn’t put two and two together that my worries about our relationship peaked alongside my anxiety.

I would have panic attacks when I didn’t hear from him after a few hours in fear he’d found somebody better. I would lie awake at night wondering if he’d still feel as strongly about me after not seeing me for three weeks. I would monitor the photos he liked on Instagram because I was so consumed with self-doubt and negative self-esteem that I needed to make sure he didn’t like a photo of a girl who was prettier than me. Don’t judge me, I’m sure you’ve done it too (I hope). When I finally told Evan about the extent of my anxiety last year, I was terrified. One of the worst parts of having anxiety is feeling

like you’re too much for someone to handle. As a result, you apologize incessantly, isolate yourself and need constant reassurance. In the end, you become too much to handle (like you initially feared), just because of your incessant worrying. It’s a vicious cycle and one I was petrified would scare Evan away. But he wasn’t scared. Instead, my amazing boyfriend said, “How can I help?” Let me tell you, hearing those four words come from the person I love was both a relief and an honour. I’m incredibly lucky to have a boyfriend who wants to understand and help me through my mental health

challenges, because having a support system you trust is huge for coping with mental illness. At the same time, as someone facing this daily battle, I’m acutely aware of how stressful it is to be part of that support system. My anxiety isn’t just a challenge for me to face; it’s something everyone who loves me has to face too. So just as Evan supports and listens to me about my anxiety and works hard to make our LDR as manageable for me as possible, I try my absolute hardest to do the same for him. Sometimes he needs space, and though my anxiety may respond to that by screaming, “What did I do wrong?” I respect him. In the end, we all need help from each other. The most important thing to remember is that mental illness or not, being open to conversations about how we can support those we love is both helpful and meaningful. Long-distance relationships are a struggle, and so is mental illness. Some days are harder than others. But on the bad days, I know if I pick up the phone and call my boyfriend and say, “My anxiety is wicked, can we talk for a few minutes?” he’ll be there. And when we see each other again after being apart for a couple of weeks, we forget the challenges, because it’s all worth it. Everyone needs a rock sometimes. You only have to ask. @ s_cunningham8

R yersonian

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Campus Connection

Tidbits & Teasers

Events

Get the full story at ryersonian.ca

Feb. 2 Live Black Art Show Black History Month Performance & Art Showcase Noon – 3 p.m. SLC Amphitheatre

(Photography) really caught me because the camera has a better view than my eyes.

Feb. 3

Frank Lin

Ryers on B asketba l l Alumni Appreciation Night 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Eggy’s Summit, Mattamy Athletic Centre

I think that (creating jobs) is kind of overlooked in sustainability, but it’s sustaining jobs for people.

Feb. 4

Eva Parrell

TAGWA MOYO | RYERSONIAN

If pro-life people were really pro-life, they would be mandating for better sex education, better contraceptive resources and better health care for all.

Erynne Brook Managing Editor Print Allie Downham Managing Editor Online Allan Perkins Managing Editor Video Brontë Campbell Managing Editors Social/ Engagement Madonna Dennis Emily Theodore Features Editor Iva Celebic Sports Editor Jordan Arseneault

Lineup Editor Maria Figueredo News Editors Allie Downham Jaclyn Tansil Op-Ed Page Editor Jenna Campbell Emma Kimmerly Arts & Life Editors Cherileigh Co André Varty Copy Editors Jenna Campbell Emma Kimmerly

Ryerson vs Brock

Ryerson’s men’s and women’s basketball teams played the Brock Badgers this weekend. The women’s team beat the Badgers 91-75 while the men lost 74-65, their first loss of the regular season. The Ryersonian’s photo editor Tagwa Moyo photographed the game. See the full photo gallery online.

Reporters Ebony-Renee Baker Robyn Bell Sarah Cunningham -Scharf Jenn Goldasic Madison Good Shawntae Harris Elysha Haun Daniel Melfi Vanessa Nigro Lara Onayak Allan Perkins Mahyn Qureshi Mahnoor Sheikh Emily Theodore Deni Verklan Jessica Vomeiro Joseph Wong Laura Woodward

Photo Editors Robyn Bell Tagwa Moyo Lara Onayak Andrea Vacl Instructors Gavin Adamson Peter Bakogeorge Rana Latif Publisher Janice Neil Business Manager Aseel Kafil

Contact Us We would like to hear from you. Please include your name, program and year. Unsigned letters will not be published. We reserve the right to edit letters for length. Ryerson University 80 Gould Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3 Newsroom: 416-979-5323 Email: sonian@ryerson.ca

Ryersonian.ca @TheRyersonian TheRyersonian @theryersonian The Ryersonian

The People’s Economy: A Millennial Dream Case Competition 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sears Atrium

Women’s Hockey vs. Queen’s Gaels 2 p.m. Mattamy Athletic Centre

Feb. 6 RIWC presents: Centering Black Women: Exploring Womanism 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Thomas Lounge, Student Campus Centre This event is open only to racialized and indigenous women and the trans community.

Significant Dates Feb. 1 Last day to apply to a program that starts in fall 2017.