September 21, 2016 Issue by On the Record News (Formerly the Ryersonian)

Video: RSU and CFS debate ryersonian.ca

Mass Exodus mistake See page 3 for details

yersonian R WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

ryersonian.ca Volume 71 Number 2

Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism

RSU report ‘inaccurate’ CFS alleges SAMANTHA RELICH and ANNA- KAYE EVANS RYERSONIAN

There are “gross inconsistencies” and “inaccurate information” in the report released by the RSU on its relationship with the CFS, said Rajean Hoilett, former RSU president and chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario. Hoilett slammed the report at a debate with Victoria Morton, RSU vice-president education, at the Ryersonian yesterday. The debate took place just one day after the RSU released a joint letter with nine other student unions expressing collective dissatisfaction with the CFS. “I’m really concerned about the intentions of this process,” said Hoilett after the debate. He added that he

hopes that Morton’s statements about wanting to work with the federation are true. Tensions between the CFS and student unions across the country have been rising. At the University of Toronto — one of the signatories on the letter — a petition has been launched by students to get the signatures of the 20 per cent of the student union membership needed to trigger a referendum for defederation. “The question here isn’t necessarily, ‘is there any value provided by the CFS whatsoever?’” said Morton at the debate. “The question is, can that value be bettered elsewhere? And the answer to that, if you read (the RSU) report, is irrefutably, yes.” Please see RSU page 5

What’s online Check Ryersonian.ca stories Science Text goesout here. Xxxxx xxx xx x x.for Xxxxx xxxxxon Xxxxx Literacy tipsXxxxx on how a part-time xxx xx x x. Week, Xxxxx xxxxx xxx to xx xget x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxxxx job andxxxxx Ryerson’s efforts toXxxxx helpxxxxx students with xxxxx Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxxxx xxxxx religious dietary restrictions. Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx

A safe space for survivors Sexual violence survivors shared their stories on campus at the annual Take Back the Night march. Check out page 2 for the full article

HONGEN NAR | RYERSONIAN

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iOS 10: The good, the bad and the ugly ryersonian.ca

News

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Taking back the night

Event focused on supporting survivors living with disabilities and deafness SHAIAN MARTIN RYERSONIAN

All eyes were fixed on Marie Sleth Friday evening as she recounted the sexual violence she’d experienced while living in a foster home as a child. “The man of the house, in the foster home, he would be drunk and take advantage of me sexually. He said that if I told his wife, she would send me back to the institution,” said Sleth. “I didn’t want to go back to the (Huronia) institution, so I just put up with it.” Sleth shared her story with the participants of this year’s Take Back the Night (TBTN). It’s a global initiative aimed at creating “safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives” and ending all forms of sexual violence. Each year, TBTN focuses on a specific group of people who experience sexual violence – this year’s event focused on survivors living with disabilities and deafness. When Sleth finished speaking,

HONGEN NAR | RYERSONIAN

Rally participants cheer in solidarity with survivors before heading out for the Take Back the Night march.

the crowd of over 100 applauded her, and fellow speaker, Patricia Seth, for their bravery. The annual event provides a safe space to support survivors as they share their experiences with sexual violence — which is unusual in such a public forum. The rally on campus was followed by a march through the surrounding area. “Sometimes sexual violence is seen as a private issue, but it is actually a public issue that we all have a responsibility to address,” said Farrah Khan, co-ordinator for Ryerson’s Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education (OSVSE). “And this reminds us,

as a campus, we’re here for each other,” she added. According to Statistics Canada, young and vulnerable women are the most likely to be sexually abused. Only six out of 100 sexual assaults are reported to the police. The first TBTN was held in Toronto 35 years ago in response to the murder of a law student. For the past few years, the event has been hosted at Ryerson. This year, more than 30 groups collaborated on the event, including the Centre for Women and Trans People, the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson, RyeACCESS and the

OSVSE. “This is a huge event,” said Cassandra Myers, a fourth-year child and youth care student and co-ordinator of the Ryerson Students’ Union’s Sexual Assault Survivor Support Line. Myers added that she believes the event is “a lot bigger” than Ryerson. “We’re very much a placeholder and centralized location for the event, which is great because holding space is so important,” she said. However, Myers said she believes that the decision to host the event at Ryerson is its own act of resistance and resilience,

considering the number of sexual assaults that take place on university campuses. Faelix Kayn, a board member at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, said they are also in favour of holding TBTN on university campuses. “I think it’s really amazing, because a lot of the sexual assaults that happen are on university and college campuses. So it’s sending a message to current and future rapists that it’s not OK, and that there is a community that is looking out for survivors,” said Kayn. @ shaian_martin

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 R yersonian SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY

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Ryerson’s sexual assault policy hasn’t spread far enough PATRICIA KOURONOS RYERSONIAN

Student leaders say sexual violence policy isn’t reaching all students Ryerson student leaders agree with administration that the new Sexual Violence Policy is raising awareness on campus, but worry that the message isn’t reaching the average student. Tamara Jones, vice-president equity at the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU), said she notices more awareness of the policy, but only among students actively involved in the Ryerson community. “Some students do know (about the policy), but it does need to be broader,” Jones said. “The wording isn’t accessible. And a lot of students are so busy. There’s not really time to sit down and read a long policy.” Sexual violence on campus remained a significant focus this summer due to Bill 132, the Ontario law that requires post-secondary schools to meet certain guidelines when addressing sexual violence. Ryerson’s policy, which was approved in June 2015, outlines reporting options for survivors of sexual violence and also focuses on consent, education and awareness. The policy is currently under a scheduled review by the university and will have to be revised to better accommodate Bill 132. Campuses across the country have tried to raise awareness — for example, in early September, the students’ union at the

University of British Columbia (UBC) rolled out a campaign promoting UBC’s new sexual assault policy on coffee cup sleeves. Jones said there are currently no plans for a Ryerson-wide marketing campaign similar to UBC’s efforts, but she thinks it would be “really beneficial.” The RSU has partnered with the Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education (OSVSE) to distribute information about the policy. Heather Lane Vetere, the vice-provost of students who also spearheaded the policy, said she knows it’s difficult to make sure everyone knows about the policy, but is happy with the progress so far.

Campus supports and services Staff Info Binder An information folder offering advice to faculty and staff about how to respond to students who have disclosed an act of sexual violence and where to direct them. RSU Sexual Assault Survivor Help Line The RSU’s confidential phone line offering peerto-peer support for survivors of sexual violence. The line is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. at 416-260-0100.

According to Lane Vetere, there are many ways the policy is being promoted on campus, including the use of social media and a Consent Comes First video created last year. The video was distributed to every Ryerson student via email at the start of this term and the previous academic year. Lane Vetere said a lot of promotion is focused on incoming students via orientation events. This year, flyers and postcards were included in the RSU’s welcome kits, and “consent comes first” was printed on every orientation T-shirt. Farrah Khan, co-ordinator of the OSVSE, also held workshops during orientation, which Lane Vetere said thousands of students attended. Lane Vetere said she knows that student leaders are more likely to be aware of the Sexual Violence Policy and the support systems in place. She believes it’s important that students have informed leaders when it comes to questions or experiences of sexual violence. However, both Lane Vetere and president Mohamed Lachemi know their work isn’t done. “You can have policies in place, but if you don’t have a strong program of education in place, people will not pay attention to the policies,” Lachemi said. “I’m very happy we have this progress so far, but I will not be happy if we stop here.” The school will be holding student-only consultation meetings on Sept. 26 and Nov. 7. The meetings are open to all students who want to engage in conversations about the Sexual Violence Policy. @ patriciakar

COURTESY ARTHUR MOLA | RYERSON SCHOOL OF FASHION

Models walk the runway at Mass Exodus fashion show.

Fashion students welcomed (back) to Mass Exodus

OLIVIA CHANDLER RYERSONIAN

Nine Ryerson fashion communication students are officially enrolled in the fashion promotion course after a computer glitch saw them removed from the class before the start of the term. Amanda Ho and Katie Ferreira, two of the affected students, started a petition on Change.org after discovering they were not enrolled in Fashion Promotion, which produces the annual Mass Exodus fashion show each year. The fashion students reached a resolution with the department on Sept. 14, when Ho, Ferreira and several of their classmates received a “Welcome to Mass Exodus” email from the course instructors. The enrolment glitch caused confusion in the creative industries (CI) program and the Ryerson School of Fashion — which share the course. According to Sandra Tullio-Pow, interim chair and associate professor at the School of Fashion, the glitch occurred when CI contacted enrolment services to select which CI students would be in the course. CI has 15 spots in the course each year and selects students based on year and GPA.

According to the Registrar’s Office, CI contacted enrolment services “extremely late in the scheduling process and while enrolment services attempted to accommodate the request, the system did not perform as hoped.” The glitch resulted in all 15 CI students being removed from the course and automatically replaced by fashion students. “No one caught that error,” said Tullio-Pow. When it was noticed that there were no CI students in the course,the School of Fashion had no choice but to remove 15 fashion students to make room for the CI students guaranteed spots. Tullio-Pow said the situation was a nightmare and that the school of fashion pulled names from a hat to determine who had to be removed from class. “We felt it was the fairest luck of the draw,” she said. Ultimately, the class cap was expanded from 35 to 44 to accommodate all of the third-year fashion students who still wanted to take the class. @ livchandler

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Wednesday, September 21, 2016

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Gould Street Party

October 1, 2016 Join 1000+ students and Ryerson grads for free chili, a live DJ and giveaways! 11 – 2 p.m. Tailgate Party 2 – 4 p.m. Women’s Hockey Sign up at the party with your OneCard. ryerson.ca/alumni/alumniweekend

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Wednesday, September 21, 2016

STUDENT POLITICS

RSU tensions with CFS rise

RSU cont’d...

In the letter, the signatories wrote that they “can no longer accept or support” the governance structure of the CFS. This year Ryerson students paid upwards of $500,000 in membership fees to the CFS. The RSU is not the only students’ union in tension with the CFS. In August, the Cape Breton University Students’ Union filed for bankruptcy after a legal battle over unpaid CFS dues that began in 2008. The current situation is “very discouraging,” said Morton. “The complaints we’re having now, we’ve been having the same complaints for over 30 years,”

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she said. Both participants expressed a desire to improve the relationship between the RSU and the CFS. However, there was no discussion of how that might happen. Hoilett did not comment on the possibility of defederation among its membership. With files from Shaian Martin. @Evans_AK @SamanthaRelich

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ATTENTION ALL FULL-TIME STUDENTS

ALL STUDENTS MUST OPT-OUT ONLINE

The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) provides you extended Health & Dental Insurance, but if you have comparable coverage, OPT-OUT for a refund by October 7, 2016 @ 6pm.

OPT-OUT ONLINE AT www.rsuonline.ca/services or www.mystudentplan.ca/rsu

Did you opt out last year in 2015-16? No worries...

You’re automatically opted out - no need to apply every year for the refund of this fee If you opted out of the RSU health and dental plan in the previous year (2015-16), you will NOT receive a charge for the RSU health and dental plan on your RAMSS account. Please refer to information about “Changing your Status” for any OPT IN requirements go to: RSU site at www.rsuonline.ca/services

DEADLINE to OPT-OUT, OPT-IN or ADD DEPENDENTS:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 - 6pm There are ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS to this deadline Need Info? Contact Member Services Office, Student Centre Lobby or email health@rsuonline.ca

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Soup and Substance Diversity is a reality, inclusion is a choice

Beyond the numbers: What's next in recruitment and retention Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Noon to 1 p.m. | Podium (POD) Room 250

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Faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in this discussion about Ryerson’s culture. ryerson.ca/soupandsubstance @RyersonEDI #RyersonEDI

Moderated by: Denise O’Neil Green Assistant Vice-President/Vice-Provost Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Tamar Myers, Director, Strategic Planning, Assessment and Special Projects

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Features yersonian

R yers

If PrEP is the H

why isn’t

CHASE STARK RYERSONIAN

The student’s all-too-familiar morning routine: struggling with the snooze button and making sure to grab a coffee to sit through that 8 a.m. class. But for Alex, a fourth-year science student, there’s an extra step to the daily process, which is realized in the form of a preventive HIV pill coated baby blue. “I’ve been using (PrEP) every day for over three months now,” said Alex, who wishes to remain anonymous due the stigma of being identified as having highrisk sexual behaviour. “If there’s one thing I make sure to do before heading out the door, it’d be to pop my PrEP pill.” The pill that Alex is referring to is called Truvada, a preventive HIV drug that works to block the production of enzymes necessary for the virus to spread. Truvada is used as a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and studies show if taken daily it could reduce HIV transmission by more than 90 per cent. Alex explained that even with the favourable PrEP statistics, it’s the culture surrounding sexual health that needs a vast improvement. “I’ve been on PrEP because I’d rather be safe than sorry. Sexual partners get the wrong idea about it,” he said. “I’ve been called gross and have had dates get up and leave, but I’d rather be honest. I still use

condoms, but because I’m on PrEP, I’m considered damaged goods.” In order to receive a prescription for the drug, p at ie nt s l i k e A le x are

the use of Truvada last February, there is not enough data to see its effect nationally. However, in the United States where the drug has been studied f o r

required to meet with their doctor every three months and must be deemed as having high-risk sexual behaviour: frequent unprotected sex, multiple partners or performing anal sex with more than one partner. While Health Canada quietly approved

years, H I V transmission rates have yet to drop significantly. According to data from 2014, there are still roughly 44,000 new infections per year. So how exactly is the so-called “contraceptive for HIV” failing as a preventive measure when the figures would suggest

$30

Cost per Truvada pill

otherwise? There are a few factors to consider:

Cost In Canada, a one-month prescription of Truvada ranges from $800 to $1,200, (with the exception of Quebec, which uses public funds) depending on which province the drug is purchased in. “There’s a lack of acknowledgment of the privilege for those that can (afford to) use PrEP,” said Jane Greer, director of the Hassle Free Clinic in Toronto. In many cases, private insurance companies are unwilling to foot the bill for the drug, leaving users with a massive monthly cost. “I’m lucky to have the privilege of not struggling with access,” Alex said. “And I have yet to hear of an insurance plan, Ryerson’s included, that absorbs any substantial amount of the cost, which means there are plenty of people who don’t have the opportunity to even explore this as a feasible option.”

It’s still new Although Truvada is approved for prescription use and has been studied in the

21% of people living

with HIV are unaware that they have the virus

sonian

Features

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

HIV miracle drug, t it working? United States for the past four years, it has only been approved in Canada for less than a year. Not only is it new to Canadians from a treatment point of view, but also the drug is widely unheard of. “If I had known about (Truvada) in February, I probably would have tried to get a prescription back then,” Alex said. “It wasn’t until I saw a comment about it online that I began to research and think that it was too good to be true.”

Too good to be true? While there is research that seeks to prove how PrEP could be the future in HIV prevention, the drug continues to be bound by controversy. Firstly, due to the reality of gradual drug resistance, it’s a concern that if a Truvada user becomes infected with HIV, they may resist similar anti-HIV drugs, according to the Journal of Infectious Diseases. There has only been one documented case of this occurring in Canada. The second problem is that taking PrEP could lead to serious side-effects. In a Partners Group study, they found that PrEP use could not only lead to kidney damage, but also bone loss and disruption of the body’s pH levels.

Stigma According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, potential PrEP users may feel less inclined to use the drug to avoid being pigeonholed as a sexual risk taker. The phrase “Truvada whore” is not an unfamiliar one. “I haven’t heard of ‘Truvada whore’ specifically,” Alex said. “But it doesn’t surprise me. There’s a lot of negativity and abuse directed toward people who are HIV-positive already, so any association to it can be tricky.” Greer said that PrEP is “an excellent tool in the chest to prevent conversions from HIV negative to positive,” but that it should be used in tandem with condoms to help prevent the transfer of sexually transmitted infections. As for Alex, he has no plans to stop taking Truvada, because for him, the positives of HIV prevention far outweigh the possible drawbacks of the drug and its stigma.

@chasestark

@mtierneyRU MITCHELL TIERNEY | RYERSONIAN

Source: American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014

In 2014, there were 75,500 people living with HIV in Canada

Truvada has been endorsed by the World Health Organization

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Arts & Life

Toronto Beer Week ryersonian.ca Wednesday, September 21, 2016

What climate change looks like through art

KEVIN JOHN SIAZON | RYERSONIAN

ISABELLE DOCTO RYERSONIAN

If you’ve ever wondered what climate change looks like, feels like and sounds like, then step into the Ryerson Image Centre’s (RIC) exhibit, The Edge of the Earth: Climate Change in Photography and Video and it will show you. The exhibit opened last Wednesday and its goal is to challenge traditional views of climate change.

Bénédicte Ramade, a Montreal-based art historian, guest curated the exhibit. She said she hopes it will get people involved in the climate change debate without being influenced by what they consume from the Internet and news. “I wanted to have something more open to make my spectator realize that climate change is a question of interpretation and is very individual and subjective,” Ramade explained. The pieces found in the exhibit

are from artists around the world. Photojournalism from the RIC’s Black Star Collection is also included. Paul Walde is one of the artists showcased. His video installation, Requiem for a Glacier, is seen as soon as you enter the RIC. Walde said he thinks it’s sad that we’re in a situation that warrants an exhibition about climate change, but also sees art as an effective way to tackle the complex issue. “What happens in an artwork

is that you’re presented information and most artists don’t tell you what to think,” he said. “When you have that opportunity, you draw your own conclusions through an experience.” The exhibit runs from Sept. 14 to Dec. 4. @IsabelleDocto

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TIFF film causes online backlash CASIMIR BOIVIN RYERSONIAN

Ryerson’s Armenian community is fighting back online against the low ratings for Armenian genocide film The Promise. After only five screenings at TIFF, the movie received 50, 000 “onestar” reviews on IMDb. Both Terry George, the film’s director, and Lori Tashjian, president of Ryerson’s Armenian Students’ Association, speculate Turkish users are behind the poor scores. “The entire community is working towards this, to get the votes up,” said Tashjian, who added that awareness of the genocide is still a priority for most Armenians. “There’s a lot of negative Turkish opposition that deny the genocide. That’s what we’re fighting against.” Sıla Özer, a Ryerson student and member of the Turkish Society of Canada, is suspicious of the film’s fairness to the Turkish perspective. “It was both sides that suffered,” said Özer. “I don’t know if (George has) ever read the opposing side.”

@clgboivin

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Sports

Madden Madness: eSports becoming big business ryersonian.ca Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Briefs CONNOR HEWSON and MICHAEL HUTCHINSON RYERSONIAN

Men’s hockey splits games The Ryerson Rams men’s hockey team finished the York University Invitational Tournament with a record of 1-1, after they won their second game in overtime. The Rams lost to the UOIT Ridgebacks 4-2 in the tournament’s semifinal on Friday.

Women’s soccer team earns draw against Varsity Blues The Ryerson Rams women’s soccer team battled through a tough 90 minutes on Sunday to take home one point in a 0-0 draw against the Toronto Varsity Blues.

MICHAEL NORTON NORTON || RYERSONIAN RYERSONIAN MICHAEL

Pool comes up short MICHAEL NORTON RYERSONIAN

Ecil Kang blares music over the speakers at the Recreation and Athletics Centre (RAC) pool, as she watches over a Thursday afternoon lane swim. In addition to being a lifeguard at Ryerson, Kang, 23, works at two YMCA pools. She said the feel at the RAC is very different than other pools, a point that many Ryerson community members would agree on. “There would be more natu-

ral lighting if (the pool) were in a more modern building,” Kang said. The pool has a long row of windows along the south side, just above the viewing gallery, but they look out into Kerr Hall. “It’s an older pool which is why it looks the way that it does compared to more modern pools that you’ll see in Toronto,” Kang said. As Ryerson continues to build new facilities that puts the university in the spotlight, the pool has not received as much attention as others. Though it opened during the 1963-64

school year as part of Kerr Hall, discussions about replacing the 53-year-old pool — the only pool on campus — are not very high on the university’s priority list. The pool is closed for maintenance every May. During that time, the tiles that line the pool and deck are cleaned, damaged tiles are replaced, and older pool equipment is inspected and replaced if necessary. However, annual facelifts are not enough to fix the pool’s bigger problems. Located underground between the RAC

and Kerr Hall, the pool has to rely entirely on artificial light. Many of the tiles on the perimeter of the pool deck are already showing serious wear and dirt buildup. The six-lane pool is around 23 metres long, but Canadian swimming competitions can only be done in pools that are a minimum of 25 metres in length. @TheRealNort

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Game-winning goal by Rose leads Rams over Blues The Ryerson Rams men’s soccer team exacted some revenge on Sunday, when they beat the Toronto Varsity Blues 1-0, after losing to the team in the 2015 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) bronze medal game.

Men’s basketball coach NBA-bound Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) coach of the year Patrick Tatham has taken a professional development leave from the Rams men’s basketball team to spend eight months coaching in the NBA Development League. Ivan Joseph, Ryerson’s director of athletics, confirmed the news to the Ryersonian.

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Read more Opinions and Editorials online ryersonian.ca

Editorial

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

EDITORIAL

Help shape policy on sex violence On Sept. 26, Ryerson students have the chance to provide feedback on the university’s Sexual Violence Policy, a little more than a year after its implementation. The open meeting is one of two, two-hour sessions being hosted by Heather Lane Vetere, vice-provost of students, and Farrah Khan, co-ordinator of the Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education (OSVSE). The second will be held Nov. 7. In these four hours, Ryerson students will have the opportunity to shape the direction of the school’s policy on sexual violence, which is being re-evaluated this fall. In order to ensure that the policy reflects the needs of the Ryerson community, it’s essential we students attend. It may seem like there has already been a lot of talk on campus about the university’s strides in addressing sexual violence faced by students and improving the support available to survivors. The creation of the policy and the opening of the OSVSE is the first time in Ryerson’s history that addressing sexual violence has been a clear priority. While these improvements are significant, they were preceded by years of lax responses by the university — and significant outside criticism. In 2014, Ryerson was called out in the media for not having a policy on sexual violence, despite the fact

that more sexual assaults were reported at Ryerson between 2009 and 2013 than at any other university or college in the country. Coincidentally, the first open meeting will take place four years after the RSU called an emergency meeting following a string of sexual assaults on campus in 2012. However, the university’s achievements in the last year should not lull us into believing that we no longer need to advocate against sexual violence on campus. Though the OSVSE is providing essential support for survivors and has launched education initiatives on campus, there is more work to be done. Fifteen per cent of Ontario women will be sexually assaulted as students, and sexual violence continues to be profoundly under-reported. Having 2,000 students take part in #ConsentComesFirst training during orientation week this year is an achievement — but we must remember that this campus has over 38,000 students. On Sept. 26, we as students have the opportunity to speak up about the achievements of Ryerson’s sexual violence policy and what must come next. It is our responsibility to be present for that conversation, because while pausing to celebrate our small victories, we cannot lose sight of the progress we still need to make.

They see me cycling They hating...

There is room for EVERYONE on the road ROSEMOND QUARTEY | RYERSONIAN

OPINION

I’m Jewish and a journalist, I’m not a Jewish journalist KAYLA ROSEN RYERSONIAN

In my limited career as a journalist, I have been told that I am grossly pro-Israel and that I’m part of the reason that people hate Jews. The latter comment came after an article that I wrote for last week’s edition of the Ryersonian, where I recounted the time I was questioned by the Israeli police. My intention was to tell an interesting story that might intrigue

a few people. But not everyone enjoyed my article. Several Jewish and pro-Israel students voiced their opinions against it. This put me in a difficult position. I am a proud Jewish person who loves Israel, but I am also a journalist who wants to tell honest and important stories. And it seems that, to some people, these two identities are mutually exclusive. In one message I received in the backlash to my article, I was told, “If you are going to represent a community in a post, please make sure you actually represent them.” The thing is, I don’t remember signing up to be the face of Judaism and Israel on campus, and it feels unfair that this burden was placed upon me without my permission. What people need to realize is that attacking Jewish journalists for their coverage of Israel only makes them afraid to do it again.

In my case, it made me worry that I would be ostracized by my own community and that I would embarrass my family. It’s important that readers separate people’s cultural identities from their professional ones, because otherwise many of Israel’s stories may not end up getting told. A newsroom can only serve its purpose if all journalists approach their stories without fear or bias. But this can’t happen if Jewish journalists feel the weight of their community on their shoulders. In the future, if I am told to write a story where Israel is at fault, I am still going to write it, despite my religious upbringing. As a Jewish person and a journalist, it is not my job to be the mouthpiece for Israel. It is my job to tell the truth. That’s what I did, and that’s what I plan to do. @KaylaRachelRosen

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