November 2, 2016 Issue by On the Record News (Formerly the Ryersonian)

Men’s basketball team set on success See page 9

Finding a new footing on the big screen See page 8

yersonian R WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016

ryersonian.ca Volume 71 Number 7

Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism

March against tuition MEGAN STEPHENS RYERSONIAN

Post-secondary students across Canada planned to rally today for the National Day of Action as part of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) ongoing “Fight the Fees” campaign. But the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) will be keeping a low profile during the event. The student day of action for free education is meant to mobilize university and college students to speak up about the rising tuition fees and student debt, in a decades-long effort to get free education in Canada. At Ryerson, the rally is being supported by the Continuing Education Students’ Association Please see ACTION, page 5

CATARINA AMARAL | RYERSONIAN

Students, faculty and community members came together for the Indigenous Sovereignty and Solidarity rally and march Monday on Gould Street.

What’s online Text goes here. Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx Check Ryersonian.ca for stories journey xxx xx xout x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx xxx xx xon x.the Xxxxx xxxxx of Ryerson’s rugby club, meet the RTA grads who are Xxxxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxxxx xxxxx xxx xx x. Xxxxxand xxxxx Xxxxxxxof xxxxx takingXxxxx their film to xOrlando, a roundup Social Xxxxx xxx xx x x. Xxxxx xxxxx Xxxxx Justice Week 2016.

TRC and the classroom page 3

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Used Book Room empties out page 5 Wednesday, November 2, 2016

FCAD’s best and brightest

Faculty celebrates top creative work at this year’s RUBIX showcase

ESTHER LEE | RYERSONIAN

Matthew Tiessen with his project, Going Green in the City.

ESTHER LEE | RYERSONIAN

“They are trees that survived the atomic bombing in Hiroshima ... the tags are an indication that the tree survived,” said Katy McCormick, assistant professor and director of the graduate program in documentary media on her project The Ash Garden: Hiroshima Under A Rain of Ruin. ESTHER LEE RYERSONIAN

In only its second year, the RUBIX showcase is helping to inspire collaboration between faculty members. The second annual RUBIX event took place at the Image Arts building Monday, showcasing

projects from the Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD). “It’s accomplished what it’s meant to do, which is peer-topeer support and celebration,” said FCAD dean Charles Falzon. At last year’s event, Falzon announced the formation of the Creative Innovation Fund, money that would help with projects that

came about from the collaboration of colleagues in different fields. One project included is Going Green in the City, by assistant professor Matthew Tiessen. It explores different ways of connecting technology and nature. As a bike enthusiast, Tiessen was inspired by the way that previously hidden trails in the Don

ESTHER LEE | RYERSONIAN

Colleen Schindler-Lynch and her project, Peccadillos. River Valley were able to become visible due to digital technologiessuch as GPS units. “My interest is in the ways that digital technologies, mobile media … make nature more accessible to people in the city,” said Tiessen. Tiessen used various technology including GoPros and a 360-degree camera for his project.

At the event, two TV screens displayed a video of him biking on a trail while people were able to experience it in virtual reality, using a headset and earphones. RUBIX featured 44 different exhibits, almost double that of last year’s event. @estherthefoodie

R yersonian Wednesday, November 2, 2016 SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK

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Gov’t offers relief from student loan repayment SELENA SINGH RYERSONIAN

EBYAN ABDIGIR | RYERSONIAN

Members of the Ryerson community and others participated in a drum circle Monday at the beginning of Social Justice Week.

Putting a focus on indigenous history JACQUELINE MCKAY RYERSONIAN

Bringing indigenous history into the classroom is the next major goal for Ryerson as it works to implement recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). “What we are trying to do is get right the relationship, and that is what the TRC is about,” said Joanne Dallaire, elder and traditional councillor for the Aboriginal Student Services. “It is about the right relationship.” She made the comments at the annual TRC check-in held Monday as a part of Social Justice Week. The TRC is a component of the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, which informs Canadians about the history of residential schools. Ryerson University’s inaugural assistant vice-president,

vice-provost Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Denise O’Neil Green, and Dallaire have been working to gather information from students, faculty and staff to see what truth and reconciliation means to them. From these meetings, and presentations with the Academic Planning Group, the driving recommendation has been implementing TRC and indigenous history into all academic departments and curriculums. “Mandatory courses in aboriginal education was a thing (that) came through loud and clear,” said O’Neil Green. This is a priority mentioned by indigenous student services member, Athena Pheasant, at the beginning of the panel. The Ryerson School of Journalism will be one of the first programs to integrate a new indigenous curriculum. That will come with the programs’ indigenous online beat

reporting class, which is to be offered for the first time in January. Other priority recommendations, according to O’Neil Green, are to set targets for the number of indigenous faculty and staff on campus, increase funding for indigenous students, have a stronger commitment from university leadership for action, have a designated indigenous counsellor and provide indigenous language programs to support and recruit indigenous students. “This is an ongoing interactive, organic process, not a one off,” said O’Neil Green. “It will take some time to embed and integrate ... ” There are still a couple consultations to be held with academic leaders such as the senate. But the goal is to draft a report with official recommendations by the end of this year. Once this happens, the report

will be posted online for feedback from the community. The report will be appropriately updated before going to Ryerson’s president Mohamed Lachemi. “There are so many reports about indigenous people in this country that have been shelved,” said indigenous CBC journalist and visiting journalist at the Ryerson School of Journalism, Duncan McCue, about the TRC. “If this very important report is going to be a living document, if it is going to change this country in the way the commissioners hoped it would, then we need to have events like this annually.” Students can email trc.edi@ ryerson.ca if they have questions or recommendations, or visit Ryerson’s TRC website for information about future events. @mckayjacqueline

Students breathed a sigh of relief Monday when the Canadian government announced changes to student loan repayments. As of Nov. 1, Canadians will not have to repay their Canada Student Loan until they are earning at least $25,000 a year. The federal government is taking steps to alleviate the financial stress students face regarding the repayment of tuition loans. “The thought of being in debt is already stressful enough, let alone knowing that as soon as I graduate, I’m going to have to start paying back money I don’t have,” says Zeinab Saidoun a Ryerson student. Anyone having trouble making loan payments will also have the option of applying for the Repayment Assistance Plan. Depending on the individual’s situation, they can receive a reduced monthly payment or no payment at all through the program. In addition to this relief initiative, Canada Student Grants have also increased by 50 per cent as of Aug. 1. “Three thousand dollars is roughly three to four courses at Ryerson, so knowing I wouldn’t have to pay that back is also very comforting,” said Saidoun Although students are likely to find repayment relief beneficial, some students who are already making $25,000 and more may find this plan challenging. “I think it is brilliant idea that students have space to breathe when paying off their student debt,” says Ryerson student Evan Morrison. “But as someone who does make over 25,000 a year, I’m concerned about how much I’m going to be paying ... (in taxes),” said Morrison.

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News brief: fewer vines, more cheese DANIELLE LEE RYERSONIAN

Wine available in select Toronto grocery stores As of Oct. 28, certain Toronto grocery stores now carry bottles of wine. The stores are: Loblaws Empress Market, 5095 Yonge St. Real Canadian Superstore, 2549 Weston Rd. Loblaws, 2877 Bayview Village

Loblaws, 11 Redway Rd. (Millwood and Laird) Eventually, up to 300 small outlets and big chains — including Walmart, Metro and Sobeys — will be selling wine. #RIPVINE Twitter announced last Thursday that it is shutting down Vine, the popular video-making app. The app allowed users to create six-second looping videos.

The decision comes as part of Twitter’s efforts to reduce costs, in addition to cutting nine per cent of its workforce. Canadian Vine star JusReign, who has one billion loops on his account, said on Twitter: “Vine was the platform that allowed me to build and grow an audience outside of just South Asians: wouldn’t be where I am without it truly”. Users are no longer able to

Ryerson space society shooting for the stars

Trudeau Signs Canada-EU free trade deal This past weekend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed a free trade deal with the European Union, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement or CETA. Trudeau signed the deal in Brussels on Sunday after seven

years of negotiation. The deal will affect Canadians by allowing lower prices on imported products from the EU, a potential $12-billion increase for Canada’s annual income and a greater availability European cheese according to Global News. The agreement could come into effect by early next year. @leemdanielle

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MICHAL STOLARCZYK RYERSONIAN

A new chapter in the race to conquer space has begun. Elon Musk announced a deadline to get people to Mars. Boeing has accepted the deadline as a challenge . The Canadian Space Agency has launched applications for astronauts for the first time since 2009. Now, one student is bringing that hype to Ryerson. Francis Picotte, a second-year aerospace engineering student, set out to create a group in August with the goal of bringing together those with a common interest in joining the space industry, either through passive celebration or active contribution. His main vision for the group is to introduce students to the industry itself. “I’ve seen a lot of people who want to work in the space sector; they don’t know where to go. They look at space and they look at rockets, but then a lot of them say there are no jobs. I want to connect them with professionals,” said Picotte. It started when he contacted Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) to build a chapter for the organization at Ryerson. SEDS is responsible for organizing events and groups that help students like Picotte get into the space sector.

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Aerosapce engineering student Francis Picotte hopes to take Ryerson to space.

It was created by Ryerson alumnus Bob Richards, who has since pushed the U.S. government to allow private exploration of the moon. And so, the Ryerson Space Society was created. Now with a 140-strong membership, Picotte thinks there is strength in numbers in getting his peers excited about the idea of working towards getting in the space business. “When you’re in a crowd of 60 people watching a rocket launch, it’s different than just watching it alone on your computer,” he said, reflecting on the events the group has done in the past, such as viewing a rocket launch from a seven-metre monitor. Picotte acknowledges that the idea of celebrating space is not

original. Stargazers Ryerson has existed before his own group. But that group is more focused on appreciating space, rather than becoming involved in space exploration. On Nov. 8, he and a number of others will be attending the Canadian Space Policy Symposium in Ottawa. There he will be able to talk about ideas the Ryerson Space Society has collected over the last few months and share them with the entire space industry. A major discussion point will be the need to create a long-term and sustainable space strategy that Canada will benefit from.

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Books from Used Book Room in limbo MICHAL STOLARCZYK RYERSONIAN

The books which occupied the former Used Book Room and delayed the construction of the wellness centre have finally been

removed. They now sit in neatly stacked boxes within the executive offices of the Ryerson Students’ Union. In September, the development of the wellness centre was stalled after students failed to pick up

their books from the room. Now, the union has stepped in to remove them and store them in their own office. Neal Muthreja, the vice-president of operations, says most of these books have expired. This means that it

has been over a year since they were placed in the book room and because the owner has not picked them up, ownership was transferred to the union. The physical room itself has since been replaced by an online

resource. Muthreja cites an $85,000 budget deficit as part of the reason for the switch to online. @miczyk

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chairperson, Rajean Hoilett , “but a careful balance of formal lobbying efforts and membership mobilization to show that students are a political force in their own right.” This year, the rally will begin at Ryerson with a free breakfast that moves on to performances and speakers with the theme of access and affordability of education. It will be followed by a march to Queen’s Park. Students from across the province will gather to demonstrate to the provincial government the urgency of having affordable education, says CESAR president Rabbia Ashraf. “Access to education is becoming more and more a privilege of those that can afford the upfront cost of tuition fees,” says Ashraf. “There are too many students taking on insurmountable amounts of debt to fund their education and we need to do something about it.” Through ongoing lobbying efforts, the CFS presents to the government ideas and policy proposals, trying to win change from inside Queen’s Park and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. But they also know there’s strength in numbers. The rally was to begin on Gould Street at 8 a.m. with a free breakfast followed by a march to Queen’s Park at noon.

of Ryerson (CESAR) and various CFS appointed officers through schools across Ontario. Ryerson used to show strength in numbers in the “Freeze the Fees” campaign, a joint effort between the RSU and CESAR, aimed at freezing the rising tuition fees. However, the RSU has not participated in any events related to freezing or fighting the fees since the 2014-15 election year. Victoria Morton, RSU’s vice-president of education, says that while tuition fees are too high and rising quickly, the RSU believes it is too important of an issue to “continue to put resources into the campaigns.” “The CFS-Ontario has been running essentially the same campaign to lower tuition fees for 30 years and not once have tuition fees lowered in Canada,” says Morton. Instead, the RSU plans to take a policy and research based approach to its advocacy this year, including direct lobbying efforts, to work hand-in-hand with the CFS’s and CESAR‘s approaches. But the CFS says its approach has been especially successful. This year has already been an empowering one for student action with the introduction of the new campaigns combatting sexual violence and the Ontario Student Grant. Both campaigns are a result of student lobbying and action. “I believe our most important victories have been won not with backroom talks with government,” says CFS-Ontario

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Features yersonian

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Ryerson’s cyber Ryerson experts, Brian Lesser and Ann Cavoukian, explain the campus approach to cybersecurity, and how you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim

ALEX TSUI | RYERSONIAN

ALEXANDRA CHRONOPOULOS RYERSONIAN

Ryerson students are at war. In fact, any individual with a mobile and computing device is at war. While the battleground of this conflict does not exist, it has the potential to compromise everything from our Twitter passwords to our social insurance numbers to our very identities. Last week, Ryerson’s Computing and Communications Services (CCS) launched a new initiative to block more malicious IP addresses from Ryerson’s networks. This is

the latest defensive measure from a plan that was established nine years ago, according to Brian Lesser, Ryerson’s chief information officer, who helped write the new network server security policy. The truth is, Ryerson is constantly under attack. There is a persistent stream of malware sent to email servers from thousands of machines in over 100 different countries. Lesser explains that the most common threat is brute force password guessing. As such, CCS has developed a series of successful protocols to prevent and mitigate this type of attack.

This initiative, combined with new password rules and a two-factor authentication process, all work together to better protect Ryerson accounts from cyberattacks. Although there has been a small rise in hijacked accounts in 2016, Lesser explains that Ryerson will continue to push two-factor authentication, which is the best thing anyone can do to protect their account. “Defending you against cyberattacks requires a layered approach,” says Lesser. While this seems confusing, especially to those who are not technologically minded, it is actually quite simple

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rwar rages on to understand. Lesser explains that a connection to the Internet is like two machines talking. One machine will make it known that it wants to talk to the other machine and send a packet of information. That second machine will acknowledge the request and send over another packet of information. Once this exchange has happened, the firewall kicks in and monitors the conversation. If the firewall detects that one of the computer’s IP addresses is not in its memory, then it will block the connection and stop the exchange from happening. When the connection is allowed, the firewall watches the session and records it. Denying by default is essentially the firewall’s version of whitelisting—unless it specifically allows something, it denies it. We’ve all had to answer security questions about ourselves when we sign up for accounts. This is just one example of two-factor authentication. The point is to go beyond using a password. It requires the user to input a piece of information that only they would know. Ryerson now offers two-factor authentication for its email service. Other companies, such as Apple, Google, Yahoo, MSN and Twitter, offer a similar security measure. Ann Cavoukian, former information and privacy commissioner of Ontario and current executive director

There are a lot of misconceptions about privacy. A lot of people think that privacy is about secrecy, but actually it is about control. — Ann Cavoukian

of Ryerson’s Privacy & Big Data Institute, has collaborated with the Ted Rogers School of Management to develop a new master’s program, Enterprise Information Security, Privacy and Data Protection, which launched in January. She also teaches the course “Privacy by Design: The Global Privacy Framework” at the Chang School. This course aims to explain what you need to know to ensure that your data is secure but also properly used. “There are a lot of misconceptions about privacy,” says Cavoukian. “A lot of people think that privacy is about

secrecy, but actually it is about control.” She says that this message is one that can be disseminated across the board, from the undergraduate to post-graduate level. Universities are prime targets for malicious actors, as they can be lucrative sources of intellectual property and personal information. In May, the University of Calgary was attacked and forced to pay the unknown actor a $20,000 ransom. This type of attack that sees malicious software designed to block access to a system until a sum of money is paid is fittingly called ransomware. The attack encrypted the university’s staff and faculty email network, and the money was paid to get the decryption key. Rutgers University suffered six DDoS attacks in 2015, despite the university investing $3 million and hiring three cyber security firms. The first five attacks were carried out by a hacker called Exfocus, who was commissioned by an underground network and paid in Bitcoin, while the sixth attack was carried out by an unknown actor and targeted the university’s online learning portal. DDoS, or distributed denial of service, attacks are among the most common cybersecurity attacks, as they use multiple compromised systems to target a single system, causing a denial of service. Norse Corp., a computer and network security firm based in California, has created a live attack map that shows DDoS attacks as they are being launched around the world in real time. Pennsylvania State University has also been the subject of recent cyberattacks carried out by ATPs (advanced persistent threats) that have exposed the personal information, including social security numbers, of about 18,000 students. It is estimated that the attacks began in September 2012 but were not discovered until November 2014. Lesser explains that malicious actors have a lot to gain from attacking universities. They can potentially gain the ability to send out free spam from hijacked accounts, and make money in the event of a successful ransomware attack. He says that information found in your email or on your computer may be used for credit card fraud, or other types of fraudulent activity. As well, he warns of the use or sale of confidential research data, which can also be accessed. In one recent case, a student launched a cyberattack in April 2015 at the University of Birmingham. Bioscience student, Imran Uddin, 25, plugged keyloggers into his professors’ computers to retrieve their passwords in order to access exam applications to bump up his grades. Following the attack, Uddin was sentenced to four months in jail. While the possibility of a cyberattack has become almost inevitable, Lesser explains that there is a lot that students can do to protect themselves from becoming victims.

In addition to using two-factor authentication, he encourages students to keep their operating systems and antivirus software up-to-date. He also advises not to open emails or attachments from unknown sources. He explains that if you must look at an attachment, use a viewer instead of opening it on your computer. As well, ensure Microsoft office macros are not enabled. “A recent scam involves sending fake invoices that claim they cannot be read properly without enabling macros. Don’t fall for it,” says Lesser. Lastly, do not use file sharing or free file download services to download movies, music, file sharing utilities, and applications. Lesser explains that if you insist on using one of these services, do so on a computer that you do not use for anything important or that contains confidential personal information. “Our biggest challenge is time and resources, and picking our battles,” says Lesser. Cavoukian’s advice to students is simply, “don’t be stupid when you go on Facebook.” Saying that she does not mean to be disrespectful, she explains that today more than ever everyone needs to be smart about what they share on the Internet. Referencing the ongoing Hillary Clinton email scandal, she explains that once something is shared online, it has the potential to be there forever. “Your lives are just starting, you’re just about to enter the workforce, you don’t want things like this to restrict you or your opportunities. So, be very careful about what you put online,” she says. Cavoukian suggests that encryption tools can be very useful for students who want an added layer of security. She recommends PGP—Pretty Good Privacy—as the “gold standard” of encryption tools, and offers the web browser, Tor, and search engine, DuckDuckGo, as alternatives to mainstream services, which are more likely to track your online presence. “Privacy is essential to freedom,” says Cavoukian. “You cannot have free and democratic societies without the foundation of privacy.” She explains that we are all entitled to zones of privacy where we can have time for reflection and time to talk to your loved ones without worrying about being watched. “People always say, ‘if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear,’ and I always say that that could have been the motto of the Stasi police in the Third Reich, because it presupposes that the government has the right to access all your information. And that’s not freedom or democracy,” she says.

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Arts & Life

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Taking a new step forward A Ryerson dance grad makes her comeback as a director after suffering a brain injury AMIRA ZUBAIRI RYERSONIAN

A Ryerson dance graduate is taking her first step back into the dance world after suffering from a brain injury. Only this time, instead of being up on stage, she’ll be behind a camera.

Miranda Forbes, who graduated from Ryerson in 2009, has been dancing since she was a child. In 2012, Forbes suffered a brain injury after being hit by an SUV while walking on Bloor street. A bleed in her left motor cortex and the inability to move

AMIRA ZUBAIRI | RYERSONIAN

her right leg has kept her from pursuing a career in dance. After a long recovery process, Forbes is revisiting dance through a different art form: film. Forbes is the creative force behind Wall Stare, a short film that marks her debut as a director. The film, which stars Toronto Dance Theatre member and Ryerson dance alumna Christianne Ullmark, will provide a glimpse of what Forbes’s recovery was like. She says that while the media often steps over rehabilitation or portrays it as heroic, she wants to highlight how slow the recovery process of a brain injury can be. “The film explores those isolated first moments after being discharged from the hospital,” said Forbes, who is directing a film for the first time. “I really want to portray the loneliness of the recovery. It then spins into a memory of what dancing felt like, pre-accident, so we’re going to see Christianne dancing with a lot of figure and sensitivity.” Ann Tipper, who is the director of photography and a co-producer

of Wall Stare, says the film will be a reflection of Forbes’s personal struggle in recovery, which she is hoping will resonate with the film’s audience. “It’s such a personal story and she’s really putting a lot out there,” said Tipper, a graduate of Ryerson’s film studies program. “Because she’s sharing something so personal, I think a lot of people will be able to relate to that. I hope that it will help people who might be going through similar struggles, or any struggle really.” Beyond directing the film, Forbes is providing Ullmark, the main choreographer, with tips on how the dance movements and scenes should be presented in the film. While Forbes cannot dance in the film herself, she says she is interested in seeing how dance and movement intersect with film. “I enjoy exploring the body in new environments,” said Forbes. “There’s a huge difference between performing a dance for stage versus film. It allows for

more intimacy, which I think is important for this project.” Tipper said that seeing Forbes come back with a creative drive after living through a serious injury shows how a person can take a progressive approach to a negative event in their life. “It’s so nice to be working with her as she grows as an artist,” said Tipper. “She’s making it such a positive spin and she’s not letting (the accident) stop her. She’s kind of saying, ‘I used to do this. I can’t anymore, but I’m still going to have this connect to dance, just in a different way.’” Funding for Wall Stare is being raised through an Indiegogo campaign, and the film is expected to be released next summer. Going forward, Forbes said she hopes this film will be one of many in her future. “I really love working in film so it would be nice to continue, but I kind of have to play it by ear and see what comes up and what inspires me.” @AMIRAZUBAIRI

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Sports CARLO ZANETTE RYERSONIAN

After reaching new heights last season but ultimately coming up short, the Ryerson men’s basketball team is determined to return to the national championship tournament this season. And while several new players have been added to the Rams’ roster, the team will lean on the veteran leadership of fifth-year players Juwon Grannum and Adika Peter-McNeilly to help guide the team back to nationals. “I know for me and (a) couple guys on the team it’s our last year, and we are really excited for it,” said Grannum. “Hopefully we can go out on top this year.” Last season, the Rams captured the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship for the first time ever by defeating the perennial powerhouse Carleton University Ravens. Both teams then went on to nationals, where many expected a rematch for the national championship. However, the Rams were surprisingly defeated in a semifinal matchup with the University of Calgary Dinos. The Ravens subsequently cruised to the national title, defeating the Dinos by 22 points. “We’ve had a couple of, I don’t want to say disappointing seasons, but we have expectations for ourselves and we know we could have done a bit better,” Grannum told the Ryersonian. “But just knowing we have another

Weekend Wrap-Up HAILEY SALVIAN RYERSONIAN

No love for rugby club? ryersonian.ca Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Rams eye nationals return COURTESY ALEX D’ADDESE

Senior Adika Peter-McNeilly at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National Championships at UBC last season.

opportunity, we have to try to make it count.” Like Grannum, Peter-McNeilly says that despite having yet to reach the national championship game, he views his final season as one last opportunity to take care of some unfinished business. “For me it’s just maximizing my ability, and maximizing my potential on the team,” said Peter-McNeilly. “I’m going to have to give it my all and not look back and have any regrets.” To return to nationals, the Rams will have to adjust following the departures of Aaron Best and Kadeem Green, who capped

their respective careers at Ryerson with a third-place finish at nationals last March. Best, who averaged almost 18 points per game last season, will play professionally in Lithuania this year; while Green, last season’s defensive anchor for the Rams, will play professionally in Morocco. In place of Best and Green is a new cohort of recruits, who returning members of the team say have been impressive so far. “Our depth this year is going to be a big part of our success,” said Grannum. “The guys being there to produce offensively and defensively, and giving some of

our guys a break knowing there won’t be any letdown, is going to be huge down the stretch.” Rams head coach Roy Rana will be tasked with incorporating the new recruits into the team’s uptempo offensive system. “We’ll have some new faces, and try to figure out how this group comes together and what kind of impression they can make,” said Rana. “I’m encouraged by where we are going.” Peter-McNeilly says that fans can expect the same exciting style of basketball that the Rams have become known for in recent years.

“It’s going to be the same fast team — same tempo, threes, dunks, a lot of excitement, defence — everyone has the same swagger, same style as before,” he said. “There may be new names, new faces — new hairstyles — but it’s going to be the same.” The Rams tip off their regular season on the road versus the Laurier Golden Hawks on Nov. 5. The home-opener is slated for Nov. 18 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, against the Nipissing University Lakers. The women play first at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m. With files from Hailey Salvian

Rams Reach final four

Volleyball makes debut

Nationals run by Verlaan

Hockey splits the weekend

The Ryerson Rams men’s soccer team is heading to the OUA Final Four after knocking off the Queens Gaels 1-0 on Sunday night. The match went right to the wire, decided by an OT goal by Jamie Baker.

The volleyball teams opened their seasons on Friday against U of T. The women dropped the opener in straight sets, while the men would sweep their match. Both teams lost to the Western Mustangs on Sunday.

Second-year Rebecca Verlaan ran her way to a 30th place finish at the provincial championships on Sunday morning. Her top-50 finish stamped a ticket to the CIS tournament in Laval Nov. 12.

The men’s hockey team dropped its first game in regulation to the Carleton Ravens 5-3 Friday. The Rams bounced back into the win column Sunday to split the weekend with a 4-2 win over RMC.

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Editorial

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EDITORIAL

Student debt relief welcome any time Unfortunately, being saddled with debt is nothing new for many post-secondary students across Canada. The struggle of being thousands of dollars in debt can also be very stressful for students, and this stress can lead to various mental health issues, as well as poorer academic performance. The stress of debt might force some students to question why they even pursued higher education in the first place, while affecting others so significantly that they drop out altogether. All of these concerns are undoubtedly detrimental to the value of a higher education, and the job prospects for many young post-secondary graduates can be cause for even greater stress. All things considered, government action on student debt is long overdue. However, recent policies introduced by the federal government are a step in the right direction towards helping to relieve student debt — and the stress that often comes along with it. Beginning on Nov. 1, a new government policy stipulates that Canadian students will not be required to repay their

Canada Student Loan until they are earning at least $25,000 per year. Additionally, the grant amounts available to students through Canada Student Grants were increased by 50 per cent on Aug. 1. These important policies will allow students to focus on what really matters — their education. And when the time comes, students will have more freedom to pursue a career that they are truly passionate about, rather than taking a job that they dislike just so that they can begin paying off their student debt. The new policies are part of a plan to increase funding to Canada Student Grants by $1.53 billion over the next five years, according to the federal government’s 2016 budget. This is an encouraging sign for all current and prospective Canadian post-secondary students, and shows that the government is committed to investing in the country’s future. Economic status should never be a barrier for any student to achieve an education, and while there is still work to be done, it seems like Canada is finally on the right track.

ALEX TSUI | RYERSONIAN

OPINION

Paris agreement is a dud CATHERINE MACHADO RYERSONIAN

Last April, 174 countries and the European Union signed the Paris agreement. The agreement ultimately calls on these countries to keep the global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius in this century. The agreement, which goes into full force this Friday, Nov. 4, requires countries to prepare and maintain their respective plans to help combat climate change. This sounds promising and, in many ways, it is. For one, it calls on countries to track each other’s

environmental shames and successes on an international stage for years to come. However, the agreement allows countries to determine their own level of contributions in order to suit their nation’s needs. Canada’s plan by 2030 is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below the levels recorded in 2005, Canada’s worst year for emissions. However, there are no penalties for not reaching these targets. So where will pressure for real change come from? In an ideal world, the current state of the environment would be the only pressure needed. But looking at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent environmental decisions, it’s clear we are not living in an ideal world. Recently, Trudeau gave conditional approval for the Pacific Northwest LNG terminal off the coast of British Columbia. This comes with fracking that will pose threats to the area’s salmon habitat.

Trudeau is also still considering expanding the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline despite the fact that approval would tie Canada up in fossil fuels for years to come. A group of environmental activists wrote an open letter to Trudeau in September. They argue the current federal review process on energy projects doesn’t properly break down exactly how the country will manage to build pipelines and expand Alberta oilsands production, while also lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This Friday marks the beginning of the end of environmental ignorance for the world as a whole, but says little about Canada’s place in it all. Now we need to keep an extra-critical eye on Trudeau’s environmental decisions, judging by things like Kinder Morgan. Essentially, the Paris agreement is just a babysitter, and Trudeau can continue to act on environmental issues however he pleases.

R yersonian

Voices

Read more Voices online ryersonian.ca Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Ending my silence on mental health

‘In a strict Indian family, there’s no such thing as anxiety or depression’ CHAYONIKA CHANDRA RYERSONIAN

Depression is hard to talk about, especially if you have it. It induces anxiety to think about the possibility of other people knowing about your weaknesses and your fears. I grew up in India where the education system is fast-paced and competitive. Before I immigrated to Canada in 2004, I was enrolled in the school my mother taught at, so she expected me to be my best. When I came here, a crucial piece of family and togetherness was left behind. My parents started working two jobs each to support us, and my sister was going to university and working part time. Everything had changed. As I entered my late teens, I became aloof and lacked motivation. It felt like I had lost my identity. In a strict Indian family, there’s no such thing as “anxiety” or “depression.” My parents didn’t understand the person

I had become, but I was just a moody, rebellious teenager. This lack of communication created a cycle of emotional and sometimes physical abuse that took me years to overcome. I feared the idea of talking about any of my negative feelings because, until recent years, I never got the impression that my parents cared about my mental health. It’s hard to find people to trust, especially when you’re going through a rough time. I wanted to pretend that I was tough, when inside I was crying for help. Mostly, I thought my problems weren’t important enough to be deemed as depression. I refused to put myself in a vulnerable position and seek any type of “mental health” help. What would my friends say if they had found out? I shut these thoughts out of my head for a while, until they resurfaced in my first year of university. I was taking a psychology

course where we had to participate in some studies. We also needed to fill out some forms first to assess whether we were qualified to participate. A lot of the questions were about my mental health history, and I answered them honestly. A few hours later they told me I couldn’t participate in the study because I was assessed as “clinically depressed.” I was given forms to seek mental health care and some money for my time. It felt like a slap in the face. The researchers probably meant well when they provided me with the resources to get help, but it felt like an obligatory gesture rather than a personal one. I didn’t want questionnaires to determine my mental stability. The Are You Depressed? brochures made me feel insecure, even though one in five Canadians suffer from an addiction or mental health problem during any given year.

Reading mental health brochures isn’t the solution for everyone. I found that stories of real people and their experiences could also be an inspiration to anyone dealing with mental health issues. Talking about your problems and making yourself vulnerable not only helps you face your fears directly, but also provides

courage to those who feel alone, unable to relate to anyone else. It doesn’t matter how much you decide to divulge, it matters whether or not you speak up. Not only will you be helping yourself, you’ll be helping others who might have it worse.

with many of them, and we still get together once in a while. Race was never a factor there. But more than anything, I was also appalled to read that she felt “afraid of exploring any ethnic-related stories at this university.” … (M)y final project for my magazine class was a 2,000-word feature about the issues educated immigrants face when coming to Canada looking for jobs in their fields. The topic was never an issue for my instructor. In fact …

he insisted I find more diverse stories to enrich my piece. I cannot speak as to Karamchandani’s personal experiences or the reasons why she had to leave the program. But I cannot allow her either to simply say that all members of the faculty are racists or that race played a factor in what happened to her. I can only say that in the 12 months that I was part of it, I can’t recall a single time where I felt discriminated by my peers or by the staff or by

the professors, who were always polite, respectful and professional. Each person’s experiences are different. But generalizations are dangerous and problematic. They are at the heart of racism. Yet, Karamchandani is guilty of the same sin – painting all people with the same brush. Jonathan Juha, Western University master of journalism graduate — class of 2015

COURTESY CHAYONIKA CHANDRA

@chaychandra

LETTER TO THE EDITOR My first reaction to Neha Karamchandani’s piece, titled “Facing racism at grad school,” was one of surprise. Surprise because I’m the textbook definition of a member of a minority group in Canada and because I was there, in the same classroom as her, and my experience couldn’t have been more different. But before getting to that, I need to address a factual mistake in Karamchandani’s article, which I believe to be key to her

story. In her piece, Karamchandani states that when she joined Western University’s master of journalism class 2015, there were only two people of colour. Counting Karamchandani, however, there were nine people of colour, including myself. … Nine out of 26 doesn’t seem to be a bad number to me. … Personally, I cannot say that I ever felt out of place in the classroom either…. I can count now 24 good friends. I’m still in touch

R yersonian

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Campus Connection

Quote ... Unquote

Events Nov. 3

Full stories online at ryersonian.ca

The (Virtual) Reality of a Refugee Experience Noon - 1:30 p.m. Sears Atrium Event listing at ryerson.ca/ news/events

We hope we can continue to expand our reach on campus, so ... students can see that there is a rugby club at Ryerson.

Long Night Against Procrastination

Darrin Rankine

5 p.m. - 11:59 p.m. Student Learning Centre, 4th floor Event listing and registration at ryerson.ca/news/events

Getting into our first film festival was almost like an official film industry stamp of approval.

Nov. 5

Mary Gyulay

6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Mattamy Athletic Centre Event listing and registration at ryerson.ca/news/events

Rams men’s hockey vs. University of Toronto SELENA SINGH | RYERSONIAN

I want to do the kind of travel where you go to places you never envisioned yourself going.

Mallory Warren

Creators celebrate talent

From Oct. 20-23, online video creators and their fans gathered at Buffer Festival to showcase and celebrate the talent of online creators who have debuted their work on YouTube. For the creators, the festival, which was founded in 2013 by Corey Vidal, was a reminder that being a YouTuber is a viable career path. Creators also had the chance to meet their fans and celebrate their online accomplishments through video premières and workshops. See the full story online.

Nov. 7 Open Meeting #3 for Students on Sexual Violence Policy 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Jorgenson Hall Room 1410 Event listing and registration at ryerson.ca/news/events

Nov. 8 Managing Editor Print

Op-Ed/Voices Editor

Lineup Editors

Carlo Zanette

Robert Foreman Michal Stolarczyk

Danielle Lee Esther Lee Selena Singh Megan Stephens

Copy Editors

Instructors

Anna-Kaye Evans Richa Syal

Peter Bakogeorge Jagg Carr-Locke Philippe Devos

Jennie Pearson

News Editors

Managing Editor Video

Michal Stolarczyk Alex Tsui

Alex Tsui

Managing Editors Digital Jacqueline McKay Daniela Olariu

Managing Editors Social/Engagement Angela Bulatao-Taay Amira Zubairi

Arts & Life Editors Amanda Gilmore Sydney Masonovich

Sports Editor Hailey Salvian

Features Editor Alexandra Chronopoulos

Photo Editors Chayonika Chandra Catherine Machado Samraweet Yohannes

Reporters Ebyan Abdigir Kelsey Adams Alyana Ladha

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

Pub Night: Election Night U.S.A. All Day Ram in the Rye, 63 Gould St. Event listing and registration at ryerson.ca/news/events

Significant Dates Nov. 7 Last day for OSAP appeals and documentation