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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017
yersonian R
ryersonian.ca Volume 72 Number 7
Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism
SLC accessibility under fire again A new video from accessibility advocates draws attention to the building’s ongoing barriers JULIE DO RYERSONIAN
Ryerson’s Student Learning Centre (SLC) has received a failing grade by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Alliance. The grassroots group released a video earlier this week laying out what it sees to be “serious accessibility problems” at the SLC. AODA Alliance chair David Lepofsky, who has been an outspoken critic of the SLC’s design, narrates the video with a tour of the building. He says the SLC fails to meet accessibility standards for people with blindness, low vision, mobility disabilities, dyslexia, balance issues and others. The video also points out specific stairs, ramps, elevators and
What’s online Check out ryersonian.ca to read about a team of Ryerson professors who won a bid to update the Banff National Park Pavilion.
group study areas that require significant improvement. Ryerson’s failing grade is one of several to be handed out by the AODA Alliance to public institutions. It’s part of an effort by the Alliance to increase awareness on Ontario’s long road ahead in its promise to lead the province to full accessibility by 2025. The SLC building opened its doors at Ryerson less than three years ago. The building has been lauded for its modern and state-of-theart design, with each of its eight floors catered to specific student needs. Matt Vocino uses a motorized wheelchair to get around school. JENNY ZHEN | RYERSONIAN
Please see STUDENTS page 5
A recent video from the AODA Alliance slams the Student Learning Centre building for failing to meet accessibility standards.
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Housing for millennials by the numbers
News Rye on alert as crime increases page 5
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
with temporary increased presence in area around campus NIKHIL SHARMA RYERSONIAN
After a series of violent incidents in the Church and Wellesley area this month, a local city councillor is advising students to stay alert. “I think they (students) need to make sure that they watch where they’re going,” Ward 27 councillor, Kristyn Wong-Tam, told the Ryersonian. “I think that it would be smart on their part to pay attention to what’s happening around them.” Wong-Tam said the city has seen an “escalation” in crime-related incidents in the Church and Wellesley area. Between Oct. 16 and Oct. 22, there were 11 crime-related incidents reported in the Church-Yonge Corridor, according to Toronto Police Service’s weekly major crime indicators. This includes everything from robbery, auto theft and assault, to breaking and entering. Church and Wellesley is just minutes away from Ryerson, and there is the concern that violent incidents could spread onto campus. “We have to ensure that we step up and speak out when we see something,” Wong-Tam said. “We have to report it.” On Oct. 13, Steve Dawson, a former Ryerson student and owner of Dudley’s Hardware, had his life threatened by an individual in a mask, who damaged merchandise inside the store. “He showed me his knife,” Dawson said. “He threatened to mess me up and come back and
AMMI PARMAR | RYERSONIAN
Ryerson stays silent a[er violent incidents take place near campus in the Church and Wellesley area.
smash the windows, you know, everything that I have, and to kill me if he had to.” Police arrested the individual soon after the incident. But on Oct. 20, the alarm went off at Dawson’s
Dawson said he spotted the same individual on Oct. 26 nearby his store again. “Nobody’s safe,” Dawson said. On Friday, Wong-Tam met with the Church-Wellesley Village BIA, the Church Wellesley
Earlier this year, Toronto police deployed six additional foot patrol officers from 51 Division. But the six-week program, which started in August, has come to an end. Three community safety meetings and four safety walks
The community is feeling very frustrated. — Kristyn Wong-Tam store as a result of its front windows being smashed. Dawson said two witnesses came forward and identified the suspect as the same one who confronted him on Oct. 13. A lot of students from Ryerson come by to get supplies for their projects because they’re a hardware store, Dawson said.
Neighbourhood Association, the 519, Progress Place, parks staff, mayor’s staff and 51 Division police officers to discuss safety within the area. Supervisors at 51 Division will begin deploying four neighbourhood officers to the Church-Wellesley Village and St. James Town starting Nov. 6.
were held in the area over the past 10 months, where residents and business owners shared their concerns for the neighbourhood. Wong-Tam meets with Ryerson once a month to discuss a number of issues, including campus security and safety, which she said “has been on the table over
the past few months.” Public affairs manager of Ryerson, Johanna VanderMaas, said in an email: “While the security of our students, faculty and staff is always a top concern for the university, we cannot offer comment on the safety of other neighbourhoods that are not our own.” Wong-Tam said individuals who are arrested by police for assault or theft are charged with a crime and then they’re back out onto the street again within 24 hours. “The community is feeling very frustrated,” Wong-Tam said. Wong-Tam said she hopes Toronto police will revisit her proposal in January for a pilot project that would include a satellite police station to heighten police presence in the Church and Wellesley area. Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) president Susanne Nyaga said it’s concerning that such crime-related incidents are taking place so close to campus and recommends walking with a friend at night, rather than walking alone. “Try to take somebody to walk home with you or budget for a cab,” Nyaga said. “It might be a 15-minute walk and super close by, but if you know you’re going through an unsafe neighbourhood, it’s definitely worth that $10 or $15 to just hop in a cab and get there in a safer manner.” @_NSHARMA
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News 3
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Trans awareness month begins IMANI WALKER RYERSONIAN
ISABELLA PERRONE | RYERSONIAN
Proponents of the proposed bill say that it will help to increase safety by decreasing the number of distracted pedestrians.
New cellphone bill proposed ISABELLA PERRONE RYERSONIAN
A new bill would ban pedestrians from using a cellphone while crossing the street. The private member’s bill, Phones Down, Heads Up Act, was proposed by Etobicoke Centre MPP Yvan Baker. It was introduced Monday morning at Queen’s Park as a response to constituents’ concerns about pedestrian safety. The use of electronic devices, including cellphones, while crossing the street would result in a fine of $50 on a first offence, $75 on a second offence and $125 for any further offences. Fines would not affect people calling emergency services or those who started a phone call prior to crossing the street. In 2015, Toronto Public Health reported that 13 per cent of pedestrians involved in collisions were “inattentive.” Jordan Ray, executive assistant to Baker, spoke Monday about the
proposed bill and the effect that their team hopes it will have if passed. “We’re hoping it will raise awareness about a safety issue, similar to the rule against jaywalking,” Ray said. “It’s a risky behaviour.” If the bill passes, enforcement will be handled by local officers, Ray said. “We’re not about to tell the police how to do their jobs...the hope is that it raises awareness of a safety issue. Even having this conversation now is a success.” According to a provincial coroner’s report, almost 20 per cent of pedestrian deaths involved distractions. Of those, almost 70 per cent were using an MP3 player or cellphone. “We’re hoping that if the awareness raised prevents even one death, that’s a good thing,” said Ray. “It’s also important to point out that the major issue in road safety doesn’t have to do with pedestrians, it has to do with drivers. The road is a shared
space.” Other municipalities would have the option to opt out of the proposed bill. “The City of Toronto passed a resolution last summer asking the province for a law like this, and at that time the vote didn’t pass,” Ray said. “We’re conscious of what our constituents are concerned about. They’ve seen this happen more and more, and we’re hoping that it can tackle that issue. “The other thing is that we’re conscious that each municipality knows their jurisdiction best, and if this (bill) were to pass they can opt out.” A similar bill was passed last week in Honolulu, Hawaii, which brought attention to the issue of pedestrian safety. MPP Baker’s private member’s bill won’t be up for debate until March. @isabellaperr1
Today marks the beginning of Trans Awareness Month, a celebration that aims to honour and recognize the trans community on Ryerson’s campus. “In the past, Trans Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20) was recognized through a small ceremony, but we’re really proud and excited about the number of educational and advocacy-focused events spanning the entire month this year,” Laurie Stewart, the co-chair of Positive Space at Ryerson, said in an email response. Positive Space at Ryerson is a community network for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. The events hosted by Positive Space include three workshops focused on inclusion and supporting trans individuals on campus. There are also panels on both trans inclusion in sport and in fashion and clothing. “Trans awareness month is important because our trans community members continue to experience harassment, discrimination, violence and systemic barriers on campus and in our communities,” Stewart said. However, some students on campus worry the events and celebrations do not accurately represent the trans community. Camryn Harlick, vice-president of equity at the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU), identifies as two-spirit and transmasculine.
As a member of the Trans Collective at Ryerson, Harlick is worried the trans community was not involved in the decision-making or planning process done by Positive Space. “I’m interested to know how many people are involved with the events. They should be reaching out to the Trans Collective and trans students,” Harlick said. Harlick also says trans events should happen all year, not just throughout the month. “A lot of us haven’t had the privilege to talk about trans issues in safe zones. We also talk about the Western perspective and the white trans community, but we don’t talk about racialized trans people,” Harlick said. Harlick said they won’t be attending the Trans Awareness Month events. Stewart affirmed that Positive Space reached out for the opinions and participation of employees who have self-identified as 2SLGBTQ+ in the Diversity Self ID survey conducted through Ryerson HR. “We’re committed to creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment,” Stewart said. The first event of the month, the transgender pride flag raising ceremony, will be held today in the quad. The flag will remain raised for the entire month of November. @imaaniwalker
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News 5
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 STUDENTS cont’d...
Housing for millennials: By the Numbers Last week, Statistics Canada released its latest batch of findings from the 2016 census. One set focused on housing. Here’s what students need to know:
Housing unaffordable for one-third of all Torontonians Experts consider housing “affordable” if under 30 per cent of your income is spent on total shelter costs. By that standard, the new census data shows that housing is unaffordable for about 24 per cent of Canadian households. In Toronto, housing is unaffordable for ab out one -t h i rd of households.
Harder for millennials to own homes In 1981, about 56 per cent of 30-year-olds lived in a home they owned. In 2016, that number fell to about 50 per cent.
Canadian millennials stay at home In August, Statistics Canada reported one-third of Canadians aged 20 to 34 lived with their parents in 2016. In Toronto, that figure sat at 48 per cent.
Condo ownership on the rise About 13 per cent of Canadians lived in condos in 2016, a slight increase from the last census in 2011. Twothirds of the roughly 1.9 million Canadians who lived in condos owned them. @mr_lois_lane
Students complain of crowded ramps and slow elevators at SLC He says it’s the ramps that cause him the most trouble when travelling through the building. “Obviously it’s not the most design-friendly because the ramp is winding and people usually sit on the stairs and block the ramps… For someone like me who uses it constantly, it’s very challenging.” Another barrier Vocino faces during his time at the SLC are the slow elevators, which he says once made him 25 minutes late for an exam.
Aly Manji shares similar frustrations after having to rely on crutches for the last two weeks due to a basketball injury. “Sometimes if I’m on the eighth floor and I want to go down one or two floors, I just decide to stay there, because I know it’s going to be too hectic to get up when I can just stay where I am,” Manji says. The SLC’s sixth floor, which creates an open-concept beach horizon with winding ramps that line the room, is littered with patio chairs, bean bags and cushioned
mats for lounging. Sitting on a couch and looking at it all, Manji says he feels for anybody with accessibility needs who want to use the space and just can’t. “It gets extremely crowded,” he says. “People eat everywhere (and) the little pads you sit on could be all over the place, so it could be hard for a lot of people to get around.” He adds that increasing the signage around the SLC could help combat this.
Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi admits that the building design was flawed. But he says the school is working towards fixing issues around accessibility. He says it’s not perfect but that is why Ryerson is always looking to create more multi-purpose spaces for everyone. “Our commitment is very clear. We definitely are committed to offering accessibility in an inclusive campus,” Lachemi says. @julieedo
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Features
R yers
Students share stories of online harassment
Online harassment can happen to anyone at any age and be inflicted by strangers and by friends.
BROOKE TAYLOR | RYERSONIAN
SADE LEWIS RYERSONIAN
“You’re lucky you’re a pretty girl who has lots of friends because without looks you don’t get any of that.” This was a message I received in my Facebook inbox from a complete stranger, who was upset because I did not respond to one of his Instagram comments. He continued to insult me and finished off by saying, “You’re so full of shit, it isn’t funny.” This was an individual I’ve never met or interacted with before. Although I knew that his ill-mannered comments were “full of shit,” it still made me quite upset. It is baffling to witness how bold people can become once they have an object with a screen and keyboard in hand, and the messages they send to other people’s inboxes. What I found especially surprising was the slew of “no, sorry” responses that I received as I walked around Ryerson’s campus asking students whether they’ve ever experienced online harassment. But I think the real underlying problem is that students don’t really understand what
online harassment is. Online harassment is just another term for cyberbullying. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, it can include sending unsolicited and threatening emails, spreading rumours, creating content that defames the victim and so on. It can happen to anyone at any age and can be inflicted not just by strangers, but by people the victim knows. In my situation, I was
I got a lot of disgusting requests. — Miya Strauss able to respond to my harasser with a few words, followed by a block-and-delete. It’s not always as simple for others. Natalie Cito, a third-year English major, said she experienced online harassment at the age of 12 when her “best
friends” created a website about her. The website, she said, “bashed” her and included personal information about her life, such as deaths in her family. “It was like a bullying experience and it forced me to leave school,” said Cito. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, young adults aged 18-29 are more likely to be targets of online harassment. While it is commonly believed that more women than men experience online harassment, a study conducted by the think tank concluded that 44 per cent of men encounter online name calling, embarrassment and physical threats, compared with 37 per cent of women. Miya Strauss, an RTA School of Media student, said she also experienced online harassment after her friend jokingly made her a profile on the dating site OkCupid. “I mean the whole profile was gross, so naturally I got a lot of disgusting requests,” said Strauss. Strauss said she did eventually begin a text conversation with a guy she interacted with on the dating site. However, the conversation escalated drastically, with the guy insulting Strauss within a matter of minutes.
sonian “He said, ‘Your pictures make it look like you probably slept with a couple of people, and I did not have any revealing photos, so I was kind of confused. The conversation progressed. It got onto the topic that I was a vegetarian and we had also been talking about the fact that I’m Jewish and he made a comment like, ‘Great, a vegetarian and a Jew,’” said Strauss. After my brief online encounter with the man who sent me that message, I expressed myself on social media about how this issue should not be taken lightly. I was then messaged by a user who told me to “stop being a basic bitch and just block him.” It’s comments like these that stigmatize victims who speak up on what they endure at the keyboards of others. As seen with social media trends likes #MeToo, it only takes the voice of one to trigger an onslaught of others sharing their experiences. Ryerson offers safe spaces for all students who feel the need to speak to someone. The Ryerson Students’ Union has the Centre for Women and Trans People along with the Sexual Assault Survivor Support Line. Students are able to speak anonymously to professionals if they are being victimized and don’t know how to handle it on their own. “I think what we would count as online harassment varies depending on how marginalized a person is,” said Cassandra Myers, the co-ordinator of the Sexual Assault and Survivor Support Line. “In an online dating app culture, because of how pervasive rape culture is, people will be more explicitly offensive and explicitly harassing.” This rape culture that Myers speaks of brings out the worst in people and makes victims feel obligated to respond or argue back by defending their identity. You do not have to respond to crude messages from strangers, you do not have to accept an invitation to interact with them and most importantly, you do not have to be a victim. No means no, even if it’s online, and people fail to realize that. When they face the harsh reality that their victim may not be interested in any sort of encounter they lash out. But if you are ever faced with this dilemma, there are steps that can be taken to solve it. Myers recommends that victims record conversations that may include harassing behaviour and take screenshots that include
Features
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SADE LEWIS | RYERSONIAN
Screenshot of the message received by the writer on Oct. 17 through Facebook Messenger.
consequences, they can contact the Office of the Ombudsperson who will help find options to distance both people or deal academic consequences to the perpetrator in
In an online dating app culture, because of how pervasive rape culture is, people will be more explicitly offensive and explicitly harassing. — Cassandra Myers the perpetrator’s name. Once they have that record, the next step is to block and delete and then stay as far away from that person as possible. Ryerson students can find support by reaching out to the office of Sexual Violence, Support and Education. “They’ll be able to help you in terms of unpacking that situation, getting extra counselling if you need it,” said Myers. For students who have to interact with their harassers in an academic space and want them to face appropriate
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
question. Back in middle school, Cito took the first step of telling an adult.“I told my mom,” she said. “We talked to the principals and dealt with their parents. It was more of an adult issue.” Strauss took the step of reaching out to authorities. “In my situation I actually did reach out to the cops at first, and they were like, he needs to actually reach out to your family members for us to do anything.” And now you can take that extra step to speak up and
let others know that belittling, degrading, disrespecting or embarrassing another individual is not OK. Be a voice for those who are having trouble finding theirs. Cito said, “Just remember that anything you read online isn’t necessarily true about yourself or about others. Make sure you’re being open about what’s happening in that space and if you feel like it’s a negative space, leave it.” @flockoflew
Students being harassed online can seek help on campus at the Ryerson Sexual Violence, Support and Education office at 416.979.5000 ext. 3596
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Arts & Life
Monday Movie Review: Suburbicon ryersonian.ca Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Problematic practicum projects Assignments leave students desperate to finance their productions HEATHER STEWART RYERSONIAN
If you stop any student on the Ryerson campus and ask them how they’re doing financially, their response will probably range from “broke” to “really broke.” It’s no secret that university students are short on cash. Tuition fees are hard enough to pay on time, but students in the RTA School of Media program face additional costs in order to finish their degrees. Fees for full-time undergraduate students at Ryerson can range from $7,300 to $11,700. On top of that, media school students are forking out thousands of dollars in their final year of university to complete a semester-long practicum project. The assignment is crafted by each group and varies in the required technology and budget. Short films, documentaries and web series are among the most common undertakings. Students typically have a budget ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. To get that money, they turn to crowdfunding, though most students pay at least $500 out of pocket regardless. Friends and family become the main source of income for practicum projects, with group members exchanging services like credits in the movie, free headshots and resumé designs to thank those who donate. Cara Pomanti is the producer of a five-episode comedic, reality web series called Hobbyists. The project is still in the production stages, but according to Pomanti, compromises have been made while shooting in order to stay within their $7,000 budget. She also said that when she started her first year at Ryerson, she had no idea about the additional expenses she would incur
COURTESY ALEX HUANG
From left to right: Kea Buote, Vivian Kong, Trista Suke, Melinda Tse and Manny Er-Chua on set of the indie-short, Foxy.
COURTESY ALEX HUANG
From left to right: Trista Suke, Melinda Tse and Ellis Poleyko.
because of the practicum project. “I knew that there was a big assignment at the end of the course that we would have to
make, but I thought that we had a lot more help in terms of the grants we could apply to or opportunity for funding,” said Pomanti.
Not many Toronto film grants are available for students. Even when they are, there isn’t enough time left for students to apply since projects need to be approved before funding can be gathered. Ellis Poleyko is the producer and co-writer of a fictional indie short called Foxy. It’s about a girl who faces the daily struggle of having alopecia, a type of hair loss that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. The passion project is a big undertaking with a budget of $10,000. Yet, the group has struggled to raise even half of its goal, even with the help of 43 backers on Indiegogo. Poleyko said that some other groups met their goal almost immediately because they come from higher-income families. She said that it not only makes it
easier for them to create something of better quality, but it also takes away some of the stress of working on the assignment. “Even if people care about your project and are interested, they can’t always support you (financially),” said Poleyko. “I haven’t been able to work at all this semester because I am so busy with this project. So, it makes it that much harder to pay for everything.” Media school professor and practicum adviser Richard Grunberg said that although it is expensive, Ryerson tries to help keep the cost as low as possible for students by giving free access to expensive equipment, providing development funds and slicing down the cost of insurance from $2,000 to $15. Grunberg said Ryerson also connects students with Casting Workbook, a casting agency, so that they can bring in talented actors who have been on shows like Gotham, Saving Hope and ER. “By bringing in these things to help the students out, I think that it helps to balance out the difference between those that don’t have so much money to put in,” said Grunberg. “They all get the same talent pool and equipment. It is all just their vision.” Students like Pomanti feel that despite the high fees, it is a great experience for students to segue into the industry. “We have just kind of been kicked out into the world and told to go make a project. Yes, it is a course, but it is a lot of trial and error and learning on our own,” said Pomanti. “It still feels weird because we are using a lot of the school’s resources, so I think, ‘How the heck would I have done this if I wasn’t in school?’” @heatherstewart7
R yersonian
Sports
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Basketball is back ryersonian.ca Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Men’s soccer advance to OUA Final Four BRENDA MOLINA-NAVIDAD RYERSONIAN
The Ryerson men’s soccer team defeated the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in a penalty shootout on Sunday to advance to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final four. The rivalry between the Rams and Varsity Blues made the game all the more intense with a ticket to semifinals on the line. U of T eliminated Ryerson three years in a row in post-season games for OUA bronze
medals. This year held a different outcome for the Rams. Both teams had clear goal-scoring opportunities at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. The Varsity Blues had their best chance in the first half, hitting the top right corner of the Rams’ net. Then in the second half, with three minutes before the end of regular time, a play between two of the Rams’ midfielders could have ended the game. Fifth-year Misel Klisara almost found the ball after his
teammate Raheem Rose crossed it into the area. Both teams were forced to play another 30 minutes of extra time. In total, Ryerson had 12 shots on target and U of T had two. After neither side could find the back of the net, the match went into penalty shootouts. Leaving the game up to penalties can go either way, regardless of which team performed best during the 120 minutes of play. The Varsity Blues made their first shot, then Rose matched the score for Ryerson.
When Toronto took their second penalty kick, Rams keeper Praveen Ahilan responded with a save. Ahilan had a momentum going and saved the next three U of T shots, stopping his opponents Marko Mandekic, Kenny Lioutas, and Lukas MacNaughton. It was up to midfielder Klisara to score the winning goal for Ryerson and he did not disappoint, putting the ball past U of T keeper Mark Rogal. Rams keeper Ahilan received “man of the match” for his three
saves that secured a Rams win. Back in September, the Ryerson men’s soccer team had to forfeit its first six games because of a player who did not meet academic requirements. The Rams were able to bounce back, winning the rest of the season’s nine games and tying only one. Ryerson will play against York University on Nov. 3 at Alumni Field for their semifinal game. @BrendaMona
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Editorial
Read more Opinions online ryersonian.ca Wednesday, November 1, 2017
EDITORIAL
Halloween’s takeaway For most students and party veterans, Halloween is a chance to dress up, have fun and get silly. But few know about the day’s queer party culture roots. Although Halloween is recognized in many different cultures all over the world, it’s the second most celebrated holiday in North America. Canadians spent about $1 billion in 2015 alone, according to the Retail Council of Canada. The average adult spends an average of $100 on costumes per year. Until the 1970s, Halloween festivities in North American and European societies were strictly for children. For the most part, the only adults who held large festivities to celebrate the holiday were those in queer communities. The most notable adult Halloween festivals took place in New York, San Francisco and Toronto. Halloween’s revival as an American adult festival is tracked and explained well (though mainly for a gay male audience) by anthropologist Jack Kugelmass in Masked Culture: The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. Kugelmass writes: “The celebration, of course, has always been a sanctuary for (drag queens) ... the diversity of marchers in the parade ranged from drag queens, large articulated puppets, marching bands, and every conceivable costume from gladiators to religious figures to giant walking condoms.” In San Francisco’s Castro district, Halloween was regarded as one of the biggest festivals for the
queer community, where men who chose to dress up in drag could do so without punishment from police for a change. Toronto’s history of Halloween followed suit. According to Jamie Bradburns’ Torontoist article The Egging of Yonge Street, the Church-Wellesley village was quartered off and reserved for those looking to display their creative costumes on Halloween night. It meant men who dressed in drag on Halloween would be able to blend into the crowd to escape police abuse for the night. The party-goers were greeted by admirers, but also outraged mobs waiting with eggs in hand. Though Halloween events in the village generally received some pushback from authorities and the general public, these large Halloween celebrations challenged ideas of sexual and gender identity in a creative and energetic way. As noted in Brandon Ambrosino’s We’re All a Little Queer on Halloween: “For queer communities vying for mainstream acceptance, there was a certain subversive power in encouraging the public to broaden their limiting notions of selfhood.” It’s the one night of the year where we can let go of the societal restrictions that too often impose norms on how we represent ourselves. It lets us bring our unique creations to life, and celebrate each other’s individuality. And that’s a lesson worth remembering for the rest of the year.
BROOKE TAYLOR | RYERSONIAN
OPINION
Robbery diploma? JOSH CUPIT
RYERSONIAN
Ryerson needs a bank robbery program. Our exclusionist approach to bank robbery education woefully underprepares the thieves of tomorrow for the realities of the industry. Take Steve Vogelsang, once a student at Ryerson’s radio and television arts program, as it was then known. His esteemed broadcasting career took a sharp downturn and he was charged with robbing two banks. Security footage shows a robber armed only with a sad, doughy face and a handwritten note. A former colleague described Vogelsang’s alleged actions as a cry for help, the National Post said. Many police officers who’ve captured bank robbers describe them crying for help. In fact, Google “bank robbery a cry for help” and you’ll be astounded by the number of hits. If robbing a bank is a cry for help, where is Ryerson’s
response? Now, more than ever, Ryerson needs to answer this call to action and establish a Faculty of Armed Bank Robbery. Canada has long suffered a dearth of notable bank robbers, and this may be the wakeup call we so desperately need. On Wikipedia, Canada’s list of notable bank robbers names 17 people and organizations, one of whom is named Kevin. Compare that to the inspiring and storied list of nearly 200 notable bank robbers in the U.S., including such illustrious names as Machine Gun Kelly, Al Brady, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Bonnie and Clyde, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. How many of our bank robbers favoured the Thompson submachine gun, or escaped to Argentina with a cohort of armed lawmen in tow? None, to my knowledge. That’s a symptom of an academic miscarriage.
There are two bank robber types: the prohibition-era notorious villain who retires involuntarily in an armed showdown with the law and the modern, nameless and faceless presence – an evasive spectre haunting the dreams of the FBI (à la The Thomas Crown Affair). And we, in Canada, have Kevin. Kevin was a Bay Street financier who robbed banks on his lunch hour, then peacefully turned himself over to police after he was called out in an email. Good stuff, Kevin. The job struggles of recent grads are well-documented, yet we refuse to provide our students with the tools they need. Instead of waiting for another failed robber to waste so much of his life in a side career on Bay Street or as a broadcaster or in any other field, Ryerson needs to offer its students an education that will allow them to realize their full potential.
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Voices
Read more Voices online ryersonian.ca Wednesday, November 1, 2017
The limits of J-school ‘At our best, journalists should be philosophers — looking to challenge the ways people think’ MATTHEW AMHA RYERSONIAN
Journalism is a calling. We play doctor with words and magic with ideas. We find creative ways to tell the stories that have been told a thousand times or we find new ways to tell a story for the first time. For many, the media is the sole occupant of the space between the public and their most imposing institutions, whether that’s government, big business, the military or the local hardware store. A well-informed press is a requisite piece of a functional democracy. And for this, journalists all over the world are targeted for their ideas, often jailed or even
killed. Journalism is more than just words on a page. It can be life or death. I don’t feel prepared for those stakes, four years into J-school. The beginnings of this process should have started on Day 1. Students should have been made familiar with the world of ideas. That’s not how it is. Your first and second years in the program are a feeling-out process of sorts. Students are uneasy and unsure, and professors have to compensate for lecture halls full of tentative 19-year-olds dumbfounded by their lessons. So, the lessons don’t go deep. Most of these early years are filled with practicum — almost exclusively. The nuts and bolts of a story
— the formatting of a page, the length of a lede, and structure of a nut graph — are drilled into us. But the glue is missing. We know what parts are required to piece together a news story, but the theoretical foundation is skipped. As we move into our senior years in the program, we see much of this continue. For many J-schoolers like me, our program’s overemphasis on practicum leads to an underemphasis on thinking and ideas. There seems hesitation in realizing that the thinking behind a story is fundamentally more important than its execution. We understand the “how” of a story, but not the “why.” We’re not taught how to think critically about a narrative. There is no real expectation
MILCA KUFLU | RYERSONIAN
Ryerson’s journalism school
that students come out of the four-year program ready to dissect the logic of an argument. That doesn’t foster a culture that finds value in dissent, either. For some staff, there exists no sense of urgency to help students realize and take ownership of their intellectual identity. The result is a maladaptive culture. It breeds, in journalism grads, a lack of intellectual curiosity. What results is a culture of rinse, repeat and regurgitate with mind to little else. We’re creating a generation of journalists who don’t know how to think about a story, and that’s a tragedy. They won’t be the first such generation of journalists, but one hopes they’ll be the last. On some level, J-school is directly responsible, as the issue is born of a system that has grown tired of innovation — one that overvalues practicum and undervalues theory. In a larger sense, it’s education run like a Fortune 500 business, where the outcome matters more than the quality. From our first day, we should be challenged with questions like: “Why do you want to become a journalist?” “Why are you here?” “Why do you think what you do is important?” School should be the first proving ground for our competence. At our best, journalists should be philosophers — looking to challenge the ways people think, and call to question some of the ideas
MATT AMHA | RYERSONIAN
that people most hold dear. As we’re challenged more and more in the public sphere, the way we think will be the only way to answer to the cynicism of the public. In a larger sense, we are democracy in action. We occupy the space between the public and its institutions. It’s a burden of significant weight. As I approach the end of my degree, I don’t feel I’ve been prepared. For many, the road to building better journalists starts in the classroom, but it should start before that. It should extend to every avenue of your life. And as the industry seems primed to face some of its toughest public challenges head-on, it will be our ideas, and laboured thinking, that will see us through. @AmhaMatt
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Campus Connection
Campus Comment How can Ryerson y be more environmentally friendly?
Events Nov. 1:
“During elections, instead of putting paper (posters) around, (candidates) could do it electronically.”
Kenneth Cole in Conversation with Jeanne Beker at the Michael Belcourt Lecture Series 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Ted Rogers School of Management
Nov 2:
–Taniya Ratnam
Student Town Hall: Discussing Ryerson’s Internationalization Strategy 3 - 5 p.m. Ryerson International
“In all of our labs, we don’t have a lot of places for (disposing) chemicals. I’m in first year, but I haven’t noticed any.”
Nov. 3: ShareON Design Jam 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Student Learning Centre
–Ashley Ligtnberg AILEEN ZANGOUEI | RYERSONIAN
Nov. 7:
First-Year Transition The gap between being a high school student and a first-year student isn’t as big as it seems, but it’s a gap filled with a lot of experiences, fears and anxieঞes. Any student regardless of their year, is suscepঞble to dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety that may lead to mental health issues. However, first-years are the most exposed to having psychosocial vulnerabiliঞes.
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