RSU candidates react to shortened campaign period
Men’s basketball team advances to OUA semifinals
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Using choreography for self-expression
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Ryersonian
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The
Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Volume 70, Number 17 @theryersonian / www.ryersonian.ca Rallying for Rights
Police: RSU should report stolen money By Alex Heck Ryersonian Staff
Dylan Bell / Ryersonian Staff
The Ryerson Feminist Collective joined marchers Saturday for Toronto’s yearly International Women’s Day Rally, which was co-hosted by Ryerson’s Centre for Women and Trans People. With the theme “All Women Rise Up,” rally speakers stressed the importance of including all women in activism. See the full story on page 4.
Analysis: an RSU year in review As Ryerson goes to the polls to elect a new student government, Ramisha Farooq looks at failures, successes of this year’s union Transform RU won the Ryerson Students’ Union election last year on a platform that included financial transparency and communication. Now that a new election is upon us, how did the 2015-16 RSU live up to its promises? For one, the union introduced mental health bursaries for students who require support in accessing mental health services. They also introduced online opting out of health and dental insurance, lobbied groups to eradicate unpaid internships and introduced online voting in RSU elections. RSU president Andrea Bartlett followed through on her promise to work with the City of Toronto to develop a safety plan for Ryerson. She
said that she met with Ward 27 councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, university officials and campus security to put forward her ideas for Ryerson-wide security policies and procedures. “You know it’s difficult to implement change; it’s not going to happen overnight. Looking back on things, I don’t regret anything and I’m really proud of the work that my board members and my executives have done,” Bartlett said. The 2015-16 RSU executives have also seen plenty of controversy, including the laying off of former executive communication and outreach director Gilary Massa while she was on maternity leave. This is also a slate that shortened the amount of time election
candidates can canvass and lobby for their platforms – allegedly due to student complaints about the last election’s two-week campaign period. Failure to consult students on the RSU’s continued relationship with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) may be the biggest disappointment of this mandate. Early in her 2015 campaign, Bartlett stated that, if elected, she would work on creating a more mutually beneficial relationship between the RSU and CFS. She noted that if the RSU was to leave the CFS – as some students have called for – consultations would have to take place with members of the student body. She points at the benefits of being in a member union in the
CFS, like occasional financial intervention in the case of a student group that footed a large legal bill. However, there is no evidence that suggests the RSU’s relationship with the CFS is more beneficial than in previous years. Students still have little understanding of where their annual fees – funded by their tuitions – are going. Bartlett said the RSU doled out close to $500,000 in CFS fees this year. But she said she had more important things to worry about than leaving the CFS. “There were a lot of inefficiencies, a high degree of turnover in the office itself, so I focus on cleaning up internally before I’m even thinking about anything like defederating,” Bartlett said.
Two Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) executives allege that more than $90,000 was stolen from the union’s coffers before they took office. One executive says it happened during a time of poor oversight and transparency when student leaders failed to act on auditors’ suggestions. In a blog post published online last Monday night, current RSU president Andrea Bartlett wrote that more than $90,000 was stolen from the union in previous years – $50,000 from the office safe and more than $40,000 from credit cards. “We know the fraud, the missing $50,000, was reported to the Toronto Police Services at that time, in 2009,” said Ryerson’s interim president Mohamed Lachemi. Jermaine Bagnall, RSU president in 2009, said that the issue of money stolen during his presidency “has been sorted out,” adding that he was shocked to be contacted about something that happened so long ago. “It was reported to the police,” he said, adding that campus security was involved at the time, and cameras were installed in the first floor and the basement of the RSU building after the incident. It is unclear when the credit card fraud occurred. “The allegation of credit card fraud was also brought recently to the attention of our security, and that was just done last week,” Lachemi said. “They took a report and we strongly recommended RSU to contact Toronto Police Services.” Lachemi explained that because the RSU is separate from the school, the university cannot contact the police on the RSU’s behalf, “but (we) are encouraging (the RSU) to do so.” Toronto police say that a member of the RSU should immediately file a report with them about the alleged thefts. David Hopkinson, a media relations officer with the Toronto Please see MONEY, page 3
2 • The Ryersonian
EDITORIALS
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
The
Ryersonian
Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism
EDITORIAL
Opinionated women in the digital age So you get elected to overhaul a campus that hosts roughly 34,831 students. This was the position Ryerson Students’ Union president Andrea Bartlett was put in this time last year. There were some big changes that needed to be made, particularly making Ryerson’s campus safer for women. In a blog post Bartlett posted on Feb. 29, she explained the difficulties she has faced as the president of a sometimes changeadverse student population. The business student was candid about the struggle of balancing tough decisions with her own feelings. She is human after all. A human with significant power and authority on campus. A human with ideas. A woman with opinions. And, as a result, she has become a target. In this personal article, Bartlett claims she is the recipient of weekly rape and death threats. Weekly. And where did they originate? Online, of course. But this type of harassment isn’t anything new, nor is it an isolated issue on campus. It’s something that is seen all too often: women threatened or harassed for taking a stance. A quick search through Twitter will show you the type of hate towards women that can spread online with such ease. This week we celebrate International Women’s Day, and for women there are a lot of reasons to feel pride. But as most women also know, much more progress must be made in order to achieve gender and racial equality. Earlier this week, an article published in Quartz India detailed how poorly strongly opinionated women are treated. It made references to several cases of female journalists in India who have been harassed and threatened online. One victim was television anchor Sindhu Sooryakumar, who reportedly received over 2,000 calls during which she was
threatened, abused and referred to as a prostitute. This backlash came after Sooryakumar spoke about parliament accusing university students of making derogatory remarks about the Hindu goddess Durga. How did they find her number, you ask? According to Quartz, it was posted on WhatsApp by her abusers. In yet another instance, an editor at a Malaysian newspaper had her Facebook account shut down after receiving vicious comments following a personal post. Back in November, V P Rajeena recalled her experience as a young student in India, claiming her peers, both male and female, were the targets of sexual abuse by teachers. The post precipitated hundreds of abusive comments. The Internet doesn’t cause misogyny, but it does provide an ideal landscape to perpetuate a sexist mentality. Think about the reaction to women being victimized — threats, jokes, tweets and memes that spread like wildfire. Women who choose to be vocal face backlash. This reaction needs to change, starting right here on campus. While Ryerson prides itself on being diverse and enlightened in matters of social justice, further progress is necessary. Last week saw some key influencers in that change. On March 1, Ryerson students marched through campus in protest of workplace sex and gender discrimination, racism, Islamophobia and ableism. The rally was a landscape to promote a message of necessary change. And in order to widen the reach of that message, social media played a large part. A tweet posted by the Ryerson Feminist Collective during the rally said, “It’s not just chilly outside: it’s chilly in courtrooms, our work spaces, our offices…” It’s time to warm up.
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Kayleigh Robinson / Ryersonian Staff
OPINION
New grads are worth the investment
By Ophelie Zalcmanis-Lai Ryersonian Staff
“So what were you thinking of for your salary?” was the question I was asked during a recent discussion about a potential job. Stunned that I could have any say, I offered a range based on some quick research I’d done and happily settled in the middle. For graduating or recently graduated students, having the money talk is hard. It’s awkward, full of “umms” and sweaty palms. But really, your income is just as important as maintaining a budget, and you and your skills are worth the investment. Before I go any further, it’s critical that I make something clear: this conversation is not always appropriate and, when it is, it requires tact. You cannot demand any salary you want, and there’s no need to further fuel the “entitled millennials” stereotype.
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But based on numbers alone, Especially if you have niche this conversation is crucial and skills or background experiences relevant. The 2015 Impact of — you might as well leverage Student Debt report found that that. students requiring a loan leave Adrian Ma, an assistant proschool with an average debt of fessor at Ryerson who special$28,000. The youth “un- and izes in branding, admits that not underemployment” rate in 2014 all companies may be interested was 27.7 per in personal cent. I had to make a decision brands, but if A 2013 they are, it’s study con- that would undoubtedly worth a shot. ducted by affect my finances for the “Study BMO sugtheir brand’s rest of my life. gested that personalstudents ity, mandate, overestienergy and mate how much they will be goals, and see how well they align earning once they graduate, with your own,” he explained. expecting a starting pay of more “Tailor your portfolio.” than $50,000 annually. In reality, Furthermore, Waheed emphait takes two years after graduat- sizes labour market research on ing to hit even $45,000. industry rates. This is someNo wonder grads don’t nego- thing that employers can relate tiate their salaries — or think to. If an employer decides they that they can’t. can’t accept your offer, Waheed “(Students) are unsure of the suggests considering if you can skills and experience that they afford to take the job in question bring and the value attached to or if you could find opportunities them,” explained Nikki Waheed, elsewhere. career consultant at Ryerson’s When in doubt, Ryerson career centre. students can access the career It’s no joke. I’m happy with centre as a “one-stop shop” for the way my conversation turned all career questions. There is a out, but in a matter of about 60 career consultant for each faculty seconds I had to make a decision and they can help in areas rangthat would undoubtedly affect ing from the job search itself to my finances for the rest of my networking in your field. life. So approach with cautious But it was worth it. Taking confidence. As Waheed said, initiative in deciding your salary “there is something to be said demonstrates that you actively about knowing how much you’re think about your career and how worth and not underselling your it affects your outside life. skills.”
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Wednesday, March 9, 2016
NEWS
The Ryersonian • 3
Rally, march highlight women’s issues
Dylan Bell / Ryersonian Staff
Participants marching in the International Women’s Day March in Toronto on Saturday, March 5, 2016. By Dylan Bell Ryersonian Staff
In a packed auditorium on the Saturday before International Women’s Day (IWD), Judy Vashti Persad, a member of the IWD organizing committee, let out a rallying cry to the hundreds who had gathered to kick off the festivities with a city wide march. “Let us go onto the streets knowing our power, knowing the history of our footsteps and make history as we march together,” she said. Persad stressed the importance of recognizing that IWD
is “a day for all women,” including First Nations women, trans women, women of colour and students. The event, which was cohosted by Ryerson’s Centre for Women and Trans People (CWTP), began with powerful talks from keynote speakers demanding equality for all women. After the talks, participants began their march to Ryerson. The theme for this year’s event was “All Women Rise Up,” a powerful call to arms for all women to inspire solidarity in furthering intersectional feminism.
Intersectional feminism acknowledges the varying forms of oppression women face, such as racism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism. It says that feminism should include the fight against all of these forms of oppression. Pascale Diverlus, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto and former vice-president equity of the RSU, spoke to the packed auditorium, emphasizing the need to “include the very women that are pushed out the most in our society.” Alyson Rodgers, a fourthyear social work student and co-
founder of Ryerson’s Feminist Collective, was enthusiastic about the event, highlighting the diverse range of issues that affect women in Canada. “It’s about really emphasizing an intersectional lens to looking at women’s issues and what that looks like for all women and not just white women,” Rodgers said. For Ikram Hassan, a member of both Ryerson’s CWTP and the Muslim Students’ Association, this is a welcome shift. “For me, looking back 10, even 15 years ago, women of colour, indigenous women, black women – they weren’t at the
Bartlett not only RSU exec threatened By Alex Heck Ryersonian Staff
When Andrea Bartlett revealed last week that she has been the target of violent threats, she was exposing a problem that other female student leaders have also faced. Bartlett, president of the RSU, said she received violent, explicit threats from men over the phone threatening to rape and murder her after the RSU’s controversial decision to refuse official status to a men’s group. Bartlett said that she received calls from strange area codes — some as far away as New Zealand. In the wake of her statements, another member of the RSU executive said that she too has received threats. Nora Loreto, who was president of the students’ union eight years ago, gave details of threats made against her at the time. “I hope you die,” voices shouted at her through her office phone, Bartlett said. “I hope you’re infertile.” Many of the callers hung up before she could respond, she said.
Bartlett said that over the two weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays, she received at least 10 irate calls regarding the banning of the group. Six of them, she said, were “really, really aggressive.” Rabia Idrees, the RSU’s vicepresident equity, said that while she was not targeted as heavily as the president after the decision, she also received some disturbing calls. “It was more ‘watch what I do to you,’” she said of the alleged messages. She said that during this time she was afraid for her safety. This is not the first time that an executive of the RSU has been targeted with violent threats. Loreto said that she was targeted after speaking out against a white supremacist group that was forming on campus. “I got a phone threat saying …I was going to be killed,” said Loreto, who remembers answering the call while working alone in the office late one Friday night. The message was a “very long, explicit message of what this guy was going to do to me,” she said.
Loreto said that she contacted Ryerson security, who listened to the message and told her to contact Toronto police. The police were unable to find who made the threats. Ryerson Security has not answered interview requests for this story in time for publication. “I went through a month of feeling pretty afraid,” she said, mentioning nights when she feared walking to her apartment alone. Bartlett and Idrees also expressed concerns about walking home at night after receiving threats this year. Bartlett had fellow executive members walk home with her some nights. The current executives say they went to campus security with the threats, but because the threats were made over the phone — and likely coming from out of the country — they were hard to trace, and the women did not have proof of receiving the calls. “In some cases it comes with the territory,” Loreto said regarding receiving threats while in office. “And that’s not a statement that it should.
“I know that the union broke a lot of women,” Loreto said. Mohamed Lachemi, interim president of the university, said, “If we get any request (about threats), our response is quick and instantaneous.” He said that the Office for Sexual Violence, Support and Education, as well as the Office for Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Services, are there to support students facing threats. “I would encourage anybody who is sent a threat to contact security and Toronto Police Services,” he said. “Security is our top priority and I encourage them to reach out to us.” Lila Pine, a radio and television arts professor at Ryerson who is vocal about issues of inequality, said that the fact that threats like this can occur on campus is “deeply disturbing.” “The university absolutely has a responsibility to respond unequivocally to all threats and violence on campus,” she wrote in an emailed response. “It is our collective responsibility to create a safe campus and workplace for everyone.”
centre of the conversation. They were at the margins of everything, but now I see more women pushing to include them,” Hassan said. Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, who marched in the rally’s front lines, said that the fight for women’s rights doesn’t end when the march reaches Gould Street. “We’ve been talking about women working in factories and precarious work for decades, and yet, the challenges facing these communities are still here.” Hassan said that the most important thing is “continuing the conversation.”
Previous RSU government criticized MONEY, cont’d ... Police Service, said that “a member of the union should make a report.” “These incidents should be reported to us so we may begin an investigation,” he said. Obaid Ullah, current vicepresident of operations and presidential candidate for the upcoming RSU election, was part of the team that worked on the investigation into the allegedly stolen money. In an emailed response last Friday night, he said that they found out about the thefts well into their term when their general manager, Natasha Campagna, began to look into their finances. He said that they notified Ryerson security when they made the discovery. Ullah said that when he was elected into office, the policies and practices of the union were lacking oversight and safeguards. See full story online.
4 • The Ryersonian
NEWS
Rye students help the homeless
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
RSU’s New RMA partnership providing aid to struggling Torontonians poster problems By Allison Ridgway Ryersonian Staff
The Ryerson Marketing Association (RMA) has partnered with City of Sleeping Bags, a Toronto-based charity, to help give homeless Torontonians a platform to share their stories. “Nobody wants to grow up and become homeless,” said Robin Ha, an RMA events associate. “We want to help get these stories out there to show that these are real human beings who’ve unfortunately fallen into a bad situation.” City of Sleeping Bags was created in 2015 by two Ryerson students and a University of Toronto student. The initiative distributes sleeping bags and care packages containing gloves, hats and other winter necessities to homeless people in Toronto. RMA students will help distribute these winter necessities, while also bringing along a camera to allow the people they meet to tell their stories of life on the streets. The project, inspired by the popular website Humans of New York, will feature their stories and photos on social media. Ha and her team have already been hard at work creating and delivering care packages and collecting stories. One moment in particular sticks out in her mind. It was a bitterly cold day and Ha was freezing after just a 10-minute
By Dylan Bell Ryersonian Staff
Courtesy Jane Mathias
The RMA and City of Sleeping Bags initiative distributes winter necessities to homeless people in Toronto. walk to Yonge-Dundas Square. She saw a 20-year-old woman sitting on the sidewalk nearby, approached her and offered her a care package. The woman said that her mother’s new boyfriend had kicked the young woman out of her home when she was just 14. Since then, she’d been struggling to find a safe place to live, sometimes resorting to sleeping in stairwells to hide from the cold. The woman thanked Ha for the care package, but more than that,
thanked her for stopping to talk. Ha and her colleagues were the only ones who’d bothered to talk to her that week, she told them. Ha said she hopes that when students see these stories it will draw their attention to the homeless communities that live near campus. “Our school is in the heart of Toronto, so we see the homeless community so much as a student body. If you see these people, don’t shy away or ignore them
and act like they’re not human,” Ha said. Jane Mathias, co-founder of City of Sleeping Bags, is also a marketing associate with the RMA. Ha said Mathias proposed the idea for the team to take on as their first charity initiative. “I think it’s important (for the RMA) to not just have a 100 per cent focus on career growth, but also to tie back to charity initiatives and form some kind of a plan to give back,” Ha said.
Shortened campaign heightens canvassing efforts on campus By Jacqueline Tucci Ryersonian Staff
Voting in the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) elections began Monday online and at polling stations across campus. Although candidates are technically allowed to campaign during the voting period, the official campaign period only began last Wednesday, which has left a lot of people wondering if the candidates had enough time to run effective campaigns and students enough time to fully understand the platforms they’re voting for. RSU president Andrea Bartlett says the decision to shorten the campaign (last year’s was two weeks) came after the RSU received complaints from students. The length of last year’s campaign meant that it overlapped with other campus elections — the senate and Board of Governors — which left students confused about who was running in which election and what they were voting for. Presidential candidate for Impact, Obaid Ullah, said he doesn’t think the shortened campaign will hurt him and his slate. “It helps, just having two or three days. You go in full-force and it actually helps your campaign,” Ullah said.
Alex Heck / Ryersonian Staff
Obaid Ullah, current RSU vice-president of operations, is running for president.
He says that working with a shorter time frame can change how candidates craft their campaigns and strategies. For Ullah, the strategy includes an effort to maintain a constant presence on campus. This is not Ullah’s first election campaign. He is the current vice-president operations in the RSU and part of the decisionmaking body that signed off on shortening the campaign period.
Awo Abokor, a first-time candidate running for president on the RU Connected slate, said she thinks three days is too brief, but she is trying to make the best of what she has to work with. “The campaign is super short, but we have a great group of students who are committed to getting our platform out there,” Abokor said.
“I’m confident students are getting it. It’s a challenge but I think we’re rising to it.” According to the RSU bylaws, there is no set minimum or maximum length that election campaigns should be. However, the bylaws state that, in general, all voting in RSU-related elections must be done before the first week of April.
Some little pink f lyers are drawing some big attention amidst a sea of Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) campaign posters covering the campus. The posters in question were produced by a community group supporting Gilary Massa, the RSU employee who lost her job while on maternity leave. The posters included statements like “Help us shame RSU: you can’t just fire a woman on mat leave & get away with it!” and highlighted the connection between the electoral slate Impact and the decision to dismiss Massa. The posters pointed out that two members of the current RSU executive team, Obaid Ullah and Harman Singh, are running for reelection with Impact. Other posters encouraged students to help “protect mat leave for all women,” and directed them to the group’s associated Facebook page, “I Stand With Gilary.” As the posters had not been stamped with approval by the RSU, they were quickly taken down by Ullah, Singh and the rest of their team. “I think it’s shameful, disgusting and inappropriate, and it’s not creating a safe space on campus,” Ullah said. “They’re attacking us for something we didn’t do. We never fired anybody, she was laid off. This is just something being used politically to make us look bad.” Awo Abokor, candidate for president under the RU Connected slate, released a statement on the team’s Facebook page denying involvement in the postering and distancing the team from the Massa controversy. “The RU Connected team has not, nor do we intend to, exploit Gilary’s situation as a campaign strategy for this election,” Abokor said. Lisa Durnford, the chief returning officer of the RSU and the person responsible for approving election-related materials, said that the decision to remove the posters did not fall within her jurisdiction because they were not campaign materials. However, Durnford said that she still encouraged people to take them down as the posters were not “an appropriate way to advocate.” She said that her biggest point of contention with the posters was the use of candidates’ photos without permission. Representatives for the “I Stand With Gilary” group could not be reached for comment.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 NEWS
The Ryersonian • 5
Rye grads charge ahead with new device Business students create detachable tool that charges your phone
By Erin Hesselink Ryersonian Staff
Tired of your phone losing its charge halfway through the day? Entrepreneurship students and graduates from Ted Rogers School of Management may have the answer: mybumper, a slim, detachable phone case that charges your phone’s battery. Mybumper offers about 10 hours of extra battery life and is slimmer than any other case on the market at 12.7 mm for iPhone 6/6s and 12.9 mm for iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus. When the phone is fully charged, the battery can be unplugged, detached and stored elsewhere, leaving the phone as slim as it always was. Melissa Spadafora, who cofounded mybumper last October with her brother, Christopher, said that the team initially stumbled upon the product while testing a similar one. A manufacturer in China was already in the process of creating the unique phone cases and they quickly got involved. After two months of industry research and competitor analyses, the mybumper team of five created a business idea. “We liked it, we tested it, it was Apple-approved and then we
started to create an online brand for it — the mybumper brand,” Spadafora said. The brand has already racked up thousands of social media followers since its official launch on Dec. 26 last year. Mybumper has also gained a lot of traction after being featured in WIRED, Product Hunt and MacWorld. Because the nature of the business is online, Spadafora spends most of her time working on online advertising, whether that’s paid advertisement or through social media, and keeping the customer service channels open. She is currently in her fourth year of Ryerson’s entrepreneurship program and will continue working on mybumper once she graduates. “I definitely did not enter the entrepreneurship program with the mindset of, ‘I’m going to start my business right away after graduating, or even before graduation.’ Starting a company is fairly difficult while being a full-time student,” Spadafora said. “It wasn’t until my capstone class… where I realized that I didn’t want to go into the corporate life when I graduate.” Spadafora and her brother assembled a team of like-mind-
Courtesy myBumper
Ryerson business student and grads have created a detachable case that charges your phone’s battery. ed friends with varying degrees of expertise in technology, marketing, web development, sales and customer service, and said everyone worked well together from the get-go. “It all really depends on if you have the passion for starting your own business and if you truly believe the product, because if you don’t, you definitely won’t work as hard as
the team wants you to work,” Spadafora said. The company hopes to move into the DMZ in the near future and is also training to prepare for the 2016 New Venture Competition on March 28, a Dragon’s Den-style event at Ted Rogers School of Management complete with official pitches, judges and two grand prizes of $25,000.
Spadafora said her advice for budding entrepreneurs is to follow your passion. “Especially today when we’re graduating and there’s pressure to find a job, a lot of people get stuck in a job that they don’t even enjoy because they need to make ends meet,” she said. “Without trying, you can’t fail, and without failure, you’re not learning.”
Ontario grads call for debt forgiveness
Thousands sign petition urging government to forgive student loans By Jenna Yun Ryersonian Staff
A petition asking the Ontario government to forgive all OSAP loans is gaining traction both on and off Ryerson campus. Following the budget promise last week that Ontario will
provide free tuition for students from families making under $50,000 annually, the new petition demands the same benefits to be applicable to people who have already graduated or will graduate before the plan becomes effective. With more than 55,000 supporters to date, the petition calls
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for “economic justice” and asks that those currently with OSAP also have their loans forgiven, or at least be interest-free. “To think most of us will still be paying our high interest loans long after the new students, who will be getting the same education for almost free ... is just not right,” said Ahmad Moussaoui, who started the petition. According to a Statistics Canada report in 2014, average university tuition fees cost more than $7,500 in Ontario.
This gives the province the highest tuition fees in the country and they keep increasing every year. Referring to recent graduates who are struggling with crippling debts of more than $25,000, Moussaoui, a University of Windsor graduate, said he felt the urge to raise awareness of this issue. “This is a whole generation that is being literally handicapped by debt that is virtually impossible to wipe off because of the interest,” he said.
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OSAP’s interest rate is prime plus one per cent at the provincial level. “This is dangerous, and it needs to be addressed,” Moussaoui said. But RSU vice-president education Cormac McGee raised doubts of whether the demand would be viable. With the Ontario government facing hundreds of billions of deficit and debts, McGee said the province is aiming to reduce the debt by cutting the spending budget, including in the health-care sector. “I feel like it’s not high on their priority list to pay back these students when they are cutting things from hospitals and health care because of this mass of deficit,” he said. John Isbister, a Ryerson economics professor, expressed a similar sentiment. He said the money would need to come from other funds or by increasing taxes in order to meet with the petition’s demands. “Somebody will need to pay back these students’ loans. If it’s not going to be students, it would be taxpayers,” he said. McGee also said it would require some transformations of the tax system in Canada. “Money just (does not) come from (anywhere),” he said. Regardless, Moussaoui believes it can be achieved. He noted that European countries such as Denmark and Germany have already implemented a free higher education system.
6 • The Ryersonian
FEATURES
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
FEATURES
The Ryersonian • 7
Reaching beyond your zone Many Ryerson students don’t know that their university is home to 10 zones, providing a creative space for ideas big and small to get the launch they need. By Nadine Habib I
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f a fortune teller told Barbara Lukasz, oyagoda said that there were a few There are more than 600 participants a fourth-year English student, about reasons for the creation of zone across all 10 zones, with membership the year-long transformation that would learning after the establishment of the in the zones not just limited to Ryerson change her Ryerson student experience, DMZ in 2010. Not as many students were students or affiliates. In the beginning, she would never have believed it. What getting into the DMZ as was expected, he the DMZ accepted only Ryerson students, Lukasz describes as a “roller-coaster ride” said, and student interests went beyond but as the zone grew it opened its doors to is really the result of unlocking the secret mobile apps. members of the public. to Ryerson’s campus – the zone learning “There was a greater interest there in bdullah Snobar, director of the initiative. pursuing innovation and entrepreneurship DMZ, says that when they meaZone learning, a concept implemented across a series of disciplines,” Boyagoda sured the Ryerson affiliate versus nonin the summer of 2013, is a form of expe- said. Ryerson affiliate breakdown of the incuriential learning where students immerse Sheldon Levy, former president of bator less than a year ago, they found themselves in their passions and creative Ryerson University, played a critical role that it was an equal 50/50 split between ideas while receiving the aid, guidance in the creation and formation of the DMZ companies associated with Ryerson and and resources needed to become viable and was the first person to respond to those that were not. business platforms in spaces known as student interest by implementing the incu“This is a merit-based system and we “zones.” bator. want to make sure to bring in the best so “Exactly a year has passed and I have he demand for more creative spaces we get looked at as being the best,” said developed more in this year than I have for students to innovate and build Snobar. throughout my entire four years at this their ideas has resulted in 10 zones in However, every zone is diverse and has university,” said Lukasz, a member of the total, which span several faculties, fields a different breakdown of Ryerson/nonSocialVentures Zone (SVZ). Ryerson-affiliated companies. espite the growing numThe SVZ is a zone designed “Exactly a year has passed and I have ber of zones on campus, for students with innovative ideas many students remain unaware of developed more in this year than I have that can help to implement social them and how many resources and throughout my entire four years at this change. It is an example of a opportunities they offer. zone mostly made up of Ryersonuniversity.” “In many ways, it’s Ryerson’s affiliated companies. best kept secret as far as students are onica Jako, operations concerned,” said Randy Boyagoda, lead at the SVZ and direc– Barbara Lukasz tor of strategic director of zone learning. planning and adminThe creation of the DMZ (foristration at the DMZ, says that they merly the Digital Media Zone), the first of study and industries. The Fashion Zone, purposefully created a breakdown that was zone at Ryerson, was what kick-started the Legal Innovation Zone and Transmedia student-focused. need for more zones. The DMZ was a large Zone are only a few examples of spaces “Unlike some of the other zones on success and bolstered Ryerson’s reputation designed to help students take their ideas campus, we are very student-focused, so as an innovative university. or businesses to the next level. probably 80 per cent to 85 per cent (of
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companies) are students and then we do have some alumni and then we do have a couple startups from the community,” she said. he SVZ is home to the company Lukasz co-founded, Be the Change Crowdfunding, which is an online platform that connects non-profit organizations with funding and volunteers.
“I took Alex’s class in my second semester of third year and before that I had no place on campus. I have two really good friends at school and that’s it,” she explained. “I commute from Mississauga and I never had the motivation to stay on campus, get involved or anything like that. And then once all of this happened, I’m at school from nine to nine every day.” Taija Ryan, a fourthyear public administra“There was a greater interest tion and governance student, is also looking to there in pursuing innovation and the SVZ with her idea entrepreneurship across a series of join of creating a digital litdisciplines.” eracy platform for older generations. After she was told by three different – Randy Boyagoda people (on separate occasions) to take her idea to the SVZ, she finally gave They are now in their pilot phase and in and took steps towards being admitted have already seen strong interest from a into the zone. non-profit in the community that is lookow in her final year at Ryerson, ing to purchase their software’s functionRyan wishes she had found out ality. about the SVZ and all the other zones earukasz was first introduced to the lier in her time at Ryerson. SVZ a year ago through a class “I wish I had known in first year that she took with Alex Gill, a social innova- there were 10 different zones because I tor in residence at SVZ. He encouraged would have done (things) differently,” said her to attend Ryerson’s first ever Social Ryan. Innovation Summit hack-a-thon. Lukasz She suggests that the story of the zones and her team ended up winning first place needs to be told university-wide, and not for their idea. just by the participants. According to Through her first-place finish, she Ryan, the zones need to be weaved “into was immediately admitted into the the RU story, the whole Ryerson experiSocialVentures Zone. ence.”
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Nadine Habib / Ryersonian Staff
The DMZ at Ryerson University.
Nadine Habib / Ryersonian Staff
Barbara Lukasz, co-founder of Be the Change Crowdfunding (left) and Abdullah Snobar, director of the DMZ (right).
Shane Perusse / Ryersonian Staff
8 • The Ryersonian
ARTS & LIFE
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Q-and-A: Ryerson grad, Stephanie Noritz
How a fine arts student turned into a successful photographer By Lindsay Sganga Ryersonian Staff
Stephanie Noritz, a Ryerson graduate, walked into The Image Arts Building for the first time in eight years on March 3. She was there to give a lecture on her life after school working in the world of photography. With a variety of portrait, commercial, and editorial experience under her belt at a young age, Noritz experience is a light at the end of the tunnel for most students. In a business where it’s difficult to survive and stand out as an artist, she has succeeded. As someone who took advantage of the tools offered to her during her academic career, and wasn’t afraid to market herself in a highly competitive industry, Noritz’s footsteps are ones to follow. She spoke with The Ryersonian about her unique approach to her craft, her transition from student to professional photographer, and how current students can take similar actions towards success. Ryersonian: What sparked your interest in photography? Stephanie Noritz: I grew up loving drawing and painting. But it was really when I came to Ryerson’s fine arts program that I really honed that skill and explored it more. It was the first I’d ever even been in a dark room when I came here. I was completely inspired by my peers and by the work that I was seeing. It
people transitioning through adolescence. I try and have the subject open up to me, share something that’s intimate, like vulnerability, awkwardness, sometimes tension or sensuality. What I love about portraiture is the connection with people. They’re sharing something with me, and we’re sharing this moment together. A portrait that stands out to me is the one of my cousin Catherine in my parents’ backyard. To me she was always the runt that we used to boss around, but in this picture you can just see so much attitude and confidence. That was the moment it hit me that it was amazing as to how much a single image could portray and tell about a person. I also enjoy shooting such images in film, because it really slows me down and I can concentrate on making a wonderful image.
Stephanie Noritz poses in the Image Arts Centre before her lecture.
moved me and showed me how powerful images can be. R: How has Ryerson aided your accomplishments? S.N.: If it weren’t for Ryerson, I wouldn’t be a photographer. I actually took a photo business course at Ryerson as a continuing education study on the side, and it helped a lot. I learned how to be a freelancer, quote jobs, and market myself. The professors were incredible; they pushed us
to explore our artistry. It was a place I was really able to grow as an artist with the support of my peers and professors. R: What were your first steps out of university like? S.N: I got my first commission that summer with the company Winkreative, that was my first big job, and then I got work with Maclean’s and the Globe and Mail. I saved up enough money doing assisting jobs and my own
Olivia Mcleod / Ryersonian Staff
jobs, so I moved to New York a year later. I did a few internships in New York, one actually with fellow Canadian and Ryerson grad Chris Buck, because I didn’t know anyone there and I wanted to learn more about the editorial and advertising world. R: How would you describe your style and the way you document subjects? S.N.: A lot of my focus is on youth and documenting young
R: Why do you think lectures such as these are necessary for Ryerson to have? S.N.: If I was in school I would’ve loved to hear someone who had graduated from the same program, and hear about his or her experiences in the real world. We didn’t know anything about what it was going to take to make it as a photographer; everyone was graduating as a fine artist. I really encourage students to take a business course, do an internship, and reach out to publications. Putting yourself out there is very important.
Left: Photo from Automotive High School Football. Above: Little League, which won the American Society Media Photographers New Photos courtesy Stephanie Noritz York’s Image 10 Competition.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
ARTS & LIFE
Performance students draw on real-life experiences for show By Alexia Kapralos Ryersonian Staff
Student-run and student-made – that’s what Ryerson’s upperyear dance show Choreographic Works is all about. Choreographic Works is a dance show hosted at the Ryerson Theatre from March 4-12. It will primarily involve thirdand fourth-year Ryerson performance dance students, with some second-years and one firstyear student, choreographing and dancing all of the routines. Theatre production students will be involved as well, running the show’s public relations and other various technical roles within the theatre. Produced by Vicki St. Denys, a dance instructor at Ryerson, Choreographic Works will feature a variety of genres including jazz, ballet, modern and contemporary dance. Approximately 120 routines audition for the show, with around 45 pieces making it in. Since there are so many pieces, there are two variations of the show in order to maximize the pieces showcased. Opening night starts with show A, the second night show B and alternating thereon. Some pieces will be in both shows, while others are in either show A or B. Irena Ponizova, a fourth-year dance student and one of the dancers and choreographers for the show, said that because she
Students rehearse one of their many routines.
Alexia Kapralos / Ryersonian Staff
has a ballet background, being part of a show like this has given her more of an opportunity to branch out and experiment with different styles of dance. One of the dances she choreographed has a strong ballet element because she said it’s part of who she is. Ponizova said that music and visual art inspire her dance routines. In fact, they give her a strong mental visual to work from. One of her two pieces this year pulls inspiration from a work of art called Visitation by George Condo — a picture of a beautiful woman with a creature latching onto her head — while other inspiration comes from a
much more personal place based on life experience. “Dances could be narrative and the theme could be obvious or abstract,” she said. Christopher Green, a fourthyear dancer and choreographer, says his routines are inspired by his teenage journal entries, written during a dark time in his life. “The more things that happen in life, the more creative you could be,” he said. Opening up about this emotional story through dance felt fulfilling to him, Green said. He said that he felt the routines he choreographed were his version of a memoir and that this routine is one of the most emotional he’s
ever choreographed. It also gives him the chance to share his story with his fellow dancers. But not all dancers use their routines for emotional expression. For Drew Berry, another fourthyear dance student involved in the show, Choreographic Works is a way to incorporate her other passions, such as film. “I want to incorporate everything I enjoy,” she said. Berry said taking a film class in first semester this year helped fuel her love for the medium. She will be using a hand-held projector during her routine in the show, marrying the arts of film and dance.
“We were packed opening night (onwards),” he said. “We had to turn people away, which is amazing to me.” Filmmakers from around the world can submit their film, music video or documentary for viewing at the TSFF. A jury reviews the footage and then chooses the best ones. This year, there were over 500 submissions, but only 80 pieces of work will be showcased March 14-18 at the Carlton Cinema. Evan Jerred, a sound designer, has worked as a technician for various film festivals and
ensures the films presented look and sound like they’re supposed to. Jerred said short films are important because of the practice you get from creating them. “If a feature film makes no money, then that’s not good. A short (film) is less of an investment,” Jerred said. The budget of a short film can vary and depend on the director, but most can be made with no money. “It’s not about the sales, but about the opportunity to explore creatively,” Jerred said. Veale said that the art of making short films seems to be
underappreciated, but the TSFF helps provide “a venue of a voice” for independent filmmakers. In the Internet age, when people may not have time to sit through a feature-length film, short films come in handy. “If you don’t like a film, wait 10 minutes for the next one,” Veale said. Whether you’re into sci-fi, horror flicks or musicals, the TSFF has something for everyone. “You see a film here and in 10 years, you see that filmmaker getting an Oscar,” he said. “That’s kind of cool.”
Rye students embrace short films By Vanessa Francone Ryersonian Staff
It may be easy to write a 3,000-word essay, but what if someone told you to cut that essay down to 500 words? Would you be able to do it and still get your argument across? This is the scenario for short film directors — how to get their story across without the luxury of time. In its second year of production, the Toronto Short Film Festival (TSFF) provides a creative outlet for local and international film directors. Ryerson Theatre School graduate Chris Baker is using the TSFF as practice for filmmaking. His film Spun is the first he has. “I would not have been given experience on a big film set, so I figured out how to do (filmmaking) in a smaller setting,” Baker said. He wrote the script, starred in the film, co-produced and directed it. He said it was his passion project and is excited for people to see it because “any audience is a good audience.” Steve Veale, the festival’s director, said the idea for the TSFF began when he saw interest in the short films market at the TO Indie Film Festival last year. The indie festival screens two features per night, with a block of shorts in the middle. According to Veale, there was a big crowd for the shorts, which showed an obvious demand.
TSFF will be hosted at the Carlton Cinema.
Vanessa Francone / Ryersonian Staff
The Ryersonian • 9
Student bands face off By Sidney O’Reilly Ryersonian Staff
Mark your calendars, because Ryerson’s annual Battle of the Bands competition is returning to the Hard Rock Cafe March 10. Six bands were selected from 19 hopefuls to compete for the grand prize: an industry showcase with Canada’s Music Incubator, founded by entertainment agency Coalition Music. Musicians will also compete for individual prizes, including best vocalist, best instrumentalist and best performer. The six bands are Mayraki, Cheap Flights, Northern Riot, Astral Nomad, Love Wagon, and Alma Cassels. Each ensemble includes at least one Ryerson student. Musical styles range from funk to punk to R&B to classic rock. “You can imagine how hard it was to choose the final six. It will be even tougher to choose one winner,” said Liam Grier, co-organizer of the event and vice-president of Musicians@Ryerson. “There’s very stiff competition this year.” Mohammed Yassin, a vocalist for competing hiphop fusion band Mayraki and sociology student at Ryerson, agrees. “There’s a lot of musical talent on campus. I don’t think people realize how strong the campus talent is for a school without a music program.” This year, judges are set to include Ryerson music history professor Gillian Turnbull and Adam HelfandGreen, the frontman of last year’s winning band, The Exide. Other judges have yet to be announced. “It’s an event organized by students, for students, showcasing student talent, run by student volunteers,” Grier said. Last year, there was an audience of 200 people at the rock ‘n’ rollthemed restaurant chain. “We often dub ourselves ‘Ryerson’s unofficial music faculty,’” Grier said. “Events like Battle of the Bands, much like music in general, help bring people together. It’s always great to see people from all programs, from RTA, to journalism, to business, come out.”
Lindsay Sganga / Ryersonian Staff
Rams basketball playoffs 10 • The Ryersonian
SPORTS
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Men advance to semifinals after slow start By David Morassutti Special to The Ryersonian
Adika Peter-McNeilly and Ammanuel Diressa led the way with 19 points each as Ryerson’s men’s basketball team defeated the Lakehead Thunderwolves 93-71 on March 5. With the win at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC), the team advances to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semifinals. Ryerson got off to a slow start in the game with Lakehead outscoring the Rams 23-19 in the opening quarter. They had a tough time containing centre Bacarius Dinkins, who scored 10 straight points, forcing Ryerson to match him up with Kadeem Green. “Kadeem is a luxury for us,” said Patrick Tatham, interim head coach of the Rams. “He is an elite shot blocker in the CIS. His length, his athleticism and his activity is very good around the rim. Without him we probably (would not have won) those games against Carleton and Ottawa (this season).” Ryerson came out strong in the second quarter, outscoring Lakehead by spreading the ball around and forcing Lakehead to turn the ball over. Peter-McNeilly finished the half with 17 points, going three for six from threepoint range with Ryerson holding on to a 48-36 lead going into halftime. With both Ryerson and Lakehead scoring 17 points in the third quarter, the home team was looking to put the game away in the final quarter. The Rams came out hot in the fourth and did not look back,
David Morassutti / Special to The Ryersonian
ultimately winning the game by a score of 93-71. Ryerson dominated with 27 points coming from bench players, while Lakehead only had 11. Turnovers were a major problem for the visiting team, who had 17 turnovers while Ryerson only had nine. Peter-McNeilly believes that on the defensive side of the ball
the Rams should have no problem going up against any guard. “Sometimes offence wins basketball games, but defence wins championships. I am confident against any team, our group of guards are better than any group of guards,” Peter-McNeilly said. When asked about the challenge that lies ahead with a
game against the University of Windsor on March 11, Tatham said that the team will take it one game at a time. “We have this saying right now: to be uncommon, have an uncommon approach and just try to do things differently than what has been done in the past. With the Final Four here at home and an opportunity to put up a banner
and win an OUA championship for the first time in school history, that is what we are going for,” Tatham said. The Rams’ next game will be in the OUA semifinals against the Windsor Lancers on March 11 at the MAC, where they look to get revenge from their loss back in November. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
lead at 21-6 in the first quarter. Western picked up the pace in the second quarter, but Ryerson led 43-23 going into halftime. “I felt that the start was really good because we really prepared for the zone,“ Pingue-Giles said. “Because they played zone against (the University of Toronto), we were able to find the gaps in it.” Pingue-Giles finished the first half shooting four for five
from the field while going two for two from three-point range. Silvana Jez was dominant in the paint, scoring nine points along with six rebounds. Western came out strong in the third quarter, taking the quarter 20-15. In the fourth quarter both teams exchanged chances, with Western cutting the lead to 12. With the Mustangs coming on strong, the Rams cracked down
and held on for the win. When asked about the strong push from Western in the second half, head coach Carly Clarke said she knew that they weren’t going to go away easy. “We just needed to find our energy and intensity again. (Western) came out fired up and I think they surprised us because we came out casually,” she said. Ryerson forced 23 turnovers throughout the game.
“We have to make sure that we can box out big teams, especially if we move on to face bigger teams like Windsor,” PingueGiles said. “And we must make sure that we are physical on both offensive and defensive rebounds.” Ryerson will move on to the Final Four next week in Ottawa, where they will join Windsor, McMaster and Ottawa in a battle for the OUA gold.
Rams guard Aaron Best slashes through the defense for an easy layup.
Women defeat Western in OUA quarter-finals By David Morassutti Special to The Ryersonian
Keneca Pingue-Giles racked up 21 points as Ryerson’s women’s basketball team defeated the Western Mustangs 83-64 Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, advancing to the Final Four of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs. Ryerson jumped to an early
Rams got off to an early lead and never looked back.
David Morassutti / Special to The Ryersonian
David Morassutti / Special to The Ryersonian
Great floor spacing led to easy scores for the Rams.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
SPORTS
The Ryersonian • 11
The process of rehabbing an injury By Nicholas Raponi Ryersonian Staff
Injuries can be suffered anywhere. One place where we see injuries occur almost every day is in the world of sports. It doesn’t matter if you are playing something rough like hockey or something less physical like golf – injuries happen and always will. Every time an athlete gets ready to play, they know the risk of injury associated with the sport. Bjorn Michaelsen, a 6-foot, 8-inch former Ryerson Rams basketball player from Otterburn, Que., knows this all too well. Michaelsen, who played five seasons with the Rams, suffered injuries that caused him to miss significant time in three of them. “My first injury came not only in my first year, but my first game,” Michaelsen said. “A few seconds into the game I turned around for a rebound and I hit my head off our then captain’s head, and a lot of my teeth went back into my mouth. I needed surgery for that and missed the first half of the season.” This is not an ideal way for any player to start his collegiate basketball career. Michaelsen was injury-prone in high school
as well, so there was optimism that he could return and still play well. However, in Michaelsen’s first game back, injuries struck once again. “My first game back was right after Christmas,” Michaelsen said. “Unfortunately, in that game I broke my hand.” Michaelsen, to this point, had played fewer than two games as a Ryerson Ram forward and had already suffered two serious injuries. In the following season, Michaelsen fractured his wrist when he attempted to block a shot. This caused him to be out until Christmas once again. The fourth and final major injury Michaelsen suffered was an ankle sprain in his fourth year. Michaelsen referred to this injury as “the worst one” due to the lingering effects of the ligament damage. Michaelsen had to miss about one and a half months because of the ankle sprain. From a fan or a coach’s perspective, an injury simply means that the backup in the rotation must step up and play quality minutes. From the perspective of the injured player, the ordeal is much more serious, as they have to undergo continuous rehab.
Courtesy Stephen Kassim, Ryerson Athletics
Bjorn Michaelsen attacking the basket in a regular season game.
“Each sports team at Ryerson was assigned a physical therapist, which was usually a student,” Michaelsen said. “The rehab was always with them, and every year they were pretty great.” While the rehab team helped Michaelsen strengthen his wrist and ankle again, it wasn’t the strengthening that was the tough part, according to Michaelsen. “For me, the hardest part was getting back into game shape,” Michaelsen said. “You can do as much running as you can while you are out, but it not the same as the running you do when you step on the court. Keeping my cardio up was the tough part. “Along with getting my cardio up, getting back into a rhythm was challenging. You need to be able to take shots, which you can’t always do when you are hurt.” For Michaelsen, the physical side of the rehab was difficult. But perhaps what was more difficult was the mental side of rehabbing an injury.
“One night in second year I considered quitting,” Michaelsen said. “It crossed my mind for one moment, and I remember talking to coach Roy Rana later and he was worried that I might have wanted to quit.” Being injured that often can really take a toll on a player. Along with having a full schedule, it was tough for Michaelsen having to deal with the fact that could not be on the court to help his team win. “Not being there really motivates you to work that much harder,” Michaelsen said. “You have to be able to get in game shape. “I love seeing my teammates do well, but I’m competitive. I (didn’t) want to lose my spot.” Those teammates also helped him through the rehab process. “Jahmal Jones was always very helpful,” Michaelsen said. “He made sure he would always talk to me even more when I was injured.” Jones is a Rams basketball le-
Courtesy Winston Chow, Ryerson Athletics
gend who is currently playing professionally in the Czech Republic. Along with Jones, Michaelsen has quite the legacy with the Rams. Even while missing as much time as he did, Michaelsen still put up great numbers for the team. Michaelsen not only had individual success, he was a part of the 2015 Rams team that brought home the bronze medal at the CIS National Championships. “I think the greatest part of playing as a Ram was just seeing the program grow,” Michaelsen said. Michaelsen has been graduated for almost a year now and is working full time, putting his degree in mechanical engineering to use at FVB Energy as a junior engineer. While he is not currently playing basketball due to a busy work schedule, Michaelsen said he hopes to start scrimmaging again this summer with some of his old teammates.
RSBA hosts networking event at TRSM
Bjorn Michaelsen prepares for a free throw.
By Bryan Meler Ryersonian Staff
The Ted Rogers Sports Conference (TRSC) on March 5 provided professional insight and competition for students who looked to combine their passion of sports and business. Keynote speaker Jim Barker, Toronto Argonauts’ general manager, kept the students engaged with a keynote speech. Along with various workshops and panel discussions throughout the day, students assembled into groups of three or four to take part in a case competition. The case competition was presented by Brizi, a camera system for stadiums, and awarded $1,000 to the winning team. The case competition asked the teams to present a study that shows how they could bring awareness to the services that Brizi offers within a $5,000 budget. The victors were IMIC Consulting, which consisted of a group of three finance students from the University of Toronto.
Toronto Argonauts general manager Jim Barker addresses the room.
Organized by the Ryerson Sports and Business Association (RSBA), the conference allowed students from different universities and programs to network, while also forming an idea of their future in the sports industry. “People can see that it’s not only about becoming a general manager, instead there are so many other opportunities in the world of sports,” said Adam Kohut,
president of the RSBA. The conference started with the TRSC panel, as business professionals Dan Gladman, Noah Kone, Jonathan Carrigan, Drew Ebanks, and Hayley Fallis all shared the different routes they travelled to end up in Canada’s sports market. The five panellists also spoke about the importance of developing transferable skills, while Carrigan went as far as calling
Bryan Meler
/ Ryersonian Staff
them the “magic words.” “Start developing your skills, find out what you’re passionate about, where your strengths are, and start building on those by networking,” Carrigan said. “That’s really going to be the easiest path, by bringing something to the table.” The RSBA made sure that the 75 students who purchased tickets to the conference would also get the chance to get the chance
to participate in workshops to develop their skills. Brent Stirling, a social media strategist for the DMZ at Ryerson University, used his workshop to teach students the benefits of using applications like Twitter and Facebook to spread their content. Andrew Stokes, the director of global partnerships at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, helped students understand how marketing has such a critical and complex place in sports because of the creativity a partnership can produce. Students were able to learn tips on what to consider for a successful pitch from both Stokes and the judges from the Brizi delegate case competition. Being able to pitch is an important skill in the business world, and the students seemed pleased. “The biggest thing is to always look at every angle of the picture,” said Leslie Bradshaw, a judge in the Brizi delegate case competition. “Remember, it’s not only about the short-term success, but the long-term feasibility of the project.”
A brief glimpse into Morocco Hannah Logan shares stories of travelling to eight cities in 12 days 12 • The Ryersonian
Have you seen the movie At last, I find Josh and we Almost Famous? Starring Kate spend an hour disoriented in our Hudson? Well, it was my favou- jet-lagged state of delirium, in rite growing up and is partially which sitting on a street corthe reason I wound up studying ner in a questionable neighbourjournalism. hood seems like a wise decision. There is a point to this, I Fuelled by excitement, we decide promise. Following a near-over- to try and get to Fez. It’s middose on Quaalude pills, female night. protagonist Penny Lane/Lady A man in a passing car shouts, Goodman, played by Hudson, “Watch out for vagrants.” I think leaves her self-destructive “Band- we are the vagrants. Aid” groupie life behind for an adventure in Morocco. Seven- Fez year-old Hannah, draped across After exploring Casablanca, the most comfortable burgundy Josh and I decide to take in the chair in her dad’s living room, sunset with a bottle of wine. eating popcorn for breakfast, Little do we know, finding wine sure thought it was great. within the city walls is virtually Years later, I was reluctant impossible. to tell my family of my plans, At the instruction of a hotel and when I did, I faced a variety owner, we hop in a taxi en route of objections. They questioned to Marjane, the Moroccan Walthe safety of the country, the Mart. Entirely out of place and treatment of women and even subject to quite a few side glancMoroccan culture as a whole. es, we discover that Marjane I’d faced similar disapproval doesn’t carry wine. when travelling to Honduras and Back in the taxi, we drive into even Turkey, but, to my par- the new city. In the back room ents’ dismay, of a tiny superI’ve come to I was reluctant to market, we finally feel pretty find what we’ve strongly about tell my family of my been after. disengaging plans. with Western Chefchaouen perceptions of Chefchaouen, distant countries. I’ll make my the blue city, sits high in the mind up for myself, thanks. Rif Mountains. Arriving by bus, These are a few highlights Josh and I attempt the uphill trek from my trip and my personal to our hostel on foot, massive experiences travelling with my backpacks in tow. Our attempt to fake husband, Josh. walk is short-lived and we hail a From the second Josh and taxi instead. I decided we’d go to Morocco, Our driver is the first to openit became an ongoing joke that ly question our relationship. We we’d be husband and wife — tell him we’re married, and he newlyweds, on our honeymoon asks if we have any kids. Trying or something like that. Once we to contain our laughter, we say arrived, it was widely assumed we don’t. Turns out, he and his that we were a married couple. wife are trying to get pregnant. We found that some wondered He gives Josh his WhatsApp conwhy two people of the opposite tact information and asks that we sex would travel together if they call him as soon as I’m pregnant. aren’t husband and wife. We’re still laughing about the encounter when Josh realizes he Casablanca doesn’t have his cellphone. It I arrive in Casablanca a few must’ve fallen out of his pocket hours before Josh — my “hus- in the cab. band” for the next two weeks Guess we won’t be calling the — arrives. driver after all. To make the most of my head start, I take the train into the Tangier centre. At the advice of Lonely Once we’d figured out where Planet, I head over to the sprawl- to stow our backpacks while ing Hassan II Mosque. Situated exploring, Josh and I walk in right on the water, it’s breathtak- what we hope is the direction of ing. the medina (old town). We met
Josh enjoying a cup of tea with a Berber shopkeeper in Marrakech.
VOICES
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Katrina and Todd, a Canadian couple, in Chefchaouen. Together, we make our way to Marrakech. It’s Valentine’s Day. The weather is out of control. The sun is out, but then clouds roll in and the wind picks up. After befriending some cats who have taken up residence in the train station, we share a welldeserved bottle of gin on an overnight train bound for Marrakech, wind-blown and tired from wandering.
Marrakech When we reach Marrakech, I’m determined to find faux wedding rings for me and Josh. During an attempt to find the city’s main square, Djemaa El Fna, we stumble across a tiny shop filled with jewelry. The most wonderful Berber man runs the place. The Berber people are the pre-Arab inhabitants of various North African regions, and though many aspects of their culture continue to thrive, economic pressures have taken a toll. The shopkeeper sits us down, serves us mint tea and shows us his “treasure.” We buy four rings. Later in the day, Josh is on a mission to find a carpet. Spotting one rug of interest, we stop. Out of nowhere, our friend from the jewelry store appears. We’d wound up back at his shop. More tea, more chats, more bartering — this time he insists on “a student discount.” We leave with two rugs. Ouarzazate On a three-day and two-night desert trip, our first day is spent in a Mercedes van with four other tourists and a Moroccan guide named Anas. It’s so cold in the mountains. At Ksar Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Josh and I snag a couple of jazzy coats. He does my bartering and I’m his photographer. Anas runs back to get us, eager to return to the van’s warmth. We spend the night in an ecotourism hotel near Dadès Valley. We’re served a wonderful dinner, although we’re made fun of for being vegetarians. “Never has there ever been a Moroccan vegetarian,” Anas exclaims. Good thing we like veggie tagine.
Hannah Logan / Ryersonian Staff
The happy, fake couple in Fez.
Berber locals play drums and sing for us. By the end, everyone is up and dancing. It isn’t so cold anymore. Merzouga Merzouga is a dream. It’s impossibly beautiful and surreal to be here. I am assigned to the wildest camel of the bunch. His mouth is wired shut, but nothing can put a stop to the foam streaming from his mouth and the deep moans escaping his throat. I’m told it’s mating season and there’s a shortage of female camels. My so-called “female energy” will soothe him, they tell me. Oh god. I can’t stop laughing. I’m in hysterics for half of our journey into Erg Chebbi, the Sahara Desert, where we will spend the night in a Berber camp. After dinner, we sing, dance, smoke and stargaze around a bonfire under the desert sky. I have never seen stars I had so bright.
Hannah Logan / Ryersonian Staff
Josh is a movie star and I’m a model. We hug goodbye. Josh and I walk away laughing. What just happened?
My memories of each Moroccan city visited are portraits of the many interactions I had there. They’ve shaped my travels more than any scenery ever could, while simultaneously challenging my preconceived, Western assumptions. Last April, I was in Istanbul, Turkey. I expected Morocco would resemble the Turkish tourist paradise in many more ways than it really did. Travelling in Istanbul alone was a challenge I’d poorly prepared myself for — I often couldn’t walk more than 200 metres without being hassled by someone, sometimes to the point of discomfort. I’m happy to say that I was a brief rarely bothered in glimpse into Morocco. There’s obviously a level the window of of attention to be Essaouira W a l k i n g Moroccan life, expected travelalong the beach, ling in any counJosh and I are and although I try — vendors in approached by a loved what I saw, many cities rely small Moroccan on the business man, Maji, and his I’m by no means of tourists — but dog, Lucky. He’s never did I feel an expert. a little strange, unsafe. However, but harmless and it’s hard to say friendly. what impact having a male with He asks us to meet him for me had. coffee later in the afternoon. Even knowing what I do now, With a shrug of our shoulders, 12 days hardly provides an accuwe agree. rate insight into an entire counAs the day progresses, we try. I had a brief glimpse into the realize how inconvenient it will window of Moroccan life, and be to actually meet up with him. although I loved what I saw, I’m We go for lunch and try not to by no means an expert. feel like jerks for flaking. Judgments and impresAs we turn the corner after sions based on stereotypes are leaving the restaurant, there he unavoidable, but going in with an is. Not even remotely upset, he open mind often leads to advenleads us to the nearest café. We ture and amazing connections sit, we have coffee. He talks with new people. about smiles and love. He says