Students angry over OSAP overpayments
Ryerson’s history
pages 2, 3
Examining mental health through fashion
pages 6-7
Ryersonian
page 8
The
Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Volume 70, Number 21
@theryersonian / www.ryersonian.ca
Meet your new president
Stephen Goetz / Ryersonian Staff
By Ramisha Farooq Ryersonian Staff
When he was a teenager working his way through his last year of high school in Algeria, Mohamed Lachemi found himself in the middle of a major earthquake. He watched as half of his city was destroyed. Thousands died. In the aftermath of the disaster, young Lachemi had a new
drive: to become a civil engineer and learn how to build stronger structures that could withstand such natural disasters and save many lives. “I define myself as a builder,” Lachemi says. “I think I started by working on building a better future for me and my family, but also looking around at how we can build a better society and how we can really help people around us.” In the time since then,
Lachemi has become an internationally recognized researcher and academic administrator. Now, he’s president of Ryerson University. The announcement was made on March 31 via Twitter by Ryerson’s Board of Governors. “I came to Ryerson 18 years ago with the same motivation as always: how to contribute building better systems, better programs, better partnerships,” Lachemi says. “I think
in my position today … my focus is how to build a better university for our students, for our community and for our city.” Lachemi has been vital to the university’s rapid growth and development over the past few years. He had served as interim president for the past four months after the school’s previous president, Sheldon Levy, announced his resignation. Please see PRESIDENT, page 4
Grad names baby after Ryerson By Erin Hesselink Ryersonian Staff
Ryerson grad Brady Lacroix enjoyed his time at Ryerson so much that he named his baby after the school. On March 23 at 12:58 p.m., Ryerson Joseph Lacroix was born at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.
Proud parents Brady Lacroix and his fiancée Tara Stencill couldn’t be happier with their new baby or his name. When Stencill suggested the name Ryerson in the first trimester, Lacroix was instantly on board. “She knew what a great influence my time at Ryerson had on me after graduating,” Lacroix said.
After researching the name, the two fell in love with it. Lacroix said the Scottish history of the name dates back to an outdoorsman. “It suited our lifestyle,” Lacroix said. “We do a lot of canoeing and a lot of camping – adventurous things.” Lacroix said his time work-
ing with George Ryerson, who said his great-grandfather was Egerton Ryerson, made him appreciate the connection to the history of Ryerson University even more. Lacroix graduated in 2002 with a degree in commerce and retail management. Please see BABY, page 4
Gun scare on campus By Dylan Bell Ryersonian Staff
After a gun was allegedly pulled on campus last week, questions have been raised about how Ryerson security should warn students of such incidents. According to Tanya Poppleton, manager of security and emergency services, an unknown male approached a group of Ryerson community members at Gould and Victoria streets early in the morning on March 31. He pointed “what appeared to be a gun at them.” Security was alerted shortly after. They then notified Toronto police, as per protocol. But while the incident took place at 1:25 a.m. on Thursday, Ryerson staff and students didn’t receive an email notification about the incident until 5:52 p.m. on Friday. When asked why students and staff were not informed of a potential gun threat on campus until over 28 hours later, Poppleton said that while the incident took place near Devonian Square, it is not “technically on campus.” She also said that security alerts are sent out within one to two business days following an incident. Julia Lewis, director of Ryerson’s Integrated Risk Management, said in an email that, “in this circumstance, we responded in consultation with the Toronto Police Service and subsequently followed our incident reporting protocol.” David Hyde, a security and risk management specialist at David Hyde & Associates in Toronto, said that while every incident is unique, in situations involving weapons, urgency can trump due diligence. Hyde said that although security should not prematurely unnerve students and staff, when a threat with an active attacker is confirmed a news bulletin should be sent out “immediately.” “You have somebody with a weapon near the university where there are going to be students studying and cramming at 1:30 in the morning,” Hyde said.
2 • The Ryersonian
EDITORIALS
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
The
Ryersonian
Produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism
EDITORIAL
Drunk driving still a problem
Remember that commercial, It’s important to remember from the driver’s point of view, that there are always alternatives where the car is going along the to impaired driving, such as callstreet and glass after glass is ing a cab, taking public transport used to make the driver’s vision or calling a friend or family blurry until they crash? member for a ride home. That, and countless other pubIn the 2015 holiday sealic service announcements have son’s Reduce Impaired Driving been televised for years to warn Everywhere (RIDE) program, people about the dangers of the Ontario Provincial Police drinking and driving, and all of (OPP) charged a total of 573 the ways to avoid getting behind drivers with impaired driving the wheel while impaired. between Nov. 23, 2015 and Jan. Whether through the annual 2, 2016, and over 350 people had Mothers Against Drunk Driving their licences suspended followvideo shown in high school ing a roadside warning. assemblies, or police officers In 2015, the OPP laid over coming in to talk about what can 6,000 alcohol and drug impaired happen and showing pictures driving charges, with 118 of of horrible accidents caused by those taking place in the month drunk driving, students are con- of January alone. This is a 37 per stantly exposed to the conse- cent increase from January 2014, quences of drinking and driv- where the OPP laid 86 charges. ing, even at school. According to the 2011 Despite all of these warnings Statistics Canada census, 20- to to avoid impaired driving, it 24-year-olds have the highest seems the mesimpaired drivsage isn’t getrates in the Despite all of these ing ting across. country, with In fact, warnings to avoid 25- to 34-yearthe number impaired driving, it olds not far of impaired seems the message behind. drivers has The report isn’t getting across. said, “one-half increased since 2014. of impaired This issue driving incihas recently come to light with dents reported by police take the highly publicized case of place between 11 p.m. and 4 Marco Muzzo. He was sentenced a.m. The peak is usually reached to 10 years in prison on March between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. — the 29 for killing three children and hours after bars close in most their grandfather while driving provinces.” under the influence of alcohol in It also stated that about twoVaughan, Ont. thirds of reported incidents Many students who drive occur on the weekends from are accustomed to a zero blood midnight on Friday to 11:59 p.m. alcohol content limit, as it is on Sunday, with the lowest numa restriction on most licences ber of incidents on Mondays and across Canada until the age of 21. Tuesdays. A possible incentive to keep However, there may be a light students from getting behind the at the end of the tunnel. While wheel while impaired could be to more people died in crashes in not remove this restriction until 2015 than in 2014, OPP reported drivers obtain five years of driv- that impaired driving is at its ing experience. lowest level in 10 years.
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Twitter — where everybody can be a judge! Kayleigh Robinson / Ryersonian Staff
OPINION
OSAP overpayments induce anxiety
By Ophelie Zalcmanis-Lai Ryersonian Staff
Last week, the Toronto Star reported the results of its investigation that showed the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) has overpaid students by more than $700 million. I am one of the students who received more money than I should have. My heart sank last summer when I received my overpayment letter and its order that I repay funds — or else lose my eligibility to apply for funding for my last year of school. It kept sinking when the National Student Loans Service Centre said there was nothing it could do to help me. Then it fell into an abyss when the campus financial aid office advised me that appealing wouldn’t be worth it since I can’t
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claim I didn’t make the extra money that I did — the money which led to me being overpaid. Granted, I got a summer job last minute and it completely slipped my mind (between working a full-time weekday job and part-time weekend job, living, sleeping, eating, etc.) to update my income with OSAP. I’m not denying that and I take full responsibility for it. But since being overpaid means a student is no longer eligible to receive further funding until clearing that status, I had only two options: produce the money or drop out. About to embark on my final year of university, there was no way I was going to drop out. Yet, where was the money going to come from? I spent several sleepless nights staring at my stucco ceiling, panicking. Since I’m still here and about to graduate, my family and I obviously worked it out. However, the Toronto Star’s story highlighted an important issue that needs to be better dealt with. The article quotes Tanya Blazina, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, saying that students can appeal their overpayments. I’ve already gone over how that went for me. Blazina also said that, “OSAP makes every effort to recoup these funds from future pay-
ments, or in loan repayments.” But I guess this doesn’t help the student by reinstating their access to funding, since this option was also a no-go for me. All in all, I’m not saying that students should be absolved of the responsibility to stay on top of their income and update it through OSAP by the necessary deadlines. However, there is a serious problem with a system that asks students to repay money they obviously don’t have in the first place. It’s also concerning that students are receiving mixed messages, depending on who they speak with, on how they can navigate overpayments. It’s contradictory, confusing and anxiety-inducing to say the least. Getting through these overpayments (or not) comes at great cost to students. To the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, I ask you to think of the students who had to pay that cost by dropping out of school. Our province provides some very generous funding. However, these overpayments and the system in place for dealing with them sends a discouraging message that students’ educational attainment can be limited by income and stifled by bureaucracy.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2016
NEWS
The Ryersonian • 3
Sunshine List reveals gender disparity Data finds women in science and engineering faculties under-represented
By Emily Stachera and Rebecca Goss Ryersonian Staff
Despite the efforts of Ryerson’s Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS) to create gender parity, the Sunshine List for 2015 showed that only 24 women were among the 153 faculty members who earn over $100,000. Tom Duever, dean of FEAS, said that they are “keenly aware” of this gender gap and actively encourage applications from female academics. “This includes reaching out to colleagues at other institutions to see what graduate students they have and if they are interested in applying to opportunities at Ryerson,” Duever said. Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi said the limited number of female faculty members in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is mainly due to the low numbers of women choosing these career paths. Lachemi said that while the school has done a lot to attract more female faculty members, tackling the gender imbalance in STEM will require more than just aggressive hiring practices. “That is not enough. You cannot convince people at a very late age to go into engineering, it has to start at a very early age,” he said. While dean of Ryerson’s engineering program, Lachemi said he looked at the number of recent PhD graduates in aerospace engineering and found that only four per cent were female. “Of course, if you have just
four per cent, and with all the competition, everybody would like to hire them,” he said. This problem can be traced all the way back to undergraduate degrees where, at Ryerson, only 20 per cent of students enrolled in FEAS are female. The numbers vary from nearly 50 per cent in biomedical engineering to 10 per cent in mechanical and electrical engineering which, according to Duever, are the largest programs in FEAS. “Encouraging females at a young age to take math and science courses in junior and high schools is an important start,” he said. Duever pointed out that Ryerson participates in the Hydro1 consortium WEMADEIT, which encourages women to pursue careers in engineering by looking at ways to better stimulate “the whole spectrum, from primary school to university level programs.” According to its website, “less than 20 per cent of engineering students and only seven per cent of professional engineers are female.” They also highlight the importance of having parents expose their daughters to STEM. Annabella Mike-Ebeye, an electrical engineering student at Ryerson, agrees. “Growing up, girls are taught to play with Barbies while boys are taught to pay with monster trucks and airplanes,” she said. Mike-Ebeye said that this type of gendering at such a young age helps to create the large gender gap in STEM. “My father is a biomedical en-
Rebecca Goss / Ryersonian Staff
Data from the 2015 Sunshine List, which lists salaries of public sector employees making over $100,000.
gineer, and growing up in Nigeria I would watch him manipulate the electricity so we would have electricity in the house.” When Mike-Ebeye went to an engineering conference last year, the audience was asked whether
they had relatives in the engineering field, and 80 per cent of the women raised their hands. “That was when I realized that if I didn’t have my dad as an influence in my life, I may never have studied engineering.”
Lachemi said evening out this gender disparity is a priority for Ryerson, but it will take some time because salaries often depend on the years of experience. “I’m very positive that we will do better in the future,” he said.
OSAP overpayments cause student worry By Jacqueline Tucci Ryersonian Staff
The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) has been overpaying students, and it wants the money back. According to a Toronto Star investigation released on April 1, the student loan program has handed out over $700 million in overpayments since 2009. According to OSAP’s website, an overpayment is when a student has received more in loans than they are entitled to. This can happen for two main reasons: either the student provided an inaccurate estimate of income when applying for OSAP, or the student reduced the number of classes taken during the school year, in turn reducing their tuition The OSAP application process is notoriously complicated and asks students to guess how much they will make over the coming year, which can greatly vary depending on if students receive grants or scholarships, pick up extra shifts or take on another part-time job throughout the year. Majid Atto, a second-year engineering student, said that he worked over the summer last year and disclosed that on his
OSAP application. But after the summer ended, he was offered the opportunity to continue working part time throughout the school year. “I made a good amount of money by working during school, however I didn’t know this was going to happen so I didn’t account for that money in my original application,” Atto said. Atto was lucky. This was his first time receiving an OSAP overpayment. The first time this happens, a student is given a warning — OSAP accepts it as a mistake . The debt is added to the total the student will have to pay once out of school. But students who have this happen the first time often aren’t even aware that they were overpaid. That’s why it is a shock to be hit with an overpayment notice on the second occasion According to the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ website, the second time that OSAP deems a student has been overpaid, students “must repay the second overpayment in order to be eligible for further student aid.” There’s a process students can go through to have a second-time overpayment forgiven by OSAP, but it’s complicated and often
never explained as an option to students. “Students that do become overpaid can meet one-on-one with one of Ryerson’s financial advisers to determine if they meet the criteria to appeal the overpayment,” Charmaine Hack, the registrar at Ryerson University, said in an email to The Ryersonian. “If eligible for appeal, the adviser will help the student submit the necessary documents to request a review by the ministry.” But this process is often complicated for students. Paisley Snow, a fourth-year social work student, voiced her frustration at this process. “(OSAP) said they overpaid and that I had to pay it back, but obviously I had used the money for tuition, so I didn’t have it.” Unable to repay the overpay ment, Snow went to the financial services office at Ryerson. There, she was told that there would be a fee to process her complaint. It ended up costing her $300 in fees to the school in order to even start the appeal process OSAP determined Snow had been overpaid after her mom was injured at work and was placed on worker’s compensation. “(My mom) wasn’t making any more, she was making less.
Ryersonian file photo
A student waits outside the Student Services office.
But because she was getting (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) payments, I guess that meant I couldn’t get OSAP.” The situation was never fully explained to Snow in a way she understood by anybody at OSAP or Ryerson. Snow said she never updated her OSAP information to indicate her mom was on worker’s compensation, assuming she would just have to update it for the new school year as normal. In other cases, students who plan to take a full course load,
but suddenly have to reduce the number of classes they’re taking, can be left with overpayments Hack said this is just part of a larger problem with OSAP. “The story (in the Toronto Star) sheds light on a systemic issue inherent in the application of the current rules for OSAP administration,” she said. “Perhaps the story will prompt a more in-depth review of overpayment issues to better illuminate how student degree progression is impacted (by the system of dealing with overpayments).”
4 • The Ryersonian
Baby Rye happy and healthy BABY, cont’d ...
One highlight of his time was his year in residence. “Back then, Facebook wasn’t around – now I’m able to connect with these people all over the world, and everyone’s quite successful. “It’s very much a different campus now … but you could see it growing and you could see the wheels starting to turn on the new buildings, new programs, new technology.” Lacroix and Stencill currently live in Pembroke, Ont., and took a trip to Toronto for a date around Ryerson’s campus. “It was great,” Lacroix said. “She really liked the atmosphere of the school,” and that sealed the deal for the name.
As for baby Ryerson, he’s healthy and happy and has a personality of his own. “During the day, he’s quite chill, and at night, it’s a little bit of a different story. He likes to keep us awake and he’s a little bit cranky, but that’s alright,” Lacroix said. “He kind of has the same personality as someone in exams.”
NEWS
‘He’ll help take Ryerson to new levels’
Courtesy Brady Lacroix
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PRESIDENT, cont’d ... ` “My journey to this position has been full of excitement, challenges, but also a lot of barriers in my career before I reached to this point,” Lachemi says. Born in Algeria, Lachemi immigrated to Canada as an international student 30 years ago. He began his career at Ryerson in 1998 as a civil engineering professor. He went on to hold a Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Construction and then rose through the ranks to become dean of the faculty of engineering and architectural science. A graduate of l’Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d’Oran in Algeria and Sherbrooke University, Lachemi has served as a post-doctoral fellow and research associate with Concrete Canada and spent time as a visiting professor in applied science at Artois University in France. He is also a fellow at the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a board member of OneEleven and Trillium Health Partners. As provost and vice-president academic under former president Sheldon Levy, Lachemi oversaw the creation of a new faculty of science and has represented Ryerson across the world. He
also contributed directly to the implementation of Ryerson’s 2014-19 academic plan, Our Time to Lead. “Ryerson is differentiated in everyone’s mind by academic excellence linked to entrepreneurial innovation, city-building and challenging the status quo,” said Ryerson chancellor Lawrence Bloomberg in a press
“He is the kind of leader Ryerson needs. He’ll help take Ryerson to new levels.” – Abdullah Snobar release. “This is a culture unique to Ryerson, and Mohamed Lachemi will lead its further growth and accomplishment.” Lachemi knew at an early age that education was a tool that would define his future. His biggest motivation was his mother, who knew education would open doors for her children. “I wanted to make sure what I do was not just benefiting me as a person but people around me ... and society,” Lachemi says. As Ryerson’s former vice-president, Lachemi fostered partnerships between Ryerson and other leading organizations, such as the creation of the Institute for
Biomedical Engineering and Science Technology (iBest) with St. Michael’s Hospital. He’s been instrumental in the success of innovation clusters led by the DMZ, a digital media space that is ranked the top university business incubator in Canada and third in the world. Lachemi’s involvement in the DMZ’s expansion has served as the catalyst for Ryerson’s entrepreneurial zone learning model, which has grown to 10 distinct zones across the university. Abdullah Snobar, the DMZ’s executive director, credits Lachemi with helping elevate the Ryerson brand nationally and providing room for zone learning to flourish. “He is the kind of leader Ryerson needs,” Snobar says. “He’ll help take Ryerson to new levels.” Snobar says Lachemi is a leader of the people – a transformative person who is not afraid to dream big, but does it all with extreme humility. Snobar describes Lachemi as having “an unbelievably humbling nature.” “He uses people as a resource,” Snobar said. “(Under Lachemi) I see Ryerson taking on a leading role in Canada.” Janice Fukakusa, chair of the Ryerson Board of Governors, echoed the statement in a press release. “An internationally recognized researcher and accomplished academic administrator, Mohamed Lachemi has been a key contributor to the growth and development of Ryerson over a transformational time in the university’s history,” Fukakusa says. She says that in today’s rapidly changing post-secondary education environment, he is an ideal person to continue Ryerson’s momentum towards innovation, development and support for entrepreneurship. Lachemi says his ultimate goal is to help Ryerson build its reputation. “I think we have to keep in mind our role as educators that can help the university, and through that (help) the students. Help them define a better future for them and for society,” Lachemi says. “I think my approach is easy. I want to work with the community. “The work starts today and it’s really about having everyone contribute to this.”
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 NEWS
The Ryersonian • 5
Ketchup conflict comes to campus By Maggie Macintosh Ryersonian Staff
As French’s ketchup continues to sell out in Ontario grocery stores, Ryerson’s studentowned restaurants are making the switch from Heinz. The decision to switch brands at the Ram in the Rye and Oakham Café was made in mid-March. The student pub is already serving some French’s bottles. “There’s always been a real interest here to locally source things when possible,” said Rick Knapp, food and beverage manager for the Ryerson Student Centre (RSC). For the past seven years that Knapp has worked for the RSC, the restaurants have always served Heinz. He said he hopes the restaurants will be exclusively serving French’s within the next week. The fact that French’s uses tomatoes from locally sourced, Ontario farmers, was an important factor that influenced the RSC’s decision.
Brent Barr, an instructor at the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management, said businesses often switch suppliers as a result of manufacturing standards not being met and competitive prices. “In this case, the restaurants saw an opportunity to bring in a Canadian-made product,” Barr said. Brian Fernandez started the condiment controversy by writing a Facebook post in February about his family’s decision to switch to French’s Canadian-made ketchup. At the time of publication, the post has been shared by more than 133,300 users. In his post, Fernandez said Heinz closed its Canadian plant in Leamington, Ont., to make ketchup in the United States. “All the farmers in the area took a big hit, not to mention the workers,” Knapp said. “I think 750 people were laid off immediately in Leamington, and it’s a city of only 12,000 people.” Fernandez said that was
when popular condiment brand French’s “stepped in” and decided to start making ketchup with tomatoes from Leamington farmers. Knapp grew up around Leamington and was a key player in the decision to switch RSC restaurant ketchup brands. “We all want to see Ontario labour being supported by companies like French’s,” Knapp said. French’s is now working on negotiations to expand its food service business to Canada. Barr said this will have a huge impact on Leamington’s economy because of the job opportunities. However, he says that the overall impact on the Canadian economy will be minor. According to Knapp, the price difference between French’s and Heinz is “negligible.” French’s is about $0.10 more expensive. French’s also donates $0.10 from every bottle purchased to Food Banks Canada. The student pub and café will
Maggie Macintosh / Ryersonian Staff
The Oakham Café is transitioning to French’s ketchup.
both begin serving French’s exclusively when their supply of Heinz runs out. RyersonianTV conducted a ketchup taste test at Ryerson last
week to see whether students preferred Heinz or French’s. The video results were even: 13-13. “Bye. Bye. Heinz,” Fernandez said in the viral Facebook post.
Study finds students ‘whitening’ their resumés By Melinna Miranda Ryersonian Staff
Minority students experience difficulties when finding jobs, a new study finds. About 40 per cent of job applicants who belong to minority groups “whiten” their resumés in hopes of avoid racial discrimination, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Toronto and
Stanford researchers. “Resumé whitening” refers to people changing their names on resumés to anglicized ones or excluding experiences that could identify them with racial groups in order to downplay their ethnicity. The study showed that those who chose to “whiten” their resumés when applying for jobs received more calls back. Jen Chan, a third-year Ryerson
Julianne San Antonio / Ryersonian Staff
Researchers found those with ‘whiter’ names get more calls back.
biomedical engineering student, said that she knows a lot of people who have anglicized their first or last names. “I’m not going to blame anyone for choosing to do what they think will help them best, especially in a society that doesn’t always give them the same chance as anyone else,” she said. “People have to do what they have to do in order to succeed with the way that things are now.” Chan said she’s lucky her parents gave her an “English” name as well as a Chinese name, but still would not include this on her resumé. “I wouldn’t highlight the fact that I’m from a minority group,” she said. Chan said she would also exclude experiences with certain campus groups on her resumé unless they were directly related to the job she’s applying for. “I wouldn’t want to highlight a bunch of factors that might get my resumé out of the pile quicker.”
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Students’ backgrounds may also have an effect on how they experience school and the job hunt. Jen Gonzales, director of student life at Ryerson, said that this is a real challenge for students of colour. Gonzales says students need to understand who they are, what they love about their culture and then communicate that to others in order to build confidence. “We need to equip our students to be able to articulate what they need to be successful as well as what they bring to the table,” she said. Gonzales moderated “Voices of Experience - Persons of Colour,” a panel discussion held at Ryerson on March 24. The panel included professionals from different sectors to speak about their experiences navigating issues of racism in the workplace. “I think what we as students can do best is continue to talk about these issues and bring awareness to it and also talk
about the solutions,” said Chan. “As we become the ones who make the decisions, how can we continue to make things better instead of just hoping they’ll get better?” But Dan Kennedy, manager at Ryerson’s Ted Rogers School of Management’s career hub, said that he doesn’t believe students have to worry about racial barriers in the city’s diverse labour market. “In the Toronto market especially, I don’t think that there’s any reason someone has to change their name or whiten their resumé for any reason,” Kennedy said, adding that he has not seen this issue at Ryerson. “Students are concerned about the job market … they’re looking for any advantage they can get,” Kennedy said. “Some students may (think that something) can be viewed as political in nature or puts them into some sort of category, but in my experience here at Ryerson, those conversations haven’t been based upon race or ethnicity.”
6 • The Ryersonian
FEATURES
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
FEATURES
A photographic blast from the past
Courtesy Ryerson Archives
Courtesy Ryerson Archives
An aerial view of of Kerr Hall taken sometime during the 1963-64 school year. By Ophelie Zalcmanis-Lai Ryersonian Staff
Founded in 1948 as the Ryerson Institute of Technology, the university has grown within the ever-changing and ever-growing city of Toronto. Once used as a training space for the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, Ryerson is now a modern institution known for innovations like its DMZ. From breweries to rooming houses, this photo essay focuses on how Ryerson has grown up within the city — and transformed it. Gerrard and Gould Streets: The Toronto Normal School What students know today to be Kerr Hall used to be the Toronto Normal
The Ryersonian • 7
Courtesy Ryerson Archives
On the left, the O’Keefe Brewery on the site of the image arts building. On the right, before the bookstore and movie theatre were built, the corner of Victoria and Gould streets was home to O’Keefe’s bottling warehouse.
School, where prospective elementary school teachers were taught the standards of teaching. Completed in the Gothic architectural style, the building included a theatre, art gallery, museum, various gardens, an arboretum, the Council of Public Institution chamber and several branches of the education department. It was officially opened on Nov. 24, 1852. The school underwent several transformations over the years, including an additional third storey that allowed for more gallery space and an auditorium. It continued to train pupil teachers and house elementary students until 1941. During the Second World War, the Normal School space was offered as a war training centre that included space for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Additional
outbuildings were brought to the grounds to provide more space. After the war, the building became the Toronto Training and Re-Establishment Institute for those who had served in the war. Church and Gerrard Streets: Kerr Hall In 1948, the space that was once the Normal School became home to Ryerson’s humble beginnings as the Ryerson Institute of Technology, founded by Howard Kerr. The original Normal School buildings were renamed Ryerson Hall in honour of Egerton Ryerson. The spacious main structure served as the hub of Ryerson, while the prefabricated outbuildings served as additional classrooms and spaces for events and sports. However, hrowing enrolment rates and
increased demand for additional courses brought up the need for a more accommodating space. Between 1958 and 1963, the original structure was demolished to make room for Kerr Hall, the quadrangle that students now have fun navigating every day. The arch in front of the Ryerson Recreation and Athletics Centre is all that remains of the Normal School. Church and Gould Streets: Oakham House If you’re an architect, why not build the house of your dreams? That’s exactly what William Thomas, a 19th-century architect did when he created Oakham House in 1948. Thomas designed the building in the style of Gothic architecture. To make it feel more like home, the entrance was originally adorned with two dogs.
Courtesy Ryerson Archives
Left, two students walk in the garden surrounding the Toronto Normal School (right) while a gardener rakes leaves in an undated photo from the 1950s.
Courtesy Ryerson Archives
When Thomas died in 1860, Oakham House was sold to the McGee family until it was taken over by the city in 1899. For the following 60 years, Oakham House was known as the Working Boys Home for “troubled or disadvantaged” boys aged 14-18. For $10 a week, the boys had a room, laundry service, medical care, counselling, recreational space and food. Ryerson didn’t acquire the building until the mid 20th century, when it was named Kerr Hall after then-Ryerson president Howard Kerr. It became a male residence, with additional rooms for student groups, meetings and a tuck shop. Once construction began on what students now know to be Kerr Hall, the 55 Gould St. residence became Eric Palin Hall. It served mostly as a social space until the fire department deemed the sec-
ond and third floor unsafe for living. Come 1976, the building was renovated once again and renamed under its original title, Oakham House, two years later. The Ram in the Rye pub was added onto the lower level and it began to look a lot like what current Ryerson students know it to be. Victoria and Gould Streets: O’Keefe Brewery Beer anyone? Turns out, the space between O’Keefe Lane, Gould, Bond and Dundas streets was home to the former O’Keefe Brewery and bottling warehouse. It was started in 1861 by Eugene O’Keefe after he acquired it as the Victoria Brewery. O’Keefe Brewery eventually became the largest brewery in Canada.
The brewery was innovative for its time. According to an article in the Feb. 17, 1993 edition of The Ryersonian, O’Keefe ale was the first of its kind to be “massadvertised” in Canada through its use of billboards, wall murals and truck advertisements. It was renovated and used as the building for photographic arts, and later the school of image arts. The brewery itself was considered too large to renovate and was torn down in 1980 to make room for what is now the parking garage and the Cineplex theatre complex. O’Keefe Brewery was eventually purchased by Carling Brewing Co. and became a part of the Molson Coors Brewing Co. Today, students know the former bottling building as the ultra-modern Image Arts Building.
Courtesy Ryerson Archives
On the left, Oakham House in the 1950s (notice the dogs by the steps). On the right, workers plant trees in the Kerr Hall quad, in 1989.
Yonge and Dundas Square Yonge Street, one of the longest streets in the world, has a colourful past and present. Stretching through numerous neighbourhoods in the city core and beyond, its image has changed, been subject to legislation and challenged throughout its 200-year history. In 2008, Ryerson University arranged for morning lectures to be held in 12 of the 24 theatres available in what was then the AMC multiplex, and is now a Cineplex theatre. Podiums for lecturers were installed, custom desktop spaces were designed to fit into the cup holders of the chairs and presentation technology was secured. The theatre was a big hit with students, much better than a few years earlier when the Carlton Cinemas were used as classrooms.
Courtesy Ryerson Archives
8 • The Ryersonian
ARTS & LIFE
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Capstone project focuses on mental health By Sarah Amormino Ryersonian Staff
“Believe in what you’re doing. Take a risk worth taking. Go make it happen.” That’s Sara Kelly’s motto. Kelly, a fourth-year fashion student, is currently working on her final capstone project, and her passion for mental health awareness is what fuels it. The project, which will be on display May 2-8 at the Ryerson Image Centre as part of the Ryerson school of image arts’ annual Maximum Exposure exhibition, asked students to answer a theoretical question while incorporating fashion. “My idea was to see if art therapy could actually relieve stigma around mental illness,” Kelly said. “By doing so, I would show it through fashion and see if actually wearing it and displaying it could change that stigma, as opposed to just talking about it.”
With plenty of research and thinking about how she could incorporate art, Kelly found many studies that showed how much art therapy can relieve symptoms of mental health. In her project, Free The Mind, six participants were asked how their mental illness makes them feel and were told to represent their answer in a drawing. Kelly then pressed each drawing onto a T-shirt. “The art is actually a reflection of how their mental illness makes them feel, so for people to show that on a T-shirt is a huge step,” she said. Kelly, who has her own personal struggles with mental health, compared fashion to mental health and its uniqueness to every individual. But the stigma behind mental health illness can often result in feelings of isolation. “A lot of the time it’s not something that people want to talk about – it’s usually some-
thing that people want to keep to themselves,” she said. Kelly is only in the beginning stages of her project, but by having participants conquer what they’re dealing with in their own individual way, she said that she can already see her project disrupt the stigma of mental illness. Kelly was overwhelmed by the number of people who were willing to talk to her about their personal struggles and stories of living with mental illness. Aside from her project, Kelly also wants to build a community through a line of clothing that is putting discussions of mental health at its forefront. With a business plan in the works, Kelly plans on forming Free The Mind into something much bigger than just a school project. And with a strong support system to back her up, she believes that, now more than ever, people are ready to make the step towards understanding mental health.
Samantha Tapp / Ryersonian Staff
Sara’s designs (top and bottom).
Samantha Tapp / Ryersonian Staff
Sara Kelly in one of her designs.
Samantha Tapp / Ryersonian Staff
Ryerson holds second women-in-film conference By Brynn Farren Ryersonian Staff
Ric Bienstock believes there is no better time than now for women to enter the film industry. “Being a female is an advantage… I would hate to be a white man in the business,” the Emmy Award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker said at a conference discussing women in the film industry. The conference was hosted by Ryerson’s school of image arts and focused on industry experiences of women in the film. Much of the discussion was about how emerging female filmmakers could make their mark in the industry. The overall consensus: it’s about working with what you’ve got. Bienstock said that there are a lot of resources available to women and a lot of ways to get money to produce projects. “It’s about knowing where to look,” said fellow panellist
Christina Piovesan, producer and president of First Generation Films Inc. While Bienstock’s area of expertise is documentaries, Piovesan’s business is feature
films. Her company is known for producing Whistleblower with Rachel Weisz and, more recently, Regression starring Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson.
Piovesan said she recognizes that the business side of feature film production is male-dominated. She also knows a thing or two about rejection, but never takes it personally. Reflecting on
her early years in the industry, she spoke of a time when she had to realize that she had to be two different people. “It’s about distinguishing the difference between someone talking to you and talking to you,” she said. “It’s not Christina they are rejecting, it’s this kid.” When she says “kid” she is referring to the role you play as an entry-level worker. You have no position, no authority and no power. It’s all about the work. You’ve got to be “willing to put in the sweat, and sweat equity,” said Piovesan. Now an industry veteran, Piovesan said she fights every day to stay competitive. She’s become confident and has follow-through. Piovesan uses words such as opportunistic and unapologetic to describe herself — ideal for an industry that is based on power and position, where rejection is so casually common.
Brynn Farren / Ryersonian Staff
Panellists at the conference.
Women in the film industry – by the numbers By Christina Botticcho and Emily Silva Ryersonian Staff
There have been many women over the years who have paved the way for female talent in Hollywood. But there is still a lot of work to be done. Here are some statistics on the cur-
rent state of women in the film industry: • Only 23 per cent of films feature a female protagonist • In the top 250 films of 2012, women made up 15 per cent of writers, 25 per cent of producers, 20 per
•
•
cent editors and 2 per cent of cinematographers Four female directors have been nominated to win the Academy Award for best director Kathryn Bigelow was the only female director to win an Academy Award (2010)
• •
•
In 2014, 15 per cent of films were directed by women Women are most likely to work in the drama, documentary and animation genres. The ratio of men to women in movies is 2.25:1
• •
10.7 per cent of films have a balanced men to women cast The ratio of men to women working in film is 5:1
Sources: Women Make Movies New York Film Academy
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
ARTS & LIFE
The Ryersonian • 9
Ryerson grad publishes guidebook By Lindsay Sganga Ryersonian Staff
Travel has always been an integral part of Sara Graham’s life. According to Graham, relocating is in her blood, it has been something she has been accustomed to ever since she was young. Now the Ryerson grad is sharing her knowledge of relocation with her first published guidebook: How to Make Big Moves, Relocate Without Losing Your Mind. Born in Bermuda to Canadian parents, Graham ventured north in 1994 to study at Ryerson’s hospitality and tourism business program. “Being from Bermuda, a hot tourist destination, that’s what made me want to get into hospitality and tourism at Ryerson,” she says. “I thought I’d go back to Bermuda and start a hotel. But then I came to Toronto and got used to the action of the city.” Even during her period at Ryerson, Graham took time to travel by doing a semester abroad in France. “My time abroad in France really opened my eyes as to what the world could offer me,” she says Graham says she feels fortunate for her time at Ryerson. It not only aided her entrepreneur-
Sara Graham.
ial drive, but also equipped her with the skills she has used to become an author. “I’m grateful that Ryerson really taught me how to thrive in the real world.” Graham says. “The hospitality and tourism program is a business degree, but there are so many transferable skills that came out of it. I could move into fashion marketing or design, which I did. In terms of education, I really lucked out.” Like many university graduates, Graham’s first steps out of school were difficult. She now lives in Sweden. With every big move she made, she says she was able to learn more about her own relocation and how to make the procedure a smoother experience. “I made so many mistakes, having gone through a lot of relocation myself and getting myself out of Toronto,” she says. She moved to Sweden with her partner, who had to go there for work. The journey helped her evolve her writing skills, she says. “It was just about a year ago when I found out I was moving to Sweden. It ballooned into me writing while I was packing up my life again,” Graham says. Graham’s guidebook is about more than just travel tips. Graham lays out her material
Lindsay Sganga
/ Ryersonian Staff
in a way that is easy to apply. The book includes voices from experts and integrates an element of wellness with the aid of her background in yoga. Even if readers aren’t interested in yoga, the way it is articulated it’s still something they can enjoy reading. “Just having a mantra to help get your head straight. That’s what makes the project unique, is the wellness side of it. That’s the two things I really want to help people with ... the personal wellbeing and organization. Readers can take what they need from that,” she says. According to statistics from a 2013 report by the Boston Consulting Group, the millennial generation is more interested than previous generations in travelling abroad as much as possible, so Graham targeted her book to a young adult audience. “Having that experience of another culture and country is really great for students to open their eyes to. It’s smart to consider, ‘Well maybe if my industry isn’t thriving where I currently am then I could look abroad.’ The whole process is daunting and stressful, so I think that the book offers practical steps to aid the process,” Graham says. The author is already coming
Cover of Graham’s guidebook.
with concepts for her next book. Not forgetting that travelling has become a part of her, she says that she wishes she could get away for a little bit.
Courtesy Sara Graham
“Travel has always been there,” said Graham. “Sometimes, I just want to go on a real vacation.”
Lindsay Sganga
Sara Graham shows a page from her guidebook.
/ Ryersonian Staff
Students roll out red carpet for TARA awards By Vanessa Francone Ryersonian Staff
It’s considered to be the Oscars of the RTA school of media. The TARA Awards recognizes student achievements across the media school. The awards are a prestigious event for the media production, sport media and new media programs. This year, the 38th annual awards will be held on April 15 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts. Josh Howe, one of the show’s executive producers and a thirdyear media production student, said the awards ceremony is completely a student production. “We hoped to create a show that’s representative and deserving of the students,” he said. “It’s so personal to the students because we’re awarding them.” The awards are an annual tradition at the RTA school of media. Over 400 students attend each year, along with faculty and industry professionals. Awards
are given to students across all four years of the program. Awards like, “Best First Year Sound Production,” “Best Intermediate Digital Media Project” and “Best Written Practicum” are some of the categories. Since October, Howe and a small group of committed media school students have been planning the show. Xandria D’Silva, a third-year media production student and the other executive producer, said she knew they could make the show amazing. “We set a bar this year,” D’Silva said. “We have a really strong team and that makes me happy.” Last year’s show was put on by students for their practicum, their final big project of the semester. This year, it is run by students who voluntarily made time in their schedules, on top of their course loads, to produce a show. “What we set out to do, we are going to achieve in three weeks,” Howe said.
The hosts of the TARA Awards.
D’Silva added that their strong team contributed to the success. “Even when we are knee-deep in water and needed help, someone was there,” she said.
Courtesy Orest Kus
Anthony Gullace, a fourthyear media production student and one of the hosts, said it feels surreal to be part of the show this year.
“It’s nice to see the whole university experience come together for one celebratory night,” Gullace said. “I feel honoured to be a part of it.” Gullace has advised attendees to expect some pretty wacky things from him and his two cohosts. He said that he knows the importance of the TARAs. “It’s about getting that recognition for the work you do,” he said. The main goal is to produce an awesome show, but Howe said they also set out to make it a sustainable event. “We’re not just focused on this year, so we recruited a lot of first-and second-years to see some behind-the-scenes action,” he said. Through this experience, Howe hopes the students will learn from them and learn what they had to troubleshoot, in order to spearhead the production in years to come. “We want to keep it at a high quality consistently,” Howe said. “This is the apex of the RTA experience.”
10 • The Ryersonian
SPORTS
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Logit app helps athletes stay healthy By David Morassutti Special to The Ryersonian
RightBlue Labs — a startup company partnered with the Ryerson’s DMZ — recently announced a new partnership with Racquetball Canada to provide raquetball players with Logit, an athlete monitoring system. The Logit application monitors different health risks during training sessions with the goal of preventing or minimizing time lost due to injuries. Geri Powell, the administrator of high performance and sport development for Racquetball Canada, said in a press release that Logit will ensure proper training for its athletes. “We were having challenges with consistency of receiving timely information from athletes and coaches and knowing that the athletes were training their plans while not over-training and ensuring proper recovery,” Powell said. Using this system, athletes, coaches and trainers are able to identify physical and mental issues that arise during training and address them. Logit has a 90 per cent compliance rate amongst its users and is credited for reducing training time missed due to illness and injury by up to 23 per cent. The company launched in 2013 with the help of Ryerson’s DMZ. In its first four months, the founders were able to sign their biggest client, Hockey Canada, which recently agreed to continue the partnership. The company’s main focus since its launch has been to provide affordable monitoring to
Logit app is available for your computer, phone or tablet.
Courtesy RightBlue Labs
amateur athletes. “Amateur athletes put in close to the same time in training as professional athletes, but no amateur team or university could afford a (monitoring) system that (a team like) the Cleveland Cavaliers could afford,” said chief operating officer Daniel Benin, a Western University graduate. Logit is also available for purchase to the general public for $12 a month or $120 a year, although the company is planning to restructure their pricing model. Along with Racquetball Canada and Hockey Canada, other clients using the Logit system include Skate Canada, Swim Canada, Badminton Canada and Wrestling Canada.
“Our goal was to take over the Canadian market, which we have been able to do, but our plans are to find a way to penetrate the U.S. market,” said Benin of the company’s success over the last three years. Injuries have always been a concern for athletes both physically and mentally. When Benin and his brother Ronen, who cofounded RightBlue Labs, were training as competitive swimmers, they kept daily training logs in order to track their performance. However, they found it difficult to sort through the data. This led to the creation of Logit. The Logit system gathers data that the athlete inputs on a daily basis. After a month, the appli-
cation creates a baseline that is used in comparison with the data collected afterwards so that the athlete can see where improvements are made and are needed. It sends out notifications to users to fill in their daily logs and provides alerts when the results are analyzed after each session. If any issues arise with the data collected, the athlete, coach or trainer is notified so that they are aware of potential risks and are provided solutions. One use of this feature is its ability to address recovery from concussions from contact sports. Logit can provide evaluation to determine whether an athlete is physically and mentally ready to return to the game after injury.
ond consecutive Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) bronze medal. He averaged a career high of 17.8 points and 7.4 rebounds this season. In turn, he was named an OUA first-team all-star and CIS second-team allCanadian. Best retires third alltime in scoring and sixth all-time in rebounding at Ryerson. Pingue-Giles, a fifth-year basketball veteran, received the H.H. Kerr trophy for the second consecutive season. This season she was also awarded the CIS
player of the year, CIS first-team all-Canadian, OUA player of the year and defensive player of the year and OUA first-team allstar. Pingue-Giles led the nation with 79 steals and averaged 17.6 points per game, ranking eighth in Canada. She led her team to its first ever OUA championship title and helped Ryerson earn its first CIS silver medal. While Pingue-Giles and Best are both veterans on their teams, there were many Rams rookies
who stepped up as well. Two in particular were Taylor Smith and Brandon Devlin, who were named male and female rookies of the year. In her rookie campaign with the Rams figure skating team, Smith participated in three events at her first OUA championship. In the novice short program, her individual event, Smith earned the OUA bronze medal. She also helped the synchro team earn points on its way to a fifth-place finish.
“By asking athletes questions every day geared towards concussions monitoring, coaches and athletes can know for certain when an athlete is ready to return,” Benin said. With recent concussion lawsuits filed against the NHL and NFL, the issue with athletes returning when they were not fully healed has had major repercussions for both leagues. Athletes will try to do what they can to get back into the game because of their competitive desire. However, an app like this will ensure accountability in the decisions made by coaches and medical staff because they can consult the data and be held responsible if they choose to ignore it. “Athletes were coming to us and telling us about how fantastic the program is, because the athlete was inputting what they were doing every day and they were asked the same questions every day to see whether progress is being made,” Benin said. Last year the company was the Canadian winner at global startup competition Start Tel Aviv. With the rising number of young athletes who drop out of contact sports due to fear of concussions and the uncertain health risks that come with them, an app like Logit could alleviate those concerns — especially for amateur athletes. Benin said this was a major part of the company’s plan when they partnered with Ryerson three years ago. “The DMZ has given us much needed support by providing things like network opportunities, free office space, programmers and business development leads,” Benin said.
Rye honours Rams at annual banquet By Andrew Roberts Ryersonian Staff
Ryerson Athletics capped off a record-breaking year by honouring its athletes at its annual awards banquet on April 2. Basketball stars Aaron Best and Keneca Pingue-Giles were named male and female athletes of the year. Best, a fifth-year basketball senior, helped his team to its first Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship and sec-
Courtesy Alex D’Addese, Ryerson Athletics
Keneca Pingue-Giles poses with her female athlete of the year award
Courtesy Alex D’Addese, Ryerson Athletics
Aaron Best, left, smiles after winning male athlete of the year.
Devlin, a defenceman on the men’s hockey team, finished third in the division in goals by defencemen, with six, and was named to the OUA West all-rookie team. He laced up for all 28 regular season games and tallied 13 points in the process. In the post-season, he had seven points in five games, including two goals. There were also two awards given out for community involvement. The G.L. Dobson award for female community contribution went to fourth-year women’s volleyball player Erica Naccarato. The D.H. Craighead award for male community contribution went to third-year men’s soccer player Kyle Stewart. The Jim Peffers award, which is given to a staff member with the most dedication to interuniversity sports, was given to Dustin Reid. It was a long and successful year for Reid, as he coached both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams to OUA silver medals. Kristine Yan, a second-year women’s volleyball player, took home the Claude LaJeunesse Award for her combined contributions in academics, athletics and leadership.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
SPORTS
The Ryersonian • 11
Women’s hockey: still a long way to go By Andrew Roberts Ryersonian Staff
Ryerson Rams head coach Lisa Haley knows the talent of female hockey players. She was behind the bench in Sochi when MariePhilip Poulin notched Canada’s gold medal-clinching overtime goal. Her long career has put her in a good position to understand the state of women’s hockey and how the women at the top of the game compare to their male counterparts. “The intelligence, understanding of the game and willingness to be your best is probably the same on both sides,” she said. “When you’re talking about high performance athletes it doesn’t matter what their gender is, they’re very driven.” But she, like many of the Rams athletes she has coached, also knows that opportunities for female players are limited once they finish their university careers. This season, Ryerson’s women’s hockey team finished last in the Ontario University Athletics, but that’s not to say its roster lacks ability. Captain Jessica Hartwick and fellow veterans Melissa Wronzberg and Paulena Jakarsezian hung up their skates this year, after each had joined the team in its inaugural 2011 campaign. Hartwick and Wronzberg may join the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) next season, one of two professional female hockey leagues in North America. “There’s a draft in August and hopefully I get a call from one of the teams the following year and play in either Toronto or Brampton,” Wronzberg said. The CWHL is comprised of five teams and the regular season is 24 games in length. Of course, this is significantly shorter than the standard 82 game NHL cam-
Ryerson women’s hockey coach Lisa Haley talks things over with her team during a timeout.
paign. But the biggest difference between men’s and women’s pro leagues isn’t the length of the schedule. Rather, it’s the low pay or complete lack of a paycheque. Rams skate training specialist Kori Cheverie plays for the CWHL’s Toronto Furies and isn’t fazed by this reality. “Does professional mean you get a paycheque? Or does it mean you start acting professional first and then you get a paycheque after?” she said. Cheverie and her teammates practise twice a week and have two games on the weekend on top of any personal training outside the sport. Combined, games can take between 10 and 16 weekend hours. The players do it all without getting paid. “You’re pretty much trying to juggle two full-time jobs through
Josh Beneteau / Ryersonian Staff
Rams captain Jessica Hartwick.
the run of a week,” Cheverie said. “It’s not happened yet, but we’ve all been working hard in the league to make sure, that down the road, the girls are paid.” Aside from team meals and travel accommodations players are on their own financially. So, should Wronzberg join the CWHL next season, she hopes to land a job in journalism. “One disadvantage of being a girl playing at the pro level is it isn’t your job, it’s something you do because you really love it,” she said. “Girls can’t make a life off just playing hockey.” Still, things are moving in the right direction and on Oct. 11, 2015, the puck was dropped at the first National Women’s Hockey League game. Today, the league is composed of four teams
and is expected to increase in size. Olympians Hilary Knight, Brianna Decker, Molly Engstrom and Meghan Duggan (among others) are each being paid to play in this new league, and each team has a $270,000 salary cap. Players are responsible for negotiating their own contracts and treat the position as a part-time job. Salaries range from $10,000 to $25,000 and each skater has gear provided to them and is eligible for health insurance. While both leagues are professional, the next step is to increase airtime on mainstream media. “There’re tons of amateur female athletes playing high performance sports, but the coverage that they get on mainstream media is four or five per cent,” Haley said.
Josh Beneteau / Ryersonian Staff
Rams forward Sarah McGilvray takes a faceoff.
Courtesy Winston Chow, Ryerson Athletics
Attracting less attention than their male counterparts is something many of the female athletes also encounter while on campus. For example, at Ryerson, the women’s hockey team isn’t promoted as aggressively as the men’s team. There are fewer of the so-called “beer nights,” which means less exposure. “When you see that the boys are having a $4 beer night it’s all over campus,” Hartwick said. “You see it on every sign, so for us it’s a little less promoted.” As far as the game itself is concerned, Haley, who has coached both men and women at the competitive level, says she sees more similarities than differences. One of the biggest differences is that in men’s hockey hitting is encouraged, but because body-checking isn’t allowed for women, it forces them to find other ways to drive the game. Rams forward Emma Rutherford played boys’ hockey until she was 14 and says she had less time and space with the puck. “I found it’s a lot more hitting and less finesse, whereas women focus more on passing and hands,” she said. Rams men’s hockey assistant coach Johnny Duco agrees, and says he values the nature of women’s play. “In the women’s game, because there’s no contact, there’s more bumping and hooking and holding,” he said. “If you do that in the men’s game they seem to call that every time.” People close to the game say that the drive and skill set of female hockey players is never in question, but their lack of exposure is an issue hindering change. Moving forward, if women continue to demonstrate their talents the support will come, and Haley says that makes her excited. “It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female. If you win, then the support happens,” she said. “Hopefully someday we can fill the Mattamy and I hope it’s in my lifetime.”
Fighting cancer as a family
12 • The Ryersonian
VOICES
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Michael Sist talks about the trials and tribulations of growing up with a sick mom.
If you don’t personally know me, you may know someone like me. That someone might have been introduced as the funny one, the one with the incredible jokes or the loud one that you can hear from the opposite side of the room. Or maybe the one that is friends with everyone and can make someone smile with a simple hello. But behind that big smile and loud laugh could be someone like me, a fragile boy who had to grow up much faster than the average 11-year-old kid. When I step off the platform at Lawrence West subway station, I put on my shield. As I make my way to Gould Street, my face of fear and sadness becomes a smile and all of a sudden I become my alter ego. In the confines of my own home, I am simply Michael. I am the middle child of a typical Italian family. I live in the north of the city, in a middle-class immigrant home with two loving parents and two siblings who I would do anything for. Some may question: why I would want to write an article about my life? How interesting can a person be, especially a normal guy like me? But I have a bigger question. What is a life with a mom that you can’t remember ever not being sick? Well, I don’t have the answers, but I have my story. It’s hard to see someone you love experience pain and suffering. But try living with that
Eunice Kim / Ryersonian Staff
Michael Sist on Gould Street at Ryerson University.
person for 10 years. Doctors’ appointments and frequent trips to the emergency room have become a typical Friday night adventure for my household. Let me start in 2006. That’s when my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system and generally develops in the lymph nodes. It is quite confusing and, after 10 years, I am still not quite sure what it is. Recently, the battle has immensely intensified. She has switched from solely battling cancer to now dealing with a deteriorating liver, hernias form-
ing throughout the lower part of her body and fluid buildup throughout her internal organs, which has ultimately ended up in her lungs. But the tragedy doesn’t stop within the flesh of my mother. There are five people that are directly involved in this: my dad, my siblings and myself. From crying in the stalls of my all-boys high school to endless nights spent praying to someone in the higher hemispheres to guide my family onto a path of strength, these past 10 years have been a constant battle. It was hard not being the kid who got pushed on the swing by his mom, or the kid whose mom
Michael Sist / Ryersonian Staff
Michael with his sister Stephanie at a fundraising event.
took him shopping to start the school year with a new wardrobe. Instead, I was the kid who had to be home straight after school to heat up dinner. I was the kid who had to make sure his younger sister finished her math homework and was tucked in bed by nine o’clock. It becomes a new way of life when your part-time job as a cashier at the local grocery store becomes your sanity. It gives me five hours of the day to see different faces and have the ability to laugh and talk about things that don’t relate to doctors’ appointments or chemotherapy. I am that happy guy who laughs and smiles on the outside.
I am the Michael who doesn’t complain or ask for anything in return. But on the inside, I am the Michael who is deteriorating from fear and heartache. I am constantly wondering when the next phone call will be, or when the next family meeting around our basement table will take place, the one where mom will start crying and dad will start his speech by saying, “Well kids, we have some bad news.” Holding her hand while the hairdresser buzzed off clumps of hair after her first chemo treatment and holding her head as she violently vomited in the toilet — these are the memories that bind us together. It has become a social norm within my family to recognize that nothing can break the bond between us. This has allowed me to realize that through struggle, families have the ability to conduct themselves in two very opposite manners. They can act in sadness and neglect each other, causing friction within the family. Or they can bind together and become each other’s support system, using the pain to lean on one another when they need to the most. With every adventure, battle or circumstance, there is always something you can grab onto and keep to further learn from it. I have been able to take this torturous experience and see what a fighter, a believer, compassion and strength looks like, just by looking in the face of someone I get to proudly call my mother.
Michael Sist / Ryersonian Staff
Michael with his mother in the hospital on her last day of chemo.