September 5th, 2022 (Volume 143, Issue 1)

September 5, 2022

THE VARSITY The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

Vol. CXLIII, No. 1

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UTFA petition to restore mask mandate for fall semester surpasses 2,500 signatures UTMSU, SCSU orientation cautious of student safety Lexey Burns Deputy News Editor

As per U of T’s most recent update regarding COVID-19 safety on campus, the fall semester will proceed in a mostly in-person fashion. While students living in residences must be fully vaccinated, with at least one booster shot, the university has suspended its general vaccine and mask requirements since May 1 and July 1, respectively.

In July, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, confirmed that the province had entered a seventh wave of COVID-19 infections. Ontario had lifted its mask mandate the previous month; however, given the rising COVID-19 case count, Moore cautioned that the province might reinstate the mandate in the fall if the health care system becomes too burdened during the seventh wave.

In August, Moore announced that the province’s seventh wave had peaked and that he anticipates a milder fall wave now than he had previously expected.

The University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA), alongside other unions, has been advocating for additional COVID-19 measures since the beginning of the pandemic. In August 2021, the university and the UTFA signed a COVID-19 Letter of Understanding (LOU). The UTFA had drafted the LOU to call on the university to ensure the health and safety of staff and faculty during the pandemic. The LOU outlines expectations of inperson and hybrid work environments agreed on by both sides.

Most recently, the UTFA called on the university to reinstate a mask mandate. The association launched a petition in May that has since garnered over 2,650 signatures.

The petition was launched in collaboration with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3902 (CUPE 3902) — the labour union representing contract academic workers at U of T — and United Steelworkers, Local 1998 — the labour union representing administrative and technical workers at U of T, Victoria College, St. Michael’s College, and U of T Schools.

UTFA concerns In an email to The Varsity, the UTFA expanded on its concerns with the university’s current COVID-19 safety policy.

“To enable in-person activity to proceed as safely as possible, UTFA has continued to press the Administration to reinstate its mask mandate,”

wrote a UTFA representative.

While the UTFA launched the petition in May, it did so with the intention of advocating for the reinstatement of the mask mandate for as long as public health experts recommend. The UTFA wrote, “UTFA’s expert public health advisors have recommended that the mask requirement be extended until it is no longer necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

Furthermore, the association launched the petition in response to faculty members’ concerns about U of T’s pausing of various COVID-19 preventative measures.

The UTFA representative added, “Masks are highly effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19… Given the ongoing seventh wave of COVID-19, [our] public health experts continue to strongly support the extension of masking requirements.”

In an email to The Varsity, CUPE 3902 President Amy Conwell echoed the UTFA’s reasoning: “Maskwearing is an important and necessary measure to prevent the transmission of COVID-19… Maskwearing protects both the mask-wearer and the community from infection.”

The Government of Canada attests to the importance of masks. According to its website on COVID-19 mask use, masks are an effective means of preventing oneself from getting COVID-19 and from spreading COVID-19. It emphasizes mask use in crowded or poorly ventilated settings and in the presence of individuals at a higher risk of illness.

However, Ontario will not be enforcing a mask mandate in public schools this fall.

University response In a written statement to The Varsity, a U of T spokesperson shared U of T’s response to the UTFA’s petition.

In the statement, the U of T spokesperson explained that, while the UTFA never formally presented the petition to university administration, the administration was aware of the petition. The UTFA did, however, issue a public letter in June.

The U of T spokesperson wrote, “The University is in regular contact with various experts and groups throughout the university community on COVID-19 and other concerns.”

The U of T spokesperson did not share any current plans to reinstate the mask mandate, but assured that “the University will continue to monitor public health conditions and guidance and adjust [its] response as needed.”

Additionally, the U of T spokesperson wrote that the university will update the U of T community on any modifications to its COVID-19 safety measures.

Student union concerns In an email to The Varsity, Michael Sobowale, the president of the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU), shared the union’s stance on the university’s COVID-19 safety measures.

Sobowale asserted that the SCSU agrees that “more considerations and more policies should be put in place” to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on U of T campuses.

“In terms of the return to campus, we are still asking the university to put in place more options and safer measures so students can feel safer when they are on campus and not anxious,” wrote Sobowale.

Sobowale elaborated on the SCSU’s COVID-19 safety precautions for its in-person orientation activities. The union plans to provide hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes to attendees and requests that all attendees provide their contact information for COVID-19 contact tracing, should the need arise.

In an email to The Varsity, Maëlis Barre, the president of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU), discussed the union’s ongoing monitoring of public health and safety circumstances. Barre explained that the union, informed by its observation of public health and safety, is prepared to lobby the university to implement “faster and firmer [COVID-19 safety] measures.”

However, Barre believes it is the union’s responsibility to honour the requests of its community: “Through consultations and conversations with our members in the past 6 months, we have been communicated that the student body is in dire need of community building and in-person events… thus we are back to fully in-person or hybrid activities.”

Barre also verified that the UTMSU is not mandating masks at its in-person orientation, but continues to encourage students to employ any methods of protecting themselves that they feel comfortable with, including wearing masks and social distancing.

Western University, Seneca College, and Ontario Tech University are among the postsecondary institutions that will maintain their mask mandates into the fall semester. Western University and Seneca College will also maintain their vaccine requirements.

U of T announces plans for in-person convocation celebrating 2020, 2021 graduates Office of Convocation sent out survey on ceremony planning to graduates Jessie Schwalb Associate News Editor

In early August, the Office of Convocation sent out a survey to alumni from the classes of 2020 and 2021. The survey asked graduates about their interest in having an in-person convocation ceremony, as well as posed questions about timing and keynote speakers.

Updates from the university “The university is aware of the strong desire to celebrate 2020 and 2021 graduates,” wrote a U of T spokesperson about the survey results in a statement to The Varsity.

The U of T spokesperson indicated that the university hopes to fulfill the graduates’ wish for inperson ceremonies. “We continue to plan to welcome back graduates of 2020 and 2021 before the new year, with separate in-person graduation events complete with core ceremonial elements of convocation.”

The U of T spokesperson wrote that alumni from the classes of 2020 and 2021, “can expect to receive more details regarding the celebration via

email in the coming weeks.”

In June, U of T held in-person convocation ceremonies for its 2022 graduating students and plans to hold another round of ceremonies in November, subject to changes in public health recommendations.

Previous cancellations In 2020, U of T cancelled in-person convocation events due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated provincial restrictions on large gatherings.

While the university organized a virtual ceremony, graduating students felt disappointed at having missed out on the customary in-person ceremony.

More than 25,000 individuals signed a petition asking the university to postpone in-person convocation for spring 2020 graduates instead of cancelling ceremonies.

The website of the Office of Convocation explains that it was a “difficult decision” to cancel the 2020 and 2021 convocations, but the provincial and federal government regulations made it difficult to hold the gatherings in compliance with social distancing.

U of T plans to hold in-person graduation ceremonies for 41,000 pandemic graduates.

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Deferring graduation may not have been an option for all students as this option is restricted in some degree programs. Deferring graduation may also have implications for graduate school applications or employment options.

In 2020, the University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU) also released a statement urging the university to “find a future date for safe and accessible convocation ceremonies.” The UTSU added that “the cancellation of convocation ceremonies is not in line with the University’s otherwise flexible and thoughtful approach to a student-facing solution.”

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U of T’s net income increased by 65 per cent during pandemic year Investment income and tuition fees explain increase in surplus revenue Alyanna Denise Chua Varsity Staff

Canadian universities generated “record-high” surplus revenues of $7.3 billion during the 2020–2021 fiscal year, as Statistics Canada revealed in an August 9 report. The report, which looked into 148 Canadian universities’ finances, largely attributed universities’ increased earnings to “all-time high” investment incomes.

According to its financial report, U of T earned a net income of $726 million during the 2020–2021 fiscal year, despite increased expenditures to address public health measures and the shift to online learning, as well as decreased sales of ancillary services.

Considering the Statistic Canada report’s findings and the student experience of online learning, The Varsity broke down U of T’s finances during the 2020–2021 fiscal year.

Investment income and tuition fees The Statistics Canada report highlighted an overall increase in income for Canadian universities. In the 2020–2021 fiscal year, universities saw a 12.8 per cent increase in income, for a total of $46.3 billion.

Additionally, according to the report, the increase in income was accompanied by a 3.8 per cent decrease in expenditures, for a total of $39 billion.

The report credited the substantial rise in surplus revenues made by Canadian universities to increased investment income from real estate and the stock market.

In 2020–2021, these incomes amounted to $5.4 billion, compared to just $44.3 million in 2019–2020 when adjusted for inflation. The annual average of returns on investments over the previous five years was $1.4 billion.

According to Statistics Canada’s report, these large returns on investment coincided with the

stock market’s strong performance during the 2020–2021 fiscal year.

However, the report noted that the largest sources of income for Canadian universities remained provincial funding and tuition fees at $15.1 billion and $13.3 billion, respectively.

In 2020–2021, U of T saw its net income increase to $726 million, a rise of 64.6 per cent from $441 million in 2019–2020.

According to Statistics Canada, U of T’s investment income more than doubled during the first pandemic year, from $178 million in 2019–2020 to $384 million. That investment income makes up almost 10 per cent of U of T’s total revenue.

In an email to The Varsity, a U of T spokesperson wrote that the university allocated this additional investment income to fund student residences, lab and classroom spaces, and faculty hiring, among others.

Aside from higher investment income, Statistics Canada also attributed a substantial proportion of universities’ revenue growth to increased tuition.

In 2020–2021, U of T saw an increase in tuition revenue of 10 per cent to $1.96 billion, a rise from $1.81 billion in 2019–2020. In total, student fees made up around 50 per cent of the university’s revenue. In particular, international tuition fees made up around 40 per cent of total revenue in 2020–2021.

Additional expenses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic During 2020–2021, U of T’s expenses rose by 2.8 per cent, from $3.19 billion in 2019–2020 to $3.27 billion. Some of these expenses can be attributed to the university’s increased spending to implement public health measures and accommodate the shift to online learning.

The U of T spokesperson wrote that — to follow public health guidelines — the university es-

tablished a quarantine program for students; developed UCheck; hired additional health and safety staff; and purchased air filtration systems, additional cleaning and maintenance services, sanitizers, and masks. The university spent $17 million on these measures.

Additionally, the U of T spokesperson wrote that the university moved almost 8,000 courses online in the first few months of the pandemic, for which the university had to hire experts and invest in new services and equipment. The spokesperson did not indicate the exact amount that the university had spent on these additional measures.

Moreover, U of T awarded $6 million in COVID19-related emergency bursaries to students in 2020–2021.

Meanwhile, residence operations, food services, transportation services, and Hart House incurred a total net loss of $48 million in 2020– 2021. In total, U of T’s sales, services, and sundry income decreased by $100 million compared to the prior fiscal year.

Partly because of decreased in-person campus life, U of T’s utility expenses also decreased by $3 million in 2020–2021.

Student experience during the pandemic While the university successfully exploited the stock market’s performance during the start of the pandemic, U of T students encountered financial and technological difficulties throughout the period of online course delivery.

In the 2020–2021 academic year, U of T reduced incidental fees — fees services the university provides for students — for on-campus services. However, the university did not reduce tuition fees.

As U of T began shifting back to in-person course delivery in the 2021–2022 academic year,

Students expressed various frustrations with the university in the online learning environment.

VURJEET MADAN/THEVARSITY

the fees returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Since 2020, students have cited various concerns with the new online learning environment.

With international tuition continually increasing students petitioned to freeze international tuition in 2020. The students explained that they do not have the same resources as domestic students, and that online course delivery was not sufficient to replace the missed in-person experience.

While the Ontario government has frozen domestic tuition every year since 2020, international tuition at U of T increased by an average of 5.3 per cent in the 2020–2021 academic year.

Students have also pointed to a loss of in-person experience, explaining that it is more difficult to engage with professors, remain focused during Zoom classes, and, for international students, to have to navigate different time zones for classes and exams.

Additionally, students have suggested that U of T should have ensured better support and flexibility in the online learning environment, and provided a better balance of asynchronous and synchronous courses.

Still, others have expressed optimism in online course delivery for improving university accessibility, cautioning that a successful online learning system would require additional consideration of the needs of students.

U of T updates its HVAC strategy for the first time in over a year U of T COO shares status of strategy that do reach that target.

While the administration cites its “sector leading ventilation strategy” in its announcement of a fall semester with mostly in-person activities, student unions have criticized the university’s lack of transparency and voiced concerns over the university’s current HVAC strategy.

CHERYL NONG/THEVARSITY

Caroline Bellamy Design Editor

As U of T prepares for a mostly in-person fall semester, the university administration has assured students that it has undertaken various improvements to its ventilation systems.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) warns that, owing to SARS-CoV-2’s transmission via droplets and aerosols, there is additional risk of transmission in enclosed spaces and indoor settings without physical distancing.

Accordingly, prior to a gradual return to in-person activities in fall 2020, the university conducted a comprehensive review of the air circulation and ventilation systems in its buildings. At that time, the university announced that, in accordance with the recommendations by the PHAC, it had upgraded its Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) ventilation filters from MERV-8 to MERV13 — which are able to capture smaller particles, including viruses.

On August 11, the university updated its CO-

VID-19 heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) website for the first time since July 21, 2021. The website includes guidance on COVID-19 preventative measures and the university’s ventilation measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

As part of its HVAC strategy, the university affirms that it will perform regular reviews of its ventilation systems, replace all system filters with MERV-13 filters, and implement air flushing measures every morning.

Additionally, the website provides a link to the list of buildings across all three campuses indicating the type of filtration system that is currently installed in each building. According to this list, 23 buildings at UTSG do not have central mechanical ventilation.

In the most recent update to the HVAC strategy page, the university wrote that supplemental High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters will be added to classrooms that cannot currently reach the target of equivalent six ACH. MERV-13 filters will continue to be the standard in classrooms

From the university In a written statement to The Varsity on July 18, Ron Saporta — U of T’s chief operating officer, property services and sustainability — provided updates on the status of U of T’s HVAC strategy.

“For the safety of students, staff, faculty and visitors, the University is continuing to flush air pre- and post-occupancy for all central ventilation systems on all three campuses,” wrote Saporta.

He added that, currently, the university carries out “at least six air changes per hour [(ACH)]” in every classroom.

Saporta reiterated that the university has replaced all air filtration systems “with either enhanced MERV-13 filters or the highest filter compatible with existing infrastructure.”

Saporta wrote that students can find updated information about U of T’s HVAC strategy on the HVAC strategy page.

Student unions’ concerns In a written statement to The Varsity, University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) President Omar Gharbiyeh discussed the union’s concerns with the long delays in updated information on the university’s HVAC strategy.

Gharbiyeh noted that the UTSU has requested that the university provide students with more freedom to choose the mode of learning in which they would feel most comfortable. For example, he listed options for students to physically distance themselves in class, attend classes virtually, and wear masks during in-person classes.

He wrote that the UTSU will continue to advocate for asynchronous, hybrid, or online learning options as a healthy balance between safety, accessibility, and learning quality.

In an email to The Varsity, University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) President Maëlis Barre discussed the union’s ongoing advocacy for transparency from the university on matters concerning student safety.

She referenced the UTMSU and the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union’s (SCSU) safe return campaign, which was launched in winter 2022. The unions demanded that the university guarantee a safe return to in-person learning; they called for the university to replace the currently installed MERV filters with HEPA filters.

In an email to The Varsity, SCSU President Michael Sobowale similarly emphasized the need for increased accommodations this fall.

Sobowale affirmed that the SCSU has advocated for hybrid learning options, mask stations by classroom entrances, and increased access to rapid tests on campus.

“In pasts [sic] meetings, we have brought forward the concerns about the improvement of the HVAC system, in which we asked the university to upgrade MERV filters to HEPA filters — which health officials have stated are best for trapping airborne viruses,” wrote Sobowale.

Sobowale continued, “[In response, the university claimed that] their current system is higher quality than the minimum standard and better in comparison to the systems being used in other post-secondary institutions.”

According to the American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, HEPA filters are 99.97 per cent efficient at eliminating COVID-19 particles from the air. By comparison, MERV filters are on average 85 per cent efficient at removing COVID-19 particles from the air.

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UTMSU approved 10 per cent increase to WUSC allowance at August board meeting Changes to services hours, ongoing projects also discussed Lexey Burns Deputy News Editor

The UTMSU held its August Board Of Directors (BOD) meeting on August 26. At the meeting, board members approved a 10 per cent increase to the union’s World University Service of Canada (WUSC) levy.

The board members also received updates on the UTMSU’s service hours as well as updates from the executive team on the union’s ongoing projects.

WUSC levy The UTM WUSC levy goes to the WUSC’s Student Refugee Program, which sponsors one refugee annually to come to Canada and study at UTM as a permanent resident.

Suraqa Noor, vice-president university affairs, explained that the allowance is to primarily help

refugee students throughout their transitioning and continue into their day-to-day life.

This has been the first increase to the allowance since 2016.

Noor broke down how the allowance would be spent, explaining that chosen first-year refugee students would be presented with $300 biweekly.

In upper years, students who are already in the program are given a total sum instead of a biweekly payment. Second year students will receive $8,300, increased from $7,500; third year students will receive $6,000 instead of $5,500; and the fourth year students’ total has increased to $2,800 from $2,500.

Noor added that UTM doesn’t currently have a student in third year enrolled in this program, so the money will not be allocated to anyone for the 2022–2023 academic year.

UTMSU service hours Felipe Nagata, executive director, explained that, despite being fully in-person in the fall semester, some of the UTMSU’s services and businesses will not return to their pre-pandemic hours until October.

Since many of the employees of the Blind Duck — the UTMSU’s restaurant — were hired recently and only a few staff members from previous years remain, the UTMSU has decided to have the Blind Duck continue to operate with the reduced summer hours. Nagata said that this would give their new employees the necessary experience to operate at full capacity, as well as some time to adjust.

The new Blind Duck hours will be from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. The new Student Centre hours — which include the printing services, info booth, Duck Stop Convenience, and the UTMSU office — will be from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays.

Executive reports Reagan Roopnarine, vice-president equity, was not present, so President Maëlis Barre presented a report on Roopnarine’s behalf.

Roopnarine has been preparing the student centre for the fall return, as well as planning a summer exam de-stressor for all the students with summer exams. She has also been working on expanding summer bursaries for students.

In her report, Noor explained that the UTMSU has recently begun a new campaign focusing on extending the credit/no credit policy.

The union has released a survey to gather student feedback on the policy. Based on the received feedback, the union will formulate its next steps.

Alistair Kirk, vice-president external, discussed the union’s recent affordable housing advocacy.

The union hosted a town hall on August 23 to facilitate a discussion between students and inform them of tenants’ rights.

Fatima Yakubi, vice-president student life, explained that plans for a Welcome Back Week have been finalized and that the UTMSU will start promoting the event soon.

#DanielsDoBetter2022 campaign responds to nonrenewal of Indigenous leadership position at Daniels Student unions demand more transparency, suggest that faculty has backtracked on commitment to Truth and Reconciliation Syeda Maheen Zulfiqar News Editor

On June 21 — National Indigenous Peoples Day — the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design informed its students that it would not be renewing the First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean position.

On July 21, Daniels announced that the faculty would be replacing the First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean position with the First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group.

In response, the Graduate Architecture, Landscape, and Design Student Union’s (GALDSU) and the Architecture and Visual Studies Students Union (AVSSU) have initiated the #DanielsDoBetter2022 campaign. The unions hold that the faculty is backtracking on its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation by replacing the role of the advisor with that of an advisory group.

The unions are requesting that students sign their letter and stand in solidarity with their campaign. They are demanding that the faculty honour its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and work to improve transparency with students.

Background The faculty had appointed Elder Whabagoon as the inaugural First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean in June 2021.

The appointment addressed recommendation 11 from the Truth and Reconciliation Steering Committee’s final report released in 2017, named Answering the Call Wecheehetowin. This report was drafted in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s report, and outlines recommendations for the university to implement in order to honour its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

Recommendation 11 from the report calls on divisions and faculties to create an Indigenous leadership position that would be responsible for assessing the division’s curriculum and formulating opportunities to increase Indigenous representation.

As the First Peoples Leadership Advisor, Elder Whabagoon was to assess the faculty’s programs and curriculum and advise the dean on incorporating Indigenous perspectives into the faculty’s curriculum.

According to the GALDSU and the AVSSU, Elder Whabagoon has been pivotal to the faculty’s progress in implementing the other recommendations of U of T’s Truth and Reconciliation Steering Committee.

Since Elder Whabagoon’s appointment at Daniels, the faculty has developed the Daniels Mural

The Daniels Building.

AUGUSTINE WONG/THEVARSITY

Project, which creates a space for Indigenous public art. In 2021, she organized various educational projects for Daniels faculty, staff, and students on Orange Shirt Day. Additionally, she helped to develop Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag — a program that provides Indigenous youth with learning opportunities for building green design — and the faculty’s first scholarship for undergraduate Indigenous students.

Student union concerns On the #DanielsDoBetter2022 campaign page, the unions wrote, “The news of terminating the position of First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean has come as a surprise to the DFALD community as the student unions had no knowledge of these changes prior to the release of the statement.”

They continued, “The actions taken by [the faculty] go against the year-long work [Daniels] student groups and unions have put in to increase our faculty’s action with regards to Truth and Reconciliation.”

Specifically, the unions suggest that the nonrenewal of the position means that the faculty is walking back on recommendations from the steering committee’s report. While the unions acknowledge that, by establishing an advisory group, the faculty is following through with recommendation 12 of the report, they do not believe one recommendation should be abandoned in favour of another.

Recommendation 12 calls on divisions and faculties to establish Indigenous advisory councils composed of Indigenous community members.

In an email to The Varsity, the GALDSU and the AVSSU expanded on their concerns.

“We have been told that the position of First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean has been ‘expanded’ into a group of three people,” wrote the unions.

Citing confusion and lack of clarity on the advisory group’s role, the unions explained, “For us students, it made more sense to have a First Peoples Leadership Group at DFALD in addition to the First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean.”

As part of the campaign, the unions listed various questions concerning the advisory group.

The questions focus on how the group will be formed, how members of the group will be compensated, and how much decision-making authority the group will have.

The unions also asked whether Elder Whabagoon had been consulted regarding the nonrenewal of her position as First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean and whether she had been consulted regarding the replacement of the position with the advisory group.

After the campaign letter had been posted on the GALDSU website, the unions received an email from the Office of the Dean. “Calling this email a response to the letter would be too generous as it did not actually respond to anything but instead, went on to restate the information we were already given about this ‘expansion,’ ” wrote the unions.

After receiving the email response from the faculty, the unions did not feel that their questions regarding the advisory group’s role had been answered.

Unions’ demands The GALDSU and AVSSU explained that they had written the campaign letter and formulated

demands with support from Indigenous students in the faculty.

In addition to answers to their questions, the unions demand that all staff at the Office of the Dean be required to complete cultural training.

They stressed that this training must be completed in consultation with Indigenous groups and that it must not be limited to a one-time session.

The unions also demand that the faculty fulfill recommendations eight and 15 of the steering committee’s final report. The recommendations call on the Vice-President Human Resources and Equity’s Office to conduct exit interviews with Indigenous faculty and staff when they leave U of T employment. They also call on the Provost’s Office, in consultation with divisions and faculties, to expand financial support for Elder services.

The unions would like to discuss their questions and demands with the Office of the Dean and the university administration: “Our community is very important to us, and we believe that everyone should have the right to speak out without any fear of retaliation, and [a well-mediated environment] is the kind of space we are hoping to provide for this conversation.”

The university’s response In a statement to The Varsity, a U of T spokesperson wrote, “The role of First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean has not been eliminated, but expanded into a three-member Advisory Group.”

The U of T spokesperson explained that the decision to “evolve the role from a single advisor to a group” was informed by consultations with faculty members and university staff as well as Indigenous experts not affiliated with U of T. About the change, the U of T spokesperson wrote, “The primary intention behind expanding the position into a multi-person advisory group was to diversify and increase the Indigenous perspectives and experiences within the dean’s office and at the Faculty as a whole.”

Explaining that the inaugural role of First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean was only contracted until June 30, the faculty decided to adopt a new process. The spokesperson wrote, “The new process now includes a public open call for members of the [advisory group] and for the Daniels Faculty and members of U of T’s Indigenous community to jointly review the applications.”

With regard to the GALDSU and the AVSSU’s campaign, the U of T spokesperson explained that the Office of the Dean had reached out to the GALDSU’s executive team and initiated a discussion. The U of T spokesperson wrote that the faculty is open to being involved in further dialogue on this “important topic.”

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2022

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UTM welcomes Black-identifying first years with Black Excellence Orientation Event focused on building community, sharing helpful resources Selia Sanchez Associate News Editor

The UTM Centre for Student Engagement held its second ever Black Excellence Orientation on August 18 and 19. The event presented opportunities for students who self identify as Black to strengthen the Black community at UTM and provided information on available resources to attendees.

The orientation adopted a hybrid model in which students were able to engage in both online and in-person events, including talent performances, panel discussions, and a barbeque.

U of T’s anti-Black racism report In an interview with The Varsity, Tomike Babajide — UTM’s community engagement coordinator, access and outreach — discussed how the orientation was planned and its goals. “[The orientation] aligned with the U of T AntiBlack Racism [Task Force] report… to help with the inclusion of students on campus,” Babajide explained.

Published in March 2021, U of T’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force’s final report outlined 56 recommendations to guide the university in combating systemic anti-Black racism. The university accepted all of the recommendations and organized a website to track its progress on implementing them.

As a part of the Students & Curricula recommendations in the final report, the task force suggested that the university create “central and divisional Black student welcome orientation day(s)” in order to increase the rate of Black student representation at U of T.

According to the tracking website, the university has made a total of 61 commitments based on the report’s recommendations, nine of which have been labelled complete.

Connecting clubs Babajide explained that such means of promoting inclusion on campus are very important because “even amongst the Black community, everyone’s experience is different.”

Kayja Edwards, a student staff member, invited multiple student groups, including the Black Student Association, UTM African Student Association, Caribbean Connections, and UTM Black Literature Club, to be a part of the orientation.

Babjide explained that Edwards played “a huge role” in the brainstorming phase of the orientation planning. Edwards met with the involved student groups on a weekly basis and helped execute ideas for the event.

Building community and resources Babajide noted that one of the main goals of the orientation was to help build community for Black-identifying students beginning their studies at UTM. She believes that UTM could support Blackidentifying first-year students’ transition into postsecondary school by fostering connections with Black-identifying staff.

The other main goal of the event was to inform incoming first years of the student resources available to them.

The Centre for Student Engagement created a booklet listing several on-campus resources that may be helpful and relevant for incoming firstyear students. Some of the listed resources in-

The orientation follows through with recommendations from the Anti-Black Racism Task Force report.

COURTESY OF UTM CENTRE FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

clude Degree Explorer, resources provided by academic advisors, accessibility services, and a variety of financial aid services that UTM provides.

The booklet also includes job boards and training opportunities to help Black-identifying incoming students plan their careers.

Additionally, the booklet provides a list of offcampus resources. It highlights internship opportunities offered through the Vector Institute for Black and Recent Grads and the Black Alliance Internship Program, as well as mental health services provided by Black-identifying counsellors in the Greater Toronto Area.

UTSU and ISAN hold conference for international students Event addresses financial burdens, accessibility issues, need for a community-building Beatriz Silva Associate News Editor

On August 20, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) and the International Students Association Network (ISAN) hosted an international students’ conference. The event provided an outlet to discuss problems that are faced by international students at U of T. Speeches from the panel The conference began with a series of speeches from the speakers’ panel.

The first speaker was Alyanna Denise Chua, an international student from the Philippines. In March 2022, Chua published a three-part investigation in The Varsity about struggles faced by international students at U of T. Chua began by discussing why so many international students choose U of T to pursue their postsecondary education. “For many international students, especially those from the Global South like me, attending U of T is an answer when faced with a sense of choicelessness back home — a sense that back home, you won’t be able to reach your full academic and intellectual potential because of home’s weakened education system.”

Chua’s speech focused on U of T’s reliance on international tuition as a source of revenue.

With the provincial government having frozen domestic tuition every year since the 2020–2021 academic year, U of T has increased its reliance on international tuition. Most recently, in March, the Governing Council approved a two per cent increase to international tuition fees.

Chua believes that a solution to this problem

must involve collaboration between U of T administration, student unions, and international students. “U of T’s budget has the lowest proportion of government funding among all Canadian universities, which is partly why U of T has to rely so heavily on international tuition. The public education system is ultimately up to the province, so we can think about collaborating with the unions and U of T admin to lobby the province of Ontario to increase funding [for universities].”

Victoria Liu, UTSU’s vice-president public and university affairs, also addressed this trend. She explained that the UTSU is attempting to lobby the provincial government to increase funding for postsecondary schools instead of going after the university itself.

In her speech, she also addressed the importance of connecting international students, and went over the UTSU’s current and future plans on behalf of international students. Besides tuition, she affirmed that the UTSU is looking into finding more job opportunities for international students and increasing need-based scholarships.

These issues were also addressed by Anna Carneiro and Luise Hellwig, coordinators from the ISAN. To address some of the challenges faced by international students at U of T, the ISAN has created a handbook. The handbook provides information about life in Toronto, managing finances, and job opportunities, as well as guidelines for applying for Canadian immigration.

Discussion with the attendees After the speeches and an hour of break and mix-and-mingle time, the event moved into a discussion involving the hosts of the event and the international students present.

Attendees at the conference.

COURTESY OF THE UTSU

The importance of creating a bigger community of international students was addressed numerous times throughout the event.

Since many international students face difficulties finding community in Canada, and there are many challenges specific to international students, attendees agreed that fostering a connection between these students is very important. In order to unify the international student community, the attendees formulated some ideas for events that can be organized between cultural groups on campus, or even by the ISAN and UTSU. Other topics discussed included tuition and finances as well as accessibility and accommodation issues, such as difficulties getting assistance from the registrar, language barriers, and unhelpful instructors.

UTSU and ISAN’s plans In an interview with The Varsity, Liu reflected on the conference.

She said that the event was important to foster a community between international students and hear their needs directly from them in order to improve advocacy for them. “This year, I want [the] UTSU to be really front-facing. So whenever we do advocacy… suggestions and policies need to come from the students, and really what’s best for the [international student] body.”

She also affirmed that the UTSU has advocated and continues to advocate for international tuition reduction by lobbying the university and the provincial government to increase university funds.

The union will also continue to advocate for

need-based scholarships as well as more job opportunities for students that can help students experiencing financial difficulties. The union also hopes to help international students navigate the process of filing their Permanent Resident application — a status granted to individuals who permanently live in Canada, but do not have citizenship.

Carneiro also expanded on the importance of the event in an interview with The Varsity. She suggested that this conference was not only an opportunity for students to discuss issues that affect them, but also to “create something together.”

She also affirmed that this event was important so that incoming international students continue to reflect on these issues.

Carneiro emphasized that the hardships faced by international students go beyond what was discussed during the conference: “The pressure to perform, the pressure to be more competitive than domestic students, the pressure to live up to the tuition that you pay, the pressure of being an immigrant… I think all of the extra weight on an undergrad student is the main challenging thing.”

Carneiro also shared that the ISAN’s continuity is uncertain, as most members have graduated, but that it ist still looking for a new executive team, and willing to do another conference like this in the future.

Disclosure: Alyanna Denise Chua is currently a member of The Varsity’s staff and was an Associate Features Editor in 2021–2022.

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Tenure or tightropes

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No Precarious Employment group describes U of T labour policies as “intentionally nefarious” Georgia Kelly Varsity Contributor

Contract lecturers and non-tenure-track professors have often faced termination, and the No Precarity campaign, organized by students at OISE’s Social Justice Education (SJE) department, aims to battle this.

The movement fights for the rights of several professors at the SJE, including Vannina Sztainbok, who expected a contract renewal after seven years as a contract professor, but was not granted one.

Sztainbok was terminated after a seven-year career at OISE On April 29, 2021, the SJE informed Vannina Sztainbok that her role as a contract professor at OISE had come to an end. Sztainbok had taught 12 courses at the SJE, three of which she had originally designed, alongside doing service work and supervising seven master’s theses to completion. Sztainbok was in the middle of supervising two master’s theses when her contract was not renewed.

A spokesperson from the No Precarity campaign described Sztainbok as a widely-regarded favourite among SJE students. A number of students immediately protested her departure from the university, but their concerns were abated when SJE stated that Sztainbok might be hired again the year after.

However, in a welcome email to all the SJE students that fall, the department mentioned that Sztainbok “may or may not join us this year.” By then, the department had already decided not to rehire her. By spring 2022, No Precarity says there was no indication that Sztainbok would be rehired for the 2022-2023 academic year.

The No Precarious Employment organization urges that any faculty member who is not on track to tenure may be subject to Sztainbok’s fate. This past March, Sztainbok called out the university’s

policies on part-time employment in a public statement, and a group of SJE students launched the No Precarious Employment campaign. This campaign urges the university to amend its employment policies and to reinstate Sztainbok. It also requests that the university grant her a study leave for her research and a minimum of $10,000 in funding.

As Sztainbok noted, the SJE was just following the rules when it decided not to renew her contract. That in itself, she argues, is the problem: “I realize that my situation is not unique, but systemic… I guess people in my position are supposed to quietly go away, so as not to burn any bridges and avoid missing out on other precarious offers in the future.”

U of T’s nefarious policies hurt part-time and contract lecturers As per the university’s Policy and Procedures on Employment Conditions of Part-time Faculty, faculty members outside the tenure stream “should not expect continuation of the appointment” beyond two years, maximum; their contract may be renewed, but they may also be dismissed by the department without cause.

On the other hand, a part-time member’s contract cannot be renewed beyond six consecutive years unless their department awards them continuing status — in which their contracts extend to four-year terms. As for how faculty might qualify for continuing status, they are “expected to have made achievements in teaching and research/ scholarship during the course of their employment.”

The No Precarity organization argues that these provisions are “intentionally nefarious.” Sztainbok explained in an email to The Varsity that, “despite the fact that my contract was 100 per cent teaching and service, and I was not eligible for grants or course releases, I was implicitly expected to have the same research productivity as faculty who had secure positions and lighter teaching loads. It was

a catch-22. I was even told that I ‘focused too much on teaching.’” In other words, her contracted duties interfered with her ability to qualify for continuing status.

Furthermore, precarity surrounding contract employment can throw a wrench into the study plans of graduate students. “Every year, I had requests for supervision and I had to let students know that, due to my precarious position, I could not guarantee that I would be there the next year,” Sztainbok described.

No Precarity also flags the concerning politics of the university’s dependence on non-tenure faculty, noting that precarious employment disincentivizes academics from engaging in controversial work. Sheryl Nestel, who taught at OISE for 11 consecutive years before her contract was terminated without cause, echoed that concern.

She explained that she had supervised a controversial Master of Arts thesis that was attacked in national media, and her contract was terminated shortly after. “I am not claiming a link between my termination and this event,” she wrote, “but it cannot be ruled out.” The university’s policy does state that faculty can appeal their dismissal if they believe their right to academic freedom is specifically being infringed.

A U of T spokesperson told The Varsity that hiring decisions involve careful consideration of the department’s “academic needs” and “financial sustainability considerations.” They also declined to comment on the specific circumstances of professors’ dismissals, on the basis of privacy concerns.

The campaign To protest the employment conditions of non-tenure track faculty, the No Precarious Employment campaign has developed a blast tool for users to send emails to university representatives. The tool provides a sample message, which argues that Sztainbok made important contributions to her department, and that her dismissal demonstrates the unjustly precarious nature of non-tenure employment. Users have the option to customize the message and send it to a selection of nine university representatives, from U of T President Meric Gertler to SJE Chair Njoki Wane.

The university, including the OISE and SJE departments, has not acknowledged the No Precarious Employment campaign at this time, according to their spokesperson. The email blast tool was used 293 times as of September 3, with the organization’s goal set at 400.

Rotman students can enroll in the ‘Managing in Diverse Economies’ focus starting this fall Building the leaders of tomorrow through global management courses Stephanie Staibano Varsity Contributor

Beginning this fall, Rotman Commerce students across all three specialist programs will be eligible to enroll in a new focus called Managing in Diverse Economies. This is the first focus that zones in on managerial styles across emerging economies in any business school across Canada. It aims to make students more adaptable in an increasingly globalized world, and equip them with the cultural awareness to tackle management styles and challenges in various countries and contexts.

“Companies that are more diverse outperform businesses that aren’t – if a company isn’t diverse, they’re

actually leaving money on the table,” wrote Wes Hall, founder and chairman, Black North Initiative and Kingsdale Advisors, in a press release posted by Rotman Commerce.

Developing the Managing in Diverse Economies focus “The idea for [the Managing in Diverse Economies focus] was from a conversation initiated between the Associate Director, Academic Services and the Director (at the time) for Rotman Commerce,” wrote a Rotman Commerce spokesperson in an email to The Varsity.

The focus was then developed in consultation with faculty from the Rotman School and with Professor Joseph Wong — U of T’s vicepresident, international. The Reach Alliance, select alumni of the Rotman School’s graduate and undergraduate programs, and several departments in the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) were also consulted in the formation of the focus.

“The [Managing in Diverse Economies] focus offers a pathway for Rotman Commerce students to learn about and engage in experiential learning related to business paradigms of management across diverse economies,” wrote the spokesperson.

Managing Across Diverse Economies is a new focus for Rotman students.

The focus SARON NIGUSIE/THEVARSITY

will require students to obtain 2.5 credits across various areas, including either Foundational Knowledge of Economics or Political Economy of Inequality and Development, a capstone course in Managing in Diverse Economies, and an elective that complements the essence of the capstone course. A list of eligible electives can be found on the FAS’s calendar.

Contributing beyond the classroom A key aspect of the focus is the capstone course by the same name, RSM468Y1 — Managing in Diverse Economies, which offers students the unique opportunity to work on a year-long research project. It also includes the possibility of field work in an area of particular interest within African, Caribbean, or Indigenous cultures. This year-long course is designed to allow students to synthesize their learning from the focus and apply their knowledge through an experiential learning project.

An application outlining areas of interest is required to participate in this course.

Through in-class and experiential learning opportunities, the Managing in Diverse Economies focus enables Rotman Commerce stu-

dents to develop a deeper appreciation of the contributions of diverse cultures to the global economy. “[This] will allow for more people to work towards providing these populations with the tools, resources, and support they need to reach their full potential,” says Sarah Wolfe, the director of the Indigenous Innovation Initiative at Grand Challenges, Canada.

“The global economy requires young professionals who are equipped with the learning outcomes of the Rotman Commerce BCom curriculum, and who can navigate the varied approaches to management across the globe,” wrote the Rotman Commerce spokesperson.

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Open Letter: Once again, we’re calling on U of T to address the overdose crisis in Canada The U of T Harm Reduction Collective says we need more than “silence and inaction” Andrea Bowra, Jann Houston, Tenzin Butsang, Harsh Naik Varsity Contributors

August 31 marked the 21st International Overdose Awareness Day. International Overdose Awareness Day serves many purposes, including raising awareness of overdose-related harms, discriminatory drug policies, the ongoing and violent War on Drugs, and the stigma associated with drug use. This day also marks a time to remember, mourn, and celebrate the lives that so many communities have lost to overdose-related deaths.

The settler state of Canada is experiencing an unprecedented overdose crisis exacerbated by an increasingly toxic and unpredictable, unregulated drug supply. The drug crisis in Canada is escalating, yet the University of Toronto remains the only major university in Ontario without overdose response measures in place to prevent and respond to overdoses on and around campus.

This grief and loss is affecting many in Toronto. Preliminary data for 2021 released by the City of Toronto shows that Toronto Paramedic Services attended 6,362 overdose-related calls. This is a 65 per cent increase compared to 2020, and is likely a grave underestimate as it does not include the number of overdoses and overdose-related deaths that paramedic services did not attend.

This same data shows that the highest concentration of overdose-related calls occurred in the downtown core, between Roncesvalles Avenue, Bloor Street, and the Don Valley Parkway — the same borders that host the University of Toronto St. George Campus.

Despite the increasing harm that people who use drugs — including students — are facing, the University of Toronto fails to promote and provide low-barrier harm reduction measures, such as naloxone distribution and overdose prevention training, which are crucial to minimizing the risk of fatal overdose.

We are unaware of any formal curriculum on harm reduction and overdose prevention in U of T’s clinical health programs. Students also do not have easy access to naloxone kits or overdose response training on campus.

With almost 30,000 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in Canada between 2016 and 2021, this silence and inaction by the university is no longer acceptable.

Last year, with the support of 24 other student groups, we wrote an open letter to President Gertler calling for overdose response training, low-barrier access to naloxone kits, and the incorporation of harm-reduction education and overdose response training into the university’s clinical programs. We received no response.

After contacting the Office of the Vice-Provost, we were told that “the decision whether to have Naloxone available on campus has been a topic of much consideration… and we will be in touch to schedule a time to meet.” That was almost a year ago and we have heard nothing since.

Although the Leslie Dan School of Pharmacy is now offering naloxone at their pharmacy, it is only available to individual students and by appointment. There is no coordinated or comprehensive response to reach students on a campus-wide scale.

While the university administration watches this crisis unfold, students continue to seek out

overdose prevention and response training. Beginning in 2019, our student group has hosted online and in-person trainings attended by hundreds of students and we are consistently approached by other groups from a broad range of disciplines to train their members.

University of Toronto students recognize the need for comprehensive overdose prevention and response training, but as a small studentled group, we do not have the capacity to meet the needs of the entire campus community.

That is why, this year, we are expanding our call to action. It is time for faculty to join our calls in demanding the university respond to this devastating overdose crisis. To their professional benefit, University of Toronto faculty receive millions of dollars in funding every year to research, publish, and present on harm reduction, drug use, and social justice. However, faculty voices remain noticeably absent in the harm reduction movement on campus.

To echo the words of Rinaldo Walcott, we need “more action and less sentiment.” We need our faculty to leverage their knowledge, expertise, and positions of power to hold the university accountable for the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs on campus and in our communities.

Once again, we call on University of Toronto students, staff, and especially faculty, to advocate for and implement the following measures immediately: 1. Mandate overdose response training for all first responder staff on campus, including residence staff, emergency first responders, campus police, and campus security; 2. Equip these groups with naloxone kits

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and training resources; Ensure that the Health & Wellness Centre provides easily accessible naloxone kits and regular, recurring overdose response training sessions for students and staff, preferably facilitated by a harm reduction worker; Implement harm reduction education and overdose response training as part of all formal curriculum for clinical programs, including nursing, medicine, pharmacy, public health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and social work.

Signed, University of Toronto Harm Reduction Collective The University of Toronto Harm Reduction Collective, formerly Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) Toronto Chapter, is a grassroots network of students and community members committed to harm reduction, abolition, public health, drug policy reform, and social justice. Through direct action and education, we advocate for the decriminalization and legalization of all drugs, police and prison abolition, decolonization, disability justice, Black, queer, trans, and sex-worker liberation, and other related social justice and health equity issues.

Join us at our fall overdose response training on September 20 from 7 pm to 8 pm for students and on-campus staff. See our Eventbrite for more information and registration. If you have any questions, or would like to get involved, contact us via email uofthrc@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @UofTHRC.

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The UTSU, The Uyghur Genocide, and International Politics A note from the UTSU President on the UTSU’s commitment to solidarity with the globally oppressed Omar Gharbiyeh Varsity Contributor

On Thursday, July 25, the University of Toronto Students’ Union’s (UTSU) Instagram account was hacked. The hacker deleted a statement reaffirming the UTSU’s solidarity with Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims undergoing a genocide in the Uyghur homeland and uploaded a mocking apology in what can only be perceived as an attempt to undermine the organization.

There is no question in our minds that the UTSU was directly targeted for speaking out against the genocide of Uyghur and other Muslims in the Uyghur homeland and the persecution of our Uyghur Muslim peers on campus.

We strongly condemn this hack alongside any other attempts to censor individuals and organizations speaking out in support of the Uyghurs.

Such actions only serve to silence meaningful discourse and intimidate dissenting voices.

By censoring our support for the Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, the hacker has only energized us to continue using our platform to speak out against the ongoing atrocities. The UTSU has a duty to ensure that Uyghur and other Muslim students who are facing harassment and censorship at our university feel welcomed, safe, and acknowledged on campus while their families and relatives are in camps.

We will continue to fight for what is right and we will continue to support our peers on campus who have been persecuted for doing so.

Students’ lives are continuously being im-

pacted by a variety of factors and occurrences around the world. An ongoing genocide of a student’s culture, religion, loved ones, and community is an atrocity that would impact all aspects of that student’s life.

While some people have questioned the relevance of speaking to events occurring across the world, the UTSU has consistently regarded it as our responsibilJESSICA LAM/THEVARSITY ity to advocate for justice globally. We are cognizant of the fact that campuses and student unions have historically been at the forefront of pushing the public discourse constructively — this was the case decades ago, when the South African apartheid was a contentious issue and the UTSU took a stance, and remained the case some months ago with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It is not a responsibility we take lightly nor one we are willing to surrender. To do so would not only be a betrayal of our principles and legacy, but an abandonment of those in our community who are directly impacted by these

tragedies.

The UTSU categorically condemns Islamophobia, antiAsian racism, and Sinophobia in all of their forms. However, it maintains that conflating the Chinese government with Chinese people and students is itself engaging in the bigotry we have condemned here and elsewhere. In criticizing a government, we are not criticizing a people.

Support of the Uyghurs should not be in the same conversation as anti-Asian discrimination or Sinophobia; conflating mention of the Uyghur genocide with anti-Asian racism facilitates a dangerous and problematic assumption that this genocide is supported by and perpetuated by all Chinese people. Both are profoundly important issues that the UTSU has consistently prioritized.

Recognizing this reality alongside that of the ongoing genocide, the UTSU would like to reiterate our unequivocal denouncement of the Chinese government for its actions in the Uyghur homeland alongside any and all actors

who have benefitted from Uyghur slave labour.

The UTSU is in the process of articulating and designing a more fulsome and robust response throughout the coming year, particularly through our equity-related events and programming. The eXpression Against Oppression programming in November will include educational workshops on Uyghur culture. In the winter semester, we are organizing an Asian Alliance Conference going off of the Anti-Asian Racism Alliance Recommendation Report that was recently submitted to U of T’s administration, as well as working with the team that coordinated its efforts.

The UTSU will continue to advocate for, listen to, and learn from Uyghur students and advocates who have been brave enough to voice their needs, while ensuring that we are updated on events taking place and avenues for supporting students. We will continue to stand in solidarity with those who are facing these injustices. We will also continue to condemn acts of Islamophobia, Sinophobia, racism, and violence.

I encourage any students who have felt unsafe speaking out about this issue, or any other, to reach out to the executive committee or myself at president@utsu.ca.

Omar Gharbiyeh is a fifth-year student at St. Michael’s College studying political science, history, and Near and Middle Eastern civilizations. He is the president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) for the 202223 academic year.

The new MPH in Black Health is a good step toward dismantling anti-Black racism in health care Black Canadians need better medical research and access to health care Sherissa Mohammed-Ali Varsity Contributor

The new graduate program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, a Master of Public Health in Black Health, targets the lack of research on Black health and the difficulties that members of the Black community experience in accessing health care.

The political systems that are currently in place were created during a period in which racial discrimination toward Black people was most prevalent. These systems and structures continue to perpetuate racist constructs and contribute to health inequity today.

For example, historically, there has been a lack of Black individuals working in the health care system.

It was not until the mid-19th century that a Canadian doctor who was a part of the Black community was granted a Canadian medical license, and it was not until the mid-twentieth century that Canadian nursing programs admitted Black students.

There is also a lack of knowledge on health and wellness in the Black community that originates from the small number of medical research studies that incorporate Black participants, as well as insufficient research on how certain diseases affect the Black community. The scarce medical research on the Black community is reflected in the quality of medical treatment its members receive. This lack of representation exacerbates medical issues in the Black community because health care practitioners do not fully understand the complexity of Black health concerns.

Ultimately, this inequity prevents members of the Black community from receiving essential medical treatment.

The Master of Public Health graduate program will allow students to understand the influence of discrimination on various aspects of health and how the current health care system fails to address these medical issues.

Graduates of this program will better understand the causes of public health issues in Black communities and the barriers that prevent them from being solved. The skills that graduates gain from this program will allow them to address various aspects of Black health care, ultimately enabling workers in the field to better meet the medical needs of the Black community.

The program seeks to not only inform individuals who will later work in the health care system about the health disparities present in the Black community, but to also consider what steps need to be taken to change this broken system.

The program will also look at how social determinants influence the health care system and negatively affect the Black community’s access to health care. In addition to race, various factors, such as income and education, can affect an individual's access to necessary resources such as health care. In Toronto, many areas of the city are strongly segregated by socioeconomic status, which may lead to unequal funding for social services such as hospitals and health clinics.

However, while the Master of Public Health in Black Health program will help to combat some of the racism present in the health care system, it is only the first step toward eliminating discrimination in Canadian health care. The health care system needs more post-secondary institutions with programs that confront and educate the larger population on how Canada’s history of discrimination is still very much present and can affect important aspects of society such as health care.

Ultimately, we need to acknowledge the Black community’s social and cultural history in order to understand the upstream factors contributing to their health outcomes.

Sherissa Mohammed-Ali is a fourth-year student at St. Michael’s College pursuing a Health and Disease Specialist and Immunology minor.

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2022

Students learn more during the summer than they do in the year Why summer courses promote better learning

Shreya Vanwari Varsity Contributor

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I enrolled in summer courses. I thought the courses would play out to be harder than in the school year, but in my recent experience, I found that the structure and duration of summer courses enhanced my learning and improved my performance on assessments.

Although you learn the same material in summer courses as you do in fall and winter courses, the duration and structure of summer courses vary greatly compared to those in fall and winter. Summer courses typically take place in six-week sessions, whereas fall and winter courses take place over an entire four-month semester.

In any given week during a summer course, you’re focusing on one or two courses at most, as opposed to a fall or winter semester when you’re focusing on around five courses at a time.

Tracking deadlines is easier with two courses.

When juggling deadlines between a number of courses during the fall and winter semesters, it is easier to lose track of some, which can negatively affect your overall grade.

Since the summer course load is lower than during the fall and winter semester, your deadlines between courses are also less likely to coincide during the summer semester. When you’re focusing on many courses, you’re more likely to multitask and switch between tasks because of coinciding deadlines.

Multitasking impairs learning Focusing activates the prefrontal cortex, which is the mind’s motivational system. While you’re focused on one task, the left and right prefrontal cortex work together. However, when you multitask, you’re switching between two sides of the prefrontal cortex.

This switch causes a 40 per cent increase in the

time required to complete the same tasks when you’re multitasking as opposed to doing them individually. When you’re focused, your brain also functions differently on a neural level in that your neural signals become clearer.

In addition, trying to do more than one complex task at a time increases the likelihood of making a mistake. This is because your working memory is a short-term storage system with a limited capacity. Working memory is responsible for reasoning, learning, and decision-making.

Complex tasks drain your cognitive resources and are more taxing on your working memory.

Consequently, your brain is unable to process more than one complex task at a time, which is why you’re more likely to make mistakes while multitasking.

Multitasking also makes you feel more fatigued, because switching between tasks causes your body to consume more glucose. That’s why people tend to feel disoriented after even a small amount

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of multitasking.

Therefore, focusing on one task — as is the case with summer classes — is significantly more efficient than taking on multiple classes and thus multitasking.

Other benefits of summer courses German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted an experiment which revealed that we remember less and less of what we’ve learned as time goes by.

Therefore, it is easier to forget the details of a fall or winter course by the time of the final exam, as the course spans over a longer duration. Thus, retaining information for tests becomes easier during summer courses and you can perform better.

Summer sessions are a good idea for dealing with difficult courses. They give you a chance to solely focus on tackling a tough course and get it out of the way before a regular semester. The summer may also be an opportunity to take classes that are harder to get into during the fall and winter semesters because they are in such high demand.

Summer courses also tend to have smaller classes, so you get more time to interact with professors. This can help improve performance and build connections with them.

However, it is important to consider that summer courses may not be for everyone. For many students, dealing with so much information from one course in a short period of time provesto be more difficult. In addition, it is also important to have some downtime and take a break from studying.

Summer courses are a great idea for students who struggle with balancing many commitments and learn better when concentrating on one subject. They also may work in favour of students who wish to finish their education early, or want to get a difficult course out of the way.

So now that we’re moving into a new school year, I encourage everyone to re-evaluate their schedules and plan ahead so that they can take full advantage of what the summer semester has to offer!

Shreya Vanwari is a third-year psychology student at Woodsworth College. She is a former columnist for the Comment section.

10 THE VARSITY

FEATURES

Six months after the Freedom C

The convoy’s impact on Indigenous Peo Jad El Ghali Varsity Contributor

Content warning: This article mentions the residential school system and describes appropriation of Indigenous cultures.

Months ago, a line of angry truckers sieged Canada’s capital, refusing to leave until all COVID mandates were lifted or the federal government’s resignation was tendered. The group — which labelled itself the ‘Freedom Convoy’ — reached Ottawa on January 28 and stayed there until February 23, attracting more Canadians, who protested in cars and on foot, to demand changes to the government’s pandemic response.

The protest triggered the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act — which authorizes the government to use special temporary measures to ensure safety and security during national emergencies — on February 14. The RCMP froze 206 bank and corporate accounts managing protest funds, and Ottawa police arrested more than 191 protestors.

In the increasingly trying times that have followed since February, Canadians wanted to have confidence in our governments and trust in our democratic systems. However, that isn’t always

“Canadians wanted to have confidence in our governments and trust in our democratic systems” possible. So, how is Canada’s political system looking, six months after the Freedom Convoy?

Relations with Indigenous Peoples The convoy has tried to create an illusion of being in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples by calling attention to two priorities related to them. The first is raising awareness about the impacts of residential schools, which forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families and forbade them from acknowledging Indigenous heritages and cultures, or speaking their language during the system’s operation from 1883 to 1996.

The second is bringing clean water to all Indigenous communities; long term drinking water advisories existed on 29 Indigenous reserves in Canada as of March 22. For more than a decade, advisories on 11 such reserves have remained unresolved.

The convoy has used the phrase “Every Child Matters” in terms of protest against vaccine mandates. They also drew attention to the day of Truth and Reconciliation, both of which aim to reflect on the abuse Indigenous children endured at residential schools.

Some Freedom Convoy participants also appropriated Indigenous drumming, and the convoy called for an Orange Shirt Day to take place during the protest.

Many Indigenous leaders and community members condemned the misappropriation. The Algonquin Nation also released a statement saying that it did not support the Freedom Convoy — which occupied its traditional lands — in any capacity.

Meanwhile, some Indigenous Peoples have criticized authorities for being lenient in punishing the convoy while cracking down hard on Indigenousled dissent. For example, in 2021, the RCMP arrested 890 people for protesting old-growth logging in Fairy Creek. The RCMP were reported to have tackled, dragged, pepper sprayed and torn the clothing of those protesting the logging.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis, the current head of the Catholic Church, visited Canada and delivered an apology on behalf of the individuals within the church who were involved in the Canadian residential school system.

During the visit, the Pope met with Prime Minister Trudeau, during which the prime minister thanked him for acknowledging the truths about the residential school system, and recognizing its harmful legacy.

This discussion was a crucial show of support from the prime minister, as the Canadian government has an ongoing history of Indigenous occupation and oppression. In 2019, the government passed legislation to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is an interpretation of the rights contained within international human rights as they apply particularly to Indigenous Peoples. Still, many Indigenous leaders say that the legislation does not go far enough in protecting their rights.

Economy versus environment As per the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)’s website, the Trudeau government has prioritized combating climate change and has subsequently taken steps to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the federal government faced backlash from climate change advocates for allowing the freedom convoy to continue before dispersing it. During the Freedom Convoy, the trucks idling on the streets of major cities emitted waste from their diesel engines.

Exposure to diesel emissions can lead to health conditions such as asthma and respiratory illnesses. The emissions can also worsen existing heart and lung disease, which can be exacerbated by COVID-19 symptoms. Emissions from the convoy’s engines also contributed to the production of ground level ozone — which damages crops, trees, and vegetation — and produces acid rain.

Previously, the Trudeau government has faced criticism for not taking enough action to combat climate change. Many environmental groups claim that the government’s actions are insufficient to meet the goals set out in the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change, a legally binding international treaty that operates using a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries.

The federal government has also approved several major fossil fuel projects, including expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline. This has been a point of contention for the prime minister, as those fighting for greater climate responsibility have regarded him to be a traitor from his infamous speech at an oil convention, in which he proclaimed that “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and leave them there.” Likewise, others have criticized Trudeau’s climate policy and carbon taxes as “hurting Canada’s most vulnerable” and putting Canada at a disadvantage on the

world stage.

In July, the Trudeau government pledged to reduce emissions from fertilizers by 30 per cent.

It also pledged to meet that goal without implementing a mandatory reduction in nitrogen fertilizer use.

These measures are similar to the policies that the European Union (EU) set in place for all its member countries. Those policies enjoin them to reduce their livestock by 30 per cent to meet EU guidelines to protect the climate and biodiversity.

Some believe that this reduction of emissions will trigger a farmers’ protest, similar to one that happened in the Netherlands in July, during which protesters carried Canadian flags as a symbol linked to the Freedom Convoy. This incident is not isolated — we have witnessed an international mirage of protests, during which participants carried Canadian flags as a symbol linked to the Freedom Convoy.

The plight of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) Less than a year after the 2021 Canadian Federal Elections, conservatives across the country are returning to the polls to cast their ballots for a new party leader. As I assumed in a previous article, the conservative caucus ousted Erin O'Toole, forcing him to step down as CPC leader.

features@thevarsity.ca

Convoy — where are we now?

oples, climate change, and future elections JESSICA LAM/THEVARSITY

protestors. They weren’t scary, violent white supremacists that were trying to overpower the government — at least, not the people I spoke with. Instead, they were genuinely scared about the circumstances that they were living through.

Whether or not we agree with their stance, we can all understand the sensation of fear.

Their fears might be valid. They might also be imagined because of ignorance or too many conspiracy theories. This doesn’t matter; what matters is that their fear is genuine to them. We do not have to believe in their anxiety for it to exist. Alienating them and casting them aside will only push them further away and into the arms of radicalism.

All this to say, while we must not accept those that proudly depict racist and discriminatory beliefs, symbols or flags, we mustn’t group the entire convoy under that image. The problem is that the word ‘freedom’ has been soiled. Farright movements have hijacked the word’s definition into meaning ‘freedom of hate’ instead of freedom of consciousness, religion, and life.

The one element of the Freedom Convoy that I genuinely supported is the participants’ desire to be heard. Whether that desire is true or not, I don’t know — however, it is something I can respect.

As a triple-vaccinated Canadian with a moderate trust in the Canadian government, I respect opposing viewpoints from mine. A democracy fosters debate and communication between opposing views. When issues become taboo and are not socially allowed to be debated, we lose our authority to impose mandates and laws.

As I write this, I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a U of T professor, during which they

“When issues become taboo and are not socially allowed to be debated, we lose our authority to impose mandates and laws”

Unlike smaller parties in government who present the same leaders for multiple elections, the conservatives allow their leader to run for one federal election. If, under that leader, the party fails to win a majority of votes, that leader is expected to resign or be pushed to resign by their caucus.

To me, this logic seems fair; if in their first election, a candidate fails to attract voters from other bases or the undecided block, then it makes no sense for a party to keep running the same ticket in hopes of a better outcome.

This fight is the same one that’s ensued in previous leadership races within the CPC; social conservatism versus other social ideologies. In the first race after Stephen Harper’s resignation, it was Andrew Scheer versus Maxime Bernier, a social conservative versus a libertarian. In the second race, it was Erin O’Toole versus Peter Mackay, in which the Conservatives chose the more socially conservative candidate.

Today, the top runners for the federal CPC leader are Jean Charest and Pierre Poilievre; another moderate conservative and traditional conservative, respectively. Poilievre promised to represent Freedom Convoy participants as their prime minister, while attacking Prime Minister Trudeau for “controlling” Canadians and their right to freedom of speech. Charest, on the

other hand, criticized Poilievre for this, saying that “Laws are not a buffet table… from which you choose what you want. Because what you’re really saying to people is [you’re] above the law.”

Both candidates are beneficial for the CPC; Poilievre will likely unite a fragmented party, bringing in the social conservatives who have previously felt alienated from the party. Charest would present a unique opportunity for the CPC to gain new grounds and possibly give the LPC a run for their money during elections; however, he may risk alienating the CPC’s further right and socially conservative wings.

Either way, the conservatives find themselves in the same boat they were in 2015 and in 2020; whomever they choose in September will be the fourth conservative opponent that Prime Minister Trudeau could face in an election, should he choose to run again.

Freedom convoy or civil disobedience?

There has always been a debate of what constitutes civil disobedience and anarchic behaviour versus resolute and peaceful protesting that ensures democratic governments do not overstep their boundaries into totalitarianism. This debate has resurfaced in the face of mass protests, and people are falling on either side of the aisle.

We’ve seen this debate surface after riots

protesting the G7 and G20 conferences; we’ve seen this debate take place after the Black Lives Matter protests. Now, we’re witnessing it again during the Freedom Convoy, and during the subsequent protests in other parts of the world.

Protests are common and should be present in any democratic state. However, a siege of the capital city lasting more than three weeks is a security violation that should not have been able to take place.

Mainstream media showcased the protesters as being part of a predominantly racist riot. However, earlier this summer, I visited Ottawa and spoke with the few participants of the convoy still standing in front of parliament. Some, who held a colourfully worded flag about Prime Minister Trudeau, told me that they participated in the convoy as a way of asking for the government to listen to them.

When I asked additional participants for their opinion about the reports that the convoy was filled with white supremacists, they denied that the profile represented them and their cause.

Most went on tangents about how they come from multiracial families, while some even showed me their proof of vaccination and declared that they weren’t anti-vaccine, but pro-freedom.

As I walked away from the encounter, I felt that I had gained a new perspective on these

advised me to let others voice their concerns and reveal their ignorance while doing so. If you are confident that you are correct, prove it, don’t censor dissent. If any demographic becomes silenced, then they will grow in numbers. We must not make Freedom Convoy participants martyrs in the fight against misinformation.

In retrospect, the Freedom Convoy was a lens into the state of the Canadian political turmoil that we currently find ourselves in. Whether you support the LPC, CPC, New Democratic Party, Green Party, or the People’s Party of Canada, you can admit that none of the current political parties nor their leaders have successfully gained both the trust and support of Canadians.

So, although the convoy may have been the noise of a loud minority, it’s evident that our last two elections have sounded the horn of democratic stalemate, as they have produced minority governments and low voter turnout rates.

I think this trend is an effect of Canadians becoming so disenfranchised from their political systems that they no longer believe in the country’s electoral process. In my opinion, this isn’t because they don’t trust it, but because they don’t feel represented by any candidate on the ballot. When citizens of democracy refuse to participate in said democracy, or feel that they must vote strategically to avoid the election of a party — instead of electing a leader whom they believe will be beneficial for the country — we must start questioning the health of our democratic state.

Arts & Culture

September 5, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/arts-and-culture arts@thevarsity.ca

A shapeshifting saga My struggles with slut shaming Anonymous Varsity Contributor

When someone asks you to shapeshift, do you do it?

Or have you always been one of those rare few who are so sure of themselves that such commands have absolutely no effect on you?

Personally, I can’t relate. That’s why, as a wee child when I learned what a ‘good girl’ was, I morphed myself into one.

The praise I received for it became everything to me, and I made sure that I was always colouring within the lines, like my mother told me to. I was aware of the way other aunties scoffed at girls who didn’t. I was careful of that fate. Colour within the lines and find your prize. It’s just the way the world works.

Soon enough, though, I found myself in the company of people whose auras were so slick and shiny that any amount of fucks they could possibly give simply slid right off of them. They appeared to be the ‘suspicious characters’ my mother warned me about, but were far from it. What was good and bad according to her simply didn’t fit the reality I was experiencing, so I forgot about her labels.

It felt liberating, in fact, to not give a fuck.

Strange too, to think that the happiness I’d been brought up to chase existed in other places too. Maybe even more so. And as the walls of everything I’d been taught came crumbling down, the shifting began.

I played the role so perfectly, I must say. I stuffed all my shyness under a tight leather skirt and baby pink top. I squeezed myself into fishnets and strapped a garter over my thigh and looked at myself in the mirror, so unlike everything I had ever been before, but so in love with myself. I felt hot. I felt sexy and confident, and for the first time in

my life, my insecurities didn’t rage at me like they used to, when pleasing people was more important than dressing for myself.

“I like this shape,” I thought as I leaned against the mirror and snapped the perfect mirror selfie. “This shape suits me. I am in my bad-bitch, girl-boss era. I am shapeshifting into divinity.”

Well, I was. At least until the deep humbling came and the next thing I knew, my mother was screaming at me. Chaos filled my head as she flashed my own picture back at me.

“What have you become? What’s wrong with you?” She scrunched her face in disgust as though she smelled filth in the air. “You are an extension of the family. Why are you dressing like a whore? I have never seen you look so cheap.”

She told me that I belonged to a good family — that I was now a bad girl. She reminded me that my father has a weak heart. If he were to see me like this, he’d die, and it would be my fault.

And then my brother called me. Have you ever been chastised by someone who’s meant to look up to you? Ever been called a whore by your baby brother? I hope not — it’s not a very nice feeling.

“I know what men think when they look at girls like you,” he said while I sobbed silently on the phone. I was once again reminded that something was wrong with me — that I must shapeshift again, back to virtue, and somewhere far away from the male gaze.

Do not get too caught up in divinity. God is not a woman. I am a whore.

I tried to squeeze myself back in the box I came from. I

tried to find my way to virtue again, lest I lose all my family in pursuit of the abject. God, how could I? And the shame built up in me. It started sleeping with me at night, it lay in my chest, my hips. Stifled my voice.

This must be what it means to be a good woman.

Sarah Ahmed, a prominent feminist philosopher, once said, “Happiness involves a form of orientation: the very hope for happiness means we get directed in specific ways, as happiness is assumed to follow from some life choices and not others.”

But when did I — and when did you — and when did all our sisters and mothers and daughters agree to be responsible for everyone’s happiness but our own?

Ahmed, in her book The Promise of Happiness, said a ‘good woman’ is considered good because “she aligns her happiness with the happiness of others.” She is kind and caring by nature, and it is this virtue that leads to happiness. Conversely, unhappiness and disgrace result from being unvirtuous.

For me, dressing like a ‘slut’ meant discarding everything ‘good’ that I had ever learned. My role as a dutiful daughter meant being the main object of this shared happiness. It was my responsibility to give my parents what they desired. A responsibility that, according to them, went above and beyond any sort of claim that I might have over my own body and the way I decide to decorate it. That, in doing so, I was clearly being bad, unvirtuous, and ignorant of the values my parents instilled in me.

It’s important to look at these signifiers clearly. What signifies a good action and a bad one? How easily do you brand a person as good or bad based on the way they

dress, and what does that say about you?

I am sorry that our bodies have become sites of shame and scrutiny. It is a weight that was never ours to bear, and yet we bear it everyday.

I’m not the first person to get slut shamed, and I’m certainly not the last. If there’s any consolation that I can give to anyone reading this, it is that shape shifting for others is a tedious process. What people think of you is a direct reflection of them and not of you. The happiness that will allegedly come if you follow the path others want? Well, it doesn’t exist.

People all around express their freedom in different ways. My ways of being free, feeling liberated, and dressing might be different from yours, and that is completely valid. No matter what that looks like though, honouring our own personal freedom is the most liberating thing we can do. That begs the question: how do we get there? How do we find ourselves in a world where everyone seizes any chance to invalidate you?

I personally don’t know.

I hear my mother’s voice whenever I wear something I know I ‘shouldn’t,’ and it’s difficult to break out of those barriers. Sometimes I feel that when I look at myself in the mirror, I don’t see myself anymore, but the girl I ought to be — the girl who is thin enough, pretty enough, and modest enough.

I would like to see myself one day, no matter how tired, how bleary-eyed, how puffy, and bloated I may be. I want to see myself and love myself so badly. Without the voices, without the shoulds, naked without the promise of others’ happiness imprinted on my body like a tattoo I never asked for.

Maybe I’ll get there soon. I’ll let you know when I do. Maybe I’ll see you on the other side.

Editor’s note: Due to privacy concerns, this article was published with an anonymous byline.

JENNIFER AYOW/THEVARSITY

thevarsity.ca/section/arts-and-culture

SEPTEMBER 5, 2022

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Hart House Student Music Committee returns with live music Committee seeks to strengthen post-pandemic music community Vivien Zhang Varsity Contributor

In the present day, we enjoy the accessibility of mass-produced art. We navigate through Spotify, playlist after playlist, to create our musical autobiography, our sonic landscapes. These landscapes can be a mosaic of two-tone reggae, K-pop, rap, the doo-wop — whatever rocks your boat. After all, music is not uniform but ubiquitous.

The Hart House Student Music Committee (HHSMC) celebrates this diversity by setting the stage — quite literally — for professional and amateur musicians from the U of T and Toronto communities to participate in special events, like Jazz at Oscars and U of T Idol.

The committee has also announced via its official Instagram page that they will be bringing back fan favourites Open Mic Night and Listening Parties for the 2022–2023 academic year.

The Varsity spoke with HHSMC Student Chair Nicole Fung and Nicholas Leiper, co-editor-in-chief for DEMO Magazine — a student-run publication featuring album reviews, opinion pieces, and interviews — about the return of open mics and listening parties.

These events will help students make the connections they struggled to make during the pandemic. Over the past two years, it has been difficult for the committee to maintain the traction that it had gained. The past co-chairs did their best to foster a vibrant online community where they could collaborate and chat about all things music.

But there is something special about a live show, and intimately, honestly, and socially engaging with music, not as a secondhand story or distanced through a computer screen. Such

a connection must be formed in the then and there.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing our open mics in person, because for me, I didn’t get that experience,” said Fung, who joined the committee last summer, after the COVID-19 pandemic had already struck.

As for what a listening party would look like, Leiper shared his own unique experience as a participant in one. “We got basically a bunch of people in the room just to listen to [Mus-

Returning events Open Mic Nights are live shows where students from all three U of T campuses can sign up and perform a cover or original song. This fall, the committee plans on bringing back the food and decorations that they had to go without during their virtual events last year.

JULIEN BALBONTIN/THEVARSITY

Homesickness: Tips for overcoming your first-year blues

tafa’s] album When Smoke Rises,” Leiper said.

“I don’t know, it was really almost like a meditative experience, being in Hart House with these big chapel ceilings, and then just listening to this haunting music.”

On the horizon The committee also disclosed the launch of two new events it is adding to its catalogue.

Fung revealed that, having heard the demand for a space where students can convene and play music together, the HHSMC is introducing jam sessions. And to highlight Toronto musicians, it is planning local artist spotlights where members of the U of T music scene will perform their open mic and chat with other students at various Toronto locations.

When asked about what the committee aims to accomplish by adding these new events, Fung spoke about providing a stepping stone for people that are getting into music production or are looking to build a support group within the music community. No matter the skill level or genre of music, any student can register as a performer in events like open mic.

“We’re really opposed to the snobby jazz bro mentality… We want to be as explicitly and openly inclusionary as we can be,” Leiper added.

From the DEMO Magazine side of things, he said that they always welcome new contributors.

Students can get involved by reaching out via Instagram, Discord, and, most importantly, by coming out to the HHSMC’s in-person events.

More information is also available on the Hart House site. The committee welcomes all to create melodious discourse with one another and foster a music scene that includes, shelters, cultivates, and flourishes — so dust off your guitars, start squeaking on your clarinets, and get ready to play!

ROSALIND LIANG/THEVARSITY

Reflections of a fourth-year student Catherine Dumé Varsity Contributor

Have you ever felt anxious, scared, or paralyzed for days, weeks, or months, all because you were separated from your loved ones?

Your family?

You stare at the phone, waiting for a text, a call, anything that allows you to acknowledge their existence. But you know about the time difference.

They’re busy with their own lives. The last few calls went unanswered, and the first few were cut short by them heading out.

You know they love you; after all, they are your parents, your guardians. But your lives no longer follow the same rhythm or routines. You get messages early in the morning and calls in the middle of lectures.

You don’t mind. You’ll just return to your dorm room and stare at a fridge full of junk food, the occasional precooked meal from your local supermarket, and your latest kitchen experiment, as you tried to replicate your favourite dish from home. You try to get some sleep, to shake off that feeling that has been gnawing at your stomach. You twist and turn; your bed is a lot tougher than the one you have at home. The place you wish you were right now.

But who can cure an ailment as serious as homesickness?

I am an introvert, so I thought I could handle loneliness. But I didn’t expect to miss my family so much. Some days were bearable, and I was able to do my work. Other days, all I wanted to do was call them. When I couldn’t, I drowned myself in binge watching shows. Yet I managed to survive

the ordeal.

I’m no pre-med student. But after being away from my parents and siblings for two months and living in residence, I’ve compiled a few tips that may numb the pain.

Accept it and keep contact There is nothing worse than living in denial about how you feel. If anything, pretending that you are okay will only lead you down a dark spiral to more isolation. If your roommates or others in your dorm make fun of you for it, ignore them. Moving away from your parents is a hard transition, especially if you are used to living with them and seeing them every day.

After admitting it to yourself, be honest with your family. Let them know that you love and miss them, instead of keeping your feelings under lock and key. You don’t have to be all mushy about it either.

Schedule a call each week to maintain contact, either over the phone, via video calls, or even in person. They are your family, so take the time to hang out with them!

Find distractions You can also distract yourself. It is okay to miss your family, but being apart for a while is also healthy. The best way to do so is to find friends and study buddies, people you can hang out with. If you are an introvert, don’t worry, there are ways to socialize without going to a giant party, like joining a small study group, having a picnic among friends, and visiting museums — the main idea is to find fun pastimes between studying and classes so that you can overcome the loneliness and homesickness.

There are many ways to distract yourself. They include a good book series, a TV show you need to binge, or going to the movies. My sister and I scheduled a time every day to catch up while watching Stranger Things. Sometimes we were in person with a giant bucket of popcorn between us. Other times we were online on Scener, an app similar to Netflix Party.

You can even take the time to explore campus.

After living in residence, I had such an urge to explore Toronto, go places, and try new foods like mochi, Korean hotdogs, and Korean BBQ. Having an agenda each week really helped me adjust to living on my own.

You can also distract yourself by getting lost in productivity — not too much of course, but feeling productive can raise your spirits. Course work is always there for you to do. You can also find other meaningful work opportunities by joining clubs, councils, and organizations.

My roles as the online editor and podcast coordinator of the Innis Herald, a member of three councils, as well as president of the University of Toronto’s Accessibility Awareness Club always keep me busy! I always love a good challenge. The work I do may be rewarding, and it also distracts

me from feeling lonely or homesick. I keep my focus on what is in front of me.

Forging ahead Ultimately, I still have hard days. Living away from home made me realize that I am no longer a kid who is floundering about, wondering what her future may hold. Next year, I will be graduating from U of T, and who knows — I might find a job in another city and will have to live by myself.

While it may be a scary time, I’m not worried, because I know how to cope with homesickness. I have friends and family who I can always reach out to. I also have obligations that will keep me busy.

So the next time you come down with the homesickness bug, remember not to be ashamed, to tell those you miss how you feel, and to find other outlets for your energy.

Catherine Dumé is the president of University of Toronto’s Accessibility Awareness Club as well as the online editor of the Innis Herald Newspaper and the producer of the Innis Herald Podcast. At The Varsity, she mainly writes deep dives on disabilityrelated issues, aiming to spread awareness.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Fashionably sustainable Toronto’s sustainable fashion scene is becoming more accessible before our very eyes Rhea Jerath and Madeline Szabo Varsity Contributors

Toronto’s busy and bustling Queen Street is home to a myriad of eclectic fashion shops, ranging from luxury stores to more affordable shops. As the summer comes to an end, these boutiques are flooded with customers shopping for transitional weather while hoping to find the best deals on essential items.

As a student on a budget, it can be difficult to find cheap deals on decent clothing. It seems that affordable yet fashionable items that are worth buying have become harder and harder to come by.

What’s more, when it comes to shopping sustainably, prices often seem exorbitant, and secondhand clothing of decent quality has become both unaffordable and elusive.

So, what options do students have when they want to shop sustainably while also staying within their budget?

The fashion world as we know it Toronto’s fashion scene is marked by trendy and expensive fashion labels such as Prada, Gucci, and Hermes. For people looking for clothes with similar styles but at an affordable price point, fast fashion stores have been a reliable go-to since the early 2000s. Moreover, buying new clothes that look trendy while compromising on quality has become more and more common with social media and influencer marketing.

Although fast fashion clothing has become an often necessary evil to obtain essential items for low- to middle-income households, it is still important to shop sustainably. The rise in eco-conscious shopping has led to an influx of customers visiting thrift stores, as well as shopping from sustainable, local brands.

Simply walking down Queen Street between

its luxury stores and fast fashion brands, one can find some truly fashionable local clothing boutiques with second-hand clothing, as well as ethically sourced options.

In an interview with The Varsity, Mahro Anfield, owner of popular vintage clothing boutique Mama Loves You, explained that she co-owns the boutique with her mother who sources her products from sellers they have worked with for many years.

“The whole [store] is just the stuff we like, and we definitely try to keep it consistent with things that we would wear and things that we would buy,” said Anfield.

For more sustainable options, individuals with a higher budget can visit local pop-up stores like alder, a sustainable outdoor apparel store that prides itself on its transparency and ethical manufacturing process.

“We have two factories; everything here is actually made in a factory in Indonesia, and then the raincoats are made in a factory in Vietnam. But they’ve all been obviously researched and certified, meaning that their workers have fair pay and fair labour laws,” said Emma Hoffman, the assistant manager of alder’s pop-up store on Queen Street, in an interview with The Varsity.

Stores like alder are not only ethical, local brands within Canada, but also have products for individuals of all body shapes and sizes, and make good quality clothing using recycled fabrics.

Your new trendy boutique or second-hand clothing?

Brands like alder come with a high price that matches their quality material. However, the accessibility of Value Village and similar discount thrift stores also provides city shoppers with the option of buying sustainably for prices that are competitive with larger clothing stores, like Zara.

The art of getting involved Want to make friends? Join a club!

Salma Ragheb Varsity Contributor

Have you ever gotten along with someone in your class but noticed all you talk about is the school work for the class you both take, and wished that you could talk about something else? Join a club!

Clubs help foster friendships that are not predicated on academics. You are there to make friends and meet people with similar interests — people who you might not meet otherwise. Lucky for you, U of T offers many clubs, and The Varsity has taken the time to outline the values and benefits of just a few of them.

Chess Club Founded in 1895, the Hart House Chess Club hosts casual games, internal in-house competitions, lectures, tournaments, workshops, and seminars from chess masters. You can engage with the

When people shop second-hand or sustainably, they lengthen the lifetime of clothing and create less waste. Even if some people in cities are able to afford more expensive vintage pieces from smaller, curated boutiques, discount stores will reach people across the socioeconomic spectrum.

A recent example is Value Village, which opened a boutique store in the heart of Toronto because it saw a need. The Value Village boutique stores differ from your average boutique because they sell only clothing and have a smaller inventory due to space constraints. However, the classic Value Village ethos remains. In an interview with The Varsity, Value Village’s vice president of business development, Jeff Smail, described a lady slapping him on the arm out of excitement at the grand opening of the new store. “It used to take her an hour and a half or so to get to a Value Village store and now she has one within walking distance,” he explained.

events depending on your skill and interest.

If you are interested, start by going to weekly casual chess Fridays in the Hart House Reading Room between 4:00–11:00 pm. It helps to have a basic understanding of how the game works before joining, but if you do not, executive and club members will walk you through it.

For more committed players, there are some national events like the Canadian University Chess Championship in Ottawa in January, and international events like the Ivy League Chess Challenge in November.

To join the club, drop in on Fridays, email hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca, or even check out its Instagram at @hhchessclub Debate Club Others might enjoy the Hart House Debating Club, which offers a space where students can express their opinions, learn to listen to different perspec-

JESSICA LAM/THEVARSITY

Smail added that Value Village’s city-based customers enjoy the appeal of clothing marketed as ‘boutique,’ which makes the shift to sustainable clothing easier and more fun than ever before.

Despite moving to the big city, Value Village has kept its core value — second-hand items at reduced prices — but is now available to even more people. After all, there is no harm in more people participating in an initiative that reduces carbon emissions, reduces what goes to landfills, and offers funky styles too.

In Toronto, we are fortunate to see a world of clothing opportunities splayed out in front of us.

While for some, the ethical option is to turn to expensive and ethically sourced vintage hubs, like Mama Loves You, the same ethical clothing consumption can be achieved through discounted stores like Value Village. The choices are ours, and they’re there for the taking.

The Value Village Boutique at 639 Queen St W. CAROLINE BELLAMY/THEVARSITY

tives, modify their attitudes in discussions, get comfortable with articulating their arguments, and learn to critically question their own beliefs, as well as scientific methods and pop culture.

Members debate topics ranging from global to local issues. Georgia Samuel, the club’s outreach director, wrote that the club has seen debates ranging from “monetary policy to parenting your child to [preferring] single life; international relations crises; [and] whether feminists should reject corporate girl boss narratives.”

The club holds two meetings per week, during which members participate in practice rounds and seminars on debating tactics or global topic prompts. In addition to weekly meetings, students can attend optional weekend tournaments or other outreach events.

If you have more questions or would like to sign up, send an email to harthousedebate@gmail. com, and don’t feel shy to check out their Instagram at @harthousedebate.

Animation and Cartoons Club U of T also offers students a variety of opportunities to tap into their creative side, including The Animation and Cartoons club which aims to get its start and add new members. In a statement to The Varsity, Ahimsa Kodikara, the club’s founder, wrote that its purpose is to initiate themed discussions about “cartoon animation and its impact on pop culture, the animated medium and social rights issues.” This club aims to host two-hour biweekly meetings in Robarts’ screening room or over Discord. The club would discuss Dreamworks Animation films, animated music videos, and specific animators such as James Baxtor and Alberto Meilgo.

The club plans to schedule interviews or events with animators, directors, and producers. To join this club, email uoftoons@gmail.com!

Anime and Manga Club Students can also zero in on their animated interests by joining U of T’s Anime and Manga club.

The clubroom is at 21 Sussex Avenue in room 532, which is open Mondays to Thursdays from

1:00–6:00 pm. This is space for casual drop-ins, but most major events and meetings are announced ahead of time through Instagram and Discord.

In general, the club hosts monthly social events, anime screenings, game nights, origami and cosplay workshops, and movie nights on or off campus in movie theatres, restaurants, karaoke bars, or board game bars. This club provides a great opportunity to build friendships on the basis of common interests. To join the club, email utama.website@gmail.com or follow on Instagram @ut.anime for updates about major events.

Astronomy and Space Exploration Society Last but not the least, the Astronomy and Space Exploration Society is an undergraduate-run community that gives students an opportunity to attend events and panel discussions about space and astronomy.

Its signature event is the annual symposium that usually runs for three days. The 2022 symposium, Stellar Spectacles: Peering into the Cosmos, was about how astronomers study the universe and what tools they use to detect matter or its effects, such as neutrino detectors and gravitational waves. The 17th symposium, titled “Mysteries of the Universe,” involved guest lectures on dark matter, black holes, and dark energy, as well as an astrophotography workshop.

The club also hosts Star Talks, which is a lecture series given by professors or scientists. The most recent Star Talk, “Infrared Eyes on the Universe,” featured David Law, an associate astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. Law spoke about the James Webb Space Telescope, which can operate in infrared wavelengths and is undeterred by dust, allowing us to learn about the first stars.

To get involved, email the society at contact@ ​​ asxsociety.com and follow its Instagram @asx_ uoft for consistent updates.

Whatever your interests are, there’s a club at U of T for you. For a more cohesive directory of the clubs available to you, check the “Groups” section in the Student Organization Portal website.

Science

September 5, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/science science@thevarsity.ca

What magic teaches us about the mind How magicians trick your mind and exploit its weaknesses Sahir Dhalla Varsity Staff

A magician shows you the bottom of a deck of cards, letting you see the queen of hearts. They rub their hand over it, obscuring the card for barely a second. Suddenly, an entirely different card sits there.

How did that card change? Logically, we know it must be sleight of hand. So how does the magician convince you of this so-called magic?

Human perception is incredibly fallible, and this becomes far more noticeable when magicians exploit it for the sake of entertainment. One such example is our limited perception of contrast. That limitation allows magicians to hide dark objects against a dark background, making them virtually invisible to audiences until they are presented with a flourish, as if they appeared out of thin air.

Magicians are also great at providing you with the illusion of free will, even when every choice you make is in their hands. In card magic, for example, magicians may ensure you choose a specific card while letting you believe that it is chosen of your own volition. In order to figure out the trick, your mind will stay alert and will focus on every movement the magician makes once they take your card back — while being completely unaware that the sleight is already done.

Even in cases where the magician does not force cards on you, your prior biases may make tricks much easier for the magician. Researchers from McGill University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the University of British Columbia carried out studies showing that when a magician asked an audience to pick a card, only four cards account for over half of all audience choices.

About a quarter of all participants chose the ace of spades, followed by approximately 14 per cent

VINCENT QUACH/THEVARSITY

that chose the queen of hearts, and around six per cent each that chose the ace and king of hearts.

Magic tricks are often great studies in exploiting and modifying memory. It is surprisingly easy to convince someone they had chosen a specific set of cards when they chose an entirely different one at the start of the trick.

So why does any of this even happen?

One explanation for this phenomenon, which Professor Dirk Bernhardt-Walther explores in his course PSY198 — The Psychology of Magic, is that the brain is always looking for the most efficient way to solve a perceived problem. Neural processing attempts to be a highly optimized task — our brains try to use the least amount of time and energy to make conclusions.

And while this sort of processing has been imperative to our success as a species, it can be a detriment when understanding magic. Magicians use this fact to their advantage, allowing the brain to make quick conclusions and subverting expectations to trick the spectator.

Another possible explanation of this phenomenon could come from the top-down conception of perception and processing. You may be familiar with the bottom-up processing method, where we process sensory information as it comes into our brain. If you show someone a picture, their eyes will look over it, relay that information to the brain, and then the brain will tell you what that picture is.

This processing builds bits of sensory information

into a whole picture.

Intuitively, bottom-up processing seems to make sense, but top-down processing suggests that cognition also drives perception. Your brain relies on experience and knowledge and applies this to sensory information coming in, making you more likely to perceive things that you expect. A popular example of this is viral social media clips where the same audio plays on a loop, but you can hear different words from it, depending on which words you read at the same time.

When you see magic tricks, your brain will already have a prediction of what will happen, and whatever you see will confirm that, even if your prediction is wrong. Unless the magician makes a mistake, they can easily exploit this prediction to carry out various sleights without you noticing anything.

Magic is a performance more than it is scientific sleight of hand, and performances are often what trick us. When I perform close-up magic, I keep talking during the performance, especially when I’m about to carry out a sleight. As soon as I speak to the spectator, they look up away from the cards to make direct eye contact. Even if they do so for just a fraction of a second, that can be enough time to throw off their attention and trick them.

The mechanics of most magic tricks are simple and have been relatively unchanged since their creation — what changes are the mediums and methods through which these tricks are presented.

Learning the mechanisms of these tricks does not ruin the magic at all. Understanding these mechanisms gives us a deeper appreciation of the performative aspects of magic and the incredible mastery it takes to fool large audiences so thoroughly.

Why science?

U of T science students reflect on why they chose their POSt Katerina Isabel Benevides, Safiya Patel, Sky Kapoor Varsity Contributor, Deputy Senior Copy Editor, Science Editor

Katerina Isabel Benevides — Astrophysics, Archaeology, and Mathematics Paulo Coehlo said, “We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity.” Long ago, I had this sentence read to me from the comfort of my bed, looking up at my ceiling covered in glow-in-the-dark stars and a cheap galaxy projector from Walmart.

Upon waking to find the moon in the morning sky, I would always express wanting to go there one day.

I then spent subsequent years of my life striving to become an astronaut, but a part of me felt that decision was rather incomplete. I developed a fascination for history alongside the origins of life on Earth and the cosmological makeup of the universe, and I didn’t want to sacrifice any of my interests.

As an individual, I became more confused, had persistent existential crises, and convinced myself that I had no originality. I was not exactly quick to understand that I did not have to sacrifice Shakespeare for Stephen Hawking.

What on Earth could possibly satiate my longing to be true to myself and my desire to learn while also not overwhelming my agenda with six classes every semester? It took a lot of differentiating between likes and passions to truly find the combination that suited me best. Astronomy and astrophysics were a given, considering my years working at an observatory and performing data analyses on variable stars, but archaeology appealed to the linguist and classicist within me, allowing me to study antiquities and human history. Why not become an astronaut who also studies the science of stars and stone?

Play around with prospective combinations and see what suits you best. Remember, your chosen

field of study does not have to make sense to others if it makes sense to you. Ad astra!

Safiya Patel — Neuroscience, English, and French Science never inspired me; I got through high school biology by memorizing the relevant textbook chapters before a test, and the only remarkable scientific experiences I had were from Scientists in School visits.

Then, I visited a cadaver lab for a kinesiology class and held a human brain in my hands. Something inside me changed. That squishy three-pound lump had been someone’s life force, giving them the ability to read and write, to contemplate and love.

Science became inspiring, amazing.

Yes, I know I sound like a Robin Williams character, but my feelings usually override my logic; I needed to be passionate about a subject to dedicate my whole life to it. I chose neuroscience because I needed to understand how a seemingly unremarkable mass can be the source of all the beauty I find in literature — ­ through the art it inspires, the brain became my connection to science.

Now I have fully adopted the mantle of a science student, but my minors of English and French are not only testaments to my childhood interests; they also remind me of just how magnificent the brain is.

When I get overwhelmed by the technical aspects of synaptic transmission or feel that I cannot commit one more equation to memory, I remember that it was science that allowed me to learn a fourth language, that allowed Robert Frost to write beautiful verse. In a similar manner, my minors also give me an outlet when science gets too hard.

My Program of Study (POSt) combination is the perfect prologue to the career in health care that I aspire toward. Health care involves people, and thus encompasses more than diagnosis and treatment. The emotion — the humanity — that I learn

through literature will prepare me to balance compassion with science.

Art and science inspire each other, and I find inspiration where they intersect.

Sky Kapoor — Physics, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology I dabbled in numerous different POSt combinations before settling on the one I am currently enrolled in.

I never truly felt satisfied with studying just a couple things — I had to know everything and satisfy every curiosity that traversed my brain.

I came to U of T hoping to study neuroscience and computer science, but my inability to grasp even the simplest concepts in CHM136 — Introductory Organic Chemistry snuffed out that dream pretty quickly. Then, I moved towards cognitive science to reconcile this loss, but couldn’t get off the waitlist for COG250 — Introduction to Cognitive Science in time to graduate in four years. At the end of my second year, I decided it would be interesting to try mathematics — I’ve always loved and understood numbers — but MAT235 — Multivariable Calculus destroyed me in a way I didn’t know was possible.

I dabbled in the humanities, too. My electives

Unique POSt combinations open new doors for STEM students SHANNA HUNTER/THEVARSITY

were in political science and Italian. The brief thought of minoring in either of these topics made me giddy, but I was never brave enough to take the plunge.

I found biophysics during my third year, and new doors opened for me — but not all the way. Human biology was the focus of the biophysics specialist, but was not where I wanted to orient my studies.

The physics side of things, however, stole my heart. A huge, fascinating field with endless possibilities seemed perfect for me. Most things can be explained or modeled by physics, making it a field that I can apply anywhere.

I stumbled upon the work of Maydianne Andrade in the second semester of my third year and realized that yes, the field of ecology and evolutionary biology was for me. Animal behaviour is so interesting and varied, and physics can model this behaviour in incredibly insightful ways — for example, brainless animals use physical and mechanical systems instead of neurons in order to move around.

If your interests are multifaceted, it helps to find points where they intersect. And if there aren’t any, make some — you really can do it all.

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THE VARSITY

science@thevarsity.ca

SCIENCE

Should STEM students be required to take ethics courses?

What’s the deal with U of T’s specific ethics requirements?

Andrea Zhao and Sahir Dhalla Design Editor and Varsity Staff Sahir Dhalla: Ethics-specific courses provide unique perspectives

An understanding of ethics is vital when designing experiments that respect the rights and dignity of others. Without studying ethics, we risk experimenting with methods that exploit individuals and use them as simply a means to an end. It has been shown throughout history that a lack of appreciation for ethical guidelines results in violations of human rights. To see a lack of respect for human dignity, we only need to go back a few decades to see programs like the CIA’s MKUltra and more.

A reservation many might have with staying respectful of ethical principles is that it slows down the pursuit of knowledge in favour of arbitrary guidelines that are difficult to implement consistently. However, a better understanding of ethics can be more permissive than restrictive.

Take gene editing and cloning, for example.

Much of the research in this area remained stagnant for decades, because ethical committees relied on “personal philosophy” and “gut feeling” when approving experiments. Better guidelines informed by ethical principles would eliminate these issues, creating well-based systems to guide our research.

Having designated ethics courses that science students must take might seem frustrating, but it is essential. We could explore ethical issues within a science course itself, but there are additional perspectives that philosophy courses explore better.

Ethics as a field has distinct methodologies and perspectives. Students in the sciences must have a basic understanding of this area to inform their future research and evaluate their beliefs. Speaking from experience, courses like PHL275 — Introduction to Ethics allowed me to understand why I held some of the views I did, and allowed me to question my values.

The study of ethics is incredibly vital for science students, now more than ever.

Andrea Zhao: Integrate ethics rather than teaching it separately Ethics requirements for science students at U of T are inconsistent and do not ensure that all students will be educated in ethics during their time as undergraduates. As someone with a double major in immunology and molecular genetics, my personal experience with ethics at U of T has been extremely limited. Surprisingly enough, I am not required to take any ethics courses to complete my degree, despite the fact that many students in my field of study end up working in health care or a related research field, where ethics-related protocols and

When selecting courses, the ethics course requirement may cause confusion for STEM students VURJEET MADAN/THEVARSITY

concerns will be relevant.

After completing half of my degree, I have yet to encounter a prolonged discussion about ethics in any of my courses. This is not to say that any of my instructors have been at fault — the study of ethics is simply not built into the curricula of most science courses. Those required to take ethics courses are expected to learn about the subject in those classes, whilst those taking degrees without the requirement are left to find their own way and may end up graduating without having encoun-

tered ethics at all.

The content of many ethics courses may not be easily applicable to policies and issues within the sciences. A class that fulfills the requirement for some science majors, such as PHL265 — Introduction to Political Philosophy, may be useful to someone taking a degree in social sciences, but is less applicable to STEM students. More specialized courses, like PHL281 — Bioethics, may present more relevant content for students in the life sciences, however.

Additionally, the ethics requirement is often limited to one course, or half a credit, over the course of an entire degree. It can be difficult for students to effectively apply the principles and concepts of ethics they learn in a classroom to their overall studies and future career if they only encounter those issues within the context of a single class over one semester.

That being said, the categorization of ethics and related practices as a course requirement rather than an integrated and lifelong set of considerations may actually diminish the importance of maintaining a good ethos. After graduation, many science students may find themselves working in industry or research. Whether they may be treating a patient or developing a new experiment, they must always do so in as responsible a manner as possible, whilst being wary of potential ethical dilemmas.

By incorporating discussions of ethics in a greater number of science classes and introducing concrete examples of ethical concerns in modern science, students will be more likely to understand the overarching importance of ethical practices in their education and careers. In fact, the study of ethics goes far beyond the classroom; hospitals, laboratories, and research programs taking on undergraduate volunteers and interns should make clear efforts to demonstrate good ethical practices in their day-to-day work to instill conscientious and sustainable habits into their students. Ethics and science go hand in hand, and the two should be taught as such.

Could jamming to nostalgic songs help improve Alzheimer’s symptoms?

A small U of T study suggests potential links between music and brain health Meera Mohindra Varsity Contributor

A recent pilot study from U of T’s Faculty of Music and St. Michael’s Hospital offers insight into how repeatedly listening to music with personal or emotional connotations may increase brain health and function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. The study presents an optimistic outlook for future treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, as current methods provide limited success.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder that typically starts to appear in one’s mid60s. The disease can be classified as one of four stages: preclinical, mild, moderate, and severe. Symptoms vary by person and stage of the disease, but the condition is broadly characterized by memory loss and difficulty in functioning.

A small sample of eight non-musicians and six musicians was recruited for the pilot study and required to listen to an hour of music for three weeks. The music chosen for the study consisted of curated playlists of songs that held a personal significance to the listener — for instance, a song played at their wedding.

Faculty of Music and St. Michael’s Hospital researchers used structural and task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans to assess the differences in participants’ brain function and structures. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess changes in cognitive function and memo-

ry before and after the three week period. fMRI scans showed that when participants were exposed to personally significant music, prominent activity was observed in their prefrontal cortex, suggesting increased engagement with the music.

As per MoCA, participants showed improved memory performance after the music

treatment for three weeks as compared to before. The same test, however, showed that there was no notable improvement in executive function, naming, attention, language, orientation, and total score.

Although previous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of repeated exposure to personally significant music in those with Al-

CHERYL NONG/THEVARSITY

zheimer’s disease, the exact neural changes associated with this improvement remained a mystery — until now. Researchers found notable structural differences after the three weeks of exposure to personally significant music.

In addition, exposure to personally-significant music was shown to activate regions of the brain associated with emotion and cognition.

The researchers also observed significant differences in structural and functional changes observed between non-musicians and musicians. Interestingly, when the group was divided into these two categories, only the non-musicians presented increased memory after the three weeks. Furthermore, less longterm change between musical memory nodes was found in musicians compared to non-musicians, possibly because the former already had a stronger musical memory network. Results also suggest that musicians may experience increased structural change and benefits compared to non-musicians.

The data from this pilot study supports the theory that listening to familiar music may eventually prove to serve as a functional and widely implementable therapy for cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease — and the implications of this study may go even further. It is already known that listening to music yields a variety of benefits, such as higher dopamine levels, improved mood, and decreased anxiety. Studies on cognitive diseases like this one may suggest that we should place more emphasis on music education as a way to safeguard against later-age cognitive decline.

thevarsity.ca/section/science

SEPTEMBER 5, 2022

17

Can you really cure a hangover?

Debunking the decades-old university student conundrum Angad Deol Managing Online Editor

As a new school year begins, you may find yourself in a situation that many students have faced in the past — you wake up with a dry mouth, pounding headache, and immense regret. You gaze around your room, attempting to piece together what happened the night before, desperately searching for a cure for your aches and pains. Some believe in revolting green-juice concoctions, while others opt for a greasy meal, but is there any scientific merit behind these so-called “hangover cures”?

Curing a hangover with more alcohol?

Yes, believe it or not, some people do believe the cure to a hangover is to keep drinking. And yes, it is about as helpful as you would think — in that it’s useless. The “hair of the dog” method prescribes more alcohol as a way to relieve your headache, body tremors, and tiredness. However, there is zero evidence to suggest that this solution works, and despite a mild boost in endorphins — the body’s natural pain killers — the hangover will simply return as you inevitably crash.

are not recommended due to conflicting evidence about their effects on hangovers, such as whether or not they may also be toxic.

A big meal for your big headache This strategy may have some merit behind it, but it is still not a cure per se. A big meal while drinking can slow the absorption of alcohol, which leads some to believe it’s a cure. Foods that are high in protein and fat — such as burgers or hot dogs — can help slow down the digestion of alcohol

term that’s coming up. If you’ve kept up with the theme of this article, though, you’ll surely guess that this method is also a big cup of baloney. Coffee is a diuretic, meaning it makes you urinate more frequently. This can lead to dehydration, which can actually worsen your hangover.

Due to the effects of caffeine — one of the main chemicals in coffee — coffee also bumps up your blood pressure, which can end up making that hangover headache even worse. I guess you’ll have to

Firstly, drink responsibly — I cannot emphasize this enough. This means drinking slowly as the night progresses, as well as getting enough water to remain hydrated — one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage. Dark alcoholic beverages such as tequila, whiskey, and red wine can also cause worse hangovers compared to lighter drinks like vodka, since darker drinks contain more congeners, which are byproducts of alcohol fermentation.

Next, get a good night’s sleep. Seven hours

Tylenol, my beloved Surely Tylenol, a staple of household medicine cabinets, would be useful during a hangover, right? The

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truth is, you shouldn’t even consider this drug in your hungover state. Acetaminophen, the active ingredient of Tylenol, does no good to the body when paired with alcohol. In fact, since both are metabolized in the liver, alcohol can inhibit the metabolism of acetaminophen, leading to the buildup of a toxic byproduct.

So, unfortunately, Tylenol will not save you from your hangover. Even non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as Advil or ibuprofen

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and decrease that ‘tipsy’ feeling. However, this method can also cause an upset stomach, which worsens your hangover overall.

Therefore, even this method — as tasty as it sounds — also comes up short. If you do consider this method, you should eat before and during your night out rather than afterwards, as this allows the alcohol to mix with the food in your stomach to dampen the effects.

A cup of joe, perhaps?

There’s hardly a university student in the world who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee. Many believe it to be the key to escaping your hangover, as well as a key to staying up a bit longer and studying just enough for that big mid-

skip the coffee cure as well.

So, is there any hangover cure? The evidence seems to suggest you’re out of luck. If you’re reading this article while hungover, or in preparation of one tomorrow, there are some tips to make your hangover milder at the very least.

Programming Lessons $15/hr Python C Java JavaScript Machine Learning 416-785-5115 students@cstutoring.com

or more has been shown to be beneficial for university-age students. Lastly, hydrate even after drinking — water and electrolyte beverages like Gatorade or Pedialyte can go a long way toward helping you feel better.

Sports

September 5, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

The battle of the shortstops Blues baseball players vie for one of the team’s most important starting positions Mekhi Quarshie Sports Editor

The men’s Varsity Blues baseball will start their season by playing against Laurentian on September 10. The Varsity Blues baseball team often puts on a show during their games. Their athletes also do much of the hard work behind the scenes, like the grueling practices and drills, the nerve-wracking months of recovering from an injury, and the battle it takes just to get a spot on the starting roster.

The Varsity Blues men’s baseball team is one of the most accomplished sports teams at U of T, and their four championship wins in the last 12 years are a testament to that fact. Last season, they finished 16–0 and beat the McMaster Marauders to claim their sixth Ontario University Athletics title in program history. Through their success, they have been able to attract some of the best athletes in Canada and abroad. However, every athlete knows that the better a team is, the harder it is for someone to get a spot on the starting roster; someone has to keep the bench warm. When it comes to the shortstop position, this year, eight athletes are dying to stay as far away from the bench as possible. The Varsity interviewed U of T men’s baseball Coach Michael Didier on the subject.

“Shortstops are typically viewed as the best athletes in the field,” Didier noted. “You got to have range, you got to have that fast-twitch muscle fibre, [and] you got to have great agility [and] amazing communication.”

In baseball, the shortstops are positioned between the second and third base, and typically run the infield. Last season, Jakob Cellupica acted as the Blues’ de-facto shortstop.

His teammates and coaches call him “Chewy” and he’s held in high esteem by both those groups. Didier in particular sung his praises: “Great athlete, great mind for the game, tons of skill, [and] just an awesome guy.”

Following, in no particular order, is Samuel Castro Rojano — also a second-year player — who didn’t win the position last year but has “come back hungry.” Didier raved over Rojano’s work ethic: “He’s getting stronger every

year and he puts time in at the gym, and he’s just an awesome dude.” Rojano is a versatile all-around player due to his above par hitting ability and athleticism. This versatility is a key asset because it means that he will be able to change positions and still be effective.

Third in line is William Yang. Hailing from BC, Yang has played for the baseball team on the infield for two years. He broke out into the shortstop position in his second year. Didier described Yang as a good hitter who’s working on increasing his power. Yang was the incumbent shortstop for the 2021 season before Cellupica took the spot and, according to Didier, Cellupica’s ascendance “lit a bit of a fire under Will… [it] showed him that he can’t be taking things for granted.”

Spenser Ross from Lawrence University in

From left to right: William Yang, Samuel Castro Rojano, Jake Cellupika, Niko Kekatos.

COURTESY OF VARSITY BLUES MEDIA; JESSICA LAM

Appleton, Wisconsin is another candidate for the shortstop position. Ross has four years of collegiate baseball experience. Last season, he averaged 40 putouts in 37 games, seven doubles, and a .231 batting average. He is touted to be a stalwart shortstop throughout his career, and was honoured on the academic All-Midwest Conference Team over the summer.

The last of the returning players is Niko Kekatos. Hailing from Toronto, the secondyear player played both as an infielder and a shortstop in his first year. Kekatos put up 48 putouts and five assists last year, and had a batting average of .468. Kekatos also previously won the league’s top hitter award and

Toronto will host World Cup games in 2026 The announcement indicates soccer is increasingly popular in Canada Kunal Dadlani Associate Sports Editor

The popularity of soccer has been on the rise recently, especially with the recent achievements of Canada’s national soccer teams. The men’s team will play in Qatar for their first World Cup in 36 years, while the women’s team won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and silver at the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Championship.

However, a big announcement from the spring is further evidence of Canadian soccer’s growing popularity and its trajectory. On June 16, it was confirmed that a combined 10 World Cup games will be played in Toronto and Vancouver in 2026.

Despite fans having known that the United States, Mexico, and Canada would host the 2026 World Cup since 2018, this announcement confirmed that Toronto will host the World Cup games for the first time. While hosting such a big event is exciting, it will have both positive and negative consequences.

The most obvious changes that Torontonians can expect will be evident at the BMO Field, the venue that will host the games. The stadium will have to undergo massive renovations to meet FIFA standards; most notably, it will need to in-

crease its maximum capacity from 27,980 to FIFA’s minimum requirement of 45,000.

The city will also have to organize a 34day FIFA FanFest that fans can participate in throughout the tournament — even when games are not being played in Toronto. As a result, the local economy should experience a significant boom, which may help sustain the recovery of industries that were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is predicted that Toronto should generate $307 million in GDP and 3,300 new jobs through avenues such as

BMO field will be the home of the 2026 World Cup. AMIL DELIC/CC FLICKR

room bookings and job creation.

However, the renovations and increased transit and pollution during the tournament may cause further environmental degradation. FIFA should look to ensure that ecological resources are utilized sustainably, much like they’ve done for the Qatar World cup this year. Another major consequence is that the tournament may help accelerate the growing popularity of the sport itself.

played first base for the team last season.

Aaron Kreithen, Carter Hercun, and Sam Aslanowicz are also potential picks for the shortstop position.

While the competition between shortstops — and within the squad as a whole — is there, so is their sportsmanship. Didier noted that while every player above is gunning for the shortstop position, they are all willing to help the team out in any way they can if they don’t get it.

“Nobody’s too comfortable… if they’re not the guy, they’re going to be rooting for the guy who’s out there,” said Didier. “I think it builds character not to be promised anything, you know, and to work for everything.”

Canadian men’s national team star Jonathan Osorio said in an interview with the Canadian Premier League shortly after the announcement: “I think it’ll be something similar to the World Cup in 1994, and what that did for the sport in the United States… [I]t’ll grow the sport, it’ll unite the people.”

“Canada is full of people from all over the world; it’s full of… immigrants [from] countries that love football, so I think it’s gonna do a lot for the growth of the sport,” said Osorio.

Right now, Canada Soccer estimates that there are over one million registered soccer players in all of Canada, and that soccer is the fastest-growing sport in Canada.

In 2026, 10 nations will play games in Toronto. Having so many teams from around the world all play in Toronto should strengthen the sense of diversity and multiculturalism in Toronto, making the tournament a perfect avenue for more cultural exchange in Canada.

Unlike hockey, which still faces diversity challenges, soccer — along with basketball — is representative of how diverse Canada truly is. While hockey may be Canada’s most beloved sport, perhaps soccer presents a more ideal vision of modern-day Canada. Its growing popularity is a pathway to success for Canada’s increasingly diverse population.

While most fans are understandably excited about Canada’s participation in the upcoming World Cup, the excitement that this announcement started should remain alive even after the tournament ends.

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Is skincare gendered?

The skincare stigma for men and what’s being done about it Alaysha Merali Varsity Contributor

Women predominantly engage in self-care and skin regimens throughout the mainstream culture, which is one of the reasons why the popularization of skincare for men seems unusual in the public eye. If women are able to consistently televise and showcase various products and supplements that make their skin better, why can’t men?

The stigma that surrounds skincare for men comes from the stereotype that displays men as more “manly” in comparison to others. Due to the commonality of this standard, anything that could make men be perceived as more “feminine,” like taking care of your skin, for example, is unfortunately avoided.

The skincare market is continuously diversifying to accommodate men by including more product labelling that specifically appeals to men.

With the constant expansion of skincare directed toward men, a skincare routine like Patrick Bateman’s in American Psycho is becoming more normalized.

Skincare is genderless. Products that work for

women are highly likely to work for men as well.

Although it may seem like there are more skin products branded for women, brands are hoping to draw in men consumers using packaging and marketing that don’t conform to conventional gender norms.

Companies such as The Ordinary market themselves in a genderless way by using neutral colours to package their products. The Ordinary also uses its own staff, rather than models, in its advertising and on social media to display a wide array of diverse individuals.

Milk Makeup, MAC Cosmetics, Tom Ford, and Marc Jacobs, amongst other transitioning companies, are choosing to package and market gender-neutral products that concentrate on particular skin ailments rather than gendered marketing, which segments customers based on popular gender stereotypes.

The use of products such as collagen, sunscreen, vitamin C oils, and cleansers is becoming more normalized for Gen Z men. Retinol is one of the primary ingredients that is being formulated into various conditioning products for men. It has been improved to reduce wrinkles, lighten areas with hyperpigmentation, and smooth out the

skin’s texture.

Social media is becoming an excellent medium for men to demonstrate their skin regimen.

TikTok influencers, who have gathered a strong following, record their personalized routine and enjoy the overwhelming support of their viewers.

Creators such as Noah Beck, Brandon Balfour, and James Welsh have helped to reduce stigma, transforming skincare from a stereotypical

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cultural tradition into an inclusive gender-neutral practice.

Simply put, skincare is just the use of genderneutral products that help treat multiple skin concerns, including acne. So why shouldn’t men be able to openly take care of their skin, to keep it looking healthy, especially during the harsh summer months?

Get caught up to speed with F1 racing The amicable and the hostile of the second half of the F1 season Olivia Kairu Varsity Contributor

The Formula One (F1) circus has returned for its iconic, undulating, second half of the season.

After a three-week hiatus closed off the grueling first half of the 2022 season, factories have returned from their shutdowns and drivers’ feet are back on the throttle, signalling a return to the tarmac.

With 15 of 22 races completed, Max Verstappen has taken the lead in the drivers’ standings with 310 points, while Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez are tied at 102 points for second.

Red Bull charges on while Ferrari claws back Ferrari left the Constructors’ Championship title — which is awarded to teams rather than individual drivers — in the hands of Red Bull after being outclassed by a clinical operation from the Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.

Verstappen, a driver for Red Bull Racing, is poised to clinch his second consecutive Driver’s Championship — a championship award given to the number one driver. Verstappen is at the top of the leaderboard, clearing Leclerc by 109 points. Verstappen’s teammate, Perez, is tied with Leclerc for second place, further adding insult to injury.

This considerable lead raises questions as to whether the championship battle is already over, with Red Bull and Verstappen as its victors.

Multiple setbacks stemming from power unit reliability, front-end grip, and questionable strategy decisions have reduced Ferrari’s campaign for dominance to shambles. Red Bull and Verstappen’s sizable lead is vulnerable because of the slight weaknesses of their car, the RB18.

Red Bull’s overweight car suffers from higher tyre degradation and a lack of instantaneous singular lap speed. Both benefit the Maranellobuilt Ferrari F1-75.

Ferrari driver Leclerc had a lot to say to F1’s news team about the grand scheme of things at the press release in Belgium: “I still believe in the championship of course; it’s going to be a very difficult challenge, but I will believe in it until the very end… I think we will take [the races] one by one as a team. But, for sure, we need to try and maximize every opportunity that we have ahead.”

Mounting questions Mercedes, on the other hand, is making head-

way lately. After being significantly hampered by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile’s technical regulations, George Russell placed second with his teammate, Lewis Hamilton in fourth in the Dutch Grand Prix. Hamilton had a shot to win it all if it weren’t for some internal communications problems.

Porpoising caused a significant lack of pace for the Mercedes W13. According to ESPN, porpoising is what happens when a car moves up and down, “mimicking the movement of a porpoise as it travels through water.” Porpoising has resulted in Mercedes surrendering the Constructors Championship, ending its eight-year streak of winning. The problems have raised questions as to whether Hamilton can win a race this season, having placed first in a grand prix at least once in the last 10 years.

“Of course we’ve been improving,” Hamilton said in an interview with F1. “We’ve had this consistency of the recent races and great progress that the team is making, everyone pulling together and continuing to push. The car is becoming more of a racing car, which is not particularly what it was at the start of the year!

It’s more like a normal racing car in terms of its characteristics so that’s positive.”

High and dry Alpine has proven itself to be a tour de force, topping the midfield and vying for fourth place in the Constructors Cup. But the on-track battle has taken a back seat to the vicious ongoing off-track battle since McLaren decided to part ways with driver Daniel Ricciardo at the end of the season in favor of signing Formula Two Champion Oscar Piastri after Ricciardo struggled to come to grips with the car.

“It’s been a privilege to be a part of the McLaren Racing family for the last two seasons,” said Ricciardo. “Following several months of discussions… [with the McLaren team] we have decided to terminate my contract with the team early and agree to mutually part ways at the end of this season.”

Alpine’s Fernando Alonso threw a spanner in the works after his abrupt decision to leave his seat for a Canadian-owned Aston Martin contract. Piastri soon followed suit, jumping ship from Alpine to McLaren, abandoning the French

outfit as their 2023 driver in favor of a papayaorange seat in one of McLaren’s cars.

The saga has left everyone wondering what exactly is going on at Alpine that has made two drivers leave Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer high and dry.

The rumour mill has been hard at work with word of a possible Ricciardo return to Alpine; however, Mick Schumacher has recently been thrown in the mix as a contender for the Alpine seat from his current occupancy at Haas. Haas is making way for Antonio Giovinazzi to drive in two free practice sessions. The Italian driver’s return to F1 comes after a slow Formula E season. The French driver Pierre Gasly has also been singled out as an option for the highly contested Alpine vacancy, which would make for an all French garage alongside Esteban Ocon.

While the 2023 driver lineup is still up in the air and in discussion, the question looms as to whether or not World Champion Sebastian Vettel, who announced his retirement from the sport, will finish his career off with a top three spot before the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Pris.

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