THE VARSITY
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Vol. CXLV, No. 20 MASTHEAD
Eleanor Yuneun Park editor@thevarsity.ca
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Kaisa Kasekamp creative@thevarsity.ca
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Kyla Cassandra Cortez managingexternal@thevarsity.ca
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Ajeetha Vithiyananthan managinginternal@thevarsity.ca
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Maeve Ellis online@thevarsity.ca
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The Varsity acknowledges that our office is built on the traditional territory of several First Nations, including the Huron-Wendat, the Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit. Journalists have historically harmed Indigenous communities by overlooking their stories, contributing to stereotypes, and telling their stories without their input. Therefore, we make this acknowledgement as a starting point for our responsibility to tell those stories more accurately, critically, and in accordance with the wishes of Indigenous Peoples.
Letter from the Editors: The UTSU presidential election is insulting to students
The 2025 election reveals a larger institutional problem of union-student disconnect
Eleanor Yuneun Park, Ajeetha Vithiyananthan, Kaisa Kasekamp Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Internal, Creative Director
This article was originally published online on February 28.
There is no other newspaper that follows the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) throughout the academic year as closely as The Varsity
And we are severely disappointed.
At 5:00 pm on February 28, voting for the 2025–2026 UTSU elections will officially end. As usual, we’ve covered executive candidates’ platforms by conducting interviews and hosting a candidate debate, and we continue to share election information on our social media.
The UTSU — which represents over 40,000 fulltime undergraduates at UTSG and collected $18.7 million from students in the 2023–2024 school year — has struggled with student engagement for years. But instead of taking steps to help get students involved, the union has conducted this election in ways that discourage students from voting.
Structurally, students have little reason to vote when presented with two presidential candidates who symbolize the very issues contributing to disengagement: a complete lack of vision and broken promises.
The Varsity cannot, in good conscience, encourage you to vote for a lacklustre presidential slate. We need the union to take tangible steps to restore confidence in our election process and present a vision that can rally students.
This election, so far
This year’s UTSU put together an election timeline that seemed almost tailor-made to discourage voting.
The UTSU’s nomination period started on February 12. While its bylaws mandate that the union must notify students of the important election dates at least 14 days before the nomination period begins, the UTSU sent a first email notice only 12 days prior, on January 31.
When asked about this discrepancy, UTSU Chief Returning Officer Kyle Ross wrote in an email to The Varsity, “The minutes from [the Board of Directors] meeting [approving the dates] were posted on the website on January 20… satisfy[ing] the notice requirement… as it was the first time the information was publicly accessible to all members.”
But The Varsity can’t take this into serious consideration. How can information in the union’s meeting minutes, tucked away on its website, be justified as a notice to all students? There is a reason why the UTSU sends out emails to its entire membership: to ensure accessible and efficient delivery of information.
Ross also added in his email that The Varsity had publicly made the elections information available through our reporting on January 27.
Our confusion over this still stands. The union did not choose the most accessible and available option to share information, and it should moreover not rely on The Varsity to disseminate crucial information to students.
The campaigning period ran from February 22–28, immediately following reading week and coinciding with UTSG students’ busy midterm season.
Only six out of 18 UTSU candidates showed up to our debate at the UTSU Students Commons lounge on February 25. Most candidates did not confirm whether they would attend, and some who confirmed never showed up. A few candidates could not attend due to exams. Busy academic schedules notwithstanding, this failure to present themselves to students, even during the election season, does not bode well for their engagement with the student body.
The Student Commons also lacked a debate audience, with the few sitting there being friends of the candidates, current UTSU executives, or The Varsity reporters. Our YouTube livestream had crickets, and very few — two, to be exact — questions came our way through Instagram Live.
But if even the candidates can’t find time during this period, how much can we expect students to engage?
Engaging students shouldn’t be this hard
The UTSU’s lack of engagement with the student population is not new, as evidenced by how few people actually show up to decide who will lead the union.
Barring one exception, UTSU turnout has stayed below 15 per cent since at least 2016. In 2024, voter turnout rates reached a six-year high with a meagre 13.2 per cent, but with the current UTSU’s handling of the election, we expect an even lower number.
This lack of engagement extends beyond election season. Just this year, we saw another example of how the union’s failure to communicate with students can harm us.
In September, the UTSU, which originally offered $100 per a maximum of 15 visits to a mental health care practitioner, began offering standard coverage for fewer sessions per year and a limited Mental Health Support Fund to cover students once their standard coverage expired. Students on Reddit immediately caught wind of this change and raised concerns — four days prior to the union’s first and formal announcement. Soon after, the UTSU reverted back to the original plan.
Many initiatives like the U-Pass also saw little to no progress under the current UTSU executive team. Beyond the meetings that The Varsity attends to report on, we can’t say the UTSU has been in direct and consistent communication with the student press and all of the student body about their initiatives.
These issues go far back, and if left unaddressed at a systemic level, they will continue to impact students long after the executives exit.
Lacklustre candidates
Unfortunately, we don’t have much faith that this next crop of candidates will be vastly better than previous years.
The few students who watched this year’s debate concluded that the presidential candidates were particularly disappointing.
To us, these two candidates reveal two of the union’s worst tendencies: it either significantly underdelivers on its ambitious promises, or makes no promises at all, so it can’t be held accountable for its blunders.
Woodsworth College Students’ Association President Paul Gweon represents this latter problem. His Instagram candidate profile promises that he will bring “actionable proposals” to university officials and “Support students now” — but he makes no mention of what specific policies
he would propose and how he would support students.
Both his opponent and The Varsity questioned him during the debate about how he would carry out his promise to address student mental health and union engagement. But his answers boiled down to what he repeatedly emphasized — “UTSU has millions of dollars that it can spend [on] events.” In an effort to be a “No-nonsense” candidate who can ‘actually’ deliver promises, Gweon fails to provide any concrete promises at all.
While Melani Vevecka offered a more concrete and actionable platform, we realized that what she presented was painfully familiar.
Vevecka rehashed the same ideas that many previous UTSU candidates and executives have run on and left unfulfilled, highlighting the union’s repeated failures. She proposed advocating for a retroactive CR/NCR option for students, similar to the CR/NCR deadline extension that U of T’s student unions have lobbied for since the COVID-19 pandemic. Her other platform pillar was to implement TTC subsidy options for students in financial need, but the union had already been working on a free TTC Pass Program since November 2024 and just began operating it this past week.
These are the only two available presidential candidates. And when one of them is elected, students collectively will have to pay them $38,000 a year to bring recycled, unfulfilled ideas, or more upscale pet therapy sessions and ski trips.
If our student union had spent the previous years — or even just this past year — engaging students better, we might have expected more interesting and qualified candidates and platforms. Instead, we’re presented with two limited options that insult the intellect of the undergraduate student population.
Merely a cycle
We know the issue is bigger than the two candidates. We criticize their platforms not to burden them with the union’s almost 125 years of history, but to urge them to reevaluate their promises to students, since we’ll have to see one of them in the position next year.
To the future executive team: We need the union to make sure that the schedule actually meets students’ needs by either extending the voting period or ensuring that voting days don’t all fall in the depths of midterm season.
Most importantly, the UTSU is in desperate need of big, structural changes to how it communicates with and serves students throughout the year. Any current iteration of the union should be responsible for an effective and transparent knowledge transfer that allows each new year’s executive team to build upon previous portfolios productively, not begin anew. This should mean consistently updated, publicly available documentation of everything going on within the union.
This would be the only way students and student press could keep the union accountable across their four or more years at U of T and the only way candidates can be expected to create platforms that don’t feel rehashed or underwhelming.
If the UTSU can’t make it easier for students and student clubs to get the resources, support, or visibility the union can offer, how different is this institution from the bureaucratic university administration? In what way does it fulfill its
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purposes as a “union” — in every sense of the word?
From the student papers to the student body
On December 18, 1900, students and faculty from all different colleges came to discuss creating a union that would “bring together the men of the various faculties of the University.” This undergraduate union, through a series of name changes, spanning more than a century,
would eventually come to be known as the University of Toronto Students’ Union.
And though its objectives may have changed over those years, we, alongside the other college papers of UTSG, are in need of a union that wholly represents all the students of this campus.
So, our core message is simple.
The Varsity’s 2016 Editorial Board urged students to vote to keep the union with a multimillion dollar budget accountable. But until the union can reevaluate how it can deliver on
concrete promises to the students it serves, we’re not sure if we can say the same with confidence.
The UTSU does not have an official minimum voter turnout percentage that would require a reelection in the absence of it. Nevertheless, opting not to vote in a presidential election sends a message that students are unwilling to adapt to the limited platforms candidates bring. Students do not work for the union’s bureaucratic system, and do not owe their vote to it.
The Breakdown: 2025 UTSU candidates’ debate
A closer look at student campaigns, candidate no-shows
James Bullanoff Deputy News Editor
This article was originally published online on February 26.
On February 25, The Varsity moderated the 2025 University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) candidates’ debate from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm. The debate was moderated by Managing Editor, Internal Ajeetha Vithiyananthan and Graduate Bureau Chief Matthew Molinaro.
Voting for the union’s 2025–2026 executive team is open from February 25 at 9:00 am to February 28 at 5:00 pm. Students can cast their vote online at utoronto.simplyvoting.com by signing in with their UTORid.
Of the 18 candidates running for executive positions, only six attended the debate.
Prior to the debate, only nine confirmed their attendance, including one candidate who attended without confirming. Three of those who confirmed their attendance did not show up.
In case you missed it, here are some of the key moments and questions from the debate.
Vice-president, Public and University Affairs
Of the four Vice-president (VP) Public and University Affairs candidates, only Leli Gardapkhadze attended.
When asked how she would advocate for better transit services and what specific transit initiatives she would implement for students, Gardapkhadze discussed how she would approach government officials and TTC representatives to work and negotiate together. However, she did not mention any specific initiatives she would put forward for students.
To another question on what issues she would focus lobbying efforts on, Gardapkhadze said she would lobby for mandatory academic advising, more study spaces on campus, and ease students expenses through cheaper textbooks. She would also like to advocate for more internship opportunities for students.
When asked about balancing her lobbying efforts between international crises, such as the violence in Gaza and Israel, climate change, and local concerns, Gardapkhadze added she would
do both, but address local issues first. She shared her plans to consult with crises experts for their opinions towards approaching global political and economic problems.
Sonak Saha confirmed with The Varsity that he would attend, but never showed up. In an email to The Varsity, Saha explained that he accidentally missed the debate due to a midterm.
“This was not my intention at all, and I fully take responsibility for not being there to engage with students and share my platform in that setting,” wrote Saha.
Damola Dina and Saffiya Ramhendar-Armogan did not respond to The Varsity’s request to participate.
Vice-President, Professional Faculties
The two VP Professional Faculties (PF) candidates did not attend the debate.
Erica Nguyen, the current VP PF, did not respond to The Varsity’s request to participate and Vivian Nguyen confirmed she would not participate.
Vice-President, Finance & Operations
Of the three VP Finance & Operations candidates, only current VP Elizabeth Shechtman confirmed with The Varsity that she would attend. However, Shechtman never showed and The Varsity was unable to confirm why.
Yağmur Yenilmez and Winston Zhao did not respond to The Varsity’s request to participate.
Vice-President, Equity
Of the three VP Equity candidates, Hala Marouf and Hunar Miglani attended the debate.
When asked how they would consistently communicate with equity-seeking groups on campus and be aware of the unique issues they face, Marouf said she would speak with member groups, associations, and unions to learn from their lived experiences.
“There are as many ways of addressing the problem as there are different students with different circumstances of socioeconomic and cultural factors,” she said.
Miglani believes there hasn’t been enough proactive communication with representatives from different community groups to prevent forms of discrimination. To fix this, she would
hold office hours, drop-in sessions, and informal chats so students can voice their concerns.
She emphasized that the UTSU’s lack of student data collection hinders the union from identifying specific student concerns. Miglani added that she would create a Public Safety Advisory Committee with representatives from different communities to better understand their concerns.
“People will feel more comfortable talking about their issues because they might see a representative that looks like them or faces an issue that is similar to what they’re facing,” she said.
When asked how to manage conflicts between equity-seeking groups, Marouf said she would take a position on the issue and choose what she feels is more “just” to navigate their needs after consulting with the students, while Miglani reiterated her plan to rely on the Public Safety Advisory Committee to understand the issue better and offer resources more effectively.
The candidates then spoke about how their lived experiences as members of equityseeking groups play a role in their equity work, and proposed questions to each other on their platforms.
One student in the audience raised a question regarding how they will meet campaign promises under UTSU’s limited resources.
Marouf assured that she’s an expert in the inner workings of the union and will use this knowledge to achieve her goals, and Miglani said all of her campaign promises are informed by the UTSU’s bylaws and resources available
While Sammy Onikoyi confirmed with The Varsity that she would attend the debate, she never showed up.
In an email to The Varsity, Onikoyi wrote she didn’t attend because of health concerns.
Vice-President, Student Life
Of the four VP Student Life (SL) candidates, only Juan Diego Areiza attended the debate.
When asked about whether and how the club funding model should change, Areiza said he would ensure more transparency in the funding application process while maintaining clear communication as to why a club receives funding or not.
He also believes there are equity concerns within the funding selection process, proposing to focus on an initiative-based funding system for clubs.
When considering events to keep and ones to cut, Areiza supported the union’s Rideshare Program, which he mentioned was previously under the VPS cell portfolio. Areiza said he would adjust or remove the Unity Ball in favour of a “culture fest” to showcase cultural identity and grant awards to students.
When asked about ensuring first- and second-year students a connection to clubs and communities on campus, Areiza mentioned he would make a portal on the MyUtsu.ca website, where clubs can share their events and initiatives.
One student in the audience asked Areiza what his first agenda item would be, if elected. Areiza said he would want to extend orientation, increase its events, bring more cultural identity to it, and use funds to ensure it’s more accessible and safe.
Nehir Arpat and Aliyah Kashkari confirmed that they would not participate in the debate. Sneha Bansal noted in an email to The Varsity that they would not be able to attend the debate due to a work schedule conflict.
President
Presidential candidates Paul Gweon and Melani Vevecka faced off to conclude the debate.
When asked about the union’s role in responding to contentious social issues, Gweon began by quoting the UTSU’s bylaws and stating “I am here to represent all 41,000 U of T undergrad students.”
He mentioned that he will focus on student wellbeing and mental health, adding that, “My job as the UTSU president, the sole spokesperson of the organization, is to make sure that all the UTSU members feel safe. All the UTSU members feel like they belong here.”
Vevecka responded by saying because the UTSU is a student organization, “we need to respect and we need to represent the students.”
She emphasized the importance of fostering respectful conversations over different social issues. “However, I do think that it is also our responsibility to remain neutral as well in order to be inclusive for everybody,” she added.
The next question asked how much they plan to engage in conflict with the university — specifically, whether they plan to work within the university structure or confront it from the outside.
Vevecka began by saying that there needs to be a healthy mix of both holding those in higher academic governance roles responsible, but also “keep[ing] our students involved and always listen[ing] to what they want to say.”
Gweon spoke about his experience attending meetings with a university provost as the president of the Woodsworth College Students’ Association (WCSA), and added that while he respects university officials, “students at U of T are always my priority.”
The candidates were then asked to critique one aspect of the other presidential candidate’s campaign.
Gweon began by saying Vevecka’s campaign has a great vision, but that she lacks student government presidential experience.
In response, Vevecka emphasized her research background for the government of Kosovo, stating that a good leader is not measured by the number of experiences they have, and that leadership is about “knowing how to listen and how to create space for others.”
This Editorial has been signed in support by: The Mike The Trinity Review The Strand The Gargoyle The Trinity Times With files from Jessie Schwalb.
UTSU Presidential candidates Paul Gweon, Melani Vevecka face off on key issues, discuss their platforms. ZEYNEP POYANLI/THE VARSITY
next page.
Vevecka then noted that while Gweon’s campaign focuses on engagement and mental health, he doesn’t have any tangible policies. In response, Gweon mentioned how he wants to plan more events and mental health initiatives — such as pet therapy and exam de-stressor events.
The candidates were then asked personalized questions about their campaigns.
Based on Vevecka’s plan to improve the union’s communication and establish bi-weekly office hours to listen to students’ concerns, she was asked how she would deliver what students are asking for.
In response, Vevecka emphasized the importance of increasing UTSU’s transparency in finances and directing students to the services that it offers. “U of T does not lack engagement,
but it rather lacks a sense of direction within the student body,” she added.
Gweon was asked about how he would carry out his promise to ensure all the elected UTSU executives would keep their campaign promises, especially if he disagrees or finds it impractical.
In response, he first noted that his role isn’t to force his beliefs onto the executive team, but to unify it and collectively work to advocate for students. He also shared an initiative to establish an executive timeline of initiatives.
Vevecka was then asked about the feasibility of her plans — such as introducing a retroactive Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) option, offering a TTC subsidy program for commuter students with financial needs, and creating a system for students to get involved in clubs.
She emphasized the importance of collecting
data on petition surveys and student testimonials to establish retroactive CR/NCR. She broke down a percentage-based model that would holistically identify which students with financial or accessibility needs require a TTC subsidy program, and explained how the club matchmaking system can be created through ML (Meta Language) programming.
Gweon was asked about his critiques on the current union’s transparency and lack of engaging student events, as well as his lack of mention as to what campus issues he plans to address.
In response, Gweon emphasized his focus on inclusivity and accessibility on campus through ensuring there are “no broken student facilities.”
He added that the “UTSU has millions of dollars that it can spend [on] events and initiatives” that
he believes would increase student engagement. The candidates were given another opportunity to ask each other two questions. This was followed by a number of questions from the audience including how to balance hard decisions that may make some students unhappy, what ‘servant leadership’ looks like to the candidates, what they will do differently from UTSU’s “historically over promised and under delivered” events, and a specific question to Gweon about the WCSA’s lack of publicly accessible budgets, audits, and meeting minutes.
The candidates then delivered closing remarks and the debate concluded.
For the full-length debate check out part one and part two on The Varsity’s YouTube account
UTGSU discusses provincial election outreach, reflects on social media engagement Union interviewed provincial candidates on
Matthew Molinaro Graduate Bureau Chief
On February 25, the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) convened for its second Board of Directors (BOD) meeting of the year.
On the agenda was an update from the union’s Communications & Engagement Specialist, bylaw and policy amendments on honoraria, and discussions of the provincial elections.
President’s report
UTGSU President Amir Moghadam discussed the union’s financial support for the York University Graduate Students’ Union (YUGSA). According to Moghadam, the YUGSA is currently in a legal battle against its university for supporting students during York students’ proPalestinian encampment. The UTGSU approved a $5,000 donation to help the YUGSA with its legal fees.
Moghadam also discussed his ongoing work to address food insecurity for graduate students, noting how his work with one “major grocery [corporation]” in the province is expected to result in a 15 per cent grocery discount for Ontario graduate students.
In a November 20 BOD meeting, the union set new terms of affiliation with the Ontario Institute for the Study of Education (OISE)’s Graduate
Students’ Association (GSA) to recognize them as an Affiliated Organization and receive 35 per cent of membership fees.
This month, Moghadam moved a motion to finalize the reintegration of OISE’s GSA as an Affiliated Organization and the disaffiliation of four Departmental Students’ Associations — the Applied Psychology & Human Development Student Association; the Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning Student Association; the Leadership, Higher, and Adult Education Department Students’ Association; and the Social Justice Education Departmental Students’ Association.
The motion ultimately passed.
Communications & engagement update UTGSU Communications & Engagement Specialist Lorena Florea presented her strategies for growing the union’s various social media and outreach platforms.
Since starting the position in October 2024, Florea reported an increase in post impressions — the number of times a post was visible in a user’s feed — on UTGSU’s Instagram, with announcements on financial aid, housing, and food being the most popular. Florea also drew attention to an increase in UTGSU posts being saved and shared.
According to Florea, the weekly email digest also serves as an important marker of UTGSU
housing, post-secondary, transit issues
engagement, as students increasingly ask for their initiatives to be featured, and UTGSU events, such as providing LinkedIn headshots, book up immediately after being advertised. In addition, the digest has also driven students to the UTGSU website, making up 23 per cent of total visits.
Bylaw and policy amendments
The Directors included four bylaws and policies in the agenda for amendment.
In an update to Policy G8: Honoraria and Compensation, which covers director, officers, and caucus chair honorarias, Division Four Director Nicholas Silver motivated to stipulate set weekly hours for executives — 20 for President, 15 for Vice Presidents — and to include language around attendance and hours for Directors, so that they must attend 75 per cent of BOD meetings to qualify for honoraria or “send regrets” if unable to attend.
Silver also motivated the draft of Policy G6: Anti-Oppression, which includes the union’s land acknowledgement and equity statements, to update its equity statement to clarify that union stands against the harassment, doxxing, surveillance, and use of policing to oppose the creation of open and inclusive spaces or as a means of dissuading students from organizing, debating, or practicing any other form of academic freedom.
Director Joscelyn van der Veen also introduced language to modify the official description of the mental health caucus Grad Minds as a caucus rather than a committee in Policy G3.7. The policy defines caucuses as advocating for the representation of UTGSU members by making recommendations to the BOD, while committees work on issues that students face.
All of the amendments carried.
Provincial elections
The UTGSU also discussed outreach for the then-upcoming Ontario elections, where they discussed funding and housing issues with provincial candidates.
Moghadam focused his comments on raising awareness about elections, such as organizing a candidates’ debate for the University— Rosedale riding and putting posters around campus.
As the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives did not respond, the UTGSU decided to interview New Democratic Party candidate and incumbent MPP Jessica Bell and Green Party candidate Ignacio Morell about the housing crisis, post-secondary education, transit, and bike lanes, and how their parties would navigate governing in opposition.
Bell won the seat for the riding, with 46.7 per cent of the votes.
Does U of T prepare students for careers after graduation? Graduating
students and recent graduates reflect on available career resources
Julianne Wisner Varsity Contributor
One of the most daunting aspects of life after graduation is making sure that our education translates into a career. With the working population increasing and job vacancies decreasing in Canada, starting a career in a competitive job market is on top of many students’ minds.
As the academic year comes to an end, The Varsity interviewed graduating and recently graduated students to learn about how U of T prepared them for landing a job after graduation.
Navigating career resources at U of T U of T Arts & Science alumna Taylor Yeung, found that the university provided ample resources for finding careers.
“If you take advantage of the resume building and alumni networking, it would strengthen your chances in obtaining new [career] opportunities,” she wrote in an email to The Varsity. During her time at U of T, career advisors helped her with her résumé, prepare
for interviews, and learn how to gain new skills and find opportunities.
Mikayla Neumann, who graduated in 2024 with a masters in anthropology, also noted that U of T has career support for students, such as the Career & Co-curricular Learning Network (CLNx).
Sabrina Chu, a fourth-year student studying linguistics and environmental studies, also cited CLNx as a helpful resource for students to find job listings, but she believes that improvements should be made.
“I feel like UofT should provide more adequate resources for job searching. For example, it would be helpful if the CLNx portal had an application process affiliated with [U of T] for offcampus jobs rather than only leading to the job application website,” she wrote.
Yeung also mentioned that there is a “gap between knowing that the resource exists at UofT and actively using them as a student.”
Moreover, a lack of awareness about how resources functioned prevented Neumann from using them to their fullest extent.
“I didn’t have much opportunity to use [the resources] because I was a bit confused about
how resources like the CLNx worked. With my job (at the time) and school workload, it seemed a bit overwhelming to figure out major career decisions,” she wrote.
Despite Yeung’s concerns, U of T offers Employer Information Sessions through CLNx that allow students to “gather information about an organization, make connections with recruiters and hiring managers and show that you are genuinely interested in their organization.” Students can also attend academic advising events and workshops to prepare for entering the job market.
On the other hand, Chu stated that her biggest obstacle in the job market “would be finding the exact job I want. Since my [linguistics and environmental studies] majors provide a broad scope for jobs, it’s harder than other majors to pinpoint a specific job that I want to apply for, so that makes the search process longer.”
She added that “Certain departments lack resources for future job opportunities – the Department of Linguistics rarely provides resources for jobs.”
However, Neumann accredited most of her
challenges in the job market to the job market itself.
“I can’t say a lack of resources made it difficult to find work. I believe it’s a bad job market and [it’s] economic/cultural factors that are responsible for making job seeking so difficult.”
The Graduate Survey by Ontario Universities, which surveyed the class of 2020, showed that employment rates for STEM fields, like computer science, and humanities students were roughly the same post-graduation. For example, 93.5 per cent of humanities students and 94.8 per cent of computer science students were employed within two years after graduating.
However, the graduates’ salaries vastly differed. For example, computer science graduates earned $95,957 two years after graduation, while social sciences graduates received a salary of $53,285 after the same period.
“I wish I had taken advantage of UofT’s opportunities more,” she added. “The challenge is how UofT can help students in a job market that has increasingly difficult standards.” Neumann wrote. “It’s an issue that goes beyond the school itself, but … even with UofT’s support, finding work is difficult and is not going to get easier.”
SIMONA AGOSTINO/THE VARSITY
President
SCSU 2025-2026 candidate profiles
President
Hunain Sindhu is running for re-election as SCSU president. Sindhu is a fifth-year environmental geosciences specialist who served as president of the UTSC Muslim Students’ Association for two years. He was also previously the SCSU director of physical and environmental sciences in the 2023-2024 academic school year.
“I have a much better idea than I did last year of what issues our students are currently struggling with, and where SCSU sort of comes in to fill in those gaps, to provide a better and more fulfilling experience for our students,” said Sindhu in his interview.
His main campaign points include creating a Student Needs survey at the beginning of the year where students can shape the campaign priorities of the union. He would also like to form a student-led task force with university faculty and administration to look into policies and investments, and create a formal complaint process for students to voice concerns and feedback with the union.
“We have such a diverse student community at UTSC, I want to ensure that SCSU is programming next year [to] keep these communities in mind, and I want to ensure that there is [enough] programming done for them that makes them feel like they actually belong.”
Vice-President, Operations
Sait Simsek is a fourth-year student studying education, political science, public law, and French. He’s been the president of Amnesty International at UTSC for three years, a student library assistant at Robarts Library, and worked at human rights non-profit Northern Justice Watch as a program development coordinator.
His campaign is centred around three goals: financial support, food insecurity, and operational transparency.
If elected, Simsek wants to invest the union’s money in “ethical endowment funds” and collaborate with the university administration to increase the amount of grants and bursaries for students.
The SCSU currently has a Food Centre that provides students with free groceries from Monday to Friday. However, Simsek hopes to expand the amount and affordability of food options at UTSC by bringing food trucks to campus with student discount deals.
Finally, Simsek would ensure that the SCSU’s operations are transparent by making himself available through appointments with students and updating the union’s website so students can better navigate their services online.
He mentioned hosting town hall meetings at least every month to allow students to voice
Lalise Shifara is the SCSU’s current VP equity and a fifth-year student studying English.
“Now that I have been involved as VP equity for a year, I know the different avenues that have worked in the past and the ones that haven’t,” she said in her interview.
Shifara is also a member of UTSC’s Black Student Engagement Program and has worked for the City of Toronto, delivering programs for children from low-income households.
One of her campaign focuses is creating an SCSU communication line, such as through an app, or introducing SCSU executives’ office hours. She also plans to increase funding for scholarships and bursaries through various U of T offices, such as the Office of Student Experience & Wellbeing. She wants to protect students’ rights to organize on campus and provide avenues to address systemic injustices as well.
Shifara wants to open the Community Care Centre, which she said is “already underway,” but “there’s so much more that can be done.” She mentioned the centre’s establishment during her campaign last year when she ran for VP equity with the IMPACT UTSC slate. The Varsity was unable to verify that the union worked on the center during the past year.
“Students need to be able to see that their community is being represented… by leaders
who are already actively involved on campus,” she said. “I want to make sure that every voice is heard [and] every person is being seen.”
Vice-President, Operations
their demands or concerns with the union.
To further ensure transparency, he hopes to provide the UTSC community with monthly financial reports so students can see how the union allocates their money.
Athisayaa Prabagar is a fourth-year student studying journalism and political science. Prabagar currently works at the Centre for Youth Empowerment and Community Services, a non-profit that she helped establish, where she manages the finances — which includes handling funding applications, overseeing budgets, and preparing financial reports. She also works closely with her team at the non-profit on event marketing.
If elected, Prabagar hopes to ensure affordable and accessible food options, as she believes “food insecurity is a real issue for many students, as well as balancing tuition, rent, and expenses.”
She also wants to make parking more affordable by alleviating commuter students’ costs that can build up to $50 a week. Pragabar noted that many students find parking at UTSC “very expensive” and “very overwhelming.”
Prabagar plans to provide more on-campus job opportunities for students through the SCSU as well.
To ensure that the union is financially transparent, Prabagar says she would work closely with the SCSU’s Finance Committee to “prepare accurate budgets, monitor spending, and ensure we’re making decisions that
benefit students.”
She also wants to present “clear and accessible reports” for students to stay informed and hold the union accountable.
With files from Eleanor Yuneun Park.
James Bullanoff Deputy News Editor
Urooba Shaikh UTSC Bureau Chief
Hunain Sindhu (INSPIRE)
Lalise Shifara (RISE)
Selia Sanchez News Editor
Sait Simsek (INSPIRE)
Athisayaa Prabagar (RISE)
Selia Sanchez News Editor
Vice-President, Academics and University Affairs
Heba Reeyaz (INSPIRE)
Heba Reeyaz is a fifth-year student studying psychology, neuroscience, and applied science.
Reeyaz worked as a study skills peer coach at the Academic Advising & Career Centre before working as a coordinator at UTSC’s Academic Support Centre (ASC). Currently pursuing a thesis on student goal-achievement while serving as a Co-President at the Psychology and Neuroscience Departmental Students’ Association (PMDA), Reeyaz feels that she can tie her experiences together for the VP AUA position to help students move forward with “a chest full of pride” to be at UTSC.
Reeyaz’s platform includes developing the Community Care Centre at the Student Center to increase accessibility to mental and healthcare support. She also seeks to actualize the extension of the Credit/No Credit (CR/NR) deadline, and to further implement a
second-attempt policy for a failed credit, or to increase the current CR/NCR limit from 1.0 to 2.0 credits.
Reeyaz hopes to revitalize the ASC at UTSC by implementing bookable interview and study spaces and updating the existing exam archive.
Vice-President, Academics and University Affairs
Maya Khan (RISE)
Maya Khan is a fourth-year student studying human biology and psychology. Khan works in the Academic Advising & Career Centre at UTSC as an employment peer coach for students and is also a co-president of the Tamil Students’ Union.
“I feel like improving certain policies where it… gears towards improving your final overall GPA is always something that students want,” said Khan.
Her main campaign points include introducing a new policy that would allow students to exclude up to 1.0 credit from their transcripts and reconstructing the SCSU Academic Support Centre through new initiatives and events. She also plans on improving the current CR/NCR policy, extending the request deadline to after final marks are posted, and increasing the credit limit from 2.0 to 3.0 credits — including program-required courses.
“I don’t think it’s fair on students if they don’t maybe perform that well in first and second year, but they’ve gained that knowledge and… discipline to perform better in their upper years,” said Khan. “I feel like a lot of the policies and aspects that I do want to take care of is giving students a second chance to… redeem themselves.”
Ayesha Ashraf is a fourth-year psychology and sociology student. She is campaigning on transit affordability, housing conditions, and increasing students’ political engagement.
Ashraf serves as the director of sociology on the SCSU board, where she works directly with students facing academic and financial barriers. As the advocacy director of the UTSC Muslim Students’ Association, she has experience in bringing student concerns to university administration and pushing for change.
One of her main priorities is securing an affordable GTA-wide U-Pass by collaborating with student and labour unions. She also aims to improve on- and off-campus housing by advocating for renovations in UTSC’s residences and creating a vetted off-campus housing repository to protect students from exploitative landlords.
Fawzia Elhag is a fifth-year political science and psychology student. Elheg has experience working for the SCSU as its director of international students in the 20232024 academic year.
Elhag seeks to bring forth transit access through U-Pass. She told The Varsity that, if elected, she would collaborate with Centennial College and UTSG to “increase the number of students who would be getting U-pass.”
Elhag also wants to provide more affordable housing for students, citing her own personal struggles with housing as a driving force for her campaign focus. “I had problems in housing, and not only me, but a lot of students around us face the same problems,” she said.
more viable and more easily accessible for students.”
Renate Mathu is a third-year student studying biochemistry and molecular biology. Mathu was a residence advisor and was part of Black Student Engagement at UTSC.
In an interview with The Varsity , Mathu mentioned that while she sees diversity as a strength, many students on campus may believe that the SCSU lacks representation from certain communities.
Her main campaign points include giving a voice to underrepresented communities on campus, increasing multi-faith spaces on campus, working with 2SLGBTQ+ student voices, and providing mental health support for students through bursaries.
“It would make our campus feel more together and more solidified by knowing that there are at least different communities on
She believes in empowering students to advocate for themselves, emphasizing the importance of encouraging students to “exercise their own agency, to advocate for themselves.”
Ashraf is also pushing for greater student political engagement ahead of the looming federal election. She plans to partner with the Canadian Federation of Students to host educational workshops and promote media literacy to combat misinformation.
campus, by having all the programming events to make sure that everyone is highlighted and appreciated and also felt heard by the SCSU,” said Mathu.
Another one of her campaign points focuses on generating more job opportunities for students. She plans to connect the SCSU and UTSU with other organizations to “make more internships or mentorship programs
As an international student, Elhag also wants to bring equal medical rights to others like her by remediating the discrepancies between the UHIP coverage for international students and the OHIP coverage for domestic students.
Christine Villa is a fifth-year student studying English, French, and linguistics. Villa believes their advocacy work with LGBTOUT and their experiences serving as the president of Students of English Literature and Film (SELF) and the current SCSU director of English make them a good candidate for the position of VP Equity.
Villa decided to run in the 2025 SCSU elections because they believe that “There’s a lot of barriers… that need to be overcome, especially [regarding] mental health resources.” They referenced their personal experience, saying, “I’ve been a student for five years… needing help with accessibility and not being able to fund assessments for ADHD… that I felt I needed.”
They said they want to overcome this issue by providing “bursaries and building up resources that are accessible from the Student Centre.”
Villa’s campaign also focuses on increasing the number of 2SLGBTQ+ initiatives on campus, “specifically within the decolonial lens, outside of
Pride.” They mentioned the need for increased funding for student groups like LGBTOUT and the UTSC Women's & Trans Centre to help create these initiatives.
Finally, Villa wants to provide spaces for students to talk to each other if they feel they can’t talk to a campus counselor or other mental health professionals.
Kaisa Kasekamp Creative Director
James Bullanoff Deputy News Editor
Razia Saleh UTM Bureau Chief
Damola Omole Associate News Editor
Ayesha Ashraf (INSPIRE) Fawzia Elheg (RISE)
Vice-President, External
Vice-President, External
James Bullanoff Deputy News Editor
Olga Fedossenko Associate News Editor Vice-President, Equity Vice-President, Equity
Renate Mathu (INSPIRE)
Christine Villa (RISE)
Vice-President, Campus Life
Rafay Malik is a fourth-year student studying political science. He is running to be re-elected for VP Campus Life, as having experience in the role would allow him to streamline new initiatives, he told The Varsity in an interview.
His campaign focuses on creating an events calendar that would help students plan ahead if they want to attend events, as well as establishing an equipment library for clubs to facilitate events more sustainably.
To ensure students stay engaged past orientation week, Malik emphasized the importance of planning ahead and having various ongoing methods of communication, such as posters and tabling.
When asked how he would respond when he disagreed with a club’s mandate, Malik emphasized, “I'm here to serve the students.” He told The Varsity that he would seek student feedback and respond accordingly.
To ensure the longevity of student clubs, Malik wants to make club funding more accessible by introducing a direct deposit system, replacing the current cheque distribution system.
The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) is currently holding elections for next year’s executive team. UTSC students can cast their votes in person from March 4 until March 6 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm each day at the IC Atrium, Student Centre, BV Hallway, and at the Sam Ibrahim Building.
“[I want to make] it simpler for clubs and students to just be on campus and give them a positive outlook and a good relationship with the union,” he said. “Building [a] better relationship with students and clubs is very important.”
Vice-President,
Campus Life
Emeka Okolo
Emeka Okolo is a fourth-year neuroscience and human biology student. He’s currently the vice-president of events for the African Students’ Association UTSC, where he facilitates social and academic events. Okole is also part of UTSC’s Imani Black Academic Mentorship Program, where he mentors high school students in Scarborough.
One of Okole’s main campaign focuses is maintaining full transparency between the vice-president, campus life and student clubs. He noted how transparency is “very key to building a sense of community and having people trust you.”
He also explained his desire to create a calendar that tracks events happening across UTSC and to expand SCSU Frosh to be more inclusive of upper-year students. Okole also hopes to streamline the club recognition renewal process, so it’s easier for students to navigate.
In his previous role as a group lead for Frosh, he was responsible for managing over 20 firstyear students. He continues to communicate
with his group, informing them of ongoing events and clubs on campus or where to find academic support.
In his interview, Okole emphasized that community means a lot to him, and he wants to see “the best come out of everyone.”
This year, there are two slates student candidates are running under: INSPIRE UTSC and RISE UTSC.
In interviews with The Varsity , all 12 students running for a position on the SCSU executive team discussed their previous experiences, campaign goals, and plans if elected.
Voting will be held March 4–7
How to vote: UTSC undergraduate students can cast their votes from March 4–6, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, in the Instructional Centre atrium, Student Centre, Sam Ibrahim building, and Bladen Wing hallway.
What does each role do?
The President acts as chief spokesperson for the organization, leads the other executives, and helps determine the union’s direction.
The Vice-president (VP), academic and university affairs represents the union in various university committees, lobbies U of T to improve students’ experiences, and provides advice to students on academic affairs.
The VP, external develops the union’s political campaigns and represents the union externally and in some university committees.
The VP, operations creates the union’s budget, administers payroll, negotiates with staff, and keeps documents up to date, among other responsibilities.
The VP, campus life is responsible for recommending, scheduling, advertising, and coordinating all of the SCSU’s events, along with processing clubs’ requests for funding and representing the union on university committees related to residence, food, and licensing.
The VP, equity raises awareness of discrimination at UTSC and in the community, ensures that the union’s actions reflect the union’s antioppression stances, and acts as the official liaison with U of T organizations that handle topics surrounding discrimination.
Urooba Shaikh UTSC Bureau Chief
Selia Sanchez News Editor
Rafay Malik (INSPIRE)
(RISE)
Photo March 4, 2025
thevarsity.ca/section/photo photo@thevarsity.ca
A summer of racing, revisited
Looking back at the 2024 Summer motorsports season
Jason Wang Associate Photo Editor
I still remember the warmth of the early summer sun at the Castrol Victoria Day SpeedFest, where the racing season came alive at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The air was filled with the scent of fresh rubber and high-octane fuel, and there was a buzz of excitement all around. Among the weekend’s highlights was watching Jack Polito’s striking blue #22 Ford Mustang surge across the finish line in first place against a backdrop of cheering fans.
At that same May event, a wave of anticipation built as the NASCAR Canada Series cars lined up on the grid. Standing along the fences, the roar when they finally took off was thunderous.
I caught a glimpse of Malcolm Strachan in his #98 Chevy Camaro roaring down straight. As the race progressed, the combined aroma of tire smoke and gasoline permeated the race track — a vivid reminder of the intensity of motorsports.
Later in the summer, I spent a day at the opening Canadian Sport Compact Series (CSCS) event, where the energy was just as infectious. The track was filled with the sound of engines revving, rumbling, and tires squealing. Among the highlights was watching Rick Craig’s heavily modified Nissan 350Z drift around the Driver Development Track, leaving clouds of smoke and cheers in its wake.
By July, Toronto’s streets were transformed for the Honda Indy weekend. The city hummed with over a hundred thousand race fans in attendance. The grandstands were bustling with spectators, and the sun baked the pavement as I watched the USF Pro 2000 Championship drivers zip past. The famous Princes’ Gates stood tall as it saw racecars careen out of turn 11 and down Princes’ Boulevard.
During that same weekend, the FEL Radical Cup Canada brought a procession of sleek Radical SR3s onto the track. I can still recall the shimmering heat rising off the asphalt in the late afternoon heat, the audience eagerly craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the compact race cars speeding by.
The main attraction of the Toronto summer racing spectacle was the IndyCar race. Even before the engines fired up, you could sense the excitement in the crowd. All weekend long, I’d see drivers like Kyle Kirkwood out on track for practice, the roar of his machine echoing off the concrete barriers as he navigated the tight turns of the street circuit.
Race day on Sunday brought an electric atmosphere, the kind that makes your heart pound even if you’ve watched races for years. I watched veteran drivers like Romain Grosjean and Josef Newgarden race inches apart, going around 3000 kilometres per hour on the track.
As I positioned myself next to the track, I saw an endless sea of heads following every move in the grandstands. I caught this shot of David Malukas leading Will Power through Turn 11. The smell of hot brakes and the sound of motors screeching at full tilt still lingers in my mind.
IndyCars darted through a street circuit like thunder echoing off the buildings in downtown Toronto. I managed to capture a close-up of Graham Rahal’s car as it whizzed by, a momentary snapshot capturing the driver’s focus and determination.
Finally, as the checkered flag approached, Colton Herta’s relentless pace sealed a thrilling victory in Toronto after leading for 81 of the 85 laps. Now, with the frigid winter plunging Toronto into a deep freeze, I find myself drifting back to that sun-soaked Sunday. The icy sidewalks today stand in stark contrast to the smell of celebratory tire smoke lingering in the air.
Redefining human value
Recentering art and humanity in an increasingly tech-obsessed world
Shontia Sanders Associate Opinion Editor
“Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty,
How ‘hard’ should we study science?
I study political science, which is a ‘social’ science: often considered part of the so-called ‘soft sciences.’
While ‘hard sciences’ often bring to mind laboratories, test tubes, and coding language, soft sciences might conjure stacks of
Strategically maneuvering the capitalist climate
Much of the debate framing different fields of studies as inherently unequal stems from the competitive hierarchy that pervades U of T and the wider world. Within academia, competition revolves around getting research grants, while outside it, the focus shifts to a well-paying job that lasts in
Employability is often the primary metric of value applied to academic study. At several points during my university years, I have questioned how — if at all — I could translate my work as a political science student into a financially rewarding career. Though many of us feel a burning passion for studies that involve artistry, this is often extinguished by the reality that such pursuits are unlikely to offer adequate financial compensation. Unlike other fields under the humanities, social sciences can sometimes lead to high-paying careers, as individuals studying political science may go into law or public policy. In fields like public policy, hard science skills like statistics and
In contrast, disciplines like religion or art history under the humanities tend to be less financially rewarding. Primarily focused on historical and theoretical learning, I feel that humanities foster skills that are harder to translate into the
In an era where technology rapidly shapes daily life, techfocused fields, like computer programming and engineering, are seen as the most valuable. They are associated with job stability and high salaries — though the market for these jobs
Artificial intelligence’s (AI) recent surge further emphasizes the value of tech-related fields and careers. Popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini offer corner-cutting capabilities: tasks like writing an email, following a recipe, and answering everyday questions have become effortless with just a few clicks. AI can also quickly and conventionally tackle even the most complex issues, from step-by-step mathematical problem-solving to critical analyses of
However, AI chatbots disrupt individual thought, connection-making, and the meaningful analysis of academic material that students are meant to engage with. They also replace humans in creative, imaginative thought by centering themselves and decentering human participation. Our hypervaluation of AI reflects a skewed sense of value: we prioritize what works at optimal speeds, delivers optimal results, and offers optimal convenience. Anything that doesn’t function like AI — such as the slower thought processes in the humanities or our own human work ethics — is deemed low
— an
interpretive reflection on Marx’s theories of labour, productivity, technology, and capitalism — Amy E. Wendling proposes an alternative perspective of our ideas of value, particularly
Wendling acknowledged the transformation of humanmachine relationships, explaining that warped valuations of human and machinery roles lead to a “devaluation of human beings and a hypervaluation of scientific and technological
She wrote about this phenomenon in 2009 — today, I believe it remains the same, if not worse. Where humanmade technologies were once secondary to the humans who This transformation in human-machine relations can be Technology in Society , titled “Assessing technophobia and technophilia,” researchers at the Tallinn University of Technology define technophilia as “strong attraction and enthusiasm for technology, especially new technologies such as personal computers, the Internet,
smartphones, and/or other devices.”
It is unsurprising then that alongside the universal rise in the development, innovation, and access to technology, technological fanaticism has also risen. However, these researchers argue that technology’s prevalence in our daily lives has also gone so far as to make us unable to live, work, or communicate without consulting it.
As we become accustomed to the ubiquity of technology, we begin to see it as the natural solution to problems that might have once been approached through non-technological means, such as once “sending a hand-written letter to a friend… instead of [now] sending [them] an email [or] message.” This shift has prompted us to approach problems from technological rather than humanistic perspectives.
The subversion of human practices into an increasingly inhuman technological world is a phenomenon that deserves more attention than it has received thus far — both in formal research and in public discourse. From what we choose to study in university to the careers we pursue, our use of time and energy, and even how we think, major aspects of our lives have been distorted by the hypervaluation of technology.
Optimizing at the expense of our human-ness
In her book, Wendling envisions a world in which we can “conceptualize a mode of human activity without pain, the doing of which is its own reward,” suggesting a world where work is enjoyable and a reward in itself.
To maximize economic productivity, a capitalist society relies on people’s labour, requiring them to expend significant time and energy to create a product — leaving little room for our “instinctual drives,” such as spending time on leisure, because society deems them unproductive.
Therefore, capitalist societies devalue fundamental human desires because they conflict with production. This is why many people sacrifice happiness for financial gain when choosing a university program or career path.
It’s no surprise then that many workers in high-paying jobs — such as engineering and computer science — experience unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and stress, as these fields are often demanding in energy and time, resulting in poor worklife balance and disengagement in the workplace.
It is also unsurprising then that many people view their labour as a means to achieve what truly excites their passions. Some who pursue challenging careers may do so in part to attain what they truly covet: travel, vacations, and high-quality time off.
Maximizing economic productivity is also closely linked to time. Modern forms of labour demand that we optimize our time, expending high amounts of energy on increasing efficiency and on multitasking.
We have come to assign value to AI as a useful tool for optimizing time and energy because of the wide variety of services it offers and the speed at which it delivers them.
In a university context, students use AI chatbots to solve homework problems, write papers, and, in some cases, cheat on tests and exams. In response to universities confronting the issue, students’ AI use has evolved cleverly. Many engage in multi-level plagiarism by generating an essay on one chatbot site and then using another to reword it. Others ask chatbots to enhance self-written essays with academic language.
A common justification among students is that chatbots save time and energy that they could spend on other assignments, extracurriculars, or leisure.
The fact that many students and employees spend so much time working simply to get away from work shows that something is fundamentally wrong in how we conceptualize labour and its value. We place immense value on labour — which is inherently unrewarding — because it enables us to achieve other goals, to which we actually attribute inherent value.
When human needs like mutual respect and work-life balance are antithetical to capitalistic labour — wherein workers are mere cogs in a machine — how can such labour be seen as sustaining any aspect of human life beyond the need for continuous financial income?
Furthermore, when the drive for productivity causes us to increasingly spend time conversing with artificial chatbots — reducing our engagement with real people — aren’t we devaluing slower but necessary processes like critical thinking, creativity, and social engagement?
Neither Wendling nor I argue that the principle of working hard for what you want is inherently wrong. But capitalism’s dehumanization of workers urges us to reconsider existing labour and technology systems so human needs can coexist with, rather than conflict with, work.
Why is the most value not placed on the things for which we “stay alive?”
And how meaningful are lives lived not for passion but for endless pursuit?
Subverting the subversion by revaluing artistry In political science studies, we craft dozens of written works every year — tens of thousands of words and seemingly endless readings that push us to become proficient readers and writers. But many of us are already drawn to literary arts, and this passion only enhances our studies.
I have always loved both reading and writing because of the value they hold for me. Literary fiction, one of my favourite genres, not only explores meaningful themes of human existence but also does so through the captivating use of beautiful prose. The ability to craft both complex themes and sophisticated prose reflects the kind of poetic artistry that I, like others, “stay alive for.”
I believe the value of any form of artistry lies in itself, not in what it gives us in exchange for our engagement with it.
Through exploring artistic themes, ideas, questions, and propositions, art ‘gives’ us inspiration. But this inspiration and enjoyment — whether from literature or other forms of art — is not a means to procure something else. Art is inherently valuable, unlike the capitalistic use of technology or the practice of labour — which are worthless unless exchanged for things like time and money. Art speaks to our souls.
I can recall many times when I’ve felt overcome with emotion after finishing a novel or film. This passion invoked by art is so powerful because it provides a sense of understanding. Though authors like Patti Smith and Joan Didion have no idea I exist, reading their work makes it feel as though they do — that is how well they speak to themes and ideas that relate to my own life.
We often see the value of things in their potential to reward us for our engagement — things that give us something exchangeable in return.
and simple enjoyment — is indispensable. It need not be exchanged for something better because nothing better exists.
Toward the end of Patti Smith’s memoir Just Kids , her lifelong friend Robert Mapplethorpe lies on his deathbed and asks her whether spending his life evolving as an artist was worthwhile. In response, Smith wrote, “Only a fool would regret being had by art.”
Whether you are passionate about literature or other art forms such as visual arts, music, and film, always remember its value in the face of a world that tries to devalue that which speaks not to systems of division, hierarchy, or inhumanity, but to our humanity.
It is not how fast, how well, or how much we produce, but how fulfilled we are that satisfies our humanity.
Opinion
March 4, 2025
thevarsity.ca/category/opinion opinion@thevarsity.ca
Op-ed: AI-fuelled misinformation threatens the Sustainable Development Goals
On the emotional toll of an increasingly untrustworthy digital world
Noah Khan Varsity Contributor
When consulting Google on what to do when the cheese on a freshly-made pizza keeps sliding off, beware; Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) Overview might advise you to “add some glue.”
As bizarre as this seems, it is but one in the widening sea of AI miscalculations. A Stanford University misinformation expert was recently caught using AI hallucinations — inaccurate AIgenerated information — in his legal documents that intended to support a law against the use of ‘deepfakes’ to influence election laws. Deepfakes are artificially generated imagery of real or non-existent people saying or doing things that they have not actually said or done.
It seems as though in the transformation of the digital information landscape, we’re losing the excitement we used to have for engaging with the internet, while gaining artificial intelligence: wrongly marketed as innovative and useful. While AI can be used to fight the spread of false information, the battle doesn’t appear to be going very well if we’re all still drowning in misinformation. In 2022, nearly three out of four Canadians reported “having seen content online that they suspected to be false or inaccurate.”
The irony of these cases of Google AI and AI hallucinations reflects the broader mess that the digital information landscape has become. I believe this mess is causing mass fatigue and disillusionment with the quality of information that the internet has to offer, which is ultimately impeding progress on important environmental goals.
A dangerous apathy toward digital information
These stories of AI technology running wild are dizzying, astonishing, and incredibly disillusioning. When our feeds are constantly full of LinkedIn posts clearly made by ChatGPT and YouTube comments all but guaranteed to be pleading to the highest powers for you to invest in the latest cryptocurrency, this endless plague of AI-generated misinformation becomes both appalling and mind-numbing.
Achieving sustainability goals is increasingly threatened by the muddying of the digital information landscape. The production of AIgenerated misinformation constitutes a system of cultural and technological processes that produces a culture of apathy toward digital information, which is the opposite of what we need if we’re going to use emotional reasoning to achieve sustainable development goals.
In the Sustainable Development Goals at University of Toronto Student Advisory Committee (SDGs@UofT SAC), we care about collectively winning the battle with AI-generated misinformation, mediating the apathy it has produced, and progressing toward a set of goals that ensure a sustainable environment that will enable humans to thrive for generations to come.
The concept of emotional investment is fundamental to SDGs@UofT SAC, because we recognize that our emotions are important for engaging with information. If you love a song, it’s memorized in minutes. if you hate a textbook, none of the content inside it sticks.
The sheer quantity of social media’s AIproduced content — or as I see it, garbage — makes us presume that everything else that we see will be garbage. It’s no wonder
that social media has increasingly made us feel like garbage, as excessive social media use has been tied to poor sleeping patterns, depression, academic underachievement, and memory loss.
If we feel a sense of mistrust and even hatred toward the sources that provide us information, we can’t register the fact that AI is eating the environment, that we’re failing the United Nations’ SDGs, and that the world is quite literally on fire. We’ll presume that the places where we could have gotten these critical pieces of information are unreliable, and thus won’t even bother to consult them in the first place.
Events, resources, and opportunities that work to achieve our SDGs all require that participants truly care about the role of digital information in achieving sustainability.
Cleaning up the digital mess
In 2023, lecturer Cory Doctorow coined a term used to describe how platforms die: the ‘enshittification’ of TikTok. “First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all value for themselves. Then, they die.” These platforms’ capitalization on the applications of AI to satisfy their big business customers has significantly contributed to the internet’s ‘enshittification.’
I can attest to the plague of AI-generated falsitiesnot only on TikTok, but on other popular internet platforms. My family’s WhatsApp group chat used to be used exclusively for sending messages, but it is now an endless feed of posts containing things like questionable ‘cures’ for diseases, speeches no politician ever gave, and magical spells that turmeric and ginger will cast for you.
That’s why I’m so enthusiastic about SDGs@ UofT SAC. At SDGS@UofT SAC we are nine
Trudeau’s resignation will send a ripple effect through Canada’s global relationships
His departure could shift ties with the US and China, with implications for international diplomacy
Vesa Lunji
International Affairs Columnist
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, widely regarded as the face of Canada’s liberalism since late 2015, has announced that he will step down from his nineyear role as prime minister and 11-year position as the leader of the Liberal Party.
His resignation comes amid Canadians’ growing concerns about his leadership, particularly in areas such as affordability and housing.
While Trudeau’s departure from Canadian politics will directly affect domestic affairs, it may also alter Canada’s international approach to climate change, the economy, and human rights. An important question is not just how Canada will adapt to the changing global landscape, but also how other countries will respond.
Trudeau’s resignation offers Canada a rare chance to re-establish its global standing, but any meaningful improvement will hinge on whether his successor departs from his polarizing foreign policy approach. Some criticized his decisions, including not signing the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or his retaliatory tariffs on Trump after the ones imposed on Canada.
A leader who prioritizes strategic diplomacy and stronger alliances could mend strained relationships, while maintaining old policies may squander the opportunity for the renewal of those relationships.
Canada and the US: climate change
Climate change remains a critical issue for every country, and Canada and the US share a longstanding commitment to working together
to address it, as both have recognized the need for cross-border collaboration. The two countries also have strong economic ties, with the US being Canada’s largest trading partner.
However, the recent changes in leadership in both countries are likely to influence efforts to combat climate change. In 2017, President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, a global framework aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This decision was reversed in 2021 when Joe Biden took office.
However, after Trump’s inauguration in 2025, he signed an order to withdraw again from the Paris Agreement, calling it a “ripoff.”
While both countries have maintained a strong relationship in combating climate change, the combination of Trump in office and Trudeau not leading Canada may cause this to change.
The Canadian Liberal and Conservative parties have differing views on climate change. Conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre has made it clear that he opposes the carbon tax: a levy on fossil fuel designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making pollution more expensive. Poilievre argues that it increases the cost of living for Canadians by driving up fuel prices without effectively lowering emissions. However, the introduction of carbon taxation, such as in British Columbia, has reduced emissions by five and 15 per cent — without affecting economic growth.
If Canada continues with a Liberal leader, the government may express more vocal concern over Trump’s climate decisions, potentially changing the way the US and Canada work together on climate action.
A Liberal stance in Canada could continue creating tensions with America's Republican leadership, as their differing perspectives may complicate efforts to reach an agreement.
Canada and China: human rights and economic ties
Canada and China have maintained close diplomatic ties since the 1970s, with a particularly strong economic relationship. China remains Canada’s second-largest commercial partner, significantly bolstering the Canadian economy. Despite a decline in goods exports in 2019, Canada’s trade with China has continued to rapidly grow.
However, this relationship began to falter under Trudeau’s leadership due to disagreements over human rights issues. Ottawa's decision to impose sanctions on eight former or current senior Chinese officials, accusing them of “grave human rights violations,” was deemed hypocritical by China’s then-Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. “Even today, Canada’s Indigenous people still face systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment,” she said.
The future of Sino-Canadian relations hinges on the next government’s approach, with a more hawkish leader following in Trudeau’s footsteps likely deepening tensions and jeopardizing economic ties.
students from across U of T’s three campuses that commandeer the power of emotional reasoning and connections in our work toward getting more people to affiliate with the SDGs Scholars Academy — which works to advance the United Nations SDGs — and engaging with pursuing environmental sustainability in their lives.
What’s next?
But how do we start caring about information again?
Our first step toward regenerating the digital information landscape is calling on the U of T community to recognize that some of the deepest cuts made by AI misinformation lie in the emotional void felt when our screens are endlessly full of mind-numbing AI content. U of T is a gigantic community that relies on digital information to get people connected; feeling sapped of emotional connection to information only serves to fracture the community by thinning the ties which bind us together.
Our second step is forming real connections with people — a cornerstone of successful partnerships for the United Nations’ SDGs. To that end, we’re supporting the Munk School Undergraduate Research Symposium in “Rethinking the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” which will tackle the pressing question of how the SDGs can be reimagined to address the challenges of today’s digital age.
If you’re wondering how you can help us take steps toward cleaning up the mess of AI-generated misinformation, make sure you’re engaging with information you care about.
Write for a news outlet like The Varsity. Put your heart into researching something you care about. Every small outpouring of genuine care and concern is an important ingredient in revitalizing the information landscape where important pursuits — like the SDGs — presently find their home.
Noah Khan is a third-year PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, studying Social Justice Education. He is a Co-Chair of the Sustainable Development Goals @ U of T Student Advisory Committee.
The new administration’s foreign policy decisions will be critical in shaping the trajectory of this relationship, especially as American-Canadian relations weaken.
Looking further
Trudeau’s resignation marks more than just a domestic shift in Canada’s political landscape; it may create change in its global relationships. As a longstanding leader in Canadian politics, his departure opens the door to a new direction for the first time in nine years.
As the world grapples with issues such as climate change, economic changes, and human rights, Canada’s role in these global discussions will be influenced by the new prime minister. The impact of this transition will be felt well beyond Canada’s borders, influencing its relationships with key global players.
Trudeau’s resignation is not just a political event — it signals the potential for change both domestically and globally.
Vesa Lunji is a second-year student at University College studying health & disease and cell & molecular biology. She is an International Affairs columnist for The Varsity’s Opinion section.
Opinion: The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act has failed
Accessibility is now a “national crisis,” it is time we take it seriously
As the clocks struck 12:00 am on January 1, 2025, the Ontario government’s deadline to make the province accessible came and went. But instead of celebrating, Ontarians with disabilities condemned the government for failing to meet its promise.
I won’t deny that Ontario has made strides in ensuring physical accessibility, such as by improving transportation, customer service, and the design of public spaces. However, for many Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), this is barely enough. Accessibility is about increasing the participation of PWDs in every aspect of society — not just removing physical barriers, but addressing digital, systematic, and institutional barriers across workplaces, education, healthcare, politics, and more.
Viewing accessibility solely through the lens of physical spaces is not only limited, but dismissive of the broader changes needed. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act’s (AODA) failure is not rooted in its ideas — but in its execution. The legislation was designed to develop, implement, and enforce accessibility standards to make Ontario barrier-free by 2025, yet that vision remains far from reality.
Should we not expect that the government keeps the promises it made?
Why the AODA matters
Before the AODA, disability rights in Canada primarily relied on litigation to combat discrimination. When the first draft of Section 15 of the Charter was introduced in 1980, it prohibited discrimination based on race, sex, and religion — but not disability. Despite criticism, the Liberal government
at the time refused to add disability to the list of protected grounds. It was only through persistent advocacy from disability activists during the 1980s that disability became recognized as grounds for discrimination, and was finally added into Section 15 in 1985.
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know this piece of history — I didn’t either. At U of T, we combat our blindspots in history by dedicating certain courses to race, gender, and Indigenous thought. Yet, disability often remains on the margins of these conversations. This forgotten history and how the AODA came to be isn’t just a footnote — it’s integral to understand.
Despite legal progress, many advocates found that litigating individual barriers one case at a time was expensive, burdensome, and inaccessible — especially for a community where poverty, unemployment, and reliance on government funding are widespread. The frustration laid the groundwork for the original AODA Alliance in 1994 — known at the time as the Ontario Disability Act committee — which pushed for stronger legislation with genuine enforcement power to break systemic barriers.
The future of accessibility policy
But this is not the end of the road. In 2019, the federal government passed the Accessible Canada Act, setting a new goal of making Canada accessible by 2040. In 2023, lawmakers passed the Disability Benefit Act to provide financial support for Canadians with disabilities. While it offers a glimpse of hope, the act is predicted to lift 25,000 working-age persons with disabilities, and 15,000 of their family members, out of poverty each year — contrary to the then-federal minister’s promise that it would lift “hundreds of thousands
of working-age Canadians with disabilities out of poverty.”
So, the AODA remains in effect — legislation does not simply expire overnight — and the Ontario government still has the responsibility to break down barriers.
In fact, the AODA is in the process of introducing a brand new standard: education. Two years ago, two education committees published their recommendations for the new standard, which aims to address eight key barriers in higher education. According to the ministerial report, these barriers range from organizational practices and financial constraints to lack of awareness.
If implemented, the education standard could not only improve the quality of education for students with disabilities, but also help ensure they are given the opportunity to succeed on their own terms — not just receive accommodations.
Yet, despite this exciting news, one should err on the side of caution. The Ontario government has yet to meet its initial goals from 2023, and it has been slow to implement the first five AODA standards in customer service, employment, and transportation.. Given this track record, one might wonder why the education standard would be any different.
TikTok bans implicate more than just data security
When regulation becomes censorship, everyone loses
Druphadi Sen
Varsity Contributor
My favourite humble-brag is that I haven’t used TikTok in over three years. Sure, I spent most of high school ‘brainrotting’ away on the app like everyone else, but in a rare moment of selfawareness, I deleted it — and I have been coasting on that decision ever since.
TikTok ate up my screen time with choreographed dances, comedic skits, and pseudo-intellectual rants — the last of which I now get plenty of in my political science courses. So when I heard about the US government’s move to potentially ban the app, I was intrigued.
On the surface, banning an app notorious for spreading misinformation, leaking data, and ruining the attention spans of an entire generation seemed logical. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to see TikTok in a different light.
As chaotic as it is, TikTok feels undeniably democratic in a way few social media platforms are. It may be a bold claim, but it’s hard to ignore the app’s role in facilitating global dialogues and amplifying marginalized voices.
Social media and activism
Sociologist Michael Dahlberg-Grundberg’s 2016 study on the role of digital media in facilitating transnational activism — activism that transcends borders — highlights how platforms like TikTok empower social movements by acting as a “connective tissue” between local and global activist groups.
This border-transcending solidarity allows grassroots mobilization to flourish across national divides. TikTok’s ability to circumvent the boundaries of traditional journalism channels gives diverse voices wider reach, free from the gatekeeping and biases that often shape mainstream media.
TikTok has become a platform where grassroots activism and independent journalism thrive in
ways traditional media platforms often can’t replicate. While traditional outlets are constrained by corporate interests and government influence, TikTok’s algorithm — which elevates content based on user engagement rather than follower count — allows marginalized voices to reach wider audiences.
Yet, this structure is both a strength and a weakness of social media activism. The same algorithms that amplify diverse perspectives can also spread misinformation at an alarming rate. The echochamber of TikTok’s ‘For You Page’ creates a feedback loop that gives disproportionately higher visibility to harmful content.
A key example of TikTok’s algorithmic flaws is its popularization of alt-right ideological pipelines. These pipelines gradually increase user exposure to harmful right-wing content, starting with seemingly harmless content like motivational fitness tips and progressing toward misogynistic rhetoric.
Yet this paradox is also what makes TikTok uniquely democratic. Alongside harmful alt-right political rhetoric, positive grassroots movements have gained traction on the platform. TikTok’s digital popularization of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 — and more recently, the Palestinian liberation movement — shows how the app’s algorithm can amplify underrepresented voices and issues that traditional media often overlook.
TikTok gives anyone with a smart device and internet connection the power to participate in global dialogue. Whether for better or worse, that power belongs to everyone — but what would we lose if it were taken away?
The politics of TikTok bans are deeper than data
Despite TikTok’s popularity, concerns about users’ data security and the potential influence by the Chinese government sparked debates about banning the app in the US. These concerns led to
a temporary nation-wide ban in January.
Proponents of the ban argue that because TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is subject to Chinese data sovereignty laws, it is compelled to share sensitive data on US users with the Chinese government. In 2022, ByteDance admitted that employees had improperly accessed the data of two journalists in the US and UK, further fuelling skepticism about TikTok’s and ByteDance’s data practices.
But I see a double standard in digital media regulation when it comes to non-US-owned platforms. The 2022 Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal exposed Facebook’s unauthorized harvesting of millions of users’ personal information, yet there were no substantial calls for a ban on Facebook.
TikTok’s rise as a social and digital media giant has disrupted the dominance of US-owned platforms like Facebook, Meta, and Google, signalling a shift away from the US dominance in the digital space. As I see it, US critics of TikTok’s data policies are more concerned with preserving American control over social media than with the purported threats of ‘ambiguous’ data policies.
Social media bans signal an autocratic tone while pushing users to new spaces and circumventing oversight. While TikTok was temporarily banned in the US, users quickly and discreetly used Virtual Private Networks to stay active on the app. Ironically, many users also migrated to Rednote: a Chinese-owned platform with nearly identical form and functionality to TikTok.
The bigger picture
Banning popular social media apps like TikTok sets a dangerous precedent, enabling governments to manipulate digital sovereignty for their own interests. By framing censorship and political agendas as necessary citizen protection, governments can undermine the efforts made on these platforms to advance social and political activism.
Accessibility is a national crisis
This is why, as a student with a disability, I am urging universities, policymakers, politicians, disability organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to treat accessibility as a crisis. While the government has the responsibility to ensure its goals are met, it is also equally your responsibility to implement the government’s recommendations.
Accessibility should never be an afterthought — it is crucial for the participation of PWDs. Without proper accommodation, students with disabilities will struggle to succeed.
We are at a critical juncture. In the coming months, Canadians will vote in the federal elections to determine which political party will govern for the next four years. These next four years are pivotal, as they will shape the future of accessibility in this country.
Will accessibility be treated as the national crisis it is, or will it remain an issue relegated to the fringes of the Canadian political sphere?
On behalf of students with disabilities, I urge you to take the former approach — for our sake.
Catherine Dumé is a Masters student studying political theory. She is the co-founder of the University of Toronto’s Accessibility Awareness Club.
TikTok’s unique role as a non-traditional information medium has made it more democratic and accessible for users — students, influencers, and activists alike. The beneficial aspects of social media activism outweigh insufficiently founded claims of data security breaches and foreign intervention, and must not be decentered when we consider the importance of platforms like TikTok.
Druphadi Sen is a third-year student at University College studying cell and molecular biology, immunology, and English. They are the Managing Editor of Acta Victoriana and Politics Co-Editor of The Gargoyle.
Catherine Dumé Varsity Contributor
Arts & Culture
March 4, 2025
thevarsity.ca/category/arts-culture arts@thevarsity.ca
In defense of difficult literature
If there is anything particular about literature that motivates one to read, what is it?
Oleksii Varlamov Opinion International Affairs Columnist
In July of 2022, after graduating high school and with months to go before university began, I decided to dedicate a significant amount of time to ‘serious’ literature. Reading, particularly fiction, has been a big part of my life for nearly as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is crying while my father insisted I read a Russian language translation of Winnie-the-Pooh out loud. By the time high school ended, I liked to think my taste had evolved a bit. With ample spare time, I wanted to understand if literature was ‘worth it.’ I was attempting to figure out if all the hours spent hunched over a book alone could have been better spent playing sports and making homoerotic jokes in a locker room — the so-called pursuits of a ‘real man.’
To begin my endeavour, I found a list of the greatest books ever written and started working through it in no particular order. I found myself in awe of Vladimir Nabokov’s mastery of English, trapped in the grittiness of James Joyce’s character work, and captivated by Ernest Hemingway’s depictions of Paris in the ’20s.
I did not find a justification for reading; the original question slipped my mind entirely as my enjoyment of the books washed away any need for a reason to read them.
The question returned to me during a recent conversation with a friend. We were discussing literature, and I mentioned the two books I had recently read: Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, and Virginia Woolf’s The Waves. I explained how both books were challenging to get through — the former due to its length and the wide variety of topics it covers, and the latter because of the obscure prose style and intentionally difficult plot.
My friend then challenged me: What’s the point of reading fiction at all? If there is anything particular about literature that motivates one to read, what is it? And what makes it different from or more desirable than nonfiction or academic writing?
My intuition is that one ought to read for its own sake — reading broadens our cultural horizons and deepens our relationships with others and the world around us. Though, if this is the case, does it follow that we should seek out difficult literature? Specifically, I pondered the value of engaging with texts that were intentionally written to be challenging.
Indeed, there are great works of fiction that have a captivating plot, linear plot structure, and are, in all respects, generally easy to follow, yet still regarded as compelling works of art. Think of what is typically included in a high school curriculum: George Orwell’s 1984, Harper Lee’s
To Kill a Mockingbird, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. All three have confidently earned the title of timeless works while remaining quite accessible for the average reader.
If this is the case, why bother with something like Ulysses, a novel in which Joyce himself said he “put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant?” Or The Waves, which Woolf intended to be “something abstract[ly] poetic,” and in private letters, expressed surprise that “low-brow” readers found it simple?
The answer I found for myself depends on my own conception of what literature is, or does, as an art form. Literature reflects the “real” world through the mirror of the author’s perception. By engaging with literature, one engages with a particular representation of reality that would otherwise be inaccessible, thereby broadening one’s perception of reality itself.
In his justification for reading slowly, journalist Benny Carts noted that “the value of a text does not depend upon the speed with which I finish, but upon the depth of my relationship with it.” How deep can one’s relationship be with a text that lacks depth? How can one expect to develop a more profound understanding of the world when only engaging with literature that presents reality in a linear, simplistic, and straightforward fashion?
Writer and Professor Will Self argued that what drove writers of “difficult” literature in the twentieth century was “a desire to render in language the effects of modernity on human perception and cognition,” which inevitably led to unconventional, challenging texts.
Swiping left on humanity: how digital dating and AI companions are redefining connection
Companion delves into the emotional void left by digital dating and artificial intelligence
Musa Shah Varsity Contributor
We live in a society where creating in-person dialogue has become, and remains, increasingly difficult. As social media revealed its role in shifting public discourse, our outlook on dating has changed just as profoundly. With the rise of dating applications like Tinder leading this revolution, the dynamics of human connection have responded to these online applications, making us more dependent on them. In June 2024, Tinder recorded over 6.1 million monthly downloads, becoming the most downloaded dating application worldwide and generating approximately one billion USD in global in-app revenue last year.
The meteoric rise of online dating illustrated a cultural shift as this format of interaction quietly displaced the traditional ‘old school’ methods of meeting people. In North America, online dating emerged as a highly successful industry, reshaping how we experience romance. US users now spend an average of 50.9 minutes per day on dating apps, with millennials dedicating the majority of their time to finding love through their devices. Women, in particular, spend more time on these platforms than men. Altogether, the pursuit of romance increasingly relies on the digital landscape.
But with the unprecedented success of dating apps comes a dark side often left unreported: loneliness. As users subject themselves to increasingly inhuman experiences in pursuit of love, interacting more with digital algorithms than genuine personalities, questions arise about the future of human relationships and the authenticity of emotional connections.
A cinematic exploration of AI and loneliness Drew Hancock’s 2025 science fiction dark comedythriller Companion delves deep into questions surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and human emotions. The narrative centres on Iris (Sophie Thatcher), a robot designed for companionship, and her owner, Josh (Jack Quaid). The couple
joins their friends, Sergey (Rupert Friend) and Kat (Megan Suri), for a weekend at a lake house, where Sergey attempts to assault Iris, prompting her to kill him in self-defence.
This act of violence reveals a darker truth: Josh secretly manipulated Iris’s programming, increasing her aggression levels and disabling safety protocols to eliminate Sergey, paving the way for him and Kat to steal Sergey’s fortune. As Iris gains selfawareness, she begins questioning her existence, purpose, and emotions, challenging audiences to reflect on what it truly means to be human.
The film quite effectively explores themes of loneliness, autonomy, power, and the ethics of AI. Iris embodies the emotional void many people experience in the digital age. Her programmed companionship is both comforting and hollow, mirroring the superficial connections formed through dating apps. The narrative also raises concerns about AI’s potential for manipulation and abuse of power. Josh’s exploitation of Iris’s programming exposes the ethical implications of AI as a tool of control.
By weaving these complex themes into a gripping story, Companion challenges viewers to question the boundaries between humans and AI. Can machines truly replicate human emotions? More importantly, are we losing our humanity by relying on artificial connections?
The loneliness paradox: seeking love in a digital world
The widespread use of dating apps reflects a growing desire for connection in an increasingly disconnected world. Despite the convenience and accessibility of digital dating, the experience often leaves users feeling isolated and unfulfilled.
The ‘swipe culture’ has transformed human connection, reducing potential companions to profiles and photos, stripping away the mystery and excitement of in-person interactions.
A significant reason behind this paradox is the algorithm-driven nature of these platforms. Dating apps use sophisticated algorithms to
match users based on interests, preferences, and past behaviours. While this creates personalized experiences, it also raises questions about authenticity. How much of our personality is shaped by genuine preferences, and how much is curated by the content we consume?
Moreover, the convenience of digital dating has reduced the time and effort typically associated with building meaningful relationships. In a world where everything is a swipe away, the ‘mystery’ and effort of finding love often seem too hard or time-consuming. Yet, I’d argue that by refusing to make sacrifices for what we want, we actively sacrifice the very thing we seek.
The rise of companion robots
As loneliness becomes a growing concern, technology has introduced an even more complex solution: companion robots. According to RobotShop, these AI-driven machines — designed to provide “interactive and engaging experiences for various needs” — can perform “tasks” like voice interaction, image processing, emotional support and companionship. In an attempt to bridge the gap between human interaction and digital connectivity, these companions may come as interactive tabby cats, little WALL-E-looking robots, birds, or contraptions of some other kind.
A survey conducted in January 2023 with 182 adults aged 65 or older in the US revealed that 76 per cent of participants held a positive opinion of companion robots — cognitive machines simulated with empathy and aspects of human interaction to pass as “social partners” — while 24 per cent viewed their experience negatively.
This raises an intriguing question: can companion robots truly replicate a relationship that feels human, both physically and psychologically? In an age where social media and dating apps have redefined communication, the idea of artificial companionship challenges the very essence of human connection.
The integration of AI into our social lives is no longer a distant future — it presently lives
The beauty of fiction lies not only in the ideas it presents but in how those ideas are presented. It is specifically the “combination of some form of stream-of-consciousness, or mono-perspectival narration with the continuous or historic present” that Self mentioned as characteristic of difficult writing — the form of the story, not just its content. There is where the beauty of difficult fiction lies: few other written mediums, except for fiction, have the license to experiment with the form in which content is presented. One would certainly not open a history book expecting an unreliable narrator or stream-of-consciousness writing. By engaging with unconventional forms of idea presentation, we gain the ability to engage with the world in ways we had not previously considered.
Here, I am reminded of an old quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. — “Man’s mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.” We ought to aim to continuously stretch our minds, and difficult literature provides an excellent opportunity for that.
I am very much aware of how much of a bourgeois perspective this is. I am by no means insisting that all the books one reads must have the aforementioned characteristics of difficult texts, or be difficult in any way at all. A construction worker or a doctor might prefer to unwind with a detective novel or a breezy nonfiction book rather than tackling the complexity of Joyce or Faulkner after a long day of incredible physical strain.
But for those of us not in those conditions, with a bit more time on our hands, I firmly believe that at least one endeavour into difficult literature is worth attempting.
among us, inside the devices we so rely on. As AI technologies become more advanced, ethical concerns surrounding manipulation, autonomy, and power arise. Are we sacrificing authentic human experiences for the convenience of digital companionship?
The ethics of AI and human connection
As AI continues to infiltrate every aspect of our lives, the ethical implications of artificial companionship become more significant. Companion robots like Iris challenge traditional notions of relationships, raising questions about emotional authenticity and moral responsibility. How comfortable are we willing to get with machines designed to simulate human emotions and intimate human interaction? And to what extent may we blur the line between real and artificial connection without eroding our own humanity and the dignity of others?
The power dynamics in Companion also highlight the potential dangers of AI manipulation. In a society where digital interactions are becoming the norm, who controls the narrative? Who decides what emotions are programmed into these machines? The film provokes viewers to think critically about the ethical consequences of AI technology and its impact on human relationships.
Rediscovering human connection in a digital world
The digital age has revolutionized human connection, making dating apps and social media integral to modern romance. Yet, as the popularity of online dating continues to rise, so do feelings of loneliness and isolation. In this quest for love and companionship, society faces a dilemma: How do we maintain authentic human connections in an increasingly artificial world?
Hancock’s Companion serves as a poignant reminder of this dilemma, challenging us to reflect on the ethical implications of AI in our social lives. As technology continues to advance, it is crucial to strike a balance between digital convenience and emotional authenticity.
Ultimately, love is not merely about finding someone who meets a set of algorithmic criteria. It is about forming meaningful connections that withstand the test of time. As we navigate this digital landscape, we must remember that the essence of humanity lies not in programmed companionship but in the raw, imperfect beauty of authentic human interaction.
The Roll Player: Bringing Dungeons & Dragons on stage D&D is about imagination, storytelling, and embracing
Ilyass Mofaddel Varsity Contributor
Amid the cozy atmosphere of Comedy Bar Danforth, The Roll Player made its debut — a show that fuses the nerdiness of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with the spontaneous energy of improv. The result is two hours of non-stop laughter.
Created by Kris Siddiqi, a U of T graduate and actor, The Roll Player sees him transform the traditional tabletop role-playing game into an immersive theatrical experience, and it’s all improvised.
“We wanted to just play D&D, and we thought we could mix it up,” Siddiqi recalled in an interview
with The Varsity. “So we said, ‘Why not bring the game to the stage?’”
The show seamlessly merges both a theatre production and a typical D&D session. Much of the credit goes to the meticulous staging: the set resembles a classic D&D adventure, with adaptable lighting, potions, and an assortment of imaginative objects. A screen at each extremity of the stage allows spectators to see the characters’ statistics and maps of the game. The incredible live soundtrack by Canadian Screen Award winner Jay McCarrol perfectly complements the performances.
The cast — composed of comedians from the Second City Toronto Mainstage — includes U of
From
the
unexpected — just like improv
T alum and actor Sharjil Rasool, comedian Sarah Hillier, and actor Andy Hull, who portray a wizard, a bard, and a barbarian, respectively. Essentially, they play the holy trinity of D&D.
As in any D&D campaign, the dice decide the outcome: each critical success earns roaring approval, while disastrous rolls force the cast into unexpected — and often hilarious — moments. Three improvisers amplify the chaos by portraying random non-player characters, introducing new twists or running gags.
Siddiqi, who serves as the Dungeon Master for this campaign, pointed out how different it is to play in front of a live crowd. In a D&D game at home, he observed that there is much less screaming, and the sessions last longer to allow players to focus on building a meticulously layered story. On stage, however, “everything’s heightened,” he said.
The Roll Player isn’t just for hardcore fans: despite the geeky references, the performance welcomes everyone — whether you know every spell by heart or can’t tell a d8 (eight-sided die) from a d20 (20-sided die). Rasool, who had never played D&D until his casting in the show, provided assurance that even if you don’t know anything about D&D, there is much fun to be had. “It’s just improv,” he said, “just fantasy.”
Rasool and Siddiqi reminisced about their time at U of T: “I was this nerd who just smoked weed and watched movies all day,” recalled Siddiqi.
the runway to the real world,
Karl-Yann
Assah is Playing for Keeps
Model, technologist, and advocate Karl-Yann Assah is bridging worlds
As he sat down for our interview, I immediately noticed two things about Karl-Yann Assah: his towering height and his kaftan — a traditional pullover robe commonly worn in sub-Saharan Africa — which flowed in its structure, exuding the quiet confidence Assah embodied. He wore it with the ease of someone who knows exactly who they are. It was his birthday that day, and he decided this interview was a great way to spend his afternoon. When I brought it up, he smiled and said, “This is work. This is why I’m here, so, honestly, trust me, take all the time you need… I’m an open book.”
Assah is many things. Hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he’s been a fashion model — walking for the likes of Thom Browne and Givenchy — a technologist with experience at BlackRock, and currently, a U of T master’s student in Information Systems and Design, and an advocate challenging stereotypes and broadening narratives. His story is not just about navigating different worlds — it’s about reshaping them along the way.
There was an intentionality to Assah’s presence that felt rare. His kaftan, for example, was not just a fashion choice but a statement. “My friend Yvonne made it for me,” he shared as he ran a hand over the fabric with genuine appreciation. “Special order from Nigeria… if I wear this, most people will know this is African attire.” The kaftan’s burgundy hue, chosen “to emulate royalty,” was more than aesthetic — it nodded to a certain part of his heritage, his story, and his place in the world.
I realized he wore a black version of this kaftan at the Isabel Bader Theatre on January 26 during the TEDxUofT 2025 Annual Conference. His TED Talk, “From Africa to the World: The Role of Global Representation in Shaping the Future,” was a powerful exploration of how culture and visibility intersect. Sitting across from him, I saw how seamlessly his personal philosophy bled into his public persona. His kaftan was more than just clothing — it functioned as a conversation starter, a bridge between the world he comes from and the world he’s helping to shape.
Assah’s awareness of presentation was both personal and deeply cultural. “Growing up, I was never allowed to wear a hoodie and go outside,”
he said. His parents, understanding the realities of racial perception, taught him that people will treat you based on how you dress. It was a lesson that shaped his wardrobe and his “way of showing up in the world when it comes to appearance, behaviour and communication.”
In his TEDx Talk, Assah spoke about how representation was not merely about who was present but about how they were seen. His own experiences bore this out. Beyond runways, finance internships, and being a master’s student, Assah is also the co-founder of The Edentity Group.
Recently, The Edentity Group announced that they would be brought in by Amazon Canada’s Black Employee Network to lead a workshop designed to help professionals leverage modern tools and strategies for personal marketing in today’s evolving economy. This initiative will expand Assah’s advocacy from fashion and technology into corporate spaces, emphasizing his commitment to education and community engagement. Beyond breaking barriers, Assah’s work functions to build new frameworks for inclusion and understanding.
There’s an ease to the way Assah moves through different spaces.“You can put me in any room, and I know how to connect with people,” he said. “I have somewhat of a sense of their culture… it lowers the barriers for friction in terms of communication and collaboration so inherently, people just like you more, [and] people want to work with you again.”
I questioned him on how the people who’ve known him the longest see him. Assah pulled out his phone. “If we had time,” he laughed, “I’d call [my brothers] right now.” And then, without hesitation, he dialled.
“Yo. Question,” Assah said. “I’m here with Chhata; she’s interviewing me for the school newspaper, and she asked me — how would your siblings describe you in three words?”
There was a pause on the other end.
“Professional answer or non-professional?”
“Let’s do a mix.”
His younger brother thought for a moment. “Focused,” he said. “Inspiring.” Then, after a pause, “High-spirited.”
Assah grinned as he hung up. “Okay, that’s one.”
He contemplated, then added, “I think my older brother would say I’m [a] people person. I’m hardworking, ambitious… my brother finds me funny; he laughs a lot at my jokes.” He paused,
“When you’re studying film, you can really be a nerd about what you love.” This became a huge push for Siddiqi to pursue the outlets that brought him pleasure. “Now I’m playing D&D on stage in front of people,” he said, “which is pretty amazing.”
The Roll Player arrives at a time when D&D is surging in popularity, fuelled by the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) and its presence in shows like Stranger Things. In an era marked by the digitization of social interaction and increasing social isolation in a polarized world, people crave in-person experiences that offer an escape from everyday life. The Roll Player taps into this need, inviting everyone to share a live, dicedriven adventure.
By the final show in December 2025, audiences will have witnessed an entire campaign shaped by improvisation rather than a rigid script. With 10 performances remaining, The Roll Player offers a rare opportunity to watch a D&D adventure unfold in real time, ensuring that no two nights are the same.
Sure, D&D is about fighting monsters and collecting treasure, but at its core, it’s about imagination, storytelling, and embracing the unexpected — just like improv. Even if you don’t have the improv talent of Rasool, the show is a great way to discover or rediscover the magic of D&D and to realize that sometimes, the best stories begin with a single roll.
When asked to define himself, Assah hesitated before settling on “polymath,” and explained, “I’m just somebody that’s passionate about life… somebody that’s good at multiple things.” His story is not one of linear success but adaptability in progression towards a projected goal — a superpower he attributed to his childhood, which involved moving frequently around the world.
But for Assah, adaptability is multiple things, including fitting in, absorbing, reflecting, and contributing to every space he enters. Each move and cultural shift adds a new layer to his identity.
He sees this not as a fragmentation of his identity but an enrichment of his experience of the world.
“You see that there’s a myriad of ways to answer a specific problem, not just one,” he said. This mindset, echoed in his TED Talk, challenges the rigidity of singular narratives and highlights the value of diverse perspectives.
What’s compelling about Assah’s adaptability is that it never feels like code-switching. He isn’t muting parts of himself to fit in; rather, he’s amplifying different facets of his identity to build bridges. His approach is about finding common ground rather than conforming to presupposed standards. It’s a rare skill, particularly in industries that often demand a polished, one-dimensional persona.
Assah’s family background shaped him, but so did his U of T experience. From his undergrad at UTM, where he specialized in Digital Enterprise Management, he grew to appreciate how cultures converged on campus and identities formed through constant negotiation with each other.
“You look around, and you see folks from China, India, East Africa,” he said. “That’s the beauty of international schools.”
But with diversity comes responsibility. “For many people, this may be the first time they interact with somebody from your country… How are you introducing them to your culture? How are you representing not just yourself but your community?”
to educate and connect. He believes that representation is not just about being seen but also about being understood. It’s about creating an environment where differences are celebrated and where conversations lead to deeper cultural awareness.
At the core of Assah’s worldview is ‘The Spirit of Ubuntu,’ a Zulu philosophy meaning ‘I am because we are.’ He spoke about it passionately both on stage and in our conversation. “I am the sum of the accomplishments, cultural aspirations, values and traditions [of] those who came before me,” he said. It’s a perspective that informs everything he does — from his work in fashion to his aspirations in education.
For Assah, Ubuntu is an ethos and a blueprint for living. It reframes success as a collective achievement, not just an individual accolade. His mission is not merely to ascend but to elevate others alongside him. His philanthropy extends beyond borders — Assah has worked on sending books to students in Côte d'Ivoire, hoping to bridge educational gaps and ignite a love for learning. His interest in finance is also deeply rooted in his heritage; he’s passionate about financial literacy and aims to equip young people with the tools they need to thrive in the global economy, empowering them to take control of their futures.
Even as our conversation wound down, Assah’s curiosity remained sharp. “Now, I have questions for you,” he said, leaning forward, fully engaged. It’s a reminder that for Assah, every exchange is an opportunity — to learn, to teach, and to connect.
Karl-Yann Assah is doing two things: playing the game of life while complicating its rules, especially for Black and African people. His story is a testament to the power of showing up, for himself and for those who haven’t yet found their voice. And as he continues to navigate and redefine the worlds of fashion, technology, and education, it’s clear he’s not just moving through spaces — he’s leaving the door open behind him.
Chhata Gupta Varsity Contributor
The cast, composed of comedians, portray a wizard, a bard, and a barbarian, respectively. COURTESY OF MATTHEW MCLAREN
For Karl, every interaction is an opportunity to educate and connect. COURTESY OF DUO MA
Science
March 4, 2025
thevarsity.ca/category/science science@thevarsity.ca
How eye cancer research is being used to improve oncology worldwide
Dr. Helen Dimaras on retinoblastoma as model to improve patient care, survival rates
Izhaan Junaid Varsity Contributor
On February 1, the Undergraduate Research Students’ Association (URSA) hosted Synergy, its first-ever cancer research conference, showcasing undergraduate research in the field.
The event featured keynote speaker Dr. Helen Dimaras, director of Global Eye Health Research at SickKids and associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. In her presentation, “Global Oncology & Precision Child Health: Lessons from Retinoblastoma,” Dimaras shared her research on eye cancer as a model to support SickKids’ Precision Child Health Initiative — a movement that aims to provide better individualized care to children by integrating their full medical background.
Detecting retinoblastoma early
Retinoblastoma is a rare eye cancer that develops as a tumour — abnormal growth of cells — in the retina, the layer of specialized cells at the back of the eye that translates light into electrical signals for the brain to process as vision.
The cancer primarily affects children under three and can be indicated early through biopsies as well as a simpler method: taking a picture with the flash on. In a phenomenon called leukocoria, affected eyes reflect white instead of red. While healthy pupils reflect red due to the retina, a white reflection may indicate light bouncing off
an abnormal structure, such as a cataract or a tumour.
Unlike most cancers, which develop from aging, environmental factors, or lifestyle choices, retinoblastoma can result from hereditary cancer syndrome — a genetic condition that increases the risk for cancers in the eyes, skin, bones, and more. The cancer stems from mutations in the RB1 gene — a protein that regulates cell division. Dr. Dimaras emphasized the importance of genetic testing in detecting retinoblastoma, as it can identify the pathogenic gene variant in children and screen parents for carrier status.
To prevent passing on harmful genes, like those linked to retinoblastomas, Dr. Dimaras explained how families might consider pre-implantation genetic testing alongside in-vitro fertilization — a procedure where fertilized embryos are screened for harmful genes before implantation.
Others opt for prenatal detection, which allows doctors to deliver babies early — close enough to full-term to protect developmental health, but early enough to prevent tumour formation. After birth, these infants can be closely monitored for signs of cancer.
Disparities in treatment: how it’s being reduced
Treating retinoblastomas also raises equity concerns. Dr. Dimaras explained that while highincome countries like Canada can often restore vision in retinoblastoma patients, survival rates in
low- to middle-income countries sit at just 30 per cent.
Dimaras then displayed a world map from her lab showing global retinoblastoma cases alongside treatment centres, revealing that the regions with the highest number of cases have the fewest facilities, leaving the most vulnerable population with limited access to treatment. Fortunately, progress has been made to address this disparity. Dr. Dimaras highlighted the efforts of the Kenya National Retinoblastoma Strategy Group to improve survival rates in the country. The group has developed clinical guidelines to enhance the quality of care, partnered with international researchers like Dr. Dimaras, and coordinated patient referrals between treatment centres. This collaboration allows for shared care across countries, gradually increasing survival rates.
As retinoblastoma is a curable form of cancer, the World Health Organization has identified it as one of the global pediatric cancers to target, aiming to achieve optimal survival rates for children worldwide by 2030. Dr. Dimaras’ research and international collaboration are critical steps in improving outcomes for those affected by the disease.
Undetected contaminants: potential environmental hazards flying under the radar
Are we releasing more chemicals into the environment than we are monitoring?
Carolyn Liu-Kang Climate Crisis Correspondant
If you’ve recently been shopping for a water bottle or a food container, you may have looked out for the label, “BPA-free.” Bisphenol A (BPA) is a harmful plastic additive commonly found in food packaging and receipt papers and has been shown to act as a hormone disruptor. For example, it interferes with estrogen binding to its receptors, which renders that hormone useless to the body.
Or perhaps you’ve switched your non-stick pan for a stainless steel one after reports on perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of chemicals that can leach into the environment and potentially harm human health.
BPA and PFAS are examples of synthetic chemicals widely detected in everyday products. Their environmental impact and toxicity have been extensively reported, capturing attention in both the media and scientific communities.
However, BPA and PFAS may only represent a small portion of a much larger list of harmful chemicals.
“Certain chemicals are widely studied and have striking data results,” said Derek Muir in an interview with The Varsity. Muir — an emeritus scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, adjunct professor at U of T’s Department of Chemistry, and a recent appointee to the Order of Canada — continued, “I don’t think people are really that aware of the sheer numbers you see,” referring to the vast amount of chemicals being produced and used.
So, just how many chemicals are we talking about? According to a 2020 Environmental Science and Technology paper, over 350,000 different chemicals and mixtures have been registered for production and use across 19 regions and countries studied. But amongst these, how many are actually leaching into our environment?
Chemical inventories don’t match up with environmental studies
In Muir’s 2023 review of chemicals in commerce, he found nearly 20,000 registered substances in the Chemical Abstract Services database whose impacts on the environment have been studied. Of these, only about nine per cent are included in the US Chemical Substance Inventory, meaning they’ve been catalogued for regulation, a crucial first step in assessing and managing their safety. When considering the inventories of China and the European Union — which together account for the largest manufacturing and consumption of chemicals — less than five per cent of the registered chemicals have been studied in the environment.
“It’s really a small subset of what is in commerce,” said Muir.
The same chemical analyzed, again and again
The ‘Matthew effect,’ where the majority of environmental measurements focus on a small number of compounds, often influences environmental scientists. In fact, the top 100
A crash course in molecular genetics
When Dr. Dimaras explored how to expand Kenya’s retinoblastoma genetic services, she examined the challenges surrounding the implementation of essential healthcare infrastructures. This involved a systematic review of existing literature on genetic testing in Kenya and evaluating labs already offering genetic services. Her findings highlighted the need for increased medical education, cultural understanding, improved patient and family counselling, and community engagement, to successfully expand these services.
Dr. Dimaras and her team developed an informational booklet on retinoblastoma genetics using human-centred design — a problem-solving approach that prioritizes user needs. Co-created with both patients and clinicians, the booklet outlines effective strategies for engaging patients in screening for retinoblastomas. By involving those directly affected by the disease in her research, she ensures that the results are more relevant and better meet the individual needs of patients.
URSA’s Synergy event and Dr. Dimaras’ presentation brought together life sciences students from several universities, offering valuable insights into ongoing cancer research for both undergraduate students and those in academia.
most studied chemicals account for 34 per cent of all the papers reviewed.
“There’s a tendency to go over and over the same chemicals,” commented Muir.
These measurements can be challenging. Muir explained: “There’s a limited number of toxicity tests, [of chemicals] that are analyzed and studied, and of analytical standards.” There is a concern about investing significant resources to search for a needle in the environmental haystack.
It’s not just the chemical that needs to be analyzed; sometimes, its degradation product — what the chemical breaks down into — can even be more lethal. A notable example is 6PPD, a chemical widely used in vehicle tires, whose oxidized product has caused decades of acute salmon mortality in Seattle and its surrounding regions.
The future of environmental chemical screening
“There seems to be… no formal regulatory process to require they be analyzed in environmental media,” said Muir. So, how can we improve chemical screening in the
environment?
One possible solution would be to ask manufacturers to provide a reference chemical compound. This would create a baseline for analyzing environmental samples. Rather than spending resources searching for new chemicals, efforts could be directed toward monitoring the presence of known chemicals and tracking their pathways through the environment.
The second approach is turning to computational models that can predict the fate of organic molecules once released into the environment — without lifting a pipette. “A lot of the models are often quite good, really,” he added.
Lastly, artificial intelligence is becoming an important tool. With a growing number of chemicals being manufactured and used and limited resources for environmental scientists, ongoing efforts are being handed over to algorithms to find solutions.
So, the next time you walk down the kitchen supply aisle at your local store, you may need to look out for more than just the BPA-free label.
Synergy was a one-day conference held by the undergraduate research students association at U of T. ABBY RUSSCHEN/THE VARSITY
XIN WREN SHAN/THE VARSITY
Parking garage below King’s College is home to Canada’s largest urban geoexchange system
Think sustainability is costly? Project LEAP says otherwise
Harshit
Gujral, Kelechi Nwokeocha, Celina Mankarios Varsity Contributors
In Canada, burning fossil fuels for electricity amounts to about 45 per cent of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A complete overhaul of fossil fuel energy systems is already underway, with Canada aiming to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Nevertheless, as climate disasters become increasingly volatile, finding new heat generation methods remains critical. One of these solutions is a geoexchange system (GES), which uses stable underground
temperatures to provide year-round heating and cooling efficiently.
The temperature 100-200 metres underground rests at around 10 degrees Celsius all year, and the GES uses heat pumps to harness this steady underground temperature to manage heating and cooling for several buildings on campus. U of T’s late Professor Frank Hooper was among the first to demonstrate GES’s feasibility in the Toronto climate.
More than just parking spaces
Beneath King’s College Circle lies Canada’s
largest urban GES. During a tour of the system, we learned that, as part of the larger Project LEAP, GES is not only eco-friendly, but also economically viable.
The overall cost of Project LEAP was $138 million, which includes upgrading current equipment and building optimization in addition to the geoexchange integration. However, after its integration, this savvy investment won’t cost the university extra in utility bills. Over the next few decades, it is projected that the system will ultimately generate more money than it costs.
The secret of the GES’s economic viability lies in its incredible efficiency. Heat pumps can produce between two to three times more heating than their consumption of electrical energy. GESs are also less visibly invasive than
Turning worms into robots
Professor Xinyu Liu’s lab develops automated injection, light-controlled locomotion for C. elegans
Aakash Anil
Varsity Contributor
We’ve seen robotic cars and humanoid assistants, but have you ever seen a robotic worm? On January 31, Professor Xinyu Liu from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering presented a talk at U of T’s Robotics Institute on the robotic manipulation and characterization of small model organisms. Professor Liu and his team study robotics as an “enabling technology for experimental studies of living biological samples such as cells, tissues, and organisms.”
Nematodes in research:
The star of the show
The star of Professor Lui’s recent research is a squiggly little worm called Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a nematode.
Nematodes — a class of worms that feed on smaller micro-organisms — have been the model of success for several Nobel Prize winners in medicine and physiology in the past 25 years, including the 2024, 2006, and 2002 prizes. The reason for the ubiquity of C. elegans in biological research is its simplicity.
It only has 302 neurons — the dominant cells in our nervous system — which have been completely mapped by researchers, making it a good choice for studying nerves, which function similarly in more complex organisms like ourselves. For reference, our own nervous system contains about 86 billion neurons. C. elegans are also used in genetic studies because it is easy to modify the worm’s genome
— the entire set of genetic code found in a cell. Additionally, nematodes like C. elegans can be bred easily as they have short lifespans of about a month and thrive at room temperature.
Professor Liu’s experimental innovations
However, conducting research with C. elegans also presents unique challenges, one of which involves injecting the worms with foreign material. In genetic studies, scientists modify an organism’s DNA by injecting new genes into the worm using a microneedle. The traditional process of manually injecting them is difficult and highly skill-dependent, with a 30 per cent success rate.
Liu’s lab created a machine that uses microfluidics — technology that manipulates fluids flowing through minuscule channels — to funnel the worms one at a time to an injection site. The injection site is a narrow tube that squeezes the worm and immobilizes it. Once the worm is in the narrow tube, a cameraguided microneedle injects genetic material into the worm. This robotic implementation had a success rate of 80 per cent, which is much higher than manual injections.
But Liu’s work doesn’t end there. His lab is also working to turn Nematode worms into ‘robots’ whose movements can be guided according to researcher instructions. This is done through optogenetics — a powerful technology that allows for fast, targeted, and precise control of different components of biological systems depending on their selective response to light.
Neurons facilitate movement by electrically
stimulating muscle cells. Liu and his team use optogenetics to control different neurons and what muscle cells they stimulate, which allows scientists the same control over model organisms such as C. elegans. Using optogenetic methods, genes that selectively respond to certain lights were inserted into an organism’s genome. As a result, whenever researchers shined a blue light on a muscle, for example, it would contract.
Liu also needed to ensure the worm’s neurons were not independently causing the muscles to contract. To prevent this they used a chemical to temporarily disrupt the signal
other energy projects. These systems stay hidden underground compared to the large spaces required by other renewable energy systems like wind farms or solar arrays.
Once installed, the surface can be restored, minimizing long-term impacts on aboveground biodiversity. However, although the risk of the pipes leaching into groundwater reserves is minimal, it exists, as with any energy-generating system.
Toward regenerative sustainability: Project LEAP
Project LEAP is U of T’s ambitious initiative to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by over 50 per cent by 2027 for the St. George campus, advancing its climate-positive strategy by a decade — well ahead of the 2050 estimate.
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gases from sources owned or controlled by the university — like heating buildings or operating university vehicles. Scope 2 emissions are the indirect greenhouse gases from the electricity purchased and used by the university.
Project LEAP features the GES, district energy modernization — which includes the addition of electric boilers and heat pumps — energy-efficient building retrofits optimization, embodying the university’s ambitious strategy toward regenerative sustainability. This approach goes beyond merely reducing environmental harm — it aims to actively restore the environment.
U of T is trying to establish a model that addresses current environmental challenges and paves the way for financial viability. The GES helps reduce energy use intensity by over 40 per cent and eliminates more than 400,000 tons of carbon emissions incrementally, equivalent to removing 122,000 gas-powered cars from the road. Project LEAP is expected to save nine million dollars during the first year all its components are operational — an amount sure to increase in the future.
It’s clear that sustainable initiatives can indeed be economically viable, and you can even implement them in your home. Advocate for similar sustainable projects within your sphere of influence, and see what a heat pump can do in your household.
from the neuron to the muscle cells, paralyzing the worm. They could now use lights to control the motion of the worm by contracting different muscles, allowing them to manipulate it into navigating a maze, which is a significant step forward.
The fact that worms can be directed by researchers to such a high degree of accuracy, highlights future possibilities where these worms can be used to push objects or soft electronics from one place to another. Sure, it is a little unsettling that scientists can control living worms with a flickering light, but in the name of science, isn’t it exciting?
U of T’s geoexchange system shows the economic benefits of sustainability.
LILA MAEROV & MEDHA SURAJPAL/THE VARSITY
March 4, 2025
thevarsity.ca/section/sports sports@thevarsity.ca
Season review: What’s next for the Varsity Blues Men’s Basketball?
be missed next year as the Blues aim for a return to the postseason.
After missing the playoffs, the Blues will need to rebuild in the off-season
Taimoore Yousaf Associate Sports Editor
On February 17, the Toronto Varsity Blues men’s basketball team closed out their 2024–2025 season with a 77–53 away win over the McMaster Marauders.
The team finished their season with a 9–13 record, placing fourth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Central division. Just one year after making a historic run to the OUA semifinals, the Blues missed out on a postseason berth.
Toronto’s season was certainly a rollercoaster. The team started strong with a 4–2 record in their first six games, including an impressive 84–67 victory over the TMU Bold in the inaugural Metro Hoops Classic and a 114–41 beatdown of the Algoma Thunderbirds.
However, the season then took a downturn as the team suffered an eight-game losing streak. This significantly reduced the Blues’ playoff hopes, especially considering they were in
a strong division this season. Despite the rough stretch, it was crucial for the team to recover and finish the season strong. That’s exactly what Toronto did, defeating division rivals Brock Badgers and the Marauders to close out their campaign.
Although it was an overall disappointing season for the Blues, it was still a joy to watch the team, especially due to the excellent play of Inãki Alvarez, who led the team with 17.2 points per game, and Lenny Weber, who led the OUA with 8.9 rebounds per game. Their on-court chemistry and playmaking elevated the team, producing several highlight moments throughout the season. These included Alvarez reaching the 1,000-point milestone in his final home game against Brock, and Weber scoring a career-high 29 points against the Marauders in his final game.
The two stars were part of this year’s graduating class, which also included standout players Anthony Daudu, David Ramirez, and Quarry Whyne. Their leadership and talents will
Canada trumps US in 4 Nations Face-Off final The
sport of hockey wins in return of best-on-best tournament
Takeuchi Sports Editor
Hockey is Canada’s sport.
In Boston’s TD Garden on February 20, Connor McDavid scored a dramatic overtime winner against the US to secure the 4 Nations Face-Off final for Canada.
McDavid’s shot was reminiscent of Sidney Crosby’s historic golden goal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Like the 2010 team, this year’s Team Canada was defeated by the US in the preliminary round before turning it around and securing an iconic sudden-death winner when it mattered the most.
Despite concerns that the tournament would be a glorified exhibition tournament, the onice event proved to be a highly competitive, thoroughly entertaining affair.
Considering the heated political tensions between Canada and the US, the tournament took on an added layer of significance, serving as a sporting battleground over national pride — especially for us folks up north in the ‘51st state.’ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — or the “governor” of Canada — put it best when he posted on X after the game: “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
The return of best-on-best
The 4 Nations Face-Off is an in-season tournament organized by the NHL between Canada, the US, Sweden, and Finland.
Since the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships, NHL players have not had the chance to compete internationally for their nations due to failed negotiations between the NHL, National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA), the IIHF, and the International Olympic Committee over insurance, revenue, liability and scheduling, as well as the pandemic.
The tournament was also the first international competition organized by the NHL since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto. But with the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s safe to say that best-on-best tournaments are well and truly back.
In the immense hype leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NHL also announced that the league’s players will be allowed to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympics, for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. The NHL also announced during the tournament that the
World Cup of Hockey would return for its fourthever iteration in 2028, leaving much for fans to be excited about in upcoming years.
Canada’s tournament
On February 12, Canada opened the Face-Off with a solid 4–3 overtime victory against Sweden in Montréal. The highlight of the game was undoubtedly Nathan MacKinnon’s power-play goal just 56 seconds into the game after the three greatest Canadian forwards of our generation — McDavid, Crosby, and MacKinnon — combined on a tic-tac-toe play during their first-ever shift together in Team Canada red.
It was a moment that left hockey fans frothing at the mouth — a once-in-a-generation moment.
On February 15, the team then fell convincingly to the US 3–1. It was a heated affair from puck drop, as the tournament produced yet another iconic moment when, immediately after the puck dropped, three back-to-back fights broke out in the span of nine seconds. If this didn’t fire up some Northern patriotism, I’m not sure what would. It was a moment you would only see in an NHL-run game, as fighting is illegal in IIHF and Olympic tournaments.
Needing a win to advance past the round-robin stage, Team Canada then dispatched Finland 5–3 on February 17 to give the Canadains a chance
Looking ahead, the Varsity Blues’ men’s basketball program appears to be entering a new era. A year after 2023–2024 OUA MVP Callum Baker’s graduation, the team will now be graduating a stellar class of players, including its top three scorers this season: Alvarez, Weber, and Whyne.
The Blues need a new infusion of talent to usher in a new chapter. They made a great first step by recruiting high school forward Joe BaggaleyLacarte, officially announcing his commitment on February 26. He is projected to be a high upside two-way player who can contribute immediately and develop into a star.
Furthermore, returning players like Simeon Jeffers and Nigel Hylton will look to thrive in larger roles. Jeffers scored a season-high 22 points against the 18–4 Lakehead University Thunderwolves, highlighting his potential to become the team’s go-to scorer next year.
After a challenging season, the Blues face a critical juncture in the program’s evolution. Replacing key players such as Alvarez and Weber will not be easy, but successful programs adapt and consistently find ways to win. For Varsity Blues men’s basketball, this offseason presents a chance to lay the foundation for future success.
tournament became a point of pride for many Canadians, who were not going to give the United States any satisfaction — symbolic or otherwise — in our own national sport. The symbolic sporting resistance predated the tournament, as basketball and hockey fans booed the US national anthem in the weeks leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off.
To raise the stakes even further, Trump personally called Team USA before the gold medal game to wish them luck, in addition to hammering home the ‘51st state’ rhetoric on Truth Social — a social media app founded by Trump — the day of the final.
Some American players, such as JT Miller, stated in a press conference that the call was “pretty cool. [It was] so awesome to hear the support… It’s a pretty big deal for him to take time out of his schedule to talk to us… It’s been really fun so far to see the support from everybody up to the president, it’s been pretty wild.”
Hockey wins big
at redemption in the gold medal game.
In one of the most exhilarating games of twentyfirst-century hockey, the tournament reached its climax on February 20 as Canada won it all with a score of 3–2 against the US in overtime. MacKinnon was named tournament MVP as Team Canada secured their third consecutive best-on-best tournament gold.
Political power plays
While the on-ice performances were dramatic on their own, the international political climate truly set the stage for an electric tournament.
In my opinion, Russia has the third-best roster in the world. However, the team was not invited to the tournament due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In a press release, the IIHF stated that it “believes it is not yet safe to reintegrate the Russian and Belarusian National and Club Teams” to international tournaments. In other sports, many governing bodies have taken a similar stance. It is furthermore unclear whether Team Russia will be able to participate at next year’s Olympics.
Closer to home, the tournament was underscored by the recent friction in Canada-US relations. Following President Donald Trump’s continued tariff threats and insulting rhetoric surrounding the annexation of Canada, the
In terms of viewership and participation, hockey lags far behind the other ‘Big Four’ North American sports. Even soccer, which has a historically weaker foothold in North America, has surpassed the NHL in popularity in recent years. Amid a lull in hockey popularity, the 4 Nations Face-Off was an unrivaled success in igniting interest in the sport.
The tournament replaced the annual NHL AllStar Game, which took place in Toronto last year.
Following criticisms of the lacklustre NBA and NFL all-star events, the 4 Nations Face-Off seems to be on another level in terms of an entertainment product. This was reflected in the record viewership numbers, as ESPN reported that the final was their all-time most-watched hockey game with 16.1 million viewers — 9.3 million in the US and 6.3 million in Canada — tuned into the game. With these numbers, the NHL was able to successfully leverage the relatively quiet sports calendar between the Super Bowl and the new MLB season with the tournament.
Following the media hype surrounding the tournament, American superstar Matthew Tkachuk appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where he would go on to describe the final game as “the biggest game of his career” — lofty words coming from a player less than a year out from winning a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.
In a high-stakes clash marked by dramatic on-ice heroics and off-ice political tension, Team Canada seized the 4 Nations Face-Off title to secure the country a much-needed moment of unity. But this wasn’t just a win for Canada — it was a win for the entire sport of hockey.
Jake
Inãki Alvarez reached 1000 career points this season.
COURTESY ARU DAS CC VARSITY BLUES
AUDREY KIM/THE VARSITY
The history of the Varsity Stadium
How the iconic Toronto venue has fostered Canadian athletics
Alaina Tsimicalis Varsity Contributor
U of T is known for its academics but has also established a strong foundation for athletics in Toronto and wider Canada. The Varsity Stadium, located at Bloor and Bedford Road, was first founded in 1898 and remains the oldest sports stadium in the city.
The
history of The Varsity Stadium
The Varsity Stadium has been, and continues to be, a proud landmark in U of T’s history; however, it hasn’t always looked the same as it does today.
While the field opened in 1898, the original stadium was not actually built until 1911, providing the university with a more dedicated space for athletic events.
In the early 2000s, the original stadium faced
outcast revenue — leading to its demolition for safety reasons.
The transformation into the present-day Varsity Stadium was neither inexpensive nor small in scale, as it took place in three major phases. Between 2002 and 2006, the construction of the current Varsity Stadium cost the university $21.7 million. While the field and surrounding track of the original stadium were preserved, 1,500 temporary seats were added to host intercollegiate or U SPORT games while the new stadium was built. It also now features a FIFA two-star-rated turf field and a winter dome for year-round use.
The second phase of the project led to the construction of the Varsity Pavilion in 2009, which cost $9.5 million. It serves as the main entrance for both the Stadium and Varsity Arena. The final phase, which saw the addition of the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport in 2014, came
Kimel Family Field House.
The total cost for the entire state-of-the-art Varsity Centre amounted to an estimated $98 million. More than simply a sporting facility, U of T’s Varsity Centre serves as a hub for current and future athletic achievement, while also providing cutting-edge infrastructure for research, all while upholding the university’s tradition of excellence.
Toronto icons are born
Before becoming the beloved Toronto Argonauts Football team, in 1872, U of T students established the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club. The club saw the addition of football as a way for rowers to have another outlet for fun beyond rowing.
While other Toronto-based teams were also playing football around this time, the Argonauts emerged as the best — the team has a league record 19 Grey Cups. Some of their competitors
Grey Cup games, solidifying Toronto’s status as a national sports landmark.
Another notable Toronto icon with deep ties to the Varsity Stadium is Bruce Kidd, a renowned track and field athlete who competed in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Like U of T, he is known for both sporting and academic excellence. Kidd remains an honoured Blues’ member and is the founding dean of FKPE, as well as professor emeritus.
To celebrate his achievements, the FKPE is home to the Bruce Kidd Field House located in the Benson Building in the Athletic Centre. The facility is frequented by students for workouts, Varsity Blue training, or even to catch up on school work.
The Varsity Stadium has also played a key role in boosting professional soccer in Toronto. In the 1980s, the Varsity Stadium was home to the Toronto Blizzards, the city’s very first professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League. This helped grow the popularity of soccer in Toronto, paving the way for the eventual rise of Major League Soccer in the city.
Furthermore, what do you and one of the greatest soccer legends, Pelé, have in common?
The Formula 1 2025 season preview
An even playing field promises chaos on the track
— who left Mercedes after a performance slump is hoping to get his impressive eighth title with Ferrari. Will he finally become the undisputed GOAT of F1?
on the grid who is still hungry for a third title after a 19-year drought. But is it all just wishful thinking?
You have both walked the grounds of the Varsity Stadium. In 1971, Santos FC, Pelé’s club team, played an exhibition match against Italy’s Bologna FC at Varsity Stadium. This iconic sporting moment drew a massive crowd of 26,000 fans who had the chance to see the Brazilian icon in person. The
In March, the 2025 Formula 1 (F1) season begins, and it’s gearing up to be one of the greatest ones in the history of the sport. With shocking driver swaps and an unprecedented addition of six rookies on the grid at once, anything could happen. With this much going on, let’s break down what we might expect to see from the F1 teams in the following months.
McLaren
Being the current Constructors’ Champions, McLaren is one of the few teams to keep their driver lineup from last year. With two strong drivers in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — will the team be divided?
In 2024, Norris won his first Grand Prix in his sixth season, and was a frontrunner for the drivers’ championship. However, he was only able to reach second place since McLaren hesitated to prioritize him. Will McLaren learn from their mistakes this year?
Although Piastri is only two seasons in, his driving ability is already on par with that of his senior, Norris. Per Papaya Rules — McLaren’s internal rules on how and when their drivers should race each other as opposed to holding position — will McLaren let their drivers battle it out on track?
Ferrari
The Italian team are challenging McLaren to the wire for the Constructors’ Championship. How will Ferrari stack up this year, harbouring one of the GOATs on their team?
Charles Leclerc, “il Predestinato.” Can he be the predestined one for Ferrari, or will that title fall to his formidable new teammate?
Lewis Hamilton, the man who needs no introduction. The seven-time world champion — the joint highest of all time with Michael Schumacher
Red Bull
Will 2025 spell the downfall of Red Bull? With the end of their two-year reign as Constructors’ Champions; their loss of key personnel, such as sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and aerodynamics guru Adrian Newey; and a second seat cursed to remain as their number two, it isn’t looking too good for the team.
Despite a lacklustre car, Max Verstappen still managed to secure his fourth title. Can he secure his fifth despite the growing competition?
Liam Lawson, on the other hand, is rookie #1ish — the driver enters his first full season as a driver. Can he hold onto his new Red Bull seat even after a long-time stint as a reserve driver and a seat on the sister/junior team, Racing Bulls?
Mercedes
Determined to restore their Hamilton-era glory, but hopelessly without the man himself: how will Mercedes perform without their superstar team lead?
The newly promoted first driver, George Russell, has been eagerly waiting in the wings for three long seasons for his chance to prove himself. But can he finally show that he isn’t the same crash-prone driver he always was?
Kimi Antonelli, rookie #2. The wunderkind who won all the junior series before Formula 3 then skipped to Formula 2. But the question remains: was he promoted too soon?
Aston Martin
After buying Red Bull’s miracle aerodynamicist, can Aston Martin buy glory too? Or are seats for nepobabies the limit to how far their wallet can reach?
The two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, is the oldest and most experienced driver
Lance Stroll’s daddy bought him the team and seat but couldn’t buy him results. Will the only active Canadian driver finally achieve something with his new aerodynamicist?
Alpine
The French team kicked out a driver before the last race and has shady management. Will Alpine’s 2025 team bring more scandal?
The #1 of last year’s chaotic French duo: was Pierre Gasly the problem, or can he make peace with his new teammate?
Rookie #3, Jack Doohan, was just alright in F2, but his father is five-time motorcycle champion Mick Doohan. Will he live up to his father’s legacy, or will he be replaced mid-season by the popular but seatless Franco Colapinto?
Haas
The only American team were the ‘best of the rest’ last season, but will that change with their brandnew driver lineup?
Esteban Ocon was #2 of last year’s chaotic French duo, with a tendency to crash into his teammates. Will he spare rookie #4ish Ollie Bearman?
Bearman had three stellar drives for Ferrari and Haas as a reserve driver. But how well will he fare when he’s driving for himself?
Racing Bulls
Depending on the driver, Red Bull’s sister/junior team. Can they decide their purpose and come up with a less confusing name?
Despite being in Racing Bulls for three years and outperforming all his teammates, Yuki Tsunoda was still passed over for the open Red Bull seat. Will he finally leave the Red Bull family?
Isack Hadjar, rookie #5 and the runner-up in the F2 championship. Will his previous results translate to F1 victory?
Williams
The English team of legends are determined to restore their ’90s glory. Is that a pipe dream?
The “Smooth Operator,” Carlos Sainz, had to leave Ferrari when Sir Lewis Hamilton came knocking. Are Sainz’s glory days truly over? On the other hand, Alex Albon has beaten all his Williams teammates for the past three years. How will he stand next to an ex-Ferrari driver?
Kick Sauber
For Kick Sauber, this season is just filler until 2026 when Audi takes over, just in time for new regulations. Until then, let’s hope they stay away from coming dead last.
Nico Hülkenberg, the former Haas driver, brought that car to new heights. Can he do the same to a Sauber?
Gabriel Bortoleto is rookie #6. The F2 and F3 back-to-back champion is stuck at the back of the grid. Can he work his way back up to the top?
Key races and dates
• Australian Grand Prix: March 16 The season opener! Who will take the lead?
• Monaco Grand Prix: May 25 The classic F1 race along the Monégasque harbour. How will cars execute the 180-degree hairpin turn?
• Brazilian Grand Prix: November 9 — A difficult track and unpredictable weather is a recipe for chaos. What surprises await?
• Las Vegas Grand Prix: November 22 — The modern F1 race with all the glitz and glamour. Who will cross the chequered flag first on the Vegas Strip?
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: December 7 — The season closer. If championships go down to the wire, who will win?
• FIA Awards Ceremony: End of December Winning drivers and teams will receive championship trophies. Who will attend?
Callie Zhang
Associate Senior Copy Editor
The Blues’ homeground is rife with athletic history. JASON WANG/THE VARSITY
CHLOE WESTON/THE VARSITY
1 Polynesian wrap 7 What law students hope to pass
“Doctor Who” airer, familiarly
Captain Underpants’’ catchphrase
“Ta-da!”
19 Like the new Nosferatu movie (but not the old one), in US spelling 21 “What _____!” (“That’’s funny!”)
22 *His 15th album, and my favorite. Replete with tension from his struggling marriage, it sounds like someone run over by a train
Classic film cowboy Lash ___ 27 Provided for, as a widow
Just one fits all
___-Wan Kenobi
Syn suffix 35 Aliens, for short
Ghostspeak
“Jesus ___”
“___-haw!”
Chinese chairman
French negatives 43 Olympic entrant, abbr. 44 Chewable plant in Arabia
45 The “A” in A.D.
47 Business degree
48 Theologian Reinhold who wrote the Serenity Prayer
50 *His 9th album. Slipping into country with softer and more romantic tunes, it sounds like a city’s horizon.
53 Canon competitor
Moves, in real estate lingo
Mina ___, ESPN sports reporter
Nervous ___
66 The vet e.g.
Bests
68 Words after “Because”
Second largest continent
1 GO stop, abbvr.
“Agatha All Along” actress Ali
Not blue?
One for the Bob Dylan fans
U of T Connections
Kaiyo Freyder Varsity Contributor
Jake Takeuchi Sports Editor
Dylan at the Civil Rights March at Washington, D.C., 1963. COURTESY OF ROWLAND SCHERMAN CC WIKIMEDIA COMMONS