Issue 2 (September 15, 2026)

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

September 15, 2026

Vol. CXLVII, No. II

BUSINESS

HOW INDUSTRIES ARE ADOPTING AI a look at ai and its use across different sectors, for better or worse RAINA PROULX-SANYAL Senior Copy Editor On May 15, the former CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, gave a commencement speech at the University of Arizona. When he compared the development of artificial intelligence (AI) with the introduction of the computer, the crowd of students reacted with boos. In response to the vocal backlash, Schmidt said, “There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, that politics is fractured, and that you are inheriting a mess that you did not create, and I understand that fear.” While it is left to the audience to decide if Schmidt, a billionaire, truly understands the fear of an unknown future that AI creates for new graduates, the students’ reason for apprehension can be better understood by looking at the varying degrees to which AI has been adopted across different industries.

the café in wilson hall is operated by adults with developmental disabilities ARUNVEER SIDHU Deputy News Editor

The prevalence of AI To understand AI, it is important to understand how it works. A major application of AI involves machine learning, which is training AI and its algorithms on patterns in large data sets to make predictions from new data, automate decision-making, or provide personalized services. This can manifest as diagnosing diseases, detecting financial fraud, or even making personalized product recommendations to returning customers.

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why you should join an intramural team

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FEATURE

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re-aim calls for full reinstatement of the aim clinic at uhn

SCIENCE

Located in a small corner next to the lounge at Wilson Hall, Coffee Shed — a social enterprise where adults with developmental disabilities can become non-share capital partners — serves freshly brewed coffee, baked goods, and various other confectioneries. Every purchase helps support the partners, as they share one-third of the revenue generated at their location. The rest of the revenue is used to pay for rent, cost of goods sold, and other business operations. The Coffee Shed is one of the social enterprises run by the Common Ground Co-Operative (CGC), a nonprofit organization home to a total of 53 partners who are trained and supported by the job coaches. The CGC also runs two additional social enterprises in Toronto: Lemon & Allspice and CleanABLE. The Coffee Shed and CGC’s journey began with a mother named Carolyn Lemon and her daughter, Cathy Lemon, who has Down syndrome. Cathy, who aspired to own a bakery and sell cookies, set up a table near the entrance of the Community Living building at 20 Spadina Road and began selling donuts and coffee with her friends. This eventually led to the creation of Lemon & Allspice. The CGC was incorporated after its creation as a nonprofit organization to help with job coaching, finances, other business operations, and ensuring fair payment to all partners.

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NEWS

THE COFFEE SHED — MORE THAN JUST A CAFÉ

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NEWS

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.

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THE VARSITY Vol. CXLVII, No. 2 21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5S 1J6 (416) 946-7600

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MASTHEAD Junia Alsinawi Editor-in-Chief

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Callie Zhang Managing Editor, External

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Prekshaa Surana Assistant News Editor

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Zaneb Asad Opinion Editor

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Audrey Kim Business & Labour Editor

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Bushra Boblai Arts & Culture Editor

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Lauren Robinson Science Editor

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Joining Clubs Adrian Fatahillah

The Coffee Shed — more than just a café Continued from cover:

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Gabriella Wrona Long-form Video Editor

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Emily Shen Front End Web Developer

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Sataphon Obra Back End Web Developer

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Lead Copy Editors: Roya Alisultanova, Harbanee Kaur, Taqwaa Kazi Copy Editors: Shahad Abed, Malaika Ali, Harman Banga, Daniel Brunt, Doris Chen, Maheen Chowdhury, Keira Clinton, Paige Franko, Lakshmi Gokul, Cassandra Iadipaolo, Simra Javaid, Lucia McLaren, Elshaday Nebiyou, William Nguyen, Jasmine Noone, Rubab Shamsi, Madiha Syed, Elena Zjalic

(Pictured from left to right) Mike Disenhouse, Andrea Di Caro-Bent, and Nazia Fatah sat down with The Varsity to discuss the Coffee Shed.

Designers: Simona Berardocco, Laiba Malik, Luna Zeng

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Cover: Chloe Weston

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The Varsity is the University of Toronto’s largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. It is printed by Master Web Inc. . on recycled newsprint stock. Content © 2026 by The Varsity. All rights reserved. Any editorial inquiries and/or letters should be directed to the sections associated with them; emails listed above. The Varsity reserves the right to edit all submissions. Inquiries regarding ad sales can be made to ads@thevarsity.ca. ISSN: 0042-2789

ARUNVEER SIDHU Deputy News Editor ... The partners — a lived experience Responsible for operating Coffee Shed’s New College location are partners Mike Disenhouse and Nazia Fatah, both of whom took the time to sit down with The Varsity to discuss their experience running day-to-day operations and their business goals.

Disenhouse has been a part of the CGC since 2005, when he began an apprenticeship in January and became an official partner in April of that year. At that time, he operated a different Coffee Shed location, which closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Coffee Shed reopened in Wilson Hall, and Disenhouse was one of the partners operating this location. Fatah began operating the Coffee Shed at New College as a partner “somewhere between 2003 and 2004.”

Before its reopening in 2022, Coffee Shed was a part of New College for over two decades, starting as a “two-week trial table” in Wetmore Hall during April 2003 before officially opening its doors there in October 2003. In 2006, The Varsity interviewed partners Petra and Rachel, who were operating Coffee Shed at the time. When Disenhouse isn’t operating the Coffee Shed at New College, he is heavily involved in other business practices with the CGC. This includes being a member of the joint advisory committee made up

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

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Aries (March 21 – April 19) On Thursday, Chiron moves its retrograde from Taurus to Aries. This week will present an opportunity to heal old, soul level wounds. Notice when you silence yourself; repression will not be the way out. Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Your Wi-fi will not be as fast as you wish this week. Something harmless will be overblown over text, and easily resolved in person. Others just want to see that you care — demonstrate that, and your connection will strengthen. Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Ask yourself, did you find what you were looking for? The middle of the week will be draining, but the weekend will bring balance again. Resist the allure of working alone. Cancer (June 21 – July 22) You will not sleep well this week, and you know exactly why. Partner Alessia Bruni’s artwork for the Coffee Shed. ARUNVEER SIDHU/THEVARSITY

of partners from the different social enterprises, job coaches, executive directors, and a board member. The experience of being a business partner with Coffee Shed provides Disenhouse with the opportunity to develop leadership skills and gain entrepreneurial experience. Disenhouse described Coffee Shed as a place that is “free from discrimination… like teasing people and… free from harassing and stuff like that.” He also appreciates being able to work together as a team. When asked about her experience working with the job coaches, Fatah described them as “nice” and said that “working with the job coaches is good.” What makes their coffee unique? Not only is it freshly brewed for every customer, but Fatah emphasizes how “the coffee [they] make is fair trade organic, no chemicals.” Currently, Fatah doesn’t have any future plans: “I feel happy working here at the Coffee Shed.” Fatah and Disenhouse “want to attract almost everyone inside U of T and out, so we can make enough money to help pay the bills.” Disenhouse added, “We want to make sure [the greater U of T community] knows what the business is about.” He further explained that they “want to make sure it’s a success, [because] if [U of T students] don’t come here… [our] business won’t exist.” On the wall next to the cash register is a poster of the Coffee Shed and CGC’s mission statement and commitments. It represents the history of the business with its old logos, but it has also been decorated by the partners. When asked about it, Disenhouse said, “We want to decorate our Coffee Shed… we want to make sure we have this logo […] We want to sell coffee.”

When describing the involvement of the job coaches and their own experience running dayto-day operations, Disenhouse said, “We run the business, we run the show, but the job coaches are here to help.” The partners — blending business with art Another two partners who also operate the Coffee Shed at New College are Alessia Bruni and Rita Winkler, both of whom are artists. Bruni recreated Coffee Shed’s logo and an illustration of a coffee mug using diamond dots. During COVID, Winkler released a book, My Art, My World, which was introduced into the curriculum at U of T. Associate Professor Anne McGuire, Director of the Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity Department, responded to Winkler’s mother reaching out to discuss including it in two courses — CSE241: Introduction to Critical Disability Studies and CSE448: Disability and the Child — where students now study Winkler’s book and artwork. Involvement of CGC In an interview with The Varsity, Andrea Di CaroBent, program coordinator at CGC, emphasized the importance of social enterprises such as Coffee Shed. “It supports adults with developmental disabilities, dual diagnosis, or adults on the spectrum to have entrepreneurship skills, job skills training, independence… it builds a social life, a community for them, and it helps bring awareness to the community that they are a part of.” After business operations and expenses are paid for, the money that the partners make only goes to

them. “It does not go outside to any job coaches. Job coaches are paid through [CGC], which is a nonprofit agency, and we are fully funded through the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services.” “The more business [the partners] get, the more money they make,” Di Caro-Bent explained. Di Caro-Bent clarified that Coffee Shed is here to stay and that there is currently no risk to its operations at U of T. “U of T is a great support. The students are wonderful. The U of T staff, professors, [and] the facilities team are fantastic. They treat our business partners with respect.” When discussing discrimination, Di CaroBent said, “Business partners absolutely get that discrimination. They’re talked down to as if they’re children. They’re ignored, or they’re not talked to at all. And so, we really want to change how that is perceived from the community and how they interact with our business partners.” She also said that the CGC’s process for finding partners ensures “that nobody is left in… limbo.” If an apprentice isn’t accepted or wants to pursue a different opportunity, they are supported in that process: “If they come back and have questions to ask, or they need another referral, we’re still here, and we’re ready to help them.” A business partner has the choice to remain at one of CGC’s social enterprises or apply to a new employment opportunity: “There is no limit as to how long a business partner can stay with us. It’s when they are ready and comfortable to move on to the next level of employment.” The Coffee Shed is open Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Students spot bat in Gerstein

The library was closed early by security following safety concerns

Leo (July 23 – August 22) Thanks to Mars, your energy will be enough to sustain you forward until November. Time to put pedal to the metal while you still can. Keep working on your secret projects. Virgo (August 23 – September 22) Declutter your life. Once it is straightened up, consider hosting a party while the sun is still in your sign. Might as well invite someone new, perhaps a certain astrologist. Libra (September 23 – October 22) Your pace is admirable, but perhaps not sustainable. Do not be afraid to slow down, your coworkers would love a chance to catch up. Scorpio (October 23 – November 21) Your neighbour will be too loud sometime this week, but this is your chance for resolution. Play your music louder than usual. The consequences of your actions will not catch up to you this week. Not yet. Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) Jupiter is in the ninth house of your moon sign, which is significant. Especially at night. Keep your eyes up. Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) The asteroid Juno moves from retrograde into Capricorn starting Wednesday. Bring a calm energy into this shift, and your commitments will see improvement that day. Stop missing your mother’s calls too. Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) You will forget something significant to you this week. Before leaving home, double check that you don’t leave anything behind, your values included. Also, like, your wallet and keys and stuff. Pisces (February 19 – March 20) Stop defrauding yourself. Be sure to actually tap on the TTC this week, the Provincial Offences Officers (POO) will catch you at an unexpected moment.

NICHOLAS SOCHOLOTIUK Varsity Contributor A bat was seen flying through the rooms of the Gerstein Science Information Centre on Saturday, September 5, at around 2:00 pm. Students and staff were first made aware of the bat when it began circling the Wallace Room. Stifled screams could be heard from several students and a staff member at the Library Services Desk when, after a student reported the animal, it began swooping through the North Wing corridor, sometimes mere feet above people’s heads. The bat, doubling back between Wallace and the main hallway, eventually settled on a perch above a stairway. Angela Qin, a third year student who was in the library at the time, told The Varsity, “I think, you know, education is democratic, and we should do our best to provide resources to any creature that wants it.”

Back-to-school scaries take flight. ERIKA OZOLS/THEVARSITY

After security was made aware of the bat, they announced the library would be closing early, at around 3:10 pm, before ushering students out of the building. A spokesperson for the university confirmed to The Varsity that Gerstein Library “closed about two hours early as a result, and it did not affect the next scheduled opening.” When The Varsity asked about the protocol for dealing with bats and other animals in university buildings, the spokesperson said, “When bats are encountered in buildings, the university follows guidance provided by the City of Toronto and uses the services of a wildlife removal company.” The City of Toronto’s guidance includes avoiding all contact with bats, as they are a high-risk species for rabies. The university did not say whether similar incidents have happened before in Gerstein or any other campus building.

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The Breakdown: U of T incidental fee increases for 2026–2027

Full-time UTSG students will pay $33.03 more in incidental fees this year PREKSHAA SURANA Assistant News Editor

Full-time students at St. George campus will pay $33.03 more per session in incidentals due to increases in four categories of mandatory fees for the 2026–2027 academic year, according to an annual report from the University of Toronto’s Governing Council. The introduction or increase of compulsory non-tuition related fees is a regular process at U of T, with a long-term protocol in place for deciding such changes. Previous years have seen similar increases, in the range of $26 to $32.

Full-time UTSG students The combined charges for Health & Counselling, Student Services, Sport & Recreation, and Hart House have risen from $592.06 to $625.09, an increase of approximately 5.60 per cent. The proposals appeared on the University Affairs Board’s March 5 agenda alongside the divisions’ operating plans and budgets. Sport & Recreation has seen the largest dollar increase among the four categories, rising from $229.86 to $242.98 per session for full-time St. George students. The $13.12 increase represents a 5.71 per cent rise, as compared to the previous academic year. Health & Counselling has increased from $100.64 to $106.57, an additional $5.93, or 5.89 per cent: the largest per cent increase among the four charges.

The Student Services fee has risen by $6.94, from $120.21 to $127.15, representing a 5.77 per cent increase. The Hart House fee has also gone up from $141.35 to $148.39, an increase of $7.04 or 4.98 per cent. UTM, UTSC, and part-time students Fee increases have also taken place at UTM and UTSC. Full-time students at either campus must now pay $28.19 for Sport & Recreation and $4.56 for Hart House, up from $26.66 and $4.34 respectively. Together, charges have increased by $1.75 per session under the proposed fee schedule. Part-time St. George students also face higher charges. Their total fees across the four categories have risen from $118.41 to $125.02 per session, an increase of $6.61. ZOE MANTAS/THEVARSITY

The Varsity

Newswire Robarts reopens fifth floor after more than two years of renovation Francesca Verdoni, Varsity Contributor On September 8, Robarts Library reopened the fifth floor — including the Map & Data Library (MDL) — for student access after more than two years of renovation. The revamped floor consists of numerous study spaces varying between casual and traditional, an expanded computer lab, and group study rooms now available for booking. The MDL is filled with maps, atlases, and bounded data collections. The library will be hosting numerous workshops on the floor focusing on data-related topics. GO Transit and UP Express increased fareevasion fines by 300 per cent or more Caitlin Zhang, Varsity Contributor A new fines system for fare evasion on GO Transit and UP Express, approved by Metrolinx, took effect on September 8. It is expected to generate $6.79–$10.18 million in additional annual revenue. Riders travelling without valid fare will face fines ranging from $200 for a first offence to up to $1,000 for a sixth and subsequent offences. The provincial transit agency urged riders to tap at the start and end of every trip, have the right fare type if you have a student discount, and carry your ID. AC/DC concert cancelled as a result of Rogers Stadium damage Isabella Bixler, Varsity Contributor The AC/DC concert originally planned for September 16 at Rogers Stadium has been cancelled after the severe September 2 thunderstorms caused major damage to the venue. The temporary stadium remains under an unsafe building order after the collapse of the bleachers, which led Live Nation to close out its summer concert season early. Ahead of the 2027 season, portions of the bleachers will be removed and rebuilt. The venue is expected to reopen in May 2027. Ontario Science Centre lays off entire science department Aida Umar, Varsity Contributor The Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 employees — including its entire science department — as part of a major restructuring. Other departments affected include business development, security, and live exhibits. The province plans to build a new $1 billion Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place, which is expected to open by 2029. The layoffs have been criticized by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. The province says there will be “no change” to the centre’s science programming and some affected workers may be able to apply for new roles at the interim and permanent locations. What does the mayoral poll reveal for the upcoming election? Vanya Tahir. Varsity Contributor On September 9, Liaison Strategies posted the results of Toronto’s mayoral poll, revealing that 50 per cent of respondents favour current mayor Olivia Chow, 39 per cent Brad Bradford, and 10 per cent Chris Alexander. A survey of 1,000 Toronto residents showed that a major issue heading into the October 26 municipal election was affordability. “We’re seeing that cost of living pressure really being top of mind,” said David Valentin, principal at Liaison, in an interview with CBC. Valentin added that the top three candidates have yet to put forward detailed plans addressing said affordability concerns.

Sports

September 15, 2026 thevarsity.ca/section/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

Pickett/Schachter and Humana-Parades/Wilkerson step onto the podium. WILLIAM KUK/THEVARSITY

Canada continues to rise as a beach volleyball nation Star Canadian pairings claim double bronze finish in the Montréal Elite 16

WILLIAM KUK Sports Photographer From August 19–23, the world’s top beach volleyball talent made its way to Montréal to participate in the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16. The event delivered on all fronts, with dramatic matches and weather alongside 20,000 energetic fans. On the international stage, two Canadian teams claimed bronze medals to stake their claim as an emerging beach volleyball nation. The Varsity had the opportunity to attend the fiveday event and capture moments from several key matches.

What is the Beach Pro Tour and the Elite 16? The Beach Pro Tour is an annual international competition circuit staged in major cities around the world. The tour has three levels of tournaments: Futures, Challenge, and Elite 16. The Elite 16 features the highest level of competition. Montréal hosted its first Elite in 2023, in which Toronto-raised duo Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson triumphed on home soil. After winning silver at the Paris Olympics in 2024, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson returned to Montreal in 2025 to successfully defend their crown, entering this year eyeing the elusive three-peat on home sand.

Schachter puts one past Austrian blocker Paul Pascariuc in round of 12 match. WILLIAM KUK/THEVARSITY

The main draw Following the qualifying round on August 20, fans from all over the world made their way to Parc JeanDrapeau for the first day of play in the main draw. On the men’s side, Canadian 2024 Paris Olympian Sam Schachter paired with Guelph alum Jonathan Pickett to face off against Brazilian duo Evandro Oliveira and Arthur Lanci. As Canada’s top-ranked team in the tournament, they fought hard in their first match but fell short in two sets, losing 21–19, 21–18. Humana-Paredes/Wilkerson’s first match followed after, facing the Brazilian duo of Paris Olympic gold-medalist Ana Patrícia Ramos and

new partner Carol Horta. The fans were ecstatic to see one of the Olympic gold medalists in a rematch against Canada’s silver-winning duo. Two proved to be better than one, with Humana-Paredes/ Wilkerson comfortably defeating the Brazilians in straight sets, 21–12, 21–12. Post-match, The Varsity caught up with the winning duo to discuss the social causes shaping their careers off the sand. For Wilkerson — an outspoken advocate for collegiate sports development — the conversation centred on the fragile infrastructure of varsity athletics, particularly enhanced by recent news of McGill University’s decision to cut 25 sports teams for the 2026–2027 season.

Wilkerson pulls off a venomous block. WILLIAM KUK/THEVARSITY

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“The biggest takeaway… is honouring the support system around these athletes,” Wilkerson said. “There’s a lot of gratitude for the team that goes behind the athlete. I think we definitely need to… keep encouraging the people who are behind the scenes because they’re really making lifelong differences for these athletes.” Humana-Paredes, meanwhile, continues to leverage her Olympic platform for climate advocacy, warning that, if left unchecked, climate change will detrimentally impact the future of outdoor athletics. We asked about the positives of her continued advocacy and growing influence. “It’s been surprising how much positive reception I’ve received,” Humana-Paredes noted. “That topic can be polarizing for some reason… it becomes political when it’s really not. [Seeing] a lot of people support it and agree with what I’m saying… gives me hope that there’s a lot of care for the planet and for humanity. You’ve got to be an optimist here.” In the evening, the Canadians faced Lithuanian duo Monika Paulikienė and Ainė Raupelytė and confidently took the match in two sets, 21–13, 21– 16. The last pool play match for Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson came the following day against Brazil’s powerhouse duo Thâmela Coradello Galil/Victoria Lopes, who finished fourth in the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships. Continuing their excellent form, the Canadians prevailed again and finished the match in straight sets, 21–13, 21–18, to emerge top of their pool. Men’s playoffs Entering the knockout bracket on August 22 as the third seed in their pool, Canadians Schachter/ Pickett opened with a gutsy three-set victory over Austria’s Paul Pascariuc/Alexander Horst. In the third set, after some back-and-forth play, a rocket was sent over by Horst, but Schachter got a miraculous touch and sent the ball right back over onto Austria’s end line. Schachter himself was shocked, and he riled up the crowd with a mischievous look that screamed, “Oops, did I just do that?” With an 8–2 lead, Austria regained their rhythm following a team timeout, but the Canadians comfortably closed out the set, 15–12, to advance to the quarterfinals. The Canadian duo next faced the current top-ranked men’s team: Jacob Hölting Nilsson/ Elmer Andersson from Sweden. The Swedes came to Montréal hot off winning the European Beach Volleyball Championship the week prior, and having cruised their way through pool play with three wins straight, the Canadians faced a significant challenge.

A gorgeous double rainbow descends upon Parc Jean-Drapeau. WILLIAM KUK/THEVARSITY

Rising to the occasion, they traded blows with the Swedes for much of the first set, with neither side able to pull away. Unable to earn a sideout at 19–19, the Canadians took a team timeout. Pickett came back on the court to score a crucial sideout point, and Schachter followed up with an ace to steal the set away as the crowd roared. Fueled by the early advantage and the crowd’s exuberant energy, the Canadians came out swinging in the second set. Pickett earned an early block against Andersson to force an early timeout at 4–7. After the timeout, the Swedes were unable to adjust to the Canadian’s quality of play and fell further behind. At 20–17 with Canada serving, Schachter made a spectacular dive that allowed Pickett to swing and score mere seconds after blocking. Sweeping the Swedes 2–0, Schachter/Pickett stunningly pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament. Women’s playoffs In the quarterfinals, Humana-Paredes/Wilkerson faced 2025 World Champions, Latvians Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Samoilova. In an intense

opening set, Canada was the first to reach match point at 20–18. The World Champions persevered and pushed the set into overtime at 20–20, forcing Canada to take their own timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Humana-Paredes quickly earned a clutch sideout en route to closing out the set 22–20. Wilkerson dominated the second set, earning two pivotal blocks against Graudiņa to create an early lead that snowballed into a convincing 21–18 sweep for the Canadians and a ticket to the semifinals. Battling back for bronze Both Canadian squads faced heartbreak in the semifinals, bowing out in tight three-set thrillers against Brazilian tandems. Relegated to the bronze medal matches on August 23, neither team was ready to leave Montréal empty-handed. Facing Norway’s Hendrik Mol and Mathias Berntsen, Schachter and Pickett shook off an opening-set loss to win the exhilarating second frame, 28–26. Momentum carried into the third set, and the Canadians closed the match, 15–12,

to seal the pair’s first international podium finish together. The win marked Canada’s first men’s major tournament medal in 10 years. The road to bronze for the Canadian women brought storybook drama. After narrowly losing the first set in overtime to German team Svenja Müller/ Cinja Tillmann, Humana-Paredes/Wilkerson came back with a vengeance. They dominated the second set 21–12, sparked by a 10–1 opening run. An hour-long thunderstorm delay halted momentum, but fans returned to Parc Jean-Drapeau beneath a vivid double rainbow to witness an electric third set, with Human-Paredes/ Wilkerson defeating Müller/Tillmann, 18–16. With the success of the third Elite 16 in Montréal, beach volleyball is slowly becoming a marquee event for the city and country alike. The bronze medals captured by Humana-Paredes/Wilkerson and Schachter/Pickett mark the continued success of Canadians on the international stage. As the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approach, look out for continued impact from a program that is proving its staying power on the sand.

The crowd erupts as Humana-Parades/Wilkerson claim bronze. WILLIAM KUK/THEVARSITY

thevarsity.ca/section/sports

SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 7

Why you should join an intramural team

How to get involved with intramurals at U of T TAIMOORE YOUSAF, MISHAAL MOMIN Sports Editor, Varsity Contributor For many people, starting university can be difficult and intimidating. Intramurals offer an easy way to find your people. You get to play a sport you already enjoy — or maybe try something completely new — and spend time collaborating with the same group each week, which makes building connections feel easy. Intramurals are designed for a range of skill levels, and they welcome people of all backgrounds. If you are a competitive soul and want to prove you’re at the top of your game, or you simply want something fun to do outside of class, then intramurals are the activity for you. Why you should join One of the biggest reasons to give intramurals a chance is that they are open to everyone, and you do not have to be good at any sport. You are not trying out for a varsity team — making mistakes is part of the experience. At UTSC, the program specifically encourages players of all skill levels to attend tryouts, while UTSG offers different divisions for different levels of play. Intramurals are all about participation, so it is imperative that you show up, have fun, and give it your all. The time commitment is manageable, too. Students can expect roughly one game and one practice per week, equating to about five hours

total. This gives you something consistent to look forward to, all without taking up too much time in your busy U of T schedule. How do you join? The registration process differs between the three campuses, including which sports and facilities are available at each. At UTSG, the intramurals available include badminton, basketball, dodgeball, flag football, ice hockey, inner tube water polo, soccer, tennis, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball. Students can join through their college or faculty’s intramural representative. You do not need to arrive with a full team of friends — all interested students are grouped together to form teams. Once you are placed on a team, you can register through IMLeagues and get ready for the season ahead. Intramural teams are typically separated into three divisions: “mixed” is for a balance of players of different genders, “open” has no gender requirements, and “women’s” is only for players who identify as women. At UTSC, students can check the Athletics and Recreation website for available sports, tryout dates, and locations. Most sports have more than one division, and students of all skill levels are encouraged to attend tryouts. UTSC’s intramurals include badminton, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, women’s ultimate frisbee, volleyball, women’s field hockey, and lacrosse.

DOWON KIM/THEVARSITY

For UTM students, visit the UTM Intramurals website. From there, you can access the IMLeagues website, which has a full list of available teams to join. The campuses also have different facilities and playing locations. UTSC games and practices can take place in facilities such as the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, while UTSG uses facilities around its downtown campus. For some intramural sports, students may also compete against teams from other U of T campuses. The tri-campus league, for example, brings together teams from UTSC, UTM, and UTSG for a higher level of competition.

More than just the game The university experience is all about becoming a part of a community. Intramurals give you the opportunity to meet people outside of your academic program. If you have been debating whether to get involved, consider this your sign. There is really no downside. Intramurals offer an excellent way to stay active on campus. It can be your route to reconnect with a sport or try one you didn’t consider before university. Most importantly, they are an avenue to stay active and have fun. Give it a shot and see where it takes you.

Blues men’s soccer continues to build with draw against Gaels Queen’s 67th-minute equalizer stuns Toronto

JEAN PATRICK VIDAD Associate Sports Editor The win was in sight. The Varsity Blues just needed to hold on to their lead until the game’s final whistle to notch their first win this season. Instead, Toronto had to wait for another day to earn the opportunity to do so. “It’s been a good start for us. We played probably one of the best teams, probably the best team in the league last week. It was a disappointing result, but it was positive,” said Head Coach Ilya Orlov in a post-game interview with The Varsity. “Obviously, [we] wanted to win, especially going up after a goal. But we’ll take the result, and we’ll build from there.” The Blues are not just dealing with offseason rust after a nine-month layoff; they are also navigating the reality of retooling their roster. Only ten players are returning from last season, which is less than half of their current 25man squad. “We’re a new team. We have a big overhaul of the roster, which we expected, which is no problem,” Orlov shared. For a team that has undergone major changes in a short timespan, the Blues remain on par with coach Orlov’s expectations to defend last season’s provincial title. Toronto’s scoring chances came early. Implementing an attacking 3-3-4 formation, the Blues used their speed and numbers on the front line to initiate their attacks. Blues forward Niklas Hallam was hit in stride for a couple of opportunities to make a play on the wings, but his timing was off as he received several offside calls. The Blues sustained pressure on the Gaels’ final third. Responding to Toronto’s approach, Queen’s reverted to a 4-3-3 formation to match the Blues’ overload of attackers. Toronto found gaps and managed to unload shots on goal, but could not find the opening goal. Both teams played patiently in the midfield — waiting for gaps to open on the opposition’s back end. Toronto got more chances, however, as Queen’s incurred three yellow cards to Toronto’s one, forcing their players to move cautiously. Neither team could convert, and the first half concluded in a scoreless tie.

Blues forward Andrea Schifano takes on his defender. COURTESY OF ARU DAS CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA

The Blues needed just a touch of the ball to find the scoresheet. After Queen’s midfielder Damiano Sinaguglia unloaded a free kick that went wide, Toronto took possession for the first time in the half. The Blues executed a crisp two-man passing play, as Blues midfielder Micah Joseph carried the ball through midfield before passing it to Gianluca Scurti. The forward weaved through the Queen’s back line and fired a shot. Joseph crashed the box, seized the rebound and buried the ball past the line to open the scoring, 1–0. Playing from behind, the Gaels’ offence woke up, forcing the Blues deep into their own half of the pitch. Queen’s peppered goalie Shane Perera with

several shots on goal, but Perera’s key saves kept Toronto in the driver’s seat. Persistent pressure eventually turned the tables. Perera stepped up high to deny a dangerous chance, but knocked the ball loose in front of an open net. Akanni pounced on the rebound and flicked it into the upper-left corner, deadlocking the match at 1–1. Suddenly, Toronto’s slim lead evaporated, and they had to race against time to take the lead once more. The Gaels had the same goal in mind as well, still without a win themselves. Both teams had opportunities to play the ball deep into enemy territory, and neither wanted to concede a goal at this stage of the game.

The teams played an exciting remainder of the game, but in the end, both squads would be denied a win. Toronto quickly rebounded and clinched their first win of the season the following day, coming from behind to beat the Nippissing Lakers, 2–1. Blues forward Andrea Schifano buried a penalty to level the score in the second half, and Hallam scored the winner with a brilliant individual goal after bombing down the right flank. On September 12, Toronto lost to Ontario Tech, 2–3, but were able to follow up the next day with an impressive 2–1 road win over Trent, handing them their first loss of the season.

Business & Labour

September 15, 2026 thevarsity.ca/category/business biz@thevarsity.ca

How industries are adopting AI Continued from cover:

RAINA PROULX-SANYAL Senior Copy Editor ... These predictive capabilities can be applied to a number of sectors, including transportation, education, healthcare, finance, agriculture, cybersecurity, manufacturing, entertainment, marketing, law, and much more. However, the speed of this application is not equal across the board. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, overall, AI integration is happening at an increased pace in industries with specialized skilled workers. Finance, insurance, and information fields, along with technical, professional, and scientific services, were among the industries that were quickly adopting AI, while food, retail, and hospitality services lagged behind. Human replacement is an outcome of AI adoption, as a working paper from Stanford University found that employment mostly declined in areas in which AI was automating; however, augmenting production with AI did not generally impact employment. In that sense, AI affects job availability only when it is a replacement for human labour, not a supplement, at this point in time.

Applications specific to some industries One well-known adopter of AI is healthcare. Early adoptions of AI from 2021 in this field involved a human-centred approach, one in which AI aided in the existing work of health care professionals, in instances such as diagnostic imaging. There were also hopes of personalizing treatment based on large dataset training. In more recent years, new companies, including U of T alum-founded Biossil, are looking to use AI to find new uses for pharmaceuticals that have failed to perform their initial task. In addition, studies have found that while AI has been developed to aid physicians in decision-making, diagnosis, and treatment through statistical reasoning, it still does not take human values, context, or experience into account. In the technology industry, AI is adopted in both software and hardware production. Due to its growing capabilities of pattern recognition and prediction, AI is proving to be very helpful in predictive analytics and writing code. In manufacturing, computer vision — a subsection of AI that allows machines to process and analyze visual data — is being used to boost the efficiency of semiconductor manufacturing. AI is being used to detect defects, track components, and perform precision alignment in assembly. The communications and marketing industries are also major adopters of AI, using the technology

to scale personalization. AI is used as an aid in realtime translation, using marketing analytics to make predictions, creating content (still edited and moderated by humans), and personalizing suggested content based on customer behaviour. However, early adoption is making it clear that marketing still needs human oversight to define values and create storylines, implying AI works better as a refinement tool, not one of pure creation. The risks While these applications can be read as innovation, AI also brings plentiful risk. The first issues arise from large-scale data use. Due to its reliance on data, the impact of bad data can be severe, as IBM characterizes it: “it surfaces downstream as lost revenue, inefficiencies, compliance risks and missed opportunities.” The use of data also comes as a privacy risk. The need for such large data sets can pose a risk to personal data — one pervasive example is Meta using posts on social media from users in the US to train its AI. Another issue relating to AI’s use of data at a large scale is its environmental impact. The data centres needed to house such programs put strain on the local environment. Namely, energy and water use, noise pollution, and harmful electronic waste that can contain mercury and lead, all the while the profits are not bound to

the local community. These data centres also disproportionately affect low-income racialized communities. Battles over government policy concerning the development of these centres are happening even in our own backyard. Last month, Oakville enacted a moratorium on data centres, while New Brunswick, New Jersey and San Marcos, Texas also stopped the development of data centres in their communities. Additionally, AI is starting to pose a massive economic risk. Late last month, the Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, wrote to the G20 about the risk that the growing AI industry poses to the economy. He warned, “many jurisdictions do not have the protocols in place to manage the development, release, and deployment of advanced frontier AI models, heightening risks for the financial sector and beyond.” Looking back on Schmidt’s comment, it’s clear that he doesn’t grasp the extent of the fear; it is not just the risk of job insecurity that many students may have top of mind. While AI can create opportunities for innovation across fields, it also poses complex threats to privacy, the environment, the economy, and more. In that sense, now more than ever, it’s crucial that we don’t ignore the integration of AI, but that we be well informed — and approach it with caution.

CHLOE WESTON/THEVARSITY

thevarsity.ca/category/business

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KAIRAVI NARDA/THEVARSITY

U of T’s real estate strategy is about more than just housing A balancing act of student priorities and institutional financial sustainability AUDREY KIM Business & Labour Editor This June, U of T’s Governing Council approved two major real estate developments under its Build More Housing Initiative, with the new housing projects aimed at undergraduate and graduate students at the St. George campus. The Initiative is a tri-campus-wide project intended to expand the university’s housing supply in response to growing student housing demand — with the St. George campus facing the largest gap. One of the proposed developments is a 49-storey building at the southwest corner of College and McCaul Street specifically for undergraduate students. The other — a 13-storey development located along Harbord Street, between Spadina and Huron Street — is primarily intended for graduate students. Collectively, the two developments are expected to add over 1,200 beds to the downtown campus. These recent developments follow the university’s broader expansion of student housing — including Oak House and CampusOne at UTSG, and Harmony Commons at UTSC — following the longer-term planning associated with the Four Corners Strategy announced in 2018. Although specific pricing for the planned developments has not yet been disclosed,

recently developed housing facilities in downtown Toronto can potentially provide some comparable ranges. Namely, Oak House and CampusOne charge between $3,041.88– $3,712.50 and $2,424.08–$2,830.42 respectively on a monthly basis, including mandatory meal plans, placing them among the more expensive student housing options that U of T offers. For a rough comparison, the average asking price for a Toronto rental in August was $2,571. Four Corners Strategy For some context, these new projects are part of the U of T’s aforementioned long-term plan referred to as the Four Corners Strategy, which was developed by a third-party real estate consulting firm, U3 Advisors. According to the consultant’s website, “U3 helps institutions realize their goals for economic growth and community impact.” This “economic growth” component is certainly emphasized in U of T’s framework and recent approach to student housing. The official Four Corners Strategy document explicitly expressed this objective to capitalize on the rising housing costs to bring in economic returns. Specifically, it reads, “Property values in the Greater Toronto area have escalated significantly over the last several years, including properties owned by the University of Toronto. The University recognizes the opportunity for

realizing potential new sources of revenue from optimizing the development of readily available University-owned properties.” This point was reiterated by Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president of operations and real estate partnerships, who says these developments will “generate income to fund reinvestment in the university’s academic mission, including student supports — different from many current student housing models.” This financial emphasis raises an important question. In a political and economic environment where many young people are concerned about housing costs and general affordability, why is U of T diverting or, perhaps, not prioritizing efforts to resolve this? Monetary resources, land, and time spent on these developments also represent missed opportunities to pursue different projects with other objectives, like affordability. What are U of T’s priorities? The answer is not clear-cut. Students may prioritize affordability and accessibility, while those managing the institution’s long-term strategy must consider financial sustainability, academic investment, and more. That tension between each group’s ideals can make it difficult to reconcile what the best use of resources is. U of T’s approach effectively positions student housing as both a necessary service and

an institutional asset that can provide income. It theoretically allows academic institutions more flexibility, safety, and autonomy over their operations and funding decisions. Policy changes regarding international students have created uncertainty surrounding tuition revenue, making revenue diversification a particularly pertinent priority. Therefore, U of T’s real estate strategy can be understood not only as a response to the housing shortage, but as a way to improve its business model. U of T’s financial interests do not negate the fact that there are segments of the student population that simply cannot afford housing near their classes. U of T’s own Policy on Student Housing, established two decades ago, states accessibility as one of its pillars. It specifically declares that, “Student housing at the University shall be administered in a manner that is conscious of the varied needs of our highly diverse student population including single students, students with families, students with disabilities, students with differing sexual orientations and students from a variety of ethno-heritage and religious backgrounds.” While U of T expanding its housing supply as a standalone measure can ease pressure on the surrounding rental market, a question it raises is whether more proactive measures should be taken to expand housing access across the entire student population.

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THE VARSITY

FEATURES

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ELLA MACCORMACK/THE VARSITY

NABNEEL SARMA Varsity Contributor

BRENNAN KARUNARATNE Creative Director

I rode to Spadina Station today to watch circle spots blink out of my sight. If you squint at them hard, the marbles empty out at the bottom. Trick of the eyes. The construction workers finished installing grey tiles near the elevators. I knew the Queen of Pigeons had ordained it. She comes out at night, strolling down escalators. You wouldn’t know her unless you slept on the train, drowsy eyes winking, then falling. You woke up on the train, but she was there. The Queen, her conductors, rule the lines after dark. Her advisors serve the interchange stations. The rats under the tracks bow at her feet. If you look down the hallway at Spadina Station, you will see her at the end of the rainbow ceiling road. But if you tried running to her, she’d be gone, and the commuters would never know. The Queen of Pigeons watches everyone through her heralds. I saw a pigeon perching on the ’Ksan totems at the bus bay. The bird must have been older than time, older than us. Portly and regal it looked on top of the pole. It craned its head and cooed. I rode to Spadina Station today because it was after the bookshop eavesdrop. I heard he liked you, and you liked him back, and I tried to think of you as ‘happy.’ Happy as my knapsack lugging books. Happy as my heart chilled with rocks. That water you stewed with a pot; “Memoria” you sang to me to mock. Tomorrow, you will be happy as the Queen. My canteen will be full of what I am not.

Back in first year, I took a job working at a bar near Pearson Airport. Partly because I needed money — desperately — and partly because I had always loved planes. The morning of my first shift, I got up at 2:00 am, shimmied into my glossy, consumer-friendly skin, and headed out for the night bus. The commute was forecast to be a trial of transfers in places I’d never been. Predictably, I was worried, running the usual will-it-won’tit until the bus finally rumbled to a stop in front of me. Finally sitting down, I relaxed, head bumping against the window a little bit more with each subtle failure of the suspension. It wasn’t that my worries somehow evaporated, but perhaps that I did. I was in a superposition of every bus I’d been in before, every destination I’d worried about before. A superposition that would carry on into buses I’ll enter years down the road, cities or maybe even countries away. Overpass, underpass, tunnel, highway, stand here, board there, “Can I have a transfer?” I use a Presto card now, so there’s no reason to ask for transfers, but a part of me still starts spinning the question. I used to keep my tickets when I could. Put them into my sketchbooks. I don’t think I knew it when I glued the last one down. I’d like to think I was still planning where I’d place the next one. I wonder if I’ll know when the last superposition passes. I hope I won’t. As the bus turned onto the on-ramp for the highway, I saw the lights of a plane out of my window.

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features@thevarsity.ca

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NABNEEL SARMA Varsity Contributor

ELLA MACCORMACK/THE VARSITY

MEHAR FATIMA Varsity Contributor

I used to volunteer at a courthouse with a nonprofit. We’d meet with people recently released from police custody and offer them our services. Many people needed shelter. Usually, we wouldn’t be able to find them an empty bed. But we always tried if they asked. One day, I met someone who didn’t want that. I was 20. She was 24, with a head of dry, messy curls that almost resembled my own. And noticeably tall, even while slouching behind the plexiglass that separated us. Her lawyer said she’d be released soon. We offered to get her to where she needed to be, and she said that was nowhere — she’d been on the streets for years. She politely said she didn’t want our help, and that was that. When my shift ended, I got on the bus headed toward Finch West, where I’d take the subway to campus. As usual, I couldn’t get a seat, so I stood in front of the back door. When I turned

around, I saw that same tall, curly-haired girl from before. No barrier between us this time except the tension we hesitated to break. Something that I liked about my commute was the anonymity. I liked being just another person who had somewhere to be; that privacy was a privilege I knew this girl didn’t have. I knew entirely too much about her, while she knew nothing of me. A crowd on the bus is still supposed to be a crowd of strangers, even if we were packed so close that I could feel someone’s hot breath on my head and another’s elbow digging into my side. She did speak to me before she left; she whispered an “excuse me” as she brushed past me out the glass door, going nowhere. Her sandals crunched in the snow. I didn’t want her to go, but the worst part of me was relieved. It’s more bearable to only worry about where I’m going.

The conductor at Bathurst station likes blowing bubbles. He does it in front of his wife, or out the train window before the tunnel. People thought of him as childish, but I liked the shape his bubbles made in the air. He stood by Honest Ed’s posters blowing blobs like a smoker. They smelled of chrysanthemums and rhododendrons, lavender and dandelions. His wife looked serious; she

wondered why I was staring. But he placed a hand on her shoulder and blew a little bubble animal for me. It was a Dachshund, as clear as a fishbowl on a leash. It raised its head and wagged its tail. I thanked Mr. Bubbleblower for giving it to me and ran off to Mom. My Dachshund followed right behind. I named him Shuddh. I took care of him for 12 years.

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ERIKA OZOLS/THE VARSITY ERIKA OZOLS/THE VARSITY

JUNIA ALSINAWI Editor-in-Chief

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Which tiles are which?

When I first arrived in Toronto, I didn’t understand how small the city is. I would look at a map of downtown and, brain still calibrated to a New York City scale, I’d estimate that walking from University College to the Eaton Centre would take well over an hour — 30 minutes later, I’d be there. Toronto’s streets are so wide, and its buildings are stooped and low to the ground. At every crosswalk you are prompted to press a button, except some matter and some don’t. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to things here. Then, I learned that there are only two real subway lines. I found this deeply disturbing. How could a city have only two subway lines? I had grown up memorizing a subway map that looked like the colourful criss-crossing vasculature of a living, breathing city. The TTC’s single yellow loop cut across by a short green line struck me as some profound mockery. This was not a subway system. I had seen enough, and for the next three years, I did not take the TTC.

I didn’t see much of anything besides the inside of Gerstein. When I met relatives who had spent time in Toronto, I pretended to know the places they spoke of. I seldom left campus, and still couldn’t name the streets I lived near. I had no intuitive understanding of the city I had, inadvertently, begun calling home. So I studied: I began taking the TTC everywhere I could, even when I would’ve usually walked. I was swaying in place, moving with the train, when Line 2 burst into the daylight. Blinking and disoriented, I watched the Don Valley Parkway morph into the shimmery commercial colours of Roosevelt Avenue. It was a trick of the light, but momentarily, I was home. To this day, the aboveground stretches of Line 2 remind me, achingly, of the 7 train I used to take from Jackson Heights into Manhattan. Four years ago, when I was looking for something familiar amidst all of Toronto’s newness, I should have given the subway a chance.

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Arts & Culture

September 15, 2026 thevarsity.ca/category/arts-culture arts@thevarsity.ca

Love and survival at the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

A review of the Love Has No Gender and Survivance short film programs AQEEL SHAHID ULLAH Varsity Contributor From June 2–7, Toronto hosted its annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Established in 2000 to support the creative works of Indigenous filmmakers, the festival has since become a staple of the city’s film scene. The festival is the largest showcase of Indigenous films in the world, with connections to communities across the Americas, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Love Has No Gender I got to attend three festival programs on June 5. The first one, Love Has No Gender, was a short film program co-presented by Inside Out, a Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ nonprofit with its own film festival. The programming revolved around the lives of queer Indigenous people and included a documentary short, two dramatic shorts, and two experimental shorts. IXIM (el amor no tiene género) (2024) was a documentary directed by Alex PV, a Maya Mam filmmaker. It follows Mónica Chub, a Maya Q’eqchi’ trans woman and her fight for Indigenous, trans, and women’s rights in Central America. The documentary included interviews with Mónica and her mother, which gave insight into Mónica’s upbringing and activism. The two dramatic shorts, Ata Pūao (2025) and O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Nā (2025), both revolved around queer stories set in New Zealand. Ata Pūao was directed by Allie Howell, a whakawahine filmmaker from Waitaha/Ngāti Rangiwewehi. The short was co-written by Howell and Pūmanawa Rawiri, who is part of the Marutūāhu, Waikato Tainui, and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki iwi. The 14-minute short follows a young Māori trans woman as she adjusts to life in a new JACQUELINE RENEE/THEVARSITY

city and attempts to reconnect with her old friends. The film utilizes a shaky camera to represent the anxiety faced by the protagonist as she navigates her feelings of isolation in a new place. This shakiness rarely lets up, a constant reminder of the protagonist’s uneasiness. It disappears only near the end when she finally finds some peace with a community that understands and accepts her. O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Nā was written and directed by Giselle Ilaoa, who is from the Alafua (Sāmoa), Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and Ngāti Raukawa (Aotearoa) communities. The nineminute short follows a Samoan girl coming to terms with her sexuality as she unexpectedly reunites with her first love. As the film progresses and the protagonist comes to terms with her feelings, beautiful lighting is used to create an effect of peering into someone’s happiest memories. There were also two experimental shorts in the program, HOST (2024) and Gâteau Girl (Pussy Pussy Pussy) (2024). HOST was directed by Zachery Cameron Longboy, who is from the Sayisi Dene community, and features trippy, disorienting visuals. Much of what is shown throughout the short is abstract and hard to decipher, with the film constantly barraging the viewer with its perplexing imagery. Eventually, it settles on a shot of the director lying next to a lake with several trinkets covering his face and body. Gâteau Girl (Pussy Pussy Pussy) is a one-minute short with no dialogue directed by Red River Métis director Shanelle St. Hillaire. It features a woman as she slathers cake over her body. I found this short confusing, and it left me pondering its meaning for quite a while. With no sound or dialogue, I was only able to barely discern its sexual themes from how the protagonist played with the cake using her fingers. Overall, however, I found the Love Has No Gender shorts to be well structured. Although

the experimental shorts confused me, I still found the program to be a wonderful exploration of queer and trans Indigenous love. Survivance The second short film program I attended was Survivance — a term coined by Anishinaabe writer Gerald Vizenor that denotes a combination of survival and resistance. Compared to Love Has No Gender, Survivance was more fantastical. Its first two shorts, Pouākai (Raptor) and Ace, contained fable-like elements. Pouākai (Raptor) was directed by Sundance fellow and Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) filmmaker Libby Hakaraia. The 15-minute short is a concept film revolving around a Māori chief attempting to rescue his only child from a legendary beast, the raptor. Ace was directed by Māori director and cinematographer Raymond Edwards. The 15-minute short focuses on a 10-year-old Māori boy, Jimmy, as he journeys to the underworld to save his parents’ marriage. Both shorts impressed me visually, with the former using clever camera tricks to portray a small bird as humongous and the latter evoking a hazy, dreamy feeling using lighting. Ace also contained brief animated sections depicting the family’s deteriorating relationships. The following two shorts were less mythical and more historical. Guardian of Baikal is a 13-minute short about the Buryat people in Mongolia, written and directed by BuryatMongolian director, filmmaker, and producer Uladay N. Bayar. First Horse is an 11-minute short directed by Māori (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Hauā) and Croatian filmmaker Awanui Simich-Pene. It tells the story of a young Ngāpuhi girl in 1826 and her encounter with a sick foreigner and his horse –– the first horse she has ever seen. These shorts explored the relationship between Indigenous peoples and outsiders. Guardian of Baikal was more overt in its approach, as it centers on a Buryat cab driver contemplating his ancestors and their culture. I found First Horse to be more subtle with its depiction of the sick foreigner as an infection. The last two shorts emphasized the survival aspect of Survivance. Shaaghan Neekwaii (Two Old Women) was written and directed by Peabody Award–winning producer Princess Daazhraii Johnson. Based on Velma Wallis’ novel of the same name, the 13-minute short follows two abandoned elderly women trying to decide whether to fight for survival or starve to death. Gaza Bride 17 was directed by Palestinian actor and director Waseem Khair. The 20-minute short centers on a Palestinian man with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who wakes up near a shore and attempts to help the corpse of a woman he believes is still alive. These two shorts had the greatest impact on me, as the messages of living through suffering to find meaning gripped me. Gaza Bride 17 portrayed PTSD effectively through its clever editing, using rapid, disorienting cuts with little continuity between shots to convey the confusion of the protagonist and how he feels trapped and helpless within his own mind. It also challenged my previous understanding of Indigeneity, as I had never considered Palestinians an Indigenous people. It also made me realize that colonial violence has never truly stopped and that now, more than ever, we should stand together to fight back against it. Overall, both Love Has No Gender and Survivance were excellently programmed and a highlight of imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival this year.

Art Flash Things in the zeitgeist we loved this week Murder, adultery, and fraud –– The Intrigue has it all! Bushra Azim Boblai Arts & Culture Editor Sylvia Moreno-Garcia loves to pair a handsome but pathetic man with an angry and disillusioned woman. In her latest novel, The Intrigue, we meet Ulises, who scams money out of older women through lonely heart ads in 1940s Mexico. His latest target, Perla, is a controlling, spiteful woman who lords her wealth over everyone –– including her niece, Inés. To escape from Perla’s suffocating control, Inés teams up with Ulises to steal her aunt’s money and exact revenge. Told from the perspective of all three characters, you won’t know who to root for, but will come away thoroughly satisfied as a reader!

Little Big Town’s It’s a Dying Art reinvents the divorce album Bushra Azim Boblai Arts & Culture Editor Every few years, Little Big Town comes out with a project that reminds the public exactly why they have survived as a band for almost 30 years. The latest from the quartet is a thematically tight divorce album. Lyrics about how stifling the idea of a wife is, and needing to leave a relationship but not having the strength to make it to the door, are the band at its best. It may have been rightfully described as “country music for hipsters” –– but I will not be shamed for who I am!

Everyone was unfortunately right about The Americans Bushra Azim Boblai Arts & Culture Editor Any time a conversation about the modern television landscape is had, FX show, The Americans always comes up. The premise of a show about KGB spies who lived as everyday Americans for decades did not appeal to me. Especially when other ‘realistic’ spy thrillers like Homeland shove as much American imperial agenda down your throat as they can, a show based on a sensationalized news story did not sound like fun. I was so wrong. The show is surprisingly well written and balanced. And unlike her ridiculous performance in The Diplomat, Keri Russell is magnificent in this. I am very excited for all six seasons.

The Great Divide between August and September Juliet Pieters Associate Arts & Culture Editor In April, Noah Kahan released his fourth album, The Great Divide. Kahan has a way of connecting the tracks on the album about himself seamlessly with songs about his family and the people he loves. This album is a mosaic of the community and ties that make up a family. He weaves melancholy with an upbeat sound that makes his sad music much more bearable on my heart. My favourite tracks on the album are “End of August,” “Willing and Able,” “Haircut,” and “Dan.” If anyone is feeling melancholic about the end of summer, give this album a listen — it might help!

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Letter from the Editor: We need to stop our acceptance of mediocrity A defence of arts journalism and arts writing

Bushra Boblai is the Arts & Culture Editor for Volume 147. ERIKA OZOLS/THEVARSITY

BUSHRA AZIM BOBLAI Arts & Culture Editor A newspaper answers to a higher calling. No matter what some people’s random boyfriends believe a newspaper’s purpose to be, our job is not to perform sycophancy for our readership. I have been Arts & Culture editor for four months now. In many ways, this is a realization of a dream seventh-grade Bushra had when she would gobble up the tabloid section of the dailies in the school library that the librarians were supposed to censor: I get to participate in zeitgeist-making now with so many of you. I have been lucky to have worked with so many writers at U of T to put out 20

outstanding articles of arts journalism. Some of you have come to know that I am thorough, demanding, and very detail-oriented as a reader. While many of you have appreciated this as a collaborative experience, many have also struggled with it. I want to use this public letter to address something alarming that I have come to notice. There are some writers who tend to treat Arts articles as fodder and not a craft. Reviews, opinions, and reporting in the art scene may not be things that you personally value, but to me they are the world. I do not want to hear what a TikToker or a YouTuber has to say about a book or an art exhibition. I eagerly look for what writers have to say in a well edited 1,000-2,000 word piece. I want sources. I want opinions that rile up

artists into responding like a teenager through social media. I abhor meaningless platitudes that will satisfy the aims of a PR campaign. My lofty standards may annoy many of you, but if we don’t hold on to our standards, then we might as well close shop as a publication. It does not matter whether your article is read by two people or 200 — your dedication to putting out well-crafted opinions and critiques must stay consistent for both. No one is born with genius as a writer. Writing is a skill that everyone has to develop for themselves. Journalism is a very particular form of writing that even a seasoned writer in other genres needs practice to become good at. Even if you consider yourself a bad writer, I will gladly work with you to produce a work of journalism that you can be

proud of. Everyone has to start somewhere. All I ask is that you put in a little effort. Do not treat Arts articles like slop assignments you turn in to your professors at the 11th hour. I am not saying that you need to dedicate your life to the vanguard of arts journalism, but it is discourteous to submit AI jargon and expect me to treat it like a serious work of writing. The work we do in the Arts & Culture section matters to me. I would rather die than contribute to the destruction of my craft. If you feel even a little the way that I do about the desolate state of things we find ourselves in –– I welcome you to pitch me your reviews, essays, and topics of interest. The arts are not dead yet. Let’s not hurry the process along.

Opinion

September 15, 2026 thevarsity.ca/section/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

The BPMH program must not be closed

U of T continues to ignore community demands for program restoration KAYLA BOWLAND Varsity Contributor U of T understands that meaningful education has the power to change the world. Their Defy Gravity campaign promises that “[i]n a world searching for positive change, U of T is leading the way to a better future.” Yet when confronted with a program that breaks disciplinary boundaries and challenges the educational status quo, U of T recommends its closure and weakens it with years of administrative attrition. Despite its outstanding international reputation among staff and faculty from universities in Canada and the US, its groundbreaking position in the field of contemplative pedagogy, and widespread acclaim from students that the program has

human experience. Our mental health and wellbeing are not just conditioned by our individual brain chemistry, but also by our bodies, beliefs, and desires, as well as our social, cultural, and economic environments. Understanding the dimensions of mental health requires investigating it from many different perspectives. BPMH is a pioneering program for mental health because it integrates cutting-edge scientific research about consciousness with contemplative traditions that have been producing wisdom about the human mind and the nature of suffering for thousands of years. Students engage with both the sciences and the humanities, with theory and with practice. BPMH represents a holistic vision of education that we need in order to have any hope of a sustainable future.

in the number of students taking this minor” means “sufficient funds should be allocated to support the instructional needs of the minor.” I believe U of T ultimately lacks the reasonable academic justification required to officially close the BPMH program: it has consistently high enrolment, widespread international recognition, and directly aligns with U of T’s public commitments to innovation, student well-being, and antiracism. But the administration does not require justification to suspend program enrollment, which is exactly what they did in January 2024. It is clear that the university does not intend the program’s suspension to be temporary. This is evidenced by the administration dismantling the program’s course offerings and fundraising opportunities. Additionally, as the final cohort of

Yet the evidence points to the contrary. The internal Working Group’s recommendation to close the program directly contradicted the external review that recommended the program’s expansion. If U of T truly cares about students’ best interests, they should listen to students. We aspire for education that can help us forge a new path towards a meaningful future. BPMH offers this education. U of T rejects it. 20 Days for 20 Years Despite years of administrative mistreatment, students, faculty, alumni, and community partners continue to advocate for the BPMH program and its rightful restitution. This year, the BPMH Task Force has created the 20 Days for 20 Years campaign in honour of the program’s 20th anniversary.

BPMH represents a holistic vision of education that we need in order to have any hope of a sustainable future. BRENNAN KARUNARATNE/THEVARSITY

changed their lives for the better, the future of the Buddhism, Psychology & Mental Health (BPMH) program is threatened. Revolutionary model of education BPMH is an undergraduate minor at New College that was first established in 2006. It has been a global leader in interdisciplinary studies of the human mind and well-being for the past 20 years. As the only program of its kind at a public university in Canada, BPMH’s innovation comes from creating a rich dialogue between neuroscience, philosophy, public health, psychology, Buddhist studies, and contemplative practices. This interdisciplinary approach to studying mental health is critical because one discipline alone cannot account for the innumerable internal and external qualities that contribute to

The BPMH program is radically innovative, diversifies knowledge, and prioritizes student welfare both in the content and delivery of its curriculum. However, the program was recommended for closure in November 2023 and administratively suspended as of January 31, 2024. Indefinite suspension Faculty and students were informed that this recommended closure was the consequence of a poor external review, but the external UTQAP review published in early 2023 was, in fact, exceedingly positive. The reviewers, Professor René Marois and Professor Lee Ryan, wrote that the program’s “core mission and unique pedagogical approach aligns well with the academic… plans of New College, the Faculty of Arts & Science, and the University” and that the “impressive growth

BPMH students approaches the end of their degrees, U of T has failed to provide any updates on the future of the program. Although U of T has not officially begun the process of program closure, they are effectively shutting the program down by robbing it of the resources it needs to keep running. The hypocrisy of the university When asked during a recent interview with CityNews, fellow members of the BPMH Task Force and I expressed our frustration about U of T’s unfair treatment of this exceptional program. In the same article, a spokesperson from the university stated that the decision to end the program “aligns with established, rigorous academic process,” and that “[a]ny outcomes are in the best interest of our students’ success and a commitment to academic excellence.”

We are running 20 events throughout the fall semester to raise awareness about the BPMH program and seek to revitalize dialogue with new administrative appointments. In addition to guest lectures, movie nights, and community-building exercises, we are also releasing a book about the history of the BPMH program, an accompanying podcast, and a collection of pamphlets that explore the program and what it represents for the university at large. U of T’s crusade to end this program despite overwhelming evidence of its value is an injustice to its students and a massive stain on the institution’s credibility. Students deserve meaningful education, and thriving programs do not deserve to be closed arbitrarily. U of T must do better. BPMH must not be closed. Kayla Bowland is an MA student in Buddhist Studies at the Department for the Study of Religion. She is a Communications Coordinator for the BPMH Task Force.

thevarsity.ca/section/opinion

SEPTEMBER, 2026

Letter from the editor: Meet the trolls

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CHLOE-WESTON/THEVARSITY

An introduction to the best section at The Varsity

RAINA PROULX-SANYAL & CATE WOODHEAD Senior Copy Editor and Deputy Senior Copy Editor Dear reader, Rome wasn’t built overnight, or by one person, or however the saying goes — regardless, The Varsity is the same way. Not in the sense that it is ruled by a tyrannical emperor, or at least that’s

what Junia Alsinawi, our Editor-in-Chief, tells us. In all seriousness, the paper is only made possible by an elaborate team of amazing writers, designers, and editors who come together each week to publish every issue. Copy editing is a less visible part of that network. We are Raina Proulx-Sanyal and Cate Woodhead, your Senior Copy Editor and Deputy Senior Copy Editor for Volume 147. Think of us as the trolls under the bridge that is

The Varsity’s production. We are rarely seen, but nothing gets past us. We edit articles, oversee copy production, train new editors, sniff out AI slop, and work with all the other sections to make sure articles are the best they can be! Of course, copy would not be complete without our amazing team of copy editors, who show up each week to check articles for factual accuracy and grammar. When we started out as copy editors, we

enjoyed correcting people and snooping through the newest scoops U of T has to offer. If this sounds at all enticing to you, we encourage you to consider working with us. Contact us at copy@thevarsity.ca and deputysce@ thevarsity.ca. You can also sign up to become a copy editor (and join any of the other sections, but we’re the most important!) on our website, under the “Get Involved” tab. We are so excited to be your trolls for Volume 147!

Letter from the Editor: Hello from Opinion! Here’s to the year ahead

ZANEB ASAD Opinion Editor Before having the opportunity to join the Opinion section, I admired it from afar. I was in awe of how people could articulate their thoughts about important issues with so much humanity. I was feeling particularly hopeless about my university career when I picked up my first pitch for the Opinion section — and it was love at first sight. After that, I felt that things in my life started falling into place, and my hope-filled spark soon returned. Little did I know that a

little over a year and a half later, I would be the Opinion Editor. Reflecting on the time that has passed, I believe the section has taught me how to be a little bit braver. Seeing fellow students approach difficult topics with candour and respect, and now having the opportunity to work on these pieces with them, is something I take great pride in. Being able to hold the Opinion torch for the 147th time in this paper’s history is the biggest privilege. While I do sometimes stress about whether I am serving my writers to the best of my ability, it is not lost on me how lucky I am to have this job.

Legacies can be a tricky thing to navigate, and I’ve thought a lot about how I can “make my mark,” so to speak — which sounds much more pretentious aloud than in my head! At a newspaper with a history as long as The Varsity’s, what can I achieve in the blip of time I have running the section? Well, I want to give people a chance. I want new people from all walks of life to feel welcome in the Opinion section. I want to give underrepresented communities a platform to state their opinion, just as I was given a chance by the people in the volumes before. They saw

me and encouraged me to be brave, and I want to be able to extend the same grace to writers as the Opinion Editor of Volume 147. The people here make me a better reader, writer, editor — and by extension, person. If you are looking for a community, you can surely find it here at The Varsity. This section belongs to you, the students, and I hope you feel welcome here. It’s a place I can’t believe I went so long without getting involved in. Remember that there are seats waiting for you at tables you don’t even know exist yet, and I may or may not have already saved a spot for all of you.

Science

September 15, 2026 thevarsity.ca/category/science science@thevarsity.ca HOORIA WALAJAHI/THEVARSITY

Hospitals can treat — and spread — infection

A silicone-based coating developed by U of T researchers may reduce hospital-acquired infections AIDA UMAR Varsity Contributor In Canada, 7.9 per cent of hospital patients experience health care-associated infections, with that number rising to 30 per cent among intensive care unit patients who are frequently in contact with medical equipment. To address this problem, a U of T research team, led by Kevin Golovin, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, developed a siliconebased coating. His idea: reduce contamination in hospitals by making it harder for proteins to stick to surfaces. How hospitals can spread infections Hospital-acquired infections can develop when microbes that cause infectious diseases release proteins that stick to medical devices and other hospital surfaces, creating a layer that allows bacterial spread.

Contamination can begin when bodily fluids come in contact with medical surfaces, accumulating on devices that remain in contact with the body for long periods. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS): What is it? Although the coating is designed to reduce contamination, it does not work the same way as a disinfectant. Disinfectants are designed to kill bacteria that are already present. The coating, composed of PDMS chains, is arranged closely together along the surface, creating a thin, flexible layer. This arrangement gives the surface liquidlike properties, making it harder for proteins to adhere. Rather than killing the bacteria after they appear, the material is designed to make surfaces harder for bacteria to colonize. Catheters, for example, remain in contact with bodily fluids for long periods; protein and bacteria can build up along their surfaces, increasing the risk of infection. In an email

correspondence with The Varsity, Golovin wrote that the coating’s thin and flexible structure could allow it to line the inside of catheters to reduce bacterial buildup. He compared the PDMS coating to a nonstick surface, like a frying pan. Unlike cookware, however, the coating is only a few nanometres thick and remains soft and flexible. Putting PDMS to the test Golovin’s research, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, found that the PDMS coating repelled proteins more effectively than PDMS rubber and other nonstick materials, illustrating its potential as a method of contamination reduction. To demonstrate the effectiveness of their PDMS coating, Golovin’s team deposited protein-containing droplets on the coating and allowed them to dry. On an uncoated surface, the original droplet’s footprint became contaminated with protein residues as the water evaporated. On

the PDMS-coated surface, however, the residue adhered less strongly and could detach from the surface as it dried, leaving the coated area completely clean. By reducing the amount of protein buildup in a hospital setting, the coating could prevent bacteria from attaching and multiplying on frequently used surfaces, lowering the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Potential challenges The technology still needs further testing in labs before it can be used in health care settings. In particular, Golovin noted that one challenge is that the coating has only been tested with a model protein. The team chose bovine serum albumin (BSA) to test whether the coating reduced a protein’s ability to adhere to a surface. Researchers still need to determine if the coating is effective in repelling a variety of proteins involved in bacterial attachment, not just BSA.

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RE-AIM calls for full reinstatement of the AIM clinic at UHN Issues from UHN’s abrupt closure of a mental health clinic for Chinese Canadians are still unaddressed

BUSHRA AZIM BOBLAI Arts & Culture Editor It has now been over a year since the University Health Network (UHN) decided to shut down the Asian Initiative in Mental Health (AIM) program without any community consultation. The AIM clinic The AIM clinic was started in 2002 by two doctors — Dr. Kenneth Fung, who is also a professor and director of Global Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry at U of T, and Dr. Peter Lim. Before its abrupt shutdown on June 18, 2025, the program was the first in Canada designed to address the cultural and language-specific mental health care needs of Chinese Canadians in the GTA. The program provided psychiatric assessments, medication management, individual psychotherapy, and group programming delivered in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. The clinic, composed of a team of psychiatrists, mental health clinicians, and support staff, had collaborated for over 20 years, serving Toronto’s Chinese Canadian population. AIM also provided training to medical students, resident doctors, and fellows to address gaps in care for the Chinese Canadian community. An abrupt disruption The UHN did not consult patients, staff, or community partners before the AIM clinic’s closure. AIM’s workers had also not expected to be incorporated under the broader Outpatient Mental Health and Addictions Service (OMHAS) at UHN. Both of these decisions placed a vulnerable population at risk by impeding their access to high-quality care. Dr. Ishrat Husain, UHN’s department head and program medical director of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), told the CBC last year that they had not consulted anyone because they believed that the changes would have “minimal impact on patient care.” The Resilience and Empowerment in Asian Integrative Mental Health (RE-AIM) Coalition, a group of health care providers, community leaders, and health care advocates formed in response to AIM’s closure, disagrees with that assessment. On its website, RE-AIM states that four of the seven clinicians working at AIM were laid off, and that its group programs were severely disrupted. More alarmingly, patients of the laidoff clinicians did not get to process the change through patient-termination or transfer-of-care sessions. As these were vulnerable individual psychotherapy patients, UHN’s decision provided them a subpar standard of care and potentially put them through a traumatic experience. Many patients only learned about the clinic’s sudden closure through RE-AIM’s advocacy work with Chinese-language media. But how has this decision affected the Chinese Canadian community in the GTA? Vulnerable patients placed at risk At a press conference at Queen’s Park on June 2, organized by NDP MPP Kristyn WongTam, Dr. Josephine Wong –– a leading public health researcher at TMU –– highlighted the consequences of creating barriers to public mental health care for the Chinese Canadian community. Dr. Wong stated that as a result of UHN’s decision to close the clinic, economically marginalized communities immediately lost access to treatment. “Losing access to AIM care means they abandon treatment entirely, leading to rapid mental deterioration, preventable emergency crises, and avoidable hospital readmission… This is a profound institutional betrayal.” RE-AIM is particularly concerned about patients who live outside the area UHN serves,

The abrupt closure of the AIM clinic on June 18, 2025 has adversely impacted Toronto’s Chinese Canadian communities. VIRAG TAKACS/THEVARSITY

who comprised three quarters of AIM’s new patient referrals. Initially, after AIM’s closure, UHN planned to further exclude Chinese Canadians patients by denying care to those living outside Toronto Western Hospital’s catchment area — a policy they only repealed after receiving widespread media attention, according to RE-AIM’s website. A pattern of inequity Dr. Wong also highlighted that this is part of a pattern of a “targeted” closing of communityspecific clinics. “UHN dismantled the Spanish clinic first, then the Portuguese clinic, and now they are singling out the Chinese people and the Chinese communities. This is actually a demonstration of systemic racism within our healthcare system. It fractures community trust and leaves Ontario’s diverse population to fall into and through the cracks,” she explained. This sentiment was reinforced by Aseefa Sarang, executive director of Across Boundaries, an equity organization that provides racialized communities with high-quality mental health care. “[E]quitable care is not achieved by offering the same service to everyone… Equity actually recognizes that communities experience mental health differently, and often need services that are culturally competent, responsive, community-informed, and based on the lived experiences of the community itself.”

A breach of trust Sarang also highlighted how this decision will impact healthcare relations with Toronto’s Chinese Canadian community. “When services like these are removed, it affects trust and people’s willingness to seek support, ultimately resulting in delayed care with greater need for emergency rooms, hospitals, and crisis services.” Dr. Wong shared that many former AIM patients have lost the sense of safety the clinic provided them. One patient was abruptly “... told that the AIM Clinic is no longer going to be [the] AIM clinic” one day, and was only handed a list of community resources and their contact information. He is now unsure whether he should return to UHN to seek care. UHN defends the AIM closure by stating that its “integration” into OMHAS will shorten initial wait times. Dr. Wong, however, argued that the integration has made culturally specific care even more difficult to access, as patients now turn to community agencies that lack hospital funding. “When services do not actually get the trust of the people who need to use them, of course, [the clinic has shorter] wait times because [the patients] are not going there!” Dr. Wong explained.

A crawl towards healthcare privatization Dr. Wong and RE-AIM ultimately lay the blame at the feet of the Ontario Ministry of Health and demand “the immediate reinstatement of these vital services, hospital-based services that have been provided by AIM.” Doug Ford and his government have been accused of pursuing a policy of systematically underfunding healthcare in Ontario and paving the way towards privatized healthcare. Recently, health care workers met at Queen’s Park to protest the expansion of publicly funded healthcare at private clinics. The Varsity asked MPP Wong-Tam during press questions if this was a “part of Doug Ford’s slow but steady move towards privatization of healthcare in the province.” MPP Wong-Tam agreed and responded by saying, “I think that it’s going to contribute to privatization of healthcare services… whenever publicly funded services do not meet the needs of [the] community, they are forced to look elsewhere. The challenge before us is [that] not everyone can afford to pay for private services.” The abrupt closure of the AIM clinic and the lacklustre response from UHN to REAIM’s advocacy for Chinese Canadian patients are a public health concern. Re-opening the clinic is necessary to avoid committing further harm to this community.

Photo

September 15, 2026 thevarsity.ca/section/photo photo@thevarsity.ca

Summer along the beach

Toronto remembers a beautiful summer VIRÁG TAKÁCS Varsity Contributor

Take a couple of steps left of the boardwalk, and you can see dogs playing at the local dog park. VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

Summertime on the boardwalk at Kew-Balmy Beach, with a view of the CN Tower in the distance. VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

To get away from the crowd, paddle out from Woodbine Beach. VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

Grab a friend — this kayak needs two paddlers. VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

thevarsity.ca/section/photo

SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

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Stay safe and keep an eye on your speed! VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

Don’t worry, the lifeguards are always on duty! VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

If the water isn’t enough, cool down with a sweet treat at an ice cream truck. VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

Farther up from the beach you can give skateboarding a try at the skatepark. VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

Don’t forget to strike a pose at the top! VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

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