Issue 5 (October 6, 2026) by The Varsity

THE VARSITY October 6, 2026

The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

Vol. CXLVII, No. V

U OF T RESPONDS TO BACKLASH ON A CANARY’S SONG N E W S CONFERENCE a joint statement demands accountability from the university CELESTA MANIATOGIANNI News Editor The university has responded to a joint statement published by the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC) after U of T President Melanie Woodin gave the opening remarks at A Canary’s Song: Antisemitism in Our “Free and Democratic Society” conference on September 15. The conference was hosted in The Conference Centre at the University of Toronto Chestnut Residence. CMPAC’s statement was published on September 23,

and signed by 37 organizations and 35 individuals. U of T affiliated signatories included Dr. Zoë Wool, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, Daniel Rosenbaum, assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. Shaza Aladien Fadel, assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Dr. Ruth Marshall was also among the signatories. Accountability was demanded from the university, writing that the conference “platformed hate,” specifically “Islamophobic and antisemitic rhetoric.”

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CREATING EFFECTIVE MENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE INITIATIVES AT U OF T how science can inform the criteria for successful student-led events CAITLIN ADAMS Varsity Contributor With the fall semester in full swing and midterm season inching closer and closer, clubs at U of T are offering various events dedicated to improving student mental health. When executed well, peer-led initiatives have been shown to be just as effective at improving the mental well-being of university students as professional services. With many mental health events to choose from, finding an event that students resonate with can be overwhelming. Scientific research could highlight important criteria to consider for a successful mental health event. The Varsity interviewed UTSC student Sara Mohammed, the former president of UTSC’s Jack.org chapter, over email to learn more about how campus clubs hope to benefit student mental health. Jack.org is a Canadian nonprofit organization that hosts school chapters, speaker events, and mentorship programs to foster mental well-being for youth. Through her involvement in mental health advocacy, Mohammed “became increasingly interested in the gap between knowing that mental health matters and feeling comfortable enough to actually talk about… our experiences” with mental illness. Research mirrors this sentiment: according to the 2024–2025 Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey, about half of postsecondary students across parts of Canada report awareness of

campus mental health initiatives. However, about 30 per cent report feeling not very or not at all comfortable discussing personal problems with a mental health professional. Mohammed wrote that the team at Jack. org “wanted students to recognize that there is no single ‘right way’ to take care of your mental wellbeing.” Every student may have their own preferences when it comes to seeking support through campus initiatives, but a study by Remskar and colleagues suggests some key objectives for a successful event. These include creating a low-pressure environment, acknowledging ‘taboo’ topics, and promoting continued engagement. Whether you are looking for an event to attend or are hoping to design one for others, here are some scientific tips that may support a successful wellness gathering.

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Behind U of T’s Defence & Sovereignty Network Seed Funding Program

Discovering Mississauga’s spoken word community — and my voice

TIFF: The Idiot(s) 10

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The Varsity acknowledges that our office is built on the traditional territory of several First Nations, including the Huron-Wendat, the Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit. Journalists Print Indigenous communities by overlooking their stories, contributing to stereotypes, and have historically harmed 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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OCTOBER 6, 2026

U of T responds to backlash on A Canary’s Song conference

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Continued from cover: CELESTA MANIATOGIANNI News Editor ... Specific demands made in the statement included calls for the university to “Apologize publicly for the Islamophobic and antisemitic rhetoric,” to “Explain why [Woodin] opened the conference and what institutional standards were applied to its programming,” to “Disclose UofT’s role and support for the event, including administrative and facilities support,” and to “Meet directly with impacted students and members of affected communities to hear their concerns about the conference, the rhetoric it platformed, and the university’s role in providing it with institutional legitimacy.” In a statement to The Varsity, a spokesperson for the university wrote: “The Sept. 15 conference was organized by an external group that booked space at the U of T Conference Centre in alignment with university policies for bookings by external organizations. The university does not organize or endorse events arranged by external groups. External organizers are solely responsible for the content and choice of speakers.” CMPAC wrote that the conference’s speakers and participants “made statements which raised serious concerns about the collective targeting of Muslims and anti-Zionist Jews.”

CMPAC also wrote that “A university cannot claim to defend academic freedom while allowing its institutional authority to be seen as endorsing hateful and harmful Islamophobic and antisemitic narratives.” When asked for comment on this claim by CMPAC, the university spokesperson wrote to The Varsity that “The role of the university’s administration is to help realize the mission of the university and foster open inquiry in its many forms. The President is often invited to

deliver welcome remarks at external events held on U of T’s campuses.” The spokesperson also added, “We realize that some of the views expressed at this event may have been difficult or disturbing for some members of our community, and members of the University of Toronto leadership team are in conversation with faculty members and student leaders to hear their views.” The university did not specify which faculty members or student leaders they are in conversation with. JACQUELINE RENÉE/THEVARSITY

UTM cites 92 per cent Friendlier container return rate one year after launch The reusable container program launched fall 2025 PREKSHAA SURANA Assistant News Editor The Friendlier reusable container program at UTM’s Colman Commons cafeteria had a 92 per cent return rate after its first year of operation, wrote Hospitality & Ancillary Services Operations & Administration Director Andrea De Vito in a statement to The Varsity. First launched in fall 2025, the program requires diners to pay a refundable deposit for reusable dishes. Once a container has been used, a diner can scan its QR code through the Friendlier app or website and place it in a return bin found

throughout residences. Plates, bowls, and takeout containers require a $0.50 deposit, and cups with lids require an $0.85 deposit, which are refunded by Interac e-transfer within one to two weeks after their return. According to De Vito, nearly 160,000 containers were reused between September 2025 and August 2026. “It’s been well received by our community,” wrote De Vito. “For items such as cutlery where there isn’t a Friendlier option, reusable alternatives have been implemented such as stainless steel cutlery, which can also be returned to Colman Commons for washing and reuse,” De Vito noted.

He added that any pre-packaged items in Colman Commons which are “brought into Coleman Commons to offer more variety” are supplied in recyclable containers. “UTM will expand the use of reusable items at Colman Commons and explore other locations on UTM as Friendlier expands their inventory,” De Vito wrote. “Our goal is to continue reducing, where possible, our use of single-use packaging.” Second-year Leacock Lane resident Ji-In Yun usually returned dishes immediately after eating at Colman Commons. “I returned every single one of them,” Yun said, explaining that friends compared return counts, making participation “a little bit of a competition.” Diners at Colman Commons cafeteria pay a refundable deposit for reusable dishes. ERIKA OZOLS/THEVARSITY

Rallies to be held at UTM and UTSG for “Palestine Week” Isabella Bixler, Associate News Editor This week, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) will host “Palestine Week” to focus on “U of T’s Complicity in Academic Genocide” and “the ongoing calls for disclosure and divestment.” The union announced plans for a series of events to be hosted at the UTMSU Student Center, including a rally on October 6 and a panel discussion on October 7. At UTSG, groups including Occupy UofT, U of T Muslim Students’ Association, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Caucus of the Graduate Student Union, and Toronto Students for Palestine are planning an October 7 gathering on the steps of Sidney Smith Hall to “remember and honour the lives taken in Gaza over the past three years.” According to a spokesperson for the university, U of T “has communicated to student societies and recognized student groups involved in planning the Oct. 7 gathering at Sidney Smith that it cannot proceed as advertised because of significant safety and operational concerns,” including “physical safety risks to participants and to members of the broader University community due to the unsuitability of the space for large gatherings and the online promotion of counter-protests to take place at the same time.” Neurodivergent at University documentary to be premiered at Innis Town Hall Judy Shehape, Varsity Contributor On October 8, Neurodivergent at University, a short documentary about five neurodivergent students navigating university life at U of T, will premiere at Innis Town Hall. Produced by Accessibility Services and the Innovation Hub, the documentary aims to promote more inclusive practices to support the U of T student body. There will be a Q&A panel hosted after the screening, as well as a community resource fair featuring organizations that support neurodivergent people, alongside U of T student services. There will also be a sensory room available near the event. Those who wish to attend must register online by October 6. FAO projects funding shortfalls in health-care and postsecondary education Kayra Naz Ustabasi, Varsity Contributor According to reports by Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office (FAO), over the next three years universities and colleges would need to increase spending by an annual rate of 3.2 per cent to maintain current service levels. Similarly, the health-care sector’s spending would need to increase by 4.4 per cent to maintain current service levels. The FAO describes its reviews as a benchmark for whether the Ontario government’s spending plans are likely to maintain, improve, or reduce the quality and accessibility of services. With the current budget, the FAO has also projected funding shortfalls in postsecondary education and health-care sectors beginning in 2027. The province said the FAO’s projections are “a snapshot in time” and cited $6.4 billion in long-term postsecondary investments.

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Dancers took part in a men’s traditional dance contest, jingle dress dancing, smoke dancing, and intertribal dances. NGUYEN BAO HAN TRAN/THEVARSITY

UTM hosts fourth annual All-Nations Powwow

The Powwow brings generations together through dance and celebration NGUYEN BAO HAN TRAN UTM Bureau Chief Hundreds of people gathered at UTM on Saturday, October 3, for its fourth annual All-Nations Powwow, bringing together Indigenous dancers, singers, Elders, and community members for an afternoon of celebration, cultural sharing, and remembrance. Federal and provincial politicians also attended, including Minister of Women and Gender Equality Rechie Valdez; MPs Iqra Khalid and Fares Al Soud; and Ontario MPPs Sheref Sabawy, Silvia Gualtieri, and Rudy Cuzzetto. The Grand Entry was followed by a flag song and veteran song, with attendees remaining standing as flags and staffs were brought into the arena. Throughout the afternoon, dancers took part in a men’s traditional dance contest, jingle dress dancing, smoke dancing, and intertribal dances. During the intertribal portion, spectators were invited onto the floor to join the dancers. Ninjiichaag The Spirit Within — a group of Men’s Traditional Singers from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation — performed as the host drum, while Little Creek Singers performed as the co-host drum.

Tee Copenace, UTM’s director of Indigenous initiatives, told The Varsity that the All-Nations theme reflects the range of Indigenous nations and communities involved in the gathering, including Toronto’s urban Indigenous community and neighbouring Indigenous communities. For Copenace, participation is central to the powwow. “We want our non-Indigenous community members and our allies to dance with us, to sing with us, to laugh with us, to enjoy just being together and also learning together, but more importantly, building friendship, and that’s what this event does,” she said. That sharing of culture was also visible across generations. In an interview with The Varsity, Mike Dashner of Walpole Island First Nation said he began dancing in 1976. Dashner said an uncle had given him feathers when he first began dancing. His father later danced with the same feathers, and five decades later, Dashner’s grandson wore them at Saturday’s powwow. Feathers can hold spiritual and ceremonial significance, although their meanings vary among Nations and individuals. “Life is a gift from the Creator,” Dashner said. “And we dance to celebrate that gift.”

Moments of remembrance During opening remarks, Head Elder Grandmother Kim Wheatley acknowledged residential school survivors; children who did not return home; and missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S). “It’s a celebration. It’s a remembrance,” Wheatley said. The afternoon later included a Red Dress Special dance, which “remembers and raises awareness” for MMIWG2S. Contemporary jingle dancer Cheyenne McNeil of Nassauekueton told The Varsity that her connection to powwows is rooted in her family. McNeil began dancing about two years ago after her grandfather died unexpectedly. She had regularly attended a powwow in downtown Toronto, she said, but her mother had not been able to attend with her grandfather because of family circumstances. “So I started dancing for her,” McNeil said. She now takes her mother to the Curve Lake First Nation Powwow and described powwows as “a celebration of our culture and our survival.” Saturday’s gathering also drew visitors who experienced a powwow for the first time. Speaking with The Varsity, Naz Ahmed said she attended with her children after becoming

more interested in Indigenous culture and history. She described the gathering as a combination of ceremony, dance, music, and cultures coming together. By the end of the gathering, Ahmed said she wanted to become more involved with the Powwow. “I would probably want to volunteer,” she said. Chief Margaret Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation told attendees that powwows offer a chance to celebrate songs, dances, and traditions while sharing stories, making connections, and strengthening relationships. She said holding the gathering at a university was especially meaningful because Indigenous youth could see their cultures and communities represented. “Our young people are our future,” Sault said. One of those young people was Youth Head Dancer Emilee Ann Pitawanakwat of Wiikwemkoong First Nation, who has been dancing for most of her life. Pitawanakwat told The Varsity that she began dancing at 17 months old and started hoop dancing at five. Her dancing has since taken her to events and competitions outside Ontario. The Powwow was concluded by the Retiring of Flags, Closing Ceremonies, and a Travelling Song.

Three Jingle Dress Special event performers at the Powwow. NGUYEN BAO HAN TRAN/THEVARSITY

The Powwow began with a Grand Entry, followed by the Opening Remarks. NGUYEN BAO HAN TRAN/THEVARSITY

A dancer performs during the Men's Traditional Dance Special. NGUYEN BAO HAN TRAN/THEVARSITY

Dancer Emilee-Ann Pitawanakwat of Wikwemikong First Nation performing a hoop dance. NGUYEN BAO HAN TRAN/THEVARSITY

Business & Labour

October 6, 2026 thevarsity.ca/category/business biz@thevarsity.ca

Behind U of T’s Defence and Sovereignty Network Seed Funding Program Decoding the defence and sovereignty craze

IMA FAZLAN Varsity Contributor If you have kept up with the latest Canadian news, you will have noticed that talks about defence and national sovereignty have rapidly increased since the re-election of US President Donald Trump. Politicians, institutional investors, subject matter experts, and now academic administrators have begun to not only discuss the controversial topic, but are making meaningful commitments in research and resources. The context The defence conversations arise amidst a geopolitical context that is impossible to ignore. Since Trump took office, his comments toward Canadian sovereignty have accelerated in severity and magnitude. His threats to annex Canada, as well as his use of tariffs — which have weakened Canada’s economy — have made dependence on our southern neighbour feel far less comfortable than it historically has. With other geopolitical conflicts in the background, for example, the Ukraine and Iran war, sovereignty has taken on a much more important role in Canadian policy compared to the previous decade. This February, Prime Minister Mark Carney launched Canada’s first Defence Industrial Strategy, which aims to expand domestic defence production and simultaneously reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. The federal government aims to ramp up defence spending to the agreed five per cent of annual GDP by 2035 as per the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Investment Pledge, with most recent levels as of March 2026 at two per cent per year. This will amount to nearly $1 trillion over the next decade. The Defence Industrial Strategy largely entails increasing domestic procurement, investment, supply chains, and industry engagement. It aims to build on existing capabilities in shipbuilding, land systems, space, and aerospace, as well as advancing emerging technologies and critical resources like

AI, quantum, cyber, and advanced materials. These mandates are positioned to be critical not just for warfare, but for the broader economy. A critical component to building these capabilities is research, which will often fall into the jurisdictions of government, private sector, and importantly, academic institutions.

funding and partnership opportunities.” The selected proposals will fall under U of T’s DSN. Central themes for intended research unsurprisingly include “defence, sovereignty, and dual-use innovation.” However, these topics cover more than weapons or tanks. Arctic research, AI, biosecurity, strengthening democracies, and health systems resilience are all examples of eligible topics. Looking at dual-use innovation — technology that has both civilian and

ZOE MANTAS/THEVARSITY

The Defence & Sovereignty Network Seed Funding Program In February, following the release of Carney’s defense strategy, U of T President Melanie Woodin wrote in a LinkedIn post that U of T was “ready to meet this moment.” In September, the university’s Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) office launched a Defence & Sovereignty Network (DSN) Seed Funding Program, offering up to $70,000 per winning network for 12–24 months. The overarching objective of the program is to develop “cross-divisional research networks positioned to respond to priorities emerging from Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy and related

military applications — has become an increasingly important research and defence investment stream. This can look like technology or knowledge that can potentially serve civilian institutions like hospitals or businesses, while also being useful to the government and armed forces. The ethics question Research conducted at universities always has far-reaching, global implications. Developing proprietary knowledge in defence can have particularly consequential impacts on our communities and broader society. Whether that knowledge is beneficial or destructive to society is where there is significant uncertainty.

The Varsity asked the university about what ethical oversight will be involved in the DSM program. In response, a spokesperson for the university stated that the university has a commitment to, “abide by the Policy on Ethical Conduct in Research, review all research funding applications and researchrelated agreements for compliance with all relevant policies, procedures, ethical requirements and legislation, and publish the results of research.” The Policy on Ethical Conduct in Research states, “It is neither possible nor desirable to foresee or to define what constitutes ethical conduct in all circumstances. This policy leaves many such matters untouched: it does not, for example, apply to the question of whether a certain kind or line of research is itself ethical.” Does haste make waste? While questions remain unanswered about how and what U of T will pursue in defence research, the federal government’s defence priorities provide useful context, as they have directly shaped the research landscape. The university’s prior projects also provide another point of reference. For instance, the medical emergency preparedness exercise was codirected by Adalsteinn Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. As well, two U of T early-stage technology companies participated in the NATO DIANA program. Canada’s underperformance in defence, from numerous failed policies to low investment, has caught up to the federal government, which now faces pressure to accelerate defence spending in light of an increasingly fraught world. However, opposition parties and other external groups have voiced criticism over how spending should be allocated within defence, and what this means for other areas of Canada’s budget. Defence has been and will always be a divisive issue. As the government moves quickly to build up Canada’s defense infrastructure, it is important that we consider the near- and long-term implications of defence spending and innovation within and beyond our own borders.

How much did that storm just cost Toronto? A brief financial guide to extreme weather

SAYA ALVARES Varsity Contributor If you were in Toronto on September 2, you may recall what is regarded as a “100-year storm” — a rainfall event with a one-per-cent probability of taking place — that brought the city to a standstill. The aftermath left thousands of southern Ontarians with property damage, power outages, and a warning of climate change’s real impacts. Weeks after the storm tore through Toronto, researchers now have a clearer picture of what hit the region. Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project confirmed that the storm produced winds estimated at up to 125 kilometres per hour. The damage stretched roughly 7.1 kilometres, with the Downsview Park area receiving the brunt of its force. Parts of Toronto received around 150 millimetres of rain, beating the city’s August total average rainfall of 78 millimetres in only a couple of hours.

The torrential rain was just the beginning of the storm, as hail quickly followed. Across the region, there were cases of flooding in homes and on roads. Toronto’s fire department reported the secondhighest volume of calls ever within 24 hours. At the storm’s worst, nearly 65,000 Torontonians were without power. Altogether, the lives of thousands of residents were disrupted amid damaged roads, homes, public transit, trees, and power lines. Now what? After a quick recovery — which many credit to the GTA’s fire and police departments — Toronto residents were left wondering, “How am I going to pay for this damage?” Insurance claims began to roll in as soon as the storm subsided. In an interview with the Insurance Institute, claims specialist Jessica

Toronto was hit with its most destructive and severe storm of the year in early September. AUDREY KIM/THEVARSITY

Ryzynski explained, “Based on what we’re seeing so far, I think it’s safe to say this is going to be a catastrophic event… This one is unique because it’s not just water and flood focused. We’re seeing a lot of hail damage, too.” Due to the severity and variety of the storm, many basic insurance policies did not cover the extent of property and auto damage that occurred. For example, a standard house insurance policy will likely cover wind and hail-related issues, but flooding may be out of its domain. Ryzynski explains that a lot of what has come across her desk so far is mostly dealing with basement flooding, which could arise from equipment failures, overland flooding, or sewer backup. The onset of hail damage, falling trees, and vehicle damage left homeowners and businesses to pay for damages themselves despite having insurance. Climate change The implications of this severe weather and the future can be frightening. David Phillips, a climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, explained in an interview with CBC that climate change is making thunderstorms more severe. “[It’s] almost as if this is a preview of what will be normal in 30 years from now,” he said. Phillips reminds residents how important it is to be wary of calling this storm a one-time occurrence. While Toronto can hope for precipitation events in the foreseeable future to be less severe, the storm serves as a reminder of the impacts of an

ever-changing climate. The consequences extend beyond the environmental damage, including financial implications for individuals and families. The City of Toronto has also acknowledged this possibility, with an excerpt from their “Extreme Weather” webpage reading, “In the future, Toronto is expected to experience higher temperatures and more heat events. The City is also getting wetter overall, and a larger share of precipitation is falling as rain rather than snow.” What should we do now? As either a homeowner or a tenant, checking what type of flood protection you have on your home can be the first step to mitigating storm damage. Not all types of weather damage are treated the same way, so reading the fine print and checking what claims are covered is crucial to alleviating the damage when the time comes. The City of Toronto also provides protective measures for residents. The city’s Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program offers up to $6,650 per property for eligible flood protection work that helps safeguard homes from basement flooding. While Toronto is working to improve its complex infrastructure of underground pipes, sewers, and catch basins, none of these measures alone can fully ensure your home is safe after extreme weather events. Policy at all levels of government will have to play a role in protecting citizens, whether in urban hubs like Toronto, on the prairies, or on the coasts of either side of the country.

Science

October 6, 2026 thevarsity.ca/category/science science@thevarsity.ca

How pharmacies are fighting against drug shortages A U of T-developed tool could give pharmacies early notice of shortages

SIMONA AGOSTINO/THEVARSITY

ASHMAL SHOUKAT Varsity Contributor A drug shortage rarely begins with an empty shelf. First, a pharmacist has difficulty ordering medication. Then, wholesalers shift their delivery dates, and pharmacies only receive part of the inventory they need. By the time a shortage is publicly confirmed, pharmacists have already been calling suppliers, contacting medical professionals, and explaining to patients why their usual treatment is unavailable. New technology from U of T aims to give the health system what it lacks the most: time. MaaTRx: A new forecast for the drug supply Researchers at U of T have developed MaaTRx, a digital drug-shortage intelligence platform that helps hospitals, pharmacies, and healthcare organizations anticipate medication shortages. Developed by Mina Tadrous, an associate professor at U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of

Pharmacy, and Shanzeh Chaudhry, a Leslie Dan alumna and MaaTRx’s operations lead, the platform combines real-time data with predictive modelling to identify medications that may be vulnerable to supply disruptions. Much like a weather forecast, MaaTRx can’t prevent sudden weather events — or in this case, abrupt deficits in medication availability — but it can alert pharmacists to an incoming storm. How predictive modelling is changing drug forecasting Distinguishing between emerging and active shortages is important, as Canada’s current reporting system is largely reactive. Actual and anticipated drug shortages are reported by manufacturers through the Drug Shortages Canada website, but a public listing rarely tells the whole story. Pharmacists may not know which regions are most affected, whether the shortage will worsen, and what substitutes are available. MaaTRx uses several kinds of information to make its predictions. Unlike forecasting services that primarily alert pharmacists to potential shortages, MaaTRx also connects these regionspecific predictions to clinically appropriate alternatives and available inventory. This allows hospitals and pharmacy networks to begin planning before a drug shortage begins instead of spending days researching alternative supplies after the shortage occurs. Early warning of drug shortages can also reduce panic purchasing. When left unable to predict the future, some pharmacies may try to secure extra inventory for their patients. Stockpiling drains the remaining supply and

amplifies regional inequalities as some areas may have better access to medications than others. Publicly shared information improves coordination between pharmacies, making sure the medications experiencing shortages reach patients who need them the most. What is driving Ontario’s drug shortages? From March 2025 to April 2026, Canada experienced disruptions in medications containing acetaminophen and oxycodone, which are used for moderate to severe pain — such as pain following surgical and dental procedures. One manufacturer, Teva Canada Limited, reported a delay involving an active pharmaceutical ingredient, which is the chemical component responsible for producing a drug’s therapeutic effects. When one major supplier cannot obtain an ingredient or manufacture enough medication, the demand shifts toward competing companies. However, those manufacturers cannot necessarily increase production immediately. Adding to capacity overnight is limited by production lines, quality testing, limited equipment, and regulatory requirements. What’s more, according to a 2026 JAMA Network Open study, the majority of supply chain disruptions don’t lead to true drug shortages. Canada is therefore facing a signal-versusnoise problem, where pharmacists may receive warnings too late, and the reporting system does not reveal which supply chain disruptions will meaningfully affect patients. To help sort through the noise, predictive modelling can help separate a temporary manufacturing concern from a full-blown clinical crisis.

Supply disruptions and policy concerns In the case of opioids, an abrupt interruption can cause uncontrolled pain and withdrawal. Also, therapeutic substitution potentially requires a new prescription altogether, as Ontario pharmacists do not currently have authority to independently make such substitutions. To resolve this issue, the Canadian Pharmacists Association advocates for the expansion of pharmacists’ therapeutic-substitution authority. Supporters argue that trained pharmacists are capable of prescribing drug alternatives to patients instead of waiting for a busy prescriber. Federal policy is moving towards the prevention of drug shortages altogether. Policy changes under consideration would require manufacturers of critical drugs in Canada to create shortage-prevention plans, maintain a certain level of safety stock, report any unusual surges in demand, and provide advance notice when discontinuing a product.

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OCTOBER 6, 2026 7 Student-led mental health events should focus on reducing triggers, acknowledging stigma, and coordinating peer connections. VIRÁG TAKÁCS/THEVARSITY

Creating effective mental health initiatives at U of T Continued from cover: CAITLIN ADAMS Varsity Contributor ... Removing triggers: creating a low-pressure environment In the language of psychologists, a trigger is a conditioned threat cue associated with the memory of an upsetting event. Conditioned threat cues are previously neutral aspects of the environment that the human brain perceives as dangerous after becoming associated with a threatening outcome. Furthermore, a 2022 eye-tracking study found that people continue to pay attention to conditioned threat cues, even when there is no present danger. In that context, it is crucial to be aware of triggers and how others might be affected by them. To ensure students are not inadvertently made to reexperience trauma, it’s important that mental health initiatives allow students to participate at their own pace without undue pressure. Trauma treatment techniques could be informally adapted by student clubs to avoid

triggers where possible. For example, student clubs could set aside quiet spaces at the event, allocate time to take a short break, or provide an explicit invitation for students to step outside whenever they need to. This technique could help students feel more comfortable when discussing difficult topics. Challenging what is ‘not okay’ to talk about Last year, the Jack.org UTSC team surveyed 104 students at a tabling event titled “What’s ‘Not Okay’ to Talk About?” Their survey aimed to understand the intricacies of stigma, which the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health defines as “the negative attitudes (prejudice) and negative behaviour (discrimination) toward people with substance use and mental health problems.” Responses to the Jack.org survey demonstrated that some students felt “their struggles were not ‘serious enough’ or that they should be able to manage them on their own,” wrote Mohammed. “[W]e recognized that stigma reduction is often the foundation for meaningful mental health engagement. Before students can… participate in conversations

about mental health, they need to feel… that they belong within those conversations.” Being told that one’s challenges are trivial can contribute to self-stigma — the belief that the prejudices of others are true. This may dissuade students from seeking help. In fact, a 2016 study of 370 undergraduate students by Daniel Lannin and colleagues showed that, among students experiencing higher levels of distress, those with low self-stigma were about twice as likely to seek information about mental health support as those with high selfstigma. To encourage students to seek support, student-led workshops and socials should create a welcoming space to discuss both the stigma students face from others and the selfstigma that might develop as a result. Sometimes, longevity trumps size A positive, albeit small, correlation between health-promoting behaviour and social identity is documented in a meta-analysis by Natascha de Hoog and Ron Pat-El. Combining multiple independent studies, their research suggests that seeing people whom we feel comfortable with

repeatedly engaging in a health-related activity could incentivize us to do the same. Another study about an experiential group program for undergraduate students with depressive symptoms, called The Connection Project, shows that socializing with a small group of people who share similar goals boosts feelings of belongingness over time. To foster long-term and consistent engagement, campus clubs can benefit from hosting events that address time-bound barriers to mental health throughout the year, such as de-stressing during exam season. Recognizing that many postsecondary students experience similar stressors provides an opportunity to forge connections with other club members. Mohammed wrote that “having resources available does not always mean students know about them or [feel] comfortable accessing them.” Campus clubs can design mental health events that offer low-trigger environments, spaces to discuss stigma, and long-term connection. Implementing these strategies may encourage students to participate in student-led mental health initiatives that are both sustainable and accessible.

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Discovering Mississauga’s spoken word community — and my voice F or young poets, putting words on a page is only the beginning

NGUYEN BAO HAN TRAN UTM Bureau Chief “Why don’t you try performing?” Some things are easier said than done. In all my reporting to better understand Mississauga’s spoken word community for this article, I had never given performance much thought until my editor suggested that I take a break from interviewing spoken word poets long enough to become one myself. As a Vietnamese immigrant who proudly became Canadian last year, I have spent much of my life making peace with the English language. Literature, however, has not always returned the favour. Poetry, in particular, has been a lifelong adversary. Don’t get me wrong, I have always loved creative writing, but poems are another matter entirely. They seemed to operate by rules I could never quite grasp. I would read one, understand every word individually, and still fail to arrive at whatever meaning I was supposed to find beneath them. Poetry was a language within a language, one that everybody else had somehow learned to speak. And now I had agreed to perform a poem. One summer evening, I went to a Sauga Poetry open mic not far from my house in Mississauga. I remember the walk to the microphone more clearly than I remember the first lines I read. With each step, my heart beat a little harder until it was pounding against my chest. The room was cool enough, but sweat was gathering along my back. I had written, revised, and read the poem enough times to know how it went. Yet the closer I came to the stage, the less reassuring any of that

seemed. There is a particular kind of terror in realizing that something you wrote alone, without having to explain yourself to anybody, is about to become everybody else’s to hear. When I finally stood before the audience, I became acutely aware of the faces looking back at me. Some people smiled. Others watched quietly, their expressions giving less away. Are they curious? Impatient? Have they already decided what they think of me? There was no way to know, and certainly no time to find out. I looked down at my phone, where the words I had so confidently arranged in private suddenly seemed less familiar. The poem was called “We Forgot.” I took a breath and began reading. The long way to poetry night For Tahira Rajwani, the distance between a poem and an audience was once roughly two and a half hours. Growing up in Mississauga without a car, she often had to make the long commute to Toronto to attend spoken word events. An evening of poetry meant planning her journey and finding her way home afterward, all for the chance to spend a little time among people who understood why she wanted to be there. Rajwani had begun writing poetry long before she imagined that strangers might one day want to hear her words. At first, poetry was something she kept entirely to herself. In an interview with The Varsity, she said, “It was this little private secret thing that I did, it was kind of embarrassing. When I originally started writing, I was an angsty teenager, and I wrote a lot for myself as a form of catharsis.”

At 15, she entered a poetry slam in Mississauga and placed second. What had begun in private gradually became something she wanted to share. Her work began to expand its focus. She explained, “As I developed in my spoken word journey and understood the medium and the community more, I really understood spoken word as a tool for social justice, social commentary, and pulling up a seat to the table of the political conversation.” Today, Rajwani is Mississauga’s Youth Poet Laureate, a position she holds from 2025 to 2027. She is also one of the poets involved in Sauga Poetry, a local spoken word collective whose beginnings can be traced, in part, to the difficulty she once encountered trying to find a place to perform. “There isn’t a lot of room for people to grow in their art if they’re only competing once a year, right? You need opportunity for community and feedback and consistent practice,” she said. The trouble with poetry meant to be spoken aloud is that writing it is only half the work. Words that look convincing on a page can sound awkward when spoken. If a poet pauses before speaking, an unremarkable sentence can suddenly acquire weight. There are things an audience can teach a writer that a notebook cannot, and for young poets who have yet to find their footing, those lessons depend on having a space to learn. When I asked Rajwani what someone needed to begin writing spoken word, her answer was considerably less complicated than I expected. “All you need to be an expert in to write spoken word poetry is your own experience. Spoken word is a channel for your own experience, so it’s never like you’re not skilled enough,” she said. Like many other forms of art, poetry begins with the material from a person’s own life. An

overheard conversation, a family argument, a loss that has never been properly processed, or an injustice that has made somebody angry enough to reach for a pen could all be the beginnings of a poem. I understood what she was telling me, although I was less certain that I wanted to test the proposition myself. The (other) reporter who took the mic At first, Andrea Thompson wanted to stay in the audience of spoken word poets. After moving to Vancouver, she volunteered with a campus radio program, attending poetry events, interviewing artists, and reporting on the performances she had seen. Through the program, she spent time with poets, asked them questions, and immersed herself in their community without ever having to stand where they stood. One day, a host encouraged her to read something of her own. Thompson refused, and continued refusing, until eventually, she agreed to try. After that, she was hooked. The former reporter went on to become a spoken word artist and educator. In 2023, she taught UTM’s first course devoted to spoken word, introducing students to an art form that she herself had once approached from the safety of the audience. Thompson’s position as a performer and educator has taken her into workshops where people arrive with a wide range of relationships to writing. Some are already comfortable in front of an audience, while others have spent years keeping their work to themselves. Their reasons for writing are equally varied, and the subjects that emerge are not always the ones an instructor anticipates.

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In her classroom, “everybody’s in the same boat, everybody’s the same level of vulnerability, and so this petri dish of creativity happens where people can exhale a little bit, be themselves. Be face to face with their peers instead of online, feel that interpersonal energy. Go through what most people think is the most terrifying experience of their lives — public speaking — and survive,” Thompson told me. She has watched students change through the process of performing. Some learn to slow down, to breathe through their nerves, or to look at the people listening rather than the floor. “That’s what happens when people really grab hold of it and run with it, and they can really get a lot out of it. Students of all ages, it’s beautiful to watch, I love it. That’s my favourite thing. I don’t like the grading, but I love [this].” Tracing the words The idea that poetry might belong as much to the voice as to the printed page is hardly new, although the history of contemporary spoken word is too varied to be traced through any single tradition. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s brought poetry into close conversation with Black cultural identity, political resistance, music, and community life. The Last Poets, formed in East Harlem in 1968, combined politically charged verse with percussion, while Gil Scott-Heron drew on poetry, jazz, and blues in work that would become influential in the development of hip-hop. In Canada, Lillian Allen helped establish dub poetry, a form of poetry shaped by Jamaican reggae, rhythm, and political expression. As a two-time JUNO Award winner who became

Toronto’s Poet Laureate in 2023, Allen has spent decades working across poetry, music, performance, and education. The modern poetry slam emerged through a related but distinct development. In Chicago, Marc Kelly Smith began experimenting with poetry readings in 1985 before establishing the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill the following year. The format brought competition and audience judgment into poetry readings, inviting listeners to become active participants in the performance. Thompson was careful to distinguish “slam” from spoken word, a difference I did not understand before speaking with her. A slam is a competition, while spoken word encompasses poetry shaped for performance without requiring scores, winners, or even a stage. “It’s not a clear-cut definition because of the hybridist nature of the ways people can express themselves as a spoken-word artist,” Thompson explained, but conflating slam and spoken word “cuts down a lot of territory and forces that person into only sharing a work in a competitive venue where they’re competing against other people and getting a scorecard, which not all of us do.” Maintaining a collective For a collective such as Sauga Poetry, listeners are as necessary as the people who take the microphone. They make the difference between writing something privately and sharing it with the world, however small that world may be for the duration of an evening. In May 2023, Sauga Poetry began holding regular open mics in Mississauga. Its early organizing team included Lisa Shen — the city’s Youth Poet Laureate at the time — alongside

Rajwani, Qurat Dar, Paul Edward Costa, and Rami E. At Studio.89, they welcomed poets with varying levels of experience, as well as those who preferred to spend the evening listening. A poetry collective is considerably easier to romanticize than it is to maintain. There are venues to secure, performers to organize, events to publicize, and the persistent question of how to keep doing all of it when the organizers have their own jobs, studies, and artistic lives. “The community just grew so quickly, and I think that really showed how much there was a need for that kind of community in Mississauga. We ended up going on hiatus for a little bit, because arts organizing is really hard, especially when it’s not your full-time job, and you’re not getting paid for it. Monthly open mic events are a lot, and so a lot of our team experienced burnout,” Rajwani said. When Rajwani became Youth Poet Laureate, she helped bring the collective back. “I thought that this was something that I wanted to give to the community,” she said, “but it’s also something I wanted to give to myself.” She missed other poets, the chance to bring new work somewhere. Rajwani had once spent hours travelling to find a poetry community; now, she was making the same journey shorter for somebody else. The last line By the time I stood at the microphone, I had spent weeks asking people what happened when they took something they had written privately and brought it before an audience. Regardless of our conversations, I was still not particularly enthusiastic about becoming one of the performers. I began reading from my phone.

I concentrated on the words and tried not to think too much about the people in front of me. With every sentence, I grew a little closer to the end, eager to finish but still nervous about how my poem would be received. Eventually, I reached the last line. I looked up, and the room applauded. I cannot know what everybody thought of the poem. There may have been people who agreed with it, people who disagreed, and people whose attention had already wandered elsewhere. Rajwani had told me that a poem did not need to reach everyone. Ninety-nine people might dislike it, she said, but there could still be one person who felt “heard and seen and understood.” She told me that for that one person, “your work made them feel a little less alone, a little less unsure of their own experience. I think you need to write for those people.” I had spent years believing that poetry belonged to people who understood the English language better than I did, people who could find meaning in places where I saw only words. Yet there I was, a Vietnamese immigrant standing before an audience and reading a poem of my own. The thought of standing before another audience still made my stomach turn. Perhaps I would come back with another poem. I would just need to work up the courage all over again. I cannot tell you whether anyone agreed with “We Forgot,” whether its words reminded them of something they had experienced, or if I managed to express everything I intended. But one thing I knew: I had found the courage to say what I wanted to say, and someone had stayed to listen. My voice had been heard and, for a first poem, that was enough.

Arts & Culture TIFF: The Idiot(s)

The Idiot(s) thinks you are one. MARNIE SCOTT Varsity Contributor This review contains spoilers. The Idiot(s), directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, was featured at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Englert and Szumowska provide audiences with a bright, contemporary look into the golden age of Russian literature in the mid to late nineteenth century, which produced writers like Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and, of course, Fyodor Dostoevsky, who dominated the literary space — all while winking at the film’s own idiosyncrasies. The film tells the story of Anna Dostoevskaya (Aimee Lou Wood) and Fyodor Dostoevsky (Johnny Flynn) during their honeymoon in the small German town of Baden-Baden. Fyodor struggles to write The Idiot while gambling away what little money they have, as Anna attempts to channel the fervour he has for roulette into writing. Adapted from Andrew D. Kaufman’s literary biography The Gambler Wife, the film is a dark

tragicomedy, with witty anachronisms scattered throughout, including the featured use of A-Ha’s “Take on Me.” Wood and Flynn both give solid performances, though Wood’s role is frustratingly familiar to many of her previous roles. Best known for Sex Education and The White Lotus, Wood often plays the kooky, eccentric, comic-relief character, and The Idiot(s) falls back on the same archetype. It is disappointing to see her given so little opportunity to move beyond it. A lacking plot The issues begin with the film’s dull, repetitive plot. Fyodor gambles, loses, begs Anna for money, and she reluctantly gives in, only for the cycle to repeat. Dotted between these scenes are Anna writing his pages and some strange kink sequences that do not seem to offer any subplot. The repetition may be intended to make us sympathize with Anna, but instead leaves the film feeling like a male-dominated story about Fyodor’s gambling. He is selfish enough to become unlikable, but not developed enough for that unlikability to become particularly interesting.

October 6, 2026 thevarsity.ca/category/arts-culture arts@thevarsity.ca

The kink scenes are similarly underdeveloped, seeming to exist primarily for shock value. We learn that Fyodor has various sexual proclivities, but little about where they come from or how they affect his relationship with Anna. She merely participates without protest, which only reinforces her portrayal as a passive figure in her husband’s life. Fyodor is also repeatedly placed into painfully obvious metaphorical scenarios in the film’s dream sequences, such as being mocked by the wealthy social circles whose approval he craves. The imagery is occasionally striking, but the symbolism is so brazenly explicit that it leaves nothing for the audience to decode. An unoriginal martyr wife tale Combined with the constant anachronisms and exaggerated comedy, the film starts to feel like a poor imitation of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette instead of a fully developed piece on Anna’s forgotten impact on Dostoyevsky’s literary work. For all its attempts to be an ‘antibiopic,’ The Idiot(s) falls into the familiar structure of the biopic genre. By the third act, the remaining plot is predictable, and when The Idiot still has not materialized, there is little emotional investment in the characters established to make its absence even matter. After two hours, the film simply left me bored.

Fundamentally, The Idiot(s) fails most in what it claims to be about: a reexamination of Anna’s significant role. Anna is central to Fyodor’s creativity, yet the film tells her story almost entirely through her relationship to him. She writes his pages and pushes him to create, but we learn remarkably little about her beyond her devotion to a man who repeatedly disrespects her. She follows him despite everything — her own personhood remaining secondary, yet again. Fyodor’s rival Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev (Christian Friedel) tells Anna, “Every Russian writer should have a wife like you.” This is the framework The Idiot(s) builds upon; Anna is still understood entirely as a wife, visible only through her relationship to Fyodor. There could potentially be an interesting commentary here on the way women’s identities were historically absorbed into their husbands’, but the film never develops this idea far enough to make Anna’s marginalization feel deliberate. She remains frustratingly underwritten, and what could have been a sharp critique of the wife’s place behind the ‘tortured male artist’ becomes just another story in which the woman exists primarily to support him. The Idiot(s) wants to make Anna central, but leaves her back in Fyodor’s shadow.

A still from Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert. COURTESY OF TIFF

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OCTOBER 6, 2026 11

TIFF review: Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost explores AI replication, grief, and motherhood

Art Flash Major moments in the zeitgeist this week Can the old Taylor come to the phone right now? Juliet Pieters, Associate Arts & Culture Editor On September 25, Taylor Swift released The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, the original album with four new tracks. The new releases are unfortunately disappointing. Swift has ditched her complex stories and lyrical ballads for tacky and shallow songs determined to prove how happy she is and how miserable and bitter everyone else is in comparison. The only new song, in my opinion, that has a good sound and well-written lyrics is the final track “Babylon, ” which is about nostalgia and heartache. This track showcases her strong writing skills and vocal abilities. It is a pity that the other bonus tracks did not utilize these strengths.

The Love Hypothesis = romcom revival Juliet Pieters, Associate Arts & Culture Editor

A still from Yeon Sang-ho’s Paradise Lost. COURTESY OF TIFF

JUSTINE LEMAN Varsity Contributor This review mentions mass violence and death. This review contains spoilers. Showing at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), acclaimed director Yeon Sang-ho of Train to Busan fame presented Paradise Lost to a captivated audience. When a bus full of young students on a camping trip goes missing and the students are later found murdered in a mine shaft, their grieving parents turn to Transhuman –– an AI company that creates three-dimensional (3D) projections of their dead children –– as a last resort. The film opens with a scene of a mother, Ryu So-young (Kim Hyun-joo), sending her beloved son, Ryu Sun-woo (Bae Hyun-Sung), off to his school camping trip. This unassuming introduction shockingly transforms into a crime scene with news vans and body bag after body bag being pulled out of a mine shaft. Yeon does an incredible job of taking advantage of the viewer’s empathy and tying their emotions to the narrative from the beginning. I found myself crying when So-young sorrowfully recounted mundane but treasured details about Sun-woo — like how he would bite his nails — to Transhuman. Using AI to replace the dead Paradise Lost grapples with the human ideas of birth and death in the age of AI. These fundamentally human concepts and their significance are challenged and transformed by the AI replications of the dead children. Preserved as adorably young but simplified, the replicas can’t actually die. They only ‘die’ when the grieving parents decide to delete them because their grief has become more manageable with time. The other parents are eventually able to accept the truth of the murders, unlike So-young, who, as a single mother, only had Sun-woo as family. Romanticized expectations vs reality When the actual Sun-woo shockingly returns home ten years later on the anniversary of the

bus going missing, So-young’s sense of reality is shattered. Before this point, daily but limited interactions with his AI replica protected an unchanging, ideal image of her child in her mind. The real Sun-woo, however, is incredibly disconnected from his mother, preferring to stay in his outgrown childhood bed instead of acting the way So-young remembered him. The romanticized and fuzzy projection of Sun-woo died in the mine shaft, and his grown-up reality is a much darker existence. Sun-woo is emotionally impulsive and chooses violence to work his way out of messy situations. The bus driver of the tragedy is revealed to have been a serial killer who had decided to spare Sun-woo and raise him as his own son. Sun-woo was groomed into committing murders with the bus driver and continued to do so even after he managed to escape and return home. Plot holes and overcomplicated twists While Yeon thoroughly established the inner workings behind why Sun-woo became a serial killer –– what is ignored is the sickening reason behind Sun-woo’s transformation in the first place. To give Paradise Lost further depth, it would have been better to inform the audience of a clear reason behind the school bus murders. The contrast between Sun-woo’s naive younger self and the bloodthirsty version that returned home can only work to a certain extent without further exploration of his time being groomed by the driver. The school bus murder scene at the beginning only serves as a minor plot point in Sun-woo’s serial killer life, rather than being broader commentary on the older murderer’s predatory relationship to Sun-woo. The bus driver ultimately gets away with not only orchestrating the central tragic event, but also grooming Sun-woo into a similar life. Another massive plot point is Sun-woo’s kidnapping of Hao, the neighbours’ son. Lacking affection from his mother, Sun-woo

sees both the AI replica and Hao as recipients of his mother’s love. Sun-woo’s jealousy ultimately drives him to kidnap Hao, as he is unable to physically hurt his own 3D projection. The AI replica becomes an outlet for the resentment towards his mother, who has still been spending a significant amount of time with his replica, even though Sun-woo has returned to her. So-young’s comfort in the 3D version of her child, though idealized, is violently contradicted by the real Sun-woo’s traumatized response. Final thoughts Paradise Lost uses a mother-son relationship to interrogate the idea of personhood. It’s absolutely genius that Yeon is able to effortlessly use simple ideas of love, grief, and loss to connect the audience to these two fictional characters. The consequences of Transhuman’s AI creations pose interesting implications for our own world today. A study by Kamilla Bonnesen and colleagues found that AI is a poor replacement for the role that genuine human connection plays in society. Therefore, no matter how comforting the fake image of Sun-woo had been for her, So-young still has to take responsibility for the reality of her child. In the end, she chooses to sorrowfully accept the returned and flawed Sun-woo as her son. While this presented a satisfying conclusion, it also allowed So-young to simultaneously accept the two truths she was grappling with the whole film: she loves and cares for her son deeply, and her son is no longer the perfect child she had known because of the abuse he experienced. It is fitting that the film that begins with an early memory of Sun-woo before the madness unfolded draws a full circle with its conclusion. The film ends with a group of interns in the Transhuman lobby admiring a projected video of the child version of Sun-woo and a now AI-replicated So-young playing with the other children.

On September 23, Prime Video premiered its latest book-to-movie adaptation: The Love Hypothesis. Based on a romance novel of the same name by Ali Hazelwood, the film follows two scientists: Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart) and Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman). The two of them form a pact to enter a fake relationship to trick their friends and colleagues into thinking that they are romantically settled. Olive needs to do this for personal reasons, Adam for professional ones. Eventually, through their efforts to be a convincing couple, they end up actually falling in love with each other. The movie is funny and emotional, featuring some beautiful friendships, as well as the main romance. Both Reinhart and Bateman turn in great performances that charmed me into falling in love with them myself!

Tinashe STUNS with new album, Popstar Bushra Azim Boblai, Arts & Culture Editor In the same week that we had been subjected once again to billionaire Taylor Swift’s mediocrity, Tinashe balanced things out by gifting us with sonic genius in the form of her eighth album. The beat of hyperpop song “Melatonin” is fun, cheeky, and gives a much-needed dopamine rush, while “Crash Out” and “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” will have your bloodstream singing in appreciation of the pure artistry presented. Songs like “I’d Rather Be Alone” and “Heavy Weight,” however, are a testament that Tinashe is not afraid to confront devastation in an otherwise upbeat and fun album. Play it on repeat at all the clubs!

Hanif Abdurraqib’s engagement photos Bushra Azim Boblai, Arts & Culture Editor On September 27, acclaimed poet and this year’s winner of the Hilary Weston Writer’s Trust Prize for Nonfiction, Hanif Abdurraqib released some incredibly chic engagement photos. Both he and his fiancée –– Arij Mikati, the vice president of programs at nonprofit Pillars Fund –– stylishly announced their upcoming nuptials through photos shot at Los Angeles used bookstore Counterpoint Records and Books. Abdurraqib’s sincere post about his fateful installation of twin bathroom cabinet shelves that opened him up to the possibility of love was a beautiful self-reflection from the poet.

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ARTS & CULTURE

TIFF review: Look Back

A new rendition of the beloved manga in live action

HARMAN BANGA Associate Opinion Editor This review contains spoilers. Acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s Look Back, an adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s popular manga, premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The story’s animated adaptation by Kiyotaka Oshiyama also played at the TIFF Lightbox in 2024. On September 14, I headed to the Princess of Wales Theatre to catch a premium screening. The 100-minute Special Presentation at TIFF was the film’s North American premiere. Kore-eda walked onto the stage to introduce his film and mentioned his admiration for the manga by Fujimoto, which he had read during the COVID-19 pandemic while experiencing a creative block. The movie tells the story of two young aspiring artists. A one-sided rivalry begins when middle schooler Fujino (Furi Nanase) –– who draws manga strips for her school newspaper –– is outdone artistically by shut-in classmate Kyomoto (Rokka Okada). The story follows how they grow into friends, navigate their artistic ambitions, and, in adulthood, embark on their separate lives. Changing seasons The film was visually stunning. Shot on 35mm, Japan’s changing seasons are shown through visuals of sakura blooming, leafy greens shining in the warm sunlight, the changing colours of fall leaves, and the

coldness of snow. The lighting changes with the seasons, and the girls’ friendship grows with them. Kore-eda makes an interesting choice by adding the symbolism of migratory birds. The flight of the birds mirrors the flight of the young artists as they make choices on how they spend their time creating. Over and over, the film (not-so-subtly) reminds the viewer of passing time, drawing out many scenes. Artistic labour The manga is a compact but highly emotional oneshot that uses every panel to develop its story. The main question that the story centers on is why each girl chooses to make art. Kyomoto’s love for drawing becomes a window to the outside world that she is scared to venture out into. Her art eventually draws her outside as she builds up the courage to attend art college. For Fujino, the answer is less clear. When Kyomoto asks her why she makes art, Fujino doesn’t have an answer. Her path leads to her becoming increasingly obsessive and capitalistic as the art gets away from her. Long, drawn-out scenes of the girls drawing manga — tracing lines with painstaking patience — create a labour of watching that mirrors their labour of creation. It is enjoyable but onerous. Running through the rain Roughly a third of the way through the film, young Fujino is called a “manga genius” by young Kyomoto. She runs home after hearing these words from her rival.

Opinion

A still from Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Look Back. COURTESY OF TIFF

In Fujimoto’s manga, the reader sees a full panel of Fujino’s scrunched-up face, the reaching of her hand to the sky, and her skirt swaying despite being soaked by the rain. The double-page spread contains her pent-up emotions released in a single moment. Kore-eda expands on Fujino’s catharsis. The sequence is drawn out with a tracking shot of her running in the rain — wheat fields on either side — accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack. Toward the end of the film, Kore-eda adds to this scene through animation by making Fujino and Kyomoto run together. In a whimsical style, they fly like the migratory birds above the wheat fields. Which version of the story should you see? The film does seem to drag on, with its depiction of the everyday in a silent montage. There are more than a few shots that simply show off the beautiful landscape of Nikaho — a coastal city in northwestern Japan. Kore-eda’s motif of hearing the seashore as the

girls rub their hands and hold them over their ears doesn’t add anything to the story. Readers of the manga know that the original story doesn’t waste a panel making the reader cry over and over again. Some of Kore-eda’s new scenes bring a light-hearted joy to the very emotional scenes. After Fujino runs back from the fields, she immediately begins to draw again, her hair dripping onto the page. The camera cuts to her mother cleaning up trails of water in the hallway. That earned a good laugh in the Princess of Wales Theatre on a Monday night. Kore-eda imbues the story with an emotional intensity, following its characters through time and showing their growth with changes in landscape and lighting. What emerges is his meditation on the purpose of creation itself: perhaps the only answer to life’s brevity is to create — like a manga strip slipped under the door that blossoms into friendship — and have stories to look back on.

October 6, 2026 thevarsity.ca/section/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Students deserve clearer communication about asbestos

Renovation plans leave questions unanswered SOFIA TERÈSE GLANTZ Varsity Contributor In 2017, U of T made national headlines after asbestos-containing dust was reported during renovations of the Temerty Medical Sciences Building. As part of the $189.8 million Lab Innovation for Toronto (LIFT) project, U of T hired contractors to remove the asbestos from lab sites within the building when asbestoscontaminated dust entered the worksites. Despite the leak, the university continued to authorize use of the building. This raised concerns about the university’s lack of concern for public safety and drew criticism from faculty exposed to asbestos at U of T, including Professor Adria Giacca, whose office tested positive for asbestos-containing dust. Now, the same building where this leak took place is slated for major renovation plans, which include a demolition and rebuilding of the west wing of the building. Asbestos abatement across U of T properties is moving at a slow pace. Given the history of asbestos in the current Medical Sciences Building, students deserve reassurance from U of T that the renovations of the west wing and other university buildings will safely manage asbestos. A rarely-known, optional service alert system is not enough. The university should provide regular updates, non-optional alerts, and notices of successful abatement to all members of the U of T community. What is asbestos? Asbestos, according to the University of Toronto Asbestos Management Program, is “a generic term describing a number of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have been used in a wide range of products because of their insulating, acoustical, fire protective, and chemical resistant properties.” The most common building materials

that asbestos was added to throughout the twentieth century were siding, ceiling tiles, drywall, heating systems, insulation, and pipes. These foundational building materials are often found in attics, basements, and inside walls. Asbestos is difficult to remove (through a process called abatement) and easily disturbed by renovation and demolition tasks such as drilling, sawing, and sanding. These actions can release asbestos dust which, when breathed in, is incredibly harmful. Research from the National Cancer Institute links asbestos exposure to harmful and fatal diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, mesothelioma (a cancer found in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testes). For the most common form of mesothelioma (lung), five-year survival rates range from 7–22 per cent. For all forms of mesothelioma, the five-year survival rate is below 50 per cent. Beyond those who directly work with asbestos, disease is rare, though still possible. It is best to avoid exposure to asbestos dust at all costs. What is U of T already doing? The most extensive resource that U of T has provided to students regarding asbestos on campus is the University of Toronto Asbestos Database, a UTORid-required search engine that lists every instance of confirmed, suspected, and disproven asbestos on campus. Notably, this database does not include buildings under the jurisdiction of the federated colleges (Victoria College, St. Michael’s College, and Trinity College). For students living and studying in these colleges, there is no publicly accessible record of buildings containing asbestos, even though many were built while asbestos was widely used. For the public, U of T provides the University of Toronto Asbestos Management Program, a 32-page

document detailing the univer si t y’s plans for removing asbestos on campus, which it states as a “long-term objective.” The document also lists the long chain of command regarding asbestos oversight (from facilities workers and supervisors to university administration) and the responsibilities of departmental faculty in helping to avoid accidental asbestos exposure. There is also a publicly accessible asbestos FAQ document, which assures readers that occupants working in a building with undisturbed asbestos do not experience an elevated risk of asbestos-related diseases. What are U of T’s future renovation plans? The university has slated major renovation and rebuilding plans for the next 15 years, including the remodelling of Sidney Smith Hall, a new School of Cities near Jackman Law, Hart House renovations, and, most notably, the new Temerty Building on front campus. The Hart House and Medical Sciences Building expansion and renovations, both of which have already begun, deal with existing asbestos on campus. The Hart House renovation plans particularly aim to update the foundational infrastructure of the building, which dates back to the 1940s and 1970s — the golden age of asbestos. Despite this, none of the FAQs on Hart House’s renovation page discuss the issue of asbestos abatement. Within the Medical Sciences Building, asbestos lies in the fireproofing inside the walls themselves, making replacement and abatement a difficult task. Demolition of the west wing of this building must be preceded by a complete, delicate, and well-communicated abatement process.

The university should provide students with clearer communication and thorough safety measures about asbestos at U of T. ERIKA OZOLS/THEVARSITY

How can the university improve its response? While sealed asbestos in old dorms and laboratory buildings only poses a latent threat, students deserve greater communication from the university regarding the successful abatement of asbestos in sites that will be demolished and updated in the near future. Even the smallest disturbance from sanding or drilling can release asbestos dust into the air. Students, faculty, and every visitor to U of T deserve to know that they can breathe safely on our campus. The current plans for the updated Medical Sciences Building state that the preparation work, which began in July, includes interior abatement within the west wing of the building. Concerned individuals can sign up for updates by using a form that is difficult to locate on the Temerty Medicine website. However, U of T does not provide a permanently hosted resource about updates on the success or completion of the abatement. The press release for the new building focused significantly on the energy and sustainability of the new site, but how will our university sustain our air quality and safety during the construction phase? Will U of T provide further clarification to the community about safe asbestos removal in the future? Students deserve to know. Sofia Terèse Glantz is a second year student in Medieval Studies and Creativity & Society. She grew up next to Ambler, Pennsylvania, the asbestos capital of the world.

Sports

October 6, 2026 thevarsity.ca/section/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

Inside CLF’s push for concussion literacy

Translating complex scientific research into accessible and engaging education

When it comes to major sports injuries, one might consider the likes of torn ACLs and Tommy John surgeries as some of the more well-known serious ailments. While concussions are commonplace in many sports, they are often underestimated with regard to their potential severity and lifelong consequences. The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) at U of T aims to rectify this knowledge gap in mainstream health advocacy and education. CLF operates in multiple chapters across Canada, and the organization is “an international nonprofit focused on advancing concussion science, brain health education, and long-term injury prevention.” CLF is involved on all three U of T campuses, and its initiatives include tabling events, peer-led educational materials, community outreach to local schools, and volunteer research opportunities that allow students to engage directly in public health education. Its goal is to empower students to embrace concussion education and normalize concussion awareness in the same way that mental health awareness is essential in today’s society.

and forth against the inner walls of the skull, and these movements can injure the brain and alter its functioning. They are typically caused by an impact to the head or body, but it is important to note that not every impact results in a concussion. A common misconception is that a person must lose consciousness in order to have a concussion. However, 90 per cent of concussions do not result in a loss of consciousness. Another key point is that symptoms aren’t always immediately evident. They could appear right after injury or develop over several hours or days, which is why many concussions go unrecognized. The physical and cognitive symptoms of a concussion include headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and brain fog. Lastly, concussions don’t only result from head impacts. Other high-impact events like a hard fall or whiplash from a car accident can each cause brain movement and subsequent head injury. It is extremely important to be aware of these misconceptions so that when a potential concussion occurs, the person can recognize their symptoms and report them in order to receive proper care.

What is a concussion? Almost everyone who has watched a contact sport — especially hockey and American football — has seen one of their favourite athletes suffer a collision that might result in them leaving the game to check for a concussion. Mayo Clinic defines a concussion as a mild traumatic brain injury that affects brain function. When a concussion occurs, the brain slides back

Why CLF and how to get involved Without proactive concussion advocacy, the prevailing culture in athletics is to ‘tough out’ adversity and play through potentially serious injury. Failure to receive immediate care for concussions and head impacts can lead to prolonged recovery times, neural damage, and long-term conditions such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

TAIMOORE YOUSAF Sports Editor

CLF visits a local elementary school for a concussion education session. COURTESY OF CLF

CLF exists to combat this status quo through its commitment to reliable and science-backed information, and by making concussion knowledge available to all students across U of T’s campuses. You don’t need prior experience in kinesiology to get involved in the mission — CLF welcomes students from all disciplines, and there are several ways to get involved. The research team focuses on reviewing and summarizing current literature. This ensures that the latest scientific research is disseminated to the community in an accessible manner.

Through public relations, outreach, campus tabling, and volunteer opportunities, students have several options to immerse themselves in public health advocacy while gaining leadership and community experience. Concussions deserve to be spoken about in the same light as all major sports injuries. Proactivity is imperative in athletic culture, and by educating ourselves about these injuries, we become better equipped to protect our athletes and prioritize long-term health.

Blues take down Thunderbirds 90–77 in exhibition match Men’s basketball continues to flourish in second preseason match

WILLIAM KUK Sports Photographer On September 27, the Varsity Blues men’s basketball team hosted their first home game of the preseason against the Algoma University Thunderbirds. Hot off their first preseason 85–58 win against Humber on September 22, the Blues recorded another win against the Thunderbirds, 90–77. What happened? The Blues started off solid in the first quarter by forging a 25–17 lead. In the second quarter, the visitors from Sault Ste. Marie found their own rhythm and clawed their way back to tie it up 47–47

at halftime. Toronto’s offence came alive in the third quarter by firing off four 3-pointers and outscoring the Thunderbirds 22–11. The scoring surge allowed the team to regain control of the game, and heading into the fourth quarter, the Blues led 69–58. The final stretch saw the Blues hold their ground and prevent Algoma from gaining momentum. Scoring in the quarter was tight, 21–19, and Toronto saw out their second win of the preseason with the final score of 90–77. Fifth-year centre Nigel Hylton and fourth-year forward Simeon Jeffers led the pack with 16 points apiece. Third-year forward Lucas Prekovic led the defensive effort with eight rebounds and two steals, while also putting up 13 points for the Blues. Guards

Andrew Dangelas, Mikey Ballout, and Duncan McRae each put up 12 points. Ballout has followed up on his impressive debut season last year, and Toronto is showing early signs of a balanced offence with multiple scoring options. For the Thunderbirds, forward Logan Whitmell put up a well-fought performance with 20 points and five rebounds, followed by Justin Grant and Shalom Anyikwa with 15 and 13 points respectively. What’s next? With three consecutive preseason wins as of October 4, the outlook for the team is positive as the Blues seek to build upon their semifinal appearance in last year’s Ontario University

Athletics (OUA) playoff run. Toronto crushed Ohio’s Muskingum University Muskies at UTSC, 99–68. Two more exhibition matches and one preseason tournament remain before the regular season begins. The following weekend features back-toback games, with a visit to Guelph on October 8 followed by hosting New Brunswick at the Kimmel Family Field House at the Goldring Centre on October 9. Once the preseason wraps up, Toronto’s first OUA regular season game will be played on the road against York on October 23. With a positive start to the preseason, the men’s basketball team will look to translate it into the beginning of a championship run.

Guard Simeon Jeffers blows past the Algoma defender. WILLIAM KUK/THEVARSITY

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SPORTS

Youna Uehara powers through the defence. WILLIAM KUK/THEVARSITY

Youna Uehara: A student-athlete

In conversation with the Varsity Blues women’s rugby back MELANEY CERNA Varsity Contributor The leap Youna Uehara is a fourth-year kinesiology student-athlete at U of T. She began playing rugby in ninth grade at Ballenas Secondary School in BC by a stroke of luck: her high school offered the sport, and she eventually traded her figure skates for cleats after falling in love with being on the field. Throughout the course of her playing career, the athlete has torn up stereotypes, overcome injuries, and excelled both in the classroom and on the field. Uehara’s interest in rugby first peaked as a freshman in high school. During the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic, she took a brief pause from playing. Following the inadvertent break from the sport, Uehara kicked her rugby skills into full gear. Joining three different rugby clubs from grades 10–12, she sharpened her skills and helped lead her team to Portugal for a key tournament. Sadly, during an important match in the tournament, Uehara suffered a fractured nose and concussion, and decided to take a step back from rugby. Starting a new chapter with her acceptance to U of T, Uehara expressed interest in joining the Varsity Blues in first and second year, but

fear overtook her judgement. As she puts it, “You can’t play the sport when you’re scared of getting injured.” Despite her passion for the sport, a cloud of doubt remained. Its hold was weak, though, and Uehara bounced back and qualified for the Varsity Blues women’s rugby team as a thirdyear. The Blues Uehara notes a stark difference between playing at the secondary versus post-secondary level. Playing for the Blues was a new game. Shortly after joining the Blues, Uehara suffered an ankle injury during training camp. Despite the setback, her resilience led her through a quick rehab, so she taped up and made her debut in the third game of the season. Fast forward to Uehara’s fourth year: as the year kicks off, the athlete is expected to play a crucial role in her team’s success. Her experience from her rookie season and her time with the rugby club, the Scarborough Aces, makes Uehara a key veteran for Toronto. Uehara not only reignited her passion for the sport, but has reached a lifetime peak in her rugby agility and strength; she credits the support of her coaches and loved ones. The community she has managed to build around her continuously pushes her to better her art.

What it means to be a woman in studentathletics Uehara was a figure skater when growing up. She explains how physical appearance was a driving force throughout her skating career. Skating is portrayed as “delicate,” and she felt she was expected to fit into the stereotypical box of being thin and beautiful. This was in stark contrast to rugby, which is inherently a much more physical sport. Uehara explained that growing up as a young athlete, there was a constant need to prove her abilities in comparison to the boys in her school. In constant competition with peers trying to discredit her talents through harsh bullying in high school, Uehara said, “I’m doing the exact same things [as you]. I’m being just as competitive — I’m being just as… aggressive — and it’s literally just because I was succeeding. I feel like that’s where the hatred came from.” In today’s sporting landscape, women have made significant strides toward being recognized as athletes first, rather than being defined solely by their appearance. Uehara highlights the struggle of being underestimated in an especially physical sport — the disbelief she is met with when she states the sport she plays. Regardless of the negativity, Uehara says there’s always a flip side to the coin. She said,

“I look at it as a positive because if you’re underestimated you can only show them… all the things that you can do.” “Especially with the representation of women’s rugby specifically, and the strength of our Canadian women’s teams… I think a lot of people can appreciate and recognize that rugby players are strong.” Uehara remains positive, regardless of the shadow over women’s sports. She conveys that being able to play the sport brings her a sense of empowerment. The rise of women in rugby has been an inspiration to the athlete, and she deeply credits her role models, including parents and teammates, who have paved a path for her to see success in the sport. What’s to come? Uehara expresses her desire to continue playing rugby in the future. Hoping to remain in Toronto, she spoke of her aspirations to play for Rugby Ontario in the upcoming summer, while also suggesting a return to her roots with the Scarborough Aces — the club that helped shape her journey as an athlete. Regardless of the level of play, her passion for rugby remains unwavering, while her journey through adversity serves as a reminder that women belong on every field, in every arena, and at every level of sport.

thevarsity.ca/section/sports

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2026–2027 Varsity Blues women’s hockey preview Toronto enters new season aiming to return to top of OUA

of the week

AIDA UMAR Varsity Contributor

TAIMOORE YOUSAF, SPORTS EDITOR SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 2

The U of T Varsity Blues women’s hockey team enters the 2026–2027 season hoping to bounce back from an earlier-than-usual playoff exit the previous season. After several years of deep postseason runs, last year’s quarter-final finish ended Toronto’s streak of consecutive Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semifinal appearances. With several key players returning and six new recruits joining the roster, the Blues will look to put themselves back into contention for the McCaw Cup this season. Review of 2025–2026 season Toronto finished the 2025–2026 regular season with an 11-9-6 record and entered the OUA playoffs as the third seed in the East division. The Blues dealt with performance inconsistency, experiencing a difficult stretch in January before finding momentum later in the season. Toronto closed the regular season with three straight wins, including victories over Laurier and Ottawa, before meeting the Gee-Gees again in a best-of-three OUA quarter-final series. The series went to a deciding third game, but Ottawa came out on top, ending Toronto’s season. Behind the bench Head coach Vicky Sunohara returns for her 16th season with the Blues. With three OUA titles and two recent U SPORTS medals under her leadership, Toronto enters the season with plenty of experience behind the bench. Returning players Abby Whitworth returns after leading Toronto’s offence last season. She finished first in the OUA with 20 goals and fourth in the conference with 29 points. Her performance earned her OUA first-team all-star and U SPORTS second-team All-Canadian honours. The superstar is expected to be a driving force for Toronto once again. Ashley Delahey also returns after leading Toronto with 16 assists during the 2025–2026 regular season. In goal, Lyla McKinnon posted a .926 save percentage and finished the regular season strongly, making 97 total saves across Toronto’s final three wins.

Three Stars

NIKLAS HALLAM CONTINUES SCORCHING-HOT RUN

Forward Emma Elders takes on her opponent. AIDEN FUNG/THEVARSITY

New faces in the lineup Toronto will add six new recruits for the 2026–2027 season: forwards Berta Mozolai and Abby Pak; and defenders Miwa Carter, Abby Dingwell, Ashley Minor, and Abby Carr. Pak joins the Blues after totalling 31 points in 48 games with the Central York Jr. Panthers, while Mozolai brings international experience from Hungary. Last season, Mozolai scored an impressive 11 goals and 30 assists for her previous team, Stanstead College in Montreal, and will look to bring a similar playmaking punch to Toronto. On defence, Dingwell arrives after captaining Ridley College in St. Catharines, while Carter, Minor, and Carr round out the defensive-heavy recruiting class. You can never have enough defenders in hockey, and the added depth fortifies the blue line for the championship contender. Putting it together Toronto will have to find the right balance between its returning players and a recruiting class of four new defensive players. With so many new faces on the lineup, building chemistry early will be important as the Blues look to improve on last season’s quarter-final finish. Offensively, Toronto will once again rely heavily on Whitworth and Delahey, but the goal

will be to get more balanced scoring from the rest of the lineup and help take pressure off of the top performers. McKinnon gives Toronto experience in the net, but the defensive group in front of her will also have an important role to play if the Blues want to make a deeper playoff run. Looking ahead Toronto starts the next season aiming to move past last year’s quarter-final finish and re-establish itself among one of the stronger teams in the OUA. With experienced returners, six new recruits, and Sunohara back behind the bench, the Blues head into the 2026–2027 season with a mix of familiar faces and new talent. The preseason has shown that this team is ready to take the next step. So far, Toronto is undefeated and has scored 20 goals through five games. Highlight performances included a 6–1 thrashing of Nebraska’s Midland University and a comeback 3–2 win over rivals McGill, with Whitworth scoring the gamewinning goal. The OUA regular season will begin at home against Laurier on October 15, and the Blues will look to continue to ride the momentum of a hot start to the preseason.

The Varsity Blues men’s soccer team has enjoyed a fruitful start to the 2026–2027 season, with a 4-22 record through eight games, and is ranked fifth in the latest U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Rankings. Leading the way for Toronto is forward Niklas Hallam, who has been having a sensational season. He has 10 goals through eight games, which leads the country. In the team’s two games against Royal Military College and Carleton, Hallam registered multiple shots on goal and found the back of the net in each contest. Whether bombing down the wing to create scoring chances or burying penalty shots, the dynamic forward is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. For a team aiming to repeat as Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champions, having a world-class scorer leading the way makes the team a genuine threat to retain the trophy.

MAD MAX CLOSES BLUE JAYS SEASON IN VINTAGE FORM On September 27, the Blue Jays closed out a disappointing season on a high note with a 5–1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. On the mound was legendary pitcher Max Scherzer, in possibly the final start of his career. If it was the final start of the future Hall of Famer’s career, he went out with a bang, as he dominated Cincinnati in seven innings of work. He allowed just one run on six hits and one walk, with seven strikeouts. The vintage performance reminded us why he is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. Most importantly, Scherzer got one last chance to channel his “Mad Max” persona. In the seventh inning, manager John Schneider walked up to the mound to pull Scherzer from the game, but then Scherzer playfully yelled and sent Schneider back to the dugout before securing the final out to escape the inning. When Scherzer’s outing was finally over, Schneider joked with him, “I wouldn’t want any other 42-year-old psychopath on my team other than you.”

WOMEN’S TENNIS SWEEPS QUEEN’S IN 7–0 DECISION

The Blues celebrate a well-earned victory. AIDEN FUNG/THEVARSITY

The Varsity Blues women’s tennis team remains undefeated in OUA competition this year, with arguably their most impressive performance of the season being a 7–0 decision over Queen’s on September 27. In the doubles phase, Toronto’s number one pairing of Anastasiya Dyadchenko and Maria Popova won 8–5, while the number three pairing of Carley Citron and Rachel Bercovitch crushed Queen’s, 8–1, to clinch the doubles point in the overall contest. In the singles phase, the Blues were thoroughly dominant. Each of Toronto’s six singles contestants won their respective matches in straight sets, not giving an ounce of breathing room to the Gaels. Noelle Vanasse Wilbert crushed her opponent in the number six position, winning 6–0, 6–2. Securing all six singles points, Toronto cruised to the overall 7–0 sweep of Queen’s. The women’s tennis team followed up with another 7–0 win over Waterloo and will wrap up their regular season against McMaster.

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OCTOBER 6, 2026