Vol. CXXXVII, No. 9 November 14, 2016 thevarsity.ca —— The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Students’ unions get ‘F’ grades in 2016 Campus Freedom Index U of T receives ‘B’ and ‘D’ grades for policies and practices in think tank report Jenna Moon Varsity Contributor
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) has issued ‘F’ grades to students’ unions at U of T for policies and practices in its annual Campus Freedom Index. The JCCF is a non-profit legal organization that describes itself as “independent and non-partisan.” Using a five-tier grading scale, the Campus Freedom Index allocates a letter grade between ‘A’ and ‘F’ to each university for four separate categories: policies and practices for the university and policies and practices for the university’s students’ union. This year
saw 240 grades handed out to 60 campuses, with only two ‘A’ grades among them. In contrast, ‘F’ grades were presented 32 times. The ‘B’ grade assigned to U of T’s policies falls short of the ‘A’ grade handed out in 2015. In their methodology outline, JCCF states that university policies should satisfy four factors to be assigned an ‘A.’ If all four factors are reached, the ‘A’ is provided. If only three are reached, the Index rates the policy with a ‘B.’ Despite U of T’s lower grading, U of T Director of Media Relations Althea Blackburn-Evans confirmed in a conversation with The Varsity that the policy has not changed in its wording between 2015 and present. Freedom report, page 3
U of T, Toronto protest Dakota Access Pipeline ASSU, Trinity College Chaplain among pipeline opponents Joshua Scott Varsity Contributor
On November 5, thousands peacefully protested the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) project in downtown Toronto. Support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has galvanized across the continent in a number of related protests over the past couple of weeks. The crowd that assembled in front of Queen’s Park last weekend was diverse and spirited. Recently, opposition to DAPL has focused on police crackdown on protesters and the fact that the pipeline is set to run beneath the Missouri River — the Standing Rock Sioux’s main source of drinking water. Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the proposed project, purports that the $3.7 billion 1,172mile long pipeline will create 8,000– 12,000 local jobs, translating into an estimated $156 million in sales and income taxes and $55 million annually in property taxes. “The pipeline will enable domestically produced light sweet crude oil from North Dakota to reach major refining markets in a
more direct, cost-effective, safer and environmentally responsible manner,” the company says on its website. According to the Standing Rock Sioux, the DAPL project has negatively affected some of the tribe’s burial grounds along with other areas of cultural relevance. The tribe fears that should the pipeline rupture, it would contaminate their freshwater supply.
FEATURE — page 12 #NoDAPL photo essay Saturday’s proceedings began with a drum chant and a series of Indigenous speakers. Chief R. Stacey LaForme of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation was among those who spoke, and he began his address by acknowledging “the heart and courage of those at Standing Rock.” His speech included a passionate plea for the violence at Standing Rock to stop. LaForme also called for a larger shift in perspective: “When you see
Indigenous people stand to defend the land, don’t question why they do it. They do it for all of us and for the future of the human race. Don’t ask why they are standing up to corporate development in defense of the lands and the waters, instead ask, ‘Why are they standing alone?’” “Let’s show everyone that we remember our responsibility to the Earth… To Standing Rock, four simple words: we stand with you,” LaForme continued, to cheers of approval. After the speakers finished, the march started. The crowd grew as it made its way south down University Avenue to emphatic chants of “We stand with Standing Rock” and “Water is life,” while passing drivers honked in support. Accompanied by a police escort, the crowd was led by elder Pauline Shirt of the Plains Cree, Red-Tail Hawk Clan, and it passed by the US Consulate General on its way to Nathan Phillips Square. The proceedings wrapped up around sunset in front of City Hall with some drumming, singing, and a great deal of dancing, during which everyone came together and held hands.
Jordan Peterson announces details of debate CUPE 3902 Queer Caucus issues call to boycott university-hosted free speech forum Jack O. Denton Associate News Editor
Details for the upcoming U of T-hosted debate on free speech and Bill C-16 featuring Psychology Professor Jordan Peterson have been determined. Peterson posted on Twitter that on November 19 at 9:30 am he will be debating Brenda Cossman, U of T Law Professor and Director of the Bonham Centre of Sexual Diversity at University College, and Mary Bryson, Education Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Social Justice Institute. Trinity College Provost and U of T Law Professor Mayo Moran will moderate. Peterson also tweeted that he will be livestreaming the debate through his personal YouTube channel. The location of the debate was not announced by the time of publishing. The Queer Caucus of CUPE 3902, the union representing “7,000 sessional lecturers, TAs,
and other contract instructional staff at U of T,” released an open letter on November 4 calling for a boycott of the upcoming debate. The letter states that “human rights are not up for debate.” The letter also says that there is no room for discussion regarding some of Peterson’s statements about gender. “Neither Peterson’s views about race and gender nor his understandings of the Canadian Human Rights Act and Bill C-16 constitute valid forms of academic debate. Transgender people are not, as he claims, ‘a coterie of left-wing ideologues.’ We are human beings who seek fair opportunities,” a portion of the letter reads. Official information about the debate is forthcoming but as a release from the university says, “It is expected that speakers at the forum, to be hosted by the Faculty of Arts & Science, would include Professor Jordan Peterson.”
#NoDAPL, page 3
Peterson, page 3
Op-ed — page 10
Science — page 17
Sports — page 21
Can we fix the UTSU? UTSU VP Internal and Services Mathias Memmel reflects on the union’s mistakes, pledges its potential for change
Plan your funeral Dr. Alex Jadad wants us to embrace death in the same way we embrace life
Fitness in bits and bytes Technology is now inseparable from the sports world