The Eyeopener

Volume 53 - Issue 8 / October 30, 2019 / theeyeopener.com / @theeyeopener / Since 1967

when the Internet is

your therapist
!

:( ?

Page six ILLUSTRATION: PERNIA JAMSHED

2

Launch your path to success

MASTER OF
TAXATION

Learn to REACH BEYOND

Become a highly-valued member of the Canadian tax community.

Join Canada’s most comprehensive English-speaking program for the
development of tax professionals. Offered through the University
of Waterloo at our downtown Toronto classrooms.

EXPERT FACULTY | DOWNTOWN TORONTO CLASSROOM

learn … develop … experience

The MTax advantage mtax.ca

C017846

Ryerson elder Joanne Dallaire appointed to new role
Dallaire has served as a role model to Indigenous students, faculty and staff since she came to Ryerson in 2005
By Madi Wong
Joanne Dallaire, campus elder at Ry-
erson, has been appointed to fulfil
the role of senior advisor of Indig-
enous relations and reconciliation.
Dallaire has been at Ryerson since
2005, training and providing tra-
ditional teaching and ceremonies,
as well as working as a traditional
counsellor at Ryerson’s Aboriginal
Student Services. In 2010 she began
working with the Aboriginal Educa-
tion Council.
“I really felt that it was important
for the role of [the] elder to be seen as
a senior management position, which
is what it’s viewed as in our Indige-
nous communities,” said Dallaire.
“It’s about making sure that
this...is a position where the elder
knows what’s going on in the uni-
versity and can apply knowledge,
offer advice for any elder that
comes after me.”
According to Dallaire, the dif-
ference in her new role versus her
longtime role—as an elder—is being
on the Board of Governors (BoG)
and the Senate.
She says this new role allows her
to “have privy to things that really
[matter] for the university,” as well
as having input on them.
Ryerson president Mohamed
Lachemi said having Dallaire as
part of the senate and BoG will al-
low her to be a part of the big dis-
cussions which revolve around the
Post-secondary TTC fare to potentially drop in response to Ford
By Jonathan Bradley
Post-secondary students could be
getting lower fares, after Toronto
City Council passed a motion at the
start of the month to have the To-
ronto Transit Commission (TTC)
board examine more affordable fare
options for students.
The motion, introduced by Ward
11 University-Rosedale Council-
lor Mike Layton, cited the Ontario
government’s implementation of
the Student Choice Initiative (SCI),
which cut monthly transit passes for
post-secondary students without an
agreement before Jan. 17, 2019.
The provincial government’s re-
cent cuts to the Ontario Student As-
sistance Program (OSAP) were also
cited as the one of the reasons for
bringing the motion to city council.
It passed in a 22-1 vote and re-
quests that the TTC board review
options for lowering post-secondary
student fares.
“I introduced the motion because I
have heard from students concerned
about the financial hardships they
are facing,” said Layton. “Every bit
the city can give back to help our stu-
dents we should take advantage of.”
visions of the university.
Lachemi said Ryerson “has always
valued the position of [the] elder,”
but they wanted to give Dallaire a
role that can really benefit from her
own expertise and experience.
“The new role will put her in a po-
sition to affect positive change to our
students, faculty and staff,” he said.
Settling into her new role, Dal-
laire said some of her tasks moving
forward will be ensuring that In-
digenous knowledge and perspec-
tive is weaved into curriculum in
different faculties. In addition, she
has asked Ryerson to see if they can
be a part of the solution for the wa-
ter crisis in Ontario.
The motion was also prompted by
an open letter sent by the University
of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU)
to Toronto City Council.
Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU)
vice-president education Kwaku
Agyemang said the RSU signed onto
the letter and has plans to lobby the
TTC to have discounted student fare
passes that are available for purchase
on campus. The long-term goal is to
implement a transit pass.
“It’s good to see that city councillors
are moving in our favour [and] pass-
ing a motion that supports students,”
said Agyemang.
Toronto City Council has request-
ed the TTC board “take into account
provincial changes to university and
college fee systems, and report back
in the 2020 budget process on revi-
sions to the system.”
Ward 13 Toronto Centre Coun-
cillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who rep
represents the area surrounding Ry-
erson, seconded the motion.
Only one councillor, Stephen
Holyday, voted against the motion.
“I had concerns about the practicali-
ty of the motion,” said Holyday, coun-
cillor for Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre.
Holyday said he has concerns with
NEWS
She said she also wants to ensure
more signage—such as posters that
represent the Indigenous commu-
nity—and increase visibility for In-
digenous people.
“You want to see people from your
own culture, it makes you feel at
home, it makes you feel comfortable.
And so with us being such a small
number of population, we have to
make sure that we’re visible,” she said.
Eight new full-time tenured In-
digenous faculty members were
hired by Ryerson for the 2019-20
school year. Dallaire said she plans
to meet with them to discuss their
hopes for her new role.
Among her goals, Dallaire is hop-
PHOTO: ELENA EMER
singling out post-secondary students,
because they already have a fare con-
cession. He said other people would
have to subsidize a further discount
for post-secondary students, such as
other transit users or taxpayers.
Layton disputed this position.
“While I appreciate the concerns,
there is no reason we should be pass-
ing the buck on to another vulner-
able service user. That is a backwards
way of looking at the issue,” said
Layton. “There are ways of ensuring
we are improving the quality of life
for all students, without making life
more expensive for others.”
Zainab Shah, a third-year business
PHOTO: MADI WONG
ing to host big gatherings at Ry-
erson, such as forums, in order to
bring elders together.
In addition, Dallaire is remain-
ing on the Truth and Reconcili-
ation Consultation committee at
Ryerson, and she will continue to
make sure reconciliation goals are
followed through.
“I want the rest of Indigenous fac-
ulty, staff and students to feel they
have a voice [and] to feel that they can
bring their concerns to me...And that
they’re going to be heard,” she said.
“We talk a lot about our problem-
atic, troubled history. And yes that’s
true. But we have so many incredible
people doing amazing work.”
management student, commutes
from Mississauga, Ont. and uses Mi-
Way and TTC to make her trips.
Shah said that despite working
two jobs as a full-time student, she
is still dependent on OSAP for al-
most all of her expenses.
“Every single cent for me counts,
and it is also one of the reasons that
I come to university three days in-
stead of five,” said Shah. “To save
money and time.”
“It’s important that TTC fares are
affordable for post-secondary stu-
dents to increase the likelihood of an
accessible education,” said Agyemang.
Read more online at theeyeopener.com.
3
Spooky News
Briefs, and yes,
an audit update
By the Spoopy Newz Team
Ryerson to occupy three floors of
Yonge Street Living Residences
Ryerson has purchased two floors
of Yonge Street Living Residences
(YSL), according to Ryerson presi-
dent Mohamed Lachemi.
Lachemi told The Eyeopener that
the university has been in partnership
with Cresford Developments—the
company behind the condominium—
since the project began.
“[Cresford] donated an entire floor
for us and we have purchased two ad-
ditional floors,” said Lachemi.
YSL will be a 85-storey condomin-
ium that will be located right next to
campus at Yonge and Gerrard Streets.
The building will be replacing
various instiutions like the Evergreen
Yonge Street Mission.
While the university will occupy
three floors, they have not chosen
which units or academics will re-
side there.
There is no solid date of when the
condominium will be completed, but
Lachemi said it is expected it to be
done in 2023.
Ryerson working to improve
campus internationalization
Ryerson is officially launching a
five-year internationalization strat-
egy on Oct. 31.
This strategy is aimed at planning
and researching ways in which the
university can improve on attracting
international attention and plan fu-
ture initiatives.
Ryerson president Mohamed
Lachemi said that some of the
priorities of the strategy include:
research and collaboration, in-
creasing international student en-
rollment and innovation and incu-
bation entrepreneurship.
“I know that a number of programs
have opportunities for students, but
not all students have opportunities
to go abroad and get that experience.”
said Lachemi.
RSU awaits forensic audit
The forensic audit into allegations
of Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU)
2018-19 executives misspending may
be finished by the end of the year.
According to RSU president, Van-
essa Henry, the audit should be com-
pleted by December or early 2020.
The RSU created a forensic audit
committee during a July 25 Board of
Directors meeting.
According to the meeting’s min-
utes, the committee is tasked with
“overseeing RSU staff and execu-
tive…[comply with the] audit into
any expenditures and disbursements
of money made by the RSU in the
past for impropriety.”
The committee will also provide
bylaw and policy recommendations
for financial reform.
 4 ED, NEWS, THE WORKS

Up-Close & Personal: Why The Eye For more of our mental health package this week, visit us at

is on mental health this week theeyeopener.com.

PHOTO: ELANA EMER
By Sherina Harris
I was nervous the very first time I
walked into my counsellor’s office,
just over a month ago. I had told my
friends and family that I wasn’t sure
it would help. I didn’t think anyone
would “get” how my brain works,
my feelings in a time of grief, and on
top of that, I was worried about the
notorious logistics around finding
an ongoing counsellor on a post-
secondary campus.
But right after, I texted my group
chat. “Guys, counselling was so
good!!!!”
My case is extremely unique,
though. I know I’m lucky to have a
counsellor I actually look forward
to seeing, and also lucky I avoided
the referral process.
If you search “mental health” on
The Eyeopener’s website, you’ll see a
number of articles from the past year
covering the student mental health
crisis, with stories on long wait times
at Ryerson’s Centre for Student De-
velopment and Counselling, pro-
grams that aim to shorten them, an-
ti-mental health rhetoric at Ryerson,
the lack of resource diversity—and so
much more. We do our best to cover
every aspect of mental health, but the Emma “Red Riding Ho(e)od” Sandri
range of experiences is broad and nu-
anced. Oftentimes we get caught up
in the news pegs or the big picture of
it all, and don’t accurately portray the
details around students’ lived experi-
ences. It can ultimately desensitize us
and our readers.
But as we know, mental health
problems—especially at post-sec-
ondary campuses—exist outside any
news cycle. Young people between
the ages of 15 to 24 are more likely
to experience mental illness than
any other age group, according to
statistics from the Centre for Ad-
diction and Mental Health. That’s
why this week, we’ve launched an
online package of three features
that look at student mental health,
up-close. Featured in the pack-
age are in-depth perspectives that
aren’t always in our daily coverage.
Sometimes mental health can feel
isolating and secretive. But slowly
I’ve seen a shift in our openness.
As the managing editor of this
package, I have been working with
my team of writers since the sum-
mer. But that was before I started
my counselling sessions. Since then,
I’ve had a greater appreciation for
those who have been through long-
term struggles, and want to help
give a platform to those stories.
Editor-in-Chief Raneem “So You’re Two Brain
Sarah “Raven” Krichel Cells” Alozzi
Parnika “A Really Bad Donkey” Raj
News
General Manager
Madi “Buzz Lightyear” Wong Liane “*In Sing-Song* I’m Wearing
Valerie “A Unicorn” Dittrich Matching Polka-Dots” McLarty
Photo Advertising Manager
Khaled “Donnie Darko?” Badawi Chris “Say Nothing...” Roberts
Elana “Peter Parker” Emer
Pernia “Belle Delphine” Jamshed Design Director
J.D. “Older Nathaniel“ Mowat
Online
Funké “Neo” Joseph Interns
Kosalan “Crime Minister Justin Kaizer “Oh“ Tolentino
Trudeau” Kathiramalanathan Leul “Shit” Mengestu
Kaye “Is That” Joy Reyes
Features Rahma “The Intern“ Borges
Sherina “It’ll Make Sense When Jaedyn “Army” Muir
Raneem Gets Here” Harris Caleb “!??!?!” Rogers
Arts and Culture Contributors
Tyler “Goku” Griffin Kayla “The Sash Wringing” Higgins
Alexandra “The Trash Thinging”
Sports Holyk
Libaan “The Guy They Traded Cassidy “The Mash Flinging” Garbe Joseph “My dawggggggg” Shenouda
Kawhi For” Osman Simran “The Flash Springing”
Singh
Biz and Tech Adrian “The Hash Slinging
Nathaniel “Hans Solo” Crouch Slasher!” Bueno
Jonathan “Transit Tackler” Bradley
Communities Samreen “HIGH On Success”
Kieona “Beelzebub” George Maqsood
Charlize “Make Some Noise”
Fun and Satire Alcaraz
Andrea “Alex Vause” Josic Reedah “Tag” Hayder
Iman “Team” Adem
Media Heidi “Never Going Back To Van-
couver” Lee
Sam “G2G To My Uncle’s” Harley
Eli “Always” Savage
Connor “Swoop Swoop” Thomas
Uhanthaen “Find Me a Courtesy
Photo” Ravilojan
Joshua “The Inside Guy” Scott
Eduard “The Boy Who Lived”
Tatomir
Kashish “Scream Queen” Hura
Dhriti “*Panics in Journalism*”
Gupta
Randeep “Seems Suspicious” Mandar
Kirti “Minds In Sync” Vyas
Jaime Lynn “Plz Respond” Maria
Strand
Taylor “Dimensional” Ball
Xavier “Too Broke For Data”
Eeswaran
Kintaro “Was A Trash Intern”
Skinner
Hayden “Director of Docs” Godfrey
Gavin “No Update” Axelrod
Justin “Loves Early Mornings”
Walters
Ash’er “Photography Student” X
Curtis “Rugby Superstar” Martin
Joseph “Keeps Libaan Sane” Cas-
ciaro
Raine “Third Memory Of The
Jones Family” Hernandez
Claire “Doesn’t Party Anymore”
Donoghue
Lyba “Please Let Me Graduate”
Mansoor
Abbey “Been There, Done That”
Kelly
Ruisi “It’s Frickin Cold Out!!!” Liu

Ryerson’s new cannabis courses educating students on growing industry

By Samreen Masqood
Two new cannabis courses at Ryer-
son are equipping students with the
knowledge and skills to enter the
cannabis industry.
In fall 2018, the university in-
troduced the first cannabis course,
“The Business of Cannabis.” But
this fall, two additional courses
have been introduced to stu-
dents through The Chang School:
“Cannabis Law for Business” and
“Trends in Cannabis Science.”
Each course offers a different set of
skills, methods of teachings and ap-
proaches in order to teach students
the basic foundation they need to en-
ter the cannabis industry. The cours-
es are set up differently than most
accredited courses as these cannabis
courses offer a strategic learning pro-
cess and are a non-credit type. This
means they do not count toward any
degree. Most students, if not all, take
this course out of a personal or pro-
fessional interest.
“Ryerson has implemented this
curriculum responding to the
needs of the emerging industry and
logical interest of public deprived
of balanced information,” said in-
structor of “Trends in Cannabis
Science” Olga Chernoloz, via email.
The course was designed to help
students get an idea of the medici-
nal side of cannabis, as mentioned
on the course website.
Lessons include the use of can-
nabis in medical treatments and
procedures, the plant structure of
cannabis and principles behind
cannabis growing.
“We want to maintain Ryerson’s
profile as a leader in entrepreneur-
ial thinking, and at the vanguard
of new industries,” said professor
Brad Poulos, who teaches the can-
nabis business course.
“Any important industry should
be understood by students leaving
PHOTO: PERNIA JAMSHED
university,” he said.
Poulos also said that students
who take “The Business of Can-
nabis” course will learn about the
major cannabinoids, such as THC
and CBD, as well as trends in the
medicinal, wellness and recreational
applications of cannabis.
In contrast, “Cannabis Law for
Business” details the laws and regu-
lations of producing, selling and
distributing cannabis, with regards
to the Federal Cannabis Act, men-
tioned on the course website.
“The course provides a practi-
cal review of regulations impacting
the cannabis industry in Canada,
while also looking at similar issues
in the United States and globally,”
said instructor Rick Moscone in an
emailed statement.
The course also includes lessons
on Indigenous matters and intellec-
tual property, he said.
Students that have taken one or
more of the cannabis courses of-
fered at Ryerson said they have
been able to expand their knowl-
edge on the industry.
“Quality education
is needed to reverse
the stigma”
“As soon as I found out about
[the] course, I was excited. Previ-
ously I had taken one-day courses
or studied on my own and I wanted
an in-depth course,” said Char-
malee Knox, an income tax special-
ist and a University of Waterloo
alumni, enrolled in “Cannabis Law
for Business.”
“I wanted to ensure that I re-
ceived accurate information and
increase my knowledge of the can-
nabis industry, the Cannabis Act
and Regulations, Ontario law, mar-
keting rules and the role of Health
Canada,” said Knox.
With the interest and popula-
tion of cannabis increasing every
day, Chernoloz said there’s a need
to educate young people on the
cannabis current affairs and laws.
“Considering cannabis legaliza-
tion is a 180 on the societal view of
cannabis, quality education is need-
ed to reverse the stigma and make
the society comfortable with the
new reality,” she said.
She added that evidence-based
education about cannabis will help
people look beyond myths and
develop an understanding of the
emerging cannabis industry.
With more and more jobs open-
ing up on the market for this spe-
cific career path, many students
are becoming interested in getting
equipped with the right tools to
succeed in the field.
Some Ryerson students recognize
the importance of Ryerson intro-
ducing cannabis courses whether
they are enrolled or not.
“I think it’s really important for peo-
ple to be more aware of cannabis” now
that it’s legal, said Valentina Grossi, a
first-year criminology student.
“It’s becoming more prevalent in
society and now it can be used for
business.”
Read more online at theeyeopener.com.
 CYBERSECURITY 5

Diversifying the cybersecurity industry

Cybersecurity is growing exponentially, but its diversity has a long way to catch up.
Joshua Scott reports on why catching-up is crucial to its success
Nearly a hundred people were in at-
tendance for an event all about the
need for women in cybersecurity.
Some in attendance were study-
ing or working in the industry, but
most were curious about the field
and how diversity can change it for
the better.
When event moderator Rushmi
Hasham, director of training at the
Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, asked
who was considering pursuing a ca-
reer in the field, most hands raised.
“This is the start of a wave,” she said.
According to a 2017 report by Cy-
bersecurity Ventures, there will be
3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs
by 2021. Women currently make up
20 per cent of the workforce. This
compares to 11 per cent in 2013.
As a woman in cybersecurity,
Annegret Henninger is in the mi-
nority. Henninger studies busi-
ness technology management and
serves as a research assistant at
Ryerson’s Cybersecurity Research
Lab (CRL). Initially, she “had no
idea that [she] would be interest-
ed” in cybersecurity.
For Henninger, it took a encour-
aging push from her eventual boss,
CRL director and Ryerson profes-
sor Atefeh Mashatan, who was also
a panelist at the Oct. 24 event.
But diversity in cybersecurity isn’t
just about women. An American 2017
study, entitled “Tech Leavers” from
the Kapor Center for Social Impact,
focused on examining why people
have left their jobs in tech industries.
The study found that 40 per cent of
Black, Hispanic and Native American
men left their jobs due to unfairness
and racism in the workplace.
As for employees in the cybersecu-
rity industry who identify within the
LGBTQ+ community, 24 per cent re-
ported experiencing bullying and pub-
lic humiliation, which is higher than
ILLUSTRATION: PERNIA JAMSHED
their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.
The study also found almost 24
per cent of women of colour expe-
rience stereotyping, such as being
mistaken for a person of the same
race or gender.
“There’s no shortage of
needs and positions in
cybersecurity”
The Oct. 24 event consisted of
career-focused panel discussions
of cybersecurity and women in the
field, followed by audience ques-
tions and a networking period. The
event ran nearly an hour past its
alotted time as attendees connected
with the speakers and other cyber-
security professionals, including
women who are investigators at
the Toronto Police Service’s cyber-
crime unit.
“As digital media is becoming
more prevalent in our daily lives,
our exposure to cyber-attacks and
information security and privacy
threats is going to grow bigger,
which means we need to protect
ourselves more,” said Mashatan.
“The hackers will just stay ahead
of us,” said Royal Bank of Canada
(RBC) senior director of cyber ops
Laura Evertsen. “Especially if we
don’t have more people who think
differently from all different back-
grounds, who grew up with differ-
ent biases,” she said.
Evertsen emphasized the value
diversity has in the cybersecurity
industry. Based on RBC’s cyber re-
mediation team, where half of the
management team have no cyber
background, she has seen first-hand
how more perspectives can lead to
more success in cyber protection.
When Evertsen wanted to shift
roles at RBC, her long-time mentor
suggested she consider cybersecuri-
ty. At the time, she thought to her-
self, “I’m a geek, but those are kind
of like the super geeks. I didn’t really
think I’d be qualified.”
She decided to give it a try anyway.
“I’m so grateful because it was the
best decision I ever made,” she said.
“There’s never a dull day.”
Shawna Coxon, Toronto police
deputy chief of priority response
command, followed a traditional
career path in policing. She began
by answering 911 calls, and then
went into investigative work in
Toronto Police Service.
51 per cent of women
in the industry
experienced some form of
discrimination
As a result of Coxon actively
trying new things, she was put in
charge as the team lead of Opera-
tion Reboot, a project that looked at
technology in policing.
Coxon spoke about the growth
of online-based crime and what it
means for potential workers. “Crime
is changing dramatically. The nature
of crime is not that it’s going down,
it’s that it’s moving from in real life
to in real life and online.” This shift
presents “a tremendous opportunity
for all of you in this room.”
But another aspect to diversity
and having more women in cyber-
security is the barrier to entry.
According to a report by ISACA,
an international professional associ-
ation focused on information tech-
nolgy, 51 per cent of women in the
industry experienced some form of
discrimination and that workplace
bias is both real and endemic.
The report goes on to highlight
that the bias against women is sub-
tle, from being overlooked in meet-
ings, to having ideas dismissed to
later be usurped by a male colleague.
Getting more women into the
field begins with targeted recruit-
ing, the Oct. 24 panel highlighted.
This encompasses those who will
begin entry-level jobs in a few years
as well as giving them experts in
the industry to have as mentors and
contacts. The panel, for example,
was an effort to make opportunities
in cybersecurity.
“This space has a lot of career op-
portunities that have nothing to do
with science or technology,” said
Coxon. For example, computers
can’t replicate human components­
behind solving problems, which
often take skills like improvisation.
Mashatan’s opinion is that the
idea people have of cybersecurity
is all wrong. “The perception that
most people have, not just of cy-
bersecurity, but of most technical
domains, is that there’s this geek in
their basement, and if you’re not a
programmer, there’s no need for
you,” she said. “And that’s wrong.”
When Hasham asked the crowd
whether the event had changed
people’s idea of cybersecurity,
hands raised again. Judging by the
number of hands raised, the an-
swer was yes.

A CASE FOR ALL THOSE PHISH EMAILS

What does Ryerson get out of doing an entire month of cybersecurity awareness?
By Charlize Alcaraz
Some Ryerson students feel that
those in their age group don’t think
about protecting themselves online
as they’ve become comfortable with-
out education on cybersecurity.
“You just kind of know the steps
you take because you’ve been on
the internet for so long,” said Jade
Smith, a first-year arts and contem-
porary student.
October at Ryerson is the month
of cybersecurity awareness. The
university carried out a series of
contests that encouraged students
to report fake phishing emails that
were intentionally sent by the school
all throughout the month.
Marcus Edwards, a member Ry-
erson’s Cybersecurity Research Lab
(CRL) said the awareness campaign
can be beneficial to students should
they take the time to learn. “It’s im-
portant in general that people are
made aware of the vulnerabilities
of their data, particularly in this day
and age where there are so many
questions about what the near fu-
ture will hold for future computing
technologies,” said Edwards.
According to the Computing and
Communications Services (CCS)
website, there were over 174 report-
ed incidents of lost or stolen laptops
and mobile devices at Ryerson.
Ryerson also blocks up to 500
malicious malware email attach-
ments every day, and receives one cally entered into the draw. “So when we get those cyberse-
million password guessing at- Students that clicked on any of curity emails, I don’t think we even
tempts in one week. the attached links in the fake phish think about it because it’s like, ‘Okay,
emails will receive a follow-up I’m fine’ or you just never think it’s
email notifying them that the email going to happen to you,” said Smith.
Nobody’s information is was intended to trick students for Edwards wants to dispel that
immune to being collected the intended purpose of educating myth. “Constantly being online [is]
them on cybersecurity. wonderful, but it gives hackers ac-
They are also asked to complete cess to an incredible number of
This year, students and staff had a training module that provide tips processors, computers and cloud re-
the chance to win $100 and a Google for detecting phish that takes 15 sources,” he said. Nobody’s informa-
Pixelbook for detecting and report- minutes to complete. tion is immune to being collected.
ing phish. The contest was open to First-year journalism student Ay- Students need to learn safe practices.
any Ryerson student enrolled in at leen Karamat clicked on one of the “The awareness thesis is impor-
least one class in the 2019 fall semes- attached links in the phish emails. “I tant, but we’re also trying to answer
ter. All eligible students who report- think five minutes later, I got anoth- questions of what threats actually
ed three of the fake phish emails and er email saying like, ‘Oh, this is a pro- exist and now we’re trying to see if
didn’t follow the malicious of more gram that teaches you about being there’s anyway that we could stop
than two of them will be automati- more secure online,” said Karamat. them,” says Edwards.
 6 • mental health
up close & personal:
going online for support
when you need an alternative to traditional therapy, you can go online.
students are finding community on the internet
when they couldn’t find support elsewhere, Dhriti Gupta reports
CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses mental health crises, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault and a potentially triggering account of self harm.
This article discusses dealing with ongoing mental health issues. For immediate help or if you are in crisis, call the Good2Talk Post-Secondary Student Helpline at 1-866-925-5454
or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Young people between the ages of 15 to 24 are more likely to
experience mental illness than any other age group, according
to statistics from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
At the University of Toronto, there have been three student
deaths in the past two years, sparking a conversation about
the need for more accessible mental health resources on
campuses, The Varsity reported at the end of September.
At The Eyeopener we cover mental health as often and as
inclusively as we can, but we can always do more. That’s
why we’ve launched an online package where we talk to
Ryerson students about less obvious aspects of mental well-
being that affect them in their daily lives. Here’s one of three
featured pieces.
A
lly Barati* never asked for mental health
support until she was in Grade 12. She
couldn’t work or eat, and her entire
body was sore. Her parents didn’t know what was
going on with her and were frustrated that she
couldn’t get out of bed. Burdened with suicidal
ideation and undiagnosed depression, she found
herself alone each night, left to reckon with over-
whelming mental and physical pain.
Three months later, she finally mustered up the
strength to visit a guidance counsellor at her high
school. The counsellor recommended a youth centre with free walk-in services, but Barati
was not guaranteed a session or a consistent counsellor. Waiting was not an option in her
condition and a social worker who was a close family friend recommended a few places where
she could try private therapy. They wanted her to come in twice a week if possible, but each
session cost upward of $200, so the most she could afford at the time was once a week. After
a month of weekly sessions, she tried to cut it down to one appointment every other week.
Barati also decided to create a private Instagram account to bridge the gap between her ther-
apy sessions. Searching mental health related hashtags, she slowly built a community of peers
who were struggling with the same issues. While she didn’t know any of the people she met
through the account in real life, she found relief in the small gestures of support. When she
would post random pictures from her camera roll with captions detailing her current struggles
and emotions, the comments and direct messages started rolling in. People would reach out to
tell her that they felt the exact same way.
Now a third-year retail management student at Ryerson, Barati still has the account but
hasn’t used it in months. Barati now has a good relationship with her therapist, however she
finds sharing only about her life can make it too one-sided. This is when she appreciates the
mutual support aspect of using online resources. Since she found her online community,
she’s felt less alone.
While navigating mental health issues, licensed professionals are often recommended by ex-
perts, but therapists are often inaccessible. Whether it be due to financial restrictions, unique
situations or therapy not resonating with someone, traditional therapy isn’t always enough.
For students, on-campus resources often come with an added barrier. At Ryerson, some
students have had to wait several months to gain access to counselling services on campus.
As a result, some students who encounter gaps in professional treatment have turned to the
internet to find support in online communities.
Allison Dunning is the program manager for Bean Bag Chat, a free counselling app created
by Stella’s Place, a youth mental health centre in Toronto. She says in co-designing their ser-
vices with potential users, they found there was a large demand for flexible, online peer sup-
port. They also found an online service had the benefits of avoiding the long wait times and
costs associated with in-person resources.
“The reason that young adults tend to find peer support appealing is because they’re speak-
ing with somebody who is speaking to them from a very similar level,” Dunning says. “They
want people who have lived experiences.”
Barati also found the component of providing support to others important in holding her-
self accountable. It reminded her to take her own advice. “Being able to give it to someone else
sort of made me stop and think about it, like maybe I should be doing this if I’m telling other
people to do it too.”
W
hen Vanessa Amin** was 12, she was diagnosed
with generalized anxiety, secondary depression
and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). After
three years of therapy, she felt independent enough to man-
age her mental health issues without regular sessions. When
things got rough again, she’d look into her condition online
and search for non-medicinal techniques and strategies.
The Eyeopener spoke to the second-year Ryerson stu-
dent via text message due to her health complications. She
said her situation worsened when she suddenly developed
a chronic health condition a year after stopping therapy.
While it isn’t fatal, the condition involves chronic pain
that never really goes away. She’d wake up in pain, go out
with friends in pain, go to class in pain. It was ever-present.
On a normal day, the pain was like construction happening
outside her house—she learned to ignore it after a while, but other days, it was unbearable.
The combination of physical pain, her mental health issues and the social stigma of her ill-
ness made for an overwhelming combination. “In these moments of higher pain, [my mental
health tends] to drop. It reminds me a lot of when I first got diagnosed with the condition, and
all the feelings tied with it,” she said.
As Amin’s health worsened, online resources became more and more important. Her
family didn’t understand where she was coming from. Kids at her school would make fun
of her, mocking her pain. Amin didn’t feel like a therapist could grasp the experience of
her mental health issues overlapping with her chronic condition and was reluctant to risk
trying therapy for that reason.
“I’ve gone through that situation way too many times where people just don’t get it.”
Now Amin still doesn’t feel the need to seek further professional help. As obstacles come up
in her mental and physical health, she continues to use online resources to stay educated and
remind herself that there are others who struggle with the same issues.
Lina Mansana conducted her doctoral research on the experience and management of
chronic illness. She wrote in a 2017 research article that seeking help through online com-
munities, self-help groups and blogs is becoming an “important source of moral, emotional,
and social support” for affected individuals. People who share their common experiences and
“even those who limit themselves to navigating without participating may also feel helped by
reading others’ illness accounts.”
When Amin felt isolated and depressed, she would read the blogs written by others with her

condition. While she wouldn’t often participate in forums, seeing other people with the same
complications live their lives freely was enough to ease her through the difficult moments. “It
sounds really weird, but reading someone else’s hardships makes me feel a little less sad about
my own, because I know someone is going through the same annoyances as me.”
But there are also risks associated with participating from the sidelines. Mansana points out
that “just reading can also turn into a depressing, frightening, or anxiety-provoking experi-
ence” for some people with chronic illness.
Amin says she chooses not to read about others’ hardships when she’s feeling stable. “I won’t
read them when I’m not upset about the condition, because I feel like that’s not a good mindset
to permanently be in.”
S T
iobhan Liu had just bombed an important chemistry midterm in the winter 2019 semes-
ter when she chose to try BetterHelp, an app with 24/7 mental health support promoted
by YouTubers and social media influencers with referral codes.
The fourth-year chemistry student was diagnosed with depression at 16 and had already
gone through the traditional intake process: wait times, referrals, diagnoses and finally six
months of ongoing cognitive behavioural therapy sessions, a type of therapy that focuses on
thought patterns. She was then prescribed a “concoction” of meds, but she found it wasn’t
helping.
Liu had to find her own ways to cope outside of clinical
therapy. “Turns out it’s not really for me,” she remem-
bers thinking. She ended up joining several groups on
campus, participating in a video game community and
filling up her schedule so she wouldn’t think about her
mental health.
But at 3 a.m., the day after she messed up on her
midterm, Liu decided to give BetterHelp a try. When
she logged in, she was prompted to sign up for a pay-
ment plan and chose one of 20 different kinds of li-
censed therapists, meant to suit her conditions and
needs. The session she chose was 30 minutes long
and cost $60 USD with a student discount. This was
the cheapest option, allowing it to be covered by her in-
surance.
After about 15 minutes of texting with a depression and anxiety counsellor, she could tell
the conversation wasn’t going anywhere. Exhausted and disappointed, Liu went to bed. The
next morning, she went on the app again, seeing if she could learn anything from re-reading
the conversation from last night. Still, she found the advice bland and generic. “It was more
like manufactured therapy in a sense—it wasn’t really specific toward [my] needs,” she says.
An Australian study on mental health apps found they are generally well suited to the needs
of young adults. But through the analysis of 27 different mental health apps, they found that
many didn’t follow evidence-based guidelines for self-help. However, the study recognized the
importance such apps play in reducing the barriers of “future of mental health care, making
mental health care more accessible.”
A suggestion from the study included using transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural therapy
(TCBT) strategies. Currently, mental health apps mainly focus on treating a specific mental
health issue, but TCBT is an approach that focuses on common symptoms of various mental
Illustrations by Khaled Badawi
mental health • 7
health illnesses.
Although Liu had tried BetterHelp to avoid a breakdown before exam season, that’s what
ended up happening. After the midterm, her issues snowballed. She encountered problems
with her landlord, did poorly on other midterms and forgot about a 70-page lab report until
the day before it was due.
Her TA and chemistry professor ended up being supportive in her situation. She emailed her
TA about the lab report and how she had been struggling lately, and he granted her an exten-
sion. And when she burst into tears in her professor’s office, he offered to take her down to
Ryerson’s counselling centre. “Not many people are as privileged as me that they have a prof
who’s ready to walk you down there and get you help.”
hese days, Barati has a strong and trusting relationship with her therapist. She now
regularly seeks online communities for mental health, whether it be YouTube channels
or the Facebook post-traumatic stress disorder support group she’s part of.
She had been doing better with her mental health until a few months ago when she was
sexually assaulted. While she had developed strong support systems with her therapist and
others in her life, trauma from the incident led to sleepless nights full of flashbacks.
When they were particularly bad one night, it was around 4 a.m. when Barati was dealing
with old thoughts about self-harm. She couldn’t find sup-
port neither in her house because everyone was sleep-
ing, nor call her therapist.
Finally, she went on Google, searching for re-
sources for sexual assault surviors. She came across
an online hotline from RAINN, an anti-sexual vio-
lence non-profit. The service allows users to message
trained counsellors one-on-one. In order to access
the services, she was put on a waitlist until a counsel-
lor became available.
In the meantime, Barati and several other survi-
vors from all across North America were put in a cha-
troom to speak to each other. The conversations she
had with the other individuals in the chat were invalu-
able. Exchanging words of support with other survivors
distracted her from the flashbacks until she was no longer in
crisis. “I was able to sort of ground myself and come back.”
One of the messages a woman sent resonated with Barati so deeply that she screenshotted it.
“The world needs more people like you. Don’t underestimate the power of your words,” part
of the screenshot reads.
“I kept coming back to it day after day when things were hard and I would read it again and
again,” Barati says.
The long wait time made Barati give up on speaking to a counsellor that night. But after
chatting with other survivors for around 40 minutes, she found the support she was looking
for through community and she was calm enough to use a meditation app and fall asleep.
*Surname has been changed
**Full name has been changed
 8 ARTS & CULTURE

RIIIISE AND SHIIIINE...

Q&A: Meet the Ryerson student touring the globe with Daniel Caesar
By Alexandra Holyk ance counsellor. I was like, “What my friends—I visited Ryerson one
should I do? Should I just do all my day and hung out with everyone. I
Elise Mariah Armstrong-Peart is a classes online? Is there anything I ended up going into a lecture [for
third-year creative industries student could do?” She ended up telling me fun] and got yelled at by the prof
currently on tour with hometown that I should just take the semester because I wasn’t paying attention.
hero Daniel Caesar on his “Case off, because you never know when It was my fault. But yeah, basically
Study 01: Tour” as a background an opportunity like this will come just catching up with friends and
vocalist. Known on Instagram as @ again. Originally, singing and bal- family before I went on the Euro-
elisemariah, Armstrong-Peart shares ancing work in school was pretty pean leg of the tour.
pictures and videos—including cov- hard but I find that profs are really
ers of songs and pictures with Caesar understanding with everything. If Who inspired you to start sing-
himself—documenting her journey you need a bigger deadline they’re ing?
as a musician. usually pretty chill with it and even Artists like Prince really inspired
The “Case Study 01: Tour” kicked when it comes to me taking a se- me because he was so talented at
off back in July, and Armstrong- mester off—it doesn’t really impact so many things, like instruments,
Peart has since travelled beyond her me that much. I am missing a few singing, he also produced his own
hometown of Mississauga across courses that are only offered this se- stuff. I was really inspired by Adele
North America, Europe and parts of mester so I won’t be able to graduate too, because I’m someone who
Asia. Caesar performed two back- on time. Other than that, everything loves to sing slower songs and see-
to-back shows at Budweiser Stage at Armstrong-Peart with Daniel Caesar at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. We’re has been pretty chill. ing her make a substantial career
the end of September. Armstrong- not jealous at all | COURTESY: ELISE MARIAH ARMSTRONG-PEART singing ballads is really nice. Also,
Peart said the tour will return to Tell us about the challenges of Michael Jackson.
Canada for its final leg of the tour. ended up seeing the email and she He’s amazing. He’s such a talented being on tour.
The album Case Study 01 follows was like, “Elise, did you end up say- guy too. One challenge is getting used to Will you continue working as a
Caesar’s 2017 breakout debut Freud- ing yes or did you ask for more in- the jetlag and waking up in a differ- backup vocalist in the future?
ian, and features artists like Pharell formation?” I told her no, I turned it What does a typical day on tour ent city every day. Especially in the That’s a great thing and a bad
Williams and John Mayer. The down just because too many things look like? states, because there are so many thing about university, because
Eyeopener caught up with Armstrong- were going to be impacted by it. She Let’s say it’s a performance day. time zones. That was always a chal- in my program in particular, I’m
Peart, who is currently on tour in Eu- said, “Elise, you can’t think like that, The way it starts is to wake up at lenge. Also, living with people on learning about so many things I
rope, to chat about her career, tour because you never know what kind your own time. I usually wake up a bus—especially strangers—at the have interests in. I’m interested in
life and working with Daniel Caesar. of opportunities are coming your around 10 a.m. and we have a day beginning was sort of hard because television and in music. Ryerson
way. Just find out more informa- room, so I’ll usually get ready and you have to learn personalities and made me realize that. Right now,
How did you land a gig on the tion.” Once I found out it was for shower before sound check. Then how to deal with certain people. I’m taking everything as it comes.
Case Study 01: Tour? Daniel, then I was like, “Okay, I’ll we do sound check from around 3:30 You also have to learn how to I would love to continue doing
I was literally just posting covers drop anything for that.” p.m. until latest 5 p.m. Then we go change yourself just so you’re easy background vocals and working
on Instagram, honestly, and they back to the hotel or we can stay at the to live with too. But there’s actually with other artists, or even just con-
were in need of a fourth background What’s it like working with venue and get ready and do our hair not that many challenges...I love do- tinuing with Danny ‘cause I love
singer in a short time period. They Daniel Caesar? and makeup. Then 9 p.m. is when we ing what I do so it’s great. the team so much. When I wanna
ended up contacting me, but at first He’s so nice! It’s nice because do the show, and after the show we settle down, we’ll see if I see my-
it came across as so weird and sus- we’re all on the same bus, so we all just hang out backstage together. What do you do when you’re not self still being a performer or if
picious because they weren’t giving honestly all hang out. It’s so weird touring? I see myself doing the more busi-
me that much information. I initial- even just meeting him at rehearsal, What’s it like balancing tour, When I had like 10 days off, I ness side of television. I don’t know
ly said no because I had school and sitting and having coffee with him work and school? really just spent that time with my where I’ll be—I have so many inter-
also a full-time job serving at a res- in the morning on the bus. That Ryerson has been pretty good. family. I love hanging out with my ests. It’s hard to tell.
taurant—I didn’t want to have those was something I had to get adjusted I ended up having a giant heart- Nana, so I got to have that time Responses have been edited for length
two things be impacted. My mom to, ‘cause he’s such a normal guy. to-heart with my program’s guid- with her. Also just catching up with and clarity purposes.

Theatre alumni to publish picture book depicting queer families raising children
By Kayla Higgins
Ryerson theatre grad Catherine
Hernandez released a children’s
book about queer families raising
children on Oct. 1 of this year.
Hernandez, an award-winning
queer Toronto author and actor,
published I Promise, a 28-page chil-
dren’s book about how queer fami-
lies start with the promise to love a
child unconditionally.
“Families come in
many shapes, sizes
and colours”
I Promise is described as a book
that “captures the honest and inti-
mate moments of queer parenting
in all their messy glory” and “affirms
that famillies come in many shapes,
sizes and colours.”
“I wanted to turn that conversa-
tion about the birds and the bees on
its head because, for queer folks, that
conversation is vastly different from
family to family than for cisgender
and heterosexual people,” said Her-
nandez. “I really wanted it to be lyri-
cal and easy to read for when you’re
about to put your kid to bed.”
The book touches on the myriad of
factors that go into parenting, and the
variety that each household experi-
ences. “You might have a single par-
ent, different dads and moms, people
who are completely non-binary and
don’t identify with any gender, or
even a large group of people that are
raising a child, and then you might
have people that foster or adopt,” said
Hernandez. “All of those possibilities
are explored in the pages of the book.”
For Hernandez, being queer isn’t
simply an identity but a way of life—
a philosophy that remains present
throughout I Promise. “It’s a way that
we move through the world. It’s how
we earn money, how we create fami-
lies, love,” she said “To me, [being
queer] is more of a verb than a label.”
Hernandez said she believes it’s up
to parents to educate their kids on children’s book M is for Moustache, and a big part of Pride is family.”
queer communities and body lan- the story of her own child and their Looking to the future, Hernandez
guage is an integral part of leading experience at Pride. wants to see conversations about
that conversation. “The big question that I always queer families happen candidly. “I’m
“Those first few years of their life get is ‘When is it appropriate to hoping it’ll become quite casual and
is a very important time...they’re bring my kid to Pride?’ It’s like, what quite normal for people like my own
going to be learning their politics do you think is happening at Pride? child to see themselves on the pages
around who deserves to live and There are children all over Pride— of a book like this.”
love and work and who doesn’t,”
COURTESY: CATHERINE HERNANDEZ
she said. Often parents don’t realize
the weight of their actions and body
language, according to Hernandez.
“If they’re looking left and right, not
wanting to shake hands and acting as
if we have some kind of disease, all
of these things are cues that they see.”
Hernandez added that parents
and caregivers must first work on
themselves before informing their
own children about the queer com-
munity. “Go back to the time where
your uncle told you that men wear-
ing skirts are wrong, or nail polish
is only for sissies. Whatever your
backstory is, put it down on a piece
of paper, burn it and move on.”
Hernandez is also the author of

Catching up with Ryerson legends: Jahmal Jones
In the first of our ongoing series, we talk to Jahmal, 2015 Rams grad, whose basketball legacy lives on through his brother Jaren
By Raine Hernandez
When it comes to who the great-
est player is in Ryerson Rams men’s
basketball history, former point
guard Jahmal Jones comes to mind.
If you check the record books, it’s
hard to miss Jones’ name in almost
every category. His family has be-
come a staple at the university over
the years, and that started with Jah-
mal, all the way back in 2010.
Jahmal came to Ryerson wanting
to become a significant part of an
up-and-coming program that was
led, at the time, by new head coach
Roy Rana.
“It was the opportunity to make
a difference and create something
new,” said Jahmal. “I never saw Ry-
erson’s campus. I didn’t know much
about the school.”
In his first season with the team,
the Rams boasted an 11-11 record
as the program was on the verge of
a breakthrough. Every season after
that, their win total improved. In
Jahmal’s final season, they finished
first in the Ontario University Ath-
letics (OUA) East division with a
17-2 record.
Jahmal became a star on the court
while Ryerson’s basketball program
transformed into something special.
But he also made significant strides
off the court.
“When I first came in, I just
wanted to get my four years and
then get out. Obviously, that
changed. [Roy] thrusted me in
leadership situations,” said Jahmal.
‘Softball gave me a family’: Rams outfielder Mariana Fox
By Joseph Casciaro
At the age of 23, Mariana Fox can
vividly recall her childhood in To-
ronto, where she used to play hock-
ey, go swimming and found her love
for athletics.
A journey back to the city where
her love for sports all started, Fox
calls the Ryerson Rams women’s
fastpitch team her home.
Put up for adoption shortly after
she was born in Arad, Romania, Fox
would be adopted by a family in To-
ronto, moving to the city at age two.
By the age of eight, Fox’s family
emigrated to Israel so her adoptive
mother could be reunited with her
two brothers.
“It was a huge culture shock,
even though it was my own culture,
which is ironic,” she said.
She found that the city of Ra’anana
had similarities to North America.
Israel had similar curriculum struc-
tures to Toronto and offered a dou-
ble curriculum with Hebrew and
English classes that Fox enrolled in.
But one thing that Fox did not
PHOTO: KHALED BADAWI
Jahmal Jones, left, Jaren Jones, right
“It was a fresh start.”
Jahmal finished his career as the
second-leading scorer in program
history, first in assists and steals all-
time, while also being named to five
OUA All-Star teams and a CIS All-
Canadian second-team (CIS is now
known as U Sports).
“[When he would beat me in
basketball], I would
cry to Mom”
“He’s one of the guys, if not the
first guy, that Rana used to pave the
way to build that dynasty that Ry-
erson has,” said former Rams guard
Jean-Victor Mukama.
Mukama played with Jahmal in
his first few two seasons at Ryerson
and remembers how hard he used to
train, while also taking Mukama un-
der his wing.
have while attending school in Isra-
el was the opportunity to participate
in sports.
“Living [in Toronto], you’ve got the
cold weather, the seasons, the sports­—
[and] different seasons for different
sports,” said Fox. “There’s no seasons
[in Israel] the way there is here.”
“I was actually kicked off the
team because I was a girl”
From a young age in Toronto, Fox
looked to find ways to get involved
with sports outside of school. In her
new home of Israel, that didn’t hap-
pen until the age of 10.
“I was in baseball first, but I was
actually kicked off the team because
I was a girl,” she said. “Once I reached
a certain age, they suggested softball.”
Fox didn’t let this deter her and
decided to turn the situation into a
positive one, by looking for ways to
get involved in softball. She played
in little leagues in Israel, but at the
age of 14, she didn’t know if she
wanted to play softball anymore.
SPORTS
“I treated it like a job. What you put
in is what you get out,” said Jahmal.
Living by those words, Jahmal be-
came one of the first Ryerson play-
ers to play basketball professionally,
playing in multiple leagues across
the Czech Republic, Hungary, Esto-
nia and Slovakia.
Now, just five short years later,
Jahmal’s Ryerson legacy lives on
through his younger brother Jaren,
who is entering his second year with
the men’s basketball team.
At first, Jaren didn’t understand
the magnitude of what his brother
would accomplish in his time at Ry-
erson and basketball beyond.
“When I was younger, I never
took in what he was doing until I
got a lot older. That’s when it hit me
that he was really good.”
But what Jaren does recall is the
numerous times that Jahmal gave
him no mercy when they’d be play-
“Israel did not and still doesn’t
have the proper funding [for soft-
ball],” said Fox. “Eventually I actual-
ly didn’t want to progress in softball
because I really liked where I was,
but I had a few coaches that really
said: ‘Let’s go.’”
With her coaches pushing her to
compete, Fox stayed on the junior
team until she was 18, where she
was selected to play for the Israeli
National Softball Team. Playing for
the national team—on the country’s
highest stage—was all Fox could
have ever imagined.
“To have a title where you’re part
of your country, in a social-political
way, is something you can’t fathom,”
said Fox. “Even when you’re in it,
you can’t really understand it because
the responsibility and honour to do
something like that is off the charts.”
“I take that everywhere I go and
any jersey I put on, I represent the
name. It makes you worth more
than yourself,” she said.
At the age of 21, Fox decided to re-
turn to Toronto, wanting to experi-
ence Canada again. Not intending to
ing basketball downstairs with a
mini-net in their basement.
“We were always very competi-
tive,” said Jones. “[When he would
beat me in basketball], I would cry
to my Mom.”
“Jaren’s gifted. More athletically
gifted than I was”
Losing to Jahmal in basketball was
something Jaren had to get used to.
Despite the difference in age, Jahmal
did not care for letting his younger
brother win.
“Jahmal would always say, ‘Why
would I let him win?’” said Jaren.
“‘He’s not going to get any better if
I let him win.’ I learned how to deal
with the competitive fire.”
Jaren, who proved he was a de-
fensive hound when called upon in
go to university at first, she planned
to play softball in Canada and get in-
ternational work experience.
Now studying urban and regional
planning, she found not just a home at
Ryerson, but with the fastpitch team.
“She’s a very hard worker and a very
determined person,” said Rams fast-
pitch head coach Wayne Nishihama.
“She would go through the wall for
you. We knew that she was deter-
mined and wanted to be on this team.”
In just her first few months on
campus, Fox has her sights set high
for the future—and that doesn’t only
include softball.
9
his freshman year, is primed to get
major playing time this season on a
new-look Ryerson team.
“It was hard to adjust at first, but
after a while, your body gets used to
it, your mind gets used to it,” said
Jaren. “They called me the spark
plug last season, so hopefully I can
keep that up.”
Jahmal is still undecided about
what the future holds in regard to
his professional career but hopes
that Jaren can flourish and earn the
same opportunities that he once had
as a member of the team.
Last year, Mukama ended his five-
year career with the Rams. The tables
then turned on the OUA First-Team
All-Star and U Sports Second-Team
All-Canadian­—he became a mentor
to Jaren, who entered his rookie sea-
son the same year.
“Jahmal will be the first to tell
you that his little brother can be-
come a better player when it’s all
said and done,” said Mukama.
“Jaren’s gifted. More athletically
gifted than I was. Hopefully, he’ll
have that opportunity,” said Jahmal.
Now with Jahmal passing down
the torch to Jaren, the Jones’ basket-
ball legacy at Ryerson continues.
And so do the competitive one-
on-one battles between the two
brothers that Jahmal used to domi-
nate. It’s become more intense—to
Jahmal’s liking.
“Obviously he still doesn’t win, but
eventually when he starts winning, I
might just have to quit altogether.”
With files from Libaan Osman
PHOTO: KHALED BADAWI
“I obviously want to be a [urban]
planner, get my degree and eventu-
ally start working in the field, but
potentially, I [might] want to use this
degree to get into politics,” said Fox.
But being a part of the Ryerson’s
fastpitch team has helped Fox real-
ize why she still plays the sport after
all these years, crediting her team-
mates and coaches for helping her
love the game more than ever.
“[I forgot the reason I was playing]
and the importance to me of playing
ball,” said Fox. “It was never about
[winning]...but rather, softball gave
me a family.”
 10
Thesis project provides portfolio piece and imposter syndrome. Yay!
By Lyba Mansoor
After months of head-scratching
nights filled with trips to the ER
for panic attacks and consuming
waaaayyy more than the recom-
mended amount of Red Bull, Yousuf
Aziz, fourth-year English student,
finally finished his thesis project.
Despite the success, he’s left with a
semi-decent portfolio piece and aw-
ful imposter syndrome.
Aziz recently completed his inde-
pendent thesis project: a whopping
PLEASE DON’T CUT YOUR OWN BANGS
“Cut Your Own Bangs” club started for students going through it
By Abbey Kelly
The sound of a soft piano instru-
mental version of Video Games by
Lana Del Rey soothes the circle of
students seated in a booked room
in the Podium building. On a table
in the centre of the room are some
things that are typically at club
meetings: chips, snacks, juice boxes
and club stickers. But there are also
some things that seem out of place:
hand mirrors, combs and scissors.
Annie Damon, a second-year
politics and governance student,
welcomed the lost and confused
last Thursday with the first meet-
ing of Ryerson’s new “Cut Your
Own Bangs” club. Damon created
the club hoping to provide students
who just can’t handle what’s hap-
pening right now with a healthy
outlet for healing. The club’s slogan
is “A change to your hair, a change
to your world.”
Damon says she feels like she
“lost all sense of [herself]” in her
routine of school and work, which
led her to her new look.
“I was holed up in my room for
four days straight, living off protein
bars and the water that leaks from
the ceiling,” she says as she disinfects
the hair tools. “I wanted control
over my life again!”
Over 35 students attended the in-
38,000-page dissertation titled “Talk-
ing to your plants: Does it actually
help them grow faster or are you just
starved for face-to-face interaction?”
“I worked on the project for
weeks. It should’ve been one of
my greatest accomplishments, but
halfway through, I still didn’t feel
like it was good enough. I felt like
a fraud,” he said.
Aziz’s mother, who cut up fruit
and brought it to his room through-
out the writing process, confirms
that Aziz didn’t leave his room for
augural meeting.
“I’m feeling lost, you know?” Safi
Utcht, a first-year photography stu-
dent, says. At the meeting, she feels
the weight of the craft scissors in her
hand as she meets her own gaze in
the mirror. “The physical world is
all an illusion and subjective inter-
pretation,” she says as she takes the
first cut.
For a moment, all that can be
heard in the Podium room are quiet
sniffles and the snipping of hair as
the music changes to a lo-fi/hip-hop
HA HA, I GET IT
ILLUSTRATION: ELANA EMER
nearly a month at one point.
“His father and I were very wor-
ried,” she said. “A strange smell start-
ed emitting from his room. We real-
ized it was because he had stopped
showering. We could hear heavy
sobbing at odd hours of the night
too. It was all deeply disturbing.”
Despite his commitment, Aziz
was disappointed when he got his
professor to look over his work.
“She didn’t say much. She told me
I had done a ‘good job.’ I just knew
that everyone else had written better
radio—beats to relax to.
Suddenly, another student ap-
peared in the doorway, hovering
for a moment. Black mascara tracks
ran down their face. “Give me the
scissors!” they screamed.
Hera Scope, a fourth-year biol-
ogy student, just got out of a five-
year relationship. Their sobs echoed
throughout the room.
Club members ran over, running
with scissors in hand to their aid.
Utcht tried to give Scope tissues,
only for them to be slapped away.
dissertations. I mean ‘GOOD’? She
might as well have spat in my face,”
he said.
Aziz, a straight-A student, said he
was absolutely positive that his pro-
fessor and his classmates finally real-
ized he was a giant fucking idiot.
“I don’t know how I made it
through the program all these years.
Sheer luck? Those good grades must
have been a coincidence. I’m an idiot,
and after looking at my thesis project,
everyone’s going to know it,” he said.
Jojo Kuji, Aziz’s longtime friend
and fellow English student, helped
edit the paper.
“He made me edit it like five
times, even after it looked great. Ev-
ery time I’d open the Google doc I’d
see his name floating there. I think
he kept that page open all day.”
Kujo said Aziz would ask him to
edit drafts one moment and then
immediately tell him, “Wait no it
sounds horrible—I need to fix it.”
“All he’d do was add a period or
take out an oxford comma, and
then send it back to be edited. Once,
while I was editing it in person, he
was watching me. His palms got so
sweaty from the nerves of me read-
ing it, we had to go buy him a towel.”
Following his thesis submission,
Aziz revoked his grad school applica-
tion and dedicated his life to becom-
ing a mediocre lemon farmer.
PHOTO: ELANA EMER
“If he doesn’t like me now, just
wait until he sees me with bangs!”
Scope took a pair of scissors and
ran to the nearest mirror. The rest
of the club crowded around them as
they hacked away at their hair. The
crowd chanted, “Snip, snip, clip,
clip, time for new shit!”
If you are looking for something
to ease the stress life is throwing
your way, be sure to check out the
“Cut Your Own Bangs” club that
meets every second Thursday in
the Arts Lounge in POD 349.
First years were excited
to move out, party, now
have no money or joy
left
By Claire Donoghue
and Andrea Josic
Mollie Rey thought university
was promising because she would
gain the freedom that so many
people crave, until she was struck
with the existential dread and fi-
nancial burden of adulthood.
“I was having a good time in the
beginning,” says the first-year so-
ciology student. Going to parties
without worrying about a curfew
felt great, but keeping up with her
bills has depleted Rey of all joy.
“I miss sitting in a small dorm
room with 15 sweaty 18-year-
olds and passing out after two
Smirnoff Ices. Life was great be-
fore midterms,” she says.
Although living alone is ex-
pensive, Ryerson ever so gra-
ciously provides free condoms
around campus. Rey used to use
the free condoms at the front
desk of Pitman Hall as balloons
for her dorm’s weekly parties.
Now she just uses them to deco-
rate her living room­—one of the
mindfulness tactics she uses to
try and remind herself that ev-
eryday should be a celebration
of life.
First-year engineering stu-
dent Lusinmy Mynd admits that
they’ve stopped throwing parties
after their last party went awry.
“Partying and alcohol are ex-
pensive, especially as an engi-
neering major. I was having fun
until I threw a party and shit hit
the fan. My fridge was raided
and I broke my only table after
I fell into it during a keg stand,”
said Mynd.
Toronto has one of the high-
est costs of living in Canada
which makes it difficult for
students like Mynd to allocate
money towards miscellaneous
purchases, like furniture.
Mynd admits he exclusively
shops at Dollarama. “I bought
a bunch of placemats, stacked
them on top of one another and,
chef’s kiss, a new table.”
Pleaz Halp, a fourth-year busi-
ness student and former Thurs-
day to Saturday night partier, had
to quit partying and curate an
aesthetically-pleasing rooftop-
ping Instagram to help pay for
school and living expenses.
Halp once tried to calculate
the loss of hope in relation to
the increase in student debt over
the course of one school year.
He said he opened his bank ac-
count, but proceeded to stare at
his credit card statement for 10
minutes, then threw his phone
off the roof of the Ted Rogers
School of Management building.
 11

RRYE
RY
YYEE FRIGHT NIGHT

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31
9pm - 2am | Ram in the Rye
• Costume Contest
• Win Prizes
• Raffle for MLSE tickets
t
• Haunted House
• Photo Booth
12

BUILDING NEW
CONNECT1ONS.

DINING SHOPPING SPECIALTY MOVIES

Nor th-East Corner of Yonge and Dundas

10dundaseast.com