Andy Miele: Phoenix Coyotes prospect, Hobey Baker Award Winner 2011
@Andy_Miele Are Tylenol pm packets made for people aged 24 and up because it is impossible to open without scissors for me. #wheresmymom

Stuart Percy: Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, St. Mikes Majors of the OHL
After fielding questions from fans about what he was doing for Halloween, he offered this piece of advice for youngsters: @StuPercy5 If you don’t empty your bag when it starts slowing you down from running door to door, you’re #notserious about Halloween.

Joffrey Lupul: Toronto Maple Leafs
@JLupul Always makes for an uncomfortable elevator ride when you try to close the person out but they get a foot in the door before you leave.

Brian Wilson: San Francisco Giants
@BrianWilson38 Day 1 of offseason, watch 5 straight hours of Dupstep videos…check!

Mikhail Grabovski: Toronto Maple Leafs
After signing a five year $27.5 million contract extension, Grabovski had this to say about why the negotiations took so long: “I have two babies now, I have to save money.”

Colby Armstrong: Toronto Maple Leafs
After reminiscing about going to the movies solo, Colby shared his experience with Twitter: @Armdog Went to the movies back in the day solo. Caught one movie then hung around arcade for a double-header. Some guys on team caught me doing Dance Dance Revolution all hardcore. It was so funny. I was sweating. #solomovies

Paul Bissonnette: Phoenix Coyotes
Self-proclaimed bench warmer and fourth-liner Paul “BizNasty” Bissonnette spoke the truth: @BizNasty2point0 I’ve had it up to here with the 5 dollar foot long commercials from Subway.

Taylor Hall: Edmonton Oilers
@hallsy04 I love when people leave their Facebook open on my computer. Changing her birthday to tomorrow right nowwwww.

J.P. Arencibia: Toronto Blue Jays
@jparencibia9 Can’t win today… Try to do some cleaning, wash my sheets, pull them out of the washer and out comes my TV remote control #seriously??

Mike Rupp: New York Rangers
@Rupper17 Lane 7 opened just as I approached! Great grocery shopping experience! Good mood still intact!

Blake Wheeler: Winnipeg Jets
@BiggieFunke There’s no way Tiger wins a big tournament until he ditches those shoes. He looks like a gym teacher.
Which he followed up with this tweet after Woods pulled out of the WGC-Cadillac Championship: @BiggieFunke Told you Tiger…it’s all about the shoes #sneakers”

Logan Couture: San Jose Sharks
After being picked last in the 2012 NHL All-Star draft, Couture was awarded a Honda. His first tweet after the draft was: @LoganCouture First order of business. Pimping out that Honda

Aaron Rodgers: Green Bay Packers
@AaronRodgers12“It can’t be good when I’m looking forward to gas going under four dollars again. Somewhere the swamp people are angry too.

Chad Ochocinco: New England Patriots
When being chirped by a fan on Twitter for not changing up his wardrobe, (“You wear the same shorts in every picture bro.”) Ochocinco had this to say in his response: @ochcocinco I paid $23 bucks for my fatigues I’m getting my money’s worth out of ‘em.

Photo Courtesy / Ken Jung

His book, which won the Charles Taylor prize for Canadian creative non-fiction, talks about the problems of a particular group of chimps located on the shores of Quebec and the greater issue of test lab animals.

“I spent ten weeks at an animal sanctuary,” said Westoll, “and I met these chimps retired from a biology lab. These animals were subjected to human diseases, and used to search for cures.”

These animals would become the focus for his new story. Research animals usually do not retire and spend their entire lives inside laboratories. These particular chimps come from various biomedical research labs in the U.S.

While creative non-fiction may not get a lot of press, Westoll finds that “true stories are most compelling, and they engage [with readers] on a deeper level.”

The Charles Taylor prize awards the winner with $25,000 and support from the foundation in terms of advertising and promotion. Westoll will also be invited to present his piece at the upcoming International Festival of Authors in Toronto.

“I am amazed,” Westoll said. “The level of prestige of this award, it really means a lot to Canadian authors. We really want to win this.” This year’s 115 nominees were all well-known authors, including anthropologist and author Wade Davis who Westoll calls “one of [his] idols.”

Westoll, a former biologist, found a new calling in writing about the world. He notes that “there are a lot of similarities between science and writing.”
“Physicists often use metaphors when describing science,” said Westoll. “That’s not too far away from what a writer does.”

Although new to UTSC, he is very much excited about the campus and advises students “to read as much as you can. As a writer, you have to love sentences and the way they work.”

Photo Courtesy / Salama Karim

The Underground (UG): Word is that you’re going to be leaving us next semester?

Garry Leonard (GL): I’m going to not be teaching this summer and all of next year. During that time I’m going around to different places giving seminars and giving lectures. Paris is one, I’ll be in Boston, for a couple of different engagements but I’m not quitting UTSC.

UG: Is it just like a long sabbatical?

 GL: Yes, very much so. It’s an 18-month sabbatical because I never took my sabbatical when I could have because I was trying to get the film minor working and all these other classes and they (the administration) added more time and they said, ‘Please don’t go now, we’ll just add three more months later.’ But even then I won’t be gone. My wife Deirdre Flynn (English professor) will still be teaching here. I’ll probably be popping in once in a while to guest lecture in her class and a few other classes, and I’ll be living in Toronto half the time.

The rumour that there is going to be a black hole where I used to be me isn’t going to happen. I’m going to be talking to the professors who are teaching the classes I designed. I may even be dropping into the class and I may even hold the odd office hours, so I won’t really just disappear.

UG: Other then Professor Flynn, do you know who is going be teaching your courses?

 GL: I taught so many classes, and a lot of people are going to replace me. My wife has a doctorate from Berkeley and she worked with a lot of the top film people there so she will be taking over some of the classes, and of course we talk all the time and we just finished a book about film together so there is continuity there. We’re going to be hiring a person for three years; we’re looking for someone from world cinema. Obviously I know a lot about Western cinema but I want to get someone that knows about other cinema types.

In a way, my absence will be a good thing. It is forcing the system to fill in what I’ve been doing. I said, ‘Listen I can’t carry this around anymore’ and they said, ‘We can’t drop it’ and I said, ‘Great! Let’s get some help.’ So when I come back they won’t disappear we’ll expand it a bit. Like the film minor I can’t teach a whole minor by myself even though I did for a year and a half but in all honestly no one can teach a minor by themselves.  The things that I bring to the class that students like so much I’m encouraging other profs to do.

UG :I know that you have been key in developing the English program and the film minor, and when students think of these they often think of Garry Leonard.

 GL: In a way that was never my intention. I never came here and said, ‘I’m going to put UTSC on the map.’ I think part of my success is that I’ve always wanted to read, watch movies, write about them and tell people why it’s so important and interesting. That’s all I want.

Interesting things did happen: a film minor developed, people started majoring and specializing in English and were kind to credit me, ‘Garry is the only reason I’ve done English, Garry is the only reason I’ve done so much’ and the only reason that happened is because that’s not what I’ve tried to do.

All I’ve tried to do was convey my enthusiasm about ideas and show how interesting it is to go beneath the surface and I was taken aback when my A10 class, the first time I had it, had less than 20 students 20 years ago and now it’s 350, and it went to 400 but they couldn’t find a room big enough.

I’m not a typical professor, but the fact that students appreciated what I was doing so much gave me the confidence to do it. Even when deans weren’t too sure what I was doing, but as long as students kept saying, ‘Can you do something else like that?’ it gave me the confidence to teach in a way that is a little risky. Students who like me ought to pat themselves on the back because I’ve become more of what they admire partly because they gave me the confidence and I said, ‘Okay, fine’ otherwise I would second-guess myself.

The classes inspire me to write. Sometimes profs write then are expected to teach, and literally there are times when I get some of my best ideas in class, and I go home and write it down, and it’s the class that gave me the idea. I’m going to miss it and I’m worried about it. The only thing that is calming me down is that I can come back to the class and catch up on it.

UG: In your teaching philosophy you stress that you don’t just learn when a teacher is present, but you learn when you want to learn. Did you have professors like that when you were a student?

GL: Not enough, a lot of my teachings are things I didn’t get from my professors. I won’t say I didn’t have any professors that were any good but my teaching style came from a real lack. I mean, just because I say it doesn’t mean anyone else heard it. A lot of professors talk and talk and even when I tried I couldn’t hear even half of what they were saying because they weren’t conveying it. And that stuck with me and I’m never satisfied that saying it is enough. That’s why I do the journal assignments. I need the feedback to hear what I said is going through.

UG: A lot of students mention “Leonard teaching method,” where you start to think about things differently. How did that develop?

GL: I hear that all the time where you walk down the street and it’s not the same street anymore. I have to assume that I let you guys see me think out loud. I don’t come in and give the thoughts I already processed. I let you see me come to the conclusion and when you go outside you can do that too. I don’t tell you what advertisers do, I let you watch me puzzle over it so you can puzzle over it some more, and see a different billboard.

UG: Your A-level courses consistently have a large audience who don’t just come in when you have a midterm or exam. How much of that is based on things you say versus the course material?

GL: I think one reason why students come back is that from the first day to the last day I am telling a story about the twentieth and twenty-first century. I think students show up because they don’t want to miss an episode. People show up because it’s episode four. Why would they want to miss episode four? The secret is to make sure the class you teach next comes out of the class you just taught. Too often each class is bracketed off and you can miss three classes and show up and it’s just that class. It’s like One Thousand and One Nights, Scheherazade didn’t want to get beheaded so she left the story dangling. I know students can’t behead me but I did that Scheherazade thing where I end with a sense of “to be continued.” And of course, when class is over students are upset because there is no end (laughs) that’s the secret — I don’t have a conclusion.

UG: That’s a really good metaphor. Is that why you have been roped into doing other courses that relates to the A-levels?

GL: Since everything is a story with me the film minor has become this massive story and now you have to take eight classes not just go to eight lectures. I think the other trick about my teaching method that students like is that I try to present how everything interrelates. I don’t just specialize on this one part of the spider web and ignore that it’s a spider web, I like to pull on the spider web and show that something moved over here. That might be the “Leonard method,” where you walk down the street and say, “Oh my god, that thing, and the thing my friend said, and the thing I’m going to text to my friend is all connected!” It’s a shock to think connections are happening that you didn’t think about before.

UG: How do you relate that to students because in your A-levels you do have a large number of students who aren’t in the English program.

GL: I start at a level that deals with how we make sense of the world. So in a way you can come from management or neuroscience and you can come here and nod. I’m not saying what the world means, because I am leaving that to you guys but I am showing you what the struggle looks like and the different ways we struggle and the problems that happen when we struggle and ignore this. It doesn’t matter what your majoring in I’m talking about all the different strategies and you can take it whatever way you want

UG: Do you ever turn Prof. Leonard off in real life?

GL: Well, I like to go running and I run really hard and I can’t talk because I’m breathing too hard. When I run really hard I have interesting thoughts, but because I am running so hard I have very essential thoughts and I can’t confuse myself. When I come to class and say, ‘Here’s the point!” That’s probably something that happens when I was jogging and I’m always doing that. I try to get at the thing that’s underneath the thing and when you can get there then other stuff makes more sense.

And I’m a dad so I sit around and read the Bernstein Bears and have strange existentialist conversations with my five-year-old that are as profound as any I have with other profs.

UG: Does your son make you look at things differently?

GL:  He does, I have four boys, aged twenty-three, twenty-one, ten, five, and when I started teaching I was telling stories about my eldest but now my five-year-old, has the ability to be in the moment like a Zen Buddhist. If we’re late for school it doesn’t matter because there is an ant that is trying to cross the sidewalk and I can’t get all nuts and say we’re late for school because this is school. Right now it’s this ant and I need to be open for that and I know this is going to be more important than anything that happens in school today. He wants to help this ant across the sidewalk, and he wants to talk about sidewalks and clouds and it’s incredible. I had to learn to let go, and if that has helped my teaching.

UG: Is it fair to say that you regard us in the same way: you read us and if the important thing to us is the ant then you’re going to cater to us?

GL: That’s absolutely right. I’m not saying you’re all five year-olds. I follow you guys even if you’re not saying anything. I’m listening to you, and when I’m watching you, I spend longer on the points where you’re leaning forward. I let go of the points that, for whatever reason, aren’t going through. And you guys, whether you know it or not are directing the course.

I know students are always saying nice things to me. I just want the students to know that everything they admire about me is not a one way street. It’s not like I came into class one day and was wonderful and you noticed it. Whatever I am that you liked was in tandem with you guys.

UG: You are a very popular professor here on campus. What will happen to your fan club when you leave?

GL: I’ll be on Facebook, I’ll be in Toronto half the time like I said. There are special events that happen here, so if someone invites me to a debate I’ll show up. So, I’d tell the fan club to keep the faith.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Photo Courtesy / Shantal Otchere

UG: Do you keep in touch with anybody?

WB: I’ve been to a couple of year end events. During my time, I was at U of T for a while. I started at Scarborough, finished at St. George campus and then finished off at Rotman – I was there for about 11 years.

UG: You were also balancing work at the same time? How was that?

WB: That was kind of tough. I was in a situation where I had to work to put myself through school. I was working full time from about 4p.m. to midnight while going to school. It was a bit of a challenge, but you become focused with your studies when you are working that hard to pay for it. It made me value what you were trying to achieve. Although it did limit a few of the things, one of the most important things, which is the social aspect of it (being at university).

UG: From the time of your graduation, to now as your second term as police chief, how has the journey been?

WB: I’ve been a police officer in Toronto for 35 years and I’ve worked in some of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city. I’ve worked in every corner of the city and worked with some fabulous people and some fabulous areas as well as working in the poorest neighbourhoods in the city. I’ve had exposure to the most dedicated people in the city and it really changes your perspective, you can really see the city in a far different way as I did growing up in one corner of the city. It wasn’t a diverse city, the community I grew up in. I’ve been a witness to that (the change) my entire police career and it’s been very positive experience.

UG: How has your second term been, as compared to your tumultuous first?

WB: Oh, of course, but I have to say that I don’t really think of it in “terms”. Each day bring it’s own challenges. We faced significant challenges a number of years ago in respect to violence in some of our communities. There was much concern and fear being expressed about the violence that was there – and we’ve worked quite hard at that and I think we’ve made some great progress. City of Toronto is a remarkable safe place for a large urban centre. We’ve also made some great progress in policing diversely. We’ve recruited people into the force from all backgrounds, practising all faiths, speaking all languages. It’s created a very competent workforce for serving a diverse city because we now have diverse police officers. But of course, we face challenges, occurrences of violence in those situations, in our relationships in those communities. For example, large crowd events can be challenging for us. It’s the nature of this work. In many ways police work is quite straightforward: our job is to keep the community safe. But at the same time, it’s quite complex because it is a big city, there’s a lot of diverse interests and all of that has to be kept in mind.

UG: Do you deal at all with university police, especially at U of T?

WB: They have their own units. And with that too, you have to strike a balance. You can’t be too present at a university campus, but you have to be accessible to people. You have to work very closely with those institutions because universities should be safe places. They should be safe places but they should also be places where people aren’t distracted by law enforcement. I think it’s valuable to have that type of environment. But we’re very fortunate in Toronto, I think overwhelmingly our campuses are safe. And I’m pleased, frankly. Although crime can happen anywhere, victimization can happen anywhere. Scarborough is one of those campuses that have a good solid reputation as a safe place, a good learning place. It in a beautiful setting, with the Highland Creek Valley right there. It’s one of the things I remember very well – sitting there (in the patio by the Valley). You’d go out and walk down into the Valley. You were completely away from any kind of an urban influence.

UG: Do you think the reputation of the school (UTSC) is divided from the reputation of the neighbourhood (Scarborough)?

WB: I think the reputation of Scarborough is terribly unfair. Most people don’t understand is on a per capita basis, you’re less likely to be a victim in Scarborough of crime than in any other part of our city. There well over a half a million people living there. I think it’s unfortunate that when violence occurs there, and violence can occur anywhere in a city of that size, but when violence occurs there it’s often reported in the media as Scarborough. And I think that that can create a very false impression among people who won’t understand that community and think that because of a couple of isolated incidents that it’s all the same. In fact, Scarborough is one of the world’s livable places and you know there are great neighbourhoods, great schools, great people and I think the reputation of Scarborough is unfair and it doesn’t align with the facts. I know the facts, I know what goes on in the neighbourhood, I know what goes on in the community, and they are safe places, places that are very livable. And so UTSC is a good representation of that. The progress I’ve seen, I think Scarborough campus contributes to that because it does bring a lot of people into the area and that’s a positive thing and there’s also a social aspect, a communal aspect, which I think contributes to some of the livability of our city.

UG: Oftentimes that safe feeling is attributed to the smaller size of the campus.

WB: It is, and you know often time universities like the University of Toronto can feel impersonal whereas in a place like Scarborough it is a little bit more familiar, a little bit more intimate. Going to Scarborough it wasn’t like going to a big city university and disappearing into a lecture hall of 1,500 people. There’s a feeling of community within a small community like that.

UG: You’re an advocate for community based policing. In your opinion, does that approach work at university?

WB: Because the student population is somewhat transient, you;ve got to make the effort to make yourself accessible. I think really effective policing in any community invves effective engagement both between the police officer and people. But people also have to take responsibility for their own safety. It’s not something you just turn over to a security force, the police or even campus security. There are programs where you can walk home not alone, bright lit areas etc. That sense of community that can be created on a campus contributes tremendously to the safety of that. The essence of community policing is not just about community relations but its about working together and making sure that everybody understands their part and is doing their part to keep it a safe place for everyone. It’s also crucial that there is this familiar knowledge, one of the things with our officers is that they are culturally competent. The culture of a campus is unique as well. When I joined the police force, no one has degrees. Now well over two-thirds of the people bring with them a postsecondary degree or diploma. There’s a definite connection between police officers who have had the opportunity to pursue higher education and have gone through those experiences. They understand the community, they are culturally competent.

UG: You speak to students all the time, is there a message you want to get out to them? Some of them aspiring to work for the force?

Get the best education you can. It is essential preparation for this work. Be involved in the community. Go out and serve your community, because this is a job – when done right – where you are serving the public. I like to see these values demonstrated in people. I think there are many ways to serving the community. I would encourage young people to look at how they can contribute to the community.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

TV Lounge
The TV Lounge will be getting more than a coat of fresh paint this summer. The light fixtures will be upgraded and the SCSU are in negotiations with Toshiba to donate a widescreen television.

Greener UTSC
New trees and saplings will be finding a home in the Valley by fall. Alex Macaulay, assistant director operations of UTSC’s facilities management, stated that a tree sapling growth area will be created for sustainability planting in the future. The sapling area will have various tree types and be located beside the community garden area. The outer parking lot will also receive a green makeover.

Instructional Centre (IC) gets food
La Prep, the new café bistro in the IC, now has an opening date of the week of Apr. 16 for regular operation and the end of May for patio service. These deadlines, however, are pending, and if the City of Toronto workers go on strike, students can expect a delay.

Photo Courtesy / Sherini Ramuite

Dentistry on Campus
Dental care will soon be a short walk away. A new dental office will open in the Student Centre by the end of April.

Photo Courtesy / Devon Shaw

“She’s such a slut, she’s just asking for it.”

Do these statements sound familiar? This is slut shaming, and it is an everyday practice that is damaging to women’s sexual liberation.

Be honest, how many times have you called a woman a ‘slut’? We are all guilty of using this word at some point and it is high time we own up to it and understand how problematic the usage of this word is in everyday conversation.

On January 24, 2011, during a safety information session at York University, which has witnessed a string of sexual assaults in the past few years, Toronto police constable Michael Sanguinetti suggested women who do not want to be sexually assaulted should not dress like “sluts.” Sanguinetti had to issue a formal public apology and was disciplined for his statement.

Since this comment, the issue of slut shaming has exploded. It is a pervasive issue that crops up in daily conversation, making it even more important to address the issue on an individual level.

Photo Courtesy / Devon Shaw

Suddenly, accountability shifts from male perpetrators to female victims, and women become responsible for preventing their own victimization. Rape unfairly becomes a woman’s fault, and her attitude and clothes are quickly called into question. Did she somehow invite a man to rape her, even unconsciously? More simply: did she ask for it?

The answer is no, plain and simple. No matter what a woman says or wears, she never invites sexual harassment.

But why do we pick and choose when it is okay for women to be sexual? We love it when celebrities bare their bodies, but when the girl in our chemistry class chooses to wear something slightly revealing, she’s automatically a “slut.”

We have been raised in a patriarchal and misogynistic society in which we are conditioned from birth to hate any form of female liberation. Although we love sexy women, we don’t necessarily love female sexual agency.

Victoria Tahmasebi, a women and gender studies professor at UTSC, addresses this ambiguous relationship that society has with female sexuality. “In a way we like to control it, we like to manage and discipline it. One way to discipline women who express their sexual agency is through slut shaming,” she explains.

The only way to put an end to slut shaming is to truly normalize female sexual liberation. Images of empowered female sexuality need to become more widespread, and
images of the female body should be holistic, rather than objectifying.

So, the next time you see a girl showing some skin, instead of feeling uncomfortable, understand that this woman chose to dress this way, and that is her right in our democratic society. Instead of calling her a “slut,” try thinking of her as a woman comfortable with her sexuality. Or just don’t judge her at all, because chances are she wasn’t judging herself when she put on that outfit.

Photo Courtesy / Anna-Maria Kalesoski

At around 5 p.m. on Jan. 25, two male suspects assaulted and robbed two students in UTSC’s H-wing, prompting students to question safety on campus.

On October 14, 2009, a student was robbed of his chain and money after two male suspects held him at gunpoint on Military Trail and Morningside Avenue at around 2 p.m. A year later, on Nov. 24, a suspicious male was reported demanding chemicals substances from passersby in the Science Research Building. The individual was later apprehended.

Is UTSC a safe space?

Rob Messacar, manager of campus police services, believes so. According to him, the most common form of criminal occurrence on campus is property theft.

Sharlene Gomes, a second-year biological sciences student, has been a victim of such a crime. “I left [my laptop] in the library and went to get coffee and by the time I got back it was gone,” she said. “I guess in hindsight, it was my fault. I just didn’t know I had to be that careful.”

Stephen Foden, detective sergeant at 43 Division (UTSC’s local police station), reported that crimes such as these happen in all municipalities.

“Unfortunately there have been things that happened in Scarborough years and years ago, and I’m thinking particularly to the Bernardo case, which gave [us] a bad name,” Foden said. “And it’s one of those things where you get labeled at one time and it just becomes part of your reputation.”

Toronto police chief William Blair agrees. “The reputation of Scarborough is terribly unfair,” he said. “Most people don’t understand that on a per capita basis, you’re less likely to be a victim of a crime in Scarborough than in any other part of our city.”

Blair lived just on the other side of Morningside Avenue for 23 years. “If it bleeds, it leads, right?” exclaimed Blair when asked about media bias towards crime in Scarborough.

“If people are saying Scarborough is the only place that has gangs [or other criminal activity], well they’re wrong,” Foden says. “Every municipality has them…everyone has the same issues.”

Residential crime reports from Feb. 13 to Mar. 12 show there have been seven break and enters and two robberies reported within the boundaries of 43 Division – numbers that are lower than the York University Heights region.

Foden credits the street crime crew for successfully curbing long term, minor crimes such as motor theft, bicycle theft and instances of breaking and entering. The street crime unit also deals with campus police at UTSC.

“We have a great relationship with them (the campus police),” said Foden. “UTSC is unique [because] with over 13,000 students, it becomes a community of its own.”

But while factual data does not support the myth around Scarborough and crime, some argue that a culture persists at UTSC that perpetuates the rough reputation of the neighbourhood.

Aseem Ghani, a fourth-year international studies student, says this reputation is part and parcel of his university identity.

“I came into university singing songs about gang culture (at Orientation),” he said. “I wasn’t used to it, but it felt so natural to the school, I just accepted it, I guess.”

Timothy Gagnier, a first-year English student, approved of the chants during his Orientation. “It was just a joke, [but] I like how gangster the vibe is here,” he said. “It’s just funny.”

Messacar was unable to comment about the self-perpetuating stereotype of Scarborough and UTSC having a “gangster” or “ghetto” culture. But he did stress how safe the school is because of its community atmosphere.

Blair says the safety of a campus can be judged by student behavior. “Look around, and if you see people walking, feeling safe and comfortable, you know you’re in a safe area,” he said.

Blair believes that people also have to take responsibility for their own safety. “It’s not something you just turn over to a security force, the police or even campus security,” he said. “It’s collaboration between the community and yourself.”

Messacar seconds this notion and points to programs and services provided by campus police services. “There are programs where you can walk home with company, in brightly lit areas, have access to emergency services and generally feel safe in your university atmosphere,” he said.

Blair believes crime in Toronto isn’t low because it is an exceptionally policed city, but because there’s a culture here. “It’s what we value and what we tolerate,” he said. “People look out for each other, and we need to keep remin

Photos Courtesy / Sherini Ramuite

Professor Daniel Tysdal teaches in the English department and is known by most of his students not for his poetry, but for his socks. He created the Creative Organization of Writers at UTSC to help foster the creative spirits of students outside the classroom. “Most of it is student inspired,” says Tysdal. “It gives people a chance to show their creativity.” Tysdal recently published his third book, Dear Adolf, and his previous book Predicting the Next Big Advertising Breakthrough Using a Potentially Dangerous Method won the 2007 ReLit Award. But Tysdal says these accomplishments don’t make a great professor. “A great professor knows the material, and is able to communicate that material,” he says, and for that you also need “a real passion” for the subject matter.

Political science professor Waldemar Skrobacki is one of those professors whose humour is contagious. With a focus on European policy, Skrobacki teaches a wide variety of political science courses. He is respected in his field, and has been on the television channel Russia Today to speak about the future of Europe. His book, Bolshevik Federalism: A Lost Revolution, also enjoys widespread publication. Skrobacki’s unique teaching style, which includes experiential learning outside of the classroom, is a teaching method that students say is challenging but exciting.

Professor Effiette Sauer is a far cry from the stern chemistry professor many students may expect. After only a few years of teaching at UTSC, she has quickly made a name for herself as one of the best chemistry professors on campus. This year, Sauer has been “devoting time to adding extra [elements to her classes],” such as a ‘molecules of the week’ section. She notes that great professors need passion because “you can’t get your students excited without it.”

The psychology department has always been one of the most popular programs for undergraduates at UTSC, and is home to Professor David Nussbaum. Nussbaum is praised for his commitment to students. Even though he works as a research psychologist at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Services, he dedicates plenty of time to his students. His willingness to spend that extra time with his students is what makes him one of the best professors this year.

Congratulations to all winners. On behalf of students, thank you for improving our learning experience at UTSC. Until next year!

Photo Courtesy / Adley Lobo

Khogali is a third-year international development studies and women and gender studies student at UTSC, and a spoken word artist who recently broke onto the Toronto arts scene, having performed at the Regent Park Film Festival and at various Ontario universities.

She made her campus debut at last year’s annual SCSU Mosaic talent show, receiving overwhelming appreciation, but Khogali says she only really found herself as an artist this year.

“I feel like spoken word has a hypnotic thing about it, that people just have to stop and listen to what you have to say,” says Khogali of her passion for spoken word. “It isn’t just a hobby for me; it’s a part of my identity and who I am.”

Her work is raw and daring, tackling complex issues like racism, sexual abuse and gender politics and making them accessible to an audience primarily made up of young people. But Khogali wasn’t always ready to share her most intimate thoughts with an audience.

Born in Kenya and from a Sudanese background, she moved to Canada at the age of nine. She always wrote diaries in poetry form but never thought of herself as a good writer until high school.

“It (poetry) just came to me, I don’t even know how or why,” she recalls. Growing up, she would only share her work with her mother, who was instrumental in honing her writing skills and pushing her to do better.

In her final year of high school, Khogali accidentally left her journal in a classroom. When she returned for it, she discovered her teacher read her work and wanted her to perform at a Black History Month event. That was Khogali’s first stage performance.

Since then, Khogali says she naturally fell into spoken word after two or three performances and feels an obligation to make difficult issues “easy to digest.”
“I feel like I’m responsible for it. I have a talent, and I have a way to talk about these issues,” she says. “If I don’t do it, who else is going to? And if I do it, maybe I can inspire someone else.”

Particularly, she credits her teenage years growing up in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood as a major influence for her work. Khogali says young people in Regent Park face pressure from all corners – to do drugs, to be promiscuous, to get involved in gangs. But like her, many young people are trying to break through the barrier of what’s expected of them.

“When others think of people in Regent Park, they dismiss them as hopeless people who are never going to make it,” Khogali explains. She says spoken word has been a way to challenge these stereotypes and attitudes.

Over the past year, Khogali says she has learned not to write for events, but only when she is inspired because “when you take art and make it a business, it loses inspiration completely.”

But no matter how many times she gets on stage, Khogali says she still gets nervous.
“There’s never a time when I think ‘I got this,’” she admits. “But I think all writers have that feeling that their work is not adequate enough.”

Khogali’s goal is to challenge the status quo even if that comes with its own challenges. She says one of those challenges is being a woman with an opinion.
“Because feminism is stigmatized as being man-hating, [people can] dismiss what you have to say,” she says. “I used to come from a very emotional perspective, but I’ve learned to approach people more logically so they actually listen.”

She describes the feeling of being on stage as a combination of multiple emotions because it allows her to have a connection with other people.

“I feel free, like this is home for me, but at the same time I feel scared and vulnerable, like people might be judging me,” she explains. “But it empowers me; when people take something from it (my poetry), it’s a feeling of euphoria that I can’t even put into words.”