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Our Man at the Toronto International Film Festival

sgupta — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:39:11 +0000

Our Man at the Toronto International Film Festival sgupta Wed, 09/11/2013 - 10:39

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U of T PhD candidate, Drew Taylor (right) with co-director Larry Weinstein (photo by Tessa Lai)

Erin Vollick

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Erin Vollick

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Global Lens

U of T shares global views at Toronto International Film Festival

sgupta — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:43:45 +0000

U of T shares global views at Toronto International Film Festival sgupta Wed, 09/11/2013 - 07:43

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TIFF Contemporary World Cinema features premieres from around the globe

Brianna Goldberg

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Brianna Goldberg

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Global Lens

Islamic scholars at Faculty of Law Summer Institute visit gay and lesbian mosque

sgupta — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 10:17:11 +0000

Islamic scholars at Faculty of Law Summer Institute visit gay and lesbian mosque sgupta Wed, 09/04/2013 - 06:17

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Professor Anver Emon (centre, blue shirt) leads participants in Summer Institute on Islamic Studies on one of their visits (photo by Lucianna Ciccocioppo)

Vito Cupoli

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Vito Cupoli

Most visitors to Toronto are not taken on a surprise trip to the city’s only Islamic mosque for gays and lesbians.

This wasn’t the case for a group of international Islamic scholars who recently attended a nine-day institute at the Faculty of Law’s Connaught Summer Institute on Islamic Studies.

Faculty of Law professor Anver Emon says the Summer Institute introduces participants to Islam’s diversity. His challenge to the visiting scholars was to be honest, upfront and engaged, noting the “theme of the Institute is belonging and difference.”

Toronto offers a laboratory to explore Muslim diversity unlike any other in the world. Unlike most Muslim countries, Toronto’s cultural masala attracts Muslims from all over the world, adding context to the study of Islamic diversity and its intersection with legal plurality, politics and the academic method.

The Summer Institute is conducted in collaboration with Emmanuel College and supported by a grant from U of T’s Connaught Fund, which aims to foster new methods of research and innovation. It includes formal classroom about research design and method, informal small group discussion about each individual’s research and site visits to mosques representing diverse approaches to the practice of Islam.

One of these is the El-Tawhid Juma Circle mosque, one of the very few in the world to minister openly to gay and lesbian Muslims.

Professor Mark Toulouse, principal of Emmanuel College at Victoria University, who co-designed the institute with Emon, says it was designed to “force the graduate Fellows to reflect on their own perspectives and experiences when they approach the field of Islamic studies.”

As the scholars – who hailed from Bulgaria, Pakistan, South Africa, Germany, Canada, USA, Serbia and Indonesia – arrived outside the nondescript office building where the El-Tawhid Juma Circle mosque is located, several seemed ready to challenge their own assumptions.

Ayat Agah, a doctoral student at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California, says she encounters more and more Muslims who are struggling with the reality of “queers” in their community.

“They have this very human response: Someone is being harmed, denied their rights and they view that as a negative thing that needs to be addressed.” Yet, at the same time, she says, this desire to address injustice is coming up against a lifetime of teaching that particular practices or actions are sinful. “How do I deal with that – and especially when I recognize what’s going on as an injustice – how do I reconcile that with what I’ve just always been told growing up?”

To prepare for the prayer, co-Imams of El-Tawhid Juma Circle, Laury Silvers and El-Farouk Khaki add some Islamic touches such as prayer mats and a few hangings to the generic room, which is used for other purposes except on Friday afternoon when the community meets. Concerns about security and discretion mean challenges in finding a permanent full-time home.

Silvers, herself an Islamic Scholar at U of T, says the gender-equal, queer-friendly, and religiously non-discriminatory environment can sometimes be too much for visitors, who take one look and leave.

“When people come in here, some with short-shorts on or tank tops, our attitude is we want people to pray. There’s one person who wears a thong you can see when she bends over. Instead of telling her to dress differently, we told people who are uncomfortable not to pray behind her.”

Although Mustaghfiroh Rahaya, a scholar from Indonesia’s Centre for Religious and Cross Cultural Studies, has gay friends at home and has led prayers in a mosque, she had never prayed beside a man.

“I was surprised. They break all the traditions that I have in my mind,” she says. Initially hesitant about joining the prayer, she eventually decided to take part with the dozen or so members who arrived for Friday prayers. “It won’t distract me from God.”

For Mohammed Waqas Sajjad from Pakistan, the trip to a gay mosque wasn’t as surprising as anticipated. Currently a PhD student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkley, California, Waqas found the visit, “enjoyable in an academic sort of way” but says he will have to reflect on his feelings about the new experience of prayers led by a woman.

“As a scholar I need to be able to meet those people on their own terms and not come across as somebody who is studying them for the sake of criticising them,” he says.

Emon says the community’s broad invitation to pray, regardless of Islamic tradition was eye-opening. Mosques have different rules about the prayer and who may participate.

“The prayer at El-Tawhid Juma Circle reflected a strong communal aspect of Islamic history, but how they organized their sacred space speaks volumes about how they imagine themselves as a distinct community,” he says.

This article has been edited and condensed by Lanna Crucefix. Read the full version.

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Five U of T programs that strengthen the Toronto community

sgupta — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:14:42 +0000

Five U of T programs that strengthen the Toronto community sgupta Tue, 09/03/2013 - 08:14

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Volunteers at IMAGINE Clinic, the first student-run and student-led health clinic. (photo courtesy of Enoch Ng)

Gavin Au-Yeung

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Gavin Au-Yeung

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Service learning opportunities available across several disciplines

Using university-acquired skills to improve lives in the community doesn’t have to wait until after graduation. For many students at U of T, enlivening the city with expertise and passion is already a part of their studies—benefitting both their learning process and the community around them.

“Working in the community keeps us connected to the heart of why we are studying in the first place,” says Enoch Ng, a fourth-year in the combined MD/PhD program.

Ng is involved with IMAGINE (Interprofessional Medical and Allied Groups for Improving Neighbourhood Environments) Clinic, Canada’s first student-run and student-led health clinic. The clinic promotes and provides holistic healthcare for those with little social support in downtown Toronto.

“Applying what we learn in the classroom to the community is what really consolidates learning so it is not just words in a textbook, but something we have seen with our own eyes, felt the impact of with our own hearts, and used to make a difference with our own hands,” says Ng.

(Learn more about IMAGINE Clinic)

Service learning – the combination of formal learning and in-community service – has become popular among eager students wanting to impact the community while studying.

Especially for upper-year students, egaer to put their skills to work and restless from years in the classroom alone.

“After so many years of education, we become much too familiar with the chairs inside the lecture halls that we sometimes become disconnected from the world outside,” says Gary Yang, a third-year student from University of Toronto Mississauga’s Academy of Medicine.

“Whether we are learning to be lawyers, engineers, architects, musicians or gymnasts; our future is intertwined with our community.”

Yang hopes to do so through Adventures in Science, a Mississauga-based community outreach program. The scientific engagement program aimed at youth has influenced more than 300 students in the Peel Region.

(Learn more about Adventures in Science)

Engineering students can partake in the Engineering Strategies and Practices (ESP) course which incorporates service learning by following through with a design project from start to finish.

“ESP was one of the most useful courses, simply because it was practical,” says Maria Xirui Xie, a first-year electrical and computer engineering student. “This course created an environment very similar to the environment that engineers may potentially work in.”

Through ESP, students are assigned to local clients where they put their engineering expertise to work. In the past, students have taken on projects such as designing safer scaffolding for construction sites, making a house more dog-accessible and devising a new process that makes it easier to package dried foods.

“Students find the experience of the course extremely challenging. But after a few years – and more real world experience – they often say that ESP was where they learned the most important basic skills,” says Peter Weiss, ESP communication coordinator.”

(Learn more about ESP)

New College’s Community Engaged Learning Program (CEL) allows students to work a few hours each week with a community partnered organization. Students integrate classroom knowledge with workplace experience to explore ethical and social justice issues present in the workplace.

“My service learning experience allowed me to connect on a personal level with a marginalized population that I had previously learned about only through my academic work,” says Kousha Azimi, a human biology student who had a placement with The Coffee Shed and Common Ground Cooperative.

“As a science student, I have rarely been exposed to questions of social justice and community activism in my academic work,” says Roman Zyla, a pharmacology student who worked at Toronto General Hospital through CEL. “The class discussions and assignments in the CEL program were pivotal in introducing me to the importance of these concepts and strongly shaped the way I reflect on issues in the biomedical field."

“CEL course assignments prompt students to make meaning and think critically about all aspects of what they are experiencing, to identify and question their own and others’ assumptions, to figure out the relationships of power and inequality that lurk in the way that social contexts are shaped,” says Linzi Manicom, CEL coordinator.

(Learn more about CEL)

The Faculty of Arts and Science offers service learning opportunities embedded into many courses including, Cornerstones in Social Justice for St. Michael's One program students and New College's Buddhism and Psychology.

“The best part of service learning is how efficient it is,” explains Jessie Ji Huang, a third year architectural studies undergraduate student.

Huang previously enrolled in Introduction to Urban Studies—a course which features optional service learning with non-profit organizations such as food banks, community shelters and community centers.

“It's this rare activity where you simultaneously reify class concepts, explore others' lives, contribute to the city, and get class credit, and meet new people,” says Huang.

“It's studying in Robarts except more fun, more effective, and better for your city.”

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Summer math camps prove how the field equals fun

sgupta — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 10:50:05 +0000

Summer math camps prove how the field equals fun sgupta Wed, 08/28/2013 - 06:50

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Students at the Science Unlimited camp said they liked the way science explained how the world works. (photo courtesy of Science Unlimited @utoronto)

Jessica Lewis

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Math puzzles, fractal patterns in nature, the physics of chaos; everything you wanted in a camp minus the canoe.

This summer, the University of Toronto’s Department of Mathematics hosted four different math and science camps. Three intended for students in grades four to 10, and a science camp for Ontario high school math teachers.

“We love showing how math is a rich and beautiful field,” said Pamela Brittain, math’s outreach and special projects coordinator. “Plus, this gives us a way to demonstrate all the different areas of math that can be studied.”

One such opportunity was the one-week Science Unlimited camp. Run jointly by math, earth sciences, astronomy, chemistry, physics and computer science departments, this camp introduced Grade 10 and 11 students to different scientific disciplines through a variety of activities and lab experiences.

“The camp grabbed my curiosity when I read about it, I really wanted to be involved,” said Jeremy, a Grade 10 student. “I like how the sciences explain day-to-day questions that I have. Anything you wonder, they can answer.”

On the first day students were introduced to Combinational Game Theory – a concept that focuses on how games can be played in different ways and the strategies behind winning them – and discussed how game theory is applied in our everyday lives.

“I like how science explains how the world works, and how it is because of how it works,” said 14 year-old camper Sayim. I wanted hands-on experience to remember this stuff, so this camp was great.”

Students in grades four to 10 also enjoyed a week-long Summer Math Kangaroo Camp, which boasted hands-on activities such as scavenger hunts around campus to discover math properties in the world, magic tricks and problem solving.

The Canadian National Camp, a joint-effort with the Canadian Mathematics Society (CMS), welcomed students in grades seven to 10 from across Canada and helped prepare them for the Canadian and International Math Olympiads.

But the camps weren’t only for students. The Classroom Adventures in Mathematics Program introduced Ontario high school math teachers to research currently being done by U of T faculty, interesting topics outside of the usual curriculum and helpful lectures on important issues such as dealing with students’ math anxiety.

“This program gives resources from U of T that teachers can bring back to their own classes,” says Brittain.

The camps, and other programs provided by the department, would not be possible without the help of U of T students and faculty. “These camps provide experiences that are outside the usual school curriculums. Students leave with a sense of wonderment,” says Brittain. “We show them that if they continue to study math, there are some really incredible things they can learn, jobs they can get and research they can do.”

Jessica Lewis is a writer with the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto.

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What to read this summer

sgupta — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 15:53:21 +0000

What to read this summer sgupta Fri, 08/16/2013 - 11:53

Gavin Au-Yeung

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Gavin Au-Yeung

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With a library system that ranks third in North America, the University of Toronto is home to millions of works.

And, throughout its history, U of T has also been home to hundreds of distinguished authors and editors.

The award-winning poets, playwrights, screenwriters, novelists, essayists and journalists who number among the alumni and faculty of U of T are too many to list. Sheila Heti, Lee Maracle, Margaret Atwood, Anne Carson, Graham Yost, Guy Gavriel Kay, Atom Egoyan, Rohinton Mistry, Heather Mallick, Michael Cobb and Michael Ondaatje are just a few of today’s writers, following in the literary footsteps of the late U of T authors Stephen Leacock, Robertson Davies, Morley Callaghan and Jay Macpherson.

And what of this year’s releases?

At the top of anyone’s must-have list for the personal library is The University of Toronto, A History (second edition) by Martin L. Friedland, University Professor and professor emeritus of Law at U of T, which traces the history of the University from its origins as Kings College in 1827 to the millennium.

But this year’s books include everything from fiction to non-fiction and texts that represent years of path-breaking academic research.

Robert McGill reimagines the impact of the Vietnam War in his novel Once We Had a Country, Hillary Scharper’s Perdita tells a gothic tale of love and loss, while Ron Deibert’s latest book Black Code explores the dangers of the cyberspace on which our society greatly depends.

Check out Operative Landscapes by Alissa North to learn how landscape can shape a community, explore Colin McCartney’s contributions to Principles and Practice of Regional Anaesthesia and meet The American Pragmatists by Cheryl Misak.

You’ll find more reading possibilities in the photo gallery below. Whatever your interests, there is sure to be a U of T author with a book for you.

Happy reading!

Did we miss you? If you have published or will publish a book in 2013, or you know a U of T alumnus, researcher or student with a new book, please let us know. Send an email to uoftnews@utoronto.ca.

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Send a message to the stars

sgupta — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:30:32 +0000

Send a message to the stars sgupta Fri, 08/02/2013 - 10:30

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Keith Vanderlinde, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics)

Chris Sasaki

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A taste of university for high school students: lectures, labs, dissections

sgupta — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:36:04 +0000

A taste of university for high school students: lectures, labs, dissections sgupta Thu, 08/01/2013 - 05:36

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Working in a dentistry lab is just one of the opportunities for students in the Summer Mentorship Program (photo courtesy SMP)

Suniya Kukaswadia

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Suniya Kukaswadia

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Summer mentorship program in its 19th year

Trey Robinson is going places. The charming, confident high school senior is eager to help others, and through this year’s Summer Mentorship Program, he’s discovering how a career in health can help him do just that.

An honour roll student, Robinson is one of 48 high school students participating in the 2013 Summer Mentorship Program (SMP), an outreach initiative run by the Faculty of Medicine’s Office of Health Professions Student Affairs.

Now in its 19th year, the program provides students from traditionally underrepresented communities with the opportunity to discover careers in health professions — including medicine, social work, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing — by pairing them with current U of T students, faculty and staff.

“My guidance counsellor suggested I apply to the Summer Mentorship Program, and I’m very happy I did. I’m exploring different career paths, networking with health professionals and discovering new opportunities. The other day we made dental moulds. I couldn’t do that in high school,” says Robinson.

More than 600 students have graduated from the Summer Mentorship Program since it first began in 1994. Of the 238 SMP alumni that were sampled in a recent survey, 96 per cent have completed or are pursuing at least one university degree. Just over 80 alumni are pursuing a professional program in the health sciences, with 22 of them having completed or working towards a medical degree.

“SMP speaks to the Faculty’s mission of social responsibility and leadership while being a transformative and meaningful experience for so many of the students. We look forward to continuing our relationship with these students after they have completed the program,” says Ike Okafor, senior officer, Service Learning and Diversity Outreach Office of Health Professions, Student Affairs.

SMP students take part in a variety of health-related activities including dissecting cow eyes, working with cadavers to learn about the body’s various systems and doing hands-on placements in hospital. They also visit the University’s various health-related faculties and departments such as the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Physician Assistant Program and Medical Radiation Sciences Program.

Through partnerships established this year, students also participated in placements at TAIBU Community Health Centre—which provides primary health care services to the GTA’s black community — and Anishnawbe Health Toronto, a care centre that works to improve the well-being of Toronto’s Aboriginal population. The program also introduced grants for students from the Aboriginal community — made possible by the Access Empowerment Council — to cover living expenses and transportation to and from Toronto.

Sessions on engineering research and the legal implications of health were also added, with support from U of T’s law and engineering faculties.

“The Access Empowerment Council has made a five year pledge — with hopes to continue beyond — to empower Aboriginal youth through the Summer Mentorship Program. They will benefit from this unique opportunity and return to their communities as confident citizens and future ambassadors,” says Diana Alli, president of the council.

For Robinson, SMP is an opportunity to do what he loves most — learn.

“My SMP mentors have a wealth of knowledge and they’re always willing to share it. It’s very inspiring to see them setting and achieving huge goals such as becoming doctors, dentists or nurses,” says Robinson, who is considering dentistry as a potential career path.

Jessica Lee, another SMP participant, shares Robinson’s sentiments. A recent high school graduate of Aboriginal-Vietnamese decent, Jessica’s experience in the Faculty’s anatomy labs is exactly what she needs before starting her Kinesiology degree in the fall.

“Initially I was a bit freaked out while working with real human body parts, but the things I’ve learned will come in handy during my university studies,” Lee remarks.

The enthusiasm of students like Robinson and Lee inspires Professor Herbert Ho Ping Kong (Department of Medicine) to take SMP participants under his wing. An internist at University Health Network, Ho Ping Kong has been a mentor in the program for over 15 years. He enjoys working with students who complete placements at Toronto Western Hospital.

“It’s really encouraging and remarkable when you see former SMP students who have gone on to medical school and beyond,” he says.

Suniya Kukaswadia is a writer with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

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Urban beekeeping at U of T

sgupta — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:41:55 +0000

Urban beekeeping at U of T sgupta Thu, 07/25/2013 - 06:41

Gavin Au-Yeung

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The Faculty Club at the University of Toronto is a heritage landmark, best known today for its ambiance and exquisite dining. So, why has it become the home for some 150,000 bees?

“Beekeeping is a new and growing phenomenon in Toronto and beyond,” says Alissa Saieva, president of the University of Toronto Beekeeping Education Enthusiast Society (B.E.E.S.).

The student-run club aims to spread the importance of honeybees while providing hands-on beekeeping experience – and the three hives installed in June on the rooftop of the Faculty Club are just the latest example. The U of T B.E.E.S. is also in charge of maintaining two hives at Trinity College and one at the Earth Sciences Centre.

Urban beekeeping is very much an active way to save the bee population, as they experience a decline in numbers due to unsustainable agricultural practices and global climate change, Saieva says.

“There’s been a real push to the concern of the loss of the bees,” says Sandy Smith, professor at the Faculty of Forestry. “[Urban beekeeping] makes people more aware about questions on pesticide use, which is one of the big concerns for the loss of bees around the world.”

Smith also believes the growing desire for locally grown and organic food makes urban beekeeping very attractive.

“Honeybees are an integral part of healthy ecosystems; they are responsible for the pollination of 1 out of every 3 bites of food you take,” adds Saieva, a fourth-year undergraduate student in political science and environmental studies.

The U of T B.E.E.S. isn’t alone in its commitment to beekeeping at the university. More U of T beehives can be found at the Sky Garden, New College, Earth Sciences Centre and at the University of Toronto Scarborough’s Social Sciences Building. (Read more about the Sky Garden.)

Having so many hives on campus may cause unrest among pedestrians who may fear being stung, but Saieva says this is a common misconception due to confusion between honeybees and wasps.

“Unlike wasps, honeybees are ‘vegetarians’ in the sense that they are only interested in nectar, not artificial sweets. This means that those unwelcomed guests at BBQs and picnics are typically wasps,” she explains.

“Although honeybees do have stingers, there are only used when a honeybee feels threatened, after which they die. Wasps, on the other hand, can sting you repeatedly.”

Pieter Basedow, Science for Peace treasurer, works closely with the student club. He hopes the new beehives at the Faculty Club would help generate interest and lead to additional beehives.

And at the heart of Toronto, the St. George campus provides an ideal location.

“We have Philosopher’s Walk, Queen’s Park and a great selection of plants on campus, green spaces and lots of trees,” explains Basedow, who adds the bees can fly within a five kilometer radius of their hives.

“Hopefully we can get together with the property managers and some faculty within the different departments and see how we can expand.”

But for the time being, the Faculty Club is ecstatic about their new rooftop instalments.

“It’s a real pleasure working with the U of T B.E.E.S.,” says Leanne Pepper, Faculty Club general manager. “We are very proud to be part of the urban bee keeping.

“The chef is looking forward to creating fabulous dishes with the honey!”

Gavin Au-Yeung is a writer with University Relations at the University of Toronto.

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Jamaal Magloire helps launch summer program at UTSC

sgupta — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 09:20:07 +0000

Jamaal Magloire helps launch summer program at UTSC sgupta Wed, 07/17/2013 - 05:20

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Basketball, financial literacy and community building are just some of the items on the agenda for youth in the UTSC summer program

Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

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Gilbert Ndikubwayezu

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Shooting hoops, building character

Kids from around the University of Toronto Scarborough community shot hoops late into the night at UTSC’s Athletics & Recreation Centre, in a Midnight Madness event July 12.

It's part of a new community engagement program that gives youth an opportunity to develop personal and professional skills through basketball – with evening sessions and shoot-arounds that run until one am.

Throughout the summer, 70 kids between ages 14 and 16 will also take a series of workshops including leadership development, community building and healthy active living, managing and avoiding conflict and violence, and financial literacy.

The program is a partnership between UTSC and Toronto Community Housing. Participants come from social housing neighbourhoods such as Alexandra Park, Flemingdon Park, Jane Street, Morningside and Rexdale.

“We use our infrastructure to uplift local communities in a bid to make a better place,” said Desmond Pouyat, dean of student affairs, as he welcomed members of the program at UTSC.

Participants also heard testimonials from grown-ups who’ve had similar experiences in the past.

One was Jamaal Magloire, former Toronto Raptors player and now a basketball development consultant and community ambassador.

Magloire grew up in Scarborough and played in UTSC’s summer community basketball league as a teen before being drafted into the NBA. He urged the kids to make sacrifices and work hard to achieve their goals, while at the same time behaving appropriately.

“Nobody wants to be around a jerk,” he told an admiring crowd. “So, work hard in class and work hard on your game. You have no excuse; the reason why we are here is because we care about you.”

UTSC summer league players will be providing mentorship, helping them with practice on court and other assistance.

Atheena Dy is a UTSC alumna currently working as a summer program assistant at the athletics and recreational centre. As a student, she was involved in helping organize and run the summer leagues, and now she is among the planners.

“It really warms my heart to see the smile on these kids’ faces, and to have our summer league guys give back to the community through this program,” she said.

Midnight Madness is one of many other UTSC experiential learning and mentorship programs that the university uses for community involvement, explained Scott McRoberts, director of athletics and recreation. It is similar to Henry Norrington Tennis program, an initiative that mentors kids between the ages of eight and 13 through tennis instruction.

Other partners in the Midnight Madness program include the Toronto Police Services, Ascot Co-Op, Concrete Roses Youth Services and the East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club.

Gilbert Ndikubwayezu is a writer with the University of Toronto Scarborough.

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