Considering the recent slew of developments both on campus and outside of its borders, it would seem that we are in store for an engaging year of opinion journalism at the University of Toronto. However, the selection of opinion to be published in The Varsity’s Comment section this upcoming year is about as predictable as the eccentric behavior of our local municipal politicians. That being said, here are some issues you are likely to read about in the pages of The Varsity this year.
Rob Ford
HYFEN/FLICKR
Mayor Rob Ford’s current term in office will expire in 2014, which means that campus politicos will be embroiled in a serious debate over the future of our city. Mayor Ford has already announced his intention to run for re-election, but he will no doubt be met with fierce competition from opponents looking to wrestle the city away from the belt-tightening conservatives. Expect to find impassioned endorsements from university political leaders in The Varsity as campaigns begin and the competition becomes more clearly defined.
Transit debate
Toronto City Hall. LMNOP88A/FLICKR
The results of the mayoral election are sure to influence the ongoing transit debate in Toronto City Council in the upcoming year. As different proposals for how to ameliorate the way that Torontonians navigate the megacity roll in, The Varsity will focus on how these proposed changes will affect the university’s overwhelming commuter population. With some estimates suggesting that as many as 85 per cent of our classmates commute to and from the university’s three campuses every day, any potential disruptions or innovations to the city’s transit systems will definitely play a large part in campus discussion and the opinions published in this paper.
Queen’s Park
FILE PHOTO: BERNARDA GOSPIC/THE VARSITY
The Ontario Provincial Legislature at Queen’s Park, located just off campus, is set to be a major source of debate yet again this year — with by-elections across the province scheduled to occur August 1, weeks before classes resume at the university. The results of these elections will help to clarify the province’s current political leanings going into a provincial election. Shifts in Ontario’s political landscape are likely to exhume debate over the essence of our post-secondary education system. Earlier this year, the Conservative party released a white paper proposing radical changes to higher education. Changes to the government’s post-secondary education priorities will have serious consequences for the way institutions like U of T are funded, especially as society tries to adapt to an evolving economy. Pending these precursory byelection outcomes, the future of the post-secondary system in Ontario will be a hot topic on campus and in the province.
Pan Am Games
Physical changes to the campus have already begun in preparation for the 2015 Pan Am Games, which will be hosted by the City of Toronto. As construction continues and the city prepares itself to welcome the world, be aware of dissenting opinions — not only over infrastructural changes, but also over more conspicuous cultural and social changes within the city. These types of high-profile events often bring discord with them, even as the city tries to be on its best behavior. While the games themselves are still far off, the initial period could see rifts develop across the city as citizens become discontented with changes to their communities. The university is not immune to this friction, as we have already seen in the dispute over converting U of T’s back campus to artifical turf. The Varsity’s pages will be well-populated with informed commentary as this process continues and the city deals with changes to its environment.
