Redistribution of wealth and resources has been a common theme in the study of development over the ages. At the sixth annual Al Berry lecture at UTSC on September 26, Princeton University Professor Jeremy Adelman aimed to bring attention to “the concentration of wealth and income” and its stresses on our “togetherness.”

The event was organized by the Centre for Critical Development Studies. Al Berry, professor at UTSC and the namesake of the event, invited Adelman, one of his former students, to speak about how the current model of development may be dangerous to the global community.

Adelman spoke about how the growing interdependence of countries on one another made them more vulnerable to inequity. He claimed that “as the world was being laced by railroads, cables, and free trade, it was also producing more stratification.”

The professor detailed how the convergence of countries with one another “promoted hierarchy,” creating a dichotomy between the Global North and South.

“Everything is now development,” Adelman told The Varsity in an interview at the event’s pre-lecture reception. “All of the grand challenges that the planet faces, whether it’s climate change or the global migrant crisis, are, at root, issues of development.”

As a historian, Adelman advocated a historical perspective when approaching development in other countries. He noted that as the world became more interdependent, the competition for economic success spun out of control. Evidence of inequity could be seen in the fact that as economic development progressed, Indigenous people were globally “excluded from their land that was made valuable to the public.”

According to Adelman, since the nineteenth century, the study of development has been one of debate.

Debate arose when people looked at the successes of development, such as poverty decline and increased literacy rate, and forgot about the inequalities within these development efforts.

Adelman criticized what he sees as the hypocrisy that comes with developmentalism. He explored the idea that development “was just a new form of empire,” for it seemed to favour the European bourgeoisie. He outlined the delusion of “foreign expert syndrome,” stressing that a Western or linear model of development may not work everywhere.

According to Adelman, models of development required dramatic solutions for underdevelopment such as “breaking unequal trade” and “overturning feudal forces.”

Yet this harsh approach has reaped little benefits. Adelman suggested that the Global South started “a new history,” separate from the Western model of success and development.

One thing Adelman said he has done to tackle these inequities and promote a humanitarian way of thinking is by running the Global History Lab at Princeton. “It’s an online course in which my graduates interact with undergraduates and learners in other parts of the world, including refugee camps and Middle Eastern Africa.”

Adelman told The Varsity that the theme of his studies is “always global, and our fragile togetherness, in spite of the whole rise of nationalism, and nativism, and tribalism.” His goal is “to keep the global horizons open and to teach that to students.”

Redistribution of wealth to close the gap between the “haves and the have-nots” and remodeling development would bring the the global community closer to equity, said Adelman.

For Adelman, the importance of all this is that “how we handle our fragile togetherness will shape the lives of generations to come.”

TTCriders, an organization of transit users, and the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) hosted a mayoral debate focused on transit on September 26.

Three candidates — former Toronto chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat, lawyer and activist Saron Gebresellassi, and safe streets activist Sarah Climenhaga — took the stage at the Scarborough campus. The debate was moderated by The Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee.

John Tory, the incumbent mayoral candidate, was invited but did not attend. At the end of the debate, candidate Dionee Renée, who spells her name D!ONEE Renée, ­was invited to give a two-minute speech. She claimed ownership of the idea of free transit and underscored accessibility needs, which she felt had been lacking during the debate.

A Mainstreet Research poll released on September 26 put Keesmaat at 20.3 per cent, nearly 30 points behind Tory, who remains in the lead. Gebresellassi and Climenhaga both polled at around one per cent and undecided voters made up 27.4 per cent of the survey. The same poll found transit to be the most pressing issue in the mayoral election — overtaking concerns of housing affordability, crime and safety, and accountability.

Uploading the TTC to the province

All three candidates were asked about their stance on the provincial governments’ moves to take over Toronto’s subway system.

The proposal, made by the Progressive Conservatives during the provincial election, aims for the province to adopt major capital maintenance fees and control any expansion planning. Tory showed slight interest in the plan, however City Council voted 30–6 in favor of maintaining public ownership of the TTC. Premier Doug Ford, who campaigned on uploading the TTC to the province and whose party guaranteed the upload under a majority, became the centre of the candidates’ discussion.

Keesmaat proposed that any projects to upload the TTC should go through the mayor and the city council. She also emphasized the need for the TTC to remain a “public asset,” refuting any claims that turning the TTC private would raise capital funds or improve the transit system.

Agreeing with Keesmaat, Climenhaga commented on Ford’s ability to “do things even if we don’t agree with them” and supported the need to work with the premier on this issue.

Gebresellassi criticized Tory for his lack of strong leadership and underscored the need for mayoral leadership that would “stand up against Doug Ford,” particularly on the issue of uploading the subway to the provincial government.

ANDY TAKAGI/THE VARSITY

Free transit

The first candidate to mention free transit was Gebresellassi, whose campaign is largely based on the idea of making Toronto the first metropolis in Canada to maintain a free public transit system.

Placing heavy emphasis on the idea of “transit as a fundamental human right,” Gebresellassi proposed eliminating corporate loopholes and using federal funding to finance her proposal.

Climenhaga took a moderate stance on the issue ­— labeling it a goal to be achieved through long-term investment in the transit system and a gradual reduction of fares.

Keesmaat heavily opposed the idea of free transit, criticizing not only Gebresellassi’s funding plans for the proposal, but also pointing out the resulting issues of overcrowding and the loss of the TTC’s operating revenue. She further underscored the need for more investment to develop transit expansion over the development of free transit.

“I thank [Gebresellassi] for putting the idea of free transit on the table, and I have to say it is a ridiculous idea that would ruin our transit system.”

During an interview with The Varsity, Gebresellassi pushed back.

“I think her position says it all. This is why we keep saying Jennifer Keesmaat is not a champion for working-class people,” a sentiment that was not brought up during the debate.

Additionally, Gebresellassi argued against claims that the plan would be difficult to fund: “As the 13th wealthiest city in the world, we could have free transit if we wanted to.”

Transit affordability for students

After the failure of the U-Pass referendum last year, postsecondary student fares for transit and the development of a student pass has been the focus of the debate on transit affordability for university students.

SCSU President Nicole Brayiannis opened the question portion of the debate by asking about affordable transit for students, especially those who commute long distances.

Keesmaat responded to the question by calling out the provincial government for stalling fare integration with GO, which would allow transferring from the TTC to GO without having to pay multiple fares. Inter-municipal fare integration as well as transferable regional fares were proposed for commuting students.

Taking a similar stance, Climenhaga agreed on the need for fare integration but also emphasized the need to work with the province on affordable student housing, zoning to make student housing development easier, and increased employment opportunities.

In her response, Gebresellassi proposed expanding the low-income transit pass, also known as the Fair Fare Pass, universally. Differing from the other candidates, she also highlighted the need for job opportunities and engagement outside of the downtown core and called for a multitude of plans that would encourage local hiring and youth training.

ANDY TAKAGI/THE VARSITY

Protesters

In the middle of Climenhaga’s opening statement, protesters in the audience began shouting, “Where is Faith Goldy?” Picketers with signs that read, “Let Faith Speak,” stood in the back of the room.

Faith Goldy, a controversial mayoral candidate associated with white nationalists, was not invited to speak at the event.

The commotion prompted multiple audience members to stand up, resulting in loud protests both against and in support of Goldy.

A chant began from the protesters demanding: “We want Faith.”

The protesters were eventually asked to leave and were escorted out of the room. Goldy herself interrupted a debate just two days earlier, where she was escorted off stage by police officers.

The Toronto municipal elections will be held on October 22, and advance voting will take place from October 10–14.

Among the issues that university students both love and hate to discuss, tuition often tops the list. But in paying for university, students are not just paying for the ability to go to class and receive a degree. Bundled up within the tuition fees are hundreds of dollars of non-academic incidental fees that all students pay, which give access to various services on campus, including health care, athletic facilities, and campus publications.

Some of these incidental fees are mandatory, but others include an opt-out option. The Varsity has put together a roundup of all the incidental fees that undergraduate Arts & Science students have to pay, including the ones that aren’t compulsory.

This article is based on numbers from the 2017–2018 school year, and it only refers to fees paid for the fall and winter sessions by full-time students. Some fees, including The Varsity’s, may have changed for the 2018–2019 school year. Visit thevarsity.ca for a more in-depth look.

Universal fees

Almost all students at U of T have four fees in common, though they may have varying amounts. These fees go toward U of T Community Radio, The Varsity, Hart House, and Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) Co-Curricular Programs, Services, and Facilities. None of these fees have an opt-out option.

UTM Arts & Science

All undergraduate UTM students in the arts and science divisions pay 14 incidental fees, totalling $772.46 in the fall and winter sessions each.

UTM students pay six fees to access university-operated services. These include KPE Co-Curricular Programs, Services, and Facilities, as well as Physical Education & Athletics, Hart House, Health Service, Student Services, and Summer Shuttle Services.

Besides these universal fees, there are six fees for student societies: the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU), The Medium, the U of T at Mississauga Athletics Council, Vibe Radio, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU), and the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS).

UTM students belong to both the UTSU and the UTMSU — though the agreement is currently under negotiation — and thus have to pay fees to both. The largest of these fees goes toward the UTSU, at $196.32 in the fall and winter sessions each. The largest portion of the UTSU fee — $162.28 — pays for a health and dental plan, which students can opt out of.

Of the remaining amount, $5.57 is refundable.

The second highest student society fee is for the UTMSU, at $143.26 in the fall and winter sessions each. Of that amount, $108.28 pays for the U-Pass, and the rest of it goes toward various smaller groups, such as a food bank and the student refugee program.

The only refundable UTMSU fee is its $3.25 per session Blind Duck Pub fee.

UTSC Arts & Science

All undergraduate UTSC students in the arts and science divisions pay 12 incidental fees, totalling $839.22 in the fall and winter sessions each.

UTSC students pay five fees to access university-operated services. These include Hart House, Health Service, Student Services, the Scarborough College Athletic Fee, and KPE Co-Curricular Programs, Services, and Facilities.

Besides these universal fees, there are five fees for student societies: Scarborough Campus Students’ Council (SCSU), Scarborough College Athletic Association, Scarborough Campus Community Radio, and APUS, as well as Scarborough Campus Students’ Press, which publishes The Underground.

The largest of these fees goes toward the SCSU, at $410.24 in the fall and winter sessions each. Of that amount, $172.97 pays for a health and dental plan, which students can opt out of.

The second-highest amount pays for the UTSC Sports & Recreation Complex Levy, at $157.48 in the fall and winter sessions each. Of the remaining amount, $4.13 is refundable.

Parts of the SCSU fee goes toward various smaller groups and initiatives, such as a Wheelchair Accessibility Projects fund and a Foster Children Program fund.

UTSG Arts & Science by college

Undergraduate students in arts and science programs at UTSG pay eight identical fees, plus one college specific fee.

The eight fees are for the UTSU, APUS, Arts & Science Students’ Union, U of T Community Radio, The Varsity, Hart House, Student Life Programs & Services, and KPE Co-Curricular Programs, Services, and Facilities. These fees total $652.18.

The largest of these fees goes toward the UTSU, at $410.24 for the fall and winter sessions. The largest portion of the UTSU fee — $172.97 — pays for a health and dental plan, which students can opt out of.

Of the remaining amount, $12.24 is refundable.

The UTSU fee pays for organizations and initiatives such as the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, the Sexual Education & Peer Counselling Centre, and the University of Toronto Aerospace Team.

Innis students pay $41.53 for the Innis College Student Society and the Innis College Student Services Fee.

New College students pay $30.00 for the New College Student Council.

University College students pay $30.03 for the University College Literary & Athletic Society.

Woodsworth students pay $7.50 for the Woodsworth College Students’ Association.

St. Michael’s College students pay $132.02 for the St. Michael’s College Student Union, The Mike, a College Fee, and a Campaign Fee.

Trinity students pay $216.13 for the Trinity College Meeting and a College Fee.

Victoria students pay $243.76 for the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council, the Victoria University Student Services Fee, Goldring Student Centre, and the Victoria Commuter Package.

Stay tuned for more breakdowns of graduate student and professional faculty student fees.

On September 24, a video surfaced that appears to show UTSC psychology professor Steve Joordens playing a pornographic video on the projector screen by accident.

The incident, which apparently took place at the start of the lecture, was recorded by one of the students in the class via a Snapchat video and subsequently posted onto Reddit, where, along with many memes made about the event, it instantly went viral.

“When I saw the [pornographic] video, I was surprised,” the original poster, a first-year student studying Philosophy, wrote to The Varsity.

“I was not expecting that especially this early in the morning… I found the whole situation funny and he made a lot of people laugh. ”

The class, which was reportedly PSYA01 — Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology, had about 500 students in the lecture hall. As seen in the video posted by the student, many students in the class were laughing, though others could be seen walking out of the room.

In a statement to The Varsity, Joordens wrote, “With respect to the event that happened prior to my class on Monday the 24th, I want to be clear that what happened was completely unintentional and I feel absolutely terrible about it.”  

“I have apologized to my class and now I want to move on. Thanks to my students, colleagues and my amazing family for their support and understanding.”

Don Campbell, Media Relations Officer at UTSC, told The Varsity in a statement that the university is aware of the incident and are looking into it, but that they can’t discuss personnel matters.

“We encourage students who may be feeling unsettled by the incident to speak with their registrar or staff at the Health & Wellness Centre,“ Campbell said.

Joordens started teaching at UTSC in 1995. Since then, he has won numerous teaching awards including the Canadian Post-Secondary #EdTech Professor of the Year in 2017 and the 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2015.

“Everyone makes mistakes so I can’t blame him,” said the student who posted the video. “I hope nothing bad happens in the future and this can just be a thing to laugh about, I hope his job isn’t affected or anything in his personal life either.”

Editor’s Note (September 25, 2:10pm): This article has been updated to include a statement from UTSC.

Editor’s Note (September 28, 12:20pm): This article has been updated to include a statement from Joordens.

Despite its large commuter population — over 75 per cent of U of T students identify as commuters — almost all students who commute more than an hour each way say they feel discouraged from participating in off-campus activities.

Considering the barriers that face commuter students, various colleges and student groups have created initiatives to support the needs of these commuter students and enhance their overall student experience on and off campus.

Innis College

Among the services that Innis provides to commuter students are a commuter lounge equipped with couches, tables, beanbags, a kitchenette, a microwave, a football table, and a TV; lockers available for rent starting at $10; and monthly commuter-oriented events. In addition, students can run for the two Commuter Representative positions in the Innis College Student Society.

New College

Like many other colleges, New is home to a commuter don program, which consists of two Commuter Dons and one lead don. These dons plan programming once or twice a month for commuters. Upcoming events include community hours for students to reach out to Commuter Dons and residence students alike, as well as information sessions about TTC tips.

IRIS DENG/THE VARSITY

St. Michael’s College

St. Michael’s also has a commuter donship program, which helps facilitate commuter-friendly programming and acts as a resource to both commuter and international students.

Trinity College

Trinity has a Non-Resident Affairs Committee (NRAC) made up of 14 members who meet four times a year. Members in the NRAC are responsible for facilitating commuter-friendly events, maintaining the commuter students’ common room, and integrating commuter students into student life, while also encouraging participation in student government. Trinity also has a meal plan for commuter students, which includes 10 free meals for part-time students and 15 free meals for full-time students.

University College (UC)

The Commuter Student Centre (CSC), located in the UC Union building at 79 St. George Street, is the primary space for commuter students at UC. It is equipped with a lounge, a kitchenette with a microwave and refrigerator, a study space, a group study room, lockers for rent each semester, and board games. The CSC is supported by Community Coordinators (CoCo), who facilitate programming, events, and activities at the centre.

“The UC Literary and Athletic Society, Off Campus Commission is a volunteer organization that has as its goal the betterment of the university experience for UC students that live off campus. They create community and organize events for commuter students, often in collaboration with the CoCos,” wrote Naeem Ordonez, Assistant to the Dean of Students at UC, in an email to The Varsity.

Victoria College

Victoria is home to two commuter student groups: Victoria College Off Campus Association (VOCA) and Commuter Dons. The college hosts several commuter-oriented events throughout the academic year including a weekly free pancake breakfast by VOCA.

The Goldring Student Centre also has a commuter lounge in its basement with lockers that students can rent free of charge and a quiet study space equipped with couches, desks, and charging tables.

“We (VOCA) are responsible for hosting and facilitating events throughout the year for commuter students. VOCA also holds monthly collaborations with residence dons as a way to connect residence and commuter students,” wrote Emilia De Fabritiis, Commuter Commissioner of the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council in an email to The Varsity.

“The other commuter initiatives are the Vic Commuter Dons. Similar to VOCA, they host events for commuters. However, Commuter Dons are trained to provide more of an emotional support for students.”

Students are encouraged to get involved at VOCA through applications for general commission members, first year execs, upper year executives, commissioner, and co-chair.

IRIS DENG/THE VARSITY

Woodsworth College

Woodsworth has several commuter resources including lockers available for rent starting at $15; a commuter lounge equipped with a microwave, books, whiteboard, outlets, tables, and comfortable seats; and events such as Woodsworth College Students’ Association Wednesdays, when free pancakes are served. Commuter students can also run for positions, including Off-Campus Directors, and they can participate in Woodsworth’s Off-Campus Committee.

UTSC

The City of Toronto’s Smart Commute Scarborough initiative allows users to be matched with a fellow commuter taking the same route, in an effort to encourage sustainability. The campus also runs a bikeshare program that allows students and staff to rent out bikes free of charge. Commuter meal plans are also available for $390.

UTM

Like UTSC, Smart Commute is also made available for commuter students at UTM. A U-Pass — a transit pass granting unlimited travel — is made available for students using MiWay. Lockers are also available for rent in the student centre.

Trinity, UTSC, and UTM did not respond to The Varsity’s requests for comment.

The school year has arrived with some construction at UTSC still in progress. Currently, two projects with a focus on accessibility for students are underway.

UTSC Media Relations Officer Don Campbell provided some insight to the newest addition.

“Highland Hall is designed in a way to really serve the needs of our students by enhancing the teaching and learning environment at UTSC. It will add student study spaces, modern classrooms, a new café, and plenty of places for students to just sit, relax and hang out,” he said in an email.

The building will face Military Trail and will be one of the first things people see when they arrive on campus.

“In many ways it will be an exciting new gateway to our campus,” Campbell said.

Highland Hall will include unique and modern architectural features that UTSC “can’t wait to unveil.”

Here’s the breakdown of what is to come at UTSC:

Highland Hall

Expected Completion: mid-November

This 134,216-square-foot, five-storey building underwent construction to add 175 new student study spaces, a student commons space, administrative offices for the social sciences department, one lecture hall with 230 seats, two classrooms with 25 seats each, one classroom with 34 seats, and graduate teaching labs on the second to fifth floors.

Both the interior and exterior of the hall’s athletic centre have undergone renovation to become a multipurpose space. It will now also hold events, conferences, and exams.

Highland Hall opened its doors on Monday, September 10 for only lectures and tutorials situated in the lower-level classrooms, lecture halls, and washrooms found at HL001, HL006, HL008, and HL010.

Unfortunately, the rest of the building remains under construction. The building will reopen in stages.

Carrel desks and lounge furniture will be ready in the Student Commons by late October. Hall’s café, which will offer sandwiches, pastries, and specialty coffee, is expected to open in late October as well.

Accessibility Path

Expected Completion: Unknown

A new accessible path will run through Scarborough’s Highland Creek Valley and connect the campus upstairs to the wilderness down below.

The trail is expected to be 500 metres long, with a slope of no more than a five per cent grade. This will allow better access for those who use mobility devices.

This path has been designed to meet the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Transparency, a Canadian flag, and a stop to “self-righteous political correctness.” These are the beliefs of the Scarborough Campus’ Union Reform Club (SCU Reform), an emerging student movement against the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU).

Formed in early September 2018, SCU Reform is now a club recognized under Ulife and is comprised of an unknown number of students who want to change the culture of the SCSU.

SCU Reform President Anup Atwal, a fourth-year student, said that up to 300 students could be in his club. The Varsity was unable to verify that number.

SCU Reform claims that the SCSU lacks transparency on budgets, is not upfront about issues, and is not accessible.

In an email to The Varsity, the SCSU wrote that it “welcomes… and encourages students to become engaged in proposing new ideas for the upcoming year,” and that it “relies on member engagement to ensure that the diverse and ever-changing needs of students continue to be attended to, as [they] advocate for them to be met.”

The SCSU also noted that it is planning to change its outreach tactics to a more “on-the-ground” member engagement. It is hoping to better inform students about the SCSU’s services, campaigns, and events.

The SCU Reform website highlights that, while it does not want to end the SCSU, it also does not want UTSC students to be “tainted” with “petty identity politics” and “never-ending controversy.”

“My battle is not with any individual director or executive,” said Atwal. “It’s about the structure of the institution and [SCSU] not caring [about the student body].”

Atwal said that the ultimate goal of SCU Reform is to get more students engaged in student elections, to force the union to listen to them, and to discourage voter apathy.

“Voter apathy leads to this… bottleneck effect in which you have a small cluster of ideas operating on a $1.1 million budget.” He added that, of “13,500 students, less than 2,000 voted. That’s not acceptable.”

According to its website, dedicated SCU Reform members study SCSU documents, such as Board of Director packages and the SCSU Constitution and Bylaws. They also discuss ways to change the union.

In the works is an account of the 2018 SCSU elections and the controversies surrounding it.

Three candidates ran to head the SCSU in 2018. Nicole Brayiannis, the current president; Deena Hassan, who was disqualified twice; and Ray Alibux. Alibux is now a member of SCU Reform.

“The reason I joined SCU Reform was because I wanted to see more transparency within how the SCSU was being run,” wrote Alibux to The Varsity.

He complained about the lack of transparency when he entered the elections for the first time. “They don’t lay out anything. If you want to enter the system, you have to already be part of the system.”

The SCSU said that, this term, it has organized the “biggest Frosh available at UTSC.” They are also “looking forward to” opening the Chatime in the Student Centre, hosting a Mayoral Transit Debate, and campaigning for a more accessible education.

After years of student requests, the bubble tea giant Chatime will finally open a franchise at UTSC.

Job postings for Chatime UTSC have been found on various employment websites such as Indeed and Catch a Job. The postings say that Chatime is looking for workers to prepare the teas and operate the cash register.

In a phone interview with The Varsity, Desmond Chan, Vice-President Operations of the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU), said that Chatime is scheduled to open by early October.

The store will be located in the basement of UTSC’s Student Centre, which currently is only occupied by the student-run pub, Rex’s Den.

According to Chan, Rex’s Den will shift from a full-service model to a half-service model.

“Chatime will take up half of the space,” said Chan. “They’ll be sharing the same area, but we’ll have signage that clearly outlines which part is Chatime’s and which part is Rex’s.”

At the moment, the Student Centre basement is under renovation in preparation for this change.

“I’m so excited, I’m going to go there every other day till I get sick of it,” Mohit Singh, a fourth-year Statistics student, told The Varsity. “It’s about time UTSC got a proper bubble tea place.”

At the moment, UTSC is the only U of T campus without a bubble tea store nearby. The nearest Chatime was a 40 to 50-minute bus ride from UTSC, while the closest bubble tea option, Gong Cha, is 25 minutes away by bus or at least an hour away by foot.

In November 2016, Twitter user @87virtuemoir tweeted to Chatime Canada that it “should really open a Chatime at UTSC,” to which Chatime Canada replied that it “[hopes] this day can come soon.”

Almost two years later, this tweet is about to become a reality.