Keena Al-Wahaidi
Contributions
(Don’t) pass it down: breaking stereotypes
This year, the U of Mosaic
Fellowship made it their main mission to create an interactive art exhibit in
UTM’s CCT atrium. The exhibit, entitled Don’t...
Self-reflection in You Look the Other Way
The
Blackwood Gallery has unveiled the first of two graduate exhibitions of the UTM
and Sheridan Art and Art History 2019 class. You Look
the Other Way...
Gaga: Five Foot Two shows a vulnerable side of the star
If
you’re familiar with Lady Gaga, you know this: she’s wildly entertaining,
over-the-top dramatic, and most of all—a superstar. Even superstars have their
weak moments and the...
The party that never happened
Netflix recently rolled in with
their take on the Fyre Festival—subtitled “The Greatest Party That Never
Happened.” It really could have been, but it never was....
Unpopular popular culture: TV edition
Sometimes it’s hard to pick up a show on
Netflix that’s a doozy. When I’m done one, I’m on to the next like a hawk...
Madeline Nixon on paranormal activity in Feathers
When Madeline Nixon
graduated from UTM’s Professional Writing and English programs this past June,
she expected to be a working writer in due time. It wasn’t...
Astroworld, Travis Scott
Travis Scott’s Astroworld makes a deep comeback from his debut Rodeo through a distinct visionary sense and his entrance into mainstream rap.
The Houston, Texas...
The Curious Life of Robert Hooke.
You might think, what kind of books are professors reading nowadays? Last week, The Medium sat down with Professor Bernice Iarocci, an instructor with...
Sunanna Bhasin on her novel, UNDERPASS
University of Toronto graduate student Sunanna Bhasin is a published author in the flesh, but a hardworking accounting student right underneath. She shares her...
EDSS talks female leads & re-invention
The English and Drama Student Society is dishing up feminism and an unorthodox re-telling of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles—and you can see it all on...
Reading with Prof Scoville
The Medium sat down with Professor Chester Scoville to chat about the book he most recently finished reading.
The Medium – Tell me a bit...
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Keeping up with the authenticity of previous Charlie Brown specials, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown chronicles the best of Halloween night. The Peanuts...
Jenny Holiday: romance literature writer
Bad Romance, even outside of Lady Gaga’s context, is a complex world to navigate. Just ask Canadian novelist Jenny Holiday. Last Friday, Professor Koenig-Woodyard...
CSA: ready for a year of film screenings
Among the things we can all agree upon are good company, fun clubs, and movie screenings. I learned that you can find all of...
Meet Alexis Whelan: actress in Level 16
A second-year environmental sciences student at UTM, Alexis Whelan makes her debut in the feature film Level 16, a movie that questions femininity and...
Circles and lines: tracing our land’s past
Bonnie Devine’s Circles and Lines: Michi Saagiig exhibit at the AGM visually examines the land lost in the Michi Saagiig homelands. Her works guide...
The Quem Quaeritis Ceremony
When I was assigned to read The Quem Quaeritis Ceremony for Dr. Chester Scoville’s ENG330 class, I found a great deal of it to...
Breaking down the wall between city & art
The Art Gallery of Mississauga’s shift CTRL exhibit, curated by Anu Radha Verma, is a project set up in the gallery’s XIT-RM project space....
A New Season of Theatre
With the start of a new school year, the English and Drama Student Society is gearing up for a whirlwind of events and theatrical...
More than halfway to the finish line
Springtime in university means different things to different people. For some, the warm weather teases us with the hint of summer coming along. For...
Celebrating a launch
Volume five of the English and Drama Student Society’s undergraduate journal, With Caffeine and Careful Thought, celebrated the launch of its 2018/19 edition last...
Aladdin (1992)
If you thought your movie character crushes were bad, it probably does not beat my undying love for Aladdin. Thankfully, I love Princess Jasmine...
Hamlet (William Shakespeare)
As an English major, I have my favourites and my throwaways. I do dabble in Victorian literature. My bookshelf is lined up with Charlotte...
Talking dance with Kelsey Mooney
As undergraduate students, some of our biggest accomplishments can range anywhere from maintaining the right GPA, to balancing our social lives with excessive studying....
Evaluating the Oscars
This year, as always, there were a wide range of films that were nominated for several categories at the Academy Awards that become increasingly...
Problems beyond the 6 by 8 jail cell
If you’ve been in the CCT building on campus anytime between early February and now, you’ve probably noticed the makeshift tent installations of Mississauga-based...
Jugal, Raj, and Joginder are in a bind
There are three things that lots of great films must encompass in order to be diversely unique: political turmoil, eloquent cinematography, and a slew...
The time has come for Shalini’s writing
Who can say that they’ve published a book at the age of 12 years old? This feat is something that Shalini Nanayakkara, a fourth-year...
Vikings are coming to town
VIKINGS: The Exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum opened this past November and hails from the Swedish Museum of History. The exhibit is meant...
Figuring out the buzz
One question I’ve been wanting to ask Bad Buzz, a Toronto-based punk rock band, is whether or not they still get nervous after playing...
Catching some Zs: Figures of Sleep
The opening reception of the Art Museum at U of T’s newest exhibit, Figures of Sleep, took place on January 25 at University College....
Titanic (1997)
The first time I saw Titanic, I was 17 years old and decided it was time to give in to all the hype. Always...
Calling all native artists
#callresponse, the Blackwood Gallery’s newest exhibition, is a collaborative set of works that bring indigenous women together through culture and art. The works feature...
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986)
A holiday isn’t complete without watching a classic holiday film. In this case, a good Charlie Brown special always seems to suffice when I...
A photographic resume
Mark Aguirre, a fourth-year art and art history student, doesn’t only strive for excellence inside the classroom, but outside of it as well. With...
Have anxiety kits? Bring ‘em to tea time
The Sustenance Rite is the third circuit of the Blackwood Gallery’s Take Care. The exhibit’s message conveys ongoing ideas about self-care and help found...
Cities of Salt (Abdelrahman Munif)
It’s hard to imagine how professors who teach and conduct research, also have the time to pick up a good book to read in...
Grand Central Station, I Sat Down and Wept (Elizabeth Smart)
By Grand Central Station, I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart is an incongruously long title for such a short book. In one...
Art in the retrospect
“The Past Is Never Over”—these are among the first words I associate with Canadian artist Libby Hague’s newest exhibition at the Art Gallery of...
Be ready for O’Connell
Toronto-based writer Grace O’Connell will be presenting her recent work, Be Ready for the Lightning, at the International Festival of Authors. O’Connell, who also...
Keeping up with Theatre Erindale
The 2017-2018 season at Theatre Erindale is promising—a grand total of seven plays to boast in the upcoming year.
Jamie Robinson, one of Theatre Erindale’s...
Del Toro’s diablo arrives
The Art Gallery of Ontario’s screening of “The Devil’s Backbone” was important to consider. This is mostly because “The Devil’s Backbone” is directed by...
Charlie Brown versus Thanksgiving Dinner
Charlie Brown doesn’t fail to surprise audiences with his borderline depressive outlook on the holidays once again. It seems that Thanksgiving to Charlie Brown...
Hitting Budapest (NoViolet Bulawayo)
In my class Special Topics in World Literatures, a wide variety of favourite global narratives that have been presented. However, from the discussions over...
Cosmopolitan snapshots
After a compelling panel last Wednesday night at The Art Gallery of Ontario, the recipients of the AIMIA Photography Prize showcased their exhibits to...
Zooming in and out: life from a new lens
The Art Gallery of Ontario held a talk that delved into a conversation about contemporary photography and art on a global scale. The talk,...
About Last Night (1986)
In About Last Night, Deborah (Demi Moore) and Danny (Rob Lowe) are part-tragic, part-dramatic lovers in Chicago. When they meet at a local bar...
Honouring Canada one canvas at a time
Art-goers in Toronto will tell you that the Art Gallery of Ontario never shies away from giving Canadian art the consistent praise it sometimes...
Same Archie, new generation
Based on the Archie Comics, The CW’s Riverdale released its first episode on Netflix on January 26. The story follows the same Archie Andrews...
Writing & Photo Contest 2017 Runner-Up — Poetry
My mother says she misses home
And I can see whole villages collapsing in her eyes
And though her skin is silky like the waters that...
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
If you’re a fan of Marilyn Monroe, you’ve probably already seen The Seven Year Itch. If not, this film is a must-see, owing to...
AGO showcases timeless masterpieces
There are many experiences in the artistic sphere of Toronto that promise inspiration. The Art Gallery of Ontario’s Mystical Landscapes: Masterpieces from Monet, Van...
Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)
Before taking the course “Austen and Her Contemporaries” at UTM, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen was not a book I had ever heard awe-inspiring...
What do you mean you’re offended?
Why are we so sensitive? In 2016, political correctness has become a reigning force in Western society. We’ve become hypersensitive towards anything that has...
The Stars Rise Here (Maurice Zolotow)
Long, unfamiliar articles are natural in most reading-intensive university classes. But when the topic of interest involves the renowned Actors Studio, the reading suddenly...
Lady Gaga changes tune
About eight years ago, there were only a handful of words we could have used to describe Lady Gaga’s demeanour. An avant-garde, fashion-crazed hyper-diva,...
Documenting decades of art
Last Tuesday, the art and art history program at UTM and Sheridan premiered Collective City at Sheridan College’s Trafalgar campus. Collective City is a...
Let’s talk art: Ed Pien shares insight
Shadowed Land, one of two featured exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, has been a hit since its opening on September 22. Ed...
Pretty Woman (1990)
From the outset, Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman seems like a superficial film with stereotypical “chick-flick” characters. If you find yourself on the back of...
An evening with Ed Pien and Mary Ma
Last Thursday night, an opening reception at the Art Gallery of Mississauga premiered their newest fall exhibitions with Ed Pien’s Shadowed Land and Mary...
Not just for galleries
On Sunday September 18, I decided to brave the crowds and venture over to Visual Arts Mississauga for Art in the Park. Hosted in...
AGO heads up north
What do painters, actors, and art curators have in common?
Remarkably, not much. This is why American actor Steve Martin astonished Toronto art-lovers by agreeing...
Drunk on (unexpected) success
There had been much anticipation behind the posters that boasted the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day pub night at the Blind Duck. Wednesday night’s event...
Writing & Photo Contest 2016 Winner — Poetry
All of You
Your body is a map
The curves that swerve along your sides
Are long, unknown roads that stretch for miles
The gaps between your fingers...
Carol (Patricia Highsmith)
While observing professors in lecture, it’s probably hard to imagine that they spend time reading extra material besides essays and student projects—do they even...
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
I am sure that many people have read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald at least once in their lives. If it wasn’t...
Exploring the world of online art shows
There’s something marvelous about having a day off, no plans, and the option of deciding to stroll over to the nearest museum you can...
What’s the scariest thing you’ve seen?
There are different kinds of fear: there’s giggly fun fear, psychological spine-chillers, and jump scares. Once upon a time, fear was witches being burned...
A Honeymoon in the cold
Here’s why Lana Del Rey stays irresistibly mellow with a hint of grace: she doesn’t blame the world for her mistakes. She doesn’t even...
Clueless (1995)
There’s only one name that comes to mind when the word “fabulous” comes up in conversation—and that’s Cher Horowitz.
Clueless, an adaption of Jane Austen’s...
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway
As an English major, it’s always taken me by surprise when other students have expressed their utmost dislike for Ernest Hemingway’s work.
In UTM’s ENG110,...
Major Lazer and the last night of summer
Now that the first week of school has come to an end, the only exciting thing to look forward to every day is hoping...
AGO presents explosive new exhibit
In keeping with my experiences at the Art Gallery of Ontario, I was duly impressed by their current exhibit, Camera Atomica. This year, art...
Young love, some realism
Whenever I begin explaining the plot behind the young adult novel Eleanor & Park to a friend, I find myself describing such a vague...
Memoir on murder
In September 2007, Amanda Knox decided to do what a lot of university students dream of doing with the right amount of money and...
(Don’t) pass it down: breaking stereotypes
This year, the U of Mosaic
Fellowship made it their main mission to create an interactive art exhibit in
UTM’s CCT atrium. The exhibit, entitled Don’t...
Self-reflection in You Look the Other Way
The
Blackwood Gallery has unveiled the first of two graduate exhibitions of the UTM
and Sheridan Art and Art History 2019 class. You Look
the Other Way...
Gaga: Five Foot Two shows a vulnerable side of the star
If
you’re familiar with Lady Gaga, you know this: she’s wildly entertaining,
over-the-top dramatic, and most of all—a superstar. Even superstars have their
weak moments and the...
The party that never happened
Netflix recently rolled in with
their take on the Fyre Festival—subtitled “The Greatest Party That Never
Happened.” It really could have been, but it never was....
Unpopular popular culture: TV edition
Sometimes it’s hard to pick up a show on
Netflix that’s a doozy. When I’m done one, I’m on to the next like a hawk...
Madeline Nixon on paranormal activity in Feathers
When Madeline Nixon
graduated from UTM’s Professional Writing and English programs this past June,
she expected to be a working writer in due time. It wasn’t...
Astroworld, Travis Scott
Travis Scott’s Astroworld makes a deep comeback from his debut Rodeo through a distinct visionary sense and his entrance into mainstream rap.
The Houston, Texas...
The Curious Life of Robert Hooke.
You might think, what kind of books are professors reading nowadays? Last week, The Medium sat down with Professor Bernice Iarocci, an instructor with...
Sunanna Bhasin on her novel, UNDERPASS
University of Toronto graduate student Sunanna Bhasin is a published author in the flesh, but a hardworking accounting student right underneath. She shares her...
EDSS talks female leads & re-invention
The English and Drama Student Society is dishing up feminism and an unorthodox re-telling of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles—and you can see it all on...
Reading with Prof Scoville
The Medium sat down with Professor Chester Scoville to chat about the book he most recently finished reading.
The Medium – Tell me a bit...
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Keeping up with the authenticity of previous Charlie Brown specials, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown chronicles the best of Halloween night. The Peanuts...
Jenny Holiday: romance literature writer
Bad Romance, even outside of Lady Gaga’s context, is a complex world to navigate. Just ask Canadian novelist Jenny Holiday. Last Friday, Professor Koenig-Woodyard...
CSA: ready for a year of film screenings
Among the things we can all agree upon are good company, fun clubs, and movie screenings. I learned that you can find all of...
Meet Alexis Whelan: actress in Level 16
A second-year environmental sciences student at UTM, Alexis Whelan makes her debut in the feature film Level 16, a movie that questions femininity and...
Circles and lines: tracing our land’s past
Bonnie Devine’s Circles and Lines: Michi Saagiig exhibit at the AGM visually examines the land lost in the Michi Saagiig homelands. Her works guide...
The Quem Quaeritis Ceremony
When I was assigned to read The Quem Quaeritis Ceremony for Dr. Chester Scoville’s ENG330 class, I found a great deal of it to...
Breaking down the wall between city & art
The Art Gallery of Mississauga’s shift CTRL exhibit, curated by Anu Radha Verma, is a project set up in the gallery’s XIT-RM project space....
A New Season of Theatre
With the start of a new school year, the English and Drama Student Society is gearing up for a whirlwind of events and theatrical...
More than halfway to the finish line
Springtime in university means different things to different people. For some, the warm weather teases us with the hint of summer coming along. For...
Celebrating a launch
Volume five of the English and Drama Student Society’s undergraduate journal, With Caffeine and Careful Thought, celebrated the launch of its 2018/19 edition last...
Aladdin (1992)
If you thought your movie character crushes were bad, it probably does not beat my undying love for Aladdin. Thankfully, I love Princess Jasmine...
Hamlet (William Shakespeare)
As an English major, I have my favourites and my throwaways. I do dabble in Victorian literature. My bookshelf is lined up with Charlotte...
Talking dance with Kelsey Mooney
As undergraduate students, some of our biggest accomplishments can range anywhere from maintaining the right GPA, to balancing our social lives with excessive studying....
Evaluating the Oscars
This year, as always, there were a wide range of films that were nominated for several categories at the Academy Awards that become increasingly...
Jugal, Raj, and Joginder are in a bind
There are three things that lots of great films must encompass in order to be diversely unique: political turmoil, eloquent cinematography, and a slew...
The time has come for Shalini’s writing
Who can say that they’ve published a book at the age of 12 years old? This feat is something that Shalini Nanayakkara, a fourth-year...
Vikings are coming to town
VIKINGS: The Exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum opened this past November and hails from the Swedish Museum of History. The exhibit is meant...
Figuring out the buzz
One question I’ve been wanting to ask Bad Buzz, a Toronto-based punk rock band, is whether or not they still get nervous after playing...
Catching some Zs: Figures of Sleep
The opening reception of the Art Museum at U of T’s newest exhibit, Figures of Sleep, took place on January 25 at University College....
Titanic (1997)
The first time I saw Titanic, I was 17 years old and decided it was time to give in to all the hype. Always...
Calling all native artists
#callresponse, the Blackwood Gallery’s newest exhibition, is a collaborative set of works that bring indigenous women together through culture and art. The works feature...
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986)
A holiday isn’t complete without watching a classic holiday film. In this case, a good Charlie Brown special always seems to suffice when I...
A photographic resume
Mark Aguirre, a fourth-year art and art history student, doesn’t only strive for excellence inside the classroom, but outside of it as well. With...
Have anxiety kits? Bring ‘em to tea time
The Sustenance Rite is the third circuit of the Blackwood Gallery’s Take Care. The exhibit’s message conveys ongoing ideas about self-care and help found...
Cities of Salt (Abdelrahman Munif)
It’s hard to imagine how professors who teach and conduct research, also have the time to pick up a good book to read in...
Grand Central Station, I Sat Down and Wept (Elizabeth Smart)
By Grand Central Station, I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart is an incongruously long title for such a short book. In one...
Art in the retrospect
“The Past Is Never Over”—these are among the first words I associate with Canadian artist Libby Hague’s newest exhibition at the Art Gallery of...
Keeping up with Theatre Erindale
The 2017-2018 season at Theatre Erindale is promising—a grand total of seven plays to boast in the upcoming year.
Jamie Robinson, one of Theatre Erindale’s...
Del Toro’s diablo arrives
The Art Gallery of Ontario’s screening of “The Devil’s Backbone” was important to consider. This is mostly because “The Devil’s Backbone” is directed by...
Charlie Brown versus Thanksgiving Dinner
Charlie Brown doesn’t fail to surprise audiences with his borderline depressive outlook on the holidays once again. It seems that Thanksgiving to Charlie Brown...
Hitting Budapest (NoViolet Bulawayo)
In my class Special Topics in World Literatures, a wide variety of favourite global narratives that have been presented. However, from the discussions over...
Cosmopolitan snapshots
After a compelling panel last Wednesday night at The Art Gallery of Ontario, the recipients of the AIMIA Photography Prize showcased their exhibits to...
Zooming in and out: life from a new lens
The Art Gallery of Ontario held a talk that delved into a conversation about contemporary photography and art on a global scale. The talk,...
About Last Night (1986)
In About Last Night, Deborah (Demi Moore) and Danny (Rob Lowe) are part-tragic, part-dramatic lovers in Chicago. When they meet at a local bar...
Honouring Canada one canvas at a time
Art-goers in Toronto will tell you that the Art Gallery of Ontario never shies away from giving Canadian art the consistent praise it sometimes...
Same Archie, new generation
Based on the Archie Comics, The CW’s Riverdale released its first episode on Netflix on January 26. The story follows the same Archie Andrews...
Writing & Photo Contest 2017 Runner-Up — Poetry
My mother says she misses home
And I can see whole villages collapsing in her eyes
And though her skin is silky like the waters that...
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
If you’re a fan of Marilyn Monroe, you’ve probably already seen The Seven Year Itch. If not, this film is a must-see, owing to...
AGO showcases timeless masterpieces
There are many experiences in the artistic sphere of Toronto that promise inspiration. The Art Gallery of Ontario’s Mystical Landscapes: Masterpieces from Monet, Van...
Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)
Before taking the course “Austen and Her Contemporaries” at UTM, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen was not a book I had ever heard awe-inspiring...
What do you mean you’re offended?
Why are we so sensitive? In 2016, political correctness has become a reigning force in Western society. We’ve become hypersensitive towards anything that has...
The Stars Rise Here (Maurice Zolotow)
Long, unfamiliar articles are natural in most reading-intensive university classes. But when the topic of interest involves the renowned Actors Studio, the reading suddenly...
Lady Gaga changes tune
About eight years ago, there were only a handful of words we could have used to describe Lady Gaga’s demeanour. An avant-garde, fashion-crazed hyper-diva,...
Documenting decades of art
Last Tuesday, the art and art history program at UTM and Sheridan premiered Collective City at Sheridan College’s Trafalgar campus. Collective City is a...
Let’s talk art: Ed Pien shares insight
Shadowed Land, one of two featured exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, has been a hit since its opening on September 22. Ed...
Pretty Woman (1990)
From the outset, Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman seems like a superficial film with stereotypical “chick-flick” characters. If you find yourself on the back of...
An evening with Ed Pien and Mary Ma
Last Thursday night, an opening reception at the Art Gallery of Mississauga premiered their newest fall exhibitions with Ed Pien’s Shadowed Land and Mary...
Not just for galleries
On Sunday September 18, I decided to brave the crowds and venture over to Visual Arts Mississauga for Art in the Park. Hosted in...
AGO heads up north
What do painters, actors, and art curators have in common?
Remarkably, not much. This is why American actor Steve Martin astonished Toronto art-lovers by agreeing...
Drunk on (unexpected) success
There had been much anticipation behind the posters that boasted the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day pub night at the Blind Duck. Wednesday night’s event...
Writing & Photo Contest 2016 Winner — Poetry
All of You
Your body is a map
The curves that swerve along your sides
Are long, unknown roads that stretch for miles
The gaps between your fingers...
Carol (Patricia Highsmith)
While observing professors in lecture, it’s probably hard to imagine that they spend time reading extra material besides essays and student projects—do they even...
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
I am sure that many people have read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald at least once in their lives. If it wasn’t...
Exploring the world of online art shows
There’s something marvelous about having a day off, no plans, and the option of deciding to stroll over to the nearest museum you can...
What’s the scariest thing you’ve seen?
There are different kinds of fear: there’s giggly fun fear, psychological spine-chillers, and jump scares. Once upon a time, fear was witches being burned...
A Honeymoon in the cold
Here’s why Lana Del Rey stays irresistibly mellow with a hint of grace: she doesn’t blame the world for her mistakes. She doesn’t even...
Clueless (1995)
There’s only one name that comes to mind when the word “fabulous” comes up in conversation—and that’s Cher Horowitz.
Clueless, an adaption of Jane Austen’s...
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway
As an English major, it’s always taken me by surprise when other students have expressed their utmost dislike for Ernest Hemingway’s work.
In UTM’s ENG110,...
Major Lazer and the last night of summer
Now that the first week of school has come to an end, the only exciting thing to look forward to every day is hoping...
AGO presents explosive new exhibit
In keeping with my experiences at the Art Gallery of Ontario, I was duly impressed by their current exhibit, Camera Atomica. This year, art...
Young love, some realism
Whenever I begin explaining the plot behind the young adult novel Eleanor & Park to a friend, I find myself describing such a vague...
Memoir on murder
In September 2007, Amanda Knox decided to do what a lot of university students dream of doing with the right amount of money and...
Problems beyond the 6 by 8 jail cell
If you’ve been in the CCT building on campus anytime between early February and now, you’ve probably noticed the makeshift tent installations of Mississauga-based...
Be ready for O’Connell
Toronto-based writer Grace O’Connell will be presenting her recent work, Be Ready for the Lightning, at the International Festival of Authors. O’Connell, who also...