By Charlotte Cole
With the first week of September finished, students have officially wrapped up their summer jobs and started looking ahead to lectures, assignments and most importantly, campus events. The school year sees various clubs at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) host a diverse range of initiatives working to bring its communities together.
While many students have been away from campus for the last four months, some have been busy around the clock creating ways for their peers to connect both creatively and through activism.
Throughout the summer, the Students Justice for Palestine (SJP) did not stop demonstrating after they organized a sit-in during a Board of Governors meeting last April.
“The summer wasn’t really a break for us,” said one *SJP member. “We wanted to make sure our presence was still highly visible to the administration.”
“There was a group of parents that tried to grab our keffiyehs and run away with them”
One initiative the SJP took was tabling each day during convocation ceremonies. Here, they offered keffiyehs—an international symbol of Palestinian resistance since the 1936 Arab Revolt against British colonial rule—and Palestinian flags. The SJP offered these in exchange for donations and a chance to encourage students to proudly wear the scarves during their ceremonies.
“During convocation we got a lot of backlash from parents,” said the member. “There was a group of parents that tried to grab our keffiyehs and run away with them.”
On June 19, the SJP held a joint memorial with the Faculty for Palestine and the Jewish Faculty Network at TMU.
“All of our students and all of our teachers. Thank you for teaching us life,” reads a post from the SJP Instagram account.
“It was to honour the class of 2024 in Gaza who did not graduate,” said the SJP member.
As orientation began on campus, the SJP tabled for three more days, two of those at Nelson Mandela Walk and one at Kerr Hall Quad.
“We raised a lot of donations and got to meet with many incoming students,” said the member.
The SJP’s efforts were not limited to TMU’s campus. When University of Toronto students organized a pro-Palestinian encampment in solidarity with students on American campuses from May to July, SJP members worked to support them by handling safety aspects, amplifying daily programming and more. One program included making a Solidarity Quilt, combining the artwork of those present at the encampment.
“We know that this movement is much larger than us,” said the group’s member.
The SJP has not been the only student group responding to global unrest and tragedy this summer.
Bangladesh has experienced an unprecedented environmental catastrophe with its worst monsoon in 30 years as well as government crackdowns amidst inflation hitting a 12-year high this summer. In addition, high levels of government corruption led to widespread protests that caused their prime minister to flee the country.
In response from Toronto, TMU’s Bangladeshi Student Association (BSA) was one of five BSA’s from across local university campuses to participate in starting a relief fund in partnership with BacharLorai.
“We believe in unity,” said TMU’s BSA president, Sheikh Nihal Muzib.
Their joint Instagram post described the fund going to “local nonprofits and grassroots organizations,” with the focus being on providing “medical care, legal support and community-based aid.”
“This is the time to be active in your community and advocate against injustice”
On Aug. 4, TMU’s BSA also co-organized a demonstration at Nathan Phillips Square in solidarity with students protesting the government in Bangladesh.
“Our brothers and sisters started this whole revolution in Bangladesh,” said Muzib. “It’s our responsibility to make it stronger [and to give] our brothers and sisters, who are literally dying every day, strength from here.”
In addition to activism-driven initiatives, there were plenty of creative and community bonding events organized as well. Just a few weeks before students went back to class, a fashion show centred around body positivity was hosted at the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre.
Natalie Feder-Welch, TMU’s health and wellness lead and the show’s main organizer said she “really wanted students to feel free in their expression.”
The show has been running since 2017, with this year’s theme being ‘Strike a Pose.’
As the event took place during orientation week, Feder-Welch said she wanted to create a space on campus where new and returning students “could be bold in their self expression, in their bodies and their style and really own the space that they are in.”
“It’s the reason why I always say my time as an international queer student has been so fulfilling”
Despite the summer break, planning for this year’s body positivity fashion show began back in May. The team that put it together was made up of mostly TMU students including the models, stage and dressing room staff, halftime show performers, sound technicians and more.
“It took a lot of students to make the show happen,” said Feder-Welch.
“My approach was to prompt a sense of body positivity and promote a supportive environment for students to feel comfortable in their bodies,” she added.
Looking back to June, The Queer Space at TMU was busy as the group hosted five separate events during Pride Month. Their largest was during Toronto’s Pride Parade where with the help of TMU student designers, The Queer Space had their own float with nearly 50 TMU students.
According to Parth Bharty, one of the leads at The Queer Space, the special part of student-led groups is the community they build.
“It’s the reason why I always say my time as an international queer student has been so fulfilling,” he said.
The Queer Space is not new to collaboration as they have worked with various other student groups in the past including the Trans Collective at TMU.
The Trans Collective worked to keep the LGBTQ+ community on campus in touch with summer events varying from participation in abolitionist pride marches to Pride-themed picnics through social media.
Meanwhile, some TMU community members had their green thumbs busy on the roof of the Daphne Cockwell Complex building. TMU’s Urban Farm has been maintaining two ecological gardens all summer long.
They have hosted Learning Circle workshops and harvested diverse crops not often found in North American gardens. These learning circles are part of the Black Food Sovereignty initiatives, student-run programs dedicated to “challenging the systemic racism that persists within contemporary food production, urban agricultural systems and within our institutions.” Topics touched on during these circles include Black food histories, food literacy and community healing.
Another program the Urban Farm runs is a monthly, “Garden Grab Bag” which offers “seasonally fresh, spray-free produce,” according to their Instagram.
From unity to creativity, TMU students showcased plenty of initiative over the summer months. The SJP member said it is important to show up in times of need.
“Do not feel scared about participation,” they said. “This is the time to be active in your community and advocate against injustice.”
*This source’s identity has been kept anonymous due to concerns of personal safety.
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