The Eyeopener is Toronto Metropolitan University’s Largest Independent Newspaper. We cover campus like no one else. Here are some stories we broke that you couldn’t get elsewhere…
STORIES THAT CAUGHT CANADA’S ATTENTION
BREAKING: ‘I am in complete disbelief’: Arts faculty dean removed from her position
After Pamela Sugiman was removed as the Dean of The Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University, The Eye was there to interview her.
By Lillie Coussée, Jasmine Makar and Jerry Zhang
Board Memeber Says RSU Spent $250K On Credit Cards, Another Resigns
Some then-Ryerson Students’ Union executives on said they had to “borrow” the union’s credit cards after firing their general manager. We investigated and found out that over $250k was spent on booze, club food, clothing and more, under the names of the RSU president and vice-president operations. CP24, VICE, the CBC, the Toronto Star and others followed our story.
By Raneem Alozzi, Sherina Harris and Emma Sandri
BREAKING: TMSU president Marina Gerges alleges she was “set up” for drinking and driving arrest
Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union president Marina Gerges released a video statement on Instagram alleging she was “set up” to be caught drinking and driving by some individuals involved with the TMSU in various capacities.
By Racy Rafique, Jake MacAndrew and Gabriela Silva Ponte
BREAKING: TMU men’s soccer allegations ‘resolved’ following independent investigation
Toronto Metropolitan University announced the men’s soccer season will resume as scheduled following the completion of an independent investigation into “concerning behaviour,” the university said in an emailed statement to The Eye.
By Ilyas Hussein and Daniella Lopez
BREAKING: TMU being sued for allegedly fostering a hostile environment for some Jewish students on campus
Toronto Metropolitan University announced the men’s soccer season will resume as scheduled following the completion of an independent investigation into “concerning behaviour,” the university said in an emailed statement to The Eye.
By Anastasia Blosser and Gabriela Silva Ponte
BREAKING: TMU announces location for new school of medicine
Bramalea Civic Centre in Brampton, Ont. will be the home of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new school of medicine, the school announced in a press release sent to The Eyeopener.
By Jake MacAndrew and Gabriela Silva Ponte
$80k in 6 Fest refunds transferred into personal accounts
A document obtained by The Eyeopener indicates that a total of $79,996.81 for 6 Fest refunds has been transferred into the personal bank account of Harman Singh, Ryerson Students’ Union vice-president student life & events and current RSU presidential candidate.
By Sarah Krichel
BREAKING: Ryerson to be renamed Toronto Metropolitan University
Ryerson University will be renamed Toronto Metropolitan University “effective immediately” after the Board of Governors unanimously approved the recommendation from the advisory committee on university renaming, according to a press release.
By Thea Gribilas, Edward Djan, Heidi Lee and Tyler Griffin
UPDATE: Private messages confirm RSU executives prompted a walkout during Holocaust education motion at SAGM
The then-president of the RSU sent a message to the executive team, telling them to “lose quorum” (quorum is the number of members required to be present for a meeting to happen). The message was sent a 9:39 p.m. and the Holocaust education motion was presented at 9:40 p.m. The Toronto Star and the Canadian Jewish News followed our story.
By Alanna Rizza
Apartment Hunting Is Hard. Doing It With A Hijab Is Harder
We published a feature in 2019 exposing the racism hijabi women must face while apartment hunting. After that, the National Council of Canadian Muslims got in touch with us to share our story and share their resources for what these women face.
Anonymous Packages Sent To The RSU Contain Sex Toys
After our reporter broke the story in January 2018, four other student unions came to the RSU with similar stories. Two months later, the RCMP confirmed it was simply a tactic to boost shipment numbers online. After that, student papers as well as the BBC, the CBC, Global News, CTV News, the Calgary Herald and others followed our story. And, yes, the RSU kept the dildos.
By Alanna Rizza
OTHER NOTABLE STORIES
- EXCLUSIVE: Confirmed bed bugs in the Victoria Building
Ryerson couldn’t find any insects in the Victoria building. But The Eye did. A bunch of them. - STUDENTS CONDEMN FIRING OF BLACK FORMER STAFF MEMBER
Carol Sutherland, a former staff member of Ryerson’s Equity and Community Inclusion office, was fired while on medical leave in early 2019. The Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson penned a letter—signed by nearly 50 faculty members—condemning her termination. Sutherland was the founder of the Ryerson Black Faculty and Staff Community Network. - RYERSON FILM PROGRAM MISHANDLES AND MISREPRESENTS RACIALIZED NARRATIVES, STUDENTS SAY
“I had always intended for that script to have a Filipina actress in it, be directed by a Filipina, hopefully, me,” said Robyn Matuto, a then-third year student who wrote a script about her relationship with her mother. Matuto then found out that her script ended up in the hands of a lower-year production class to produce. - VEGAN QUINOA BURGER AT THE RAM ISN’T ACTUALLY VEGAN
Ryerson’s campus pub told us the quinoa patty and buns are vegan. Ace Bakery, their distributor, told us they don’t produce vegan buns. - MISUSE & MISTRUST: THE RSU SCANDAL’S EFFECT ON SASSL
After the RSU used Sexual Assault Survivor Support Line (SASSL) funds to purchase frosh merchandise and sponsor an engineering conference—all the support line had no full-time coordinator—The Eyeopener spoke to a former coordinator about the student body’s lost trust. - WHO IS THE MYSTERY STUDENT WHO GAVE RSU EXECUTIVES AN $11,000 RAISE?
In 2018, a motion was put forward to raise the RSU execs’ salaries by $11,000. The motion was presented via email by a mystery student named Tajinder Kaur. None of the RSU execs or board members said they knew who Kaur was. The motion passed, and at the same time, purchases were being made at LCBO and a Casino Rama restaurant with RSU credit cards.
- UNMASKING RYERSON CONFESSIONS
The now-inactive Ryerson Confessions Facebook page was an anonymously-run space where Ryerson students unveiled their deepest and darkest secrets, with 7,300 pages likes. From hitting on people to reporting rape, an Eye editor wrote about its content and its administrator. - UPDATE: ORGANS FOUND ON CAMPUS BELIEVED TO BE FROM COW
An arts student’s photography assignment in 2015 led to the Chang school being taped off and a police investigation when a custodian found what appeared to be a cow heart and other organs in a campus trash can. - ANTI-CHOICE ACTIVISTS ARE PAID TO PROTEST ON CAMPUS AND IN THE GTA UNTIL 2030
Eye reporters discovered that the same anti-choice protesters who hold up graphic images of what appear to be dead fetuses were being paid to be there. “We’ll be here for years. We’re in this for the long haul,” the president of Toronto Against Abortion told us. - PLANTER INSTALLATION PUSHES HOMELESS MAN OUT
Jason, a man who has used a spot in front of the Victoria Street Tim Hortons as a shelter for more than 10 years (says a city rep), was told to vacate after he was reported to Toronto police as an “unwanted guest.” Planters were then installed in the location, and to this day are still there. Apparently, they were put there to “help” him.
