Rooftopping Arrest
A Ryerson student was arrested last week for roof-topping. ”Roof-topping,” according to the police is when individuals take photos from the roof of a building, often gaining access illegally.
On Feb. 2, police came to 18 Wellington St. W., where three men were allegedly found by security “in a secure area of the downtown building.” The roof in question was off limits to the public. The Toronto men, Tomer Ryaboi, Jaswinder Brar, and fourth-year Ryerson journalism student, Eric Do, were charged with break and enter and commit, and mischief under $5,000. Brar and Do were also charged with possession of break-in instruments. The men are scheduled to appear in court on March 16 at Old City Hall. Eric Do is active in posting his photography on social media, particularly Instagram.
My.Ryerson Design
My.Ryerson has changed for Ryerson students. The Computing and Communications Services (CCS) launched the redesigned my.ryerson portal last week. The new design only affects the homepage and the page after students login. This is the first redesign of the system since it’s introduction in 2003. Jim Buchanan, assistant director for client services at CCS promises that the website ‘will now be user-friendly, better organized and more’ visually appealing than it was previously.
NYC Police Social Media Comments
A Ryerson student union candidate, who applauded the recent NYC police killings on social media, cannot be reprimanded by Ryerson University officials. The University consulted legal experts on how to deal with the comments made by Zidane Mohamed but discovered they could do nothing.
On Dec. 20 and Dec. 25, the candidate tweeted and posted on Facebook about NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos dying in their patrol car in Brooklyn. He asked if its, “bad of me that I applaud the killing of the two cops in NYC?” The story came to light when the Ryersonian posted screenshots of the comments. The comments are neither a hate crime nor a violation of the human rights code so the University cannot take action. Mohamed is running for VP Education for Unite Ryerson.
RSU Student Election
Ryerson students can vote in Ryerson’s Student Union elections this week. One of our hosts spoke to Nicole Thompson of the Ryersonian and Brennan Doherty of The Eyeopener to discuss the controversial student elections. And remember students can cast their ballot at locations around campus until February 11.
No Touching Hockey Team
A Toronto girls hockey league has a new policy for coaches. Coaches cannot touch players on the bench or on their helmets. The Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association policy change was sparked after a complaint about volunteer parent congratulating someone on the team with a ‘slap on the bum’ and a squeeze on the shoulders. The Association sent out an email this week addressing social media interactions and communications and when men can be in the dressing rooms.
Tory Homeless Comment
Toronto Mayor John Tory has expressed concern about the number of homeless people on Toronto streets. Tory says he is embarrassed about the city’s rate of homelessness and says that Toronto can do better. Tory says that he sees this problem everyday when he takes the subway to city hall. He has called a meeting with rental housing developers to tackle the issue of building more affordable housing.
Measles Outbreak
A sixth case of measles was confirmed in Toronto by health officials late last week. Four adults and two children under the age of two have now been diagnosed with the disease. Health officials are urging Torontonians to check their health records and make sure they are up to date on their vaccinations.
Sex-Ed Petition
Two Toronto grade 8 students have collected over 40,000 signatures on a online petition to include conversations about consent in Ontario’s sex-ed curriculum. Lia Valente and Tessa Hill say they’ve noticed a lack of awareness about safe sex and consent, and they want a say in what they are taught. The girls met with Premier Kathleen Wynne in late January, who said that issues of consent would be on the curriculum this Fall. Ontario’s current sex-ed curriculum was last updated in 1998.
Listen to Monday’s episode below:
