Mashiyat Ahmed

Opinion Editor (Volume 51); Associate Opinion Editor (Volume 50) — Mashiyat (Mash) is a third-year student studying Neuroscience and Professional Writing and Communication (PWC). As this year’s Opinion Editor, Mash hopes to use her writing, editorial, and leadership skills in supporting student journalism in the essential role it plays in fostering intellectual freedom and artistic expression on campuses. When she’s not writing or slaving away at school, Mash uses her free time cooking cultural dishes, striking up conversations with strangers, and being anxious about her nebulous career plans. You can connect with Mash on her LinkedIn.

News

UTMSU’s first Free Dinner Friday of the semester serves more than 200 students, says more dinners to come
The union shared that budgetary constraints limit how many people it can serve at each dinner, and that it is exploring ways to reach more students.

Mashiyat Ahmed November 2, 2026November 2, 2026

Listen to the audio version of this article here!* On October 9, the UTM Students’ Union (UTMSU) hosted their first…

Womanhood can be political and joyful—and Olivia Rodrigo isn’t afraid to embrace either
Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival breaks the neoliberal blueprint for artist activism.

Mashiyat Ahmed October 5, 2026October 5, 2026

Listen to the audio version of this article here!* On August 29, 2026, American singer and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo founded…

Opinion

We don’t lack love, we lack definition
If to be loved is to be seen, who are we really seeing?

Mashiyat Ahmed September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

Listen to the audio version of this article here!* This is not a dissertation on love or romance. This is…

Editor's Picks | Editor's Picks - Vol53 | Features

Advice for new students: make your degree work for you and form friendships beyond classrooms
The Medium executives share their advice on choosing electives and making friends outside of your program

Mashiyat Ahmed September 14, 2026September 17, 2026

Listen to the audio version of this article here!* Make your degree work for youBy Mashiyat Ahmed Throughout the past…

Op Ed | Opinion

Yes, it is that deep: the Canadian International Air Show does not celebrate Canadian pride—it brazenly glorifies violence and the military industrial complex
Amidst U.S-Canada tensions, global war profiteering, and Toronto’s diversity, it’s worth asking whose pride the Air Show supposedly celebrates.

Mashiyat Ahmed September 14, 2026September 17, 2026

Listen to the audio version of this article here!* Now in its 77th year, the Canadian International Air Show takes…

Op Ed | Opinion

It’s really tough loving Gloria Steinem
As students, we should problematize the praised and polished legacies of the white public intellectuals and icons whose wisdom is mainstreamed at the expense of black and brown voices.

Mashiyat Ahmed September 8, 2026September 17, 2026

Listen to the audio version of this article here!* On September 2nd, American feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem passed…

Lost in Translation: Queerness in culture
Queerness is as old as humanity.

Mashiyat Ahmed March 23, 2026March 26, 2026

Queerness is as old as humanity. Yet, our world attempts to discredit figures and experiences of queer people beyond the…

Op Ed | Opinion

Straight on Mondays, Gay on Tuesdays: The Biphobia Epidemic
Why has biphobia become so normalized in queer friendly spaces and relationships?

Mashiyat Ahmed March 23, 2026March 25, 2026

Bi-negativity. Bi-erasure. Biphobia. Monosexuality. Yet, there are a lot of aspects of my bisexuality that feel painfully foreign to me….

“Students will bear the brunt”: CFS-O straps in for fight against Ford government’s OSAP and tuition changes
The Canadian Federation of Students—Ontario says it plans to sustain its opposition to the province’s cuts to OSAP and tuition fee increases.

Mashiyat Ahmed March 23, 2026March 26, 2026

On February 12, the Provincial government announced significant changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which will come into…

Op Ed | Opinion

Skipping class is not just an addiction or personal failure. It’s a structural problem.
Why did I learn better by skipping class than I did by forcing myself to show up?

Mashiyat Ahmed March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

The first time I showed up for one of my classes last semester was on the day of the midterm…

News

“The power of choosing your own narrative”: Afghan students host panel discussion and Iftar dinner to celebrate diasporic experiences
Lives Across Nations highlights diverse Afghan experiences beyond mainstream narratives of war, trauma, and geopolitics.

Mashiyat Ahmed March 9, 2026March 19, 2026

On February 27, the University of Toronto (U of T) Mississauga (UTM)’s Afghan Students’ Association (ASA) hosted Lives Across Nations,…

Op Ed | Opinion

Canadians should not be celebrating carney. We should be scared.
A closer reading of PM Mark Carney's speech at Davos reveals troubling truths about our country's future.

Mashiyat Ahmed February 23, 2026March 11, 2026

In January 2026, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. His assertive,…

Op Ed | Opinion

Is cyber celibacy the analogue resistance we’ve been searching for?
Building your own library isn’t the same as building yourself

Mashiyat Ahmed January 25, 2026January 27, 2026

The resurgence of physical media has become undeniable. In 2021, I discarded my CD player because it broke, and even…

News

U of T partners with Nissan to innovate research on electric mobility
The novel partnership strengthens U of T’s commitments to a net-zero future.

Mashiyat Ahmed September 21, 2025September 21, 2025

On August 26, the University of Toronto (U of T) signed a multi-year partnership with Nissan North America to collaborate…

Opinion

Education has always been a privilege
As the world goes back to school, it’s time for us to reflect on the worth of our degrees amidst Israel's genocide in Gaza

Mashiyat Ahmed September 10, 2025September 10, 2025

In late 2024, I was on video call with a Palestinian woman named Leena Almadhoun, a local organizer, student, and…

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