Volume 52 – Masthead
My name is Aya and I’m the EIC for Volume 52. My goal for this year is to take The Medium back to its roots. To reconnect with the UTM community and be a place where students can go to learn what’s happening on campus.
I’m Samuel Kamalendran, and I’m thrilled to be serving as The Medium’s Managing Editor for Volume 52. Having served as both Associate News Editor and News Editor, I’m looking forward to helping carve out a new era for UTM’s student newspaper alongside our fantastic masthead. Besides The Vedium, I am also a Team Lead at UTM’s International Education Centre, the Chairperson of the Quality Service to Students Committee, the Treasurer at The Varsity, and a Research Assistant with the ISUP.
Aaron is a third-year student at UTM pursuing a double major in anthropology and political science and a minor in environmental management. Driven by his passion for literature, politics, and community engagement, he joined The Medium in vol. 51 as a news contributor and quickly fell in love with student journalism. For vol. 52, he strives to feature diverse, relevant, and challenging stories and lead writers with empathy and vision.
Yasmine is a recent graduate, having majored in History and Anthropology. Her writing is best described as sometimes sarcastic, sometimes radical, and always an excuse to bring up her heritage (and colonialism). She hopes her work with The Medium will inspire conversations, debates, and a path to abandon our deeply rooted stubbornness. In her spare time, Yasmine enjoys reading, crocheting, arguing with uncles on politics, and reviewing movies on Letterboxd.
Gisele is a third-year student double-majoring in English and Philosophy. She believes literature and journalism hold the power to enhance understanding and empathy between people. She also hopes to share her joy in writing with the UTM community by encouraging creativity, reflection and sincere dialogue. In Gisele’s free time, she is probably reading, singing, or taking extremely long walks.
Yusuf is a recent Grad from UTM who double majored in English & Cinema Studies and minored in History of Religions. He joined The Medium in 2022 after learning about them from the campus fair. They appealed to him due to his interest in writing and became a staff writer for Volumes 49, 50 & 51 respectively. For Volume 52 he hopes to foster student creativity throughout our campus.
Tyler is in his fourth year at UTM, completing a double major in Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology (CCIT) and Professional Writing and Communications (PWC). He is currently writing a book titled ‘Passion: The Fans Behind the Beautiful Game,’ which will be released this spring. When Tyler is not writing, he is most likely watching, coaching, or playing soccer. He is always open to talking about anything and everything related to sports and healthy living.
Melody Zhou
Photos Editor
photos@themedium.ca
Melody is a fourth-year student at UTM, specializing in Art History with a minor in Visual Culture and Communication. As Photos Editor for The Medium, she believes strong visuals can bring resonance with readers. She is a big contemporary art lover and really into photography, illustration, henna, journaling and making tattoo stickers. Besides that, she’s either cooking in the kitchen or daydreaming about TREASURE’s concert in HongKong next year.
May graduated from the University of Toronto Mississauga in June 2024 as a Dean’s List Scholar after completing a double major in Criminology and Sociology. Previously, May served as the News Editor for The Medium in Volumes 48 and 50, bringing a wealth of experience in writing and editing. She has held a deep love for The Medium since writing for the paper in 2019, and hopes to continue inspiring students through the power of storytelling.
My name is Anaam Khan and I study Global Affairs at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. As a former contributor to The Medium, it’s an incredible privilege joining such a talented team. I look forward to bringing my copy editing skills to future issues!
Jannine is a fourth-year student double-majoring in media communications (CCIT) and human-centred design (TCS). As The Medium’s social media editor, she’s the type to have a million tabs open at once, a coffee in one hand with a matcha in the other, and an obnoxiously high screen time (these content ideas have to come from somewhere). When she’s not studying or juggling work with extracurriculars, you’ll probably find Jannine cafe-hopping in Toronto, attempting to read the book she hasn’t picked up in months, or doing pilates.
Mashiyat (Mash) is a fourth-year student studying Neuroscience, Professional Writing and Communication (PWC), and Women, Gender, and Sexuality (WGS). As this year’s Outreach Coordinator, Mash hopes to bring The Medium’s welcoming student journalism community to more students through engaging events, partnerships, and diverse publishing opportunities beyond just a weekly newspaper. 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.
Sehajleen Wander
Design
design@themedium.ca
As Design Editor, I’m excited to bring more creativity to The Medium while preserving its legacy. This year, I want to think outside the column; experimenting with layouts, adding dynamic graphics, and making each page as engaging as the stories we tell.
I’m Jia, this year’s podcast host for The Medium. I’m all about good conversations; the kind that make you think, laugh, and maybe even see the world a little differently. Through the podcast, I want to share student stories, spark dialogue on relevant campus and cultural topics, and create a space that feels fresh, inclusive, and a bit like chatting with a friend over coffee (or matcha, pick your posion).
Natalie is currently in her fourth year of university, pursuing a double major in Sociology and Professional Writing and Communication (PWC). In her spare time, Natalie enjoys experimenting with new cookie recipes, reading and writing mystery novels, immersing herself in a different world and catching up with her relatives in Palestine whenever possible. Natalie is interested in pursuing a career in journalism and publishing. She is motivated to improve Palestinian representation in Canadian media, believing that diverse voices are essential for understanding social issues. You can connect with Natalie on LinkedIn.
Maryam is currently pursuing graduate studies at the Institute of Management and Innovation (IMI) after completing her HBSc in Biology for Health Science with minors in Biomedical Communications and Creative Writing. Guided by a lifelong love of storytelling, she brings a creative lens to everything she does. As associate opinion editor, she aims to spark meaningful conversation by uplifting voices and ideas that enrich campus dialogue and invites readers to see familiar issues from new perspectives. In her free time, Maryam loves exploring new places, soaking up the sun with friends, and getting lost in her latest creative project.
Adanna is a third-year student specializing in Art and Art History. Her love for visual storytelling is boundless. She enjoys creating meaningful illustrations for the Medium and spending her free time reading, writing, and worldbuilding.
Hello! My name is Zainab Khalil and I am in my third year double majoring in biology and environmental science with a minor in business. I am passionate about writing and have contributed to the medium since my very first semester at UTM. I enjoy writing about miscellaneous topics from topics that spark my interest to advice on university life that students can relate to. As an associate feature editor on Volume 52, I am excited to continue contributing to the medium, pitch stories and bring new ideas to life!
Hi, my name is Rojin Hajiabbasali and I’m a first-year student pursuing political science with a double minor in logic, and ethics, law, and society. As an associate illustrator, I love bringing stories to life using my art. Being able to create illustrations that help readers connect with the content is something I’m truly passionate about. In the future, I hope to continue my love of building community by using my education and experiences (and my art!) to advocate for human rights and support meaningful social change. Whether that means working in policy or international organizations, my goal is to find innovative ways to help others and contribute to solving global issues.
April Roy (she/her) is a Year 2 student in ICCIT pursuing a double major in CCIT and PWC. She has a passion for writing, photography, and illustrating, and hopes to pursue a career in writing. April has contributed six articles to five issues of Volume 52, as well as several hand drawn illustrations and photographs throughout the term as an associate photographer and illustrator. April has engaged in the UTM community through her role as an editor and writer for the Folia special issue From Page to Planet: Transforming Nature Through Art presented by ENG259: Imagining Nature: Literature and the Environment.
Masthead Archive – Volume 51 (2024-2025)