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.
Joseph is a recent graduate from UTM, having double-majored in Professional Writing & Communication and Political Science. During his time at UTM, he played on the men’s hockey and soccer teams and was actively involved in the campus’ sports community. Joseph is a strong advocate for a healthy lifestyle, and hopes that as Sports & Health Editor he can encourage students to get involved in campus sports and activities.
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).
Skyler recently graduated with her HBA with a double major in Cinema Studies and Women and Gender Studies (WGS) with High Distinction. She discovered her love for writing while doing essays within her fields of study, which inspired her to begin contributing to The Medium. Outside of writing, Skyler practises Taekwon-Do and recently earned her 2nd degree black belt. She also enjoys travelling, baking, watching horror movies and collecting physical media. You can find more of her academic and personal work on her blog.
Diana is a fourth-year student majoring in both Political Science and History. She joined The Medium as a news contributor in November of last year and quickly found news journalism to be one of her passions. As an Associate News Editor, Diana hopes that she can continue informing the UTM community on local, national, and international affairs with the integrity, neutrality and honesty that define her core beliefs on what journalism should be. Outside of The Medium, she is avidly interested in watching anime, playing board games, and nerding over public transportation. You can find Diana’s LinkedIn here for further inquiries.
Celesta is a second-year student at UTM majoring in Political Science with minors in English and French. She began writing for The Medium in her first year as a contributor to the News section, and as an Associate Editor, she hopes to further develop her writing and journalism. Celesta enjoys covering news stories regarding politics and society, with a particular interest in international conflicts. In her free time, Celesta enjoys spending time with friends, reading, writing, and playing video games.
Jia is in her third year at UTM, studying Forensic Psychology. Passionate about exploring the intricacies of human relationships and social dynamics, she hopes to use her position as associate opinion editor to dive into thought-provoking topics that encourage readers to question societal norms and consider new perspectives. In her free time, Jia loves exploring new cafes, collecting jewellery, reading books, and baking sweet treats!
Erin is in her fourth year, pursuing a double major in Mathematics and Physics. She is interested in climate science and looks to explore what it means to live during an ecological crisis. She likes books, playing tennis, 0.5mm gel pens, and oyster mushrooms, and dislikes onions, jeans that are too short, and umbrellas.
Rhianna is in their third year of study for a Psychology Specialist. They do not like to identify themselves merely based on group membership or interests but see it as worth mentioning that they have an affinity for the absurd. Rhianna loves to meet new people and has the lifelong goal of continuing to nourish their curiosity. They value intellectual freedom, authenticity, and compassion above all else.
Meet Milica, a caffeine-fueled fifth-year student at UTM, conquering the worlds of English and Art History one espresso shot at a time! When she’s not diving into literary classics or admiring Baroque masterpieces, you’ll find her dumping her thoughts into voice memos—because somehow typing on the laptop is easier than texting on the go. She dreams of mastering all the romance languages (if only she could find the time between classes and coffee runs). Milica finds solace in her favorite pink-hued comfort movie, Legally Blonde, which kick-started her ambition to pursue a career in the legal field.
Pietro is a fourth year student majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. At UTM, he has played on the men’s soccer team and participated in the historical championship winning season in Fall of 2024. Pietro is passionate about sports writing and reporting, and he believes that through writing he can raise awareness about health and sports amongst the UTM student community. In his spare time, Pietro likes to hike, read, and run.
Tyler is in his third year at UTM completing a double major in Communications, Culture, Information, and Technology (CCIT) and Professional Writing and Communications (PWC). Tyler is a dedicated Staff Writer and editor for the Medium’s newspaper and magazine. You can find more of Tyler’s writing in the upcoming ICCIT Vision Journal as well as the PWC Compass Journal. When Tyler is not writing he is most likely watching, coaching, or playing soccer. You can get in contact with him on Instagram and Twitter. He is always open to talk about anything and everything related to sports and healthy living.
Maram wasn’t always a writer. If anything she wasn’t the biggest fan of writing throughout high school. But university has provided her the outlet to grow and bring forth many stories that may impact her fellow students in a positive manner. She’s always on the lookout to improve her writing and is welcome to any opportunities. You can find her at her LinkedIn.
Aqeel is a third year UTM student majoring in Economics and English. As an international student, he still isn’t quite used to the cold climate of Canada and just wishes it was a bit warmer during the academic year. He has held a massive passion for writing throughout his life and joined the Medium to continue seeking out new writing opportunities. His hobbies include cycling, badminton and playing games.
Maryam is completing her fourth year, majoring in Biology for Health Science with minors in Biomedical Communications and Creative Writing. She spends just as much time writing as she does daydreaming about stories yet to be told. Whether it’s an article for The Medium, a poem scribbled in the margins of her journal, or a story unfolding in her mind, she’s always following wherever inspiration leads. When not lost in words, she’s off exploring new places, convincing friends and family to soak up some sun, or diving headfirst into her latest obsession.
Adanna Scott
Staff Illustrator
Adanna is a third-year student pursuing an Art and Art History specialist. Her art journey began over a decade ago with the purchase of her first drawing tablet and set of alcohol markers. Many drawings later, her enthusiasm for visual media continues to grow. She loves supporting the arts and highlighting their value in the community. Adanna’s hobbies are drawing, reading, writing, and creating comically bad songs.
April Roy
Staff Illustrator
April Roy (she/her) is a First Year student in ICCIT pursuing a double major in CCIT and PWC. She has a passion for creative writing, photography and illustrating, and hopes to pursue a career in the writing industry. April has contributed to six issues since Issue 17, all six of which she contributed illustrations or photographs, and two of which she had featured two written articles. April has also engaged in the UTM community through her role as an editor, writer, and artist for the ENG104: Literature and Social Change special issue Literature, Arts and Social Change presented by FOLIA and EDSS.
Masthead Archive – Volume 51 (2024-2025)