Welcome to Volume 52!
Welcome back to another year UTM! If you are new to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus, welcome welcome! Allow us to introduce ourselves: We are The Medium, UTM’s student newspaper established in 1974. Our mission is to be a voice for UTM students and our community. We strive to be a platform for students to talk about what matters to them; whether that be opinions on the world, the latest art exhibit in town, the recent soccer game on campus, a new student initiative, or news about incoming University policy. There aren’t any experience requirements either, we’re here to help with writing, editing and publishing. You don’t just have to write for us though! We also welcome illustrators, photographers, and volunteers for our Board of Directors.
The Medium this year is focused on going back to our roots. For Volume 52, we want to take the lessons the last five decades have taught us and use them to listen and uplift our UTM community. That means we’re committed to on the ground journalism so that students can be informed about what goes on within the dark brick halls of Davis to the beautiful nature trails around campus and beyond. To do that, we’ll need your help! If you are interested in contributing to The Medium, please reach out to us via email at editor@themedium.ca. You can also message us on Instagram or visit us at our office, located on the second floor of the Student Centre.
Last year, we re-introduced ads in the paper, free of charge for student groups who want to advertise their events and initiatives. This year we’re continuing that tradition and making an effort to connect with our fellow student groups so that we can be that place for students to learn more about campus.
Moreover, this year, we’re putting The Medium in places where students and the community can easily find us by revamping our social media and outreach initiatives. This plan includes the resurrection of our Instagram page for students to learn about the newspaper and the masthead and stay up-to-date on our publications and cool events at the press of a button. We will also heavily invest in in-person events by holding various socials and office hours, starting with our inaugural zine-making event in our office during Orientation weekend.
Finally, to us, at the heart of what it means to return to our roots is an undeniable obsession with all things UTM. This school year, we want to make this campus—each and every one of you—the focal point of every publication by covering the subjects that are most relevant to UTM students—from News articles providing key updates from the UTMSU, to Features exploring fascinating events and programs by UTM’s student services, to thought-provoking opinions regarding the human condition, at home and abroad.
At our core lies our keen awareness of the privilege and responsibility we have to be the voice of UTM’s population. As mentioned earlier, this is only possible in collaboration with and through you. Whether it is by reaching out to our editors about pitch ideas, writing articles, designing illustrations, or just coming out to the office to discuss anything from journalism to campus and world affairs, every one of our readers has the chance to become an integral part of our collective paper. It is through such cooperation that we can properly fulfill our obligation to inform, educate, and protect the interests of the student body at our beloved campus.
So, whether you’re a voracious reader of our work or if this is your first time picking up our paper or scrolling through our website, we invite you wholeheartedly to lock in this academic season, prepare for your own thrilling university adventures, and join us on the stressful but electrifying journey that is The Medium: Volume 52.
News Editor (Volume 51); Associate News Editor (Volume 50) — Samuel is a second-year student at UTM studying Politics and English. He previously worked with The Medium as an Associate News Editor and currently serves as the publication’s News Editor. Samuel is passionate about employing the power of writing to enhance our student community and hopes to help nurture a bright future for The Medium this year. In his spare time, Samuel can be found working out, creating music on the piano and drums, or exploring nature.