Volume 36, Issue 2 (January 15, 2018) by Graffiti, The Voice of NT

graffiti

Issue 2. 2017 -18

January 15, 2018

INTERNAL Humans of NT

FEATURES Opinions on Trump from Around the World

Hear the students’ of North Toronto’s never-before-heard stories. pg. 9

Read about how teenagers from around the world view Trump. pg. 24

FEATURES An Interview with ForMula: The Creator of Wine & Dine pg. 26

Illustration by Angela Miljanovic.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Contents Internal

Humans of NT

Read about some of the great students and teachers that we have at NT!

External

First Date: Long Walk

What should you do on a first date? Well, Mr. Zohar recommends taking a long walk; that was his first date with his wife! Read all about it in his article.

Arts and Culture A Star in Our Midst: An Interview with Sam Baker

Photo from Mr. Zohar.

Sam Baker talks about his improv performance in Tarragon Theater’s Undercover and his future acting plans. Read all about it!

Features

Teens’ Shoplifting Addictions

Is shoplifting really that common? Find out by reading this fantastic investigation!

Opinion

School Loyalty: More Basic than Dog Filter Selfies

Photo by Hana Sharifi.

Do you think that NT has school spirit? Read about Brendan Weeks’ opinion on it.

Humour

2017: Best and Worsts The year is over which means it is time to think back on all the best and worst parts of 2017.

Sports

Student-Athlete Spotlight: Kembo Kibato Kembo Kibato: NT’s very own soccer star! Read his story and what he plans on accomplishing in the future.

Photo from Kembo Kibato.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Graffiti t January 15, 2018

Internal

Photo from Oregan State University.

Night(mare?) School

Sarah Bernstein

re you thinking of earning an extra credit, but actually want to enjoy your summer? Don’t worry, there’s an exciting opportunity for you: Night School. Most people never consider night courses because they already have a full schedule, or perhaps their brains don’t seem to work during those late hours, but the truth is that there are both pros and cons to studying at night. My first day of night school was terrifying. I walked into the classroom (which was pitch black, for some reason) and saw at least 35 people sitting in the dark, not speaking. This really freaked me out, but as time went on, it got better. Our teacher arrived and the lights were turned on, and the room went from looking like a dungeon to an old-timey classroom. One important thing to consider about night school is that not only do you get to study at a different high school, you also have the opportunity to interact with many new people that you would otherwise never meet. It is a time to learn in a different environment and socialize with different people. Further, they can be from many different schools, so they may have interesting studying tips, or can even help you understand certain concepts better (because the teacher may not be doing so).

Night school classes tend to be very big… at least at the beginning. My class started with 35 students in it, but now has only 16. Depending on how you look at it, this could be a positive or a negative. Small classes allow for more concentrated teaching, and with fewer people making new friends becomes much easier. Though the number of people who drop the class might be concerning, it’s true that a smaller class does allow for better concentration, and for the teacher to address specific concerns which could ultimately improve your experience and mark. Probably one of the biggest deciding factors for any course, anywhere, is the teacher. This is the person who will most greatly influence how much you like a course, how much you learn, and the grades you receive. Night school allows you to encounter teachers from other schools and discover new ways of learning. It’s important to remember that night school is unmistakingly different from day school. The class hours are later and it is only one course instead of 6-8. This allows you to focus on the one subject for the whole three hours without interruptions. Classes are usually 3 hours long, twice a week, while

in day school we have 2 classes in that time span; so concentration on the one subject can be much easier. This length of time also allows the course to finish in what seems like a shorter period. As one Runnymede C.I. student attending night school puts it, “Night school is way less school”. Though you receive the same credit, there can be less coursework covered in depth, and the classes are less frequent. Another student also believes that you have, “More motivation because you’re also doing [day] school [at the same time].” Over the summer, you may become lazy or not put effort into studying because of the break, but night school is attended during the school year, so you are in work mode. Grades wise, you can do just as well or better if you put in the effort. Summer school can be a popular equivalent to night school. Both provide a different set of challenges and options for learning and studying, and both provide courses drastically shortened compared to day school. This is why guidance counsellors often say that normal day school provides the best learning experience. Summer school is also attended every day for a month, while night school is only twice a week for one semester. Imagine going to the

same class for six hours straight everyday during the summer – good luck to anyone choosing to commit to that. A quick warning before deciding to take extra courses: it may not be the best option for a Grade 12 course or for a course you are choosing to be part of your top 6 (the marks used to apply to universities). Many universities are starting to look into where you get a mark, not just the mark itself. Some may even deduct a certain percentage from your overall grade if they see you used a credit not from your day school in your top 6. Whether it’s to earn a credit, experience something new, or to take a course not provided at your day school (I hear Law is really interesting), night school is a viable option. Staying up late for school may be a bit bothersome, but it’s up to you whether it’s worth it or not. I’m currently sitting in Central Tech in my night school classroom as I finish this article, and thinking “It was a great experience, but I’m never doing this again.” Choose wisely and decide if you are willing to put in the effort before committing to what could be an interesting experience or a nightmare.

First Date: Dining in the Dark Joshua Chong

Tired of those boring movie dates or going out to a typical dinner date? If the answer is yes, then try your hand at a blind date. No, not those overhyped blind dates you would often find on TLC. I’m talking about a dinner date in the dark, where you are blind for two whole hours. Restaurants such as O’Noir in downtown Toronto serve amazing food for reasonable prices, all while dining in the dark. So here’s the rundown: You and your partner have to arrive to the restaurant a few minutes apart. You will both be guided into a pitch black dining room one by one. And here is where the fun begins. Select a surprise meal and listen as your partner screams as an unidentifiable piece of food touches his or her mouth. Tensions will run high because drinks and food will be strewn everywhere. Lastly, be careful to not jab yourself in the cheek with a fork; coordination in the dark is not as easy as you may imagine. Once the meal is over and each person’s personality is fully revealed, exit the dark room and bask in the beauty of your partner’s chocolate cake covered face and jeans dripping with Coca Cola. What a romantic evening!

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

High School=No Time for Extracurriculars Dana Aronowitz

Photo from the Huffington Post.

elcome to high school. Don’t forget to get good grades, finish all your volunteer hours and be involved in the school. When students begin their high school journey, they think they will never have time to continue their activities outside of school. Especially in the older grades, many students begin to drop their extracurricular activities. It almost seems like an expectation. However, little do they know that these extracurricular activities are vital to your success in high school. “You still have time for extracurricular activities? How?” This is the reaction most students are greeted with when they say they still have extracurriculars. There are tests to study for, assignments to perfect, volunteer

hours to complete, and so much more. Yet, is there really no time for the activities that make us happy? In a survey conducted with over 70 NT students, 99% of participants said that they had done some type of extracurricular activity before high school. However, only 40% of those students currently continue those activities; the main reason being that “high school made me busier.” Yes, school can be stressful, but countless studies illustrate that the most effective way of reducing stress is by exercising daily, sleeping the recommended amount, and doing the things you love. It is wrong to think that school requires you to pull all-nighters and stop your life outside the classroom, because it doesn’t. Of the many students

who have quit their extracurricular activities because of school stress, most of them regret it. “It was fun.” “It kept me active.” “I loved it.” “I wish I had continued because it would have created a better balance in my life.” School does not mean we have to sacrifice doing what we love. In fact, students who participate in extracurricular activities tend to be much less stressed. Alyssa Forbes, a Grade 11 student who recently had to stop her sport due to injury, said that she has learned very valuable lessons from her involvment: “You think you don’t have time to do extracurricular activities, but it helps you stay more focused and manage your time wisely in order to get things done.” Moreover, procrastination is kept to a minimum. “Stopping an extracurricular doesn’t actually mean

I get more work done. Yes, I have more time to do it, but then I won’t think twice about checking my phone, knowing I have the whole night to finish a project.” Marc Macaulay, a Grade 12 student, said, “I became a much happier person because I was engaged and busy.” Life after high school will also be busy and most likely more stressful, but doing activities you enjoy is the best way to get through it. Just because it may seem like all those extracurriculars are taking away your precious time, remember that there is always space for the things you love. Extracurriculars can teach us many important values and lessons that can be used forever. Don’t let school stress take that out of your life.

The Nag of Your Bag Carleigh Pace-Tonna

add up in weight? Maybe you are an overpacker and don’t even know it.

Photo by Chloe Hung.

ackpacks. We all have them, and we all need them. These bags carry our school work, laptops, and anything else we may need in a day, but have you ever considered how these small items

According to ABC News, our bags should only be 10-15% of our body weight. However, some students carry more than 25% of their weight in school supplies every single day. Most students’ cargo usually consists of binders and textbooks. However, additional items such as headphones, books, extra notes, and beauty supplies can stay hidden in the various compartments of your bag, and add on plenty of unnecessary extra weight. In addition to making it more difficult to trek up the stairs at school, this extra weight also has a negative impact on your health. And, even if the mass of your bag isn’t a problem, the way

you carry it may be an issue. Improperly carried bags, whether that be on one shoulder, hanging too low, or hanging too high, as well as heavy bags, can cause neck, shoulder and back pain that can result in damage to your spine, as well as other chronic health problems. Backpacks with contents evenly distributed can help with the balance of the bag, ensuring that one side isn’t significantly heavier than the other. Additionally, bags with ergonomic straps (and as a bonus, midsection straps), are also very effective in balancing and distributing the mass of the bag in a more healthy way. Despite these wonderful innovations, the biggest problem still lies with what, and how much you pack. The first thing to ask yourself when packing is “Do I really need this to-

day?” If the answer is “I might use it”, then consider leaving it at home; try not to bring anything you might not use. Grade 12 student Campbell Bolland says, “I never carry my textbooks to school…[and] I take a lot of my notes out of my binders to set aside for exams.” If you must bring your textbooks to school, carry them in your hands rather than in your backpack, or store them in your locker all together. You should also remove any unnecessary items from your bag whenever possible. Whether that be a gimick from a trip you took a couple years ago but forgot to unpack, or a pair of sunglasses from the summer. By following these simple steps, you will soon be on your way to better chiropractic health. Happy packing!

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Work Hard, Play Hard

Emily Sakaguchi

Photo by Leia Kook-Chun.

o you have a healthy work-life balance? If your answer is an emphatic NO, then you have something in common with a lot of NT students. All too often, the response to that question is a derisive chuckle or a factual statement in the negative, as if the status quo were the most natural, unchangeable of circumstances. Why do so many students lack a proper work-life balance, and what can be done to correct this problem? After all, this must be a problem, given how it is widely acknowledged that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy… although, admittedly, Jack will probably receive a scholarship to his university of choice. Undoubtedly, there is a tradeoff, and it would seem that what we are left with is a brutal choice between two contrasting alternatives: life or work. Diana, a grade eleven student, has chosen the latter: “I don’t have time

to do anything,” she says. “I always do work.” For Yanni, a grade nine student, these difficulties are already surfacing. “Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of work I get,” he explained. “I often struggle to make time for friends and still be able to do all my work.” Possible solutions to this sadly lopsided state of affairs come from all directions. Use your agenda. Work hard. Push yourself, but know when to stop. This advice is all well and good, but, on the other hand, NT students still feel overextended, and the future of high school students looks as if it will be very similar to the present in terms of anxiety and stress levels. Yanni believes that “It really is unavoidable. It’s just a part of high school you can’t get rid of.” That is not to say that stress is inherently bad, nor does it mean that trudging through hours of assignments has no return on investment.

Diana explains, “My weekends are filled with homework, but I feel like that’s good, because in university it’s going to be even tougher, so it’s a good thing that they prepare us.” Ava, a grade ten student, gives evidence of this idea in practice, illustrating how, “Many North Toronto alumni have mentioned feeling fairly prepared due to the work habits that NT had forced them to develop.” This positive outlook on stress, can be a helpful starting point. Some scientists even say that the way we view stress determines whether or not it is harmful. It is also said that if used correctly, stress can be a tool to assist in our efforts. This research is encouraging, but regardless of whether or not you choose to believe these studies and psychological theories, work is still work, and we all have to do some amount of it during high school, oftentimes to our displeasure. For many of us at NT, we feel we must devote most of our time to projects and studying, even though we wish to spend more time with family and friends, because we know how competitive it is in the postsecondary world. This means students have to work hard, and a lot of the time, that means pushing past limits, going too far, and getting lost along the way. But despite all this, we choose to do more work – extracurriculars, athletic and academic competitions, and enrichment opportunities, both in and out of the classroom. We go through all of this knowing that, at the end of the tunnel, there will still be work - much more work. Ava offers an explanation as to why so many students take on extra responsibilities. She points out that “Imbalance is unavoidable. The main reason is the competitive atmosphere; you can always be doing more than you already are.”

NT students do have ideas for potential ways to solve the problem, though. Ava expresses that, “There are things that teachers can do to help. For example, there are certain teachers that allow students to come in the next day at lunch to write a test when they mention they have two others that day. Time management is a huge issue when it comes to balance, especially near summative time, and by spacing certain due dates out, students would be able to focus on individual projects more and feel less overwhelmed.” Diana adds, “I feel like if teachers could balance out more assignments, rather than assigning them all to be due near report cards, that would be really helpful.” In addition, there are certainly ways for students to reduce stress themselves, from spreading out work over the week rather than saving it all up for weekends, and doing their best to stay organized. Nevertheless, while there are things that can be done to alleviate a bit of the pressure, there appears to be conundrum. It is evident that students would like to have less stress, and there are potential ways to achieve this, but, at the same time, we must remember that the midnight tears elicited by unfinished projects due the next day are like vaccines against the university culture-shock. So, what’s the verdict? The general consensus is that we will feel overwhelmed a considerable amount of the time, and that although this will hinder us now, it will help us later. It would also seem that few students believe it possible to achieve a perfect equilibrium. Perhaps, then, a perfect work-life balance is nothing more than a myth. Work is a part of life, and while it is easy to dislike, the best defense we have may simply be to use it to our advantage.

iFly

Madeleine Wesely

Photo from iFly. If Troy and Gabriella can sing about soaring and flying, then who says you can’t actually soar and fly on your first date? Going to iFly for your first date will give you the chance to go skydiving indoors and see your date fight against the 250 km/h wind. When you first arrive, you’re taken over to a screen to electronically fill out some waivers. Once all the paperwork has been signed, you’ll head upstairs to sit and watch others take their turn in the wind tunnel. After about 10-15 minutes, a brief training session will begin to prepare you for what will happen once you’re in the tunnel. You will then be suited up with the everfashionable plastic goggles and wind suit before entering the tunnel. At this point, you won’t even be able to talk to your date, which may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The roar of the wind mixed with the earplugs is not an environment where you can learn about your date’s dog or where they plan on travelling to. Another advantage of choosing iFly for your first date is that you can see each other looking your worst before the relationship even begins. This helps if either of you are incredibly shallow people. Even though iFly probably isn’t the first place you think of while planning a first date, it creates some fun memories that you’ll cherish for a life time, whether or not the relationship works out.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

NT’s New Office Manager Diana Kagan

his year, North Toronto was lucky to welcome our newest office administrator, Diane Henderson. As she integrates into NT’s society, she notes that she loves NT, because the students are very polite and the staff have been very welcoming. Smitten by the warm atmosphere of NT’s office, she is looking forward to learning more about everyone. De-

scribing herself as a little quiet, Ms. Henderson also mentions that the office staff sometimes call her the “tyrant” as a joke. Ms. Henderson has many hobbies, some of which include travelling, skiing, skating, sailing, hiking, and camping. She is currenty attending the University of Toronto at night, and is three credits away from a degree in Human Geography and Urban Planning. After giving all her love to students during the day, she comes home to give what’s left to her eleven year old golden retriever, Rosie.

Ms. Henderson feels that she can resolve any bureaucracy problem. She notes that she finds her job at NT amazing because the office and admin staff are always laughing and there’s, “never a shortage of pens!”. However, she thinks a nice addition to the school would be “to have more items for parents and students to purchase online.” We are pleased to introduce Ms. Henderson - whether she is cooking, sewing, dreaming of National parks, or visiting Holland to bike as a new member of our NT family.

Photo by Maya Sternthal.

Our Hearts Go Out to Anda Johnston Michelle Gareau

Photo taken from obituary.

n Christmas Eve, many hearts broke with the tragic news of the passing of Mrs. Anda Johnston’s after her short battle with cancer at the age of 71. Mrs. Johnston was a well-known figure in the North Toronto community. She was the wife of the beloved Mr. Brian Johnston who is a retired North Toronto teacher, and the girls’ field hockey coach. Mrs. Johnston was a teacher at Central Tech, Harbord Colligate and Haydon Park. Not only was Adna a wonderful and lovely lady, she was a proud supporter of North Toronto, especially the girls field hockey team. She and Mr. Johnston’s sacrificed their time and energy for the team, putting their hearts into the sport and focusing on the growth and success of the team. Their spirt and spunk contributed to

countless victories, not to mention standing first in the tiers on many occasions. I speak for many when I say that losing Mrs. Johnston is like losing an important member of both the team and the North Toronto community. She and Mr. J. had red and grey running through their veins. In fact, for many years Mr. Johnston has been a positive role model for many – particularly demonstrating his devotion and commitment to his wife during these difficult times. He is an inspiration and one of the strongest, most passionate people that I have had the privilege to known. Sadly, this was the first year without the two of them cheering from the sidelines. This year’s team really missed out from Mr. J.’s leadership, encouragement and knowledge. For many of us who were

on the team last year, there was a real emptiness on the field. We missed his wacky, fun drills and names; especially hearing his famous saying “Sticks in the middle, heads in the game”. Anda will be missed by all. Even if you did not have the opportunity to know her, she and Mr. Johnston exemplified the spirt of true sportsmanship and compassion. I encourage everyone to take a moment to appreciate everything that Adna contributed directly and indirectly to North Toronto and to share our feelings of sympathy for Mr. J.’s and the tragic loss to his family. In honor of Mrs. Johnston, you can make a donation to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Latvian Church of Toronto or the Palliative Care Unit, Sunnybrook Foundation.

Cooking Class Annie Doane

If you aren’t an adrenaline junky, have an undying love for food, and still want an innovative and fun first date idea, a cooking class may be the right way to go. Whatever your skill level is, there are many cooking classes around Toronto that cater to all levels. If you are already an impressive cook, (maybe even iron chef calibre) it is a great opportunity to show off your skills to your date and have a calm and low-pressure day. If you aren’t the best chef, that’s fine too! You and your date can bond over learning new skills together. It leads to great conversations while cooking, as well as enjoying the meal you prepared together afterwards. By the end of the date, you will most likely know a lot more about your date than if you just went out for dinner. You may have never known that your date is allergic to tomatoes, or that they visited Greece when they were 8. These types of conversations are more likely to come up while peeling potatoes. Also, this date will test your teamwork skills in the kitchen and how well you can communicate with one another. Are both of you constantly yelling at each other in the kitchen? Sorry, but this relationship will most likely not work out. At least you know. Either way, if you and your date are both foodies, are willing to get messy in the kitchen, and value a good conversation, a cooking class is a great option for your first date.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

SUNDAY 14

MONDAY 15

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

EXTENDED HF

iNTerlicious

Trivia Game Show Rm. 215 @ lunch

SATURDAY

JUST BEAT IT!

FRIDAY

CHARITY WEEK ASSEMBLY

Graffiti Distribution

THURSDAY

Rm. 215 @ lunch

UPCOMING EVENTS: • Magic Show • NT Raffle • Grade 9-A-THON (FEB 7TH, 1:00-3:00) STAY TUNED FOR MORE EVENT INFO AND TICKET SALE DATES!

VOLLEYBALL BUYOUT

Dismissal @ 2:30

All proceeds go to Horizons for Youth

Social Advice from the Social Convener Olivia O’Brien De La Torre

Photo by Maya Sternthal.

This is a real question asked by an NT student! If you’d like to be featured next or want to ask Olivia a question, type this link into your browser. https://goo.gl/forms/kIo9H8lOh8yjhoMu1

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Humans of NT

t 9

“I have to travel all around the world for my dad’s work. I’ve been to Thailand, Italy, Australia, and the Netherlands. Despite the fun of it all, moving around from country to country is getting hard because I have to say goodbye to the friends I’ve made and I have to part ways with countries that have become a part of my identity.” - Alessio Catroppa (Grade 9)

Photo by Chantelle Nejnec.

“I always thought that I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher and when I was in highschool, that was still my plan, but guidance told me that I shouldn’t pursue that because there were no teaching jobs that were available. They put me through aptitude testing to see which jobs would be right for me and teaching and medicine came up. Because I didn’t want to become a doctor and spend years in school or be a teacher since there were no jobs available, I chose diagnostic radiography. I studied that and started working almost immediately after. However, after a short period of time I realized that it wasn’t a good fit for me since I was sad all the time because a lot of the people I was working with wouldn’t survive because of their illnesses. By then I had already been working and already finished school for it, so I thought I should just stay in that field. I decided to take a Spanish course at UofT for fun and soon after, I ended up declaring Spanish as my major. When I decided to do my masters in Spanish, they gave me the role of a Teacher’s Assistant which means that I was still a student but they paid me to teach some classes. As soon as I stepped into that room, I knew that teaching was what I should be doing. Even though I had always wanted to teach younger kids, I couldn’t teach them Spanish since it isn’t offered at that age so I had to teach at a highschool. But to my surprise, when I started teaching at North Toronto, I loved working with teenagers and I never looked back. Basically what I’m trying to say is to follow your dreams; follow your instincts, do what you love, and be flexible to change. Just because you studied one thing, doesn’t mean you have to pursue a career in it. I feel so fortunate to work in a place that I love and I always encourage my students to find a job that they love doing. Pay isn’t as important.”

Photo by Chantelle Nejnec.

- Ms. Elliot (Spanish Teacher)

“I’m involved in a music school called “Discovery Through the Arts where I have the opportunity to collaberate and perform with professional musicians as well as music students who attend renowned music schools such as Berklee in Boston. Basically, I attend weekly jam sessions at a recording studio every Saturday where I rehearse various songs with musicians in 4 different pop, jazz, funk, and vocal ensembles. Every few months we perform in a Toronto music festival. This past summer, I performed in the Beaches Jazz fest and the Kensington Jazz fest which were two incredible experiences that really helped me develop as a performing musician in front of a large audience.”

- Jane Carli (Grade 10)

Photo by Chantelle Nejnec.

“In Hamilton there’s this really pretty set of waterfalls called Lower Chedoke falls, which are easy to get to (with some trespassing) and the bigger Chedoke falls. Zoe and I decided that it would be a cool adventure to take the train and go hiking through and take pictures these waterfalls. Now the day we went was an extremely rainy day, and lots of rain = rising water. We reached the lower falls and decided to be adventurous and hike up the side of a cliff so we could go to the actual big falls. We looked down and the water had risen a solid 3 feet and was now moving extremely fast. In short, the current swept my shoe off my foot, we were hanging onto the side of the cliffs with our fingernails, and almost had to call 911 to come save us. 10/10 would recommend visiting these falls… on a sunny day.” - Alyssa Forbes & Zoe Reynolds (Grade 11) Photo by Chantelle Nejnec.

t External

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Photo from The Daily Texan.

Sexual Misconduct in the Entertainment Industry Annie Doane

Illustration by Avishai Sol.

arvey Weinstein; Matt Lauer; Kevin Spacey; Bill Cosby. These men have two things in common: they are big names in entertainment, and they have all been accused of different forms of sexual misconduct. It seems that every day over the past few months, there has been a revolving door of celebrities, politicians, and public figures facing these allegations, including Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambour, and Jeremy Piven. Though the details of each individual case are different, there is an obvious pattern that gives a sense of déjà vu. This pattern involves powerful men using their status and fame to take sexual advantage of others.

Between these 4 men alone, there have been more than 100 allegations of sexual misconduct from a variety of individuals, including actresses, professionals and young boys. In these cases, many people have come forward with allegations, in many other cases that do not involve public figures, however, this is a rare occurrence. In most sexual misconduct cases, victims do not come forward, and if they do, they are not always taken seriously. According to the Huffington Post, 99% of sexual perpetrators walk free. Despite this terrifying statistic,these accusations are opening a door to a conversation that is extremely important for everyone to have. #MeToo is a movement that has spread across social media like wildfire, with men and women alike sharing their sexual assault survival stories with the world. Famous celebrities like Natalie Portman, Lady Gaga, Rosario Dawson, and Cara Delevingne have all shared their #MeToo stories on Twitter and Instagram for their millions of followers to see. Celebrities sharing their stories has encouraged others from different walks of life to do the same. While it is heartbreaking to see men and women all over the world tell their tales of fear and shame, the

campaign also strives to destigmatize and empower the victims of sexual misconduct crimes. The campaign wants the victims to stand strong and united, to spread awareness about these crimes that often go unnoticed and unpunished. The primary reason why sexual assault often goes unpunished is the lack of evidence. Without the perpe-

99% of sexual perpetrators walk free. trators admitting to their crimes, the most effective way to convict them is if multiple people come forward with allegations. Without the power of the victims standing together, we are left with a “he said, she said” situation. In the case of celebrities, however, even dozens of allegations aren’t always enough to convict. Besides the public scrutiny and affected careers, these accused celebrities have yet to receive punishment for their alleged wrongdoings. Is this because of their star power? Is it the criminal justice

system not taking these allegations seriously? Probably a bit of both. Hopefully, with the #MeToo campaign educating and de-stigmatizing victims of sex-based crimes, more will feel compelled to share their allegations, knowing that their claims will be taken seriously and given the time and diligence they deserve. This is the goal of many women’s empowerment groups say that these allegations are only the beginning of a movement to end this deplorable trend. Whether your perpetrator is a famous celebrity, a person you know, or a complete stranger, you are urged to come forward. No one deserves to be struggling alone. The next time that you come across celebrities, or regular people that you idolize or admire, it is important to not put on blinders to the recent events in Hollywood, and let your judgement be impaired by the blinding, sparkly lights. Do not let these claims get swept under the rug. The celebrity that you considered a “role model” may not be all they are cracked up to be.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Strickly Scuttlebutt Sophia Platnick

ossip has always been a vital social tool, ever since spoken language was first developed. Now, in the age of instant communication, it has become even more intricately woven into our daily lives. One study, by psychologist Dr. Robin Dunbar, concludes that up to two thirds of any conversation is “gossip”, including topics like personal relationships, likes and dislikes, and anecdotes about social activities. Believe it or not, today’s society, constructed of cities and nations, wouldn’t be possible without gossip. Humans would have never learned how to function effectively in large groups without trusting the people around them and building meaningful bonds. Through gossip, humans have discovered a way to coexist and foster interconnected relationships with others, which, in turn, has led to larger communities, cities, and nations that form the world we know.

Illustration by Leia Kook-Chun.

Gossip is ubiquitous; think of how many times you’ve gossiped today: did you hear Linette got a nose piercing? I saw Jim getting coffee at Tim Hortons instead of going to class. This is the second time this week Katie was seen with a cigarette! Unavoidable and intriguing, gossip seems to bounce around our school walls all hours of the 4-period day. It’s easy enough to fall into a

pattern of gossiping about students, teachers, friends, and everyone in between. If you think about it, each one of us will pass on at least one piece of gossip today before lunch. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? Probably not. Who cares? It is easy conversation, and, let’s face it, it is fun to hear about the latest scandal on school grounds. Gossip may appear as a vain form of communication, but there is much more to it than you might think. Gossiping is a way to build trust and

connect with others, and it can be considered an unofficial way of sharing relevant information. It helps individuals develop interpersonal skills and teaches them the ability to communicate with others. Humans are social butterflies, and it is important that humans learn to effectively convey information, even if it is as trivial as who cheated on their last test. This exchange of reliable information allows trusting relationships to flourish and larger social groups to exist, allowing people to work in close proximity with each other, within schools, office buildings, and other work spaces. Without gossip, there’s a very good chance that communities with a population greater than a couple hundred members could not have formed civilizations in early history. Gossip has proven to be an important evolutionary force: one of the fundamental social aspects of all societies. So do not be put off when someone criticizes you for gossiping — it is simply the evolutionary progression of language and communication.

I’ve Changed My Mind About Head Transplants... Nicolette Kemerer

he concept of a head transplant is especially difficult to grasp. For most, the mere idea of cranial swappage seems absolutely ridiculous, like something out of a Frankenstein movie. But the reality is quite different, according to Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero, who says that the possible surgery is “not a joke,” and that it is a “medical procedure for a medical condition for people who are suffering awfully.” The transplant is performed on a brain dead donor with a viable body and a paraplegic with a functioning brain and paralyzed body, and could be a revolutionary solution to paralyzation, letting victims of disease and accidents live their full lives once again. However, transplanting a head is not as easy as the cut and paste procedure we may have imagined it out to be. First, the donor and recipient will be anesthetized, intubated and ventilated through a

procedure called a tracheotomy: a surgical incision made to the trachea. Then, the heads will have to be severed cleanly through at a specific angle, using a custom-made diamond blade. Afterwards, the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries and jugular veins would need to be stitched together, and the spinal cords would need to be connected. Many surgeons have criticized Canavero’s plans, stating that successful surgery would be unlikely, seeing as no one has ever been able to repair a spinal cord that has been cut completely through. Canavero believes that by using a new glue-like substance named Texas-PEG, developed by B.C. researcher and Rice University graduate William Sikkema, he will be able to successfully seal the spinal cords together. Texas-PEG was created using a solution made up of small strips of graphene, called nanoribbons and polyethylene glycol (a chemical compound) to form an electronically active network to knit

together the severed nerves in spinal cords. In August of 2016, the first head transplant on rats using TexasPEG was completed at Konkuk University in South Korea. The material succeeded in restoring motor control almost completely in the rodent, two weeks after surgery. The first human head transplant performed on cadavers at Harbin Medical University in China occured in early November of last year, and was reportedly very successful, taking only half of the anticipated 36 hours to complete. A full scale head transplant on two living brain dead organ donors is said to be the next step. Despite all this breakthrough in the possible success of the surgery itself, many scientists have doubts about the full recovery of the patient afterwards. In cases of face and hand transplants, people have reportedly suffered from identity crises after

their surgery. After all, waking up to having a new body part isn’t something you can easily accept. When one man, Clint Hallam received a hand transplant in 1998, he said he felt “mentally detached” from it and eventually had the transplant hand removed in 2001. In the case of a head transplant patient, simply removing their body would not be an option in the way that Hallam had removed his hand. Scientists have predicted that a head transplant would likely cause psychological harm. A head transplant would require a psychologically sound patient to go through with this procedure; you would have to be able to identify yourself with your mind and not with your body. Otherwise, if you think about it, you’re more the donor than you are yourself. Even though your donor will have been brain dead, how can you not feel like the thief of their body?

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

Erdogan and the Suppression of Media in Turkey

Scott Clement

irst he came for the soldiers, but I did not speak out, because I was not a soldier. Then he came for the scholars, but I did not speak out, because I was not a scholar. Then he came for the opposition, but I did not speak out, because he had already jailed the journalists and commandeered the media, leading me to believe each and every one of them was either a terrorist, a traitor, or had never existed in the first place. Would it be easier? To merely write them off as a failed experiment in middle-eastern democracy? Almost certainly. But before we give up the 2nd largest army in NATO to a delusional dictator and his cult of personality, it would be beneficial to understand just what went so horribly wrong in the Turkey of today. After all, given the recent uptake in right-wing nationalism, we could very well be facing a similar situation ourselves. Our story begins with a man named Recep Tayyip Erdogan, enemy of women’s rights, blocker of Wikipedia, and leader of the Republic of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party. Just note that there shall be no justice, development, or parties under his eternal rule. Case in point, the demise of Zaman, which was once Turkey’s most popular daily newspaper. On the 4th

of April, 2016, Turkish state police rolled up to Zaman’s Istanbul offices with riot gear and rifles. Their target? Anyone Erdogan wasn’t particularly fond of. In this case, that misfortune fell upon a number of staff, including Abdulhamit Bilici, Zaman’s former editor-in-chief. They were immediately fired under the guise of “illicit financing of a terrorist organisation” and were replaced with Erdogan-approved watch dogs. Zaman, which had previously criticized Erdogan for his increasingly autocratic behaviour, was temporarily shut down for “maintenance” in order to provide “unbiased coverage for [their] readers.” Some 500 people protested the police occupation of the building. They were dispersed with water cannons and tear gas. Two days later, a very different Zaman opened its doors, complete with a front page picture of a smiling Erdogan, and all of its online archives wiped from existence. Bilici and his family have since fled to America, while Zaman and its English language counterpart, Today’s Zaman, have closed permanently. If that were the only case, then perhaps Erdogan’s nonsense might have been believable. But then he went ahead and occupied or shuttered the doors of 172 other TV stations, radio outlets, and print media companies. As icing on his cake, since the beginning of 2016, he has also placed at

least 152 journalists in prison, and left at least 2500 more without a job. In recognition of Erdogan’s hard work and dedication, Reporters Without Borders has awarded Turkey with a ranking of 155 of 180 in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index. A good effort, but not quite enough to catch up to the reigning champion, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and their perfect 180 of 180 score. Furthermore, with legitimate, nongovernment controlled media lying on the floor with a bullet lodged in the back of its skull, the door opens for further abuse of power by Erdogan and his regime. Just a few months ago, the people of the world, barring those located in Turkey, bore witness to the April 16th referendum, which sought to grant sweeping new powers to Erdogan. This included a transfer of the Prime Minister’s power to the President, and the possible extension of his rule until 2029 (read; this guy’s not leaving unless it’s on a stretcher). During the run up to the referendum, Erdogan and his “Yes” campaign were favoured by 3 of 5 of Turkey’s top TV stations, receiving 76% of total airtime, 77.5% of total print space, and 63% of all advertising slots. The press cards of 777 journalists were canceled, 621 of them for alleged connection to terrorism, and

all of them without a court decision. On the other hand, those campaigning for the “No” camp were accused of terrorism and arrested for “insulting the President.” During the vote, fraud ran rampant, with “Yes” ballots missing an official stamp being counted as valid and multiple cases of people voting more than once caught on tape. Yet, the Turkish President managed to snag a mere 52% of the vote, indicating both that his propaganda minister has little idea of what he’s doing, but also that, had the state media been as fair and balanced as it claims, the results could have favoured a very different answer to Erdogan’s campaign for Eternal Leader. Or perhaps that’s not true, and the 52% was an entirely fictional number to begin with. I guess we’ll never know, given that there was no one to report on it. Regardless, the people of Turkey were only able to see what Erdogan wanted them to see. They were conditioned to believe his word and his alone; anyone who disagreed was clearly terrorist scum. With that in mind, of course they were going to vote “Yes”, it was the only way they knew how.

CN Tower Fletcher McLaughlin

What is the perfect date? This is a question us gentlemen have posed since the dawn of chivalry. As adolescents, we have restricted freedom, limited money and a droplet of experience in the actual field of dating. Simply put, being a teenager strips us of options when it comes to taking out your partner. At this point in our lives, it is necessary to exert mental effort into a good date. As such, I began to exercise my creativity when things got serious with my own girlfriend. Surely, after a few months she had expected more than the casual netflix n chill or the occasional movie date. But before I had even gotten close to thinking of the perfect date, she had already been planning it... I wasn’t expecting much for my birthday. A movie would be nice. “If I’m lucky, she’ll take me to see wonder woman”, I thought. Nevertheless, I doubted my girlfriend when she told me I wouldn’t be able to guess her “big birthday surprise”. If I hadn’t gotten used to being wrong with her then, I have now. When we got off at union station, I wasn’t sure what was going on. When we began walking toward the CN tower, I was even more confused. When we began to take an elevator ride up, I had given up on guessing what the date was entirely. A feeling of awe showered me when she revealed what this was. The date was a 360-degree dinner from atop the CN tower, designed to rotate the floor as you ate so you could admire the city from all angles. Following a tour of the CN tower, including everything from the glass floor to gift shops, it was time to eat. The chicken was succulent, the atmosphere was sublime and no picture could properly enrapture my view. But I could not get my mind off of the sheer sentiment that came with going on such a thoughtful date. The whole experience was enhanced by the realization of how much effort went into this event. The date in itself was spectacular and I would be blind to deny that. But the very idea of this effort meant so much more than the actual dinner itself. And with that said, I offer a piece of advice to any teenager struggling with the pressures of date ideas. It is not about money. It is not about clichés. It is not about what culture or society promotes as being the next big date trend. It is about creativity, and the effort that comes with that. So, I beg any gentleman such as myself to think of a thoughtful date before suggesting a Netflix and chill, otherwise you won’t hear the end of it. Take my word for it, try going to the CN Tower for your next date.

Photo by Fletcher McLaughlin.

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

The Politics Behind Beauty Filters

Evelyn Mang

Photos from Snapchat.

he fact that technology is constantly changing the daily lives of students across the globe is no great revelation. Our phones are constantly bombarded with notification after notification, letting us know what we could have possibly missed while we were elsewhere. Two of the most popular apps among teens, Snapchat and Instagram, are constantly flooded with picture after picture, many of these transformed images reminiscent of faces we recognize but slightly altered, not just by Instagram and Snapchat filters, but also apps used to edit these pictures before posting them on these platforms. Most of these filters work by mapping out our facial features and then digitally altering them so our screens reflect smaller noses, longer eyelashes, thinner chins and sometimes just lighter skin, all eurocentric features associated with youthfulness

and femininity. With the popularity of these filters becoming more and more apparent, it seems as though people might like their faces more when these features are cut and pasted onto their own. As these filters transform faces into whiter, more idealized versions of the original, tech companies, desperate to addict users to their platforms, are effectively reinforcing recurring beauty standards without their users even knowing it. These filters and the elements linked with them have become so popular that last year, on International Women’s Day, Snapchat unveiled a filter dedicated to Marie Curie which seemed to only add longer eyelashes and smoother complexions onto users’ faces, along with aimless beakers and flasks floating around the perimeter of the frame. All to celebrate a Nobel Prize–winning chemist. On the other hand, in 2016 Snapchat received backlash after releasing filters that led to accusations

that they were essentially promoting blackface and yellowface. To celebrate 4/20, a Bob Marley filter adding dreadlocks and darkened skin to users appeared on the daily lineup of filters that users called “digital blackface”. One Twitter user even accused the filter of reducing Marley, a renowned advocate for the rights of blacks and those in poverty, to “just a stoner”. In the same year, Snapchat released what they called an “anime inspired” filter, distorting the user’s face by slanting their eyes and enlarging their teeth, all features reminiscent of racist caricatures of Asians commonly found in American theatres during the 20th century. Blackface and yellowface are widely considered racist or, at the very least, insensitive, and are largely shunned and treated as taboo in modern theatres. Yet, technology makes the act of turning ourselves into racist caricatures more accessible and nuanced than ever. By simply swiping through an array of

curated filters on a free app, we can choose to either make ourselves look more attractive by changing our faces to be better aligned with eurocentric beauty standards, or to mock people of other races by temporarily plastering their features over our own. It seems like just yesterday students endured warning after warning designed to make them aware of the effect photoshopped magazine covers could have on their self-esteem, in order to avoid suffering from the inevitable drop in self-confidence it was bound to bring. At the time, no one was thinking of the drastic changes technology could bring to the way we compare ourselves to others. With the addition of algorithms that change our facial structures at the touch of a button, instead of wondering why we don’t look like celebrities, now we can simply wonder why we don’t always look like these altered versions of ourselves.

WRITE FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE BY ATTENDING OUR SECTION MEETINGS (ROOM 218): External: January 16, 2018 Internal and Opinion: January 18, 2018 Features: January 19, 2018 Humour and Arts & Culture: January 29, 2018 Sports: January 30th, 2018 Illustrations: January 30, 2018 Photography: February 5, 2018

Graffiti

January 15, 2018

Photo by Henrik Fung

Holy Chuck Burgers 1450 Yonge St. Toronto

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

t 15

The Sexual Assault Epidemic Lina Rguig

Photo from theBSblog.com

s of late, major news outlets seem to only be reporting on two topics: the reality show that is Donald Trump’s presidency, or the never ending reports of sexual harassment. Harvey Weinstein, Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp and countless other well-known men in Hollywood have been accused of, and even found guilty of, some form of sexual harassment. Although Los Angeles is a six hour flight, and presumably a few thousand dollars away, this pressing issue hits close to home for many young women on Canadian postsecondary campuses. Although you wouldn’t know it, since universities make it their top priority to uphold their reputation, even at the cost of diminishing or even completely disregarding a young woman’s traumatizing experience. Four years ago, an investigation was conducted revealing only 9 out of 78 Canadian universities had a policy in place for dealing with sexual harassment.This led the provincial govern-

ment to pass Bill 132; the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act in March of 2016. Universities had until January 1, 2017 to implement sexual assault policies into their secretariat. Students entering universities across Canada this fall were the first to be affected by these new policies. However, according to Our Turn, an organization made up of 20 student unions from eight different provinces across Canada who support survivors of sexual assault, it seems that the new policies have not quite worked out as intended. The Chair of Our Turn, Caitlin Salvino says she feels there are no guidelines in Canada regarding what should and shouldn’t be in sexual violence policies. She and other members of Our Turn, Kelsey Gilchrist and Jade Cooligan Pang, went over 60 policies and spoke with survivors, students and experts to identify at least 45 qualities of good policies, including but not limited to immunity clauses for survivors who engaged in drug use and underage drinking at the time of their assaults, and clear timelines for investigations. Since the policy has been implemented, universities have been asked how many cases have been reported. The information was provided by CBC Toronto; Carleton: 3 reports/investigations, McMaster: 1 report/investigation, Queen’s: 6 reports (number of investigations not provided), Ryerson: not provided, University of Toronto: declined to provide, Western: 9 formal reports; 6 investigations, York: 1 report/investigation.

UofT’s choice to decline leaves many people uneasy and uncomfortable, especially when added to the data that came out of Our Turn’s recent project. The organization decided to make a report card grading Canadian universities’ sexual violence policies. The majority of universities did rather poorly; our very own U of T got a 66% and Dalhousie a 57%. Concordia received a sad 52% and McGill, Canada’s very own dream school, a 61%. Luckily, Ryerson and UBC pulled through with an 81% and 78% respectively. Obviously, we are not

and that staff were dismissive of her complaints. Riddle told The Star that “To me it feels like [the process with the school] was intended just to do the bare minimum to make sure I wouldn’t speak up or I wouldn’t take action against the university.” Feeling so unimportant can have detrimental consequences on a victim’s mental health. The feeling that your story is unimportant and that this in turn makes you unimportant is horrible. Many victims of sexual assault experience severe depression. “The loss of bodily autonomy is often difficult to cope with. It can create feelings of hopelessness, despondency, and lead to diminishment in one’s sense of self-worth. These feelings can lead to depression that may range from mild and fleeting, to intense and debilitating,” says GoodTherapy.org. Moreover, victims deal with anxiety and PTSD, and, due to society’s view on sexual assault, start to find themselves victim blaming. Victim blaming also leads to a deeper state of depression and anxiety. With our support as well as support from their schools and peers, the scary and traumatising experience of being sexually assaulted could be made the slightest bit easier to go through for young people across the world. Let’s start to make a difference here in Canada.

Only 9 out of 78 Canadian universities had a policy in place for dealing with sexual harassment. to judge these guidelines solely off percentages just as we do not judge a student off of one test grade. Still, it is hard to remain indifferent towards these results when there are women like Tamsyn Riddle of U of T’s Trinity college who alleges that the investigation into her sexual assault complaint was disorganized and delayed

Long Walk Mr. Zohar

Matane, Quebec, the gateway to the Gaspesie, is brutally cold in March. By the shore of the St. Lawrence, where every rock in encrusted by ice and the view is ice in every direction, my wife and I had our first date: walking, of course. There is no better first date, or second, or third, than taking a walk. To begin with, it’s free; why invest in a relationship that you may tank in its first hour. It also allows for talking; imagine, getting to know each other rather than simply being together as you experience something outside yourselves.

If the match is poor, it allows you to cut the date short at any point: no having to wait for the movie to end or the bill to arrive. And if the match is strong, it allows you to hold hands and to share a special place you can return to whenever you feel romantic. My wife and I will not be returning to Matane, no one ever does, but by the end of our walk we knew much that we loved much about each other. She knew that I enjoyed being outdoors in hostile conditions, and I knew that she could tolerate me as I am. Go for a walk and have a conversation. It may just take you somewhere unexpected.

Mr. Zohar and his wife. Photos from Mr. Zohar.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Female Homelessness in Canada Jessica Hungate and Yoohyun Park

omelessness everywhere has tended to stereotype: a scruffy patron of the sidewalk, an alcoholic or drug addict begging for change, and — notably — male. Many women who are homeless, however, do not fit this description which is why many of them fall through the cracks of a system designed to treat the chronically homeless. Roughly 200,000 Canadians end up homeless each year, with women accounting for twentyseven percent, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Many women who end up homeless live in their cars, couch-surf with friends, or are extending their stay in women’s shelters because they have nowhere else to go. The money committed in last year’s federal budget was meant to bring the numbers of those who are homeless down, while also improving conditions for Canadians living in dilapidated social-housing units, or those who are still searching fruitlessly for affordable rentals. After years of insufficient funding, advocates for housing and the homeless cheered the news: Ottawa had promised to spend more than $11 billion on the issue. This included money for a national housing fund, federal-provincial agreements, programs targeted to the homeless, and housing money for Northern and Indigenous Canadians on- and offreserve. In addition to finding affordable hous-

ing (an issue which plagues all who are homeless), women have to deal with the added hardship of dealing with their monthly menstrual cycle. For women without housing, or with limited income, managing their periods is unavoidable, complicated and usually expensive. It means that once a month the stressors of life on the margins —where to sleep, what to eat and how to stay safe and maintain dignity — are compounded by the challenges of staying healthy and clean during their menstrual cycle. Spending money on menstrual supplies might mean not being able to take public transit, or going without food. However, menstrual supplies are not a one-time cost. In order to avoid serious infections or other health risks, products like tampons and pads need to be repurchased. Due to this reality, many homeless women leave things like tampons in longer than they should. Improvised or overextended tampon use certainly comes with health risks, said Dr. Ritika Goel, with Inner City Health Associates. On the severe end of the spectrum, she said, there is toxic shock syndrome, a rare and life-threatening bacterial infection associated with super absorbent tampon use, according to the Mayo Clinic. More common problems would be chemical irritation, from using homemade products, or yeast infections because it becomes harder to stay clean.

2001, the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWCA) found that 1 in 15 aboriginal people were homeless, and women accounted for thirty five percent of this homeless population. Aboriginal women are especially vulnerable to homelessness, partly due to the high rates of domestic violence. In a survey done by NWCA, it was concluded that aboriginal women were 3.5 times more likely to experience violence than non-aboriginal women. Despite the large numbers, many victims of domestic violence seeking shelter have nowhere to go on these reserves. In 2011, it was discovered that the onreserve women’s shelter project was under funded by 2.2 million dollars and the western provinces only contained about 10 women’s shelters in total. In order to make ends meet, prostitution and incarceration have also increased amongst these women.

Indigenous women, in particular, face a higher risk of homelessness. In

The major issue behind all aboriginal homelessness is the lack of adequate

Another factor is the lack of assets and rights given to the women during a marital separation. During a divorce, indigenous women are often left with the burden of their child but with no property or source of income . Although there has been legislation put in place, such as the family homes on reserves and matrimonial property act, designed to give property to women even if it is not registered under their name. Many courts simply ignore them in favor of their husbands.

and affordable housing on reserves. In 2006, Statistics Canada found that twenty eight percent of indigenous and Inuit women were living in inadequate housing and forty four percent of houses needed major repairs. There are often houses meant for two in which reside upwards of twenty people and some turn to the streets as a better alternative to these houses. With recent enlightenment on this issue, the government has finally taken some initiative to resolve it. On November twenty-third of last year, the government announced that funding to the National Housing Strategy, to specifically target the needs of women and girls, will increase by twenty five percent. They have also launched many projects, such as the Thrive Project which provides basic necessities for those facing homelessness. Among other efforts, in the 2017 federal budget, the government has promised to invest more than $11.2 billion over the course of 11 years for homelessness. At North Toronto, we happily accept the privileges and perks of going to a wealthy school, in a neighborhood undergoing major commercial development. Homelessness, an issue which is all too real for many Torontonians, can be better understood through our choice of this years charity, Horizons for Youth. In this way, here at NT, we can become better citizens of our city, and the world.

Rock Climbing

William Lloyd

Cue “My Heart Will Go On” Jack: Give me your hand, and close your eyes. Go on, step up. And hold onto the railing. Keep your eyes closed, don’t peak. Jack (cont.) : Do you trust me? Rose: I trust you. Jack: Alright, open your eyes. Rose: I’m flying! Jack, I’m flying! Before Jack and Rose uttered these now famous lines, the same scene played out somewhere a little different: a humble rock climbing gym. Though there was less keeping your eyes closed, and fewer railings (two clear safety hazards), the level of romance and euphoria from “flying” was still undoubtedly there.

Rock climbing and relationships share two essential characteristics: trust and communication. This makes a rock climbing not only a unique, active, and enjoyable potential first date, but also the perfect test of whether this is something built to last, or not worth the time. Rock climbing involves a belayer, on the ground, and a climber, on the wall. Though some increased safety measures are in place in certain indoor gyms, the climber’s safety is in the belayer’s hands, literally. It’s a relationship that’s built on trust, and forces you to reach a level of comfort with your partner, if it goes well, that you wouldn’t usually get to until much later on in the relationships. And, if you find out that this trust doesn’t exactly flow both ways, you can pull the plug. Alongside trust, communication also plays a big role in rock climbing. Right from the start, the climber and belayer need to make sure everything is ready to go. Belay on? Yes. Can I climb? Yes. As the climber ascends, it’s the belayer’s job to instruct them, calmly and clearly, on their next move. And once they call to come down, either after reaching the top or having had enough halfway up, it’s the belayer’s job to determine whether they really mean it, and start bringing them down, or whether it’s just their way of asking for some more moral support and instruction. Climbing requires the same level of communication necessary for a successful relationship, making a rock climbing first date the perfect test run. So next time you plan a first date, think rock climbing. Not only is just abnormal enough to be exciting, but so much so as to be weird, it’s a good form of exercise and genuinely pleasurable. If you have time to spare and don’t mind wasting a couple of months in a relationship that isn’t going anyone then fine, maybe rock climbing isn’t for you, but if you want a great chance to advance your relationship to where it would usually be after quite a few more dates in a mere hour or two, then rock climbing might be for you. And, if you are still not convinced, listen to this: the vast majority of couples after breaking up or getting divorced turn to each other and say, “Don’t you wish we had gone rock climbing on our first date? We would have known whether or not we have the communication and trust levels necessary to make it, while being active and having a good time!”

Graffiti t

January 15, 2018

Arts & Culture Photo by Hodman Abukar.

Grease the Musical: A Review Camryn Martins

aybe you’re like me and have watched the 1978 film by Randal Kleiser a gazillion times (thank God it’s on Netflix), or maybe you’re an old person with lived experience from the ’50s. Either way, the romantic and fun story of Grease has captured your heart with its catchy songs like “You’re the One that I want” and “Greased Lightnin’” . So when I heard that the musical was coming to Toronto, I was super excited for the opportunity to experience the hand-jiving glory in real life.

Broadway choreographer Josh Prince, known for “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Shrek: The Musical”, strongly holds the thematic elements together by paying tribute to the original setting of 1950’s musical “Chicago” and provides political and cultural context. Grease: The Musical opened in November 2017 at the Wintergarden Theatre in Toronto and the classical production attracted a herd of poodle skirt and leather jacket enthusiasts. This is a fair warning that I, like many other teeenagers, am biased because I begged my parents for a ticket mainly to cry of happiness at the sight of actress Janel Parrish as Sandy Olsson. The television star from the hit drama television show “Pretty Little Liars” has stage experience playing Cosette in Les Misérables as a child. She was also a top-three finalist on Dancing with the Stars, so her dancing skills are evident. Janel’s soft voice and delicate stage presence embodied the sweet radiance of Sandy. What was even better is that she’s both a brunette and Hawaiian. Not the typical Sandy, but talk about breaking cultural barriers!

Photo from Camryn Martins. Premiering in 1971 (yes, it’s been that long), Grease: The Musical follows the unrealistic romance between a stereotypical good-girl named Sandy and a bad-boy named Danny who had a summer fling, and unexpectedly meet each other on the first day of senior year at Rydell High. Although its initial focus was sex, cars, and music, it has highlighted the challenges of belonging in a sexist society.

However, the performance lacked chemistry between Janel Parrish (Sandy) and co-star Dylan S. Wallach (Danny). I couldn’t feel the butterflies-in-stomach vibes that Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta shared in the 1978 movie, and not to mention the lack of physical signs of attraction. There were no genuine smiles, lustful smirks, or sparkling eyes of admiration between them. Janel and Dylan had limited close body contact, but when it did happen, it was too short and stiff, as if they were uncomfortable with each

other. The sets and props on stage were thoughtfully chosen. During a scene in a Rydell High classroom, a teacher screens Duck and Cover, the famous animated film used to prepare the public in the event of a nuclear attack. The audience was transported to the world that these teenagers are living in and understood the hardships that ensued. The slumber party scene was a teenager’s dream. It was splattered in pink with posters of attractive guys like James Dean, and Rydell High flags. All these strategically-placed details contributed to the show’s authenticity. The only problem I had with the

was anticipating the iconic full black outfit with the leather jacket, strapless top, and leather pants. However, in this version, Sandy trades in a black belt for a bright Barbie pink one! I felt that this did not reflect her rebellious style as she transitioned into a confident and fierce young woman. This unfortunately weakened the sexy mood that this scene was intended to portray. My favourite part of the night was Katie Findlay as Rizzo, star on How to Get Away with Murder, and her incredible rendition of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do.” Her deep and powerful voice allowed her to belt through the song while being bluesy and musically in-tune. She had the spunk and the tough-girlwith-a-heart-of-gold attitude that made me think that I was in the same room as Stockard Channing, who played Rizzo in the movie. Another interesting moment displayed Prince’s talent with choreography. The musical number, “Greased Lightning,” featured exciting and rhythmic dancing around a rustic-looking car on stage. Some say it was over-choreographed, but it sparked laughter through the crowd.

Photo by Camryn Martins. costumes, which were generally pretty similar to the movie, was during the well-known end scene with the best-selling pop duet, “You’re the One that I Want.” I was disappointed by Sandy’s outfit because I

Overall, I would give Prince’s production of Grease a 4.5 out of 5 stars, only because I was periodically confused. I thought the musical was about to end after the carnival scene because I was familiar with the movie. I later discovered that this performance followed the original Broadway musical, which also explains the other minor differences between the two. If you are a fan of Grease, this is definitely worth the watch, especially if you want to join in on the hand-jive like me.

t The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time: Review (SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Meagan Leider

ark Haddon’s bestselling novel about an autistic teenager in Swindon is not only a set text that most grade nines at North Toronto are obligated to read, but a fascinating story that taps into inscrutable minds of people with autism spectrum disorder. Simon Stephens’ theatrical adaptation of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime” is a genre-defying adventure of logic and love.

Fifteen year-old Christopher Boone has an exceptionally complex brain, equipping him with astonishing math skills to solve every numerical problem put in front of him, but he is unable to interpret everyday life. When Christopher becomes the prime suspect in the killing of his neighbour’s dog, he finds himself in the unlikely role as a pet detective in order to catch the true culprit of the murder. His unusual thought process unveils the overarching theme behind the mystery of the play: the enigmatic Cabbagetown • Photo by Daanish complexities that make up human behaviour and identity. Despite being ostensibly straightforward, the play contains a great amount of irony, quite a few paradoxes, comedy that truly capture the highly physical characters, and elaborate stage design and lighting. As audience members pack into the crowded theatre and take their seats, flashing lights begin to turn on and off in the theatre. Reflecting on the experience, what enhanced the performance was Bunny Christie’s stage

design: the graph paper lines that covered the stage which was used to demonstrate Christopher’s obsession with logic and mathematics. Props are conjured from trapdoors that magically appear on the

the production’s creative design, the physically demanding roles make the show very entertaining. With combinations of tableaus, lifts, and balancing on other actors, the timeliness and concentration put into the

preparation for the play is quite evident.

The adaptation of the book into a play also translates to the audience aspects of the story that cannot be expressed into words. The performance reveals a critical reflection of ourselves that we often disregard. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” play is equally about Christopher’s difficult experiences based on his relationships, as it is about a reflection on people’s personal missteps. On a primary level, Christopher’s world immediately seemed to be defined by constriction and limitations. As the play continues, his desire for emotional security through routine and disrespectful snappy comments based on other people’s actions is observed. The performance proves to explain that as much as Christopher is different, he remains a person who enjoys the world and is challenged daily by what life has to offer. The play communicated a clever framework of life, family, order, chaos, society, and self-realization--something to which we can all relate.

While the book is told strictly from Christopher’s perspective, the play adaptation uses a variety of different storytelling techniques. The people in Christopher’s

I strongly recommend that students go out and watch the play. It is an amazing opportunity for grade nines to develop a more insightful understanding of the story.

Sayani

Illustration by Danielle Depencier. sides of the set, and chalk drawn across the floor by characters appear like thoughts from Christopher’s imagination spilled onto the set for everyone to see. Along with

life influence his emotions, and he is often unable to interpret the stimuli around him. His teacher and his therapist who often acts as the narrator, guide Christopher throughout the play, reflecting on other characters actions that have influenced Christopher’s outburst of emotion.

Skiing

Lucy Ma

They might tell you they will always be there when you fall, but this is when you put their promises to the test. “Come on Lucy! Let’s both go snowboarding.” Honestly, I don’t know which screw went loose in my brain that led me to agreeing, since I have never snowboarded before. After picking up the equipments, I waddled over to him in the thick snowboarding boots. Photo by Daanish Sayani Dammit now I look like a penguin. Whose idea was this again?! A smile peeked from his lips as he resisted the urge to laugh, and we sat down to put on the rest of the equipments. “....Lucy...Those are mittens.” “Um, no they are just fuzzy and they are super warm.” Amused, he sighed to himself, “here, wear mine.” Despite my protest, he insisted on giving me his waterproof gloves. For a first-timer, it is a good idea to take a beginner lesson with the staff. If you are deemed competent, you are given a blue sticker which allows you to go on larger and more advanced hills. To my surprise, he decided to blend in with the beginners and take the lesson with me. While it was sweet at first, I eventually felt guilt ridden; snowboarding turned out to be much more difficult than it looks. In fact, after half an hour of class the instructor politely smiled and said, “I could give you a blue sticker but to be honest...I’m not sure if that would be the safest idea.” Me neither, it really wouldn’t be the best idea. After the instructor left, he pulled me back onto my feet and encouraged me to try again. No matter how many times I suggested that he go try the black diamond hills, he never gave in. Just like that, hand in hand he taught me how to control my motions. I noticed his gloves were soaking wet and partially frozen by that point, while mine were still warm and dry. After many runs on the bunny hill, Erin came by to check on us. “Hey guys wanna try the bigger hills together?” she said to the both of us. That was when I spotted an abandoned blue sticker in the snow; an idea struck. You know what, I think my perseverance alone would have deserved this sticker by now. Together, the three of us charged toward the other hills. While they were both avid snowboarders who are racers, I on the other hand was not only a beginner, but also an illegal immigrant on these hills. In my opinion, a ski/snowboarding trip easily beats a date spent in silence and darkness. So go ahead and spend an afternoon with the person you have a crush on, enjoy the astonishing scenery on the chairlifts and prepare to laugh (and cry) with that someone special.

Photo by Daanish Sayani

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

NT’s Photography Contest In this day and age, nearly every teenager can be a photographer - all you need is a device with a camera. And since we know there must be a wealth of undiscovered amazing photos in an adolescent-filled institution such as NT, Photography Club decided to take action. We came to the conclusion that there would be no better way to illuminate the hidden jewels of NT photographers than through NT’s first ever photo contest. This contest is one of three contests planned for this year. This month, revolving around the theme of “People & Animals”. The ones coming up in the next months will be “Landscapes & Nature” and “Silly” - keep an eye (or a shutter) out!

Photo by Tanzeem Fatema.

Photo by Jessica Ren.

The Photography Committee painstakingly boiled 140 photo submissions down to 10, and students and staff proceeded to vote on their top choices. These are the people and animals that NT loved the most. P.S. Follow @ntciphotos on instagram if this isn’t enough for you! Photo by TJ Latimer. Photo by Alexandra Johnson.

Toronto by Neighborhood: The Junction Amelia Banville

new up-and-coming neighbourhood has taken root in the city’s west-end, again. Located near Dundas West and Keele, the area now refer to as “The Junction”, used to be its own independent city named “West Toronto”. During the 1800’s, the majority of the predominantly rural areas were owned by a man named John Scarlett. He built his home, “Runnymede”, in 1838, and he is recognized as the first landowner and employer in the area. Later, in the southeast end of The Junction, a popular racetrack developed, which was actually the site of the first Queen’s Plate. After the arrival of the railways in the late 1800’s, The Junction got its name because it was the meeting place of four different railway lines. Throughout the late 1800’s, it was a prosperous manufacturing community producing everything from pianos to meat. Some of the more famous com-

Photo by Amelia Banville.

panies that called The Junction home include the Campbell Milling company, the Heintzman piano company, and the Canadian Cycle & Motor Co. In 1904, the area voted for prohibition as the people of West Toronto felt that bars created regular drunken brawls on the streets. The practice was so successful that it wasn’t until 1997 that the law was removed because many felt that it was no longer benefiting the community. Today, The Junction is a bustling hub of interesting places to eat, shop, and explore. It has a buzzing food industry with many delicious restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all offering a variety of cuisines. Some of the more popular spots include “The Passenger”, which taps into the district’s rich history with prohibition inspired drinks, and “Hole in the Wall”. Despite the area’s history of prohibition, it is also, ironically, a

booming spot for breweries. Recognized as one of the emerging art and design districts in Toronto, The Junction is filled with small businesses that the New York Times describes as “stylish” and “hip”. From modern art to custom furniture, The Junction is the place to shop if you want to support small businesses and one-of-a-kind art. You will find antique stores, art supply stores, art and design stores, used bookstores, boutiques, and espresso bars everywhere. My personal favourite is “Take Note”, a stationary shop on Dundas, but there are also venues for a great night out like 3030 Dundas with its old-style pinball machines, or Junction City Music Hall, with its arcade and live entertainment. The atmosphere is also a fundamental part of The Junction, and it doesn’t disappoint. Although the area is gentrifying, it retains its

Photo from Tripadvisor.ca

old-school charm of red brick buildings and architecture that tells tales of a time gone by. Storefronts and items for sale are often modern and chic, built into the old warehouses and mismatched red-brick Victorian buildings. The Junction also hosts an amazing summer solstice festival, which celebrates the longest day of the year with a range of different performers and artists. Although the majority of the popular areas of The Junction are commercial, a significant amount of the commercial areas are also residential. Old warehouses-turned-lofts are a common sight, along with areas that hold big front yards and Victorian style houses off the main streets that see most of the action. For most North Toronto students, getting to The Junction is a hike, but if you head down there, you’ll find it’s well worth it.

Photo from TourByTransit.com

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

A Star in Our Midst: An Interview with Sam Baker William Lloyd

Photo by William Lloyd.

ecently I had a chance to sit down with Sam Baker, a Grade 12 student and drama aficionado, following his improv performance in Tarragon Theater’s Undercover. For a brief synopsis, here’s the play’s promotional statement: “One grizzled cop. One audience-member-turnedrookie-detective. One unsolved case. When everyone’s a suspect, will our rookie detective be able to sort the clues from the red herrings, point the finger at the right suspect and see that justice is served?” So what exactly happened? All the Grade 11 and 12 drama students at N.T. went to the Tarragon Theatre to watch their production of Undercover for a field trip. Ahead of time Ms. Boutillier told me that there would be a chance that I would be pulled on stage. When I arrived at the theatre I was introduced, along with three other students from various Toronto public and art schools, to a Tarragon em-

ployee involved with the production. She let us know that one of us would be getting picked, and I was able to get across my interest in taking part.

points. I really tried to stick to the three big principles of improv: go with your gut, accept all offers, and your first choice is always your best choice.

For those of us who haven’t seen it, what’s the play about? It’s sort of like watching the board game Clue unfold on stage. For each performance, a new audience member is selected to play the main role of the rookie detective, and is tasked with solving a murder. They’re six seasoned professionals on stage who react to the rookie detective’s decisions and actions. Their main job was to go along with whatever I did, and make my life onstage as easy as possible.

Did your N.T. drama education help you with that?

So it’s completely improvised? Entirely. No two performances will look the same.

Really wellby actually. I managed Photo Sammy Chien to get the right guy. They’ve run the show over 35 times, and I was only the fourth person to arrest the right suspect on the first try.

So when did you know you were going to be pulled on stage? I was actually sitting in the audience, relaxed, when an actor came on stage and read my name. I had no idea it was going to be me. It totally caught me off guard. That must have been nerve wracking. What was your reaction when you heard your name? I was thinking to myself, okay, cool. I was hoping to be picked, so I was excited. What was it like being on stage? Thrilling. I wasn’t taken out of my comfort zone, except when it set in that I was performing in front of a large audience of paying customers. But for the most part, I wasn’t stressed out. Acting is something that I love to do and feel comfortable with, so it was a great experience. Were you ever unsure about what to do while onstage? A few times. It’s not scripted, so obviously you feel a little tentative at some

Definitely. Improv is the basis of all theatre. If you look at a lot of the big Hollywood stars today, such as Steve Carell, Tina Fey, and so many more, they all have an improv background. Whether in Grade 10, 11, or 12, improv training always makes up a large part of the N.T. drama curriculum. So how did you do as a detective?

Moving away from the performance, when did you start getting involved with drama? I started studying drama in an academic setting in Grade 10, the first year it’s offered at N.T. I have continued to take it throughout high school. It’s one of my favourite courses. Are you involved with drama outside the classroom? For sure. In both Grades 10 and 11 I was part of N.T.’s productions for the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. Unfortunately, because Sears recently pulled their funding for the festival and their has been a lot of confusion around its future, N.T. isn’t in it this year. What are you plans with drama in the future? I’m hoping to study theatre in university. There are a lot of great programs nearby, but right now I’m applying to Western, U of T, and York.

For the most part, there are two types of undergraduate theatre programs, those that are more based in the classroom and are theoretical, and those that are more hands on. After talking with some friends who are currently studying theater, like Cameron Lodhi who graduated last year, I’m gravitating towards the latter. When did you know you wanted to study theatre in university? The way I see it, there are two types of careers: those that people flock to to try to make money, and those that people are passionate about. I wasn’t sure until recently, but am now confident that I want to pursue drama, it’s my passion. And, if I lose interest or can’t find a viable career in the field, my thinking is that the skills I will learn in theatre school will provide me with the training I need to succeed in other areas. In 10 years from now, where do you want to be? Ideally, I would love to be a movie or tv actor. No stage acting? I was talking to students studying theatre at York when I visited, and they were telling me about how they planned on getting involved with local productions after graduating. Personally, that isn’t really what I am looking for. Now to some more serious questions. Who is your favourite actor right now? I don’t really have just one. I really like Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, and Leonardo DiCaprio. And your favorite movie? Pulp Fiction.

Why those in particular?

Distillery District

Chantelle Nejnec & Dana Abou Zaki First date at a historic site? Sign me up!

Photo by Chantelle Nejnec.

Even though visiting a number of buildings that were built in the 19th century sounds like the least romantic setting for a first date, it is, surprisingly, the #1 Toronto destination for couples. If you don’t believe us, just check your favourite Toronto couple’s Instagram. We bet that they have at least one photo next to the notorious “LOVE” lock installation (an installation that spells out “LOVE” in locks). Besides the lock installation, the distillery district also has a number of vintage shops, reasonably priced restaurants, and cozy cafés to keep you and your date busy. El Catrin is one of the more popular restaurants among the locals, selling a variety of Mexican food including Baja tacos, quesadillas, and ceviche.

During the second last week of December, The Distillery District hosts The Christmas Market, which is decorated to resemble a German village during Christmas. With countless pop up shops selling an assortment of European chocolates, babushka dolls, poutine, German beer and schnitzel, hats, hot chocolate, and more, the Christmas Market is a perfect destination to escape from downtown Toronto’s fast-paced lifestyle. The Market is also known for their carousel, ferris wheel, 54-foot Christmas tree, and hundreds of performers. Picture this: a cup of hot cocoa in your hands, Christmas music in the background, and the smell of cookies in the air. What better place to find love? But wait, there’s more. Another major event that takes place between January 19 and March 4 this year is the Toronto Light Festival. You can probably recall the flood of Instagram photos from last year’s festival featuring the creative light installations from every angle. This is the perfect place to take your crush; with over 20 light installations, not only will you get plenty of cute pictures together, but you’ll also get the chance to get to know each other better while waiting in the long lines. The knick knack shops are also a hit; they provide endless entertainment as well as the perfect gifts to give your significant other as a reminder of your first date. So the next time you’re stumped on the question of “what do you wanna do?” for a first date, why not give the distillery district a go?

Graffiti

January 15, 2018

Finally a Gay Character on Disney

Kathleen Foran

his past fall, Disney finally introduced their first gay main character on the television show Andi Mack. The belated milestone portrays the struggles of Cyrus Goodman, a 13 year-old boy and friend of protagonist Andi Mack, as he comes to terms with his sexuality on the show.

ously, which featured wizards or talking dogs, is its telenovela style. The show follows Andi Mack’s discovery that her older sister Bex is actually her mother. As a result of the show’s possession of pretty groundbreaking content, Disney thought it would be the perfect show to have some of its other characters take on more realistic coming of age challenges.

Andi Mack is a classic example of a Disney Channel show documenting the lives of pre-teens and their journey of self-discovery. What makes this show more exciting than those aired previ-

After Disney navigated the choppy waters of leading a double life as a pop star or how to handle being a teenage psychic, they figured it was finally time to help all those pre-teens struggling

Illustration by Nikoo Aleyasin.

with their sexuality. In the show’s season premiere, which aired on October 27, 2017, Cyrus realizes he has feelings for Jonah Beck who is coincidentally Mack’s crush as well and talks to his friend Buffy Driscoll about it. Despite breaking records, the backlash was overwhelming. While parents seemed to have no problem with the show’s controversial premise, having a gay kid was apparently the last straw. The organization One Million Moms started a petition in response to the pilot episode, claiming the subject matter was not appropriate for children. Kenya

also banned the airing of the show to prevent homosexuality being introduced into the country. Disney understood the culturally sensitive nature of the show’s subject matter and decided to stop airing it across Sub-Saharan Africa. Even though the show’s debut received some negative press, overall it has been an exciting step forward, making the Disney Channel content more contemporary and relevant. Hopefully this will start a conversation between tweens and their parents to create a more positive environment for self-acceptance.

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

Kim’s Convenience Captures the Immigrant Experience: Review Joshua Chong

ccording to the City of Toronto, half of the city’s population are immigrants, while hundreds of thousands more are children or grandchildren of immigrants. It is easy to see why Toronto is hailed as one of the greatest multicultural cities in the world; Toronto’s citizens come from over 200 different ethnic origins. And yet, it was only in 2016 that these immigrants (specifically Korean immigrants and their children) could see themselves portrayed on a national television show. Ins Choi’s television sitcom “Kim’s Convenience” burst onto CBC just over two years ago, and after two smash seasons, it continues to beautifully capture the immigrant experience. Originally adapted

from a play, Kim’s Convenience follows a Korean immigrant named Mr. Kim/ Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), along with his wife, Mrs. Kim (Jean Yoon). They run a convenience store named Kim’s Convenience in a gentrified downtown Toronto neighbourhood. Their daughter, Janette (Andrea Bang), is an aspiring artist who goes to OCAD, while their eldest child, Jung (Simu Liu), runs away from home as a teenager after a fight. The ensemble cast (almost completely comprised of Asian-Canadians) gives extraordinary performances that show the breadth of their acting capabilities, including their comedy chops. Although all of the actors give exceptional performance, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s performance as

Appa truly stands out. Lee wholeheartedly conveys Appa’s curiosity to discover more about western society, while still insisting on clinging onto his Korean identity. Unlike other immigrant sitcoms (such as those from south of the border), Choi rarely creates caricatures or uses racial jokes to earn laughs. Rather, his characters are fully drawn out with deep backstories. Choi, along with the other script writers, do not shy away from contentious topics in the sitcom. Previous episodes have highlighted LGBT issues, gentrification, the Syrian refugee crisis, and interracial relationships. Despite the serious topics, the show is always light and funny, and never becomes monotonous.

However, the overarching theme of Kim’s Convenience is the intergenerational differences within immigrant families. Many of the fights and quarrels that arise between the Kims are caused by miscommunication or misunderstanding. As many first and second generation immigrants know, the children may live in the same house as their parents, but they are in separate societies. As an Asian immigrant myself, I can fully understand this divide, and I am certain that millions of other families can connect to this as well. Behind all the humour and fast paced plot lines, Kim’s Convenience can be pinned to a single simple, yet beautiful message: Immigrant parents give up their world in hopes of giving their children a better future.

Stranger Things Season 2: An In-Depth Review

Cameron Gilliland

Illustration by Avishai Sol. WARNING: Spoilers Ahead

tranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer delivered an astounding second season with twists, shocks, actions, and heartbreaks. One key component of Stranger Things’ success was its cinematic feel. Season one ended with a lot of loose ends which were picked up in season two. Where’d Eleven go? Nowhere. After destroying the Demogorgon, she ends up in the Upside-Down, but she finds a doorway out, and Hopper finds her and takes her into hiding. As for the Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan love triangle, Jancy lives. Jonathan helps Nancy expose the truth about Barb’s death,

and they admit their feelings for each other. At the end of season one, the audience was left in suspense when Will coughed up a slug taking him back to the Upside-Down; but in season two, it is revealed that the slug is a “demodog” from the Upside-Down and that Will is still possessed by the “shadow Monster”. Hopper ended season one being ushered into a government car, however, we find out that Hawkins Lab and Hopper actually struck a deal. Hopper keeps the lab and the UpsideDown in the shadows, and the lab keeps Hawkins safe. From the action, the scares, and the heart breaks, Stranger Things 2 was one of the best seasons of television

this year. The grander scale and faster pacing in this new season slightly edged out season one as the favourite season. Of course, it wasn’t perfect. There was episode seven with Eleven travelling to Chicago to find her “lost sister”, which felt out of place. Although the episode was enjoyable, it stopped the momentum that had been building up since episode six. Episode six, The Spy, is the favourite. The best moments from the episode include Jonathan and Nancy hooking up, Will becoming the Mind Flayers spy, and Hawkins Lab military squad getting killed in the tunnels. Bob Newby was a new character who was introduced this season. He is Joyce’s,

Will’s mother’s, new boyfriend, and he proved himself to be a superhero when he sacrificed his life to save Joyce and Will from the demodog-infested lab. Steve Harrington, Nancy’s exboyfriend, became the unlikely hero in season two. He helped Dustin catch Dart, a demodog Dustin had been secretly raising, and became something of a babysitter to Dustin, Lucas, Max and Mike. Hopper also developed into a fatherly figure to Eleven, and his rigid cold personality softened. This was an amazing season. From the great narrative to the 80’s feel and its perks, we couldn’t have asked for a better show.

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

Rest in Peace Lil Peep Kathleen Foran

passing, Post Malone spoke on Peep’s death expressing how “he was going to change music forever.” Bella Thorne, one of Peep’s ex-girlfriends, also spoke about his death in an Instagram story speaking to how talented and great he was.

n November 15th, 2017, Gustav Elijah Åhr, otherwise known as Lil Peep, passed away from an overdose on Xanax laced with fentanyl. His death left a quake of sadness throughout the music industry and amongst his fans all over the world. Peep was a music success story, working his way up from being a Soundcloud talent to having a full-fledged music career. Not only was Peep talented, but he was also a genuinely nice guy, and brave enough to openly discuss his struggles with mental illness and his sexuality. He came out this past summer on his twitter blatantly announcing, “yes I’m bisexual.” Other artists in the music industry

Illustration by Danielle Depencier. who knew Peep personally, have been greatly affected by his death. In an interview following the news of his

For fans who did not know Lil Peep personally, but got to know him through his music, the loss was just as real. Grade 10 North Toronto student Nicky DM was lucky enough to have attended Lil Peep’s Toronto show earlier this year in October, three weeks before his death, and one of the last shows he would ever perform. Nicky described the concert as “crazy” and that “everyone including Peep seemed to be having a good time.” When asked about his death, Nicky said “it was a long time coming,” but such a

shame as “his music helped a lot of people.” In his interview, Post Malone also mentioned that he did not want Lil Peep’s death to become an anti drug campaign. He acknowledged the drug problem in the music industry, but believes that the public should focus more on helping those who struggle with mental illness. It is one thing to look down on drug use, and another to help and support people who use drugs as a way to self medicate. Unfortunately, Lil Peep’s death will be grouped with the increasing list of musicians who were tragically taken away too soon due to their drug use.

Fangirling the Flames of Homophobia

ust as the herds of migrating wildebeest arrive in the Serengeti plains of Africa each May, the hordes of yaoi fangirls descend upon Toronto for the annual Yaoi North Convention.

These characters are false depictions as they do not represent the true, multifaceted people in real life.

The genre of “yaoi” isn’t common in Western media, but has been growing in popularity over the years. The Japanese word is an acronym that describes homosexual male relationships, and it translates to: no climax, no heart, no meaning. Such a demeaning term being used to describe an entire genre demonstrates the flaws that are ingrained within it. As someone who has attended Yaoi North, I feel the responsibility to properly explain the event and its influence. Yaoi North is one of the few Canadian conventions for yaoi. The purpose of the convention is for yaoi fans to share their interests, but panels such as “Gay Boys and Their Fangirls” (20072009) and many more with extremely explicit titles further the inaccurate media portrayal and fetishization that affect the lives of real people. A heteronormative portrayal of gay male relationships is deeply rooted in yaoi media, as the two men in a relationship are usually referred to as either the seme or uke, derivatives from the Japanese words for defender and attacker. As with the word yaoi, a derogatory shadow is cast over the verbiage. The seme is the embodiment of masculinity, typically displaying strength, physicality and dominance. On the other hand, the uke symbolizes femininity, typically expressing characteristics such as helplessness, delicacy (unrelated to food), and submissiveness. These attributes extend to their physical appearances as they are commonly drawn with large eyes, dainty features, and petite bodies.

Photo courtesy of

Illustration by Joceyln Tang.

Yaoi fangirls, or fujoshi, are notorious for their obsession over homosexual relationships. It is commonly known by fans of yaoi that these fujoshi praise and worship gay male relationships while loathing gay female relationships. One selfproclaimed fujoshi attendee of the 2016 Yaoi North explains that lesbian relationships don’t appeal to her fantasies, “so [she] doesn’t care about them.” By fetishizing gay men and their relationships and abhorring others, these fans disrespect the entire LGBTQ community. By far, the most damning effect of yaoi is that it hurts real people in the real world. As people fail to

meet these expectations and stereotypes, it harms their sense of self and gives them unrealistic expectations of what actual relationships are like. When I was younger, my only exposure to the LGBTQ community was through reading yaoi, where I picked up many stereotypes and assumptions. Years later, I had to relearn how to not categorize people so harshly based off of my prejudices. It took me time to fully understand that a gay male relationship doesn’t have to have a seme and an uke, and that it is okay to deviate from these roles. Homophobia is a phobia. It isn’t fearing gay people; it’s fearing the unknown. The single saving grace of yaoi is that it exposes homosexual relationships which is beneficial to society, no matter how misleading the representation, as it will lead to Sam Spodek tolerance. Yaoi North, while supporting a problematic genre, does have this virtue. For every panel as unproductive as “Gay Boys and Their Fangirls” (2007-2009), Yaoi North has another that attempts to clear up the confusion and stereotypes of their genre. Helpful panels such as “Writing Realistic Gay Characters” (2008) and “Gay Life: Fact vs. Yaoi” (2011-2013) aim to educate their fanbase. While conventions such as Yaoi North have many issues with fetishization and the images they project, the effect on the lives of actual people can be changed for the better. And so, the passing hordes of fujoshi that will soon be off to greener pastures will hopefully have some of this change imparted upon them by the upcoming, ever-developing Yaoi North.

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

Features

2017 was one of the busiest years in global politics. Perhaps the biggest news story of the year was the first year in office of U.S. President, Donald J. Trump. This man went from businessman, to celebrity, to billionaire, and, now, to arguably the most powerful man in the world. His actions have and continue to impact those around the globe in different ways and it seems as though most people have very strong opinions on his policies, actions, and values. North Toronto is a very diverse community. Most students and teachers know others in different countries across the globe. I thought that it would be an interesting idea to ask teenagers around the world about their opinions on Trump’s first year in office. The responses are extremely eye opening and diversely opinionated. Teenagers will ultimately change the world in years to come as we mature and grow up. It is important to see how tomorrow’s leaders feel about global issues and the state of our modern world. The people profiled in this piece are a group of bright young people with important opinions and ideas to share. I hope that their honest responses open your eyes to the many complexities of President Trump and the world in 2018. - Maya Sternthal

From: Chiara Romano

I'd define Trump as an imbicile, he only knows how to point fingers against people and attack them. He's a megolomaniac who is in a race with Kim Jong-Un about who has it bigger. He can't be considered sane in the head. How can he govern an entire nation with his wormholed mind? With his poor mental capabilities sooner or later he'll go crazy. He can't handle the stress of leading the nation.

Bucharest, Romania

Milan, Italy

From: Brooke McDonald

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Living in Georgia and going to summer camp in Maine has allowed me to see two very different perspectives in regards to the recent presidential election. If I were to generalize the predominant attitude towards Trump in Georgia, I would say there is general support for him, especially for his pro-America campaign. Still, there remains a lot of controversy over his social policies. Reversely, the generalization of my friends’ attitudes up North would be an extremely strong anti-Trump stance. I find logic in both these attitudes, but my biggest problem with the election is the judgement and prejudice it has automatically entailed. As soon as someone says whether they support Trump or not, it automatically places them in one confining category. Students at my school who vocalized support for Hillary Clinton during the election were automatically ridiculed by the majority of their peers. Reversely, at camp this summer, multiple times, I heard my peers immediately demoting the character of another person after hearing they supported Trump. I think the most important thing to remember during the time of Trump’s presidency is that supporting one candidate over another does not make or break your character. You should not be defined as a terrible person just because you support or don’t support Trump. Moving forward it is essential to not let political opinions solely define someone’s character. If that is the premise of American society and continues to become common nature, the nation will inevitably be divided.

By: Nicole Lo

Hong Kong

It is truly saddening to see a position that has historically been a role model for children and for all, one held by highly esteemed people like Abraham Lincoln, to be succeeded by a bully who does not realize and simply do not care about his sexually and racially degrading comments. The current US President is someone who would resort to utilizing personal attacks on his opponents just to win an argument, like he did with Hillary Clinton during the election, evidently demonstrating the kind of person he is. How does a leader as such appear to foreign nations? His sensational comments, all of his empty promises, and his childish insult war with the North Korean dictator… A leader leads by making people believe, and I do not see one for the US for the coming three years.

Romanians tend to be very opinionated people. Give us any topic, and we’ll have some sort of opinion on it; Trump is no exception. For the most part, we don’t like him. Why would we after he showed hatred for immigrants? Even so, overall, we are more preoccupied with our own government to care about the United States’ problems; we also have it bad. On January 31, 2017, our government passed an ordinance that essentially decriminalized corruption which ended up sparking one of the largest protest movements in Romania since the fall of communism; I even joined in on the protests. This decriminalization was an attempt to save the Social-Democrat party president, Liviu Dragnea, who was imprisoned for election fraud. While may not seem to compare to the injustices of Donald Trump to some, the Romanian media/population is more engrossed in local political news than drama occurring on the other side of the ocean. For now, the biggest feud between Romania and Donald Trump lies within the United States’ Visa Waiver program which allows citizens of participating countries to enter into the United States without a visa for tourist/business purposes. 38 countries are currently in the program, with Romania not being one of them. Donald Trump recently visited our country and was asked about how Romania stands with the Waiver Program and he was quick to dismiss it. All the more reason to hate him.

From: Abir Haddad

Beirut, Lebanon

From: Claire de Cordova

By: Yujin Son

Japan

From: Alina Puscasu

Poughkeepsie , New York, USA

When it comes to a politicians like Donald Trump, the Lebanese people are always divided in their opinions. Initially, Trump’s travel ban resulted in a lot of backlash here. Although Lebanon was not affected by the ban, his message was pretty clear: people from Muslim-majority countries pose a threat to the US. You can imagine how that resonated with the Lebanese Muslims. However, opinions have changed over time. I, and many others, still don’t agree with Trump’s approach on the Middle East. Just last month, protests broke out near the U.S. Embassy over Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On the other hand, many support him for a number of reasons. Some feel as though he will be effective in fighting ISIS, and others appreciate his tough approach on Iran, as many Lebanese are fed up with feeling dominated by the nation. As well, those who follow Walid Phares, a LebaneseAmerican political pundit, have passed on their support to Trump, as Phares acts as his advisor on the Middle East. Opinions will continue to clash, but personally, I don’t like the guy, and I don’t believe he’s done anything to earn the respect of the Lebanese people.

“When somebody hurts you, you go after them as viciously and violently as you can.” -Donald Trump, How to Get Rich, 2004 I am sorry, Mr. Trump, but I disagree. After all, you have hurt me as an American woman in countless ways. You have left my government unstable, firing just about anyone who disagrees with you, or, God forbid, tells you that a travel ban is unconstitutional. It is no surprise that Sally Yates is a woman, I might add. Mr. Trump, you have tried to suppress LGBTQ rights immeasurably, attempting to force trans men and women out of the military, and dismantling Obama-era protections in the earliest days of presidency. You campaigned for Roy Moore, a sexual abuser of teenage girls. Never in history has that been done, and it sickens me to my core. Trump, you’ve hurt the Earth itself, pulling out of the Paris Climate Summit and drastically reducing the size of two of America’s most beautiful national monuments. You’ve subjected its native people to even greater losses of land and home. This is only the beginning of the laundry list. DACA, the Wall, Russia: it just goes on and on. But I refuse to, and my community of greater America refuses to take your advice. We will not “go after you viciously and violently.” We will just march, protest, and petition until the glorious day you leave office. Even more importantly, we will fight for truly American and truly human future presidents.

From: Jade Shah

Japan, for a long time, has supported and embraced the United States and its culture. With current President Trump, however, there are two sides. There is a side where there are people who oppose Trump and his ideologies. However, most of those people are mainly (from my perspective) those who are fluent in an English and can get their information first hand. The other side still does despise him to some extent but also supports Trump due to his strong and bold comments. One reason they do support him is because he has shown support for Prime Minister Abe and the Japanese economy, and another, because he shined a light on the kidnapping incidents (a huge problem because North Korea has not been compromising whatsoever about returning the people abducted back to Japan). As for my personal opinion, I have no respect for him as I see him as a person full of prejudice and bigotry, but as of most of Japan, the situation is not really talked about or made of big deal, unlike America where you have the two sides constantly clashing.

London, England, United Kingdom

The triggering response for when I hear the word ‘Trump’ is an instant eye roll, followed by a semi-aggressive speech about yet another decision, tweet, or verbal comment he has made to further encourage a mockery of the USA’s political system. I then usually follow by asking how he got elected initially. A frequent response I hear is ‘all Trump supporters are racist so all the racist people in the US voted him’. However, some people voted Trump because they wanted a ‘change’. The only plausible reason I could think of, was the prospects that he bought in terms of trade. Being from the UK, I was especially interested in how Trump’s win would play out for us. The results of Brexit, much like the US election, was split. We had mainly always had a trade deficit, therefore the idea of a ‘major trade deal’ with the US slightly eased the pain of Brexit, as it could mean a trade surplus for us, which would in turn increase our total aggregate demand and increase prosperity for the UK. The benefits for us are yet to be seen since Brexit will not be final until possibly March 2019. However, we also have to question if Trump will stick to his word and if we will even want to trade with a destructive, power-hungry president.

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

t 25

Teens’ Shopping Addictions Hana Sharifi and Joshua Chong

ou’re strolling through Sephora when you spot something that you’ve been drooling over for a while. You check the price, and it shocks you how expensive it is. You glance around, and see that no one’s in sight. A nagging thought pops into your head: “How easy would it be to steal this?” Teenagers are notorious in pop culture for shoplifting, but it’s hard to imagine students attending your own school, or even your own peers, stealing. However, in reality, it happens more frequently than we think. Biologically, adolescents are going through a time in their lives when they feel unseen and bored, and have flaring rebellious streaks with a hunger to break the rules. What better way to let this feeling out than grab something small while shopping? A Grade 11 student at NT brought this issue to our attention when she mentioned how familiar she is with students our age, who attend local TDSB schools, stealing on a regular basis with little remorse. According to her, these kids are generally rich and privileged, but they still feel the need to steal whether for the rush, to rebel, or maybe even “just because they can get away with it.” The things they steal are usually not even put to use, and stealing becomes more like a gamble or a game than something created out of desperation for surviv-

al, which is the only circumstance in which stealing seems to be excused. A Grade 12 ex-shoplifter, who wishes to remain anonymous, understands that shoplifting is wrong, but shoplifted in her early high school years because as a teenager, “[she] didn’t want to waste [her] money,” and because “morals [were] the last thing [she cared] about.” In fact, she felt no remorse immediately after shoplifting. Instead, she was always “happy because [she] got new things without having to touch [her] bank account.” Shoplifting soon became an obsession for her. Starting at the age of 15 until she was caught by police, she recalls that she shoplifted “whenever [she] passed a store [she] liked and [had] free time.” The urge to steal seems to stem from a desperation to be “cool,” as do many other problematic teenage pastimes. From the times this particular NT student has talked to these people, they seem to like to “brag about it a lot.” Furthermore, although two people she knows got caught for stealing, “They didn’t seem too rattled up by it.” According to Section 334(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada, getting a criminal record is possible for first time shoplifters. The best scenario is that your charges are stored in the local police database, and “it can show up on certain types of employment checks, even if your charge is

withdrawn and you don’t end up with a criminal record.” If being warned by the police about these consequences and being banned from stores, which is what happened to these shoplifters, isn’t enough to snap someone back to their senses, what is? Could the illegal act of stealing really be another risky product of peer pressure, joining the line among partying, drinking, and doing drugs? In an interview conducted by Jane Marie on Millihelen, an anonymous Sephora employee disclosed that the items most frequently stolen from Sephora are fragrances and testers, which is why anyone who visits to Sephora is bound to see plenty of tester slots that are empty. Although the staff at Sephora try their hardest to keep a watchful eye out and combat the issue, “when it’s busy, it’s busy.” Usually, they discover empty boxes and stolen testers long after the culprits have run. Stefan Deeks, a former NT student who works at Urban Outfitters, shares similar shoplifting horror stories. According to Deeks, who’s been working there “for the better part of two years,” people are caught attempting to shoplift frequently – “almost daily”. He has noticed that most student shoplifters are “pretty young, mostly [in] Grade 8 or Grade 9,” and they “think [of themselves] as invincible.” But, most of the time, these students

exhibit the same traits that lead Deeks and other store employees to immediately raise red flags. When you shoplift, “your body language is different, your eyes are always wandering, [and] you linger around,” says Deeks. As Deeks began working there at the age of 15, his manager was quick to get him on shoplifter-catching duty. He recognized a lot of students who came in, which meant he had “a pretty good idea of which kids will try to steal.” According to the National Post, nearly one in every ten consumers is a shoplifter and youth make up approximately 25% of all shoplifters. As companies start to see the negative effect shoplifting has on revenue, more precautions will be put in place to prevent shoplifting. Several stores, such as the Shoppers Drug Mart at Avenue and Lawrence, have gone as far as to limit the number of teens in the store at one time. Though the temptation to shoplift will continue to grow for students who reside around North Toronto, as urban development brings even more stores to the neighbourhood, shoplifting will become increasingly more complicated. It’s safe to say that shoplifting will never be as simple as in the good old days, when you could stuff that candy bar into your pocket and walk out of the store without anyone even blinking an eye.

Photos by Hana Sharifi.

Laser Tag

Mika Schwartz Photo from The Main Event.

Think back to a time where you weren’t awkward around someone you liked. It probably wasn’t in high school or even in middle school, but when you were a kid. What if I told you there’s a way to go back to those cringe-less days without going through a time machine? Well there is ladies and gentlemen: going laser tagging on a first date. Firing infrared beams through bulky guns is not only ridiculously fun, but also a great way to shoot the tension away between you and your date. The many kids around you does make students who go stand out, but once you get over that, you begin to feel like one of the kids. This is also an affordable activity with the average price of local arenas being $10 per person, per game. You may not be able to talk to your date much at the laser tag arena, but you’ll have so many interesting conversation starters to talk about afterwards. For example, the weird things some of the kids inside did and your questionable strong gun handling skills. As you can see the opportunities are endless. This is a great start for a fun relationship!

Graffiti

January 15, 2018

ForMula: An Interview with the Creator of Wine & Dine Chantelle Nejnec

year ago today, ForMula was just like you and I: a stressed, sleep-deprived, and ambitious NT student. Today, he’s managed to jump start his own music career at the age of 18 with songs like Wine & Dine, She a Dancer, and Bumpa Round. Described on the music app Spotify as “a Toronto based Canadian rapper raised in Mexico known for his versatility and ability to tap into different genres with the music he creates,” ForMula is quickly gaining popularity in the Toronto rap scene, with nearly 20,000 views on his music video for his single “Wine & Dine.” Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m 18 years old and I study Business Management at Ted Rogers in Toronto. I’m a sales manager for an HVAC distributor, I speak Spanish, and once I was stung by a stingray in Mexico.

ForMula at the studio.

How did you come up with the name “ForMula?” Originally I was writing a verse about having a formula for getting money (formula for mula

industry.

(money). I turned that verse into a hook because I liked the wordplay. And finally, I decided to make it my stage name. So it’s ForMula because I love to make money and also because we (bryankagency and I) are following a formula in an attempt to become famous in the

a rapper from London, England. My favourite musicians include Tory Lanez, Chief Keef, Lil Baby, Jay Critch, Drake, Shania Twain, Roberta Flack, Led Zepplin, and more. What is your favourite song that you have written and why? My favourite song I’ve written so far is called Forever. It took about a month to write and it is over 4 minutes long despite having no chorus and only one fast-paced verse. The lyrics are clever and fun. It was scheduled for release in October 2017 along with an EP but was held back. It will be released some-

leased on YouTube and eventually Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL and more. Bryan Kimanuka was and continues to be an instrumental part of my career. What’s (or who’s) the inspiration behind Wine & Dine? I wrote Wine&Dine over the summer. I wish I could say it was for someone but there wasn’t anyone in particular that I had in mind. Do you have any music coming out soon? My latest single, SheADancer, is out on Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, and more. Currently we’re working on a project that is set to be released in early 2018 along with a new music video, so keep your eyes peeled.

What inspires you to make music? Since a young age, music has had a big impact in my life. I taught myself to play piano, guitar and I What is the ultimate goal that played bass clarinet you want to achieve through for Junior Band for your music? part of my time at NT. Recognition; I want the sound It wasn’t until I was I create to be heard around the about 9 years old that world. Ultimately, I’d love to I started writing potour the world with my favouems and verses which rite artists. would evolve into full songs and love poWhat advice would you give ems for ex girlfriends. students who want to pursue a Today I write music career in music? almost daily and visit Make the music you want to ForMula Billboard Ad in Dundas Square. the studio about once make. Marketing is everything. a week. I get inspired by lots time in 2018. of things; sometimes I can sit Do you miss North Toronto at down and write out a full song; Would you like to pursue music all and would you be willing to other times melodies or lyrics as your career in the future? perform at our prom? come to me over the span of Certainly. Music has always North Toronto was a blast and I several weeks. been a passion of mine; to be certainly do miss it! And cerfortunate enough to make a tainly, I’d love to perform. How are you different living from the music I create from other upcoming would be a blessing. artists in the music industry today? How did you start your muThe vast majority of tosic career? day’s artists make music After Bryan Kimanuka, for specific genres and founder of BryanKAgency, stick to what they do reacted positively to the and know best. I like to first draft of Wine&Dine, I tap into different genres decided to take my music to with the sound I create the next level. I got in touch and it differentiates me with ONA, my current sound as an artist. engineer, and we hit the booth. We cut 11 versions What music are you currently of Wine&Dine, each better listening to? Who are your than the last. Finally, I was favourite musicians? satisfied with the mix and it was ForMula: center. Photos from ForMula. Currently I’m listening to lots of ready to be heard. On August music from Yung Fume who is 20th, my first single was re-

Photo by Vicky Ye

Graffiti t January 15, 2018

Photo Courtesy of Mike Chan

t The Passive Violence of Bystanders Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

Anastasia Zaritovskaya

Photo from the Multicultural Resource Center.

“Get your breasts out of that boy’s face! You’re disgusting.”

done this before.”

he woman screaming at me in the middle of the Yonge and Eglinton Tim Hortons was clearly mentally unstable — but she had not seemed violent at first. She had walked in singing to herself, but this act had been so trivial that my male friend and I had not paid attention to her until she started yelling her opinion of me. Music Retreat activities • Photo For a couple of minutes, she proceeded to scream that I was “corrupting” my friend’s “pure psyche” with my apparently exposed chest and that I was obviously beyond saving but needed to be removed from his presence in order not to damage him any further. She proceeded to hurl her muffin and coffee in my direction across the store, missing me by a couple of feet, and stormed out with a final scream. I was not upset. These things happen; it is naive to take the words of someone not in their right mind to heart. What did affect me was the fact that throughout this loud, violent confrontation, nobody in the store tried to help. A couple of people approached me after the incident to ask if I was okay, but no one — including the staff — had attempted to intervene while I sat there dumbfounded. As my friend and I were leaving the store, visibly shaken, a member of the staff approached us to say “I’m sorry, she’s

As it turned out, I did not have to dig deep to find this “before”. A similar incident happened to another Grade 12 student at NT while she was at the rooftop patio at Yonge and Eglinton with her boyfriend. “[An old lady] shouted at us saying ‘let her be a virgin and live a little!’,” she says. by Genevieve Crispin-Frei “Then she called me a hoe.” No one around had tried to step in; “that’s probably the worst of it, because when that happens you start to wonder if what [the old lady] said was true”. “I was waiting for the subway at Bloor when I began to realize a man staring at me intently; he was black, tall, and wearing tattered clothes, but I was only concerned about the fact that he was looking at me with bloodshot eyes,” says another Grade 12 student. “I decided to move away — however, he began pointing at me, referring to me as ‘’that white boy’’, and harping at random people about the fact that I was ‘the problem with our country’ in terms of race.” No one had intervened here either; “people just stood on the platform and allowed him to make blatant accusations towards me”. For anyone that has not taken a psychology course, the bystander effect occurs when the presence of others

discourages people to intervene in a situation. Interest in the subject first arose after the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death outside of her building, with 37 people seeing the events unfold but doing nothing. This phenomenon prompted two old men in suits to stage emergency situations to test the response time of people acting alone versus as part of a group. The experiment showed that when we are surrounded by other inactive people, we are much less likely to act ourselves; we simply do not want to get involved. There are many psychological explanations for this — dilution of responsibility, costs of involvement, etc. — but what it ultimately comes down to is the selfishness of the bystander. Various governments have tried to combat this effect by passing Good Samaritan laws; in Ontario, bystanders are encouraged to actively intervene in dire situations through the minimization of the legal repercussions of any damage their actions may cause. Quebec is the only Canadian province where bystanders have a civil duty to respond unless it involves danger to themselves. However, there is no doubt that this effect is still prevalent in our society — if anything, it has gotten worse with the popularization of “shock media”. Bystanders now can record the situations and post them

The Making of Happiness

Lucy Ma

remember an encounter where I witnessed true happiness. I was delivering a vase of daffodils as a volunteer at Sunnybrook Hospital. When I walked into the maternity room, the unmistakable fragrance of baby wipes hit me, and then I saw her: the happiest human alive. I could tell by her smile and her crescent eyes, she was content that her basic needs were met and needed nothing more. There was no way this innocent baby was faking her smile; she has yet to learn the ability to deceive, and yet to be influenced by the expectations of our society. Can the same be said about us? I conducted a survey of 30 Grade 12 students at North Toronto and asked them what their major life goals were: an astonishing 70% of participants yearned to achieve happiness, 26.7% wished to obtain a desired career, and 3.3% hoped to simply copulate. Although we want to be happy, unfortunately, we can’t always smile with the same sincerity as the baby did. Close your eyes and visualize someone who is the happiest person you

know. What is that person wearing? What kind of people does she surround herself with? Is she walking hand in hand with her lover down Yonge street, her golden locks bouncing as their laughter echoed down the boulevard? The truth is we allow ourselves to be manipulated by a variety of external authorities, let it be social media or advertisements, that encourage us to gather all the dispensable ingredients for a recipe of artificial happiness. Doing so makes it easy to fall into a mudslide of a mentality where maintaining control of our external situations can fulfill us. However, when we fail to conform or fall short to the ideals imposed upon us, our self-esteem becomes vulnerable as we are dissatisfied with ourselves. This negative perception prevents us from being able to love and accept the individuals that we are. A popular phrase in the field of neuroscience is “neurons that fire together wire together”. In other words, a repetition of a stimulus conditions your brain to have a certain response, creating and reinforcing a specific

neural pathway for that particular stimulus. To observe this phenomenon, I conducted an experiment in my Philosophy class, where I gave half the class images of people facing each other (Group A), and the other half received images of vases (Group B). After giving them one minute to carefully analyze the pictures, I presented them with a visual illusion that is open to two interpretations: a face or a vase. Although the participants were unaware of the purpose of the experiment, 100% of Group A saw faces, and 100% of Group B saw vases as their first response. This exercise shows the danger of limiting your mind to one perspective and failing to see other possibilities, creating a fixed mental set. When we bombard our self-esteem, we are reinforcing the neural pathway of a defeatist. However, the quality of our experiences are subconsciously determined. Our brains have the capacity to change themselves, which is an ability known as neuroplasticity. It allows us to reform our cognitive processes and reconstruct the neural pathways

online — their violent unresponsiveness magnified exponentially. The implications of this effect are obvious, but dire; if we cannot trust the people around us to help us in extreme situations, how can we ever feel safe? “When nobody comes to help, the victims suddenly feel like the criminals,” says the student whose encounter on the rooftop left a distinct impression on her. Humans rely on cooperation to stay safe, but this ability is impeded by our inability to act independently and altruistically in crowds. We are surrounded by violence — verbal, physical, and emotional — wherever we go, even in the supposed safety of the Yonge and Eglinton area. Just today, while I was walking home at around 10 p.m., a man passed by me spewing racial slurs and banging on the mailboxes, as everyone around treated him as if he did not exist; no one even tried to look at him. That did not make him stop, however, this avoidance of confrontation may be a self-defence mechanism, but looking the other way does not prevent violence. Since preschool, we’ve been dozing off in classrooms as teachers put up anti-bullying posters screaming “see something, say something”. But as it turns out, we would much rather pretend that the violence is not happening than to confront it — and potentially give the victim of the situation a much-needed feeling of safety.

linked together to allow for a different response to the same stimulus. If you are able to recognize and harness your brain’s ability to rewire itself, then you may have found a kind of omnipotence. A lesson to take away from this experiment is the importance of being aware of who and what you surround yourself with, and the subsequent impact on our ability to stay in control of our happiness. To allow for the possibility of happiness, surround yourself with proactive people and activities to reinforce a positive perception. Happiness is not an elusive, esoteric perfection that only a certain number of us get, it is a commodity that everyone has the capacity to manufacture. Our brain is capable of a freedom to make or change decisions to guide a pursuit of happiness. Although this journey will be an exhausting one, all that matters is that we appreciate every baby step we take, to make the best of this mad world we live in so that one day, we can look back in wonder and fulfillment that the pursuit never ends.

The Dragon’s Den participants • Photo by Mr. Gorenkoff

(SBÄ?UJ t +BOVBSZ

Photo by Daanish Sayani

Photo by Alice Liang

Photo by Daanish Sayani

t 29

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Opinion

Photo from Blog TO.

Heroic or Headache Annie Doane

Bloor station. Photo by Sammy Chien.

f you haven’t taken the TTC at least once, you can’t truly consider yourself a Torontonian. The red and white buses and streetcars that glide down major streets in Toronto are a staple of the city. They are seemingly fast, efficient, and wholeheartedly Canadian. Whether it be travelling to school or work on a daily basis, or making the occasional shopping trip Photo by Alice Liang downtown, the TTC supposedly “keeps Toronto moving”. While many cities around the world are squirming with jealousy at the thought of Toronto’s transit commission, some of the very people who use the service daily don’t always see the appeal. In a survey conducted of students at NT, 27% claimed that they “disliked” the TTC while an additional 9% claimed that they “hated” it.

Photo by Alice Liang

The participants expanded on these responses by stating their biggest complaints about the service included delays, crowded vehicles, and confusing routes. So are these complaints legitimate? Absolutely. Everyone has their own traumatic story about getting stuck on the subway because of a delay, or getting hopelessly lost on their way to a new location. It is a Toronto rite of passage. The delays and the web of subway lines and bus routes are a major headache for daily commuters. So does the TTC need to clean up their act? Perhaps they are already on their way. The TTC has been constantly returning to the drawing board with new ways to make their services even better for the citizens of Toronto, implementing new concepts such as the Presto card, and rolling out a fancy new fleet of buses and streetcars that leave other transit systems salivating with envy. The company is also working on expanding the Yonge-University subway line which will connect even more Torontonians to the hustle and bustle of downtown. While they are taking many steps in the right direction, some Torontonians believe more work needs to be done. A North Toronto student who takes the TTC everyday to school says she “[likes] the Presto card because it is quick and easy” but

overall isn’t pleased with the transit system. She says that while “the TTC is way better than other cities’ transport systems,” she “hasn’t noticed any major changes to improve the quality of [her] rides”. It is apparent that these projects, aimed to “improve customers’ experience and environment”, don’t solve all of the problems customers have. While it is clear that the TTC has areas where it falls short, one area where it thrives is its accessibility. It is cheap and efficient, as there are over 300 routes throughout the city. Also, the transit company does not discriminate against race, religion, sexuality, or income, and do their best to make sure their customers feel as safe as possible by implementing anti-harassment ads in many of their buses. The TTC also provides a service for the disabled called “Wheel Trans”, which allows those with physical and mental disabilities who are unable to ride the regular transit system alone, get where they need to go. These small details give all TTC riders a sense of dignity and freedom. Speaking of freedom, we have all had our TTC horror stories, but you have probably also had a unique experience during your travel time. It may have been a bit strange, very insightful,

or possibly even heartwarming. No matter what the experience was, it is something you would have only seen on public transit. Last week, I was on the bus on my way home from school, and the man sitting beside me found a wallet under his seat. The two of us, along with a young muslim family sitting nearby, spent the entire bus ride trying to find out who the wallet belonged to, and how we could get it to them. Eventually we found out who the wallet belonged to and the man returned it. Will I ever encounter these four people again? Probably not. But that memory gave me a sense of gratitude towards the place I live in and the kindness of people. Five complete strangers from different walks of life worked together to do a good deed. While some Torontonians can’t overlook the TTC’s problems and choose to use Uber instead, most of us choose to stick it out for better or for worse. Our trains, buses, and streetcars represent the good, the bad, and the most frustrating parts of Toronto, but while we squabble and complain about everything wrong with our transit system, we often forget to celebrate its accessibility, its diversity, and the community it forms one subway car at a time.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

School Loyalty: More Basic Than Dog Filter Selfies Brendan Weeks

in effect and ended in mid-November with minus degree weather.

ew things are left unjudged in today’s world. Everyone seems to have an opinion, but, merely having an opinion doesn’t necessarily mean you are right. Conquering this notion of any negative criticism or belittling opinions directed at our school should be as simple as NTCI just closing the gate. But what if the enemy is already within? Woke. School pride is like having loyalty. Loyalty is not a contract you sign… it’s more of an understanding. Valuing, encouraging, and celebrating another’s achievements probably will result in stability for a healthy, lasting relationship. Loyalty has a zero chance of Photo Daanish Sayani growth byby promoting ideas that could undermine that. And we all know the ones with zero school pride… They are the ones that won’t wear red and grey because they think they are unflattering colours. They are the ones that will sit in the visitors section at home games. And they are the first ones to criticize. However, their critique is about as useful as a zit. More like a boil. They are like a boil on the butt of NTCI. Putting into question the achievements of NTCI athletic teams is shameful. To inexplicably make a blanket statement that some of our school’s teams accom-

And ALL of our school teams that work so hard to represent NTCI deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments, sacrifice, and dedication; both the coaches and athletes alike.

Photo by Brendan Weeks.

plishments and victories are somehow empty and worthless, is as reckless as it is insulting. If you were not one of the stellar teachers who double as our committed coaches, returning volunteer alumni, exceptional student athletes, or one of the student body that cheer on and celebrated our school’s teams, then swerve. Our Varsity Girls Basketball team went undefeated for the regular season and respectfully earned a spot at the City’s semi-finals. Our Varsity Boys Football team earned a silver medal at the City Championships. The road to that success began in early September with heat warnings

There were numerous classes missed by the committed athletes on game days which had to be made up in early morning assignments or lunchtime tests and we thankfully acknowledge every teacher that was accommodating and supportive. Some of us even managed to maintain an A average. So it has come to this. Instead of celebrating our school, we are being challenged to accept those that choose to tear us down. It’s like having to rationalize with ourselves that these few loyalty resistant criticizers are worthy of the opinion that they seemingly obtained from the clearance bin of our collective social conscience. And then used a coupon for their own personal integrity. Belonging to NTCI should be the foundation to which, if nothing else, we all have a connection. School pride. School spirit. School loyalty. We may not throw up gang signs to represent,

but we should not fill that void in the interim with the willful intent to shame our peers. It clearly took no mindful thought or discipline to, without warning, engage in a campaign of criticism. No need to call out the disloyal few here. They know who they are. Instead, we offer a glass of water to help wash down that foot you so prominently placed in your mouth. A sort of mea culpa for you to embrace if you choose. But somehow I can already hear the “glass is half empty” response. The teachers, coaches, athletes and ALL students with NTCI pride will be remembered for their selfless and enthusiastic contribution to school life. The others will be remembered more like an obligatory footnote in our school’s great history. A good antidote for these self-appointed purveyors of negativity would be to take a huge dose of Curb It. Recommended dosage is before and after school until you graduate. Side effects may include unexplained feelings of school pride, spirit, and loyalty. Available in convenient gel form capsules. “Hard Work Conquers All”…don’t work hard at being a tool.

The Fight for the Skies Damien Mitkov

he United States has had Boeing Commercial Airplanes is in a significant influence on the process of filing a trade dispute Canada throughout the hisagainst Bombardier Aerospace with tory of our nation; after all, they are the United States International Trade a larger and more dominant country. Commission (USITC). Chicago By pressuring the military, economy, based Boeing has unfairly accused and political sectors of Canada, the Montreal’s Bombardier of “price US has often been able to manipudumping” after the latter’s sale of 75 late us to suit their needs. Have you new CSeries airplanes to Delta Airever thought about why there isn’t a lines, the second largest airline in the major Canadian car brand? We have US in terms of annual passengers. the auto pact to thank for this; it Dumping refers to the practice of exremoved most automotive tariffs be- porting a product to a foreign marPhotoket byatDaanish Sayani tween the two countries and swung a lower than normal price in the advantage to large American order to gain increased market share. companies that already possessed a Boeing argues that Bombardier was strong manufacturing base. able to do this due to huge subsidies granted by the Government of CanaContinuing the trend of US comda, and that the US aerospace induspanies interfering and suppressing try is under threat because of it. This Canadian products and inventions, position was echoed by the USITC,

which has levied a preliminary tax of 300% on any CSeries airplanes purchased by US customers. Boeing’s claim that Canadian government subsidies threaten its viability in the aerospace industry is completely ridiculous and hypocritical. To begin with, Boeing doesn’t even manufacture a similar aircraft to the CSeries. The closest equivalent it produces is the 737 MAX, a significantly larger aircraft. Additionally, over 33% of all commercial airplanes flying today are Boeing; Bombardier aircraft only make up about 6% of this global share. Bombardier doesn’t possess nearly as much influence on the market as Boeing. In accusing its Canadian competitor

of illegal government grants, Boeing seems to be forgetting its own gleeful acceptance of billions of dollars from the US government. The governments of Canada and Quebec have only lent around $1.5 billion to Bombardier. When compared to Boeing, this number is peanuts; Boeing accepted over $77 billion in federal loans and state subsidies from 2000 to 2014 alone. The only reason Boeing is putting up such a fight is to crush a prospective competitor in its early stages and ensure their duopoly with Airbus in the airline industry stays strong well into the future. As Canadians, it is our responsibility to be aware and fight the encroaching interests of foreign companies on our economy.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

And the Award for Worst Assembly Goes To...

Hana Sharifi

tion, and it seems that this societal mindset has turned NT students into vicious, mark-sucking, awardgrabbing monsters. How did school become a battleground rather than a place to learn?

Photo from Tutor Bright.

here’s a strange, sticky-feeling tension in the air when North Toronto students gather in the auditorium for the annual award assembly. You knew you were not among the award winners before the letters were even delivered, but no amount of mental preparation is enough to prevent that sharp pang! of disappointment you feel when the award winners take to the stage and you’re not among them. You feel selfish, but a thought worms itself into your head anyway: “How do Photo by Daanish Sayani marks reflect the most accomplished students?” Publicly awarding academic achievements at school is a long-standing tradition. In fact, it is so common that the Common Application to U.S. universities includes spaces to report academic recognitions. After all, aren’t awards a part of life? Consider the Nobel Prizes and athletic competitions. Life is one big competi-

As Alfie Kohn, a leading critic on education, said in his article The Risk of Rewards, “...good values have to be grown from the inside out. Attempts to short-circuit this process by dangling rewards in front of children are at best ineffective, and at worst counterproductive.” In Grade 9, I worked hard because I genuinely enjoyed seeing my efforts reap great results. When I received an award the following year, I was surprised and pleased. In Grade 10, I continued to work hard, but for the wrong reason. There was always that nagging feeling tickling the back of my mind, whispering to me that if I tried hard enough and got high enough marks, I might get another award. I became competitive, anxious, and obsessed. It isn’t just winners who are negatively affected. What about students who work hard all year and aren’t recognized? Sarah, another Grade 11 student at NT, recalls mentally breaking down as a result of the senior award assembly. “I’ve always found it suffocating to sit in the audience,” she said, “watching my classmates walk up one by one onto the stage as I beat myself up for not being as smart.” Her satisfaction with her marks “completely evaporated”, although she had worked extremely

hard for them. It seems that NT’s staff is not aware of students feeling this way. Ms. de Braux, an NT guidance counsellor, said that the sole goal of awards is to recognize “exceptional” students. When I mentioned how competitive it has become, she noted that “it’s good when students push each other”, and that from her perspective, students present at the assemblies are “extremely supportive”. This may be true from a teacher’s eye, but it certainly isn’t reality. Sitting at this year’s senior assembly, my peers heard awful comments about a student who won an award the previous year but not this year: “I guess he isn’t as smart as we thought.” “Haha, he’s stupid! I knew it— that award last year was pure luck”. Ms. de Braux also informed me of the process by which students are chosen as award winners. To my surprise, it isn’t always based on the highest mark. If there’s another student who teachers feel have demonstrated remarkable work, despite the fact that she doesn’t have the highest mark, she might receive the award. This leads to the frustrating road of objectivity, as NT teachers are notorious among students for marking at different levels. In Grade 9, Sarah consistently received 70s in English, despite her strong efforts and the help of a tutor. “I always thought I had no talent in English whatsoever,” she said, “and it quickly became my lowest mark as well as my most hated

course.” In Grade 10, however, with a different teacher, Sarah found that she was getting 90s and even 100s with less interest and less effort. It’s inevitable that teachers mark differently, which makes it impossible to choose award winners objectively. An increasing number of schools have made these realizations and are changing their award policies. One example is James Hill Elementary School in British Columbia, where Chris Wejr, the principal, eliminated all awards and the ceremonies that go with them. Although Wejr heard some grumbling from parents about how the school was drifting towards “mediocrity”, he was quick to point out that the marks and behaviour of students had improved since the elimination of awards. Do awards motivate students? Absolutely – they motivate students to get awards. In order to promote the most healthy and productive school environment, award assemblies must go. Awards aren’t faulty only because the losers are disappointed; everyone, including the winners, ultimately loses when schooling is turned into a competition. The next time you get an A on your essay or nail your chemistry lab report, cherish it, nourish it, and, most importantly, learn from it. That’s your reward.

Battle of the Parties

Hodman Abukar

you talk to the most often - your friends, family, classmates - probably hold a nice messy mixture of both “right wing” and “left wing” ideologies.

Photo from ThePrepperJournal.com

ad driving, cheap, untrustworthy, dangerous, egocentric, uneducated, gun loving bigots. Everyone has most likely been stereotyped at one point in their life or another. As a result of constant political turmoil with our neighbours just south of Canada, you’re either a sensitive Social Justice Warrior (SJW) leftist, or an angry, politically “incorrect” right winger. The truth is, a large portion of the people

Upon asking select groups of NT students, “What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the Liberal/Conservative party?”, the answers showed little variety. The recurring words for things correlated to the Conservative party included “rich”, “white”, “NT kids”, and “old people”. The recurring words for things correlated to the Liberal party included “social issues”, “social justice”, “Justin Trudeau”, and few other terms that showed little bias for either party. NT happens to show little variety in social status among students, so stereotypes are perpetuated endlessly, due to such a small sample of students to base off what being “Liberal” or being “Conservative” truly entails. As a result, we as a student body have little unbiased understanding of what it means to be Conservative or Liberal.

Despite this clear bias, labelling someone off the basis of a singular belief they hold that you don’t necessarily agree with as “racist,” or “xenophobic,” is still equally as wrong as assuming someone is an oversensitive “liberal snowflake” off the basis of a singular belief they hold. One of the most infuriating things to listen to is someone describing the entirety of the conservative party - painting all right-wingers as rich, entitled, homophobic white folks bordering on becoming senior citizens. Another infuriating thing to listen to is someone describing the entirety of the liberal party - painting all left wingers as complainers; bra-burning feminists sporting multicoloured hair, with at least one odd piercing or sexually identifying as a gender never heard of before. Sure, you will find plenty of well-off white folks who identify themselves as conservatives, as you will find left-wing passionate feminists who sport aesthetics far from mainstream. However, the key is to note that not every conservative or liberal looks - and therefore acts, accord-

ing to a stereotype - like this. I happen to have plenty of close family members who identify as conservative, and who continue to vote conservative party members into government, and I’m pretty sure none of them identify as caucasian senior citizens. Similarly, I know plenty of white students who present themselves as passionate about left-wing ideologies. Odds are, you probably hold both rightwing and left-wing beliefs as well. If you don’t think you do, you can continue to do so. However, you should know that stereotyping anyone, regardless of political party, is not only ridiculously annoying and ignorant, but only contributes to the growing polarization of western nations. Something like stereotyping that may seem irrelevant and minute can quickly turn into something dangerous. Sometimes, ignorance is not bliss.

(SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Rest in Peace, Beloved King Street Hannah Argiloff

was fine, albeit a little annoyed when the city snatched Eglinton away from us. I grumbled, but complied and fished through my wallet as TTC fares creeped and crawled further past the point of absurdity. I merely shook my head as an ice rink of all things was built UNDER the crumbling and cement-letting mess that is the Gardiner Expressway. It was November of 2017 however, when my tolerance for the city finally ran dry; our beloved King Street had been the city’s next victim. In November, the City of Toronto launched a pilot “to prioritize streetcars” on King. Wreaking havoc all the way from Bathurst to Jarvis, the project estimated to cost a whopping $1,500,000. The new rules of the road are as follows: Motorists can no longer drive straight through any intersection on King, instead they must turn and exit the street. This means car travel is limited to only one block via King. Violators will receive a fine of $110, and two demerit points. Good luck driving to work in a timely manner now, suckers. While pedestrians and cyclists are exempt from these rules, an onslaught of confused and angry drivers and the addition of a new “right turn signal,” mixed with winter weather, will turn the street into a treacherous path for them as well. Aside from turning Toronto’s downtown core into even more of a commuter hell than it already is, small businesses on King are being left to die. A survey of small business owners on King Street revealed up to 52% of lost revenue. “The problem is real,” said Tony Elenis, chief executive of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association. He has noticed “sagging foot traffic and revenues for King St. West eateries since the yearlong transit experiment [began]. The most vibrant street in Canada is no

longer vibrant.”

my 15 years.

Coupled with a concerning amount of minimum wage in Ontario, many business owners are left scrambling to meet costs in order to remain open. In an email survey to business owners conducted by John Tory, 97%

I realized that the city isn’t clueless at all. They know exactly what they’re doing. They know that they’re causing mayhem. They know that they’re disrupting traffic. They know that they’re condemning small businesses,

all the way to Vaughan), and “additional expenses.” The city was then faced with three options: 1) Raise Taxes (Yikes) 2) Raise TTC Fares (Again?!) 3) Discreetly disfigure the very face of downtown Toronto until it’s left nearly un-drivable, and proceed to collect the extra streetcar money (Hell Yeah!) Evidently, their plan is working. Streetcars on the 504 (King) line are proving to be packed even tighter than before, according to CBC News. One frustrated commuter watched 7 streetcars go by before finding any space to get on.

King Street. Photo from Urban Toronto. of respondents disapproved of the pilot project, while 90% wished it would just end immediately, says the Toronto Star.

and they know that they’re hindering cars. They know everything. In the spirit of all things cliché, it all comes down to money.

All of this strife begs a question: Does the City of Toronto have any clue what they’re doing? How can they cause such chaos under the guise of “helping the people,” when, according to the Toronto Sun, only 50% of the general population supports their decision?

From an analytical point of view, their motives finally became clear. The aim of the pilot was to make driving downtown as tedious and inconvenient as possible, to the point where no one would even dare attempt it. Citizens would be forced to either endure the roadway insanity, or spare themselves the frustration and trade their steering wheels for TTC tokens. Luckily for the city, public transit just so happens bring revenue that they can feed to their snarling and ravenous pockets.

The project aimed to “prioritize streetcars,” yet the effect on transit commute times was marginal at best: An average decline of 2.6 minutes westbound, and a mere 1.3 minutes eastbound according to the Toronto Sun. But wait, that doesn’t make sense at all! If the pilot aimed to improve streetcar reliability and functionality, why are things almost the exact same as before? That’s when I would be hit with one of the most shocking revelations I’d seen in

In context to recent events, it all makes sense. The TTC is asking the city for a “record” $727 million 2018 budget . The money would cover things such as the implementation of Presto systems, the opening of the Line 1 extension (providing service

Brad Ross, the TTC’s executive director of corporate communications, points to more people taking the route as a reason for overcrowding at peak hours. “We’re seeing a lot of people on that route, whether they’re coming from other routes [or] people are saying, ‘Hey, I’m hearing about this King Street pilot, I’m going to take the streetcar now,’” Ross told CBC Toronto. My father is a licensed Municipal engineer in Canada and the USA. He told me that closing King Street to car traffic is “numerically unsound” and “frankly pretty stupid” given the city’s current traffic volume. (Granted, he did use some more colourful language). “The purpose of the pilot is to discourage vehicular traffic and promote public transit,” he told me. “It’s a war against vehicles.” Rest in Peace King Street, you will be missed. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your fellow fallen comrades (Eglinton Avenue and remotely affordable TTC fare) in the afterlife.

Paintballing

Angela Miljanovic So you’re going out on a date, great! Congrats, you’ve passed step 1; now all you have to figure out is finding something to do for your first date. There are so many options ranging from going to a simple dinner date to showing off your more daring side by going bungee jumping. A while ago, I was asked out on a date and I was so excited, until he suggested we go paintballing. Now don’t get me wrong, I love paintballing, but the thoughts that went through my head were “Really? On a first date??”. But, regardless of my skepticism, I agreed. The date itself was fun and since I’m a competitive gal, I enjoyed running around like a headless chicken that’s tryna shoot some people with some paint, but nobody really told me about all the things that could go terribly wrong. Something you have to keep in mind when going to airsoft or paintball is that you’re not going to look cute, sorry. You’re going to look like the Michelin man with all the layers of clothes and protection they give you to prevent leaving you with not only a bruise, or multiple, but also with some tears. You put on this big ol’ mask that covers your face completely and ruins your hair so that when you take it off, your hair looks like a nest with a little bit of paint mixed in there. And when you put on a mask that big, you’d think that it would fully protect you, right? Wrong. You see, I somehow managed to get shot right in the mouth, which is the one spot the mask has some opening for breathing. The paint from the paintball got in my mouth, so I was spitting blue for a little less than an hour; fun stuff. Another reason paintballing isn’t the greatest thing to do on a first date is the fact that there is not a lot of time or an option for conversation. Before and after? Sure. During? Nope. The whole appeal of a first date is getting to know someone and I don’t know if it was the paint in my mouth, the heavy breathing from the exercise or the loudness of the place but there definitely wasn’t any casual conversation happening. Now, I’m not trying to discourage anyone from going on a similar date, but am simply sharing my personal experience so you don’t end up looking like a smurf at the end of your date, like I did. But overall, if the chemistry is there and you had fun, then there is no reason to worry; just be yourself, have fun, and try (or don’t try) paintballing!

t Is 16 the Right Age to Get a Driver’s Licence? (SBďUJ t +BOVBSZ

Subin Park

hen a teenager turns 16 years old, getting her driver’s licence is considered to be her rite of passage into adulthood. Most teenagers can’t wait to buckle up and drive around town, asserting their independence and freedom to the world. However, what they don’t realize is that for a teenager, a licence can be a death sentence. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers, and their rate of traffic-related deaths and injuries per capita is higher than every other age group. A licence is not an entitlement. It’s a responsibility, and driving around a 1,500 kilogram weapon has its consequences. NeverPhoto Courtesy of will MLB.com theless, many teenagers rush to get their licences, and for some, the day when they can finally take their G1 test can’t come soon enough. Studies by MADD revealed that young drivers are at the highest risk for motor vehicle accidents due to inexperience and immaturity. Driving requires complex physical maneuvers involving the coordination of the eyes, hands, and feet, but many teenagers don’t have these essential motor skills. The developing teenage brain is like a Lamborghini without a steering wheel. In teenagers, the prefrontal cortex, the steering wheel or rational part of the brain, develops after the limbic system, the gas pedal or the emotional part. It is why many

of us lack the ability to make complex decisions or plans, often being deemed “risk takers” in society. Our emotional drive causes us to act in a more impulsive than thoughtful manner. For teenage drivers, this makes us less cautious and more likely to be involved in a collision even in the absence of alcohol or drugs according to Teenage Impaired Driving Statistics In Canada. Some licenced teenagers don’t get involved in crashes by avoiding the roads all together. For them, licensing is an unnecessary and time consuming task. When I got my licence, I had the pleasure of being one of the first people among my friends to start driving. It was one of those perks that came with having an early birthday. However, since I’ve passed the test, I’ve had my licence for nearly a year and driven a grand total of two times. In a metropolitan city like Toronto, public transit has always been my main mode of transportation, and without a car of my own, driving is a useless skill for me. It just became a status symbol that I would occasionally bring up in conversations with my friends. In fact, when 21 16-year-olds were surveyed, 58% said they had their driver’s license, and of those with their licences, roughly 8% stated that they drive everyday, and 25% stated

that they drive every week. The rest reported that they drive occasionally or not at all. This idea that all 16-year-olds should assume independence through a driver’s licence has been so ingrained in the minds of teenagers that it convinces many of them to jump to the ignition without even considering the practicality of getting licensed. Mia Petrovic, a 16-year-old with a licence, says she got a driver’s licence partly because “[she] would’ve felt left out if [she] didn’t have one” and “[doubts that] most [teenagers] actually get it because they anticipate driving.” Let’s face it. Most teenagers living in urban environments don’t own their own cars, don’t need to drive long distances, and certainly don’t need a licence when they have wonderful services like Uber at their fingertips. Licensing is a lengthy process that can take up as many as 40 hours, if one goes to driving school, and adds the hefty price tag of elevated car insurance. Hana Sharifi, a 16-yearold who chose not to get her licence says “I would rather focus on schoolwork now and get my licence when I’m older.” And what’s the point? “I take the TTC wherever I go anyway.” Even Una Pasagic, a 16-year-old with a licence and someone who drives frequently, says “[she] would encourage [her] friends to get a licence only if they plan to go to university in a

less populated area,” since “transit is sufficient enough,” and many have “parents or siblings [who can] drive them.” No matter how much a driver’s licence makes a teenager feel like a self-reliant grown-up, the safety risks associated with it and the irregular use of it make getting one impractical. Why even waste all the effort and time studying for a G1 or G2 test when you can spend it hanging out with friends or marathoning Stranger Things? One may be busier in university, but she will also be more mentally and physical prepared to take on the challenge of driving. Teenagers should wait until they are at least 18-years-old, and in turn have more matured brains, to get their driver’s licence. Cars may have gotten safer and roads may have gotten smoother, but teenage driving is as reckless and senseless as ever. Beginning to drive when you are older will save precious time, money, and lives. I can’t imagine any teenager who, in their right mind, would want to risk taking the express lane to an untimely death. If you are an anxious teen about to commit a potentially deadly sin by getting your licence early, ask yourself, what’s the rush? You have all the time in the world.

High School is not a Race Joshua Chong H igh school is a stroke-inducing time for most of us. It’s that awkward period in our lives when we are discovering our identity, while being bombarded with hours of homework and extracurricular activities. Some of us will remember it as a time when we just wanted to hide in our shell and try our best not to attract any attention. Others will roll their eyes while recalling their time as a youth, thinking, “Was I really such a [insert insulting word]?” Our teen years are consumed with discovering who we truly are: our personality, our faults, and our dreams. Some of us may experience a first kiss, a first failure, or a first all-nighter. No matter what our experiences are, the last thing we need is society forcing us to choose what we want to do for the rest of our lives as we enter the abyss of uncertainty, also known as our future. Just admit it. Who doesn’t have one of those parents who always gives you that get-it-together-youare-almost-an-adult kind of look? Our parents’ constant urge to kick us out of the nest, along with the pressure from our go-getter peers to plan out the next 70 years of our lives to a tee, leads many of us to forget the true purpose of education. Many, including famous American philosopher Mortimore Adler, agree that an education should develop a student’s citizenship,

prepare them for an occupation, and give them space for personal growth and self-improvement. Today, school is anything but that. It has become a slug-fest and a race for the graduation finish line: the student who graduates high school in four years, with the highest marks, is automatically deemed the most successful. And it seems that the Government of Ontario supports this kind of education system, which puts greater emphasis on career discovery than self-discovery. In 2003, the Progressive Conservative provincial government under Premier Mike Harris eliminated Grade 13 to save the government money, thus creating the cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all education system that we are stuck with today. While we are still allowed to take a fifth year of high school, the Ministry of Education discourages it. Ms. de Braux, one of North Toronto’s guidance counsellors, acknowledges that even though the school welcomes students who wish to take an extra year of high school, “the push from the government to limit students to take 34 credits or less is there.” In fact, on the Ministry of Education’s website, it states that “we need to shift the culture in our schools and encourage students to graduate and move on to the next stage in their lives after four years.” Their goal of painting a fifth year as something taboo seems to be work-

ing. At a recent assembly for Grade 11 students regarding the transition to Grade 12 and postsecondary education, I heard a kid behind me immediately dismiss the notion of taking a fifth year of high school. “Who would ever want to do that?” he whispered to his friend beside him, “I wanna get outta here.” Talia Hunter, a North Toronto grad who took a fifth year, believes that “there is a huge negative stigma around [it].” While taking her victory lap, she noticed that “a lot of people assume that if you are taking a fifth year it is because you failed or because you weren’t smart enough to complete an entire course load in Grade 12.” But the benefits of taking an extra year of high school are endless. For the majority of us, four years is not enough time to figure out what we want to do with our lives. Students who plan their secondary school education as a four year program have a very limited number of slots in their timetable. If a student applies for a science or math related program, most of their timetable slots will be filled with prerequisites for that program. But, if they begin to lack interest in that particular career route during their Grade 12 year, they will have limited options compared to a student who graduates in 5 years. According to Ms. de Braux, “[taking] a fifth year is a nice, free way to continue to grow and figure out what you want

to do.” Students who take a fifth year can explore different career paths and become more mentally prepared for the stresses that come with post-secondary education. Liz Shiro, another North Toronto graduate who took a fifth year, was unsure of what she wanted to pursue in the arts. She said, “[my] fifth year gave me a good vision of what is possible in the arts world. Now I am studying Journalism and Digital Media at Wilfrid Laurier University.” What we really need is more time; more time to discover what we want to do and who we really are. An extra year of high school gives us that time. Students, educators, parents, and the government need to break the stigma around high school being a race. Each of us is unique and some of us need more time than others before we are completely ready to transition to our post-secondary careers. I’m not ashamed to say that I will likely be returning to high school to take a fifth year. I simply need more time. Yes, high school can be an awkward time in our lives in between childhood and adulthood. But looking back, we will be thankful for the life experiences we gained when we were awkward teenagers. Enjoy it, cherish it, and learn from it. Besides, who wants to bind themselves to 60 hours of university work a week? Not me. I’ll wait until I’m ready.

Graffiti t January 15, 2018

Humour Photo from the Huffington Post.

2008 Trends: A Look Back at Trends from Our Youth

Amelia Banville

somewhere? So she really melted down in 2007, but the Princess Of Pop built her way back up from arguably rock bottom to release the iconic track “Circus” in December 2008. 2. Any and All things Pixar WALL-E, and Bolt were hugely popular films which had people falling in love with both robots and animals with personalities.

t’s officially been a decade since the the year of icons, 2008. Although most of us were between the ages of 5-8 at the time, we can still look back and treasure all that 2008 has given us, particularly the LooksTM that were the height of fashion at the time. Here’s a list of the top 10 trends and icons of 2008. 1. Britney Spears Meltdown Okay, so technically this is not a trend, but is it even possible talk about 2008 without mentioning this

3. Low By T-Pain and Flo Rida If you weren’t singing this when it first came out, who even were you in 2008? It was quite possibly the bop of the century, and still wildly popular today. Everybody loves those apple bottom jeans (jeans) and boots with the fur (with the fur). 4. The Jonas Brothers It was a big year for The Jonas Brothers, and they infatuated girls all over the world, especially when they teamed up with Miley Cyrus for that fantastic performance on Disney Channel, (you all know which one I’m

talking about). Who was your favourite? Joe, Nick or Kevin? 5. Fringed Moccasin Boots All the comfort and adaptability of uggs, combined with the sheer class and elegance of cowboys. What more could you ask for in a piece of footwear? Pair it with a fringed vest (another popular clothing item) to enhance your overall look even more! 6. Brightly Coloured Tights Have you ever wanted to become a walking highlighter? 7. Those Cell Phones that still had a keyboard that slid up If you really wanted to be cool in 2008, this was how to get there. If you actually did manage to secure yourself one of these bad boys, there was nothing more satisfying than clicking away at the keyboard away after sending a sassy text. 8. Vampires? The premiere of Twilight sent teen girls into vampire-mania. There was

vampire everything, and the star of romantic vampire fantasy was Edward Cullen. To say it was creepy would be an understatement; almost overnight, the bloodsuckers had become a massive trend. 9. High-school Musical For high school musical, 2008 marks the end of an era, when both Gabriella and Troy have to go their own way (to university). Not a trend per say, but definitely a massive contribution to popular culture, and to breaking everyone’s hearts. Although in retrospect, I too would choose a full ride to Stanford over Zac Efron. 10. Slang Included words like “bootylicious” “dope” and “chillax”. 2008 was 10 years ago, and it’s neat to look back on all the trends that were popular once. Some people claim that a trend always come back around, but for our sakes, I hope these ones don’t.

What to Do When You’re Not Funny Kate Bullock and Grace Van Alstyne

elp...we said it, and it’s about time. Let’s face the facts before you embarrass yourself even more than you already have. You, my friend, are not funny. Please don’t take offence to this because we are simply here to help you. Let’s call this a public service announcement, our own philanthropic work for the semester. Unlike the majority of the population, you can’t rely on your wits and kneeslapping jokes guarantee Campbell friends or Photo by to Kathleen win over hearts so, you need to rely on other qualities. Luckily, we have some tips for what to do when you’re just not that funny.

Let’s start with the basics here people. Always, and when we say always we do not mean it lightly, always be sure to carry a pack of gum. People will probably be nice to you knowing that a piece of gum is in it for them. It is wondrous what people will do and who they’ll put up with if there’s something in it for them. Bribery will get you everywhere. If you’ve come to the realization that you’re not funny then you’ve probably perfected the self high five, so kudos to you on that one chum. I’m sure you’ve already noticed this once or twice in your life, but for the majority of the time you’re probably being laughed at,

rather than laughed with, so the sooner you figure that out the better. How do we know the difference between being laughed at or with? The key distinguisher is if there was a delayed reaction and you thought it was funny, THEN THEY ARE LAUGHING AT YOU. We don’t mean to sound harsh or rude, but it’s the truth. As our mothers have told us, some people just excel at different things. Hopefully you’ve taken your mother’s advice and focused on other aspects of your personality. Being nice to look at, and not being a total grinch will also help your case. So don’t forget to

look the part, just because you have no sense of what’s funny doesn’t mean you can’t have a sense of style. The usual rule of thumb is the higher the price of the clothes you are wearing, the higher the chance people will see past your beige personality. If none of these worked for you, try flying solo for a while, who knows, maybe you’ll channel your inner likeable personality traits…. Or even better, become an introvert, either works! Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself, at least you think you’re funny and self love is everything.

Graffiti t January 15, 2018

The Resolution Jessica Hungate

Photo by Chloe Hung.

t’s New Years Eve. You have just endured a year of horrendous terrorist attacks, outrageous elections, and watched hordes of celebs you held in high esteem accused of sexual misconduct. All of your friends have left for the holidays, leaving you drowning in slush and snow, praying for school to start, something you thought you’d never do. Then, when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, along comes the Resolution, large and obtuse, swaggering towards you. You can tell by the evil glimmer in its eye that it is ready to break you down, and it will, happily. The Resolution likes to keep up appearances; it wears a double breasted suit and ascot, giving the impression of self sufficiency

and personal responsibility. Underneath all the bells and whistles, however, lies an ugly little creature that feeds off of human ignorance and dependency. You tremble in your UGG boots, and your Canada Goose jacket does little to prevent chills from creeping up your spine. The Resolution stops in front of you, so close that you can smell the disappointment, regret, and sheer dread on its breath. “So what’ll it be this year” he sneers. “A stricter exercise routine? A promise to go vegan, for real this time?” No, No, No, screams a voice inside your head, I’m fine the way I am. I don’t need a list to tell me what to do! But the resolution wouldn’t give up that easily. It prods and pokes, pesters and pries, until, out of obligation, you finally give in. “I want better grades” you meekly declare. “AHA!” cries the Resolution, pleased with it’s conquest. It pulls out a large sheet of mottled yellow paper, worn away from years of unfulfilled promises, and, using a long, sharp talon, scratches out BETTER GRADES on its surface. “Another year, another resolution. I’m proud of you. I’m glad you can come to terms with how

much self-improvement you require.” Oh no, you think, what have I gotten myself into. An alert on your phone signals a new Instagram post from your best friend’s account. Anything to get you away from the Resolution will do, even if it is just a picture of Nicole living her best life in Florida. “New year New me! #changed” reads the caption. You almost throw up on the Resolution. “Watch out!” it cries. “You know, Nicole isn’t so bad. At least someone is making an effort to become a better person.” The Resolution clucks at you condescendingly, making its disapproval of your apparent lack of motivation crystal clear. “You know what,” you say. “ I don’t need you, or your silly yellow paper, or your ridiculous attitude, which is borderline presidential, to do better. Under the guise of ‘self betterment’ you are just a shriveled up nothing, preying on innocent people, namely me. You require me to recognize my faults, ‘come to terms’ with my flaws, and make plans to better myself to fill the void left within you by insecurities which I know to be too deeply rooted to reverse. Woah. That felt good. You take a deep breath, steel yourself, and continue, “I don’t need

a list or a blood-oath to improve! These are drastic measures which only leave me feeling like my flaws are monumental, irreversible, even, which only hinders my journey of self-improvement.” Phew! Wait... Why have I waited this long? After this inspiring declaration, which you thought to be especially Mandelaesque, the Resolution did something you never would have thought imaginable. A single, fat tear rolled down its- was it a cheek? It was really too hairy to tell at this point- face, plopping noisily on the ground. After that, even you couldn’t stop it. A small puddle formed by its feet, which, several hours later, became a small lake than ran all the way to rural Arkansas. The Resolution was barely able to squeak out a timid “I’m sorry” before it ran, or at least did something vaguely resembling running, away. So you see, Resolutions, big or small, are all the same: obnoxious, outdated, and irrelevant. If you want to change something, make it a priority, not an item at the top of an endless list! If you want to see change, change! A piece of paper won’t improve anything, but your actions will.

2017: Bests and Worsts Alex Lindell Lindblom and Connor Colwill

Photo by Chloe Hung.

e all knew that 2017 would have tons of bad moments as it started off with a bang by destroying one of the greatest things to ever exist: Vine. Vine was a beautiful place from where many modern day memes originated. My friends and I quote vines almost daily, and it has been a staple in the lives of today’s youth. We will never again get to hear the likes of “Ms. Keisha!” or “you almost made me drop my croissant!” because it was some idiots’ idea to start off the year by shutting down

the app! Then the year only got worse as a mega hit graced our youtube screens… Its Everyday Bro by Jake Paul. “Yo it’s Tessa Brooks the competition” is not shook because this song was terrible. This horrendous song highlighted Jake Paul’s career of making money off of trash. Sadly there are actually many people at NT who know all the words to this song and occasionally sing it at an alarming volume. These people used to be my friends; used to is the key word because anyone that sings that song simply cannot speak to me. We ended off 2017 with fear of WW3 because Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un won’t stop calling eachother names like ‘Little Rocket Man’ and ‘The lunatic old man of the White House.’ This issue of Graffiti comes out in January so for all I know, we have all been conscripted and are fighting on the frontlines of Pyongyang, North Korea. But hey here’s hoping we’re all still chilling

in 2018 without the slightest fear of nuclear attack *fingers crossed.* While 2017 had it’s bad moments, we all know that generalizing this year as bad would be “fake news”. Well… at least we could all contently spin our fidget spinners and fiddle with our strangely enticing clumps of slime to cope with the world going up in flames. Let’s take a look on the bright side, Taylor Swift surprisingly sprung back from the dead with a bang; arguably stronger than ever, this time with a new “edgy” style, crazy music videos and dare I say, some rap incorporated to the previous country diva’s music. Miraculously, Jelena also came back, possibly? Maybe? Honestly who knows the truth at this point? The pictures revealed of Bieber and Gomez back together was enough to reignite the fantasies of millions of fangirls, no shame; myself included. On the more legitimate side of unions, let’s all take a moment to admire the painfully beautiful, soon to be wed, royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This is the closest to proof we have that fairy tales exist in real life. Another

best moment of 2017 was when Beyonce announced she was going to have twins. This was enough to officially break the internet; as well as the record for most liked instagram photo of all time. Upon the end of 2017 one can hope that 2018 will be a year of carrying out awesome inventions including Amazon Prime Air’s autonomous drone delivery. This is slightly terrifying yet amazing as it could cut delivery time to as low as 30 minutes, because who has the patience to wait 24 hours for their absurd skincare or tech impulse purchases? I sure don’t. Another perk to look forward to in the not-so-near future is less human interaction, along with no more youtuber “I almost died in an Uber (not clickbait)” storytimes thanks to self-driving Ubers. Yes, self-driving Ubers were tested twice in downtown Toronto in 2017, so basically the once unimaginable futuristic technology is approaching very quickly. With that, it’s a wrap 2017, see you on the other side! (If North Korea decides to be chill and not annihilate us.)

Graffiti t

January 15, 2018

t 37

Maybe Jared Will Learn How to Read... Alyssa Forbes

ere I am. 2018. Still crying. Still mourning the death of our fallen soldier. The one who we went to in times of sadness. The one who comforted us on late Saturday nights after watching snapchat stories and the fomo kicked in. The one who was there for us when we needed it the most. Vine. “Snapchat is all about the streaks. Instagram is all about the likes. Twitter is all about the rts. But Vine… Vine was all about the laughs…” It was an app like no other.

The HQ app is a live trivia contest that occurs twice a day and everyone playing has a chance to win some money. There are 12 questions in each round and if you’re (somehow)

sucked wind at this game, some of the questions were REALLY hard. They tricked me into thinking I could do this by asking whether chorizo was a bird, a city, or a kind of sausage, as

Not only were the creators of (wipe away the tears) Vine busy developing this app, Dom Hofmann tweeted out the possibility of A SEQUEL TO VINE. I mean obviously we wouldn’t be letting Jake Paul or Lele Pons back on this app, but I think we can make this work. Will Kyle step up? Will the White Valentino bag be okay? Will the dude pick up his croissant? Was the Hurricane Tortilla relief fund successful? Are the dudes still chillin’ in the hot tub? Are they still roommates? Did the hole in the floor get fixed? Did mans get another free taco? Did she ever get any sleep cause of y’all? Only time will tell.

But lucky for people who loved Vine like me, the creators of Vine did not mope around for days like I did. Oh no. They went out and started working on a new project-the HQ app/ gameshow. With my natural intelligence, Illustration by Danielle Depencier. lightning fast brain power, and years of experience playing Trivia Crack, I thought I’d have a naturally high able to correctly answer all 12 then chance of absolutely killing this you and everyone else who won get game and winning enough money to split up the prize money for that to replenish the cash I spent on new game – Ok, the likelihood of you winshoes. Well, turns out I was way off ning $10,000 is sadly slim but honon that prediction… and surprise, I’m estly, I’d take the $3.67 any day. still broke. Back to how much I surprisingly

you if you’ve won anything I guess, you’re beating me.

the first question (spoiler: it is a sausage). As the game progressed, I lost all hope since the questions became damn near impossible. Sorry, but how exactly am I supposed to know who the first 37-year-old female to have pizza delivered to her house was? What I’m trying to say is, congrats to

If said ‘V2’ makes its appearance in the app store, you can bet your $3.67 that I’ll be making some more dope vines. But until then, I offer a suggestion to watch the YouTube video “Vines that kept me from ending it all” because it’s the best compilation out there, and I wish you all good luck in your Trivial pursuits.

The Politics of Lunch Spots Annie Doane and Erika Mendelson

Photo by Chloe Hung.

unch is, unquestionably, the most rewarding part of the school day at NT. The sense of relief when the bell rings at the end of second period is unlike that of any finished test, or the feeling when you finally complete that essay you grinded all night for. And what isn’t there to love? You have time to catch up with your friends, do some lastminute studying for that chemistry test you have last period, or spend all your hard-earned money at Tim Hortons. But have any of you ever recognized the unwritten rules of lunch at NT? These are the rules that are never spoken out loud, but everyone simply knows to follow. Here are the 5 amendments of the NT lunch constitution. 1) If the group that normally sits in a particular spot during lunch isn’t

there, that does not constitute open season in the area. Many of you will claim “you can’t own a piece of hallway” and technically you would be right. However, this is a nuisance to you, as your group of friends would need to physically move all of your things to the new spot. Why move if it isn’t necessary? In addition, the usual group may not be gone for the entire lunch. Maybe they just had a meeting, or went on another pocket draining food run, but either way, they will eventually return, and if you don’t want to deal with a group of hungry, hormonal teens, I’d stick to your normal lunch spot. 2) In relation to our first amendment, switching lunch spots is no hasty decision. Now, we’re not talking about stealing another group’s spot for a lunch or two. We’re talking about the constant migration from nook to cranny within the walls of North Toronto. Jumping from hallway to hallway each lunch hour can make it extremely difficult for your peers to stay updated on the latest location. Having a predetermined area prevents confusion, panicked messages to the group chat, and potentially missing out on placing your Tim’s order with the latest food-runner. Admit it, at some point or another you’ve found yourself standing in the middle of the hallway, wondering if all your friends moved away and forgot to pack you into one of their suitcases. Make things easy for yourselves and pick a

spot. 3) Speaking as two relatively tall women, we understand the craving to take a break, lean back on the wall, and stretch out your legs. But trying to maneuver through a ladder of limbs when you’re walking through the hallways isn’t something anybody looks forward to on their lunch break. We know that you don’t want to get stepped on, and frankly, we don’t want to awkwardly hop through your legs like we’re playing double dutch. Not to mention the increased chances of tripping that each elongated leg adds. Make it easier for all of us and cross your legs, you can lie down at home. 4) Sometimes after a long morning of quadratics and chromosomes, you crave the sweet, comforting taste of a Tim Hortons doughnut, or the wake up call that is Starbucks coffee. If you go directly there at 11:40 to beat the lines, good for you. Clearly you’ve learned from experience. Most of the time however, you will find yourself swinging by your lunch group for a question or a quick hello before you head off into the abyss that is Yonge and Eglinton. This is where you step out of your role as student, and into the inevitable role of server. One does not simply wander outside without offering to pick up a bagel, or two - or six. We aren’t saying that you need to pay for it, but it will save your friends the trip, and it’s the polite, Canadian thing to do. Everyone needs to pay

their dues and take the trip to Tims. Trust me, your friends will repay the favour. 5) Some teachers are impossible to find at lunch. This isn’t exactly a rule, but more of a known struggle the students of NT suffer from on a daily basis. Whether it be because you missed the homework or have a question about your essay, talking to teachers at lunch is occasionally a necessary evil. This task becomes increasingly frustrating when certain teachers vanish into thin air during the lunch hour, and they’re almost never actually where they said they were going to be. We’ve all endured that wild goose chase around the halls of North Toronto, only to find out that they were supervising a club, hiding in a meeting, or worse, eating their own lunch. If only finding some teachers at lunch was as easy as finding particular students. If you know where the student typically sits, being creatures of habit, there is an 80% chance that they are there; we like those odds. If you know where a teacher supposedly is, your chances of finding them are about 50/50. Good luck, kids. Follow these amendments and you’ll have smooth lunches for the rest of the school year. Happy eating, NT.

Graffiti t

January 15, 2018

Sports Photo from Kembo Kibato.

Student-Athlete Spotlight: Kembo Kibato Mika Schwartz

What sport do you play and for who? “Soccer. I currently play for Toronto FC’s III team (third tier) and I played for Team Ontario last summer.” When did you first start playing soccer? “I have played for 12 years now. I started at 4 and a half.” What is it like playing at that level? Is there a lot of pressure being on the team or from individual teamates? “Yes, but I don’t mind the pressure. The competition is crazy, everyone’s good so we have to fight for minutes. You have to always play like it’s your last game, because everyone wants

to play. I remember warming up with a teamate before a game once, and we were watching another teamate take a penalty kick and he turned to me and said ‘I hope he misses.’ That was crazy. I’ve never heard anyone talk about a teamate like that before. It made me realize that all the players in that environment had that same attitude towards their teamates. It creates a weird dynamic. Everyone is so competitive, but at the same time we’re like brothers. What was it like playing for Team Ontario in the summer? “It was a very professional environment, we were treated

like professional athletes. There were security guards to take us from our buses to practices and games, videos and photos were being taken everywhere.” Did you have to adapt mentally for that level of play? “I knew that I was able to play at that level, so I wanted more.” Does Toronto FC’s reccent championship change things for your team at the academy? “It definitely helps build on our motivation on to get to TFC II, or even TFC I (the MLS team).” With that in mind, what are

Photo from Kembo Kibato.

your future aspirations? “I hope to start playing for TFC II next year, which is a professional team.” What advice do you have for other NT students about achieving their dreams? “For me, a turning point was last year around this time, when I realized that I wanted to be better and knew I could. I sat down with my mom and made a set of goals. I wrote on my mirror, ‘I’m doing big things this year.’ Find what you’re good at and do it.”

Graffiti t

January 15, 2018

A Tribute to the “Doc” Justin Saks

t was September 27, 1998, the final day of the regular season. Twentyone year old Roy “Doc” Halladay was making his second career start as a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite it being a meaningless game between the Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers — both teams were out of playoff contention — Halladay put on a show. He carried a no hitter into the ninth inning before eventually giving up a hit, still picking up the first of 203 wins in his hall of fame caliber career. His dominant entrance only foreshadowed the great things to come over his electrifying sixteen years in the MLB. “Doc” finally broke out for good in the 2002 MLB season, when he threw a league leading 239 and one-third innings, all the while keeping a sub 3.00 earned run average. This earned him his first of eight all-star ap-

pearances during his career. In the following season, Halladay continued on this course to becoming one of the greatest pitchers of the twenty-first century, when he won his first of two Cy Young awards. “Doc’s” stats were stellar over 2003, leading American League pitchers in wins, games started, complete games, shutouts, and innings pitched. Halladay would make four more American League all-star teams while still a member of the Blue Jays before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. In four seasons with the Phillies, he made two more all-star appearances all while earning his second Cy Young award. He would sign a one day contract to return to his Toronto Blue Jays in the fall of 2013, allowing him to retire with the team he spent the majority of his career with.

Halladay was just as great off the field as he was on it, keeping himself heavily involved in community initiatives during his time as a Blue Jay. He ran a program that was known as “Doc’s Box”, in which he hosted kids from Sick Kids at Blue Jays games in a private box. He was also philanthropic in the Blue Jays community, donating $100,000 annually to the Jays Care Foundation during his tenure with the Blue Jays. It is due to both Halladay’s on-field and off-field achievements that his tragic passing at the age of forty hit both the MLB and city of Toronto so hard. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred responded saying he was “shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing” of Halladay. Due to his contributions to the organization, the Blue Jays plan to honour the former pitcher as part of their pre-game

ceremony on opening day of the 2018 season. Halladay’s influence has spread all the way to the halls of North Toronto. Grade 12 student and member of the baseball team Cole Burnstein considers Halladay “an idol for both his on-field and off-field contributions,” noting him as “one of the reasons he became interested in baseball”. Though Halladay will go down as one of the greats, what he did on the field does not encapsulate his importance. “Doc” was more than just a generational talent, he was a role model that impacted the lives of a whole generation of kids.

The late, great Roy Halladay with Isaac and Gabriel McFayden, two kids he mit through his “Doc’s Box” partnership with SickKids. Photo from Global News.

Russia’s Doping Problem

Marc Macaulay

s the Olympics roll around, tens of millions of sports fans from around the world prepare to watch the greatest athletic talent on Earth represent their country. This past year, Russia has been found to have engaged in a widespread, state-run doping scheme, and as a result, has had all their athletes banned from competing under Russian colours. In the case that a Russian athlete is cleared to attend, they will be stripped of their national allegiance for the games, and are required to compete under the Olympic flag. Meaning their national anthem will not be played in the event they win a medal. But that is just another boring headline. The true excitement lies behind the scenes.

This all began unfolding this past year, when film director and amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel raced in the Haute Route. The race is for amateurs, and consists of the toughest mountain stages of the Tour de France. All the competitors are bat-shit crazy. Fogel looked at the time differences and realized there were different tiers of racers at the top and he was nowhere close to many of the competitors ahead of him. He partnered with Netflix to make a film about his personal doping experience called Icarus. To start the process of doping, he contacted a UCLA doctor who initially agreed, but later backed out in fear of tarnishing his reputation, so he was sent to the next best guy: Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov. Rodchenkov, a former World Anti-Dop-

ing Agency (WADA) representative who tested Russian athletes, was in fact the mastermind behind the largest doping scandal in history, and told Fogel that juicing him up for his next race would be easy. Via video call, Rodchenkov gave Fogel specific instructions, as viewers watched Fogel undergo the process. While Fogel’s practice times did become faster, mechanical issues held him back. Later, Rodchenkov hears of a friend’s mysterious death, and concludes it must be a the hands of the FSB, Russia’s domestic intelligence agency. Soon after, Rodchenkov starts to believe that he’s next, and Fogel buys him a plane ticket to the U.S. and invites him to live with him. While there, Rodchenkov announced the intercut system he used to Ameri-

can authorities, and is now in a witness protection program. While Russia has already had multiple medals stripped away from the Sochi games, leading to the Canadian luge relay team receiving a hard-earned bronze, in the next two months, one can expect only more chaos. After all of this broke, Russia became banned from the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympics. Unfortunately, Russia is undoubtedly not the only country with a doping scandal, they just happen to be the one caught because some cyclist wanted to try doping. Had Bryan been connected with someone else, he may have caught another country.

Graffiti

January 15, 2018

SUDOKU

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

Cameron Cawston

Horoscopes

Capricorn (Dec 22- Jan 19)

As you know your sign is a goat-fish hybrid, meaning you are able to succeed in almost all environments. With your strengths including leadership, responsibility and discipline, 2018 is going to be a breeze for you. It will present with challenges but nothing you haven’t seen. While you may be flying by easily this month, try to help someone who seem to be having a harder time. Remember Capricorn that little actions can have big impacts.

Cancer (June 21 — July 22)

With the long break over, it’s time to get back in routine and to reconnect. For the year of 2018 try to not only connecting with old friends but reconnect with something you’re passionate about. Make time for yourself Cancer, you’re always helping others but use the month of January to indulge in yourself. Do something for yourself, this will charge your batteries to help start off 2018 right.

Leo (July 23 — August 22)

Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 18)

It’s your birthday month, Aquarius, which means a new and fresh start! Use this opportunity to evaluate who you choose to surround yourself with.You may find yourself needing a change in scenery, so sit try something new that you normally wouldn’t. This month will be filled with love and excitement so use all these good vibes to fuel you for 2018!

It’s 2018 Leo, and it’s time for you to leave some things with the ghost of 2017. You may find that someone close to you has been distant lately, whether it’s an old friend you’ve known forever or someone who’s new in your life. Nevertheless, don’t sweat it Leo, great thing are going to happen this year so try to be accountable for how you present yourself around others

Virgo (August 23 — September 22)

Pisces (Feb 19- March 20)

The winter break has been a great time filled with friends, family and fun which has you feeling charged and refreshed. But remember to not only play hard but to work hard. You may find the balance between work and play is off, but recognize that and use the month of January to make you and your work ethic stronger. While you’re at it, try doing something nice thing for someone else to start your 2018 with some good karma.

Aries (March 21 – April 20)

New Year, New Aries. This will be the motto for the month of January. You’ve had time to evaluate how your 2017 went and now it’s time to have a plan on how you want your 2018 to play out. But this year don’t just say you want 2018 to be great, do it. Put your words into action Aries. These actions are sure to lead into very promising results for the future.

Taurus (April 21 – May 20)

As 2018 starts, so will a new romance Taurus. You may not initially see this person but trust that they are there. This person may not appear as anything more than a friend, but try taking a risk Taurus. You are a hard worker who struggles to remember to try something that scares you everyday, yet with the new year comes a new you! Take a risk (within reason), let loose and have fun this month.

While you thrive on routine and organization, beware not to get too frazzed during the month of January. Your instincts may lead you to become worried about school work and friends, but know that you are fully capable of finding a nice balance between the two. Try to relax this month and do something nice for yourself, even if it’s something small.

Libra (September 23 — October 22)

Some rather interesting information will be heading your way Libra. This information will put you right in the middle of two friends, while you may feel the need to pick a side to show your loyalties, remember to not only put yourself first but to also do what you think is right. You are known for your calming energy so use that to your advantage when drama gets heated. Stay out of that when you can but follow your gut to help you make it through January

Scorpio (October 23 — November 22)

2018 is an important year for you. Make sure to let go of the distractions and focus on what’s really important. This year will be your year in terms of your schooling/career so make sure to take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way. While you’re at it, make sure to have some fun too and take some risks in both your career and your love life! Try studying something that you’ve never thought of studying or go for an unexpected romance. Start a new romance with someone who is just as motivated and determined as you to keep you on track but to also have fun while you’re at it.

Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21) Gemini (May 21 — June 20)

A difference in opinions is coming your way which could heat up the month of January Gemini. You’re normally not a fan of confrontation but try to use this opportunity to practice how to handle yourself. This isn’t your first disagreement and certainly won’t be the last. It may not be the easiest way to start the new year but it will be a tool to use for years to come. Keep it calm, cool and classy Gemini!

A curve ball is headed your way sagittarius. This may cause you to be easily frustrated with others and overall be a bit tense.True to your sign, the arrow, you may get a bit off track instead of a straight shot. But don’t let this get you down or stop you in your tracks. Keep pushing forward to meet your goals for this month. You’ve got this Sagittarius, look at this curveball as an opportunity to better yourself for not only this month but for the next year!

Photos from Astrology.com

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

t 43

•

Graffiti

t January 15, 2018

• 44

Graffiti Editorial Board: Editors-In-Chief: Chantelle Nejnec William Lloyd

Section Editors: Humour: Fletcher McLaughlin Annie Doane

Photography Editors:

Arts and Culture: Hodman Abukar Subin Park

Maya Sternthal Chloe Hung

Illustration Editors:

Opinion: Joshua Chong Liam Gerry

Sports: Mika Schwartz Justin Saks

External: Evelyn Mang Amelia Wolff

Features: Anastasia Zaritovskaya Lucy Ma

Internal: Hana Sharifi Maddy Wesely

•

Angela Miljanovic Nikoo Aleyasin

Copy Editors: Elizabeth Tse Adam Annosantini Dana Abou Zaki Sara Abdelrahman Isabella Bianchi Emily Sakaguchi Diana Chung Carleigh Pace-Tonna Marc Macaulay

Rule of Rules

•

Advisors: Jessica Hungate Sam Howard Lina Rguig Diana Kagan

Wild Card: Phillip Ko

Business Manager: Marc Macaulay

Digital Editors: Bailey Weber Dana Aronowitz

Teacher Advisors: Mr. Zohar Ms. Bulgutch

•