Volume 33, Issue 2 (January 16, 2015)

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16th, 2015

Table of Contents

2

Internal News

4

External News

11

Features

16

Arts & Culture

22

Sports

27

Opinion & Humour

31

Horoscopes

34

Letter from the Editors

“Je préfère mourir debout que vivre à genoux,” Stéphane Charbonnier told the newspaper Le Monde in 2012. “I would rather die standing up than live on my knees.”

Nine days ago, two gunmen forced their way into the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper based in Paris. In revenge for the newspaper publishing cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Mohammed, they mercilessly executed Charbonnier and eleven others, including two police officers. Among the dead were many of the most senior cartoonists at the publication.

These gunmen silenced some of the greatest satirical minds in Europe.

These gunmen tried to use violence to impose their perverted will upon the people of France.

These gunmen can never stop free speech.

These gunmen failed.

Paris is an ocean away, but its ideals – ideals that saw the birth of Western free thought – are much closer to home. The bastion of journalism is free speech. This inalienable right allows journalists across the world to do their work: uncover war crimes, break open political scandals, reveal the reality of mental health awareness in a high school. These gunmen’s actions were not only cold-blooded murder, but also an attack on free speech. Yet in attacking this pillar of journalism, they have only made the resolve to speak out even stronger It is invaluable that individuals around the world continue to write, continue to spread their opinions and ideas. It is invaluable that we continue the traditions of free speech, which entered our society with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen during the French Revolution and damn well will not end with this senseless massacre in Paris.

The two of us are very proud of this issue of Graffiti. From articles on Charity Week to the epidemic of missing Aboriginal women, the culture of alternative schools to fake IDs, we feel that besides quality content, the diverse writing comes together to create a unified edition of the paper. And in that, the importance of free speech, and the sharing of opinions and ideas, is exemplified.

The tragedy in Paris shook the world. But in many ways it has made us stronger and more resolved to look terror in the eye, unafraid and stalwart knowing that the ideals of our free, democratic world are stronger than any assault rifle or grenade.

We must never forget those that died in Paris.

We must never forget that the pen is mightier than the sword.

We must never stop sharing our ideas and opinions.

We must always keep the writing on the walls. “Nous sommes tous Charlie,”

Jane and Jack

Graffiti Editorial Board

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Editors in Chief

Jane Madeleine Nora Bradshaw

Jack Osselton Denton

SENIOR EDITORS INTERNAL

EXTERNAL

Fayed Bartholomew Gaya Tamar Kenigsberg-Bentov

Fay Asimakopoulos Devan Wang

FEATURES

ARTS & CULTURE

Matthew Louis Gerry

Georgia Rene Mahoney-Webster Jessica Jane Carradine

SPORTS

OPINION & HUMOUR

Harrison Taylor Cook Benjamin Robert Simon Keymer

ADVISORS

Spencer Thomas Brown Liat Sarah Fainman-Adelman Caitlin Bailey Heffernan Alyssa Katherine Magill Joynt Sherdil Khan Kyle William Mastarciyan Katherine Anne Quinn Eyal Luis Wilk

Ema Ibrakovic Madeleine Babette Susan Wieler

PHOTOGRAPHY HEADS Siobhan Margaret Kidd Kienna Amoret Shaw

ILLUSTRATORS

Haya Ramzi Fasheh Lujayn Mahmoud Charles Wu

BUSINESS MANAGER

GRAPHICS HEAD

Quinn Thomas Robinson

Joyce Park

COPY EDITORS

DIGITAL EDITOR

Judy Al-Khalid George Yuchen Chang Dayna Melissa Goldfarb Diksha Kumar Jessica Li Neetya Sarin

Anfa Mohamed Abukar

STAFF ADVISORS

Ms. Jessica Bulgutch Mr. Baruch Savi Zohar

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Let’s Talk About Mental Health

BY ANJANTHA NADESALINGAM

If you think that stigma doesn’t exist around mental health, observe the following two images, and consider why one of them seems completely possible, while the other one seems laughably fake. What isn’t fake, though, is the stigmatization around mental illnesses, and the reality of the illnesses themselves.

Mental illnesses are some of the most grossly misunderstood illnesses in existence. There are many causes for this lapse in understanding. For one, society often portrays mental health in a deprecating way, working to cause fear and discomfort, and, essentially, stigmatization. This misguided view can stem from “TV shows and movies.” For example, depression can often be misrepresented by a beautiful girl, bleeding at the wrists, whose depression disappears when she finds love. Conversely, it can be portrayed as somebody who is a downer, unappreciative, or even lazy. A lack of sufficient education can also promote stigmatization. The extent to which students at NT learn about mental health may not be sufficient. Ema Ibrakovic, a Wellness Leader at NT, and a volunteer in the mental health sphere, says, “We are taught about [mental illness] in a grade 9 health class, but I can’t remember what I did a week ago, let alone 4 years ago.” This clearly exemplifies that education on mental health must become more extensive and more naturally integrated into our daily lives. The effects of misunderstanding are not as simple as the saying, “ignorance is bliss.” Ignorance around mental illness can be directly detrimental to both the person who is ignorant and the carrier of the illness. When this issue is not understood, Ema says, “[people] fill in the gaps themselves and start to assume that people with, for example, depression, are just ‘sad’ and need to ‘get over it’ which is extremely difficult.”

Mental health is stigmatized because it is not directly visible. Have you ever heard anyone deny another person’s broken ankle? However, time after time, mental illness is portrayed as something fictitious, a mere figment of one’s imagination, something invented by a particularly creative writer. Mental illness is real, though perhaps not as tangible as a broken ankle. You cannot sign the cast of an unhealthy mind. Jack Denton, a student at NT, states, “Unlike with a physical illness, those suffering from mental health issues may very well be suffering invisibly from the outside.” There are thoughts at 3am, missed meals, and pauses before the words “I’m fine.” Ema stated that its unique invisibility

“leads to people thinking that people with mental illnesses are somehow ‘weak’, which leads to unnecessary stigma. As a result, people don’t get the help they need because they feel like it’ll make them appear weak.” However, it is important to recognize that there is no specific way in which mental illness will be translated into the way a person presents themselves. This societal influence causes “people who are unfamiliar with mental illness to assume that mental illness is a negative attribute to someone,” says Kieran Wood, a leader with NT’s Wellness Committee. Essentially, he says, stigmatization causes many to believe “that because they have [suffered] or are suffering [with mental illness] that means they aren’t ‘normal.’” This belief is very damaging to those who are suffering.

It can cause them to feel the need to suppress their illness, which can increase its prevalence, and reduce their likelihood to seek help.

I’d like to take this chance to emphasize the importance of breaking down the wall of silence and stigmatization around mental illness. Mental illness is a very serious issue, especially so in this day and age. Ema explained, “Rates of anxiety-based mental illnesses are skyrocketing. Now, that’s partly because of more diagnosing than ever before, but also because we live in a time that breeds anxiety.” The current world is extremely fast paced, with cut throat competition. Many feel a constant pressure that simply will not cease, to be better, to accomplish more. This, paired with a time which has more distractions than ever, can cause constant feelingsof insufficiency. These feelings can lead to constant states of unhappiness or anxiety, which do not allow a person to function properly.

There are very severe, debilitating effects of mental illness if it goes untreated. It is an illness that works against the odds, picking and choosing those who suffer, randomly, without prejudice of socioeconomic class or any other imaginable factors. Mental illness is not like cancer, where certain people are more at risk, where you’re able to decrease the likelihood

of getting one simply by applying sunscreen.

Changing one’s mindset can be nearly insurmountably difficult, partially due to the pressure of the external circumstances. Further, mental illness doesn’t involve an understandable physiological situation that can be solved with a treatment. The illness is as complex as the individual who carries it. But, mental illness is like a cancer. It plagues one, and affects those around the carrier profoundly. Mental illness is real, and it kills.

Though it’s been said time and time again, it’s important to emphasize the reality and severity of the illness. Mental health illnesses often only cause very vague physical effects on the carrier, such as headaches, insomnia, and irritability.

However, a definitive, visible effect of mental illness is suicide. And suicide takes a life every 40 seconds. In the time that you’ve read this far into the article, around 4-5 people have taken their own life. This could be happening in the building next door, a few hundred kilometres away, a few countries away. However, the value of a life should never be undermined. This is not simply a statistic, it’s tragedy. It’s humans lost to a disorder which refuses to be acknowledged and accepted by society.

Once this issue is truly acknowledged, a solution is possible. Today, and every day from this day forth, the students of NT should make a stand against the stigmatization of mental illness. It is time to accept that having a mental illness is not a sign of weakness. Whether you have a mental illness or not, take a stand against mental health stigmatization. Look forward to the day in which Adara Kotsifas, a student at NT, will not be able to say, “I will be defined by [my mental illness] no matter what I do.”

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or other mental health issues, help is available. You can contact our school Guidance Office, Kids Help Phone at 1 800 668 6868 or visit the Ontario Suicide Prevention Network at 416-670-4689 http://www.ontariosuicidepreventionnetwork.ca

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Tip-Toeing the Green Line: NT’s True Ecofriendliness

BY DIKSHA KUMAR

At NT, we take pride in showing off our sparkling new, academically accomplished, and immensely spirited school. Did I mention sparkling new with LEED Gold certified infrastructure?

At assemblies here and there, especially during the annual Earth Week assembly hosted by our environmental action team NEAT, the term LEED is casually mentioned. To clarify, the jargon stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design; it’s a stamp used by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) to recognize buildings that have eco-friendly features.

In an age where rapidly advancing technology has merged with environmental activism to create low-flow showerheads and plug-in hybrid cars, it’s easy to believe that technology is the sure-fire way to kill old habits. Likewise, architects of the new NT building decided to bombard us with features in order to attain that stamp, namely dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, and motion sensor lights. Let’s fast forward from the drawing board to 2015 and examine the efficiency of and reaction of the NT community to the supposedly green infrastructure.

Urination Stations After the pungent removal of waterless urinals from the fourth floor boys’ washroom, it’s safe to say NT students aren’t enthusiastic about the novel, ecofriendly feature that was projected to contribute to the architects’ goal of reducing water usage by 30%. A Grade 12 male student recalls, “It was awful. You couldn’t use the same urinal [after someone] until everything slowly went down the drain.” But it isn’t as bad as it sounds; there’s a synthetic oil that creates a seal on the top of the drain and prevents “offensive” odours from diffusing.

However, the urinals do have to be cleaned frequently by pouring gallons of water down the drain and replacing the oil, which makes them both water-consuming and too expensive for the school to maintain.

Similarly, the student body has a hard time embracing the concept of dual-flush toilets and remembering to flush up. We are too accustomed to conventional washroom features found in our homes and other public places to seamlessly adapt to newer technology.

Photo by David Shin

Our Little Outside Forests Apparently, the innocent weeds that surround the walkway in front of NT disgust our condo neighbours, to the extent that a few good Samaritans attempted to beautify the flowerbeds last summer. In response to those complaints and faulty water lines that run under the beds, the school has decided to cover them with concrete pavers. While the trees are staying, it’s uncertain whether the the pavers will be sufficiently porous to allow enough water and nutrients to sustain them in the future.

The Dumpster Jumpster Although garbage and recycling bins aren’t embedded into NT’s architecture, they play a key role in determining our annual EcoSchool certification, which is a better indication of the school’s attitude towards the environment than LEED. Proper disposal of garbage hasn’t been one of the strengths of the NT student body;

Forbidden Words

Marija Askovic, a grade 11 student, describes swearing as “unprofessional. The society perceives them differently than normal words.”

How many times have you walked down a school hallway and heard swearing? The school code of conduct clearly states that it is an offence and is not permitted. However, it does not say what the NT population actually thinks about it.

Ms. Montieth, an English and band teacher remarks that, “the swearing issue is related to the traditional concept of respect.” Also, she mentions that “profane words in Quebec are usually related to religion. The cultural baggage of a nation defines its swear words. Some people have very strong ideas about what is appropriate in the classroom, especially more traditionally raised teachers.”

BY ANASTASIA ZARITOVSKAYA

Serena Vilde a grade 9 student, says that she “wouldn’t swear in regular circumstances.

However, sometimes it sort of ‘comes out.’”

What makes swear words worse than regular ones? “It’s the meaning that we add to [them].

It isn’t appropriate to swear in some areas. It just depends on who’s around you,” she says.

Relating swear words to people’s cultural baggage is interesting. This implies that some words that are offensive for some may not be for others.

it’s not shocking for NEAT members to find an uneaten sandwich, a football, or even a used tampon in the garbage during a waste audit. Statistics from November’s waste audit show that over 1.1 kg of recyclable materials, or 240 sheets of paper, was found in the trash instead of the recycling bin in just a couple of days’ worth of garbage from hallways. Repeat offenders include coffee cup lids, plastic water bottles, and, simply, sheets of paper.

The Way to Change Although 64% of our garbage can easily be diverted into vermicomposts, there’s now something more substantial and visible to collect orange peels and half-eaten lunches. Mandated by law, the green bins are here. As a recognizable container that is already a staple in households across the city, a green compost bin is more likely to be successful at NT than its squirmy, alive counterpart.

There’s still more to explore when it comes to our school’s eco-friendly architectural features.

The green roof, which “promotes storm water management and thermal performance” according to Canada Green Building Council, has lots of potential as an outdoor classroom if safety railings are installed. Similarly, the courtyard, built inside remnants of the old school diverted from construction waste, can be transformed into a more inviting space.

Overall, certain features of the NT building have proven to be inefficient, resulting in removal or misuse. Does that mean that NT is slowly “degreening”? It does shows that some technologies chosen by the architects are incompatible, which is expected as buildings and their inhabitants evolve. With the aid of awareness campaigns and simple behavioural nudges, perhaps it will be a more environmentally conscious NT student body whose actions will determine the school’s green status, and not the other way around.

Speaking of offensive, Jessie Li, a grade 9 student, speaks about her own experience with profanity. She had a friend who swore a lot.

Jessie used to take it personally, but it eventually stopped affecting her, because “the words became meaningless overtime. It’s just a sound effect.”

Whether you choose to swear on a daily basis is completely up to you. Many people think it is rude, while other students remain neutral to its usage.

Perhaps profanity shouldn’t be such a big deal we’re supposed to have freedom of speech, and that includes using any words.

Top Ten: The Bike Parking MATTHEW GERRY

The classic ring-and-post style: sturdy and efficient. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done. A cluster to the south. A row to the north. Each with the capacity to store two bicycles at once. In the fall and spring they serve as a parking area for NT’s growing contingent of commuting cyclists. But for the resilient few who use them all year long, the winter has the posts appearing bleak, waiting for the grey skies to shift to sunny days, bringing more bicycle traffic.

Have you seen the state of Northern’s bike racks? Rusty and cramped, they pale in comparison to the shiny, new posts we’ve been given here at NT. Let’s not take them for granted. When spring rolls around (and it’ll be here before we know it), let’s all grab life by the handlebars and get as much use out of our bike parking as we possibly can. As we gear up for 2015’s cycling season, we should remember to think of our bike racks as one of those things at NT that makes us smile.

Resume Building

BY FAYED GAYA

The season of university applications is upon us.

Many are scrambling to get in those essays and fight for those last few marks. And as classmates who have gained early acceptance make snooty remarks, those who have not begin to melt down.

The question I ask myself as I prepare to start applying next year, concerns the student resume, specifically the extra curricular component.

Around the world, application rates are rising dramatically for universities. And, as a result, universities can afford to be pickier with who they choose to admit. This emphasizes a need for students to have spectacular extra-curricular credentials in addition to a distinguished academic average, most notably for programs that require supplementaries, such as commerce programs.

Big Talk: What Does NT Have to Say?

BY TAMAR K.B.

“I was having a really deep conversation with one of my friends and said ‘Wow, I wish every conversation could be like this,’ and he said how much he hated small talk. Immediately the idea of ‘Big Talk’ popped into my mind and it grew from there.” This is how a freshman at Northwestern University, Kalina Silverman, began her project called “Big Talk” where she approaches strangers on the street and films their responses to bigger life questions: “What do you want to do before you die? What makes you happiest?”

Kalina hopes that by labeling it “Big Talk,” the concept won’t seem as intimidating as it initially sounds. “My dream for the whole concept is for it to become a social movement where people want to have big talk in everyday life”, states Silverman. “I wanted to be able to go out, meet new people, and instead of just make small talk, actually have deeper, more meaningful conversations with them. I’d love to have discussions or groups to talk about these things.” Her social experiment raked in some seriously emotional responses.

Feeling inspired, Graffiti set out to explore these big questions with its NT family. The initial reactions of discomfort, surprise, and laughter set the pace. Questions of life, death, aspirations, and nostalgia were received with diverse emotions including warmth, sarcasm, humour and genuine concern for our writer’s health.

Many students declined to answer, some because they were simply unable to come with an answer on the spot, many indicated that the question was a bit too personal and random “something I usually don’t think about” said a grade 9 student.

Unfortunately, the perceived need for a student to have solid extracurriculars creates an insincere rift when it comes to involvement.

In an effort to stand out, I have seen students feign interest in clubs that look good on university applications and end up not putting in the effort the clubs deserve. The resources and community of the clubs are spent on accommodating members who make it to the bare minimum amount of meetings and don’t participate often.

This causes the club members who are genuinely interested to lose out on the experience as the whole club is dragged down. One can see how club management structures could also be affected negatively, as insincere students seek not only membership within clubs but management positions as well (as these look far better on an application essay). They might recruit their friends to be able to use numbers to vote themselves into leadership positions within couldn’t live without laughing.”

Jeremy Fox-Revett reveals that something that he really wants to achieve in life is to perform in front of a ton of people, with his guitar, singing.

Another student, Naomi Barghiel, says that her biggest role model would have to be her grandpa for his role during WWII and “how he became one of the most famous bassoon players in Romania.”

Alexandra Beck revealed “not a huge life event in the grand scheme of things” yet meant a lot to her nonetheless, which had happened “this summer, on a 10-day canoe-trip with my camp. It really helped me connect with the people around me and take in my surroundings. In the city, I typically rush through life and am not totally with the people around me because I’m scrolling through my Instagram or something of the sort. [That trip] made me realize how important it is to make bonds with the people I’m surrounded by and take a few moments each day just to stop and think.”

Some students were happy to share, like Ajantha Nades, who wrote about an extremely positive moment in her life when she was called up

6

the clubs.

Fundamentally, this is a consequence of needing to make your application stand out in the crowd, a result of the ever-increasing pressure to make it into a good program in a good university to lead a good life. But this also begs a greater question: is it wrong?

While it does sound immoral, the students who partake in this process are just putting in extra work to ensure a competitive edge over other applicants. Competitive post-secondary programs need to ask so much of their applicants because there is no other way to sift through the large quantity of applications they receive. And applicants who do not naturally stand out have to build their resume because they don’t have a channel to demonstrate untestable qualities that make them deserving of acceptance. at the Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF) as a gold medallist. “It wasn’t the award that made me swell with pride, but the fact of having accomplished something,” she says, “I felt as if I could and did make an impact on the scientific world. It was a recognition not only of my achievement, but every moment of work that went into it. The nights I didn’t sleep, or the days that I spent twelve hours in a lab, just to go home to analyze my data. That moment perhaps shines through as the moment when I realized that ‘I can’. Against all odds, I can, and I will. In moments of dullness, I’ll often go back to relive that moment, remembering the awareness of my ability to create change that it brought to light.”

What’s most important in life? Helen Deng answers with a nervous laughter, “Is it bad that my literal thought was nothing? I think nothing’s most important. There’s too much out there for me to deem one thing is above all. And similarly, there’s too much for me to deem what I’m thankful for. Because regardless of whether the experience, event, whatever it is, positive or negative, I’ve gained something from it.”

Perhaps this article will, as Silverman has aspired to, encourage people to skip the small talk, and cut right to the big talk by asking deeper questions.

Photo by Jack Denton

When asked what he’s most scared to give up in his life, Jarod Bond simply replies, ”laughing,

Top Ten: The People ALYSSA JOYNT

When you come to visit North Toronto in grade eight, students tell you that everyone is really nice and friendly. However, it is impossible to believe them until you see it for yourself. When you walk in the doors, there are people sitting in the commons, studying and laughing. When you walk around the halls, you see people studying and chatting. At lunch, everyone is sitting in large groups. If you are in grade nine and don’t know where to go, you can ask someone without getting more lost. People are smiley, happy, enthusiastic, and spirited. We work hard and play hard. A better group of people is hard to find.

Photo by Ajantha Nadesalingam

The Elephant Missing from the Room

7

BY EYAL WILK

North Toronto is often referred to as a very “white” school; it’s up there with Forest Hill and Lawrence Park in terms of “whiteness.” In comparison to the ethnic and racial diversity in the city of Toronto, North Toronto is dramatically overrepresented by Caucasian students. Although we have an overrepresentation of white students, there are students in many visible minority groups at NT, and this often allows for enough exposure to diversity within minorities at our school that it makes applying generalization and stereotypes less likely.

Amongst the most dramatically underrepresented minority groups are black students. This fact makes it difficult for North Toronto students to be exposed to diversity within this minority group.

It also poses challenges for black students. “As such a stark minority at NT, it sort of falls upon a few of us to represent black culture to an entire community,” says Richard Bulze. Most students at NT should be able to recognize and disregard stereotypes.

Yet, Bulze still says that there were still many assumptions that he has had to debunk during his time at NT, “finding out that not all black kids ‘play basketball’ or don’t enjoy eating fried chicken is confusing for some people.” With very limited exposure to black culture and, more importantly, diversity within black culture many students at NT can be somewhat ignorant. Unfortunately, this ignorance will persist unless proven otherwise, “the onus in on us,” says Bulze, “to educate them to the fact that we don’t all act the same, or enjoy the same things, and that stereotypes don’t always hold true.”

Our school’s glaring underrepresentation of black students has been emphasized due to the recent events in Ferguson and the rest of the United States that have forced difficult discussions about race, discrimination and privilege across North America and into the classrooms of North Toronto. When conversations about equality, specifically focusing on African Americans, are being held in a classroom of students with,

maybe one or two, but usually no black students, their absence is not only extremely evident but also potentially harmful to the legitimacy of the discussions.

North Toronto is made up of a relatively liberal student body and as a result a strong amount of students are somewhat aware of the racial and socioeconomic issues that cause events like Ferguson. However, many students are still misinformed, and without a strong black presence in these types of discussions at school, many people feel that this misinformation and ignorance will continue to spread.

Students for Social Equity co-head, Josh Ehrlich, notes that some SSE members have voiced a lack of confidence in their teacher’s ability to lead these difficult discussions. “Some teachers don’t want to discuss these issues because they feel uncomfortable with the topic or simply don’t know enough to confidently lead a class-wide discussion,” he says. Similarly, although Bulze believes that many teachers managed to lead good discussions some showed, “some personal bias” or “a lack of knowledge about the topic.”

Due to the scarcity of black students, Fay Asimakopoulos, a grade 11 student, has observed that non-black students are able to make, “deeply misinformed,” and, at times, “offensive racist

The Ombudsman

BY SPENCER BROWN

On the back page of the last issue of Graffiti, there was a collage featuring photos of students along with tweets about Red and Grey day. The intent of the page was to convey as much of the day as possible. The tweets were positive, not controversial, and were published with neither criticism nor commentary. However, a few of the students that had a tweet printed along with their screen name were surprised to see their posts in print, and a little annoyed. No one asked these students for permission.

All of the tweets were taken from users who were, at the time, followers of Graffiti’s Twitter feed. All of the tweets used were accessible to the public. Although legally the publishing of the tweets is completely acceptable, we should have shown more courtesy. With a fast approaching deadline, we failed to tell the tweeting students our intent. We should have let them know the plan and given them the time to react prior to publication. In future, we will make every effort to inform before using content created by others. Perhaps this incident can serve as a reminder of the public nature of social media.

EDITORS NOTE: If you have concerns over content in this issue, please email ntcigraffiti@gmail.com or contact Jane or Jack directly.

remarks about black students in general.” Although these comments are usually made from a place of ignorance rather than one of malice, the lack of students who are informed about the issues in question can allow these comments to remain undisputed. Once again, it seems that the black student population of North Toronto has a significant role to play in the education of the rest of the student population. Bulze notes that there were times that Ferguson discussions in class “skirted around the racial issues at the heart of these problems.” In those cases he says, “you almost feel as if you have to weigh in and bring up other points that will help people see the whole picture.”

Perhaps the most dangerous consequence of the underrepresentation of black students at North Toronto is the missing local focus of these discussions about racial issues. Even if discussions about the events going on the States are accurate and executed properly, the local perspective of these issues is still drastically misrepresented.

“We are missing out on very important and formative discussions about how black kids are being discriminated here in Canada, and to what extent,” says Asimakopoulos, “nobody is initiating them.” Without exposure to these types of experiences, our student body is very much at risk of remaining ignorant and oblivious to issues affecting their community.

Student Profi le: The Performer

BY FAYED GAYA

For the second edition of the North Toronto Student Profile, Graffiti interviewed Jeremy Fox-Revett, The Performer. Jeremy has a great passion for music, evident from his membership with NT’s renowned vocals program for almost four years. Outside of school, Jeremy plays in a yet-to-be named band with a few of his friends. While this is his last year at NT, it’s safe to say that Jeremy will get voted “most likely to become a famous musician.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Doing what you love and not taking sh*t from anyone. It’d also be pretty nice to be rich.

What is your greatest fear?

Upsetting and letting down those who are closest to me. And bears... they’re basically cute furry sacks of DEATH! Which living person do you most admire?

The guitar God himself, John Mayer. I aspire towards obtaining his musically magical fingers.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Beards.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My new guitar... It’s so pretty and sounds like something sent from the heavens.

And Scarlett Johansson cuz she’s so damn fine.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I tend not to think about the things I don’t like about myself. Instead, I focus on the things that make me happy to be me. Like my hair... SO SOFT MAN! What do you consider your greatest achievement?

When Daniel Janossy and I performed our duet at vocal retreat this year we made a few people cry. I never thought I could actually make someone cry by singing to them. It made me realize the true power of performance.

What is your most treasured possession?

My personal songbook. It’s a plethora of good and bad song ideas both embarrassing and incriminating ;). I’d be so upset if I lost it.

What do you most value in your friends?

A weird but good sense of humour and to be outgoing and positive. Also, eager to try new and interesting things Who are your favorite artists?

John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and MARKY MARK AND THE FUNKY BUNCH :) How would you like to die?

Being covered with tuna and thrown into a pit of hungry kittens. Aw, they’re so cuAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!

What is your motto?

Work Hard. Play Hard. And Party Even Harder.

Top Ten: The Full Commons on a Late Start TAMAR K.B.

It’s freezing cold outside, you’re exhausted, and you should be in bed. Yet here you are, at school at 9am on a late start. Whether it was your faulty memory, your faulty printer, or fate that has brought you here at this time, there’s an comedic sight awaiting you. As you reach the commons, you begin to realise that the gentle roar was coming from the caf. It’s freezing cold outside, everyone’s exhausted, and should be in bed. Yet here they are, at school at 9am on a late start- conversing in the caf. At NT, we take our motto seriously: we Work Hard, Play Hard. So let that frozen face of yours smile, because nothing could be funnier, and sadder, than a school cafeteria full on a late start morning.

9 Although the expectations and requirements seem more rigid and demanding in an arts course, she finds it easier “to bring [herself] to complete assignments that [she] finds] interesting.”

One Step Into Your Future

BY JENNY LEE

Instead of “Hey, how’s life?”, NT students greet each other with the questions, “what courses are you taking this year?”, “who do you have?”, “what are you getting?” When the reply boomerangs back with “the three sciences,” the reaction is less verbal and more of raised eyebrows out of respect and awe. People think students who take three science courses are the cherries on top of an ice cream. Well… think again.

At NT, students who tend to aim for high averages or to be part of the “smart people assembly” in October are those who have at least two science or math courses in their schedule. People who are very strong in the subjects see math and sciences are easy 90s, and often subjective courses like visual arts, drama, or history are risky. Math and science courses offer more of a guaranteed high marks for them because these courses have definite answers to the questions.

Meanwhile, subjects that require a lot of essay writing or creative projects have greater chances of bringing them lower marks. You may be surprised, but for Grade 11s, there are only 2 sections of Ancient History and 1 section of American History course, compared to 5-7 classes for each science course in NT’s course selection.

Does a desire for high marks keep students from taking the courses that interest them? Many NT students dread having so much to study for during exams. Many students have taken courses that they weren’t interested in. Listening for an

Beyond Grey Walls: Looking at NT’s Architectural Success

BY DIKSHA KUMAR

Our feet hit the stark tiles of the first floor each morning. They continue to hurry past the equally-unadorned concrete staircase every time the bell rings. Despite occasional splashes of lime green placed throughout the building, our feet carry on unwavering and our artistic conscience unsatisfied, constantly criticizing North Toronto’s monochromatic palette. Is aesthetics the only indication of good architecture?

NT is currently the most significant setting in our lives to learn, play, and socialize. Obviously, it has to do a lot more than look good.

Photo by Bronte McKean

hour and twenty minutes about material that you don’t understand or don’t like is bad enough.

Pulling all-nighters and spending hours on material that you are not even passionate about can be extremely frustrating and tortuous. If you take courses that you are actually interested in and enjoy learning, your pre-exam period definitely isn’t as painful.

Natalie Cappe, a Grade 12 NT student, has a 90+ average and guess what? She isn’t taking any science courses; she is taking Fiction English, Families, Vocals, Drama, Writer’s Craft, French, and Data Management. She says, “Some people thrive in math and sciences, which is something I respect. [However], each course is challenging in a different way; having one answer may make the subject easier or more difficult to succeed in.” designated locations, where are they spending their time?

Erase all your previous thoughts about NT’s hallways. Don’t focus on the double dose of dull grey walls and grey floors. In fact, their lack of specific purpose is the key to their architectural success. An inconspicuous nook under the awards display on the fourth floor, or an alcove between two structural columns in the Physics hallway, easily transforms into the ideal place to hang out and eat lunch. NT students may badmouth the school building’s cold, modern architecture, but they love to spend their longest break of the day in hallways, the epitome of coldness.

Every year, the entrances to top universities like the Ivy Leagues are becoming narrower.

According to Yale University, “academic strength is our first consideration in evaluating any candidate. The single most important document in your application is your high school transcript … We look for students who have consistently taken a broad range of challenging courses in high school and done well.”

Other universities have similar advices when you refer to the “what we look for in applicants” section. When students read this, many may automatically think of the so-called, and stereotypical, “Asian six pack,” consisting of three maths and three science courses. However, the dean said, “challenging courses”, are not “math and science courses.” You might need to learn many formulas and theories for sciences, but you also need to write analytical essays for liberal art courses. Liberal art courses are equally as challenging as the science courses.

You should take courses that you are truly interested in. Take risks to learn something new. Who knows? It might end up being your major in university. Don’t always think about marks. Passion comes first and marks second.

Don’t be a follower. Create your own course trend.

It seems that people are associating spaces with emotions, memories, and experiences. If you eat lunch in the school, you belong to one of these categories: Non-conformist hallway diner: I prefer to avoid the Commons at lunchtime. It’s always so cold and loud. I hate the echo. Don’t even mention the disgusting crumbs.

Conventional Commons diner: The Commons is really convenient cuz there’s food two steps away. It’s pretty clean and warm. I like the vibe.

Thanks to shallow architecture critics in the media, our perception of architecture is heavily influenced by visuals. We gravitate towards the avant-garde Michael Lee-Chin crystal addition to the the Royal Ontario Museum. We ignore the simple functionality of homes that make us never want to leave. We get caught up in mouldings and wall colours. We forget ourselves.

Ultimately, a space must have a compelling aspect, more compelling than aesthetics, to draw one in. The barren courtyard, underused Student Gallery, desolate Commons: these spaces reflect the fallbacks of NT’s architects. What was meant to be a mid-day getaway to appreciate the school’s heritage is now a disarray of empty chairs engulfed by weeds. If the majority of NT students aren’t found in these

Photo by David Shin

10 Photos by Mr. DaSilva Logo from Ryan’s Well Website Map from the BBC

Ryan’s Well

BY TAMAR K.B. Nearly one billion people – that’s 1 in every 6 of us – lack access to safe water. Over 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation, with nearly half that number (1.2 billion) living without sanitation facilities at all. And a little kid from Kemptville, Ontario, decided he had to do something about it.

The Ryan’s Well Foundation grew from the commitment of one boy, Ryan Hreljac, who learned of the great need for clean and safe water in developing countries in his first grade class. With the support of friends, family and the community, Ryan raised enough money to build a well in Africa. In 1999, at age seven, Ryan’s first well was built at Angolo Primary School in northern Uganda.

Still a small foundation, the Ryan’s Well charity was not formed until 2001. Since then, the charity has helped build over 927 water projects and 1120 latrines bringing safe water and improved sanitation to over 836,751 people.

Now, the work of Ryan’s Well has become the story of countless people, young and old, from across the world who are inspired to take responsibility and make a difference either in

their own communities, or, like Ryan, in faraway places. Ryan’s story has made people realize that anyone, even kids in grade one, can make a difference.

“Water is essential to all life.” Ryan tells. Water gives people the option and opportunity to help themselves. The well projects require the communities’ involvement in the building and maintenance of the wells, thus “give them the opportunity to build lives, get a proper education; the projects gives them the chance to help themselves.”

North Toronto Collegiate Institute is proud to support Ryan’s Well Foundation, a Canadian charity that is committed to providing people in the developing world with access to clean water and appropriate sanitation. All of the money raised throughout this fashion and performance arts show will go towards funding the special NT project, created specifically by Ryan’s Well for our Charity Week, in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. Like the well built in Ryan’s “brother” Jimmy’s village, our project will make a difference immediately. “Life was very different for me in Uganda. Every night, I walked eight kilometres carrying a small container to collect water. I had to go back and back again to fill the pot we used at home for cooking and washing. I usually got up at midnight to do this so I could

still go to school in the morning. The water I collected was not clean, it looked like chocolate - but it was our only source before Ryan’s well was built.” The rainwater harvesting tanks built with the funds from our Charity Week would not only provide the community with a local source of water, but will also deliver training in repair, maintenance and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene). The women of the communities will receive water management and utilization training to ensure strong local engagement.

What’s coming up in Charity Week?

Don’t hesitate to subscribe to the Charity Week 2015 Facebook page and keep your ears and eyes out for announcements and posters for upcoming events like Mr. Rubinoff’s Magic Show, Gotcha, Amazing Race, the NTAA Dodgeball Game, and more.

“The statistics are staggering, but you just have to be stubborn and keep going. Use your youth to your advantage, find something you love, something that interests you, something you care about, something you are passionate about.

Expand your comfort zone. My advice to anyone is that in order to make a positive change in the world, you need to find something you are passionate about and then you need to take steps to act. For me, the issue is water and sanitation.”

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The Dark Side of Canada

BY ALLISON SUBA

We, as Canadians, take pride in the fact that we use too much maple syrup. That we say “sorry” too much. That we take hockey way too seriously. It is part of our national identity and helps to make us who we are. But we often forget the darker side of Canada. Drug smuggling, gangs, and gambling are just some problems faced across the country. But what if I told you that people were disappearing right under our noses?

That their horrendous murders are covered up or ignored by the media? You probably wouldn’t believe me; after all, this is Canada. But this is exactly what’s happening.

Since 1980, over 1181 First Nations women have been reported missing or murdered: an average of 31 a year. First Nations women are also three times more likely to be a victim of a violent crime than women of other races, and have the highest rate of disappearances and murders of any group in Canada.

The issue has been brought to light in recent months by the discovery of the body of Tina

Fontaine, a 15-year old Aboriginal girl from Red River, Manitoba. The body has raised questions on the treatment and rights of First Nations peoples and the role the race and gender of the victim could play behind the disappearance.

Kim Wheatley, a Native American woman who grew up on a reserve, states that she is “shocked by the lack of awareness and support offered by the Canadian population in regards to the enormous number of missing and murdered Indigenous women in this country. These are women who are daughters, mothers, nieces, grandchildren, sisters, grandmothers and children. They are of all ages and walks of life.

Each woman has a story and their families are left with no closure and no where to turn when a local police force simply lets the file remain uninvestigated.”

The Assembly of First Nations has been demanding a national inquiry, claiming that the only solution to the problem is to discover the roots and eliminate them. “These women deserve a national inquiry and investigation to the complex issues that continue to allow the average predator easy access to ending their lives without consequence,” Wheatley says.

Top Ten: The School’s Colour Scheme

However, the government has rejected the idea, claiming that it is too expensive and will have few positive results. Instead, a plan has been put forward to establish shelters, family violence protection programs, a Victim’s Fund, and awareness programs in an effort to support on and off reserve women and girls. The plan will cost an estimated $25 million over a five year period.

Understandably, the Aboriginal community is still not happy with the response. They claim that the projects are excuses for the funding of existing projects, and that not enough emphasis is being placed on First Nations problems specifically.

“I try to keep hope alive that Canada will wake up and become allies in the demands to conduct a national inquiry. I challenge others to join us in our demands for justice,” Wheatley says. Our light-hearted maple syrup-loving, sorry-saying, hockey loving national identity leaves out a significant group of marginalized women, young and old - and that is not what justice or equality is all about.

Photo from the Canadian Press

FAY ASIMAKOPOULOS

At NT, we have a healthy dose of an identity crisis. We are inhabiting a school that is trying very hard to be modern, while flirting with the colour-coded kitsch of the TDSB. The area around the school is highly residential, but also a 20 minute subway ride from Toronto’s bustling core. Our school blends into the general fabric of the city, as much as it forms its own Yonge and Eglinton community. Our official colours are red and grey -- yet our sleek colour scheme of purple, lime, grey, black, and white could not be further removed from the monotonous dichotomy of a high school. In fact, I can guarantee that I have not walked into (or heard of) a single high school, apart from ours, that did not use some prototypal combination of grey, red, blue or white.

If you are looking for a suburban high school fantasy, you probably won’t find it at NT. It almost seems fitting that our school’s walls are adorned with colours that avoid the conventional displays of red, blue, and grey 1950’s suburban architectural fantasies. Sure, Tridel’s conception of a modern workspace may resemble a condo more than a school, but, in its imperfection and deviation from the TDSB norm, it both latches onto and reflects NT’s complex urban identity. And while I can see why looking at a lime green wall may not be everyone’s ideal of true love, I much prefer it to the crumbling asbestos of Northern.

NEWS FEATURE Two Students’ Opinion on the Hong Kong Protests

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Although last September’s Hong Kong protests, which demanded democratic elections at the municipal level, have since died down significantly, Hong Kong continues to operate under the strain of a country that feels repressed. A history of British colonization has left Hong Kong feeling culturally, and, to some extent, legally separate from mainland China, despite still being a part of China. And while the mainland Chinese may decry Hong Kong’s demands for increased independence as following a false, colonial dichotomy, whereas the people of Hong Kong fail to identify with an unelected Chinese government, most of us in the Western world have a rudimentary understanding of why and how Hong Kong might demand independence, or a change to its style of governance.

Here are two NT students’ opinions on what the Hong Kong protests might mean about the future of democracy in China’s famous Special Administrative region.

In Defense of the Hong Kong Struggle for Democracy

BY AMY HE Protest marches are fairly common in Hong Kong and they are usually handled peacefully by law enforcement.

But what began on September 26 and drastically escalated over the last few months was unprecedented; police showed up in military gear, unleashed volleys of pepper spray and tear gas, and clashed with protest groups. The civil unrest was a confrontation between Hong Kong and mainland China over the city’s uncertain future – an outrage accumulated over the past eighteen years.

The anxiety of losing Hong Kong’s special status is deeply rooted in a promise from the Communist Party of China in 1997. When the city was handed back to the Chinese government in 1997, it happened under the promise that Hong Kong would be designated a “Special Administrative Region” of China with special rights and autonomy – a deal known as “one country, two systems.” One part of the deal was that Hong Kong citizens would be able to democratically elect their leader for the first time by 2017. At present, Hong Kong citizens can only vote for pre-approved candidates, making it impossible for a critic of Beijing to be on the ballot. However, the 2017 “free election” agreement is up for interpretation. Hong Kong citizens think it means to nominate and vote on Hong Kong’s chief executive directly through a popular vote. Many worry that losing the freedom to control their own elections could lead to the loss of their Special Administrative Status, a possibility that the CPC has hinted at.

The decision is like asking a flock of sheep to choose between a wolf and a fox as its shepherd. No matter which candidate the Hong Kong people elect as their leader, the CPC will always be in charge. This makes Hong Kong vulnerable to refuse future legislation that the CPC would want to enforce on the city – such as attempts to assimilate Hong Kong’s government to that of the mainland. In a recent statement released by the Chinese government, “the high degree of autonomy of [Hong Kong] is not an inherent power, but one that comes solely from the authorization by the central leadership.” In 1989, the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square sent a shockwave through Hong Kong. The People’s Liberation Army killed approximately 2,600 peaceful prodemocracy protesters in Beijing and other cities in China.

Although Hong Kong was unaffected by the massacre, the city holds an annual vigil in memory of the event, which has been heavily censored in China. A constant fear that the Chinese military will come out of its barricades continues to weigh on the people of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Protests: More Complicated Than You May Think

BY DANIEL LIU

Photo from Agence France-Presse

Photo from NBC News

Photo from Reuters

Photo from South China Morning Post

Hong Kong citizens have long wondered whether the Chinese government, famous for its authoritarian rule and fear of democracy, would really allow Hong Kong to become fully democratic. The 2017 election was a test case. When China rescinded its promises to Hong Kong, it raised the question of whether Hong Kong can remain truly free from the dictatorial rule of mainland China. This openended question will continue for years to come regardless of the result of this protest, and I hope the answer is yes.

Photo from Reuters

The reasons behind the recent protests in Hong Kong are far more complicated than simply a “fight for democracy.” While the Hong Kong protesters have legitimate grievances against the local and Central Chinese government, these grievances are as much economic in nature as they are political. Rising unemployment, slow economic growth, and excessively high housing prices are all factors that have contributed to rising anti-government sentiment among the city’s populace, specifically the youth. The people of Hong Kong face real socio-economic problems, and they want change. Many felt that open protest was the only way for the Central Chinese government to hear their grievances, and some believed the only way to achieve this was through the adoption of Western democratic beliefs and political institutions.

In a scenario where Hong Kong manages to successfully secede from the mainland, it will mean the collapse of Hong Kong’s economy. For centuries, Hong Kong was a sleepy fishing village dwelling in the shadow of the nearby city of Canton (Guangzhou). Beginning in the 1960s, however, its economy skyrocketed, and its position on the global stage was cemented when it became the financial centre for the trade going in and out of the newly-opened China. Despite its success as the “Gateway to China,” this economic model came with a price as Hong Kong’s economy became dependent on China.

On the flip side, Hong Kong’s importance to China is steadily diminishing. Since 1997 (the year when Hong Kong was returned to China) its percentage of China’s total GDP has shrunk from 16% to 3 %. Its special economic status as the “Gateway to China” is becoming a thing of the past. During the 1980s, most foreign corporations that wanted to invest in China would use Hong Kong as their base of operation, since China was not completely open, and money could flow through Hong Kong into mainland projects. However, foreign business can now skip this process and invest directly in China; likewise, Chinese companies can now trade directly with their counterparts in New York or London.

Anyone who thinks that the Hong Kong protests will force China to adopt a western liberal democratic system or lead to independence for Hong Kong is dreaming. The protesters are not sufficiently organized, nor do they have enough public support to make the sort of cultural and political impact as their counterparts in the 1989 Tiananmen protests. It takes more than a protest in one city, even in a major city like Hong Kong, to change the views of the entire Chinese government. In many ways, the “Umbrella Revolution” mirrors the “Occupy Movement” of 2011. While it may not have changed the way the establishment operates, it has brought global attention to the social, economic, and political challenges that China faces today. How the Chinese government responds to these challenges may very well define the rest of the 21st century.

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Mexico: A Country In Protest BY: EYAL WILK

“Mexico is on the verge of a revolution,” my father told me after he returned from visiting family there several weeks ago. He was referring to the 43 missing student teachers that have set off protests against government corruption all across the country.

In late September, in the south-west Mexican town of Iguala, Guerrero, 43 students went missing after a protest against education reform. Allegedly under the orders of the Mayor of Iguala and his wife, the students were taken by the local police at gunpoint from their bus as they were returning home from the demonstration. The police later transferred the students to a gang of drug traffickers with the purpose of making those young men and women “disappear.”

For over a month after the abduction the whereabouts of the students were unknown to their families and the rest of Mexico. However, in early November, three cartel members confessed to participating in the mass murder of 43 young men and women. It was this revelation that allowed the federal government’s investigation to come to the chilling conclusion of what had truly happened to the students.

According to the testimony, the students were taken to a garbage dump in an isolated location where they were tied up and shot. The bodies were then burned for over 14 hours, with the purpose of making any remains completely unidentifiable. Any remains were then put into garbage bags and thrown into a nearby river.

Although some of the bags were recovered, the state of their contents made any human remains nearly impossible to identify using even the most advanced forensics. It took until December 7 for investigators to confirm the identity of one of the victim’s remains: 19 year old Alexander Mora.

To this day, Mora is the only one of the 43 students to be identified, which makes it very difficult for families to accept the fate of their loved ones.

A protester in Mexico holds a sign reading: “In Mexico, it’s more dangerous to be a student than a drug trafficker.”

Photo from Twitter (Left)

driven teachers. This was truly a national tragedy, and the involvement of the municipal government and police attests to the severity of the corruption that plagues the country.

In fact, Cartels in the state of Guerrero have such strong influence in both municipal and state level governments that, in an effort to defend himself from the crime, the Governor of Guerrero brought it to the press’ attention that he has “said it before, that the majority of the municipal police in Guerrero are infiltrated by organized crime.” The city of Iguala was clearly no exception as two of the - now arrested mayor’s brother-in-laws were members of another cartel in the area.

The atrocity of the disappeared students and the extent of corruption that has been put on display has sparked massive outrage amongst the people of Mexico. There have been protests across the country, with the most impressionable demonstrations being held in Mexico City. In the nation’s capital, tens of thousands of people have marched down one of the city’s busiest highways, Paseo de la Reforma, and on the Zocalo (main square) in downtown Mexico City. Although the majority of protesters have

been peaceful, police have arrested dozens of people, seemingly at random and at times violently, in an effort to disperse crowds.

The credibility of Mexico’s President, Enrique Peña Nieto, has also been battered due to these events. Entering his third year of presidency, Mr. Peña has focused primarily on developing Mexico economically and many of his critics have accused the President of downplaying issues of corruption in order to successfully develop foreign trade.

It seems that Mexico is at a critical moment, and President Peña’s government have a difficult road ahead. In the wake of the missing students, the President has submitted legislation to congress with the purpose of combatting municipal police corruption. However, in order to regain popularity and, more importantly, earn back the trust of his people, Mr. Peña must change his priorities.

In order to successfully grow Mexico’s economy, the cancerous cartels and corrupt policy makers must be vanquished. The people of Mexico are fed up with the corruption and the violence, and unless serious reform is done by the government, the citizens will push for change in spite of it.

Photo (below) from NPR

There have been countless victims of drug cartels in Mexico since a significant surge of violence occurred in the mid 2000s. Yet, this crime has horrified Mexicans like no other recent event. These were young men and women with no connection to drug cartels. They were to become educators of the next generation, in a community that desperately needed dedicated and

Top Ten: Blessed Physics Drinks EYAL WILK

It’s last period on Friday and you just wrote a unit test in the previous class. It was a Chem test. Or was it Functions? You don’t even remember at this point, you’re just looking forward to the weekend. The last class you have today is Physics, but you can’t concentrate. You’re already celebrating your freedom in your head. You focus back in on what the teacher is saying just in time to catch some backhanded jab at one of your peers. You’re classmates laugh. You realize, too late, that you were the butt of the joke. “Can I get a drink?” Unlike most classes, where getting a drink means leaving class to struggle with the disabled water fountains, in Physics class getting a drink is an entirely enhanced experience.

You have a spring in your step as you walk to the back of the class towards the vending machines, and you buy yourself, at a very reasonably priced $1, anything from a Coke to a Fruitopia to a surprisingly delicious lychee beverage. You sit back down with your cold drink, open it up and take a sip.

And as your taste buds are doused with heavenly flavour your mind begins to clear and you suddenly realize you understand Physics. The vending machine beverage not only relaxes you it makes you wonder why every class isn’t as stress free as this one.

Photo from Getty images

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Qatar’s World Cup

BY LYDIA ZHOU

The World Cup in Brazil may have been an economic success; according to Brazil’s President Russorf, it injected “30 billion reais ($13.5 billion) into Brazil’s economy and created 710,000 permanent jobs.” However, it certainly wasn’t a social success.

In the months before the World Cup, there were violent riots and strikes across Brazil and allegations of organisers sneaking public funds into their own pockets. Many Brazilians even spoke of boycotting their World Cup because they believed that the Brazilian government was ignoring the needs of their own people in favour of putting on a successful World Cup. The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is already ahead of the game of controversies, racking up a number of major scandals since Qatar won their bid in December 2010. Accusations of Qatar bribing FIFA executives to vote for their bid resulted in several bans and suspensions. Recently, FIFA’s President, Sepp Blatter, confessed in an interview with a Swedish broadcaster that “the technical report into Qatar [...] said it was too hot but the executive committee - with a large majority - decided all the same to play it in Qatar,” reigniting claims that corruption and bribery won Qatar their World Cup bid. The secretarygeneral of the global footballers’ union, Theo van Seggelen, has even recently said that they “advise [that] players do not go” to Qatar; the temperatures of over 40 degrees celsius are definitely not conducive to sport.

India’s Population Control: Sterilization Preys On Women

BY AMY HE

Thirteen women in India have recently died after going through government-sanctioned sterilization surgery. This latest tragedy highlights India’s ongoing war to curb overpopulation. India is currently on pace to become the most populated country in the world by 2030; so, to control the population, the government has created a plan to sterilize targeted citizens.

India officially ended their deferral quota program in 1996 and took a “target-free” approach to family planning. But, in practice, state-level authorities and district health officials face accusations that the quota system is still in place for enforced contraception through female sterilization.

Photo from Reuters

However, there is another story coming out of Qatar.

More than 4000 workers in Qatar, many of them migrants from Nepal, are projected to die by 2022. In official reports, more than 500 workers had already died by May of this year. In June, the Qatari government admitted that over 1000 workers may have died on the site of the current project: the Tower of Football. An investigation by English reporters found the migrants living in squalid conditions: “squeezed seven to a room, sleeping on thin, dirty mattresses on the floor and on bunk beds.” Many of them are “exploited on wages as low as 50p an hour” and work more than 12 hours a day. Yet the workers can do nothing as “they live in constant fear of imprisonment because they have been left without paperwork after the contractor on the [Tower of Football], Lee Trading and Contracting, collapsed.”

The work conditions in Qatar are obviously horrible for their workers. And it is neither a What exactly is sterilization surgery? It is technically tubal ligation, commonly referred to as “tube-tying.” Doctors perform surgery on the women, blocking or severing the fallopian tube to prevent future pregnancies. It is the most popular form of birth control in India; approximately 4.6 million women underwent the procedure in 2011 and 2012.

There is nothing inherently wrong with tubal ligation, but the heavy focus of the Indian government on using female sterilization to curb overpopulation is coercive - a violation of human rights. Community healthcare workers are under constant pressure to meet these “contraceptive targets.” In much of the country, authority figures aggressively pursue target quotas for female sterilization and threaten health care workers with consequences such as salary cuts and dismissals when the targets are not met. As a result, some health professionals intimidate women into undergoing sterilization without providing adequate information about potential

new issue nor a World Cup-specific issue. Yet, it is in the World Cup’s spotlight that the labour and human rights issues in Qatar have been making headlines worldwide.

FIFA repeatedly supported Brazil through its World Cup scandals, despite blasting the Brazilian government for being slow on construction and preparations. Now, Blatter admits that the football world can’t “turn a blind-eye” to the horrifying working conditions in Qatar. However, Blatter claims that there is “plenty of time” left to deal with Qatar’s blatant exploitation of migrant workers.

It’s doubtful that anything will be done. FIFA never dealt with the human rights issues in Brazil in the seven years they talked about it. FIFA doesn’t even have to worry about dealing with riots or strikes in Qatar, what with most of the workers cowed by fears of being deported and losing their livelihoods. FIFA will continue to procrastinate putting their foot down on Qatar until the World Cup passes in 2022 and they lose any influence over the Qatari government. complications, the surgery’s irreversibility, as well as how to safely engage in sexual activities after undergoing tubal ligation.

Moreover, while the federal government has legally capped the number of daily surgeries a doctor can perform at 30, doctors are being paid bonuses per patient by local authorities. The result? Some have admitted to performing hundreds of surgeries in a single day. These clumsy surgeries, undertaken in unhygienic conditions, are a leading cause of unnecessary deaths. To illustrate, approximately 1,400 women have died from botched surgery since 2003, although many Human Rights workers suspect that this estimate is on the lower side. The quality of contraceptive services should not be relinquished for quantity.

Aside from coercion, India’s family planning program predominately focuses on women, with little emphasis on men. However, with child or adolescent brides prevalent in many parts of the county, it is often the husband who decides when to engage in reproduction and how many children to have. For India to be successful in its efforts of family planning, it should effectively engage with the male population and include sex education as part of the school curriculum.

Sterilization is a form of popular birth control in the world, especially in developing nations.

Despite the fact that most of the patients wish to undergo this surgery, the amount and frequency of coerced tubal ligation is an immense problem.

It reveals two of India’s biggest divisions - class and gender. Now India stands at a crossroad between controlling its population and protecting its vulnerable citizens. Forced female sterilization is not the answer.

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All You Ever Wanted to Know About Drones: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Who uses drones?

The answer is obvious - but other countries are catching up to the United States. As with most military programs, the US is the leader in developing drone technology - both drone research and development, and procurement. Nevertheless, many other countries have at least some drone capability, with an estimated 680 drone programs popping up around the world. China is escalating its drone program, with at least 25 types of systems in development. Iran has also touted its program, including the armed “Ambassador of Death” drone which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled by declaring: “its main message is peace and friendship.”

BY TAMAR K.B.

What are drones?

A drone is a pilotless craft guided by remote control. Aircraft, ships, and land vehicles can be designed or outfitted as drones; underwater vessels — piloted and pilotless — are called submersibles. Small, relatively inexpensive military drones are used as targets in combat practice, while high-performance models may be used to carry and launch missiles against enemy targets without exposing pilots and their far more expensive aircraft to anti-aircraft fire. Not only can drones be guided by an operator stationed thousands of miles away, but, depending on the mission, they may be equipped with armament, radar, video cameras, lasers, or sensors for chemical or biological weapons.

Why were drones first created?

The first armed drones were created to get Osama bin Laden. In 1998, U.S. President Clinton’s administration shut down an operation to kill the al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan with cruise missiles, given the estimated collateral damage of 300 casualties and only 50 percent confidence in the intelligence. The 9/11 Commission noted that “Pentagon planners intensified efforts to find a more precise alternative.”

The first known killing by armed drones occurred in November 2001, when a Predator drone targeted Mohammed Atef, a top al Qaeda military commander, in Afghanistan.

Illustrations by Charles Wu

How functional are drones?

So far, drones tend to crash. On December 4th, a surveillance drone crashed in Iran; a U.S. official involved in the program blamed a lost data link. Two weeks later, an unarmed Reaper drone crashed at the end of a runway in the Seychelles. “This should not be a surprise,” a defense official told Aviation Week & Space Technology, revealing that the US had already lost more than 50 drones; as of July 2010, the US Air Force had identified 79 drone accidents costing at least $1 million each. The primary reasons for the crashes: bad weather, loss or disruption of communications links, and “human error factors. According to them, “Some of the [drones] that we have today, you put in a high-threat environment, and they’ll start falling from the sky like rain.”

What’s the future of drone usage?

The scope of drone missions is expanding.

Drones have come a long way in little more than a decade of military use. Drones are now being developed to “hover just behind infantry soldiers to watch their backs; carry airborne lasers to intercept ballistic missiles; perform aerial refueling; and conduct long-range strategic bombing missions.” Given that drones will become cheaper, smaller, faster, stealthier, more lethal, and more autonomous, it’s more difficult to imagine what they won’t do than what they will.

Bottom line: more and more drones have been rushed into service, and their use and application is seemingly infinite.

What are drones usually used for?

In the United States and elsewhere, drones are increasingly used by law enforcement and security agencies to track drug smugglers, illegal immigrants, and terrorists. Currently, scientists are contemplating non-policing uses to include monitoring crops, helping fight forest fires, atmospheric and wildlife research, filmmaking, and news reporting.

Are most of drones bombers?

Most military drones don’t bomb. Although decapitation strikes may get all the headlines, the vast majority of the time drones are used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance... what the military calls ISR. The US Navy’s high-altitude drone can relay black-and-white photos covering roughly half the Persian Gulf and advanced Global Hawk radars take detailed images in attempt to sniff out chemical or biological agents for telltale signs of weapons of mass destruction.

Top Ten: Caf Cookies SPENCER BROWN

Alright, don’t get me wrong there are so many great things that I love about NT that happen throughout the year. Charity Week, assemblies and so much more... but there is one thing that makes me spring out of bed every morning with a jump in my step. Something I dream about. The delicious chocolate chip cookies of the cafeteria. I swear, I’ve never had a better cookie. I’ve always been a soft cookie kind of guy, so these fit me perfectly. You take a bite and the soft, chewy goodness explodes. It’s my power snack for early morning study binges, healthy right?. Whenever that Calc or Functions test needs to be successful, I show up at 7:30 and purchase myself a lovely piece of heaven. It’s something so small, but so amazing. This and other small things really make NT the school I love.

16

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

BY JANE BRADSHAW

“Sorry, miss, but we can’t accept this ID today, and will be unable to complete your transaction.”

I grabbed my British Columbia Identification card as quickly as I could and ran out of the LCBO, my face the same colour as the Vancouver Olympic mittens I had shoved in my pockets.

Maybe it wasn’t the smartest idea I’ve ever had; I strutted into the liquor store the week of New Years, waited in long line with customers who had baskets full of expensive wines and spirits, and expected for them to sell me a mickey of Smirnoff without blinking an eye. Yet, I’m not alone in this mindset. Over 60% of NT students I surveyed have fake IDs, and 63% have tried to use it at an LCBO, Beer Store, Wine Rack, bar or restaurant. The success rate? 58% of students have been able to buy from the LCBO, 53% from the Beer Store, 41% from the Wine Rack, 40% at a bar or a restaurant and 30% in a place outside Ontario.

These statistics don’t surprise me. Despite my failed attempt at purchasing vodka, I have been successful with buying a bottle of wine. I took a trip to the Wine Rack during my morning spare, wearing a pair of trousers and a trench coat - a far cry from the typical “NT girl uniform” of leggings and a goose. With some flirting and a fictional story about a dinner party I was attending that night, I walked out with a bottle of white wine in hand. As well, when I was out for lunch with my co-editor in chief, Jack Denton, he was able to throw back a few pints of beer at the local Italian restaurant, Grano. After comparing his Concordia student ID with that of an actual student there, there were distinct differences between the two, but they’ll never know… right?

“We see fake IDs being used on a weekly basis,” says an LCBO employee. “Kids come in and often think that just because they have a card, they can purchase something. We can scan them to check if they are real. Teenagers are easy to spot: they have different mannerisms than a young adult. They’ll either dress up too much to fit the part, or forget and look young in, for example, a Canada Goose and Uggs.”

It was a brisk October day when I ventured down to the small tattoo shop by the Zanzibar strip club, near Yonge and Dundas. There were giant cardboard signs taped to the front window, reading “BEST SOUVENIR IDS IN THE CITY,” “FAKE IDs HERE,” A middle aged man served me and a group of boys from Leaside High

School, giving us large clipboards to fill out with all our desired information. The form included a disclaimer stating that these IDs are souvenirs and the store cannot be held accountable if we try to use them illegally. After taking two photos, one for my school card and another for the identification card, I was able to select where in the country I wanted to live and go to school. I chose B.C. I heard rumours that the Prairie Provinces were obvious signs of a fake, and I didn’t know whether my lack of French skills or an accent would lead a cashier to believe that I was from Quebec or the Maritimes.

Inside Ultimate Tattoo on Yonge Street.

The fake IDs are crafted at the desk by the white wall.

Photo by Jane Bradshaw

25% of students surveyed got their fake ID in grade eleven, around 30% purchased theirs in grade 12, and 30% got theirs from a sibling.

Overall, students using their IDs could look mature enough to pass for 19, or pass as their sibling, who has a legal ID. However, employees of liquor stores are trained to look for indications that will bust our schemes.

“Many IDs being used are from similar provinces, and even use the same address,” the same LCBO employee tells me. The store makes it very clear that if you are under 25, you should present your ID at the check out. “I try to make conversation with the customer if they present an ID from out of province, and see how they react. Hesitation, complex stories, avoiding eye contact – they’re all suspicious.”

These indications have caught many youngsters. One student tells me, “Once I was using a fake that said I was from Manitoba. It was about to work when a second cashier walked by and yelled out ‘that’s not the coat of arms of Manitoba!’” Others were laughed right out of the store.

However, an employee’s ability to identify the ID doesn’t always stop them from selling it to you. Another student wrote to me, “The lady at the LCBO told me she knew it was fake, made a joke about it, and still sold me the vodka.”

Using a fake ID ultimately is a risk for minors, and they could be charged for underage drinking and fined. The success of a fake ID is unpredictable, so why do kids still flock to the tattoo shop at Yonge and Dundas, or buy them from sites online? One of my friends from Malvern has the best response. “Having a fake makes me feel more like an adult. Even though a number on my birth certificate says I’m not mature enough, I know in my heart that I should be treated with the same respect as adults, and, a lot of times, I’m not given that. Being able to

buy alcohol is really the only barrier between a teenager and a grown-up, so by breaking that barrier, it symbolizes that I don’t have anything between me and the person I want to be, and adults need to recognize that.”

The transition to adulthood has become a tricky journey. The current economic situation in developed countries has created a new life stage between adolescence and adulthood. Psychologist Jeffrey Arnett refers to this as “Emerging Adulthood,” stating that there is a distinct life stage between being a teenager and a young adult, involving identity exploration and the sense of possibility. Adulthood was initially marked by sexual maturity, however changes in our diet (a higher intake of fats and hormones) causes menstruation to occur at an earlier age, an age where individuals are not prepared to participate as adults in society. In Canada, we have an illogical structure to mark adulthood: we can begin work at 14, drive a car at 16, vote at 18 and drink (in Ontario) at 19. To finally complete the transition, one must be living independently from their family.

Now that I am 17, I find myself in that stressful and confusing transitional stage of growing up, where I’m old enough and qualified enough to control a vehicle that can cause serious damage to myself and others just as quickly as it can get me to a destination, but I am too young to legally sign a contract or a school form or vote in an election. So, although there is still a lack of demarcation to maturity, I am able to use my fake ID to skip ahead a couple of years and cross off purchasing alcohol from the list. While I am not any closer being a mature, functioning member of society, just owning a card that enables me to do so does make me feel a little bit more confident. And I’ll drink to that.

17

At the Bottom - BY JACK DENTON -

I didn’t know where to begin. This article. These interviews. A young woman named Tiny was smoking a cigarette and playing a mandolin on Dundas when she looked up from the dog at her feet – she looked right into my eyes. “There’s something about being at the bottom that makes you realize what you got. Makes you realize what you really have in life. Makes you feel f*****g alive.”

I was going to write a good article. One of those articles that people read and feel persuaded by, one of those articles that has big words and a complex thesis. Then I saw the bottom. I talked to Tiny. I talked to old men that have spent more years on the street than they could really count. I talked to travelling folk who ride freight trains and grow their own “danky pot.” I talked to a young man that looked like he should still be in high school.

I talked to ex-convicts and a U of T grad student who fell mentally ill. Their stories are too strong for me to grapple together and weave into something that fits onto this off-white, inky page.

No one can tell their stories better than they can.

Slurred, confused stories. Bitter, regretful stories.

Stories of hope and stories of fear. Here are three of them.

travellers,” she tells me… “and travelling means you miss the people you love,” the Horticulturalist chimes in from the side. They both have children around a year old (who don’t live with them on the streets), and the Horticulturalist also has a son who was born only a few months ago. He’s meeting up with his ex tonight, to see his kids for the first time since his son was born.

Then I meet Tiny. Beside the Horticulturalist is a small woman with short, bleached hair poking out from under a hood. She is pictured on the front cover of this newspaper. She’s bundled up in rags, and a dog sits at her feet. “I need artificial warmth!” Tiny yells, “someone go get us some f*****g beer!” She calms down: “I’m from Winnipeg, and I love riding freight trains. I used to hold down a steady job, for three years. Then my mom died of an overdose. I decided to go out and see my country.” She smiles. The Horticulturalist turns back to me and says he’ll sum up Toronto street culture in one sentence: “Some people are f****d, others are cool.” I’m reluctant to leave.

They radiate good vibes in this part of the bottom.

The Old Man

The Travellers

“If I wasn’t a survivor I’d be in the hospital or the morgue.”

“I can grow some very good, very dank weed brother!” the Horticulturalist, right, says.

It was an orgy of panhandling: they busked on the street, sipping Pabst Olde English 800 (a 40oz, 8% alcohol malt liquor that sells for $6.50) while a few of them ran out onto Dundas just east of Yonge when the traffic lights turned red. Brandishing squeegees and a bucket of water, they tried to wash people’s cars.

“I’ve been on my own since when my mom abandoned me,” the man pictured on the right tells me.

“I got picked up by a group of hippies and punk rockers and they all drove around Canada and stuff. When I turned twelve I began to hop on trains and ride the rails, and I thought ‘this is awesome.’ Now I’m twenty-one, and I’m still doing the same thing. I’ve seen my country from coast to coast, even hopped on carrier ships and gone international. I’ve had a blast, and I choose to live on the streets.”

Turns out my new friend actually has some postsecondary education training; he spent two years studying botany and horticulture at the University of Toronto – and, with Indian Status, that was free. I asked why he gave up after only two years.

“Man, because by then I’d learned how to grow really good weed!”

The woman next to him leans in. They met a few months ago, during the summer, when their panhandling groups collided. They’ve since become fast friends, as seems to happen in the younger communities like these. “We’re just a bunch of

His name is Gord, and he seemed to me to be a dying breed. He described himself as a part of a larger group that had “come out to the streets late, you know, work accidents, late bankruptcy, no place to go. It’s hard living for an old man out here kid,” he said as he dragged on a cigarette.

This was his seventh year on the streets.

The smoke curled up around the brim of his Molson Canadian hat, which was surprisingly clean despite his straggly beard and dirty, leathered skin. “Me? Me, the wife took me to the cleaners. Never get married man, never. Stay away from women.” Thanks Gord. “I had an accident, I was a trucker. Chronic condition that insurance wouldn’t cover long-term, eventually put me out of money. Wife left me with nothing. So I came out on the streets. First night I spent in a shelter.

Woke up the next morning in just my boxers, the bastards around me stole my clothes. I haven’t been back to the shelter yet.” His eyes glinted.

There was something behind those eyes. “You can never know. A few years back, there was a guy murdered behind the 7-11 at Yonge and Eglinton. He was homeless. He was a drug dealer that burned somebody. You couldn’t recognize him; they beat the f**k out of him. I saw the whole thing happen; I saw when the lady from the Salvation Army found him the next morning lying in a pool of blood.” Here, so close to our school, such violence happens at the bottom. Violence we’re unaware of. “So I sleep next to a lead pipe,” Gord tells me, “and I’m not afraid to defend myself.” He winks. I thank him and walk away.

Smiley

Photos by Jack Denton

“At this point, my dreams are of saving up enough money for an apartment. Then I can get my life on track.”

One person haunted me above all the others, and that was the young man I nicknamed Smiley. He was sitting outside the McDonalds at Queen and Spadina in an oversized winter jacket; old, thick headphones were strung around his neck. His face was still at the peachfuzz stage.

He spoke softly, apprehensively, his voice high pitched and smooth: “I grew up in the Children’s Aid Society, in a bunch of youth homes. When I turned eighteen, my social worker pretty much dropped me off at Second Base Youth Shelter. I figured out pretty quick that I don’t get along with many of the youth in those shelters, so I turned to the streets.” Imagine, just imagine the environment that would push a young man from a roof over his head to sleeping on the sidewalk.

He’s been on the streets three years; he turned twenty-one on November 26th, he said with pride.

“Sometimes it’s okay. Sometimes it’s a lot less than okay.”

When asked what motivates him to get up in the morning, he is quick to say it’s the cold air outside, which wakes him from the cubbyhole he sleeps in, tucked away under the QEW. “I made a really bad decision when I dropped out of grade ten,” he tells me; “you need to stay in school.”

Smiley has seen things no young person his age should ever have to see. “I’ve seen people in my situation be woken up with a steel toe boot to the face. Or have their backpacks stolen when they’re panning, which is just as bad.” He thinks for a long time when I ask him how he would describe the culture of homelessness. “Stigma,” he says carefully, “a lot of people on the streets have alcohol and drug addictions, but a lot don’t. And I don’t think a lot of people realize how many youth are in the same position as me.” Smiley remains smiling as I leave him sitting on his street corner.

I still don’t know what I learned from the bottom. I felt relieved, felt guilty almost, for how privileged I was, and how I could retreat back to my safe pocket in North Toronto to put together this article. They live in a different paradigm. They are as human as they come. They laugh at all the wrong times at all the right things. They know where to catch a break, but too often they end up broken. They are like God’s own prototypes, living and breathing the bottom because it’s all they know, and all they love, and all they know how to love. I’m still reeling from those conversations. The way Gord looked me coldly in the eyes and told me how he witnessed a murder. The way Tiny’s voice lilted every time she spoke with wonder about seeing the next corner of Canada. The way Smiley’s gaze broke from mine when he mentioned spending the winter in his cubbyhole under the QEW. I still don’t know what I learned from the bottom.

What I do know is that I didn’t even hit the base of that abyss. And maybe they hadn’t either – yet.

18

I Hate “Retarded”

BY EASTON ROUGH

This past summer I had the opportunity of a lifetime: to work as a camp counsellor one-on-one with a special needs camper for two weeks. I, along with a few other one-on-one pairs, took part in what is called the Reach for the Rainbow program. It was grueling; the amount of responsibility and effort involved in taking care of another individual leaves you exhausted.

Every camper is unique: each an individual that exhibits different traits and qualities. This brings about challenges to counsellors. Some of the challenges that related to my camper were that he was non-verbal, having never said a word, he couldn’t feed himself directly, drooled, needed help dressing and undressing, as well as diapering. You get the point. For 2 weeks I woke up every morning at 6:30am, showered and diapered him, stripped the sheets because of an “accident” and took him to all meals, cut up his food for him, changed him, brought a towel with me to wipe his drool, and got him prepped and took him through camp activities. I was always with him and responsible for him. I always put his needs ahead of mine. My care was so constant for him, I would even worry about him in my dreams.

Although these things are tough, nothing was as bad as when he was sick. It was hot outside; he seemed to be stuffed up, and almost threw up at breakfast. So I went to the health center, and they refuse to medicate him because he can’t tell them how he feels. I have been with him for ten days at this point. I am his words, yet they refuse me. Less than fifteen minutes later we are in our cabin for a nap and it is then that he pukes. The sheets have puke all over them, he has puke all over him, and I now have puke all over my hand.

So I change both him and the sheets, grab a bucket and lay him back down. He can’t tell me when he’s going to throw up, so he pukes again. I stand him up, change the sheets, change his shirt, and lay him back down. He looks hot. So I get him a fan and I try and make him sleep sitting up with a garbage can close by. He pukes again. I change him and the sheets again. Now he doesn’t even have a sleeping bag. So I lend him my extra and lay him down again. He pukes again. I now lend him my last sleeping bag and a t-shirt. He pukes again. I change him, and now have a strategy. He is sleeping sitting up with a fan blasting at high power on him, one of my jackets as a blanket for his legs, one of my sweaters for a blanket on his chest, and paper towels underneath his chin in case he throws up. This works way better as I now only change the paper towels. And so I sat there, cross-legged, beside him in a bunk bed

Photo courtesy of Easton Rough

ooking and waiting for him to puke again. I look at him and I see someone who is boiling hot, has the flu, and just feels awful. So I put on some music to distract us. He floated in and out of sleep all day and at various times threw up; he couldn’t hold down any food and water. So I sat there all ten hours of my day, cross legged, taking care of him. I sat, and I thought.

I have seen tantrums, and I have seen seizures.

However, when you see these campers promoted and included in camp society by reading out announcements, handing out candy at the tuck shop, and mingling around camp, you look around and see nothing but smiles and positivity.

Without them camp is not the same. They are the heart of the camp.

Never in my life would I have thought I would be here. Exhausted. Puke all over me. No sleeping bag. All my clothes dirty. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.

To Retard, definition: To delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment. This is not a way to define a person, and these terms vary based on situations. Having a disability does not make you retarded; it simply makes you unique. But this uniqueness is not a bad thing, every single expression of nature is new and unique yet of the same essence. It isn’t “normal” or “retarded” it just IS. As a participant in unique or different fields, you will often experience brand new and positive things. Dealing with people who have disabilities is not easy; in fact, my experience was probably the hardest in my life. But the ability to be inclusive of everyone and promote interactions with special needs individuals is easy. It’s as easy as telling them a joke, saying hi to them in the halls, taking them on a canoe ride, letting them read announcements, or encouraging their successes and cherishing those happy moments. Because, believe me, it’s incredible how good it feels.

To include and promote inclusiveness within the perimeter of special needs is a powerful thing.

Never have I ever felt so attached to someone as I did to my camper. Never have I seen anyone wake up so happy, or get so excited in everyday life. For me to be able to go out and just take him canoeing and see his face light up when he gets in the boat, or to see him smile when we walk around big group games surpasses anything else. His smile lights up a room, and he knows very well what’s going on around him.

When it comes to working with special needs individuals, the highs are exhilarating, and the lows are tough. For example, I have helped restrain individuals, I have seen my friend bitten

Top Ten: The Paintings in Mr. Butler’s Old Room JACK DENTON

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Mr. Butler retired last year from a long and distinguished career as an engaging and brilliant history teacher. During his time at North Toronto, he both commissioned paintings from students and collected student paintings from the art department. Most of the paintings depict important historical architecture.

By the time he retired, his classroom’s walls were adorned with diverse and expressive student art: the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu, the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China.

Beyond his legacy of astounding education, which still leaves its imprint on the two oldest grades, Mr. Butler also leaves us a legacy of an art collection.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Mr. Butler spoke thousands upon thousands of words during his time at North Toronto, and as the memory of those words recedes into the past we should hold on to the art that remains. Despite his absence, Mr. Butler – forever the educator – leaves a legacy that will entertain and impress students for years to come. Or at least provide a worthy distraction during history tests.

19

My Life in the Strange World of Alternative Schools, Part One - BY BEN COHEN -

Editor’s Note: Ben Cohen is not a student of North Toronto C.I. The opinions that appear in this article are entirely his alone, and while Graffiti neither endorses nor opposes these opinions, we do see them as worthwhile for publication. His story is to be continued.

It was May of 2013 when I was finally told that I couldn’t come back to Northern Secondary School for grade eleven. I wasn’t violent. I wasn’t a drug addict. I wasn’t running around the school sexually assaulting people.

I had simply reached the breaking point with my vice principal, who had given me no less than five “final warnings.” My marks were atrocious and my attendance was even worse.

The vice principal assured me that he liked me, but he needed to see me “learn in a different setting” because this setting wasn’t allowing me to “reach my potential.” I was devastated. I couldn’t accept that I wouldn’t be seeing all my friends at school in September. I told no one. I was scared. I hoped I could find a way out of this like I always did. I couldn’t.

Photo by Patrick Murdoch

My only connection at City, James, finally spotted me and called me over to him and some other gentlemen. I skated over, cigarette in hand I made my introduction and quickly noticed that there was a firm pecking order here and James was on the very bottom. We walked to a nearby park and sat under a bridge. I soon learned that there were exactly three things to do afterschool here. Play Frisbee, play hackey sack and most prevalent, smoke poppers.

“Wanna play hack?” asked the tallest one of James’ “friends”.

I spent a week begging and having my voice fall on deaf ears. Finally, I was called into the school office by a man stuffed into a vest that I assumed fit him right thirty pounds ago. His pirate-like pantaloons swished and swayed as he walked me into a dusty room with a kitschy, sticker-covered desktop. A few minutes of typing later he announced to me that there were no spots left at any of my schools of choice.

Rosedale was full. North Toronto, Leaside and Lawrence Park were all similarly full. None of them was able to host this school-less refugee.

So my attention was forced towards alternative schools.

Pirate-Vest gave me three options. The first option was a place I had some friends at, but the school was notorious for rampant drug abuse among students, which made me cautious. A good anecdote that sums up the dedication to academics among the students there comes from a friend of mine. He was proud because he scored above the class average in math for the first semester. His mark was a 15%. The class average was 13%. If only snorting Ketamine in the washroom counted for extra credit, they’d all be attending Yale law school by now.

The next choice he gave me was a remote school with a beautiful view, down by the Lake Shore. It was far from my house and a great departure from everything I was accustomed to as far as education is concerned, but I had a mutual friend there who promised to show me the ropes. So that’s the school I picked.

I don’t remember the third option; it probably wasn’t very interesting.

Soon it became June and I broke the news to my friends. They assured me that this wasn’t the end of the world and that we’d still see each other. The truth was that we would never be very close again. Summer break came and went. When September rolled around I walked into my new school for the first time. A wave of loneliness unlike any I’d ever felt before crashed into me. I turned on my heels, stepped out and had another cigarette before going in again.

The culture shock hit me quickly. Going from a school with over two thousand students to one with barely fifty was strange. Staff preferred to

onto a shimmering lake full of sleek modern boats. Everything was beautiful and I was still miserable.

“Nah, let me roast one more popper first,” responded the fattest one. “Think I’m gonna quit my job and work more on school,” continued Fat after exhaling and coughing for a good half minute.

“I think I’m gonna be a psychologist. Whitney’s been encouraging me, says I could have a future in it,” chimed in a man who was perfectly average in height and build, but far past the bell curve of average age for a high school senior.

“I feel that. I just gotta graduate though. Mom’s cheesed, I shoulda been done three years ago,” replied Fat as he loaded another bowl.

“I’m trying to go to Western,” said James meekly. He was ignored.

be addressed by their first names. Each classroom had a couch or two for the students to sit on in addition to boring old chairs and tables.

The teachers were all young and had this liveliness about them that I’d never found in traditional schools. They started the day off with free doughnuts for all the students and name games so we could all get to know each other.

I munched on my pastry solemnly and didn’t pay the name games much attention. Everyone’s exuberance wasn’t enough to pull me out of my misanthropic funk. To this day I remember about three faces and zero names from that class.

School was over and I was miserable. I missed my friends. I missed the routine I was used to.

I missed seeing new faces as I walked through the halls every day. I missed the 15 minute commute to Northern. I’m sure there was a bright side to all of this but I wasn’t looking at it.

I let off some steam by smoking and longboarding back and forth along a narrow path by the school. The sun hanged merrily in the sky beaming down rays of rare Canadian sunlight

“You know those nights when you’re just tired of fighting with your fucking parents, so you cut and sleep out somewhere?” inquired Fat who was met with a round of nods and monosyllabic words of agreement. “Yeah I been doing that shit a lot, like every night; for like a month. If I can’t find a couch I just call all my boys for a park jam, get like two OE’s and crash in the park” said Fat. “C’mon. Hack. Let’s go,” said Tall impatiently.

We gathered in a circle and played keep ups with the hackey sack. James wasn’t very good, but I was worse. Tall had clunky work boots on that slowed him down hindering his ability to play well. He was getting visibly frustrated.

“Ey, James, let’s switch shoes,” said Tall.

“W-why?” said James.

“Cause, man, my shoes are better and you’re not as good as me. You should have the advantage.”

“Oh, uh, that makes sense,” James took off his shoes and handed them to Tall, who responded by throwing his boots at James’ feet.

It was at that moment I realized that this wasn’t the place for me. The choice was clear, uproot myself again or let myself wilt in the parched soil that is that school. Two weeks later I transferred to another alternative school and learned that there’s more to it than miserably slumming along with apathetic, popper-fueled, twentysomething high school students. I suppose that’s a story for another time though.

20

Urban Exploration: Abandoned, Not Forgotten

BY TAMAR K.B.

Not even on a dare.

Whether through societal disruption, financial crises or just neglect, the world is full of buildings lost to time and the elements. But what fuels the fascination with walking through desolate hallways of peeling paint and photographing the discarded personal effects of strangers?

These explorers are fully aware that the exploration of abandoned buildings comes with risks, from unstable structural problems to trespassing concerns. All forums rate accessibility, danger and preventatives such as masks, hard boots, gloves, etc. While many may find this to be delinquent behaviour, there are rules and etiquettes that every urban explorer must follow.

Reddit’s urban exploration subcommunity advises explorers to “look but don’t touch,” “leave places as you found them” and “be safe,” among other responsible behaviors. Not only are these rules for personal safety, but also to maintain the enigma of the abandoned place, for those who come after. “Many abandoned buildings have been vandalized and lost their beauty due to people tearing them apart for ‘fun.’ I wouldn’t want to ruin the experience for another urban explorer, so I leave buildings the way I found them,” 17 year-old British Urban Explorer Jessica said. “Urban explorers use the motto, ‘Take only pictures, leave only footprints.’ Do you ever consider taking anything from the places you explore? Like for example from the ones where there’s books everywhere? I believe in leaving abandoned places the exact way it was when you came in. Even though it would be cool to keep a piece of these amazing places, I don’t

New Condos and Multiculturalism at North Toronto

BY MATTHEW GERRY

Just walk out of the school’s front doors, and you’ll see that North Toronto is changing. Visibly, our neighbourhood is looking different every day. New condo buildings seem to emerge from the ground overnight, and they are being constructed at a faster rate than Yonge and Eglinton has seen.

But North Toronto is undergoing another visible change. This change can be observed in the hallways and classrooms of our school; it is a demographic change.

Ask anyone who doesn’t attend NT, and they’ll tell you that it is a dual-culture school. The population consists of mostly white students who are at least third generation Canadians (descendants of European immigrants), and students of Eastern Asian descent, mainly Korean and Chinese.

However, NT students and staff are beginning to notice a shift in our student population, from being a dual-culture school to more of a multicultural community. Our school is seeing more students who are first and second generation Canadians, whose families originate from western and southern Asian countries such as Iran,

believe in ruining the experience for others by taking things. Can you imagine how different the experience of the book room would be without a single thing in there because people have taken them all?”

Last year, an artistic impulse and a new camera inspired me to venture inside a derelict facility. I’ve always been curious but this experience took it to the next level. The warehouse was huge and the level of decay was incredibly alluring. I’ll never forget seeing this sun-drenched wall with about 5 coats of different color paint curling with age, all at different rates. I literally stopped dead in my tracks to appreciate it.

Another explorer, LA-born Moby, explains “I don’t know why I love crumbly abandoned buildings so much. The entropy? The humility? The odd narratives they radiate? For me, however mundane they may seem, these ruins still contain the promise of the unexpected.

Since the original uses of ruined buildings have passed, there are limitless possibilities for encounters with the weird, with inscrutable legends inscribed on notice boards and signs, and with peculiar things and curious spaces which allow wide scope for imaginative interpretation, unencumbered by the assumptions which weigh heavily and highly on encoded, regulated space.” “The real amusement comes from the ridiculous things I constantly stumble upon. A man made space with few manmade disruptions brings about things you’d never expect; trees growing out of piles of documents, books being repurposed as beehives, newspapers from the ‘30’s, that kind of stuff. Then you step out of this building and you’re back in the real world—a bustling block, rush hour traffic, iPhones and all. Much of the appeal is the time machine I guess.”

Pakistan and India, as well as southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, and countries in the Arab world, such as Lebanon and Egypt.

These observations are based purely on perceptions—no empirical evidence could be found to form the basis for such a conclusion, largely due to the fact that individual schools do not collect data on ethnic demographics, and census data is not collected over geographic areas that correspond logically with school zones. Even if it did, that doesn’t account for out-of-district students, of which NT has a fairly significant number.

Many believe that this demographic shift may be attributed to the condo boom of the North Toronto area. The rapid construction of highrise condominiums near Yonge and Eglinton in recent years and in the near future considerably increases the amount of available housing in NT’s immediate vicinity. The single detached houses lining residential streets in NT’s district are often home to families that have lived in the area for generations. Once a family moves in they may stay there for a long time, perhaps long after any of the house’s inhabitants have graduated from North Toronto, leaving little opportunity for families that are new to Canada to move in. Conversely, new condominiums and apartments are built creating hundreds of homes in the area that did not previously exist.

As immigration accounts for the majority of Canada’s population growth, the new homes are naturally filled by first and second generation Canadians.

Sometimes these buildings are reincarnated back into society, sponsored and remodeled into shops, galleries and clubs. One well known local example of this is the Evergreen Brick Works Factory: transformed from a collection of deteriorating heritage buildings into a global showcase for green design and urban sustainability, recently named one of the top 10 geotourism destinations in the world by National Geographic.

However, most often, buildings are left to nature to vandalise.

There is a satisfaction in seeing something that most will not dare to venture to. To spend hours and days finding abandoned buildings, opening abandoned buildings, wandering around abandoned buildings. They are a bit creepy, but in a good way. The sense of excitement at the unknown and the possibility of an interesting discovery keep spirits high in old buildings despite the odd feelings of being watched, or the breeze making unsettling noises through the broken windows, or any number of other spooky coincidences. Why is this location abandoned? What did people do here? What do the items left behind have to tell?

Abandoned homes will never get old nor forgotten.

Interested in Urban Exploration? A good place to start looking for locations is online forums.

Many people are secretive about how to get into places or the exact location, so research is a must. Many urbex photographers share information by trading information. You can scour flickr, forums, or even Google. And if you’re simply into the aesthetics, many Urban Explorers post absolutely breathtaking photos online. Keep safe & good luck!

This is not an effect of socio-economic changes to the community. Detached houses in the NT area are very expensive, but new condos are not more affordable by any means. A two bedroom apartment in the building at 25 Broadway, one of the two Tridel buildings that tower over us and were built at the same time as our school, is currently listed at $699,900, with maintenance fees of $728 a month. The current condo boom we are experiencing simply makes the North Toronto area more accessible to families who are wealthy enough to afford homes in the area.

Hoorvash Bakshi, a grade 12 student who moved to Canada from Tehran, Iran in 2009, and currently lives in an apartment near North Toronto, has attended two other high schools in the GTA before coming to NT. When comparing his schools, he describes NT as being “less multicultural than the other ones,” but later clarifies: “n ot as in quality, but as in quantity.” In other words, North Toronto still has a larger percentage of the population made up of non-visible minority students. That’s not surprising; North Toronto is still a predominantly Caucasian community. However, students of a wide variety of cultures attend NT. He also acknowledges that the majority of NT students who he knows that are first or second generation Canadians live in apartments or condos near the school.

North Toronto, a school that was once thought of by most as having a dual-culture population, is becoming more culturally diverse with every new high-rise condo constructed nearby.

21

Library Exposure

BY SHERDIL KHAN

Exam season has its impact on all of us, just as all of us seek different ways to deal with said impact. Coping methods would include anything from sleeping too much to even substance abuse.

Sometimes, however, the stress of the world gets to you and you simply have to whip it out in a public setting.

During last month’s exam week, hilarity - as well as potential and very probable emotional scarring - ensued when a man decided to expose himself to the public, or rather, to an elderly woman in the Northern District library. A handful of our very own NTCI seniors were at the scene, and two in particular decided to shed the clothes of their mild-mannered alter egos and expose their heroic selves to the world. Those particular two were Bibi Kemerer and Jarod Bond, and Graffiti managed to score an interview with them.

So, guys, what were you doing before the incident?

Jarod: It was in the afternoon; I was studying vectors – pretty fun stuff – with a few of my friends, when I hear this woman screaming out of the blue.

Bibi: I was by the computers, studying biology with Nina and crying because hydrogen bonding doesn’t make sense.

Describe the events from your perspectives.

Bibi: So, I was just going about my work when I heard this lady and she started screaming, she was like, ‘call the police, catch this man, call the police’ and then this tall guy – really gross guy – started running towards the (exit) from the teen section and I see a bunch of people get up and start chasing him. I think I saw (Jarod)… and Peter maybe. And then I was like, ‘should I do something…?’ Then I was like, ‘yeah I should do something.’ So I got up and I just kinda ran towards the door, and he managed to get to the door when I was there, if that makes sense. So I was right behind him, and also the closest one to him. I saw the door there and was just like, ‘okay, I’ll push him into it.’

Photo by Anfa Abukar

Jarod: Saw your chance and just kinda went for it.

Bibi: Yeah! So I shoved him and he slammed against the door and just fell on the ground in the foyer bit of the library, and then I was like, ‘oh, what do I do now?’ So I tried to hold him down but he started grabbing me, and that’s when Peter came and Peter pushed him off me.

Jarod: So, from my perspective, uh, you know, I’m studying math, and this lady starts screaming, so you know, I kind of get up immediately and I’m like ‘what’s going on?’ I thought he was like, stealing something from her, maybe?

Her innocence?

Bibi: I thought he stole something too.

Jarod: Well, that’s what you’d think, right? You wouldn’t really jump to the conclusion that he uh, pulled out his, uh, Johnson. And then she’s, you know, screaming for people to catch him, so I start chasing after him, because he’s running away at this point. So I’m chasing him, and then I kinda see, like, an object in my peripheral, she’s hurtling herself toward him en route to intercept, and then just knocks the guy into a door. So, that was pretty crazy.

Bibi: So he gets up and there’s a bunch of people surrounding him and he books it again and goes through the second set of doors and everyone catches up to him and he kinda gives up, saying like ‘oh I broke my kneecap, just give me a rest, give me a break,’ blah blah blah, and the lady comes and she’s yelling at him and it was only then when we found out he was…

Jarod: Strange.

Bibi: That he flashed her.

Jarod: The lady wasn’t fazed at all, either – she was, uh…

Bibi: She was pissed off.

Jarod: She was just pissed at him. She was just worried about other people, you know, getting flashed by him. She wasn’t really fazed – I think that might be down to how she was pretty old and therefore had probably seen a bunch of stuff in her days.

Bibi: So then, then he starts running again. And nobody knows what to do except for Jarod. So Jarod goes after him, all aloneJarod: I feel like chasing the guy is just routine for me at this point.

Bibi: And Peter is just looking at me, like, ‘should we do something?’ So I take off after Jarod.

Where was security in all of this?

Jarod: The guard came and he, uh, he really didn’t do anything.

Bibi: He yelled at me!

Jarod: He yelled at her.

Bibi: The security guard told me off because I was writing a witness statement and he didn’t like where I was writing it, and he told me I had to move. I’m like, ‘are you kidding me?’

Jarod: Yeah, he wasn’t too productive at all.

Did you try to see it?

Jarod: Unfortunately, I was too confused at the time to see or understand what was going on, but yes. I definitely looked.

What happened? What happened to the man?

Did the police come? What happened after the initial incident took place?

Bibi: I broke his nose.

Jarod: The cops showed up after what felt like an eternity, and I was asked to write a statement.

Bibi: And his knee.

Jarod: I’m not sure what else happened. I went back inside to study vectors.

Illustration by Haya Fasheh

22

Girls Don’t Want None Unless Mans Got Buns Hun

BY JANE BRADSHAW

No longer is the search for hair elastics a #JustGirlyThing. Men have dominated the beauty department lately, and their hairy interest doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Our beloved school is well known for having boys with great flow (haha). The untamed locks of many of our male students have been neglected, however, and are growing longer and longer.

It may seem like a hairdresser’s nightmare, but once the hair is upswept into a loop on the intimate spot at the nape of a man’s neck, many of us our swooning.

Yes, I am talking about the man bun. This fad has become popular among staff and students alike.

On multiple occasions, I’ve had male friends ask me for advice on styling their buns (or lack thereof). I normally point them in the direction of our amazing Vice Principal Mr. Mack, whose golden locks are always tied back from his smiling face.

The man bun occupies the space between androgynous styles and hyper masculine haircuts; a typically feminine length, but arranged in a nofuss, utilitarian type of way. It’s a reappropriation of the tightly spun ballet dancer’s hair and the messy ‘dos of a fashion runway making it an iconic look breaking the gender stereotype.

When one thinks of a man bun, they may be picturing the hippie male yoga teachers in cotton pants, their hair dirtier than the sweaty, barefoot classroom floor.

Social Advice from the Social Convener

BY DAKOTA VAN HALTEREN

Dear Social Convener, I hooked up with a close friend at a party. What do I do next - should we talk about it or should I ignore it? I just want to stay friends, but I don’t know what they think about the whole thing.

- Mistletoe Mistake If you have a question for Dakota, please forward it to Jane or Jack

Yet, this is not where the style originated. The man bun legacy began in the 1600s, from the Japanese samurai chonmage – think of the warriors in Mulan. Now, the trend has really caught wave, and celebrities are jumping on board. Jake Gyllenhaal, Leo DiCaprio, David Beckham, Joaquin Phoenix, Chris Hemsworth – the list goes on and on. Ever since Jared Leto debuted his ombré locks last year at the Oscars, men everywhere are boycotting their haircuts and growing it long.

Girls cannot get enough. A grade 12 gushes, “When a guy has his hair up, all I want to do is run my hands through it.”

Dear Mistletoe Mistake, Some advice is to avoid these situations all together. You can do so by slowing down on the Fireball, and ensuring you are fully conscious of who your lover is. This is especially important for events like After Party, which are minefields for hooking up with friends and can lead to romantic regrets. Furthermore, if you do begin to get involved with a friend there are only two possible outcomes. Either your relationship will work perfectly, you’ll get married and live happily ever after OR you’ll last a short while only to come to a bitter end. And with it, possibly your friendship will end as well. This is why it is essential that you keep your friends in the friendzone, where they belong!

In your case, it seems as though you have found yourself in limbo. You are caught in between friend, and romantic interest. I can even go to say that you are stuck in sticky situation of love and lust. (I really like alliterations). And from here, again, you only have two paths to take.

The first is to completely ignore the situation, which seems preferable, until you realize you’re going to have to put all your effort into avoiding this person for the next 5 months. You’ll walk down the hallway constantly looking side to side, to make sure they are nowhere near you.

You will begin to figure to out their schedule, so you can time and track their every move. You

Photos of Jack Denton and Mr. Mack by Jane Bradshaw Photo of Jarod Leto from Getty Images

There are many other benefits to the bun, other than an added element of attraction. Hate bed head? Want to be hipster? Hate rainy day hair?

Looking to step up your style? Is hair in your face when playing sports? The man bun is the answer.

Good luck growing out your hair, my friends. I hope one of you is bold enough to try out Jared Leto’s Golden Globes man-braid.

might even think of throwing yourself down a flight of stairs, just so you can get your hands on an elevator pass, and not risk seeing them in the stairwell. And if by chance you meet them at the water fountain, so help you god, you better be ready to run away as fast as you can. If you ignore the situation, get ready for a life of stress, anxiety and worry, on top of being an NT student.

The other option is to communicate and talk with your companion. As we always hear, communication is the most important part of any relationship. It will help clear the air and remove the (sexual) tension between you two. With this method you will be able to find out what they feel, and where you both want to go from here.

Invite them out for coffee, or lunch and you can confront the situation right away. Please ensure, that they understand that you are not going out to “lunch” and not on a “date”, or that would probably make the whole thing worse. After you discuss the situation, including your point of view, your thoughts, and your feelings the awkwardness will most likely clear. You will be able to move past this and bring your relationship back to friendship terms.

Word of warning, make sure you do not hook up with them again, I repeat DO NOT hook up with them again. Best of luck to you.

23

The #FOOD Movement: The Burger

BY GRACE GUEST

Social media plays a huge part in adolescence, and this is certainly true for the students at North Toronto. One of the social media stars is of course the app Instagram – I’m sure you’re familiar with it – where posting experiences for the public eye is made easy. One of the prominent subjects posted on this platform is, of course, food. The food movement, to which many people have acted on, is a way of visually gratifying “#foodporn,” and finding new opportunities to experience the food of Toronto. Restaurants are beginning to get on board by creating accounts of their own, promoting themselves in a way that’s increasingly convenient to the younger generations. The availability to market one’s business has opened the possibility for comparison, and the potential to discover the best.

Always catering to the attention of the future ‘foodies’, culinary artists of the restaurant business are constantly experimenting with new ideas, flavours, and concepts.

One of the most highly debated subjects would have to be the burger, which has received recognition at places such as the Burger’s Priest, the Stockyards, The Harbord Room (my personal favourite), and many more.

The Stockyards 699 St. Clair Ave. W (416)-658-9666 Tues – Sun 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Burger $7-$14 I just recently visited the Stockyards, which holds a high rating in a number of reviewing locations, as well as a few gleaming recommendations posted by students. By going in the dinner rush, I was able to see the spot in full swing, packed to its maximum with an array of people. A narrow walkway reserved for swiftly moving waiters separates a skinny but functional counter/bar from the open-concept kitchen. The smartly understated room gives off a lively vintage vibe, with accents of weathered wood and statements that look like they could belong in a retro diner in the 1960’s. Opting for the seven-dollar classic burger – clad with Boston lettuce, house mayo, ketchup, pickles, and sweet, crunchy red onions – I waited a short while before receiving my order in sturdy, cast iron skillets. The burger lived up to its name in looking exactly like what you’d expect to receive at a seasoned spot, with a plain golden bun, fresh ingredients, and a heaping side of golden fries that were to-die-for. The burger itself was pretty tender, and was really good for a restaurant whose highest concern is for its barbequing and marinating techniques. I must question if choosing one of the more inventive options rather than the classic burger would’ve made a greater impact (this is of no concern as I will surely be returning). All and all it was a good burger for a great price.

The Harbord Room 89 Harbord St. (416)-962-8989 5:30 PM – 2:00 AM Burger $17 Moving south, we will find The Harbord Room. Hard to get into without a reservation, this small gem tucked away into a refurbished Victorian row house has been deemed a local hot spot. Famous for its delightful service, fantastic music playlists, and incredible food, it’s easy to see why the modest, cozy space is always booming. Regulars know the occasionally changing menu from front to back, as well as being on a first name basis with the wait staff. The naturally-raised Ontario beef brisket is ground fresh every day, served on a warm, soft egg bun, complete with oozing, four-year old cheddar, still sizzling caramelized onions, coarse Guinness mustard and lemon aioli, and the optional house smoked maple bacon. I must warn you, if you order this dish without a few awaiting napkins, you are doomed. This mouthwatering staple is presented on a wooden block, sided with slaw, crunchy, seasoned fries, and house-made condiments. Biting into this creation is an amazing (and messy) affair, I urge you to try it for yourself. At $17, the burger stands to be a little more expensive than other locations in the city; however, with the quality of this meal, you’re getting what you paid for.

Now that I’ve shared a couple of my favourite spots, the time has come for you to experience them yourself. Your taste buds are calling.

Image by Joyce Park

24

The 100

BY GRACE PAWLIW-FRY AND PARNIAN HOSSEIN-POUR The 100 is CW’s latest Vampire Diaries, right?

WRONG. Sure, it’s got the beautiful actors, drama, and love triangles, but it also has characters with insane personal growth, a captivating plot, and explosions from Michael Bay’s dreams. In short, the show follows 100 teenaged criminals from space fighting to survive on post-apocalyptic earth.

You should immediately start watching this show (please resist abandoning it at its bad pilot – trust me it gets better), and here’s why.

Where It Goes Down The 100 is set in two main locations. Each is filled with secrets and conflicts and yet the two contrast strikingly. The Ark is where the story begins. It is a dying metal space station containing the “last” of the human race. You thought Jean Valjean had it bad? Due to lack of resources, every crime is punishable by death unless you are under 18. In its desperation for survival, the Ark sends the group of 100 juvenile criminals awaiting death to the ‘ground.’ This is the Ark’s term for the Earth, a world made uninhabitable due to the devastation of a nuclear war, and our second setting. The 100 land in a radiation soaked forest filled with two headed deer, acid fog, and mysterious “grounders.” The ragtag group of teens struggle in an environment that is barely habitable. “On the Ground, there is no Law. All we have to do is survive.

But we will be tested: by the Earth, by the secrets it hides, and most of all, by each other.”

Characters not Caricatures The abs drew me in, but it was the amazing and diverse cast of characters that stole my heart.

One might think that the plot and setting are the stars of the show, but in reality the characters are what carry it. They are written as actual human beings with flaws and personalities

I Went to Pop Some Tags

BY LYDIA ZHOU

Guys. I did it. I finally did it. After two years of listening to Macklemore telling me how “f*****g awesome” it is, I went thrifting.

and most importantly - shades of grey. No hero is perfect, no villain without their moments of humanity. The growth The 100’s characters go through is pretty freaking awesome. The 100 shows us the effects of the things they’ve gone through and choices they’ve had to make. They may be teenagers with all that it entails, but they have to become new people if they want to survive in this new world.

For example, Bellamy starts out an ass – his only concerns are for his sister and himself. But he quickly rises to a position of leadership among the 100, and through this, Bellamy’s character develops. He becomes someone you’d follow into war and plus, he rocks dirt and freckles.

Fabulous Leading Ladies The writers on the show make me very happy.

The 100’s cast is bursting with well-written, awesome ladies who occupy as many diverse roles as men usually do. Let me introduce you to a few of our favourites: Raven, a mechanical prodigy, is the smartest character on the show. Without her, the show would’ve had to end after about 7 episodes due to everyone’s deaths. She rebuilt a ninety year old spaceship and used it to go to earth, she made a radio out of a toy car, and she went through surgery on her spine without anesthetic – basically, she is awesome.

Blink and You Miss It The 100 moves at a breakneck speed. Storylines that would take another show an entire season to complete, are finished in sometimes as little as two episodes, and the show makes it feel completely natural. Plots are introduced, setup, and fulfilled before you have the chance to catch your breath.

Aren’t Afraid to Spill a Little Blood With some shows, you can take comfort in knowing the main characters are safe. They have contracts and besides, the writers just couldn’t do that to you. That isn’t the case with this show.

The first episode closes with a promising character fatally speared, and the anguish does not end there. They kill off a member of the main love triangle early on and never look back. In several episodes, I have seriously feared for the lives of almost half the characters. With the 100 you never feel safe, but you’re also never bored.

The 100 is an amazing show you have no excuse for not watching now that exams are over. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll end up a better person for it. If that isn’t enough to convince you, the surplus of abs will be.

Clarke is the protagonist of the 100 and honestly one of the main reasons I (Parnian) watch it.

She’s a fierce leader, an amazing healer, and a badass protector of her people. Always focused and serious (some would even go as far as to say she has a no-fun policy), Clarke holds her people’s survival close to heart. Despite being somewhat of an elite of the Ark (both her parents were high ranking officials), Clarke won the utter trust and devotion of the 100, a group of criminals.

Anya is a grounder warrior princess and leader and is amazing and perfect and my (Grace) I took the TTC down to Queen West recently and plunged into a whole new world of used dad sweaters and vintage velvet skirts. I went with a plan, praying to every god out there that I wouldn’t get lost, and visited three of the highest rated used clothing stores in Toronto (according to Yelp).

The first place I walked into was Black Market.

I…don’t know what to say. On a scale of 1 to “f***ing awesome,” I’d give it a 5/10, weird af.

The store was a huge basement operation, covered in racks of clothing, barely lit, and permeated with an indescribable smell. I don’t think it was a good smell though. The clothes were pretty cheap: five dollars for a tee shirt, ten dollars for a jacket. But after spending a good thirty minutes sorting through racks of graphic tees in the back, I gave up and left the store with a rapidly growing headache.

Photo by Alexandra Beck

favourite character and it took all my willpower not to write this whole part in capitals. Need I say anything else?

I decided to check out Cabaret Village next, which was definitely a brighter and more normal-smelling store. It’s also quite pretty and filled with higher end, formal and semi-formal vintage clothing. The owner, whose name is Tao according to Yelp, was quite nice and showed me around the place a bit before leaving me to my own devices.

The price range at Cabaret was significantly higher than at Black Market, with most of the frocks and dresses I liked tagged at around $5070. I mean, maybe I’m just not enough of a vintage clothing nut, but I’d rather buy something new for that price. I’d probably rate my experience at Cabaret Village a 7/10. It was a fun hour.

Overall though, I don’t think I’d ever find something to buy from the boutique. After checking out the cute selection of bow ties on the upper floor, I said goodbye to Tao, and left for the nearby Kind Exchange.

After doing some intense Google research, I found out that Kind Exchange is a consignment store, which means they’ll buy fancy clothes from you and then sell them to other customers.

What’s cool is that they also donate a portion of their profit to local charities, so it’s double the fun. Like a double rainbow. Or something. Anyways, the Kind Exchange on Queen West had a nice variety of clothing: some high end and some mid end with a range of styles. I especially enjoyed this one Zara dress that was being sold for $12. Sadly, it wasn’t in my size. I walked out of the shop empty-handed, but it was pretty good overall. The boutique was clean and the staff were quite nice. I’d say it was an 8/10 experience, and I would recommend it to newbie thrifters.

25

I’m Not Craving It

BY KATHERINE QUINN On December 11th 2014 the newest video streaming service, CraveTV launched. Costing half the amount of Netflix and just as much as your daily latte, only $4/month, CraveTV is ready to take the industry by storm.

CraveTV is Bell’s equivalent of Netflix. It’s catalogue has ten thousand hours full of your favourite HBO classics, the best sitcoms in TV history, current hit TV shows, indisputable classics, and critically acclaimed CraveTV originals. It is available through Bell Media and you can watch on pretty much any platform including your TV and mobile devices.

But will CraveTV give Netflix anything to sweat about?

Netflix has many of the same popular titles as CraveTV, however it’s missing many of the HBO classics and some Canadian reality shows. Overall, Netflix has 3,600 titles where as CraveTV has only 600. Right now, CraveTV isn’t near Netflix in terms of selection. It’s uncertain whether CraveTV can ever be truly competitive with Netflix. Since CraveTV is Canadian, there are many shows that will never be allowed on the platform, just like Canadian Netflix. The most we could ever expect is a

YouTube Utopia

BY HALEIGH CARTER Our generation, the so-called “Generation Z” born between 1995-2012, is the social species of the universe. The connections we build, be they physical or virtual, ignite enormous influence and power over humanity. There is such a rhythmic, steady flow of this interaction amongst various societies and the individuals within them. Historically, the typical method of connection was a simple letter or, shockingly, face-to-face conversation.

However today, thanks to the magic of technology, our species has managed to develop numerous methods of contact, thus putting the age-old interaction of people actually talking to each other on the backburner! Our generation, the so-called Generation Z, is particularly influenced by this virtual phenomenon.

YouTube is one of the greatest virtual forms of interactions we have in the present day. It began as a simple method of sharing visual content of all genres and forms; however it has grown into something much more vast. Today young people are sharing creative videos of themselves doing everything from pulling silly pranks, sharing opinions on current events,

library close to Canadian Netflix with HBO access. Most Canadian Netflix users block their IP addresses so they can access all the American titles, which is something that despite all of our best efforts, CraveTV users will never be able to do. CraveTV was also released just over a month ago, when Netflix was as old as CraveTV they had comparable selection and lots of room to grow. We can only predict that because of the geographical barriers that CraveTV will inevitably face in their growth that their selection will never compare to Netflix.

CraveTV is available exclusively to customers of Bell and it’s subsidiaries. CraveTV is the next installment in Bell’s quest to expand “Bell Media” so it is accessible on your TV when you purchase a cable package that is anywhere from about $80/month and upwards. It is also accessible on their App, but you still need a subscription to a Bell Cable package. Bell provides around half of Canada’s cable networking which means CraveTV is only accessible to around half of Canadians. While the low price of $4/month seems so attractive and less expensive than Netflix, it is $4 on top of at least $80, so it is hardly cheaper. Until Bell can find a way to make CraveTV available to all Canadians regardless of their cable provider, they will never be competition with Netflix. Netflix is available in over 40 countries around the world, so for CraveTV to be true competition they would have to not only expand to every Canadian but internationally as well. completing crazy challenges, or giving step-bystep makeup tutorials for individuals like myself who require that “extra” help!

Right now, CraveTV is hardly competition for Netflix. They don’t have the selection or the geographical capabilities to take significant business away from Netflix. From someone who is currently subscribed to both services, it’s going to take a lot to persuade me to convert to CraveTV. It just doesn’t have what I’m looking for in a binge TV service.

Although right now CraveTV doesn’t have what I’m looking for, I wouldn’t be surprised in the next year or two if it does. Once it has time to establish itself in the industry and grow, CraveTV will be a decent competitor for Netflix.

Watch out for the future of CraveTV, you might just crave it.

astonishing support through social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

The term “You Tubers” refers to the individuals who create the virtual content, and who our generation seems to worship with the utmost support and admiration. Once a mere hobby, YouTube”ing” is now a profession where individuals get paid to sit in front of the camera and talk to possibly millions of people! This is a true phenomenon but how exactly does one become a “YouTube Sensation”? In truth, it is we, the viewers who make them so.

Zoe, also known as ‘Zoella,’ her YouTube account name, is recognized frequently for her beauty and fashion inspired videos. She gives her audience tips and tricks on her beauty ideas and where to find/get deals or budding products in her various haul videos. In addition, she does fun filled videos with her fellow YouTubers, which are often game or challenge based. Zoe posts these videos regularly but also runs a second channel where she allows her viewers to see what her day-to-day life is like.

It appears that many of the rising YouTube stars are from the U.K. Strange but true, the sheer fact that they are British makes their popularity increase immensely. Why? Because North Americans love their accents! Seriously, we watch to hear their accents! Two of the most popular British YouTube breakout stars are brother and sister Zoe and Joe Sugg. These two siblings work on separate channels, occasionally collaborating with each other, but ultimately creating their own content filled with humour and day-to-day advice. They are subscribed to or “followed” by millions of people who find their videos enjoyable to watch. The more attention they receive, the more popular they become and vice versa. They gain this

Her brother Joe, or recognized on YouTube as ‘ThatcherJoe’ for his previous job thatching roofs, follows a similar output, however is are more comedic in nature. He produces videos such as impressions of the famous or phone call pranks to his fellow YouTubers. Joe, like his sister Zoe, runs a daily video log of his life on a second channel, but as well a third channel where he plays video games and viewers can watch him. It is truly remarkable that these two have made an actual living doing YouTube - with no university degrees required!!They caught the YouTube wave, had the talent, and made it and they are not alone. Makes you wonder what the future will bring for Generation Z and the realm of technology we love to bask in.

Top Ten: Spares

GEORGIA MAHONEY-WEBSTER I hate to say it, but during grade 9 and 10, the day is long and dull. It is full of classes you don’t care about, four periods every day. You don’t want to skip class and face your parents, who will become angry when they get the phone call home during dinner. You start to feel like there is no way out; you start to lose hope. But, when the course selection for grade 11 rolls around, the best thing happens – you only sign up for 7 courses. That’s right. You have a spare. You have a 75-minute block of the school day that belongs to you and only you. There are no responsibilities or duties to obtain at school during that time and you are free to do as much or as little work as possible. You will constantly tell yourself you will be productive during your spare, using it as a prime study session. Yet, November rolls around, and you’re sitting with your feet up, drinking coffee with your friends, watching a documentary on Netflix. It’s okay, though, because you’ll do your work at home...right? After all, you have a spare.

NT Urban Dictionary

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- BY JANE BRADSHAW -

Like every school, North Toronto has it’s own language. We collectively use certain slang terms, structure our sentences in particular ways, and overuse “literally” and “like.” Anthropologically, this behaviour is normal, as we are a community that spends every day with each other. However, have you ever found yourself in the midst of a conversation and you have absolutely no idea what the other person is saying? Have you ever chatted with friends from another school and they look at you funny when you drop a certain term they are unfamiliar with?

Over the past few weeks, Graffiti has collected the most popular terms used by NT students, and we are here to help you avoid being out of the loop. We’ve even included some #hearditinthehalls to help you understand the context. The twist? You’ve got to fill out the puzzle. Test your knowledge, and maybe learn a few terms while you’re at it.

ACROSS:

DOWN:

2. To be doing something you shouldn’t in a blatant or obvious manner, lacking subtlety. “Her instagram photo was so___”

1. Something good, describes excellent ability. “McDavid is ___ at hockey.”

3. To post something on Yik Yak. “Did you see that ____ last night” 7. “Before Anyone Else”, a loved one. “J-Li is such a ___” 8. Pronounced “La-Ow”. Variant of allow, means a strong no. “____ that, we can’t go to that store if that guy still works there.”

4. Extremely cool. “Those are ____ shoes” 5. Short form of very. “I’m ____ excited for the party on Saturday night.”

6. Something that is absolutely great. “That girl is such a ____” 7. An excessive amount. “I had ____ cash, but then the holidays came.”

12. To be high, in the state after smoking marijuana “I got _____ yesterday that I watched Cadet Kelly at 4AM.”

9. To be rude towards someone in a socially acceptable way, gutless. “Remember how she rejected his promposal? That was so ___”

13. Acting in a casual or disrespectful manner towards someone else, dissing a friend. “Man, she’s been throwing me some serious _____ lately.”

10. To pass or give something to someone else. “____ me some answers, I can’t do math.”

14. An exaggeration. “Such a ____ that he wheeled last night.”

11. Long, curly or wavy hair on a male, mostly used when referring to hockey players. “I miss when Tyler Bozak had mad ___”

15. Describes someone who has lost his or her ability to act in a rational manner.

“Did you hear that the teacher freaked out on the class today? She has __ _____.”

18. To be under the influence. “Everyone was ______ at New Years.”

20. To vomit. “My mom had to clean up my friend’s ____ last night, I felt so bad.”

14. An expression used to show appreciation, describes something that is good.

“Graffiti is so ____” 16. Term for hardcore or awesome. “That car was ___” 17. On point, cool. “Their eyebrows are on ____”

Top Ten: Guidance MADELEINE WIELER

Every NT student will at some point in their high school career experience the joy of receiving a small blue piece of paper during a first period class.

A guidance slip is NT’s equivalent of a ‘golden ticket,’ and with good reason. Guidance is the place with the answers. Questions and choices that have been stressing you out, running through your head when you’re trying to catch a precious few moments of sleep, Guidance will help you with those.

The guidance office is stocked full of posters, pamphlets and people who genuinely give a damn about you. It’s one of the few places at NT where students feel totally welcome. Each of NT’s Guidance Counsellors will go out of their way to help you solve a problem and as a result it’s near impossible to find a student who has had a negative experience there. It doesn’t matter whether you have Grondin, Taylor, Hayden or Da Silva, Guidance has ‘got your back,’ During high stress times of the year you might have to wait a week or more to get an appointment. But that’s okay, because when that blue slip does finally appear the sense of relief is even stronger.

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More Than a Bell Rung

BY HARRISON COOK

I didn’t know it at the time, but the Thursday before Thanksgiving would be the end of my high school football career.

In school athletics we see all sorts of injuries.

Fractures, strains, sprains and tears can be an athlete’s nightmare. With them, comes the realization that they may be watching their team from the bench for the next few games or possibly the season. But what’s worse than getting sidelined on the field is being sidelined in the classroom as well.

One of the most feared injuries in sport, concussions have gained tremendous notoriety over the past decade. What was simply considered “getting your bell rung” a generation ago is now a serious injury treated with extreme precaution and a set protocol. I learned this myself during the football season. Three games in I suffered my own concussion in a game against Newtonbrook. After the preliminary “how many fingers?” it was decided that I should see a doctor.

This being my first concussion, as I went to get checked out, I expected the doctor to tell me the obvious: get some rest, and no physical activity.

To my surprise, he told me that not only was I not allowed to write the test I had the following day, but under no circumstances was I to do any schoolwork whatsoever until my symptoms subsided.

Much like we can re-injure a muscle by using it too early, we can re-aggravate a concussion by over stimulation of the brain. I found this to be true as my first attempts to attend class were cut short by overwhelming headaches and dizziness. Whether it was triggered by trying to concentrate on a lesson, or just the general classroom noise, I would have to leave the room or sometimes even the school until my symptoms settled down. After three weeks of on and off symptoms but no significant improvement, fear and anxiety ruled over me. I had not been able to complete any assignments or write any tests during that time and I was beginning to see the consequences. My grade twelve year was going to be seriously hindered by a sports injury. Yes, all my teachers were very understanding, but there was only so much they could do if my report card was going to be based off only a couple of early marks. I knew that nobody would blame me for not having any work done, but the fact was the longer it took me to recover, the less work I’d have to show for my senior year.

I shared these thoughts with fellow grade 12, Taylor Baker, an intermediate AA hockey player who has experienced at least 4 diagnosed concussions. I asked her if she had ever gone against the doctor’s orders. She said, “I suffered through work that needed to be done, even though I probably wasn’t ready.” Taylor’s admission is an example of how even with understanding teachers, students are still fearful of the impact on their academic standings. Sometimes the work we’re doing can feel so important we’d risk our own health to do it.

Though the TDSB has come a long way in preventing and treating concussions, there are still things that they can’t control. In some cases, people can suffer a concussion and not even realize it. If they don’t black out, it’s possible that they can just feel the initial impact, be momentarily dazed, and then feel as if they are okay.

I know when I was hit my immediate thoughts were, “Who hit me? Number 24? I’m gunning for him next play.” Luckily, the field trainer saw me wobbling and pulled me off to the side. While some concussed students continue to push themselves academically at their own peril, perhaps the greatest danger remains the field of play itself before a doctor or trainer has the chance to intervene. For example, one of the captains of the senior team, Justin Shin, suffered a concussion in our final game, against Bendale Churchill. He got hit hard in the 4th quarter and continued to play through double overtime. After our defeat he revealed that he didn’t remember much of the game. He said, “ I thought at the time it was worth the risk to keep playing what could have been my final game.” Though the TDSB does the best they can do of protecting athletes from permanent harm, there is little they can do if one believes that playing the sport they love is worth the risk of further injury.

As we learn more about the lasting impact of concussions, many parents are questioning the wisdom of allowing their children to play full contact sports like football. I can wholeheartedly say that what I have gained from football--the friendships, the life lessons, and school spirit-far outweigh the risks.

Photos courtesy of Harrison Cook

Top Ten: Gorenkoff BEN KEYMER

Every morning I wake up, shower, drink coffee, eat cheerio’s, brush my teeth, and leave my house. I get on the bus, which, unfortunately, is sometimes late. When the bus is late, I am often late and when I am late, I am often in a bad mood. That’s just the way it goes. However when I see Mr. Gorenkoff’s glowing face while I stand in the late line, I suddenly become excited to learn. Sometimes he smiles, sometimes he growls, sometimes he looks a bit bored, but he always stands there, waiting for us. Because he cares.

An Introduction to Fancy Stats

BY STAVROS GREER

This summer was dubbed the “summer of analytics” by NHL personnel and writers everywhere. Many teams signed mathematicians and basement bloggers to figure out where their team stood, such as new Maple Leaf assistant GM Kyle Dubas and Edmonton Oilers advisor Tyler Dellow. While most hard-core fans know what these new stats mean and why they are useful, a lot of people have trouble even remembering their names.

The main advanced stat in the world of hockey right now is Corsi. Corsi measures all shot attempts in a game. This includes shots on goal, shots that missed the net, and blocked shots.

When the shot attempt totals for both teams over the course of a game are recorded, you can take the shot attempts for one team and divide it by the total shot attempts by both teams in the game to get a team’s Corsi percentage. Corsi percentage is useful because it lets teams see whether or not their team is spending more or less time in the offensive zone than their opponents. Good two-way hockey results in a Corsi over 50%.

28 the shot attempts while said player is on the ice.

For example, at the end of the season, when the shot attempts for every game are added up, if Phil Kessel has a Corsi percentage of 52% and Nazem Kadri has a Corsi percentage of 48%, you can see that Kessel is more useful to his team as, when he is on the ice, the team is in the offensive zone more often than not. Having sustained offensive zone time leads to goals, and, in turn, winning hockey games.

Advanced stats are crucial in predicting how teams will fare over the full season and into the next season. Last year, the Leafs Corsi percentage was quite low at 43.9 percent. The fact that their Corsi percentage was so low explains why the Leafs eventually fell out of the playoff race with an eight game losing streak. Another team that had a bad Corsi percentage last year was the Colorado Avalanche, sitting at 47%. Even though they made the playoffs, giving up so many shots has eventually caught up to the Avalanche, which

Corsi is also used to figure out which players are strong puck possession players. A player’s individual Corsi score can be found by tracking

Dodgeballmetrics

BY EYAL WILK

There were ten seniors lined up against the wall of the North Toronto gym, waiting anxiously for two of their peers to decide their fate... for the next 45 minutes, that is. This was the timeless ritual of the schoolyard pick. It’s a less sophisticated version of professional sports drafts, but almost as important in the eyes of many high school students. This rudimentary draft system is used by youth across the world to not only divide up teams for a competition, but also as an official assessment of one’s worth in a certain event or category.

From the ten potential picks that day, Team A’s captain, Julian Ungar, decided that Bryden Hathaway was the most coveted player in the draft. Hathaway stands at 5’8” with an average build, yet the fact that he plays varsity baseball and has a notoriously strong arm gives him a lot of value. Ethan Saks, captain for Team B, would have taken Hathaway had Ungar not claimed him as the first pick. The next four picks don’t shock anyone in the room either: Anton Trygub, Tyler McDermott, Peter Zaharatos and Kam Jha get picked, in that order. All four of these players are over six feet tall and very well-built; perfect examples of high school-level athletes. The five remaining players are assigned a value relative to one another, and the draft is complete.

45 minutes of play pass, and it is clear that Saks’ team is severely outmatched. His team doesn’t manage to even come close to winning a single game. By these standards, it seems that Ungar had a better draft, and that his strategy in picking players was more effective than Saks’.But if both captain’s draft strategy and the individual performances of players are analyzed, it is quite clear that the outcome of the games were determined by two factors irrelevant to strategy: the

is why they are near the bottom of the standings this season. Meanwhile, the L.A. Kings, who won the Stanley Cup last season, had an NHLbest Corsi percentage of 56.8 percent. There is another major advanced stat called Fenwick, which is basically the same as Corsi, except blocked shots are not part of the equation. Corsi is the most used of the pair, but some people believe Fenwick is more accurate measure of a team’s performance, as blocking shots is a defensive skill and if a team blocks a higher percentage of shots they are a better team.

As it is plain to see, advanced stats have become extremely important during the last few years in analyzing which teams will fail or succeed in the NHL. They let you see which teams have a high chance of falling apart late in the season, and which teams have the best chance of competing for the Stanley Cup. Will advanced stats agree with the next Stanley Cup champion? Only time will tell.

Photo from Star Pulse

captain’s performance and sheer luck in the draft.

In order to win a dodgeball game, Team A must eliminate Team B before Team B eliminates Team A. Dodgeball’s simplicity makes it very easy to determine how productive an individual has been in aiding or hindering their team’s play. The most basic statistic to represent a player’s performance is a ratio of opposing players eliminated to the number of times eliminated. This fundamental statistic reveals Ungar as the most productive player, with a ratio of 8:1, and McDermott and Zaharatos as the least productive, with a ratio of 0:3. In fact, only two of the top five players in the draft could be considered statistically ‘productive’ during the games.

Ungar and Saks admit that their drafting strategies were very similar. Following the “obvious first choice” of Hathaway (according to Saks), both captains sought out players who had a combination of size, strength and athletic ability. Let’s look at examples of the two least valuable players to illustrate the fallacy inherent in this strategy.

Zaharatos is almost 6’4” and a former defensive lineman for the varsity football team - he’s the type of guy you would want to have your back in any physical encounter. Unfortunately for him, his strength does not make him throw any harder than the average player and his size merely makes him a larger and easier target to hit. The other LVP, Tyler McDermott, stands at while not quite as physically imposing as Zaharatos, stands at a respectable 6’0”. He is one of the top ranked high school swimmers in the nation, and arguably the most athletic student in the school. This premier athleticism is clearly what drew Ungar’s attention to McDermott, but unfortunately, endurance and general athletic ability is useless in the sport of dodgeball if unaccompanied by basic hand-eye coordination and a somewhat acceptable arm.

Since Saks and Ungar were selecting their teams without much knowledge of any of their players’

dodgeball ability, they prioritized blanket qualities that were useful in most other sports, even though these qualities often had little correlation with success in dodgeball. This caused the outcome of the game to be significantly impacted by the luck of each captain during the draft, as opposed to which captain drafted better. Unfortunately for Saks, only two of the first five draft picks were productive and they just happened to be Ungar’s first and third picks: Hathaway and Jha. The most productive players on each team, however, were the two captains. Ungar and Saks had ratios of 8:1 and 3:1, respectively. Ironically, using their own drafting strategy, neither captain would have been selected before the fourth round. Saks, for example, despite being one of the smallest players there, managed to be highly productive due to his background as a competitive hockey goalie and the reflexes he obtained from said experience. His superior reflexes allowed him to consistently last longer in games and, as a result, he had more opportunities to throw people out.

The main issue with schoolyard picks is that the drafters often have very limited experience playing with potential draft picks, which causes captains to profile these players and to make assumptions based on what they do know: how the players look physically, and what their athletic background is (if they have access to that information). This method, unfortunately, is very trivial for a sport like dodgeball, which requires specific skills that are not necessarily as emphasized in other sports. As a result, captains often prioritize qualities that do not always translate to being a successful dodgeball player.

So, keep your chin up! Being picked last in dodgeball doesn’t necessarily mean people think you’re bad at dodgeball - just that you look unathletic and are probably bad at most other sports.

All Time Greats

BY MATTHEW STRAPP

Golden Once Again

Normally I skip the World Juniors. The hoopla, the fanfare, the overdone commercials which profess our country’s eternal love for hockey; it’s too much. Parlay this to the overlying aspect that Canadians are the only people who really watch the tournament and, thus, it really doesn’t interest me.

BY BEN KEYMER

However, this year I’ve followed it very closely as it’s a chance to see the next great hockey star, Connor McDavid. McDavid has graced the cover of multiple magazines and has been proclaimed by many hockey experts as the next great player. The hype surrounding the 17-year-old McDavid is reminiscent of the hype involving Sidney Crosby and, more recently, Steven Stamkos.

There have been only two times in addition to this year that i have followed the tournament closely, noticing a direct correlation between the three editions of the event. 2005, 2008 and this year’s tournament all feature the supposed next great hockey player Crosby, Stamkos and, of course, McDavid.

In a span of ten years, a teenage athlete has been proclaimed as the next hockey great three times. Of course, Crosby and Stamkos have turned out to be terrific hockey players. Crosby is, arguably, the best player in the sport and Stamkos is an all-star forward, but these two have not yet come close to achieving what the sports world describes as greatness. Neither has quite lived up to the expectations put upon them when they were declared to be the next great ones.

When discussing greatness in sport, the conversation usually involves names like Gretzky, Jordan, Ruth, etc. It’s very rare for a modern day athlete to enter the conversation. LeBron James is a terrific example; arguably the best athlete on the planet, yet he is constantly criticized and many people are afraid to declare him great because of what Jordan accomplished during his career.

To portray an athlete as the next great one is a sly but intelligent way of promoting a product.

Andrew Wiggins is becoming an icon in this country and he hasn’t actually done anything yet apart from being drafted.

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Five long years ago in Ottawa, Canadian captain Thomas Hickey lifted the World Junior Championship trophy above his head. With an ear to ear grin, he skated the trophy over to his teammates, where the party began. The team was littered with now NHL stars. Guys like Jordan Eberle, John Tavares, Tyler Myers, P.K. Subban, Jamie Benn, Evander Kane and Alex Pietrangelo were all apart of the stacked Canadian squad.

Five years later, on a frozen Monday night in early January at the ACC, Canada had a chance to end a slump. A five year World Junior gold medal drought that had haunted Canadians for what felt like an eternity. All that was standing in their way was team Russia.

The hype around Team Canada this year was great, greater than usual. The hype revolved around one player: Connor McDavid. This quiet 17 year-old kid from Newmarket, Ontario had the eyes of a nation focused on him, and he did not disappoint.

Canada was dominant through the opening 35 minutes of the game, scoring two goals in the first three minutes and leading 5-1 mid way through the second frame. One of those goals was scored on a breakaway by none other than Connor McDavid. In a flash, McDavid was in alone, and calmly buried it five-hole.

But things started to fall apart quickly. Back to back to back goals scored less than four minutes apart by the Russians turned a rout into a game as the teams headed into the locker room after the second period.

The score, 5-4.

The intermission gave Canadian players and fans a chance to take a breath and gear up for the final period of the tournament. The last chapter was thrilling, and as the clock finally hit zero, Russia hadn’t scored. Canada were the champions.

Just as in Ottawa five years ago, Canadian captain Curtis Lazar lifted the World Junior Championship trophy above his head. He took the trophy straight to injured teammate Robbi Fabbri, a classy move by the highly decorated Senators draft pick. Fabbri passed the trophy on, and the party began.

Darko Milicic, Jamarcus Russell, Patrick Stefan. If you’ve never heard these names you’re not alone and probably were not an avid sports fan over seven years ago. The future stars almost a decade ago consisted of these three players. Some of the best prospects of all time, but where are they now? Milicic got drafted 2nd overall in 2003, right after LeBron James, but before players like Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. He is currently a free agent after playing for over five teams and never averaging more than 15 points per game in a season. Russell was drafted in 2007 and lasted less than four seasons in the NFL. He has been described as the biggest bust in NFL history by multiple experts and is currently a free agent. Stefan, the first overall pick in the 1999 NHL draft, has scored fewer than 200 points in his eight year career.

As fantastic as captain Curtis Lazar and hockey prodigy Connor McDavid were during the tournament, Max Domi and Darnell Nurse were Canada’s best players day-in-day-out. Ironically, both players were left off of last year’s squad. This year, Canada made no such mistake. Nurse was Canada’s number one defenseman. Not a single even strength goal was scored on Canada for the entire tournament when Nurse was on the ice. His combination of speed and physicality gave opposing forwards fits trying to find a way to get close to the net and generate scoring chances. He was named player of the game for the finals, thanks to one of the most dominant performances by a defenseman in recent World Junior history. Domi was the tournament’s best forward. He contributed incalculable amounts to the team with his offensive touch and his fiery on-ice persona. He plays with the passion and energy his Dad did, but with significantly more offensive ability.

A substantial number of teenagers over the past 20 years have been proclaimed as the next great athlete. The majority of them have been incredibly successful, a good number have been busts, but not many have been able to live up to the expectations put upon them based on the label they have been given. Many people are victims of the media’s attempt to popularize the player and the product; I am no exception. As for Connor McDavid and the upcoming supposed future superstar athletes, it’s important to take their superstardom with a grain of salt. Don’t expect these teenagers to become the greatest of all time.

Nurse and Domi will be playing in the NHL, in Edmonton and Arizona respectively, next year. For Canada, this means a new cast of young hockey players, joined by a few familiar faces, will have to step up to lead us to a second consecutive gold medal a year from now. However, until then, Canada is back on top, right where we should be.

Photo from TSN

That hasn’t stopped me from watching almost all of his games, watching to see if the supposed greatness will emerge. Ultimately, the hype surrounding Andrew Wiggins is entirely a product of the media. The media benefits greatly from his market value; TSN showed every single one of his collegiate games and reaped the financial benefits. Canadians watched as one of our own graced the spotlight of the North American sports world, anxious to see if he would perform.

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How ADHD Helps You Win

BY JESSICA CARRADINE

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, better known as ADHD, is a mental illness that affects approximately 11% of children (6.4 million) aged four to seventeen in the United States and persists into adulthood. Phys. Ed. students learn about it every year in health class, along with various other brain disorders often experienced by adolescents. All of us have probably met someone who has ADHD, with or without realizing it.

The symptoms of ADHD include “difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behaviour, and hyperactivity (overactivity)” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. This can make it hard for kids living with this exceptionality to do work, succeed in school, make friends, and complete goals. Simple things in life, like watching a movie or listening to a teacher, become more difficult when your attention span is shorter and you can’t sit still for as long as your peers. Having a mental illness like ADHD can create a sort of “glass ceiling,” where sufferers feel as though there is an invisible, impenetrable barrier that stops them from rising up and being as academically successful as those around them. However, what many don’t realise is that people living with ADHD have strengths in other, non-academic areas that make up for the disadvantages they may have academically. In the words of the great Albert Einstein, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

A surprising number of professional athletes have ADHD. Household names like Michael Phelps, Terry Bradshaw, Pete Rose, Bruce Jenner (pictured), Justin Gatlin, Michael Jordan, Andres Torres, Greg Louganis, Chris Kaman, and Cammi Granato fill out the ADHD Sports Hall of Fame. Being a great athlete is about much more than strength and endurance; it’s also about your mental game. For ADHD athletes, their unique trait lends itself to situations where you need to be naturally good at thinking fast and getting hyped. In return, playing sports and getting exercise can help to alleviate the feelings of restlessness and lack of focus due to hyperactivity that trouble those with ADHD. According to Mike Stabeno, author of The ADHD Affected Athlete, “Having ADHD can actually be an advantage in certain sports… While some activities require intense concentration, that’s not always the case with athletics. Everything happens instantaneously. You’re in there for 10 minutes, you’ve got five people trying to take your head off, three referees, four teammates. You need to take in everything that’s going on all at once. That’s how people with ADHD go through life. So it makes sense that they thrive in this field.”

It is important to remember that everyone has his or her own unique strengths and that intellectual differences are not all bad. In our rush to diagnose, we shouldn’t ignore the positives.

According to Dr. Dale Archer, “Athletes with ADHD tend to perform better in sports outof-the box solutions, and they don’t over think, enabling them to make a play without hesitating over possible consequences. Their

Enemy Turf

Everyone is good at something; it’s just a matter of finding your own strengths. Sometimes what seems like a challenge that will hold you back can actually be reapplied in another situation as an advantage that will push you forward. The correlation between athletic success and athletes who have ADHD serves as evidence that success for kids doesn’t always have to be in the classroom.

Photo from US Magazine

field, scooping up those little turflets with your hands and throwing them at your friends, there has been no scientific research connecting artificial turf with cancer. So far the connection has been based on speculation alone. Cancer researchers add that only high exposure to the carcinogens found in the crumb rubber would prove dangerous.

BY HARRISON COOK

Photo by Kienna Shaw

If you’ve ever played on an artificial turf field, you know that the most annoying part, aside from the turf burn, are those little black dots.

You’ll be able to find these little rubbery dots in your shoes, your hair, and even stuck to your skin after any sort of activity on these fields.

But have you ever stopped to wonder what exactly these little “turflets” are? As it turns out, these irritating synthetic pests are crumb rubber. Meaning that they are composed of old, used tires that have been ground up. As a result, the little black dots contain all the chemicals and carcinogens originally found in car and truck tires. This leads to the question: are these a health risk?

impulsivity, if controlled, can also lead to quicker reaction times, saving precious microseconds that can mean the difference between losing or winning.” For many ADHD kids, athletics represent relief from the classroom, success and a sense of peace.

Seattle soccer coach Amy Griffin questioned this herself when two of her goalkeepers were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a lymphatic system cancer. Her suspicions grew even larger when she took one of her goalies to be treated and the nurse commented that this was the fourth goalkeeper she’d cared for that week. This is where the correlation between artificial turf and cancer was created. Considering that soccer goalies, more than any other player, spend all that time rolling around on the turf, practically eating it, logically the correlation makes sense.

Before you begin to panic as you realize that you have sat on our very own artificial turf

Even so, if the potential risk for cancer is there, why is it that fields are still using crumb rubber? If there are other field options why not turn to those? Of course there is the regular grass field, though that has lost its popularity due to the constant maintenance and expenses to keep it playable. Then there is Astroturf. The original artificial turf brand is made of synthetic fibers designed to look like grass, which is all laid out on a rubber mat. This was the most common design in field turf for about twenty years until others surfaced. Crumb rubber became popular as an infill over the last decade or so, as Astroturf hardens and deteriorates over time. This can lead to injury, so crumb rubber fields, which provide more cushioning, were viewed as safer. There are other options for filler such as sand, or even ground up recycled shoes. However, these options are more expensive and require additional maintenance so they are less popular.

So is artificial turf harmful to our bodies?

Until there is scientific confirmation that these little rubber dots have a direct correlation with cancer, we cannot be sure. Even so, I would avoid swallowing them next time you dive to make a save.

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Losing My Cultural identity

BY EMA IBRAKOVIC

When it came to finding scholarships, I did what any desperate grade 12 student would do: I searched for niches with smaller pools and higher chances. I found a scholarship specifically oriented toward Croatian females in their last year of high school that have lived 10+ years in Toronto. Perfect. How many could there really be? And, how many of them knew about this oddly specific scholarship? Satisfied with myself for having found it, I opened the application. Croatian? Check. Female? Check.

Then came the questions. How have you shown pride in your culture, and initiative in the Croatian community? I thought hopelessly for a second, and then realized I’d be a total fraud to answer this. I haven’t, and I felt shame for letting my immigrant parents down by having no cultural pride.

My cousins don’t feel the same way. They’ve grown up with the same friends since they got here, while I switched schools four times. They never left their Croatian bubble, and I never found mine. They mock my non-Serbocroatian friends and remind me constantly that I have to “stay close to home.” We have to stick together, they say. I feel no need to. I was born Croatian. I didn’t choose to be. I barely identify with it, and have no interest in exploring it. Sure, I eat my mom’s homemade cabbage-rich recipes while she asks, “eez eet good? Do you like eet?” But I feel no inclination to volunteer at the Croatian community center or make Eastern European friends. I know that heritage is important, but why should I force myself to side with a group of people I know nothing about?

On top of this, there are some traditional values my cousins hold that I could never agree with.

Some think traditional gender roles should be encouraged. I am a feminist. Others believe gay marriage is disgusting, while I advocate for it.

My cousins push these values on me and believe I should support them. Not all Eastern Europeans think this way. But my cousins do, and they have spent their childhoods in a bubble of people with the same views as them. However, having a birthplace in common shouldn’t mean that your views must be identical.

I wish I had spoken more Croatian at home when I was younger instead of English. I wish I felt the cultural connection that many find comfort in. But I don’t, and I refuse to feel guilty for it. I choose the words that I use to identify myself, and “Croatian” or “immigrant” are not the first ones to pop up. I feel Canadian, and it’s about time that I stopped beating myself up about it.

My family originates from Bosnia, having moved there from Croatia. My parents grew up there. I would’ve grown up there too, had it not been for a terrible civil war that left my Muslim father and Catholic mother on opposing sides of a divided nation. They moved to this “true north strong and free” land with my 10 cousins.

And along with this I lost touch with my heritage; my extended family members are strangers. I’ve seen my grandparents twice since: once when I was 6, once when I was 10. Now, I talk to them on the phone every special occasion with parents close by to help me translate English into the language I used to be fluent in.

Photo courtesy of Ema Ibrakovic

Rest in Peace Brittany Weingrove (2014-2014)

BY ALYSSA JOYNT & CAITLIN HEFFERNAN Rest in peace, Brittany Weingrove. Typically, we’d tell stories about how wonderful our old friend was. We’d talk about her childhood and her future aspirations. But we did not know Brittany. No one knew Brittany. In fact, Brittany was not a real person. She was a fake Facebook identity created by one of our friends. This idea of creating a false identity as a social experiment was intriguing, so we decided to create our own. Enter Cali Hamilton.

Brittany’s Facebook page said that she went to North Toronto, and she accumulated friends quickly.

Cali, on the other hand, did not post her high school. Many friend requests were sent, but only those who knew that Cali was part of a fake identity experiment (or those who suspected that Cali was from the producer of Brittany) accepted the friend request. All it took to make a Facebook friend was a school in common.

Brittany’s Facebook page said that she went to North Toronto, and she accumulated friends quickly.

Cali, on the other hand, did not post her high school. Many friend requests were sent, but only those who knew that Cali was part of a fake identity experiment (or those who suspected that Cali was from the producer of Brittany) accepted the friend request. All it took to make a Facebook friend was a school in common.

Photo by David Shin

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#NTProblems We’ve all experienced them. The soapless bathrooms, the litter-clad halls, the greasy flows. Ugh. #NTProblems. Luckily, Graffiti’s got you covered. Our clever and effective solutions ensure that the days of slight annoyances are gone forever.

GABRIELLE BASTEDO

ecially after lunch, food is littering. Often, and esp NT at e fac we ms ble pro One of the major be swim ming in it! lls. Soon, we are going to and garbage cover the ha loose inside the school at n. First, we set raccoons pla rt pa or. o tw a se po pro I d that we leave on the flo To combat this, will eat every scrap of foo rs tte y cri ead ry alr ng e hu hav y ese Th the . ons, since hourly intervals s can round up the racco sse cla y log bio the y da At the end of the ngs fuzzy. proven their love of all thi d l of smart, sophisticate ows, getting a school ful kn er to mb is me p ste AT d NE on ry sec e Of course, as eve nearly impossible. Th ually use a trash can is azily Lovable Egotistical youngsters like us to act tion called CLEAN (Cr iza an org s ctric ok bo the off en shiny badges and ele create a smaller N members will be giv EA er CL litt s). to h ak ug fre ateno Ne ve anyone bra Agglomerating be ready to electrocute ll wi ers mb . me ing N htn EA bolt of lig cattleprods. CL activist holding a justified al ent nm iro env d ate str within arm’s reach of a fru

KATHERINE QUINN

At the beginning of the year I considered myself lucky to have a double afternoon spare, but as the year car ried on I realized my luck wouldn’t continue.

Occasionally, I have to stay unt il after school for meetings and other ext racurriculars, but the serious lack of out lets in the library leads me to the com mons. There, there is an entire wall of bea utif ul outlets just waiting to be used - and the doors are locked. What the hell?

MADELEINE WIELER , an epidemic of greasy the student body of NT oss acr c d mi de epi an is There to be rather un hygienic an we teenagers are known , rsh ha nis do s thi be ll ps wi rha Pe nts hair. know stude n’t help. Next thing you st our raging hormones do g classes. Something mu rin du g aking into son bre d an st s Fir ket jac ps. r ste the o tw lea ning occur in tbreak. The solution will ou s thi ss ces pre ran ent sup to the ne all be do showers at installing car wash style at eradicate the problem by the Halls of NT, but wh lk wa r d student will eve ire ha asy ure fut gre No any t l. ven oo to sch es in; to pre is where the part two com about the weekend? This d ever unlubricated North an ed eem from the est cue a e tak st mu we s eak outbr choose from several posnts in North Korea must de Stu . ent nm ver go n Korea style their leader dons. posedly modelled after the sup are . ich wh , uts irc ha sible r (grease-f ree) leader Mr their hair cut just like ou d ha NT . at ed ent nts de mv cu stu If all could be cir ices to personal hygiene Goren koff all fut ure injust

When all I want to do is sit and do some work or talk to my frie nds, the com mons is ideal. It’s really too bad tha t I and everyone else can’t get into the com mons when it is such a great resour ce that we should be able to use .

My solution? We pull a switch eroo. We exchange the label that says “commons” with the label that says “librar y.” The custodians will lock the library instead and the succulent wall plugs will be mine. Genius? I thin k so.

EMA IBRAKOVIC

You watch the last few minute s of your biology exam tick aw ay. While you should be looking over your exam and thin king about mit ochondria (the powerhouse of the cell), there’s only one thing on your mind.

And it is that you really have to pee. The big hand hits the 11, and you’re fre e. You run with super-human speed to the bat hroom to relieve yourself and are lucky enough to find a free stall. However, as your worries trickle away, you tur n your head and encounter a problem that eve ryone has faced at least once at NT (or in my case, every dam n day): there is no toilet paper.

VICTORIA STAFFORD

hand, mid-SAP , Macbook Air in ay llw ha ol ho sc a from the nearself in and you are miles You may find your 5% at is ry tte ba ur alise yo Just turn down the essay, when you re g I can do for you. in th at no is e er th n, uatio are precautions th est outlet. In this sit ay. However, there pr d an er e, ht ig od m br d ne an airpla ion cord, the longer bright ness, turn on tragedy: an extens is th t en n cord, so make it ev pr to ke you can ta ps on your extensio ste or e ps tri ne eo m id so s green are suitabl the better. God forb C red, or Starbuck TT , e ue th bl to ny rd ffa co Ti ur see. pe yo a colour people will elect rical tape to ta g in br ly, to t ird an Th w it. ay e ov you m e cord or even rem choices. Secondly, may try to move th le could run op u pe yo , , ise rd w co er e th th ground. O ur name on yo g u in rit w By s. your tape. Therefore, yo identif y the cord as with the elect rical e m K na AC ur yo BL g G rin BI cove ar pie. into the dilem ma of side the cord, in Sh be nd f ou of gr at e th th h tc on ra sc name and NOBODY will should write your easily recognised e ar lcome.

S we ER re u’ TT Yo .

LE BLOCK paint instead y ra sp e us u yo if ints the floor. Bonus po

Everyone has been in this situ ation. Worry not – Graffiti is here in your time of need. There is one alterna tive that will forever rid you of your paper problem, and it is completely reusab le: your hand! Having an arm is convenient and ruins 0 rainforests a year.

It is entirely biodegradable (if you’re dead) and totally takes care of your Ch armin conundrum. As for soa p? Just use the old spit n’ shine and you’re good.

You’re welcome, NEAT.

Illustrations

by Haya Fasheh

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The Trials and Tribulations of the Last Name Joynt

BY ALYSSA JOYNT

Being in high school with Joynt for a last name, it’s a daily occurrence to be laughed at. Introducing myself to others is always an interesting process. I say my name, they laugh, and they apologize (still laughing). I smile and say “I get that all the time,” a phrase I’ve probably said a million times since my classmates became aware of my name’s double meaning. Usually I can avoid this awkwardness by not mentioning my last name at all. But at school my last name is required for every form, report card pickup, or ticket purchase I make, and it all becomes a bit repetitive.

It’s not entirely bad; my last name has served as a good ice breaker throughout my time in high school. One story I tell frequently is that “I have an aunt by marriage named Anita...” It takes a minute for people to get it, but once they do, they start laughing, and voila! No more awkward silence!

My name can cause people to make some strange assumptions. A friend of mine was trying to guess my middle name and I told her that the first letter is M. Of course the first thing that she guessed was marijuana. I turned to her and responded, “yes, my parents named me Alyssa Marijuana Joynt.” This episode is another story I often use to break the ice.

At this point I’ve accepted that unless society changes drastically I’m not likely to have a future in politics, although Rob Ford’s antics might have made my chances a little better.

Perhaps I should have run for mayor with the slogan “Fewer Joints, More Joynts Toronto” or #ShowTheFordsARealJoynt.

Having a last name related to drugs in high school is certainly an interesting experience.

People will laugh and ask you if you’re serious, but if you laugh too you can end up having a lot of fun with it. I have started conversations and made friends with the help of a Joynt. I love it, jokes and all.

Photo courtesy of Alyssa Joynt

Why I Don’t Sit Down on the TTC

BY CAITLIN HEFFERNAN

There are many hazards associated with standing up on the TTC. You have to hold onto a pole that thousands of other disgusting people have also held, and who knows what diseases are sitting there, marinating in their sweat. You also run the risk of accidentally falling into some random guy’s lap.

Despite all of these very real dangers, I’d still much rather avoid sitting down. First of all, there’s something oddly satisfying about managing to keep yourself balanced and standing upright for your whole trip without falling over. The pride and sense of accomplishment is completely worth the risk of contamination and awkward encounters with strangers. If your bus route is full of turns, it’s a nice workout too.

Another reason I don’t sit down is so that I won’t have to give up my seat to an elderly person or a pregnant woman. It’s not the actual act of giving up my seat that bothers me; I’m not that cold-hearted. Rather, it’s the fact that I have to make the decision of whether or not I need to give up my seat. For example, what if I see someone who looks somewhat elderly, but I’m not entirely sure? If I don’t give up my seat, I might just look like a jerk. But if I do, and it turns out that they aren’t actually old (or at least old enough to warrant giving up my seat), that’s just implying that they have an old-looking face.

In an effort to simply be polite, I could end up ruining a person’s day.

I’m convinced that this is a valid concern, as the exact opposite has happened to me. Some lady offered me her seat on the bus about a month ago. I mean, sure, someone recently mistook me for a seventh grader, but I am a healthy, spry youth who doesn’t need your patronizing offers! This proves that age-mistaking is a genuine possibility that needs to be considered before sitting down on public transit.

Even worse is deciding whether to give up your seat for a seemingly pregnant woman. What if someone looks pregnant and I offer them my seat, but it turns out they’re not? I just called them fat.

The opportunity to rest my butt on a stained velvety scrap of metal is not worth this stress. Why not take this chance to build up my immune system and improve my coordination and stability? Self-improvement is always a good choice. If you ever see me standing up on a bus with two other people in it, you now know why.

Written by: Jane Bradshaw & Jessica Carradine Art by: Laura Newcombe Aries: March 21-April 19

Looking for a new Bae? Getting over an old Bae? Real Life Bae found out about Tinder Bae? Take a moment to slow down and think about yourself.

Sure, your love life is important but Main Bae should always be you. Stay in this Friday to do what you want to do, and stop worrying about pleasing others. You don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy, so enjoy the single, No – Bae life. Treat yourself. Put your needs before anyone else.

Taurus: April 20-May 20

The year might’ve started off on a rocky note, but this is no indication of what is to come in 2015.

The full moon may influence some of your plans to fall through, but Uranus is moving into your house (wink wink), and will likely prop up developments you never saw coming. Throw on your snow boots and start heading to the gym; it is time to whip your booty into shape. You never know what adventure is hiding just around the corner.

Gemini: May 21-June 20

Winter break may have left you laid back, but with your mind on your money and your money on your mind. It seems this month you’ve been thinking like Snoop Dog, obsessing over every cent that you raked in (or spent) over the holidays. However, Cancer is heading into 15 degrees and will shed light onto your financial situation. It’s time for that “new year, new me” shopping spree. Mo’ money means mo’ problems, my friend. You might as well spend it.

Libra: September 23- October 22

Planets are stacking up in Capricorn at the new moon, so you probably have found yourself drowning in responsibilities lately.

So much work, so many plans, so little time!

To get over this hiccup, you need to drain your life of poison. Get rid of that competitive or selfish friend you secretly hate: you need this person like the Titanic needs more water coming in – not at all. Then go grab a Lush bath bomb and soak up relaxation. The “Fizzbanger” one sounds cool.

Scorpio: October 23 – November 22 During the holidays, you were overwhelmed with kisses; awkward greetings from the raisins that your grandparents call their BFFs, a sloppy wet lick on your face from your cousin’s dog, or steamy make-outs with that hottie on NYE. And it’s not stopping anytime soon. Everyone wants a confident SO, so it is time to reread all those Seventeen Magazine articles on flirting (they’re applicable to all sexes) and make a move on the next cutie you see.

Sagittarius: November 22- December 21

Greetings, loved ones. Let’s take a journey.

Saturn is with you this month, which means you’re gonna get lucky!! Seriously, get your parents to buy you a lottery ticket. All you need to do is buy a ticket with these numbers, in this exact order: your birth month, the number of pets you’ve had, the day of the month when you purchase your ticket, your lucky number, the number of fingers you have, and the number of push ups you can do. Mandatory donation to Graffiti when you collect your lifetime supply of cash.

Cancer: June 21-July 22

Capricorn: December 22-January 19

Leo: July 23- August 22

Aquarius: January 20 - February 19

Virgo: August 23-September 22

Pisces: February 20 – March 20

You’ve only been back at school for two weeks since winter break, but it feels like you never left!

The workload, and teachers, and extracurriculars, and the weather are bringing you down. But when you get knocked down, you get back up again. You can make it to March Break. Hang in there, Cancer.

Pluto and Venus are going to stop having conflict on March 14 and all the pressure will be lifted, just in time for your vacation.

This is YOUR YEAR Leos! Jupiter has re-entered your house, and aligned all the elements you need for success. It’s not worth shedding any tears over those January marks, because every little thing you’ll do will be magic. You’ll be able to charm your way through group projects, convince your parents to extend your curfew and maybe find the academic path that is quintessentially you. Bottle some of your liquid luck for the rest of us, dear Harry Potter, because we’re all green with envy.

Think about your New Years resolution. Close your eyes and visualize it in your mind. Imagine yourself at the gym, doing well on exams, eating healthy or whatever else you resolved to do. Now stand up, and walk outside, even if you’re in class. This is your destiny. Go to Yonge & Eglinton, and hit up GoodLife, the Northern District Library, Freshii or the most relevant location to your 2015 goals. It’s time to actually do what you resolved to do for once. Order that salad, you can do it.

EAT THE LETTUCE.

Capricorns have just turned a year older (or will in the next couple of days) and in light of the New Year, it’s time to step out of your box and take some risks. The Cardinal signs are pioneering for you this term, so it is a perfect time to ski the double black diamond course blindfolded, apply for a new job at your favourite store, get really really happy on Grad Trip, or befriend someone with the G2 and drive to Florida. It’s time to gather those stories to tell the grandkids – they’ll think you’re a fox.

This is your conscience speaking. I know all your secrets and your deepest thoughts.

You’ve had a lot on your mind lately, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell you not to take life too seriously. Life moves pretty fast sometimes, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Sometimes the smallest things seem so important, but just remember that ten years from now you probably won’t remember them. Don’t be afraid to let loose once in a while and forget about your worries. Life is awesome, and it will all work out in the end.

Good vibes, bruh.

It has been said that there are many fish in the sea, but this month, you are blossoming into a new set of scales. Cancer is in 15 degrees and will find itself in an angry mood, falling into your fifth house of love. Have no fear, though, because this means that all your love will find it’s focus, and you’ll be swimming full force towards it. Is that your OTP calling? Yes it is. What are you waiting for? Rush to the commons and answer the gosh darn phone.

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#SEENONYIKYAK