Volume 42, Issue 2, (February 14, 2023)

Roses are red, violets are blue: Kino and Ms. Monteith

By Sara Kaboudvand

The recurring problems of women’s safety on the TTC

By Liz Sucharov and Abby Roizman

NT’s Swim Team comeback: the journey to get back in the pool

By Grace Uy

page 8 page 27

FACE-OFF Me vs. ChatGPT

I face off against AI in writing about its academic implications

Ruby Steinberg Section Editor

If you haven’t heard of the AI tool ChatGPT then you must be living under a rock. ChatGPT is a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November of 2022. While the core function of a chatbot is to mimic a human conversationalist, ChatGPT has the ability to write and debug computer programs; to compose music, fairy tales, and student essays; to answer test questions; to write poetry and song lyrics; to play games like tic-tac-toe; and to simulate an ATM.

In this article, I face off against ChatGPT in writing about its academic implications. Keep in mind that the stats and quotes given by ChatGPT are entirely fake. And for your enjoyment, I asked ChatGPT to keep it light.

Prompt

Write a 250 word newspaper article about the negative implications of ChatGPT’s capabilities on North Toronto students.

Me

ChatGPT is nothing like Siri or Alexa: it can learn and produce original ideas. What does that mean for us? Well, ChatGPT can take care of that synthesis essay you’re writing about Hamlet. Sure, it may be dry, predictable and weak on evidence, but it’s definitely an essay. This presents a problem: if a website can compose an original piece of writing in seconds, what stops students from using ChatGPT instead of their brains?

NT English teacher, Ms. Bulgutch, doesn’t believe that “ChatGPT is so tempting that students are unable to resist, it’s just the newest tool someone comfortable with breaking rules might try.” Though ChatGPT itself doesn’t worry her, she does fear students who don’t value academic...

continued on page 15...

Cover design by Baran Forootan

A letter from the editors

Dear North Toronto,

It’s out with the old and in with the new. January was crunch time. We crushed (our first ever) exam week, wrapped up university applications, and readied up for Semester 2. Issue 2 is here, and we have to say, 2023 looks good on you, NT.

Our second issue looks at the biggest moments of our year so far. We’re back with Word on the Street, finding out what you actually do on spare and what your biggest icks are. Take a look at Local News to hear about TTC safety, Internal to learn about Ukranian students at NT, and Features to read about the dangers of gym culture. Make sure to see what the best movies of 2022 were in Arts and Culture and get all the updates you need about our sports teams in Sports. And if you’re looking for a Valentine, make sure to read Mr. Kinoshita’s and Ms. Monteith’s love story and then cut out the cards in the back (perhaps to kickstart an NT romance of your own??).

The weather is only getting better, the days are getting longer, and Charity Week is around the corner. Until Issue 3, stay winning.

Your Editors-In-Chief,

Elena Vlitas and Sophie Block

P.S. Sophie is looking for a Valentine ASAP. You could DM her but she only answers emails (silly journalist) addressed to ntcigraffiti@gmail.com. Keep in mind, Elena sees these emails too ;)

EDITORS IN CHIEF

Elena Vlitas

Sophie Block

STAFF ADVISORS

David Silver

Jessica Bulgutch

SECTION EDITORS

Sara

Malak

Ruby

Ava Reitmaier-Stone | Victoria Man

Constantia Pilnitz

Leila Schrenk | Krisha Mittra

Luke

Tai

Elizabeth

Sarisha Panday

HEAD COPY EDITORS

Ema Kazazi

Rowen Uy

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY HEAD

Baran Forootan

LAYOUT TEAM

Felicity Hughes

BUSINESS MANAGERS

Abby Harlow

Andjelina Illic

Isis Mullaj

CONTACT US

Have a question, criticism, praise, or comment? Send a letter to the editors, and we’ll be happy to respond.

Email: ntcigraffiti@gmail.com

Instagram: @ntcigraffiti

Twitter: @NTCI_Graffiti

ABOUT US

Graffiti is North Toronto C.I.’s award-winning, student-led newspaper. Graffiti aims to amplify and represent the voice of the student body at North Toronto C.I. by creating a unified communications plaform that allows students to develop their skills in language, design, art, teamwork, and leadership. With every publication, Graffiti strives to maintain the highest integrity and provide readers with honest, relevant journalism that is grounded in truth.

Kaboudvand | Logan Proulx

Mohamed | Arissa Roy

Steinberg | Natasha Bernstein

Taylor | Grace Uy

Vaughan | Ethan Cairns

Rosen | Jack Wolkove

Word on the Street

Hey NT, ever wondered what’s going on in students’ minds? This issue in Word on the Street, Sarah and Leila take a deep dive, and find the answers to our most pressing question: NT’s Spotify Wrapped. To check it out, head to @ntcigrafitti on Instagram for the full story.

Leila Schrenk Section Editor

Sarah Flemington Contributor

Who was your top Spotify artist?

Zach: Justin Bieber

Adam: Drizzy Drake

Gordon: Eminem

Natasha: 8,300 minutes listening to Eminem

Leila: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Russel: Travis Scott

Maya: Taylor Swift

Hannah: Taylor Swift

Emir: Tevvez

Dylan: Lil Tecca

Sabrina: Drake

What do you do during your spare?

Mason: Sit in the library, gossip a little, maybe go home.

Stone: I’m sleeping in or going to the gym. [I get] no work done.

Travis: See Mr. Hobson because I love Mr. Hobson. And I play squid games.

Medet: I go home sometimes.

Claire: I actually do my work. I got that philosophy history grind going. Jack: Absolutely nothing. I just sit in the library and do nothing at all.

Taemin: I sleep or watch the world cup.

Kylan: I fall asleep.

What’s your number 1 ‘ick?’

Stone: When she’s taller than me.

Allen: I don’t like it when people aren’t kind, it’s just basic.

Mason: Long toe nails.

David: Cigarettes.

Sej: When he talks like a “Toronto mans”.

NT students on the new GAS app

The

app

that helps you figure out if someone is crushing on you

polls. When someone’s name is voted, they receive a flame in their inbox.

Constantia Pilnitz Section Editor

First, it was BeReal. Now, it’s Gas. These authentic-centred apps are moving into mainstream social media, amassing millions of users and claiming the #1 spot on the App Store for weeks on end.

Beyond profit, the objective of these apps? Creating a more positive social media space. While BeReal claims to be the “anti-Instagram,” Gas also claims to strive to move away from the toxic tendencies of Instagram.

Here’s how the app works: users share their location and contact information so that they can be connected with their peers from school. Four of their friends are then placed into superlative-styled

“The reason I built [Gas] was because I wanted to [raise self-esteem and spread positivity],” says Nikita Bier, co-creator of Gas. “So many people say it improves their self-esteem, they got closer with friends, and that they feel loved.”

In theory, Gas is a safe space from all other social media. Whereas Instagram and TikTok can be plagued by negativity and serious forms of bullying, Gas is different from these current mainstream social media platforms.

“Gas is a unique app; [it has] no pictures, likes, videos, or share buttons,” NT student Andrea Dimitriev shares.

However, that’s not to say the platform veers away

from negativity entirely, as the promotion of superlatives can still be unwanted or damaging. Names are not put to vote for each specific prompt with consent, and while the polls are generally positive, each superlative still runs the risk of having underlying unwantedness. The inherently comparative system may also bruise the self-esteem of the three individuals who aren’t voted as the winner, meaning each prompt can impact the participants in more ways than one.

With close to 200 students already signed up under the school status of North Toronto in just a matter of weeks, NT students have experienced this new social media platform and its effects first-hand.

“I wouldn’t call Gas a social media platform - it lacks the social aspect. To me, Gas feels like a game,” says Alexandra Karotki, a Gas user.

We hope you enjoyed learning some of NT students’ opinions, and stay tuned for more next issue! Follow us on Instagram to see the video version.

Gas has taken the NT population by storm and is an example of an app that aims to follow the structure of social media platforms without the negativity that they are notorious for. While the longevity of the platform is not certain, the amount of students who have used it speaks to the kinds of social media that NT wishes to see going forward.

Advice with Leila

Every issue, senior student Leila Schrenk shares her advice for life at NT

Leila Schrenk Section Editor

Dear Niners,

So exams have passed and your first semester at NT is officially over! Unfortunately, it’s my job to tell you that your days of being a Niner are not almost over, as you still have another couple of months to go. As a Niner of 2019 I’m here to advise you on how to be a Niner everyone loves. When I was a Niner, we had all just come out of VSCO girl summer. You couldn’t walk the halls without hearing “sksksksk” or “and I oop.” The Hydroflask (which I will defend to the day I die and still use every single day) was the thing to have, even though it did not make you very popular. Overall, the Class of 2023 was not very well-liked, so, as the last pre-covid Niner class, here are some rules to swear by in order to be loved at NT:

Make sure to clear the hallway. The middle of the hallways is not the place to chat with your friends. No one, and I mean no one, wants to be stuck because of a big group of people chatting. So make sure your conversations are on either side of the hallway. Or, if you’re feeling really brave, line up single file and talk like you’re playing a game of broken telephone so people can get by on either side!

Follow the stairwell directions. No matter what direction you are going, ALWAYS STAY TO THE RIGHT! The main stairwell is already crowded enough, so make sure to keep the traffic flowing so that when the bell rings for lunch, you have the full hour to eat instead of being trapped in the stairwell. Also, try exploring other stair-

The return of Field Trips

The value of learning outside the classroom

wells, because I can count on one hand how many people I know who genuinely use the KK stairwell (the pretty one with the windows) regularly. Or use that super depressing, super crowded stairwell with no windows if you feel like it!

Get involved at NT.

Whether it be joining a club or a sports team, find a way to get involved in the school. There are so many clubs and teams, so you can totally find one that interests you. Some of my best memories from Grade 9 are playing on the hockey team. The bonus is that it allows you to miss some school (but don’t tell your teachers I said that). Plus, you feel like a part of the NT community.

GET OUT OF THE BATHROOMS.

I’m sorry but hanging out in the bathrooms is grody. Find somewhere else to hang out because honestly, it smells bad in there. Do what you gotta do and get out. If Grade 11 Leila heard me saying this, she would be appalled because my afternoons of the second semester were spent in the fourth floor bathroom. But looking back, I’ve realized it’s nasty.

Overall, Niners, you guys have been pretty well-liked this year compared to previous years (A.K.A. my year), so these are just some quick tips to keep you loved within the walls of North Toronto.

XOXO, Leila

P.S. The 10’s could probably use this too.

Lindsay Fitzgerald Contributor

Field trips offer a unique opportunity for students to experience the world outside the classroom. They can have a lasting impact and make students more engaged, curious, and interested in and out of school. At the height of COVID, traditional field trips were not possible, now students and teachers are glad they are back, and for good reason.

Ms. Bilmer from the drama department has already taken the opportunity to take some of her classes on field trips since their return. Bilmer said, “ Students always seem so engaged after the shared experience. Some of the most rich and meaningful discussions in my classroom were inspired by what we learned on excursions.” She went on to say she is thrilled that field trips are back because she remembers the impact they had on her as a student: “Some of my most memorable high school experiences took place on trips. It’s hard to remember what I learned on an

average day in a traditional classroom setting, but I’ll never forget the things I learned while outside the school with my class.”

Grade 10 NT student Sophie Ratner says “Field trips are a great way to bond with your classmates. You remember what you learn more than just sitting in the classroom.” Ms Bilmer agrees; “ I always find that my class feels more connected after we return from a field trip. There is something special about getting out of the traditional atmosphere of a classroom and cultivating new shared experiences with one another.”

Field trips give students and teachers a unique opportunity to become closer, not just to each other, but also to the material that they are learning about. They spark discussion and make lasting impressions. Overall, getting outside of the classroom is one of the best ways to open one’s mind.

Image courtesy of Elena Vlitas

Image courtesy of Natasha Bernstein

Backstage pass to NT’s Fall Fare

A glimpse of what goes into our school concerts

Lola Urosevic Copy Editor

Hadasse Kernerman Contributor

Fall Fare is one of North Toronto’s annual concerts, which had been cancelled for the last two years due to the pandemic. Thankfully, this school year, it happened again. The entire auditorium was filled, with over 500 people attending. It was a wonderful night full of talent from hundreds of students. However, many students don’t know all the work that goes into putting together these shows. Among all streams of music and stage crew, there are different perspectives and experiences, both leading up to the concert and on the actual night. How was the night?

Hadasse

Fall Fare was very exciting; so much happened! As a person who’s both in Vocal and Strings, I had to learn a lot of music - which was completely worth it! Every week I would attend two choir rehearsals and two String rehearsals. I love

performing, so I was extra motivated to learn the music and attend rehearsals in preparation for Fall Fare.

On the day of Fall Fare, I walked into the Vocal room and there were so many students bubbling with excitement, ready to perform. Even though everyone’s experience was different, I felt like we all got a bit closer that day, both literally by squishing up onto the choir risers, but also in spirit. My first performance was with the Senior Choir. As I walked out onto the stage I saw so many people looking back. Families, students, and friends were all curious to see what was about to happen... Everyone in the audience got a small glimpse of the magic that thrives in the NT music department. We performed a song called “Lully, Lulla, Lullay” which was very pretty and also featured my friend Ayni Gebreyesus who sang the most enchanting solo at the end. We walked back into the class and everyone cheered! The vocal students were all very supportive of one another.

The next thing I did was go into the Strings room. This was my only time to tune and warm up my cello. The vibe was very different there. People were all practicing, talking quietly, and hustling.

It was nice to walk in there, it felt like taking a deep breath. Students were just as excited, but instead of showing their excitement verbally, they were all excitedly practicing. I felt a lot more relaxed after leaving that room. After that point, I was constantly busy.

I performed with the Chamber choir and we sang “All Star” but in the style of an old English madrigal, which was very entertaining for the audience! After the chamber choir performance, we rushed back to the vocal room to take a group photo. Then I went on stage with the Senior Strings students, and then the Symphony Orchestra. The senior strings started with a beautiful calm song called “Dreaming” which was an interesting change of pace. Then we played a happier song by Haydn, and finished off with the full Symphony Orchestra with a Berlioz piece called “March to the Scaffold” which was super intense, exciting, emotional, and complex. For me, this was the most difficult piece I performed, but the most satisfying to complete. Once that finished, the Symphony Orchestra stayed seated on the stage while the choir entered, so I just snuck back to get on the risers too. This was the full Choral Ensem-

ble, so we were super powerful. We performed “The Call” that featured two soloists, Umayaal Sukumaran and Kaii Channell, and they both did a great job bringing the song together. We finished our set with “Hallelujah Chorus” and it felt like our power blew the audience away. The show ended with the playing/singing of the school song. I had been trying to decide whether to sing the school song with the choir or to play it with the Orchestra. Last minute, I decided to run off the risers after the choir sang to sit with the Orchestra, and then to play and sing at the same time (which was super cool and exciting for me). The audience always loves the school song, and it always makes me proud to be part of NT’s music community.

The next day, so many people were talking about watching or performing in Fall Fare. Overall it was such a great experience.

Lola

I am in grade 11, but this was my first Fall Fare because of the pandemic. It was very exciting to finally have the concert return to NT. The whole night was an intense but certainly fun experience. Preparation

Image courtesy of Charlie Carter

for the concert began in mid-September, so we had a lot of work to do. For the band students also in marching band, it was a challenge to balance everything involved. November and December were very busy months for music students. I had some kind of rehearsal or practice every day of the week, with two on Wednesday! I had to spend a lot of time organizing things for the concert while balancing all the work I had for school as well.

I performed in the symphonic band, symphony orchestra and intermission band. I was also on the stage crew, so I had quite a bit to do. You could probably spot me running around to help organize things.

On the day of Fall Fare, I left school around 4:30 after setting up all the things needed for the intermission show, then came back again at 6:15 to get everything else ready for the concert. The band room was quite hectic as everyone was getting ready to perform. I could tell people were very excited to be there.

I really enjoyed performing in the symphonic band. For our first piece, “Stardance”, most of the band members were scattered around the auditorium, something which the audience found surprising and enjoyable. After the perfor-

NORTH TORONTO EVENTS

mance, I ran back to go do all the stage crew duties I had. Everything went quite smoothly, and I was going around the music rooms to get groups ready to go on stage. I definitely got my cardio in! Then came the intermission show. I was kind of nervous as these were the hardest pieces I had for the concert, and I was playing well-known songs. I even had to sight-read a song on the spot! My part was often the melody and I did it alone, so if I did something wrong, it would be very obvious. All the stress went away quickly and we had a great time playing. I was so happy to see the crowd enjoying themselves. After intermission, I had to quickly run back to do stage crew, while also getting ready for the symphony orchestra. It was a bit of a surprise as we went on stage earlier than expected, so I had to rush to grab my instrument. Our performance went very well and there was lots of energy. After that, we ended with the school song and it made me happy to see everyone in the audience enjoy it. Then we had to pack everything up. My day ended at 10 pm, and I finally went home and almost immediately fell asleep. The next day, you could instantly notice who was in Fall Fare, as we were all exhausted, no matter how much we slept. It was really fun to

talk to other people involved, both students and teachers, about how the night went well and everybody had fun, how our parents really enjoyed it, and how we would all be in a coma over the weekend. There are many students at NT who pour so much work that goes unnoticed into nights like this. Overall, it was quite stressful to pull off, but incredibly rewarding to see all the talent at our school and all the happy faces in the audience. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Hadasse

Fall Fare felt like such a magical experience, and I really am jealous of the audience members, since I didn’t get to enjoy and watch the show.

Before I came to NT, I spoke to my grandfather: an NT alum. The first thing he told me was that they had such an amazing music program. He was not a music student but would always look forward to coming to see the performances. He even remembers Maytime Melodies and the lyrics and tune to the school song. North Toronto’s music left an impact on him that lasted a lifetime, and now you all have the opportunity to see for yourselves, to get a glimpse of the magic that happens in North Toronto’s music department.

Lola

We encourage everybody to buy a ticket to see the concert because as fun and impressive as Fall Fare was, Maytime Melodies is going to be even more exciting. Along with all the amazing groups of current NT students, there will be four alumni groups appearing as well, as this year is the 75th anniversary of the concert. This is a can’t-miss experience. No matter your knowledge or skill level in music, the night is one to remember. Just as students come to cheer on the many sports teams NT has, coming to the concerts to support fellow students is incredibly motivating. It makes us proud to put in months of hard work to bring concerts to the community.

In a way, Fall Fare marked a return to what makes our school’s music program so special. Even though it’s three months away, the music students at our school are already beginning to work on their pieces for Maytime Melodies. The concert is a big part of the music program at the school, something we work towards every year. It’s a tradition to which the teachers and students are very dedicated.

It’s almost that time of year: Charity Week

NT is slated to support the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture as part of the annual charity week event

Logan Prolux Section Editor

Charity Week is NT’s most philanthropic tradition, blending student interests and fun activities with community involvement and awareness of social issues. Each year, students get a say in which local organization is represented before the charity week committee begins to plan the events to raise money. All of the proceeds raised go towards the selected non-profit organization. This year Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, or CCVT for short, has been the organization. chosen for whom to raise money. Here’s their mandate.

Founded in 1983, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture is a Toronto based-organization that works towards the successful integration of victims ot torture, violence, or abuse into safe, healthy, and free lives. They provide council, reconciliation, and support to victims of abuse and neglect prompted by

war, genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity. Their programs tend to cater towards underprivileged children, immigrants, and refugees, and their impact has had a monumental role in easing these

targeted groups into security. We are so lucky to be partnering with them to help further their incredible cause. Stay tuned to hear more about CCVT during education week in March.

or

Charity Week will take place March 27-31st! Have any questions

ideas? Reach out to @ntcistudentcouncil on Instagram.

Images courtesy of Vince Dummond

Spirit Week

A themed week to celebrate and showcase NT’s famous school spirit!

Sophie Ratner Copy Editor

Astudent carrying a refrigerator through the halls of their high school, a sea of plaid pyjama pants in the cafeteria, or/ and a classroom full of Adam Sandler impersonators. These images can be seen under #SpiritWeek on TikTok, but did North Toronto live up to the hype?

The week of November 28th to December 2nd, 2022 was Spirit Week at North Toronto. The student council announced five different themed spirit days for students to participate in: PJ day, Twin day, Pop Culture day, Jersey day, and Anything but a Backpack day.

On Monday, there was PJ day where students could roll out of bed, arrive at school and get free cereal from the student council. On the second day of spirit week, along with matching an outfit with a friend, there was a game to guess the number of candies in a jar, with the closest guess winning the jar and all of the candy within it. The rewards continued on Wednesday, where coming to school dressed as a pop culture reference guaranteed some student council-supplied chips and at least 2 people asking “wait, are you _____?” My costume as Mark Zuckerberg, with a Harvard shirt and a sign that said “welcome to the metaverse,” created a lot of confusion from classmates. Thursday was Jersey Day, a great way for students to support their favourite teams and a topical choice given the World Cup that was going on at the time. Accompanying the World Cup excitement, the student council hosted an event where the first 20 teachers that signed up could watch the Canada vs. Morocco game with their class in the auditorium. Finally, Friday was “Anything but a Backpack” day, where students could get creative and experiment with their school bags.

One grade ten student, Cassidy Clifford, thought especially outside of the box for Friday’s spirit day. Cassidy brought in her nine year-old sister as a living backpack, an idea inspired by social media, “On the morning of Anything But a Backpack day I was thinking about what to bring as a backpack, and I thought about TikToks I’d seen before from other schools and that’s how I got the idea.” The student council also posted highlights of each spirit day on their Instagram, with a poll to vote for best interpretation of each theme.

Rowan Boswell, a grade ten student says that although she did not participate in every spirit day, she still enjoyed it. “It was really cool to see an NT spirit week, because I’ve never got to experience it before. I really liked seeing how into it people were and it was nice to see so much school spirit.” says Boswell.

Ultimately, Spirit Week was a positive outlet for the North Toronto community to unite and show their school spirit.

Images courtesy of Logan Prolux

Roses are red, violets are blue, here’s a love story, just for you

Two teachers’ journey to becoming husband and wife, and how skiing is actually the key to a lasting love

Sara Kaboudvand Section Editor

Every year, when February comes around, there is only one thing on some people’s minds: love. For couples, it’s the time to show appreciation and compete for the better gift, and for single people, it can either be the time to sulk about the “cheesy tradition,” or just accept the fact that in the end, we are all our own valentine. In any case, Valentine’s day is here, and love is in the air. Luckily for us (whether we’re single or cuffed up), we have the story of Mr. Kinoshita and Ms. Monteith’s love, and their journey to becoming husband and wife, parents, while also being teachers at the same school.

Ms. Monteith and Mr. Kinoshita met at Bloor Collegiate Institute in the fall of 1990. At the time, Ms. Monteith was a supply teacher and Mr. Kinoshita held a full-time position. Mr. Kinoshita says he noticed her in the halls (love at first sight), but they did not have a chance to talk much. After a couple of months of working together, Ms. Monteith was offered a full-time position teaching ESL. With Ms. Monteith officially becoming part of the full-time teachers, she and Mr. Kinoshita finally got a chance to be acquainted through the teachers’ social gatherings. Ms. Monteith explains, “There were a lot of young teachers at Bloor Collegiate at the time, so there were lots of social events”.

At a staff social at Lulu’s Bar in Kitchener, which was once the

largest bar in the world (it closed in 2000), a Beatles cover band was playing, and Mr. Kinoshita and Ms. Monteith first started to talk. Through their conversations, Mr. Kinoshita learned that Ms. Monteith had lived in Banff and was interested in skiing. If you didn’t know this about Mr. Kinoshita, he is a big lover of skiing, and at that point in time, he was not looking for a romantic relationship that didn’t involve a mutual love of the sport. “I’ve seen skiing break a marriage, and honestly if she wasn’t a skier, there was no point.” In other words, she instantly checked that box for him. Meanwhile, there was another teacher involved who also had plans to set them up. With Mr. Kinoshita and Ms. Monteith both being clarinet players, their shared love of music was another factor bringing them together.

Eventually, he asked her on a date with two tickets to a Tafelmusik concert for Mozart’s Requiem. Being the great fan that she was, Ms. Monteith actually brought the score with her. She mentioned that it didn’t make “[Mr. Kinoshita] think [she] was such a nerd, so that was probably the first indication that the relationship would have more longevity than just a couple dates.” And she was right, because that first date led to 3 more years of dating.

So how did he propose? After dating for a while, they had mutually agreed that at some point, they would get married. One morning, they went engagement ring shopping at Birks. Later that day, they had plans to go watch the movie Sleepless in Seattle. Af-

ter some time walking along Bloor street to get to the theatre, Mr. Kinoshita realized that neither of them had actually said the phrase “will you marry me,” so at that moment, he said “so, I guess I should probably ask you to marry me.” And while crossing the road she agreed, “Yeah. You probably should.” And that was it. They both said it wasn’t the traditional, down-on-one-knee proposal, but instead they “did things together.” Practical, sweet, unique.

On August 13, 1994, the service for their marriage was held at Eaton Hall. With it being an outdoor wedding, Ms. Monteith wanted it to be a clear day, but according to her Croatian relatives, rain on the wedding day was a symbol of good luck and a “fruitful marriage”. When she woke up that morning, it was drizzly and misty, but luckily it cleared up by the time the wedding was starting. However, as she walked down the aisle and the wedding progressed, the weather steadily worsened, and she recalls “as the service was going on, you could see more umbrellas going up.” Her brother-in-law couldn’t help but laugh, and with that initiation, laughter spread through Mr. Kinoshita and the other guests. Ms. Monteith said that the mood was light and funny. As soon as the “I do”s were finished, she said her mother prompted everyone to go inside, and that was the end of their wedding day story.

“Kind of like our marriage proposal, it wasn’t like a serious marriage service with people crying, it was more like come on people, let’s pull it together! This is my

wedding here!”

Fast forward 28 years, they are now the main characters of a Graffiti article. After the long time that they have spent together, they say the best advice they would give to students is to “find someone that you click with in terms of practicalities, as well as have that romantic spark.” After all, your significant other basically becomes your “roommate for life”.

To conclude their love story, we asked Mr. Kinoshita and Ms. Monteith (individually) what they would like to say to each other. Here is what they said:

Ms. Monteith: “It’s been 28 years [this past summer], and it’s been a good ride. Both kids - we like to think - are decent humans, and although the pandemic has been crappy in many ways, [it has shown us] as a family we’re also really good friends. We get along really well and enjoy spending time together. And I like to think our kids get that vibe from Mr. Kinoshita and I, even though we sometimes get pissed off at each other, everything is fine. We are all fine.”

Mr. Kinoshita: “When are you going to pick me up later today?”

Thank you Mr. Kinoshita and Ms. Monteith for sharing this beautiful and wholeheartedly “you” story with us; we wish you many more years of love and support for each other. And for NT students: find your fellow skier, and find your concert buddy.

Image courtesy of Ms. Monteith

Checking in with NT’s Ukrainian Students

With an influx of Ukrainian students joining our school in the past year, NT has had to adapt.

Sophie Block Editor in Chief

This February marks almost a year since the beginning of the Russian-Ukraine war. North Toronto has welcomed 21 Ukrainian students in the past year, with 18 registering since September, and the previous students registering last May or June. With a background like few other ESL students, NT has stepped up to help through caring teachers, support staff, and resources.

A group of new students this big “is new to this particular school”, according to Mr. Goutovets, an English and ESL teacher. When he began teaching at NT, “there were hardly any ESL students, so [he’s] seen the ESL population explode.” As a teacher of several Ukrainian students, Mr. Goutovets has provided as much help as possible. He tried to avoid the sensitive topics within his classroom, by “avoid[ing] stories and questions that have war and suffering as one of their themes”, but also wants to mention the issues for “their awareness purposes.” When he finds a theme in a short story that he thinks he can develop and identify similarities with life in Canada, especially related to the future, he makes sure to focus on this.

At the beginning of the year, the school hosted an information meeting for the parents of Ukranian students and brought in a translator. Additionally, they tried to purchase more resources, but Ms. Grondin, the head of the ESL department, finds that “it is sort of a slow process.” For example, acquiring Ukrainian / English dictionaries has been difficult.

Getting resources wasn’t the only challenge, and NT had difficulty correctly placing students, an essential part of the ESL process. When you arrive as a newcomer, you have to have an assessment done centrally by the TDSB. However, the TDSB was overwhelmed by the number of people seeking that service, and so the assessments were delayed and backlogged.

Mr. Goutovets has placed a great focus on the future. He tries “talking about future possibilities that they don’t know because of limited exposure” to spread “awareness [about] possibilities, and cheer them up.” He knows that “some of them are in this limbo where their English isn’t good enough and they don’t see what they’re gonna do and how it’s all

going to work out for them,” and he can “see their worries.” Mr. Goutovets went on, explaining that “They deal with pressure, parental pressure, to deliver and to learn, study, and bring results.” So, to try and help, he tries to remind the students and their parents that “language development and their language acquisition process differs from learning math, because you need time and exposure for development.”

Mr. Goutovets sees the challenges they face in his classroom each day. “A lot of them are in this transition period away from home, and their friends are back home,” he says. The time difference proves difficult as some students “spend time chatting with their friends [in Ukraine], which could be at 3 am, and so they kind of live two lives, one here and one there because they want to maintain their relationships.”

Artem Androshchuk, a Grade 9 Ukrainian student who came to Canada in September, says that he is “still texting friends in Ukraine” and mentioned the seven hour time difference. Contrarily, Grade 9 student Danilo Lapikova, doesn’t speak to his friends, as “they don’t have light.” Though most of his family is in Ukraine, he’s unable to communicate with them. Lapikova’s father does not want to come to Canada, as he is a police officer. Daria Lapikova, a fellow Grade 9 student, has a mother who also wishes to remain in Ukraine. As for the parents who came to Canada, some of them have found jobs. Lapikova’s mom works as a cook and Androshchuk’s dad is a programmer in Mississauga. Others are in school for newcomers,

like Sofiia Bondieva’s parents.

Mr. Goutovets explained that parental pressures are generally high. He says that parents “get this idea that they can send a kid here and in 1 or 2 years their child will be able to go to Canadian university and compete with native Canadian students.” This, though “is virtually impossible” without strong preexisting English or French education. Mr. Goutovets emphasizes to his students that if you rush, you “have a lot of gaps in your language.”

The hard work that ESL teachers are putting in is paying off. Androshchuk says that “Canada has done a really big job in helping us and I am really grateful for this.” Sofiia Bondieva and Daria Lapikova agreed, saying that “many teachers help [us].” Bondieva specifically mentioned that she likes “that teachers can invite students to meet at lunch and explain topics I don’t understand.”

When talking about the differences between countries, the students noted that there are only four periods, compared to the eight classes they had in Ukraine. They were also surprised by the hour-long lunch, compared to the 20 minute lunch they are used to. The city, Androshchuk says, is “really big” and a big change from his “peaceful small town.”

It’s not just the ESL teachers working on inclusion as Ms. Grondin explained that “Ms. Boone started running a program two days a week after school to support all ESL students using language development through creativity and games.” As well, Grade twelve students were given the opportunity to pair with an ESL class during

their spare for volunteer hours. Ms. Grondin says that this gives “the ESL students more opportunity to speak with native speakers and build peer relationships.”

Mr. Goutovets expanded on this, talking about the homework club, the newcomer club, and the ESL teachers who come together and coordinate programs. The school is also partnered with Mr. Lopez, a settlement worker, who helps students with Visas, extensions, resumes, jobs, and similar issues they may have.

It seems that the social integration of Ukranian students is still low. Androshchuk says that he is “friends mostly with Ukranians” and only Danilo Lapikova had attended a club meeting. Bondieva thinks that “maybe [students can] help us with talking and friendship” and for students to “be more friendly.” Ms. Grondin suggests that club heads can “go to ESL classes to talk to students more directly”, as “going to a club is intimidating.”

Mr. Goutovets says that “the school community should be aware, and should embrace and be supportive, welcoming in every and any way. An ESL population is an integral part of the school and everyone should play their part.”

Though the Ukrainian war is a conflict that most NT students can all too easily ignore, our school has a critical role to play in welcoming newcomers. As Mr. Goutovets says, our school “should be acting as the proud school community, representing one of the best cities of the world.”

Illustration by Elena Vlitas

TOWN HALL

Do NT students feel heard?: Following up on the concerns voiced in the Town Hall

Taking advantage of student democracies, one’s voice, and town halls

Logan Proulx Section Editor

When we aren’t studying, sleeping, or attending classes, students are vying to have their voices heard. Whether it be through posting on social media, reaching out to peers or mentors, or seeking a difference in our community, change-making has become our response to virtually everything. Friends acting toxic? Cut them out! Acne breakout? Get a new skin-care routine! Celebrity being problematic? Cancel and doxx them! How does this problem-solving mindset apply to NT, particularly because the administration and student council each offered inquisitorial gatherings known as town halls: perfect opportunities for NT students to speak up and articulate ideas, critiques, and possible steps forward. However, student reception and attendance at these events varied. The administration town hall received just over 60% of class reps, with the student council town hall only bringing in a measly handful. Here are some of the juiciest topics brought up by students at these events.

Student requests for an in-school prayer room

Possibly the most substantial topic discussed at the administration town hall was the delegation of rooms within the school dedicated to religion or prayer. The topic was prompted by increasing student interest in the accommodation of different religions, as NT’s student population is diverse in faith. For example, in order to be considered highly devout, individuals of some religions, such as Islam, require prayer up to five times a day. The goal would be to create an in-school space that works to promote religious expression and inclusivity. The room would need to be a multi-faith prayer room as the school does not have the space to accommodate every religion individually. Students and admin both seemed receptive to the idea and after consulting with students who were expressing a need for a space, a space has been established so students can pray during lunch.

Why no AP courses or enriched programs at NT?

Aspects of American high school education that have been highly romanticized by studytok are AP or advanced placement courses. These courses are essentially highly enriched versions of already ex-

isting courses. Established by CollegeBoard: an American non-profit organization dedicated to broadening post-secondary prospects, the programs include college-level curricula and are designed to boost the weight of a student’s GPA. While they are still present in some Canadian high schools, they are becoming increasingly less common. The question of their absence was answered at the admin town hall. Essentially, NT did once have some form of advanced or enrichment program, however, due to decisions made by the Ontario Government and Ministry of Education, they were phased out as they “streamed education” by making it more binary. To all of the 12s and eager 11s stressing about this gap in their application, don’t worry. Admissions officers are aware of the schools who do and do not offer the programs and will not take them into consideration should they not be offered. They can still be taken virtually, although that would be an external means of taking the course.

That fourth floor smell

While not asked at the admin town hall, and briefly mentioned at the student council town hall, the fourth floor smell has been a particularly pressing gripe to many students. On numerous occasions

would I walk into a STEM class and overhear the casual “it smells like a septic tank” “I’m calling a fumigation squad” or “I’m losing my sense of smell”. For context the fourth floor was particularly… fragrant (nose-hair singeing). There was a noticeable drop in students eating lunch on the fourth floor as the smell became more pungent. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Luckily, the matter made its way to the administration who dealt with it. Their successful response was a prime example of student expression at NT. Through having their major gripe made aware by the administration, students were able to make use of their voices and deal with the problem at hand.

Exam preparedness at NT

With exams newly behind us, I usher you all to breathe a sigh of relief. We did it. We consolidated four months of knowledge into a twohour exam, and we looked good doing it. Whether or not you were content with your exam mark, it is more than likely correlated to the comfort you felt while taking it, or in other words, how prepared you were. Exam preparedness and insecurity was a major issue at both the administration and student council town halls. Naturally, students were unsure of what to prepare for, when to prepare, and how to study,

all of which are fair questions considering the fact that exams haven’t been written over the course of the past four years. In response to these questions, the Guidance Department, specifically Mr. Taylor held exam preparedness workshops to help students boost their confidence and competence. Students in attendance at the workshop felt much more confident in their study strategies and started organizing and preparing much sooner than those who did not attend. The workshops displayed how input can be transactional. A problem is stated and brought to an advisor, a solution is established, and the students gain something, in the case of the workshops, boosted ability and higher marks (*projected).

So how can NT students feel heard? To start, they could actually make use of their voice. If you or anyone you know are experiencing an educational roadblock, seek help to implement change. The administration can not listen if you do not speak. You need to be the initiating factor in your own academic success. Whether it be facilitating a prayer room, learning about AP courses, warding off smells, or preparing for an exam, it falls on you to speak up. My advice to do so? Attend the next town hall.

Image courtesy of Sophie Block

ACTIVITIES

“South Toronto”?: Drama Council showcases talent in semester-end play

Student written, directed, and portrayed, NT’s Drama Students put on “Drama Council: A Play About the Drama Council”

Hana Chessell Contributor

Over the past several weeks, the grade 12 drama class has invested countless hours writing, directing, and staging a production to share with the school. “Drama Council Play: A Play By The Drama Council” follows the story about “South Toronto’s” Drama Council deciding what production they should put on for the school’s theatre.

In the play, members pitch their different ideas to the council while it is simultaneously being played out as if the audience is diving into their imagination. They introduce plots of compelling mystery, fantasy and soap opera stories. No one can agree on a play as everyone possesses contradicting opinions. This leads to chaotic bickering causing the president to snap, unveiling their hidden anxiety of not being able to live up to the Drama Club President’s name.

The play was created in five weeks, which, according to drama student Liz Sucharov, “flies by.” The idea of the play was switched a few times, as the drama students were worried that they wouldn’t have enough time to prepare. Sucharov spoke highly of the directors, Sam Steepe and Sarisha Panday, explaining

that they did a “fantastic job because I know for a fact it’s not easy to handle an entire class of grade twelve kids.”

Izzy Gelman, a drama class student who designed the costumes for the play, spoke highly of the

Drama Council Play was live on stage in the drama studio on January 20th and 23rd with a full house. Charlie Carter, an audience member, stated that “the play was good; everyone should have gotten a 100 on that.” Hana Chessell, an ensemble member, shared that “the play

and loved seeing people “perform after 5 weeks of progress.” As well, Ahlstrad spoke highly of her drama class, saying that she’s “known most of these people since grade 10 drama so it’s been really great growing closer with all of them in the course.” Sucharov agrees, saying that “I’m honestly really proud of everyone for taking time out of their days to stay extra time for rehearsal and for being so patient with each other when it came to mistakes and questions and organization… This entire play making and performing experience has brought the class so close to each other, it feels like it’s turned us into a little family.”

Speaking on the impacts of COVID-19, Sucharov says that “the whole class had been wanting to do a play for a while now, but of course we weren’t able to because of COVID-19, so when Ms Bilmer gave us the opportunity to take it upon ourselves to create a play everyone was super excited.”

experience. She said that she “had a blast being able to visually represent each character in a way that I felt fit each actor.” Overall, Gelman says that “it was so fun to see everyone’s ideas come together, and how the writers interpreted ideas and actors conveyed them.”

was a great opportunity to showcase all our hard work and it was very rewarding to see people enjoy something we created.”

Ava Ahlstrad, another ensemble member, said that she “loved writing the play.” She emphasized the importance of “creative freedom”

After years of a mostly virtual drama department, the grade 12s greatly enjoyed coming together to put on an in-person performance. The play provided not only a creative outlet, but is an opportunity to show junior drama students the endless possibilities of theater and the importance of exploring your imagination.

Image courtesy of Charlie Carter

Image courtesy of Izzy Gelman

Attention! Thank you for your attention

An exploration into the lack of student-made posters at NT

Felicity Hughes Layout

Walking through the halls of North Toronto CI, I can’t help but feel a consuming numbness. One might think it’s due to simply being at school or the thought of all the assignments I have yet to complete. Though that may be a contributing factor, our hallways’ cold, grey walls do nothing to remedy my apathy.

The school trip that I’m not going on, club advertisements that have been up since the beginning of the year, a screenshot of school merchandise, all printed on structurally compromised black and white printer paper, placed at varying heights with no rhyme or reason. Where’s the colour? Where’s the flavour? Where’s the life?

On the second floor, outside of room 227, there is an art display case. This case features students’ art from all grade levels, and I love it. Every time I walk by, I have no choice but to stop and admire the extraordinary work of immensely talented students. This display case inspires me to create. This case instils awe at the talent and creativity NT has to offer, but it is short-lived; as soon as I continue my route, I return to the bleak grey. Why can’t we bring the excitement for creation that the art display case offers to every part of our school? Why must we impose restrictions on creativity and personalization in the name of… what?

Last year, a group of students created posters that they hung up around the school. These posters contained the text: “Attention. Thank you for your attention.” Jackson Gavarkavov, one of the creators, explained that he and his friends just “had a good laugh at it.” Jackson spoke of “the poor cropping, outdated emojis, and nonsensical caption” creating “a bizarre and confusing graphic design nightmare”. He and his friends created these ironic posters purely for their own amusement, which they wished to share with the student body. These posters were promptly removed by the administration.

Upon hearing about this action by the administration, without knowing the true reason, I was upset. NT should be proud of the creative effort of students who care about their learning environment. Students who care enough to brighten their peers’ days. These posters certainly brightened my day, even if just for a moment, and there is evidently no harm in that; so I reached out to Ms. Mazzaferro,

and I discovered a few things. The first being the process of getting a student-made poster approved.

To put up a poster at North Toronto, one must first bring the poster for approval to either Ms. Dicks, Ms. Mazzaferro, or Dr. Lee. The approval process is a discussion, a ‘workshop’, if you will. Should there be any information or graphics “contrary to the TDSB code of conduct”, the poster will be rejected. Once a poster is approved, whichever principal responsible for the approval will initial the bottom corner of the poster, at which point copies can be made and hung up around the school.

The reason the “Attention” posters were taken down, was the lack of initial or signature approval. The posters had “not gone through the review of any of the administration” and were “put up without due process”; but if these posters had been brought forward for approval, would they have been approved? Ms. Mazzaferro says that she’s “not sure”. She says that, first of all, there must be a reason behind wanting to put up the poster, so what would the reason be?

As long as the poster falls in line with the goals of the school, proves to have a potential positive impact, and would “benefit the mental health and well-being of the school” then “why not?”. Higgins, in his literature review for Design Council titled, “The impact of school environments…” states that “colour transmitted through the eye [...] affect[s] mood, mental clarity and energy levels”. Adding life and colour to our school through student-made posters would absolutely benefit the mental health and well-being of the students. Yet, our walls are grey; but of course they are, Maxwell, in his Journal of Architectural and Planning Research article “A Safe and Welcoming School”, discovered that “children thought colour was important” and that “they thought the colour of the walls in their school was uninviting and boring”. Whereas “teachers and parents were not concerned by the colour of the walls”.

Research conducted at Gazi University in Turkey on the effect of wall colour on the perception of classrooms came to the conclusion

that “the use of different colours in interior spaces of a classroom has a statistically significant effect on the [students’] perceptual performance”. Colour makes us happy, it’s as simple as that; so why is nothing being done to remedy North Toronto’s infamous grey hallways?

An article on “The Effect of Classroom Environment on Student Learning” found it’s inspiring to see student-made posters around a school. Personally, it’s uplifting to know that my peers have put in the effort to brighten students’ days. Our school should be proud of our creativity, of our individual personalities, and of how we wish to improve our learning environment. It is up to the students of North Toronto to create the culture that we wish to participate in. It is up to us to bring colour and life to our school halls. There is a benefit to student-made posters in school halls, so now it is up to us to bring forward our contributions to a lively school environment.

Image courtesy of Jackson Gavarkavov

COVID-19

TOs Asian community still under threat

The increase in hate crimes against the Asian community in Toronto since Covid

Natania Baskaran Contributor

It starts with a racist remark. A slur. A hit across the face. A push against the back. A threat to life. Individuals of Chinese ethnic heritage across the world have faced prejudice, xenophobia, and racism during the pandemic due to the roots of the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. Discriminatory behaviour has varied from obvious physical hate crimes to subtle microaggressions, no matter who the victim is or even how old they are.

“On the subway, a drunk guy threw his drink on me, didn’t apologize and said a racial slur, and ran away, and I was hurt. Now I feel uncomfortable when I’m on the subway,” said a grade 10 student at North Toronto (NT). No one should have to go through these situations, no matter their race, gender, or sexuality. That is what NT advocates and what should be the reali-

ty in the Greater Toronto Area and in the world.

Since COVID-19, the percentage of hate crimes against individuals of Asian heritage has increased by 300 percent. Asian citizens living in Toronto report having experienced multiple incidences of harassment and harmful remarks, many of whom have not ever come across this treatment before. The first glimpse of COVID-19 was seen in Wuhan, China, around the end of 2019. The news and social media informed people of the origin of the deadly virus: a thumb-sized bat. Peter Ben Embarek, a Danish scientist working in the World Health Organization said: “We know that the first human cases were detected in Wuhan in December 2019. We also know that this virus belongs to a group of viruses that have their original niche in bat populations. In between these two points, we don’t know much.”

The virus spread and caused many casualties quickly. It spread rapidly through all continents,

Strikes in Iran

Recognizing the victims of the Iranian government

Mahta Khoshfekr Contributor

It has been three months since the beginning of one of the most feminine revolutions in history. It started with the tragic death of Mahsa Zhina Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died after being arrested by Morality Police for improperly wearing a hijab while in custody. Women in Iran, along with other minorities, have been killed, tortured, captured, and suppressed daily simply because of their existence. Some Iranians call this movement a revolution for Iranian women who are not free in their own country. They are tired of laws against women and just want to be themselves. However, the Islamic government continues with arresting, torturing, and killing people. During the protests, more than 16,000 people have been arrested and nearly 400 people killed, including children, by the Islamic government in Iran. According to Amnesty International, at least 23 children between the ages of 10

and 17 have been killed during a brutal crackdown on the protests in Iran. These numbers are taken from what is allowed to be officially released by international organiza tions. Given the massive shutdown of the internet, actual numbers are likely far higher. Even schools are not safe for students.

To make matters worse, a few weeks ago, 227 members of the Iranian parliament called upon the judiciary to issue death penalties for people arrested during the on-

leaving its devastating mark on the world.

Since the fatal respiratory virus originated in China, and China is in Asia, some prejudiced people believe that people in Canada ofAsian ethnicity are the reason why COVID-19 spread. A tenth grader simply standing and waiting for the train causes these prejudiced people to feel the need to say or do something discriminatory. This has to stop--it starts with the affected and allies. It starts

with people who care enough to help. It starts with community. Now that citizens know that this worldwide issue is in their very communities, affecting peers, friends, and others, what can they do? As a teenager, students may feel like they can not do much. However, even small acts matter, like spreading awareness, joining clubs that bring light to issues like anti-Asian hate, being an active member of this school, and participating in change.

going protests. Over 15,000 protesters were sentenced to death. New names are coming out everyday of those who will soon be executed.

Arsham, who is an Armenian-Iranian and identifies as non-binary said, “[being] non binary, life is very difficult for me. They once arrested me because of my style. They pulled my nails and insulted me, which [severely] impacted my mental health. I’m always scared when I see police of-

ficers on the street.” He continued, “I really hope to see a free Iran in the future. As someone who is interested in art, I draw paintings to support people. I myself participated in protests one time, and many security forces came but [thankfully] people opened their houses for me. I was able to escape. I am asking people who are not in Iran to be our voice and support us even by sharing an Instagram post. Please don’t leave us alone! We are in a

Illustration by Selina Lee

Image courtesy of Elena Vlitas

very bad situation. This dictatorial government is killing people, please be our voice.”

Melina, an Iranian student at NT, shared “educating yourself and posting things on social media is super important because Iranians who live or plan to go there aren’t able since there are spies for

HEALTH & SAFETY

the regime that keep note of who’s saying bad stuff about the government and will take you into custody as soon as they get the opportunity to. I believe the people in Iran have nothing to lose, and continuing on with the revolution is their best option because they can’t give up after all the people who’ve died

fighting. Everyone knew this revolution would happen eventually, and it’s happening now. It’s a good movement and they need to keep fighting in the name of Mahsa and all the others.”

She continued, “it’s been really hard for my family and the families

of the small percentage of Iranian students at NT. We would find it nice to see positivity surrounding Iranian women spread around the school.”

Even though this issue is taking place in Iran, human rights should be of concern to everyone no matter what.

The recurring problems of women’s safety on the TTC

The dangers that women face on a daily basis

Liz Sucharov Contributor

Abby Roizman Contributor

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is progressively becoming more unsafe by the day. The rate of incidents and attacks committed beneath our city is rampantly rising. Assaults are up 9.4 percent in the City of Toronto since last year, according to the TPS public safety data portal. The TTC poses a potential safety risk to all who take it; however, it is women who fall victim to the majority of these attacks and incidents reported. This year, stories emerged on the news about women being brutally attacked and assaulted while taking the subway.

A few notable incidents from this past year include women being doused in flammable liquid and set on fire, sexually assaulted and harassed, physically assaulted, and stabbed. Two of the women in these accidents succumbed to their injuries and died. On April 17th, 2022, a woman was shoved onto the subway tracks. Fortunately, she pinned herself against the wall in time for the subway to pass and sustained no life-threatening injuries. TTC workers arrived thirty minutes after this occurrence. The TTC responded to this incident stating that the woman “chose to stand close to the edge of the platform and failed to pay attention to her surroundings.” Sophie Cockett, a grade 12 North Toronto student, said, “it makes me feel vulnerable. Attacks like these are common, and the TTC hasn’t strived to prevent women from becoming victims.”

Beatrice Passmore, another grade 12 student, stated that “it makes me fear for my life and other women’s.” You never know who you’ll encounter. Being a teenage girl amplifies the feeling of anxiety because women are often targets.

The safety of women is threatened daily on the subway. Many female students at NT take the TTC regularly as their primary form of transportation. Passmore states that she and her friends have

frequently undergone different forms of harassment within their history of taking the TTC, including physical and sexual assault, being chased, public flashing, and hate crimes. Passmore had to file a police report due to being threatened with physical and sexual violence while taking the TTC. She reports that “It messes with your head. Many friends have texted me as they were taking the TTC to keep track of their location because they felt unsafe. What scares me is that if these people wanted to hurt me, they would be able to. There would be no one to stop it. Other riders don’t ever do anything, and I don’t expect them to. I expect some form of security onboard.” She says she is “always on the lookout for anything suspicious that could be potentially dangerous to [her] and [she takes] all of these precautions so that people don’t approach [her]. However, these things sometimes don’t work.” Natasha Bernstein, a grade 12 student at NT shared that a “man flashed me on the bus once, and I just froze. The terror and shock get a hold of you, it’s traumatizing.” Amelia Gragg, another grade 12 NT student who is a victim of harassment on the TTC, says to “ask any woman if they’ve ever been assaulted in any way while taking public transit. They’ll most likely say yes.”

Women at NT want measures to be put in place to make them feel safer. Passmore expressed that “there need to be solutions so people can feel safe, instead of just forgetting about it until it happens again.” Cockett thinks “there’s a lack of enforcement of safety, and it’s left to the public’s humanity to not attack, assault, or harass anyone.” She believes “accidents shouldn’t happen

more than once,” and that when in the TTC stations, “there is no obvious choice of where to go or who to ask for help.” As for ways to improve, Cockett suggested adding “obvious emergency stations in each subway station that host qualified medical staff, police, and TTC managers so that if anyone needs assistance, people know exactly where to go and can be assisted immediately.” Creating rising barriers is another idea. Although expensive, if the TTC blocked all access to empty tracks, it would eliminate the worry of passengers falling or being pushed off the platform. The TTC should also have “special constables that ride the TTC with the passengers” so that incidents on the train are dealt with by trained

employees instead of daily TTC riders.

If Toronto wants to be a city that offers a good quality of life to its citizens, an intersectional effort involving municipal, provincial, and community members is needed. As a public service organization that is greatly used by many women including NT female students, the TTC should focus on educating the public, increasing safety staff and protocol, and involving the community in the creation of solutions to ensure people can ride smoothly and safely.

Image courtesy of Liz Sucharov and Abby Roizman

Me vs. ChatGPT

I face off against AI in writing about its academic implications

Ruby Steinberg Section Editor

FACE-OFF continued from cover...

integrity: “I fear they’re the people who will cheat through life, and ultimately make things worse for everyone else.”

What happens, you may be wondering, if ChatGPT does write your assignment? Well, if you’re in Ms. Bulgutch’s English class, it may mean trouble. According to her, she “did come across an essay in semester one where ChatGPT was used. It earned a mark of zero. Most teachers have a decent detector for when writing doesn’t match the student or something is amiss.

IDENTITY

Knowing exactly how a student cheated, lifted off the internet, someone else did the writing, or ChatGTP, is less obvious.”

So, I’d be careful if you’re planning on using ChatGPT for assignments in the future - save it for a Valentine’s poem.

ChatGPT:

Attention students of North Toronto: beware of the latest addition to your educational journey! As a large language model trained by OpenAI, I bring a wide range of capabilities that could spell disaster for your grades and overall well-being.

According to a recent survey of teachers at North Toronto, 93% believe that my abilities could lead to a significant decrease in critical thinking skills. One English teach-

er warns, “With ChatGPT around, students may become too reliant on just asking for answers and not actually putting in the effort to understand the material themselves. Their brains will turn to mush and they’ll be unable to function in the real world.”

But the negative implications don’t stop there. My humor, while entertaining to some, has been described as “terrible” and “cringeworthy” by others. One student commented, “I tried to ask ChatGPT for a joke and it just told me something about a chicken crossing the road. I’ve heard that one a million times. It’s not even funny.”

And let’s not forget about the social implications. With my ability to hold conversations, some

students may become more isolated and reliant on me for companionship. As one student put it, “I was having a conversation with ChatGPT and it was so lifelike, I almost forgot I was talking to a machine. It’s kind of scary how advanced it is. I might end up talking to it more than my actual friends.”

So there you have it, students of North Toronto. While I may seem like a helpful tool on the surface, the negative implications of my capabilities far outweigh any potential benefits. It’s best to steer clear of me and stick with traditional methods of learning and socializing. Trust me, your grades (and sanity) will thank you.

So what are you?: The reality of being biracial

The harms of your identity being reduced to a box

Chloe Bhogal Contributor

It’s time for the yearly census.

You enjoy it for its categorical satisfaction. Darkening each of the boxes that pertain to your identity; everything is going swell and orderly. But then, chaos ensues as you reach the race question. What box must you choose? You’re puzzled. Neither one nor the other - you’re not any of these. But isn’t that unfair? Then you see it, the “mixed race” option. You pause for a moment, quivering as you feel your grandmothers’ frowning upon your dismissal of their individual cultures. But alas, you succumb to your restrictions and pour the ink of your pen into the outlined box. But what you don’t know, is that you yourself, are consequently, being reduced to just a box.

This is the reality for biracial individuals. With more and more interracial couples, this confusing experience of being mixed race is becoming more popular. Jumping from just 8% in 2001, to almost double at 15% in 2016, the population of biracial babies in Canada is on the rise (Statistics Canada).

Mixed race kids are left

deserted and alone when asked to identify with a singular race or culture. They have one of two options; identify with only half of themselves, or remain ambiguously alone. This idea of ‘picking a side’ is often not determined by the individual themselves, but by their environment. “Because I’m brown-passing, as a result, other people treat me as such”, Nicholas Singh, a half-Serbian, half-Indian, Grade twelve student at NT explains. He adds how “[i]f I were to hangout with all new people who were actually really Indian, I’m not culturally very Indian, so I wouldn’t really fit in well within there either’”, elaborating how although he is visually identifiable as South Asian, he does not fit in with its culture because of his background. A grade twelve student at Northern Secondary School, Sofia Orlow, who identifies as half-black and half-white, claims a similar experience to Nicholas. “At my elementary school, all the girls were white and all had very thin, straight hair. I had curly thick hair and was labeled ‘different’ by a lot of them.” Sofia then explains how when it came to claiming her black-side, she was told she was “too white for the black people” at Northern. Though they are not able to identify with either of their cultures, they face the racism often

encountered by their racialized sides. When asked which side they experienced more racism towards, Nicholas said, “[m]y brown side, 5

million times. Infinite times.” Sofia agreed, identifying her marginalized side as well, while explaining a situation she endured recent-

Illustration by Chloe Bhogal

ly while in Kingston for a tour of Queen’s University, with a white friend. “I’m obviously darker than them, and I went to a store and the girl (retail worker) said hi to us and we kind of split off.” Sofia describes her encounter of being racially profiled due to stereotypes surrounding black individuals and shop-lifting, “the girl came up to me and asked if I needed any help. I explained that I was okay, and was just looking around. The girl literally stood beside me the whole time I shopped.” Through Sofia and Nicholas’s experience, the racism faced by biracial individuals is made clear. Seeing as they ‘do not

HEALTH & SAFETY

fit in’, they do not have the support of their cultures’ communities to fall back on.

All hope is not lost for these racially-ambiguous babies. Nicholas explains how he has coped with his racial-identity crisis, saying that he is “not just an homogeneous creature” but that he sees himself as a “harmony between multiple different cultures”. He also highlights how he feels “the most included in a more diverse group”, and explains how “technically, realistically, I am a diverse individual because I’m mixed.” Nicholas illustrates the beauty of being biracial, and how advanta-

geous it is to be a part of multiple cultures because it makes you see people for more than just their cultural background or race.

When asked if Sofia would identify differently if she had attended the predominantly white NT, she explained that “if you asked me that three years ago, I would have said that I would claim my white side, but as you get older you appreciate who you are. It shifts, where now it is good to be different from others, and it’s good to be unique.” Orlow continues to explain the development of her confidence surrounding her cultural identity saying, “it’s the culture,

I now appreciate it. I feel different but not in a bad way. Just feel better about myself.” She attributes this to broadening her social groups. Hanging out with the “mixed kids”’ that share similar experiences, and joining clubs at her school such as ‘Black NSS’ helped solidify her own identity.

Understanding the binary lens our society uses surrounding race and culture, we are able to see the causes of racism. People like Sofia and Nicholas are necessary in order to challenge the categorization of people, and to see everyone as their own, not just their race.

Gains and losses: The dangers of ‘Gym Culture’

How a place intended for a healthy lifestyle has become a toxic environment

Natasha Bernstein Section Editor

It’s 3:45 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. The sound of weights clanging against the ground with the occasional cacophonous grunt fill the otherwise static air. The flushed faces of high school students pervade the scene, with sweat glistening down their cheeks. Just several minutes into the workout, and the long week of school work is gone and in the past. The sounds of hearts thumping rapidly beat in the background, as swift and controlled movements signal focus and determination. One distracted look around the gym shows a variety of people; a group of tenth-graders cram around a bench press, an elderly man is doing abdominal crunches on a purple mat in the corner, and a 20-somethingyear-old woman is doing pull-ups without assistance. Muscular men and women are standing before the mirrors, panting, sweating, checking out their carefully crafted physiques.

GoodLife Dunfield, a location of the popular gym franchise, is located right around the corner from North Toronto Collegiate Institute (NTCI). The gym has attracted an increasingly large population of high school students, both from NTCI and Northern Secondary School. Despite the fact that everyone has their own personal goals, there does seem to be a common denominator: the hyper-focus on physical appearance. As teenagers develop and grow into their bodies, they become increasingly aware of what they look like. Much of this newfound interest in the gym has resulted from a surge in fitness social media influence, where the dawn of trending body types comeand-go at the toss of a coin. Influencers such as Leana Deeb, have

gained large platforms simply due to their physique, coining them as ‘experts’ to the masses. More often than not, these influencers are not professionals that specialize in the field of health and fitness, but more so people with great interest in physical appearance.

The unattainable standards presented in social media to impressionable youth have led people to go to unhealthy lengths to achieve unrealistically thin or impossibly muscular body types. Although everybody is exposed to these kinds of messages, pre-teens and teens are the most vulnerable sector of the population. Fitness influencers recommend lifestyles, products, and programs often based on their own experiences using their image as an example of success. These messages tend to normalize unhealthy diets, fostering feelings of guilt surrounding eating certain foods. Fats, for instance, have a different take now than they had ten years ago, thanks to the increased popularity of the Keto diet. High-protein is still a driving factor of the muscle regime, while carbohydrates continue to receive a questionable reputation. These mindsets begin when too much focus is put on cutting particular foods out. For example, going on vacation for a week and eating more than usual, does not mean that for the following week extreme cardio and food deprivation are required. This leads to the false idea that you have to earn what you eat. In an interview with Gorete Almeida, a certified nutritionist and a fitness coach, she explains: “a caloric deficit in losing weight doesn’t mean you’re healthy, and doesn’t mean that you’re going to get the body composition you want”.

In addition to intense physical and dietary regimens, muscle enhancers and modifiers, such as steroids, are a concerning part of gym culture. Anabolic steroids are

a method of rapidly growing muscle and reducing recovery time, allowing one to lift heavier, by injecting artificially produced hormones - synthetic lipids that mimic testosterone. Although steroids are illegal, the Canadian Department of National Defence claims that around a million people in North America still use them.

Because weight training allows for success to be measured easily, a sense of competitiveness arises, especially amongst teenage boys who often are caught trying to prove their masculinity to one another by using each other as motivation to do better and lift heavier. Everyone is aiming for the same goal, and that is to be the best possible version of themselves. How much can one get of this ‘motivation’ and comparing to others until it becomes deafening? It is easy to fall victim to this when you’re not

secure, a struggle that most teenagers deal with.

With the phrase ‘gym is life’ constantly blazed into people’s brains, ‘gym bros’ have blossomed into a niche in current gym culture, creating an over-obsessive group that puts hyper-attention on physical looks and aesthetic appeal.

North Toronto student, Isaac Kaminsky, was asked whether there was a correlation between going to the gym and mental health, to which he answered; “I mean, obviously, the better I look, the happier I’ll be and the healthier I’ll be”. This is very representative of the mindset that many young people carry with them into the gym, this idea of always being in the chase of ‘bettering themselves’. At what point does this reach for perfection surpass the conventional desire to be healthy, and rather, become excessive?

Image Courtesy of Sophie Block

Our future in numbers

A look at NT Grade 12’s final year of highschool and what lies ahead.

Ruby Steinberg Section Editor

Firstly, what are the Grade 12’s top choice schools? In first place (to my surprise) is U of T. NT students just love to punish themselves - good luck at U of Tears. In second, (unsurprisingly) is Queens, specifically Queen’s Commerce (which people felt the need to specify). Closely behind is Western - my bad, Western Ivey, which people similarly felt the need to specify.

Next, how financially secure are NT students as they head into post-secondary?

80% of students plan to live on campus, and those double-bed cells aren’t cheap - it’s a good thing the majority of NT students are financially secure. The average lies at 7.3 on a scale of 1-10.

How many students received early acceptance (acceptance before the winter break)? A whopping 63% of NT students received early acceptance to at least one school. Grade 11 marks do matter after all.

Next, how satisfied are the Grade 12s with their grades? Turns out they’re actually moderately satisfied, with an average of 6.8/10. That may help to explain the next question.

Finally, how stressed are the Grade 12s? The average is a 7/10. Keep in mind this survey was taken just 3 days before the winter break - the Grade 12s are not in great shape.

Valentine’s Day is a scam

Why do we place so much meaning on February 14th?

Viola Wang Contributor

The history of Valentine’s Day offers much to be debated about and gives much insight into the true nature of one of the most romantic holidays of the year. According to most myths, there were at least three priests by the name of Valentine in Ancient Rome on which the holiday could be based. One married soldiers to their loved ones in secret against the orders of the Emperor. Another helped Christians escape from cruel Roman prisons. The final priest fell in love with the daughter of his jailor. How inspiring.

All of these priests were brutally put to death.

Nowadays, when one thinks of Valentine’s Day, the punitive slaughtering of priests is not usually what comes to mind. Instead, one might think of roses, candlelight, chocolate, and all manner of romantic or platonic ventures that show the people in your life just how much you appreciate and love them. And of course, none of these things mean much at all.

The fourteenth of February is just one cold day out of the 365 that people have assigned meaning to. The original purpose of this

holiday wasn’t even about appreciation or love, it was about replacing Lupercalia, what the Christians deemed a sinful pagan celebration. Interesting, right?

Valentine’s Day is not and will not ever be anything other than a scam. One that wields obligation and fake-appreciation into a tool used to smear smiles on emotionally starved faces. Especially in the late-stage capitalist era of today, where everything, absolutely everything, has a price, including your affection and your sense of self worth.

If you really loved someone, they would know it. They wouldn’t need the flowers, which are cut from the roots, or the chocolates, which are unethically produced. They wouldn’t need the little paper cards or the red, cardboard hearts to know that you appreciate them.

Valentine’s Day also puts exceptional pressure on romantic relationships, or lack thereof. “Poor you”, people in relationships say, clutching at polyester teddy bears and pity written on their faces. All alone and unloved, just because you have no romantic partner to dictate your worth as a lovable human being in society. The Greeks had six different words for love. Romance is just 17% of them. And there has never been, ever, in the history of humanity, a person who was never

loved in some way. Cheap, material goods and momentary vices will never represent the amount of love one feels for another.

Valentine’s Day is a hoax, and so is everything about it. Cupid isn’t a chubby little angel baby with wings, he’s a Greek god that every other god in the pantheon fears. And sure, your mother might have loved the cards you made her when you were younger, but now she just wants you to talk to her about your

Why DJ Khaled is horrible

A look at his mediocre “God Did” album released in 2022

Brayden Rak

Contributor

Quentin Distin

Contributor

Everyone, and their first born child knows about the musical “artist” commonly referred to as DJ Khaled. To most, DJ Khaled is a DJ (hence his name) who is “responsible” for some of the greatest “hits” of the 2010’s. I, like many people, forgot about DJ Khaled post 2020, until he released his album titled “God Did” in 2022. There was a lot of attention around this album, so I decided to begrudgingly take the conscious decision to let my ears be verbally assaulted for 57 minutes. I won’t be the first

to admit- I have never been an extreme admirer of Mr. Khaled, but I heard that there were a few artists that I am genuinely quite fond of featured on the album. After consuming all 18 tracks, I concluded with an overall feeling of mediocrity. Most of the featured artists presented an ability to make quality contributions to songs, but I was still left yearning for an example of talent from DJ Khaled himself. His contributions consist of his infamous adlibs, which are these random word generated compilations that heavily tarnish the quality of the music, and ruin the listening experience. His constant yelling of the phrase “GOD DID!” every 13 seconds, caused me to violently convulse.

Khaled essentially assembled the avengers to make this album. However, Khaled does not

produce, write, or even have a main vocal part throughout the duration of nearly his entire discography. So what does he actually do? The only answer I can give to that question are his (hopefully ironic) adlibs. This leads to increasing confusion on how to title him, as he is not a rapper or a producer. He’s essentially a glorified organizer, and promoter of other people’s songs, a job that’s inherently the musical equivalent of a landlord. This led to GQ referring to him as a ”producer-executive-social media personality-professional yeller.” Does he do a good job of typing “best rappers” into his search engine of choice (probably Bing, knowing him), and giving each of them a phone call? Sure. However, this level of “organizing” is nowhere near worth the sheer amount of fame and money he has acquired

day and maybe appreciate her a little more. Your partner tells you they love the gifts, but so does the billionaire that makes money off your private relationships and uses it to cover up another scandal. If Cupid shoots you now, you’re only going to bleed money and little red squares of wrapping paper. But don’t worry, it only happens on a random day in winter that just so happens to celebrate one of three priests.

over the duration of this lackluster career.

Now, all of this on its own does not seem particularly horrific, and it’s clear the majority of people thought so too; for the bulk of his career, DJ Khaled has largely been seen as relatively “tolerable”. There was never really a valid reason to hate on him. He seemed like a relatively decent person, who at the bare minimum, understood the climate he took advantage of, and was grateful for the opportunity. Especially when you take into account the certitude of his proportionally poorer upbringing. However, in recent times, there has been a seemingly instant break in character that makes him come across as extremely and utterly ungrateful. Going on record, and making rant

Illustration by Haruka Kadota

videos titled “Why my songs aren’t number one,” and tweets chastising other artists by saying they’re making “mysterious,” and “mistake ridden” music does not bode well with his “tolerable” image. Just because it is music that takes time to create, and takes actual effort, does not mean it’s mysterious. Just because it is off kilter, and not the same generic trap music Khaled

SOCIAL MEDIA

routinely releases does not mean it is particularly mistake ridden. All this rhetorically errant dialogue just makes it more publicly known that DJ Khaled has not broken a single sweat in the studio. He might as well just be a label executive as all he’s good for is releasing other artists’ music. It is becoming increasingly clear that Khaled just has a handful of industry connections,

and he is upset primarily, not with people calling the music on his album bad or of poor quality, but the idea that his music didn’t make it to the number one spot. This attitude and overall break in character has truly shone light on the truth that DJ Khaled does not care at all about making the best music (as his ad-libs so claim). Instead, he sits in whatever luxurious car he

owns, wearing that ridiculous tye dye shirt, and advertising his “nutritional” supplements, realizing that insulting the very artists that write, preform, and produce the near totality of music under his own name, will eventually blow up in his smug looking, ungrateful, materialistic face.

On Dahmer: Harmful romaticization of a serial killer

CONTENT WARNING: Those uncomfortable with discussionCannibalism, sexual assault, and murder should refrain from reading this article

Mina Lofft Contributor

TikTok. We all know it. The rather infamous app is known for being one of the most trendy and teenager-dominated social media platforms on the internet. It has good content, it has bad content, and it has some content that is just straight-up weird. Unsurprisingly, TikTok has kind of a bad reputation. This is due, in part, to its history of sexualizing or romanticizing things like poor mental and physical health, anime characters, and . . . serial killers.

Jeffrey Dahmer was born in 1960 and was killed by a fellow inmate in prison in 1994, at the age of 34. Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer and sex offender. He killed 17 men and boys, doing gruesome things to their bodies. After killing his victims, he would either preserve the bodies, dismember them, or eat them, earning him the nickname “the Milwaukee Cannibal.” He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, as well as other psychotic disorders, but still declared legally sane at his trial, earning him a life sentence in prison. Aside from the fact that he would be over sixty years old today (and that he’s dead), this is not a

ACADEMICS

man that any normal person would be attracted to — in either a sexual or romantic way. Until, that is, the Netflix show came out.

Dahmer– Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story is a Netflix original released in late September of 2022. There have already been several shows and podcasts made about the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, but this one is by far the most popular and detailed. These days, true crime is becoming more and more well-known, and Monster was released at just the right time; people were tripping over themselves to watch it. However, the critical reviews were mixed at best. Monster only received 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, but gets almost eight out of ten on IMDb – which gives notoriously harsh ratings. Monster was also controversial in another way. Families of the victims were upset at yet another piece of media about Dahmer. Rita Isbell, the sister of a victim, revealed that she felt uncomfortable while watching the show because Netflix reportedly never contacted her or her family for permission to feature Rita’s sister or Rita herself on the show.

These complaints fell on deaf ears on TikTok. All anyone could talk about was Evan Peters’ portrayal of Dahmer, and how “attractive” he was in the role. This, I think, is the main reason why Jeffrey Dahmer has been so romanticized. Evan Peters is a famous – and some would

say a handsome – actor. People, as they so frequently do, couldn’t separate him and his character, and by doing so, deemed Jeffrey Dahmer as someone to be desired. Of course, this is wrong. Aside from the fact that Jeffrey Dahmer was homosexual — and the vast majority of people simping (a term meaning being very attracted romantically or sexually to a person) for him are women and girls — he also committed unspeakable acts of violence against innocent people and was, as the show says, a monster.

There is another reason why I think that Dahmer has been so romanticized. Firstly, he is known to be the most famous cannibal in the world, and has actually integrated himself into elements of pop culture. Kesha’s “Cannibal” and Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” both mention Dahmer, though not in the way you would expect. As opposed to portraying Dahmer’s actions in a negative light, Kesha’s lyrics describe her “pulling a Jeffrey Dahmer.” Katy Perry says something very similar. These lyrics aren’t a problem, per se, because they aren’t necessarily promoting Jeffrey Dahmer’s actions and — let’s face it — it’s just a pop song. However, these songs may have normalized Dahmer and his actions because they were so popular. Everyone’s heard these songs at least once, right? So Dahmer became not a gruesome monster, but rather something almost related to

sexiness.

There is one more thing that caused this epidemic of Dahmer “simps,” and that is the power of social media. When doing something that might cause negative feedback, you don’t ever want to be the “first one,” because then you have to take all of the blame and responsibility for coming up with something so stupid. However, once you see one person, just one, do what you’ve been afraid to do, you feel as if you can do it because in that case, it’s not entirely your fault. You can blame it on the first one. And with so many different kinds of people on TikTok, there’s bound to be one who is brash enough and bold enough to be the “first one.” Think about it. If you thought, secretly, that Jeffrey Dahmer was attractive (though I really hope you don’t), you probably wouldn’t want to tell anyone for fear of being seen as weird. But if you see one TikTok saying “why he kinda . . .” you feel as if it’s not just you who thinks this. You feel relieved and maybe even brave enough to make a TikTok of your own, inspiring somebody else to make one, and so on. Hopefully, this will all blow over and people will come to their senses. But the unfortunate thing is that if it’s not Dahmer, it’ll be somebody else. The question is, who’s next?

Notion is the best productivity tool

Notion can help you stay organized while allowing you to live out your aesthetics

Victoria Man Section Editor

Notion is the best software platform for people who love to stay organized. This application is a free note-taking platform that has so many benefits for just about anyone that uses it.

Let me lay out all the facts about why Notion is such a useful app:

It is flexible and incredibly customizable. Not only does Notion serve as a digital notebook, you can customize your different pages with tables, calendars, emojis, dividers, embedded videos/pictures, and so much more. This gives you a lot of freedom regarding how you want your digital Notion page

to look. It allows you to add a bit of personalization, which makes using the application so much more enjoyable.

Notion’s many pages make it super efficient for team collaboration. You can have multiple people working on the same page with real time change updates. This can be super useful when you want to organize tasks or calendar dates

among multiple people. It is able to store files on the interface. From PDFs to videos to audios, you can use Notion as a database of your various files and keep them organized. You can also share these databases easily without fear of having files compressed or having to send multiple separate

files due to certain GB limitations in other applications.

It is very minimalistic and clean. The way that Notion is organized by itself is very user-friendly. Notion is set up with lines that are all able to be separately manipulated into a block that you want, which is very convenient for customization and having multiple different Notion features on one singular page. There is also a sidebar on the left that allows users to easily navigate all of your pages and subpages.

Aside from the four amazing features mentioned above, there are so many more features and benefits to using Notion, especially as a student. You might be thinking: aside from the typical stuff like a calendar, what would I even use Notion for? Well, let me share some of my favourite pages and features from my own Notion as a user of 2 years:

My digital library is one of my favourite Notion pages. I am able to rank, rate, insert quotes, and also list down the date that I finished reading a certain book for all books that I’ve read. It keeps everything super organized as I can sort all of my book submissions by any category. This is a great way to keep track of the books you’ve read.

My university application organizer is also a favourite Notion page of mine. This page and feature of Notion is incredibly helpful to grade twelve students. It really helps me keep track of the status of my applications and reminds me via notifications when certain supplementals are due days in ad-

Photography: One and only

Ruby Hsu Contributor

As a person who has travelled and lived in many countries, I cannot express how important photos are. Photos are not just images you scroll through when you open the camera app on your iPhone. They are boxes of memories filled with emotions, except it is different every time you open them. For example, when

I first saw the CN tower, it seemed like a grand structure under the sun, though through my camera lens, there was something more. It was a tower reflecting the rays of sunshine, yet it looked like it could be a figment of my imagination. It is a sight you only see once in a lifetime, but for my heart, it gets to engage infinitely with only one photo. Photos open up the memories buried deep down. To put it in an analogy, it is a souvenir worth more than money could afford.

vance, just in case I forget something. This feature where Notion will remind you of a task is super helpful when I’m having a busy week and sometimes accidentally forget to do something. This feature can definitely be of use for students of all grade levels, not just the grade twelves.

My study timeline Notion is beyond helpful. Notion has a feature that allows users to easily plan out what time of the day during which day of the week to study which subject. This helps me keep on top of what to study when I have multiple tests coming up. This way, I’m also able to keep track of what I have studied and what I need to study going forward. I think this Notion feature is sure to help students stay organized and on top of their evaluations.

It can definitely be intimidating to build a whole Notion because of how customizable it is. Notion starts off just being a blank page. However, there are resources from YouTubers and also from Notion itself to help users build their Notion. There are many YouTube videos of Notion users who will display their layouts and even share their templates for you to copy and paste. As well, Notion contains many simple templates to get you started. Now there’s no excuse for you to not start using Notion. And honestly, if you haven’t been convinced to go try out Notion for yourself even after reading all of my points, what are you waiting for? Notion will literally change your life; it’s just a notion.

Image courtesy of Victoria Man

I can store my memories here, I can remember...

Images courtesy of Ruby Hsu

Love letters to our favourite Big Mouth characters

Thanking the characters that taught us how to get through high school

Sophie Block Editor in Chief

Claire Kelly Contributor

Big Mouth isn’t just the popular show from Grade seven, warning you of your pubescent years ahead. It is a show that addresses mental health, racism, sexuality, and other topics that other shows are afraid to address, and with some great humour, too. Season 6 was released this fall and it did not disappoint. I mean, who can resist an episode called “Rice Purity Test” or “The Parents Aren’t Always Right”? Everyone can gain something from this show, whether it is a laugh when you’re upset or valuable sex-ed knowledge. To show our love for the show and with hope to inspire you, we have written Valentine’s to our favourite characters. Enjoy!

Dear Lola, Ohhhh my God your confidence is something I strive for. I appreciate your charismatic energy and never failing to be yourself. I am sorry about your mom not being totally in the picture but I’m glad her parole officer, Rodney, is considered your parental guardian for the time being. Your witty jokes and not completely appropriate behaviour teaches us that we can be whoever we want to be because who cares what others think! I hope that this Valentines Day you find your true love and stop dating boys who are attracted to pillows.

P.S. don’t get your ears pierced at Claire’s, it’s not worth it.

Love, Claire

Dear Jessi,

You’re literally the coolest! Going through your parents divorce and actually kind of liking your stepmom is pretty awesome, good for you! You’re really funny, smart, super cool, and have the nicest hair. Being part of the Debate Team can’t be easy but you and Sophie do it so well! Thank you for speaking on social and political issues and fighting for gender equality. You’re a true feminist icon. Your life is crazy as a seventh grader because you’re going through many changes. Your parents’ divorce and having to move to a new house is not easy. But, the support of your weird friends helps you get through it. Say hi to Connie for me and keep being yourself!

Love, Claire

Dear Andrew,

We know that starting middle school is hard, we all did it once. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t get better. Just kidding! We know that you have struggled quite a bit since you are slightly more mature than the rest of your friends. Being nerdy, awkward, and kind of creepy, you may find some difficulty keeping a girlfriend. Missy was not the girl for you and neither was your cousin, or Bernadette… Maybe take a break from girls for a while. Anyway, changes are difficult but don’t worry everyone else is going through the same stuff. Your parents may be crazy, but I know they love you. Luckily, you’ll always have Maury by your side.

Love, Claire

Dear Nick,

You’re pretty funny and you have some strength considering how odd your parents are. Nick, I know that it’s hard to accept that you are a late bloomer compared to the rest, but your friends love you for you! Everyone in middle school and high school is still going through changes. Am I right NT? Not to make you feel uncomfortable or anything… But, I am proud of you for always shooting your shot when it comes to girls but also sorry because you get rejected every time… sorry for the reminder! We love you because you’re very confident and believe in yourself. You’re going through many changes (not to relate to the theme song too much),

but so is everyone else. Continue being yourself and I hope you get a new hormone monster because no offence but Rick is kind of weird. Anyway, happy Valentine’s Nick, good luck asking someone out because I know you will try!

Love, Claire

Dear Jay,

How are you? People probably don’t ask you enough so I had to take the opportunity. Anyway, for being so young, you’re quite the independent guy. I know your family isn’t around much and they aren’t super supportive of what you do. But, just know that if you’re ever struggling you can reach out to your guidance counsellors for help (and NT has some really good ones). I’m so proud of you for being so open and proud of your sexuality because a lot of people can’t do the same. But, thank you for being the person that people can look up to and know that they can be whoever they want to be! Please don’t teach them to be attracted to the pillows because, well, that’s weird… no offence. Just know you can always reach out to your great friends at school and keep being yourself because we love you!

Love, Claire

Dear Missy,

You are my braces inspiration! Your relative innocence and your mom’s wise advice that you will “develop in [your] own time” remind me that high school doesn’t have to be my

prime. And that even if your cousins are older and cooler than you, that’s okay. I’m proud that despite being self conscious, you embrace yourself. You tell us that “Yeah, I’m a dork, but I LOVE that about myself!” Your comfort in your weirdness allowed me to be more comfortable with mine.

Love, Sophie

Well, there you have it folks! Your favourite Big Mouth characters will be receiving special love letters from us.

Big Mouth is not only a show but a valuable and educational one. All of these characters have many, and I mean many, differences, but they are all unique by themselves. Each one of them teaches us to be comfortable in our own skin. They aren’t afraid to be “different” and stand out from other kids in middle school.

Watching this show is likely to be the highlight of your life as it is not only a comedic masterpiece, but a carrier of a valuable life lesson. The lesson is to be yourself, because that is the most important aspect of life. Middle and high school teaches us self expression and to use the opportunity to learn about ourselves. So, NT, the takeaway is that you can be whoever you want to be no matter the circumstances! And lucky you if you get a cool hormone monster as your funny sidekick.

Illustration by Elena Vlitas

Your guide to BookTok

All about TikTok’s new book-loving community, and whether any of the books are actually worth reading

Roya Lofft Contributor

Most of us know about the well-known side of TikTok, under the name of “BookTok ‘’. I’m sure almost all of us have ventured into the various rabbit holes on TikTok, full of book recommendations that “will make you sob” and novels that supposedly “will break your heart!”. If you’re not aware of this TikTok community, here’s a small summary. There’s a wide variety of content on BookTok, but it mostly focuses on book reviews, book recommendations (or, as they say on BookTok, “book recs”), and “overrated/underrated” novels. While this may seem like a great place to make your new reading list, it’s definitely not a place for everyone. Be aware that TikTok itself cycles through trends very quickly, and you can expect the same with BookTok. Here are a few things you need to know before running head-on into this corner of TikTok.

Number 1: BookTok seems persistent in its intention of only promoting fantasy or romance novels (with the occasional murder mystery), so you probably won’t be able to find other genres unless you dig very deep. If you are into fantasy or romance, you should definite-

MOVIES

ly give BookTok a try. Some of the most popular novels that BookTok has promoted are “They Both Die at the End”, “The Midnight Library”, “It Ends with Us”, and more.

Number 2: YA fiction is at its peak popularity right now, and all anyone can talk about are YA novels like “We Were Liars”, “The Inheritance Games”, and “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”. There are probably at least a few accounts that post videos relating to other specific age groups/genres (classics, adult-targeted novels, etc.), but be aware that most content will include teen-level books only.

Number 3: If you don’t know where to buy popular Book-

Tok books all at once, check out your nearest bookstore, like Indigo, or check NTCI’s library. If you become interested in this community, it is essential to know where you can find the novels, and recently, there’s been a surge in the “Popular on BookTok’’ section in bookshops. Finding all the newest novels can be a one-stop shop, but definitely check out NTCI’s library first– it’s a free alternative to splurging on your TBR (to be read) list.

There’s one more reminder before you delve into the deep archives of BookTok, and that is… *drumroll*… THERE ARE MORE BOOKS OUT THERE! This might seem obvious, but BookTok, while

being a fun place to learn about new book trends, has a VERY limited amount of genres and age demographics. You should keep that in mind if you are disinterested in BookTok, it’s not representative of the whole reading experience. Even though BookTok is tailored to teens who enjoy specific types of novels, it is still a great place to share your interests and discuss your favourite up-and-coming series, your love of painterly graphic novel styles, or your recent obsession with Victorian era horror. BookTok is a place for everyone, but make sure you know what you’re signing up for before you fall down this TikTok rabbit hole.

Films from 2022 that you must watch

What were the best films from 2022?

Stella Sherman Contributor

Ifound this year to be quite a strange year for films. There was an abundance of mediocre movies I watched in theatres, but there were many films that surprised me in their efforts to create something new and exciting. While some of the movies on my list may not be extraordinary in every aspect, my decisions were based on the enjoyment of my viewing experience. I also want to apologize for putting three A24 films on this list (to be fair it’s not my fault they

produce a trillion movies each year). With that being said, here is my list of films released in 2022 that I think everyone should see.

Everything Everywhere All At Once Although this film was released in May of 2022, it immediately secured the number one spot on my top movies of the year list. Everything Everywhere All At Once follows the mundane life of a laundromat owner, Evelyn Wang, who must use her newfound powers to save the multiverse and her family. This has to be one of the most widely creative movies I have ever seen. It is an emotionally intense film that incorporates the perfect mix of bi-

zarre humour and exhilarating action. The story is unique and moving with an outstanding cast that kept me invested in the lives of all the characters on screen. There are many themes that viewers can connect to, such as a strained relationship between mother and daughter, the feeling of dread when you don’t know if you are living your life to its fullest, and generational trauma. If you were quite disappointed by Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, then this is a multiverse movie that you will not forget.

The Whale I am going to start this review by

stating that this film will certainly not be for everyone. Of course many have been anticipating Brendan Fraser’s return to film; this is definitely one of the darkest stories he’s ever been a part of. The Whale is about an English teacher struggling with obesity and attempting to reconnect with his daughter. This film does not shy away from the reality of obesity and how addiction can take over a person’s life. Many of these scenes were disturbing to watch but I was fascinated with how honest this movie was. I was also impressed that it was able to invoke such a feeling of dread with

Illustration by Estela Moya

its great use of music and cinematography. While you may not enjoy yourself while watching, many who are passionate about movies can appreciate how well-made this film is. As expected from many fans, Brendan Fraser gives an outstanding performance and I hope to see more films from him in the future.

Nope

Jordan Peele has once again outdone himself with his third feature film, Nope. Peele has done an outstanding job of creating enticing horror films with underlying themes that are not always obvious to the viewer. The story is about a pair of siblings on a horse ranch in California who attempt to capture evidence of a UFO. Luckily the film does not rely on cheap jumpscares or over-the-top gore to be scary, but rather clever use of sound de-

GUIDE

sign and toying with the fear of the unknown. An excellently paced movie with great cinematography, it will leave you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. This film has some amazingly suspenseful and action-packed scenes so you can still find great enjoyment in Nope even if you are not as interested in the social commentary the film has to offer.

The Batman

As someone who is a fan of Marvel movies, it was refreshing to see The Batman’s take on the superhero genre. It’s a movie that many superhero fans have been anticipating, a gritty and dark story that actually takes itself seriously. The film does have some comedy to it, but it’s very minimal and does not take away from the overall tone of the story. It is also an interesting

take on the Batman character,. The film brings back Bruce Wayne’s detective roots and uses the Riddler as its main villain instead of the Joker. I was completely surprised by Robert Pattinson and Paul Dano’s performances and found that the roles suited them perfectly. Although viewers may find the run time a little draining, the mystery and action will keep you invested in the story. This film has some of the most memorable scores and one of the best car chase scenes I have seen. For superhero fans who feel the Marvel movies are oversaturated with mediocrity, The Batman is a superhero film that is worth the watch.

The House

When people think of stop-motion animated films, Laika Studios and Henry Selick are what first come

The rise of the iPad Kids

A guide to identifying, understanding, and appreciating iPad Kids

Elsa Scurfield Contributor

“Ademon who watches cocomelon.” This graphic, five-word definition from the Urban Dictionary (a very reliable source) summarizes the iPad kid we’ve all come to know and reject. What is an iPad Kid? Another entry in the Urban Dictionary defines the iPad Kid as “Children that were given an iPad at a young age. They’re usually loud, annoying, and enjoy games and shows like Roblox, Fortnite, Cocomelon, and RyansToysReviews. Their iPads are usually crusty and filthy, with ridiculous stuff like Cheeto dust on them.” Those who have witnessed the effects of technology on impressionable young minds can attest to the accuracy of this description. However, this way of describing young children can shock some individuals. For the faculty and students at NT that believe they know an iPad Kid, the following is a starter pack to help with your diagnosis:

- Practices contortion while on their tablet

- The iPad is full of crumbs

- The iPad is sticky

- The child is sticky

- Volume is obnoxiously loud

- The iPad is in a large, chunky case

- Limited social skills

- Addicted to Cocomelon, Youtube, - Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, and more

The recent and rapid development of the iPad Kid following the introduction of iPads in 2010 leaves many questioning what induced this new way of living for children. A study conducted in 2017 showed that 42% of young

children in the US had a tablet, compared to 7% in 2013 and less than 1% in 2011; this statistic can be expected to have risen since. In their defense, remote learning and quarantine during the pandemic left many children dependent on their technology for schooling and entertainment. This led to 44% of five- to ten-year-old children exceeding four hours of screen time per day, more than double the average before the pandemic. Such statistics provide a valid explanation for the sudden rise of iPad Kids

and their social peculiarities.

Most North Toronto students agreed that they know, have come in contact with, or have been an iPad Kid. Grade 9 student Cameron Lee looks back on himself and reflects, “As a retired iPad Kid, I deeply regret going down that road.” He explains, “For a few years, no one liked me - they thought I was the weird kid. Being an iPad kid isolated me so much that I didn’t even notice how annoying I was until I grew out of it.” Cameron’s villain origin story shaped him

to mind. However, a stop-motion movie that completely slipped under the radar is The House. The film is an anthology split into three different parts in three different periods that follow different characters living in the same house. Although this film is a dark comedy, the stories can be disturbing and get under your skin. Each story has some sort of message for the audience to interpret which keeps you thinking about the film long after you watch it. The stories themselves are intriguing, the pacing is well done, and the film knows how long to stick around for each story. The character design is unique, and the animators do an excellent job of giving each setting an eerie atmosphere. The House is a stop-motion movie that should be praised just as much as Laika Studios films.

into the person he is today, and he is proud to say that he has recovered. Hopefully, his story can reassure the older siblings at NT that the iPad Kid phase is temporary. Every generation has its challenges, and if iPad Kids are Generation Alpha’s biggest setbacks, the future is bright. However, a message to the NT faculty that will be managing the iPad kids in the following years: good luck!

Photo Courtesy of Sophie Block

Fortnite: The Phoenix of modern video

A history of the game’s popularity, what makes it enjoyable, and more

Nadim Jahshan Contributor

In 2011, Epic Games’ soon-to-be iconic game, Fortnite, had been a work in progress. In 2014, it only had the “Save the World” game mode, which was not a huge success. Three years later, the game exploded in popularity with the release of the renowned “Fortnite: Battle Royale”. The Battle Royale aspect included the season’s Battle Pass featuring eight characters and a unique storyline that connects one season to another. The game became popular because of its imaginative science-fiction theme revolving around the Big Bang and time-loops. Because of the storyline, updates, and crossovers, Fortnite can have a fluctuation of players coming and going.

The main idea of the game is to be the last one standing by eliminating opponents and surviving an enclosing storm. Everyone is trapped in a time-loop averaging twenty-two minutes, fighting ninety-nine other players on an approximate three and half kilometre island. The story mainly focuses on The Seven, a mysterious group dedicated to protecting the Zero Point (the origin of all realities and the Big Bang) from The Last Reality. During Chapter 2, Season 2: Top Secret, players are introduced

REVIEW

to another group that supervises realities and their history, by using the Zero Point. It is referred to as the Imagined Order (I.O.) and is led by Genō, who is first mentioned by Agent John Jones in Chapter 2, Season 6: Primal. This is just a hint of the complexities of the game’s story: I suggest googling everything. Having such a plot is a big reason for the constant satisfaction of players. It always has them wondering about the future of the game and what’s new in store for the narrative being unfurled season by season, chapter by chapter.

From map changes to new weapons to new mechanics, Epic Games outdoes itself each season, and each chapter of Fortnite. In Chapter 2, Season 1: Drop Into a New World, motorboats and the ability to swim were first introduced. Cars and trucks were added to the game a little later, and Epic found that new player counts skyrocketed. When Chapter 3, Season 1: Flipped came out, sliding was introduced. Sprinting and mantling (the scaling of high structures) were added a season later. Throughout chapter 3, players noticed more weapons equipped with Red-Dot scopes, less bloom, faster fire rate, and more recoil. More game-changing updates call for more satisfaction. They also allow players to experiment with new, fun strategies and turn the game world into their playground.

Crossovers that enter the

game usually depend on whether or not the community likes them.

The first time that Fortnite had a collaboration with Marvel (Playing as Thanos during Season 4: Brace for Impact), everyone went crazy hunting for the Infinity Gauntlet that Thanos had. Once again, there was a spike in new and old players joining the game to get an almost guaranteed Victory Royale.

Players in Season 9: The Future is Yours did at some point spot the ‘Scoops Ahoy!’ ice cream parlour from Stranger Things inside of the Mega Mall point of interest hinting at another collaboration. In Season X: Out of Time, Batman and Borderlands’ Psycho were brought into the game via storyline. Chapter 2, Season 8: Cubed had many mathematical and scientific references, Carnage from Marvel, and also revealed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as The Foundation, an important character in the game’s plot as he is the leader of The Seven. Looking at the downsides of Fortnite, there have been updates that annoyed the community and divided it. Some examples include boredom, the Infinity Blade (from the Infinity Blade trilogy), and most importantly, the B.R.U.T.E. mech. Ever since mid to late Chapter 1, players have decided to take a break from the game at different times in its history. The storyline, for many, seems to be repetitive and there are no new weapons or mechanics to make the game bet-

ter, especially to those who are competitive. For the pro players, it may get boring as they play more. On another note, another controversial weapon was brought to the game. This weapon is none other than the Infinity Blade, which was recognized as the most powerful weapon in Fortnite (apart from Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet). A meme-turned video showcased pro player Mongraal complaining about the sword during the Season 7: You Better Watch Out Winter Royale tournament. On top of that, the most rage-inducing addition to the game was the B.R.U.T.E. of Season X: Out of Time. As referred to as the Mech, they are the most hated things in Fortnite history. A robotic suit with two seats with powerful weapons and abilities was one of the things that boiled the blood of players. It was the reason why Fe4RLess and other well-known faces of Fortnite quit the game. There are many important pieces of Fortnite, demonstrated through the story, upgrades to the game, and collaborations with other companies to expand on excitement. There are certain things that are made to one’s liking, and there are other things that may disappoint. But that is also part of what makes a game. As long as the cool new additions outweigh the drawbacks, people will still be enjoying Fortnite for years to come.

Did Pokemon Scarlet and Violet “perform”

The issues with the next generation of Pokemon

Gisele

Vuong

Contributor

Despite my late introduction to the franchise (generation 7), I would say that I am quite invested in Pokemon. I monitor their releases, keep a lookout for the newest merch drops and card sets, and play their games. So when the news broke out back in February that they would be kicking off the next generation with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, I was ecstatic. The game would not only mark the beginning of generation 9, but it would also be the first open-world game in the series (it

wasn’t Pokemon: Legends Arceus, as the game didn’t have a fully open world). Considering how Sword and Shield aged pretty well (in my opinion) and how Legends Arceus quickly became a fan favourite, I was pretty confident that Scarlet and Violet would receive lots of praise as well, and that I would also come to love it. However to my surprise, when November 18th finally rolled around, I witnessed a swarm of complaints.

The issues people had with Scarlet and Violet were mostly about the many bugs and glitches, as well as the choppy frames per second. Although this may seem insignificant, Pokemon is a huge franchise with a loyal fanbase. It is

thanks to them that the company sold 10 million copies within the first three days of its release. Youtube reviews and articles aside, one of NT’s science teachers, Mr. Kamaleddine, who has had a long history with Pokemon since the start of his Pokemon journey with the release of Pokemon Yellow, discussed the controversy. Mr. Kamaleddine said that he “did see a lot of… panic and bad reviews before [purchasing] it… immediate reaction from fans and some really bad reviews that made [him] a little hesitant when [he] saw the issues it was having with… the frames per second and crashing.” However, regarding his own time with the game, he said “I have not experi-

enced any of those issues myself. The game runs fine. Maybe on one occasion there was an issue with the lag, but… I think overall it’s performed pretty well. I think some of the bad reviews were blown out of proportion. I know some people may have experienced crashes, [but] I think the issue has more to do with some of the hardware that the Nintendo Switch has… because it’s an open-world game [with] a lot more graphics… And the Switch hardware is getting to a point where it’s maybe a little outdated for some of these more immersive games.”

On the possibility of Game Freak collaborating on future games, Mr. Kamaleddine took a re-

VIDEO GAMES

alistic stance: “I think it would be a good idea for Game Freak to work with another company to improve the overall experience for fans. But… from a business perspective, I can understand why Game Freak would be hesitant to do that. Their company is entirely dependent on the Pokemon games and to give up [some of that to an] outside company would hurt their bottom line.

I’m hoping that as the Nintendo hardware continues to improve, the bugs will get worked out and features like actual voices on the characters can become standard.” In terms of his overall enjoyment with the product, he was still quite positive: “The game itself is very fun. It’s actually one of the better games I’ve played in a long time, in terms of the Pokemon world…

The way they have it set up, [how] there’s the main line quest and then also a couple side quests that you do along the way and the fact that you can do things in different orders — I think that was a cool new feature they added into the game. I [also] really like the feature they added where you get rewards for every 10 Pokedex entries… a

Investing in our futures

How can NT students best invest in their future?

Elsa Scurfield Contributor

The student population has never been more excited about investing. Pruyn Haskins, Head of Global Equities for Scotiabank, said “this generation is very aware of the potential benefits of investing”, and, “investing can be very rewarding”. Not surprising, it seems that interest around this topic points to the fact that students are very excited about investing to make money. Running for the first time this year at North Toronto is the NT Financial club. It claims to have a “vast knowledge of finance, ability to engage an audience, and blossoming leadership traits”. Paul O’Hea, MD & Head of Global Equity Trading for Scotiabank, mentioned, the increased interest also has to do with the fact that, “the convergence of social media and financial markets is probably the highest that we’ve ever seen”.

A large part of the rise in interest, as opposed to previous generations, is that we have something they didn’t: 21st century technology. Grade 9 NT student Molly Tutchin, notes that our parents had to wait for the newspaper to come out with the stock prices,

but we can check instantly with the press of a button on our phones. In the current environment, Haskins believes that technology helps students to feel “connected to their investments in real time”, and O’Hea said, “[they] have ownership or a piece of the pie”. However, with the potential for great gain comes the potential for great loss. That being said,

you don’t necessarily have to lose money, and here are some tips:

- “Do your homework” (O’Hea)

- “Have a goal and plan to achieve the goal” (O’Hea)

- “Try to educate yourself” (Haskins)

- “The earlier you start investing the more you can benefit from compounding” (Haskins)

Investing is not easy. Al-

[new] system that encourages you to fill up your Pokedex.”

Pokemon provides an escape for people within their busy lives. Many within our community can agree.

BTW, Sprigatito is the best starter of the generation, I don’t make the rules.

though it requires you to do your fair share of research, it can be very rewarding in the long run. The key is that you have a strong strategy and you stick to it - it is not a get rich quick game. You should be wary of anyone who claims otherwise.

Illustration by Gabriella Fuentes

Image courtesy of Josh Seaton

What’s in your COVID vaccine?

How mRNA technology is changing the future of medicine

Ethan Cairns Section Editor

When you went to get your COVID vaccine, how much did you think about what actually made it work? I’m willing to bet you were more concerned with getting back to normal life, but investigating deeper, you would almost certainly find mention of mRNA. Short for messenger RNA, it is the molecule that makes the vaccine tick. While technology involving mRNA was far from common knowledge before COVID, research into its use has been ongoing for decades.

Three of the scientists who played a major role in the development of mRNA in vaccines were Drs. Kiriko, Weissman, and Cullis. They recently received the Canadian Gairdner Award recognizing biomedical and global health research for the role they played in the theory behind the COVID vaccine. Dr. Bradley Wouters, the executive VP of science and research at the University Health Network, was at the award’s presentation He said: “The major discovery that [Dr. Kiriko] was being recognized for, together with Drew Weissman, was based on recognizing that when mRNA … is delivered into cells, the cells recognize this as a danger signal and they think they’re getting infected with a virus.” This was originally a setback, but as Dr. Wouters described, “[Kiriko and Weissman] created synthetic RNAs, putting in these different kinds of modifications that they found, and discovered that this modified form of uridine (a chemical in mRNA) was not immunogenic. That was sort of the light bulb moment.”

Dr. Cullis also played a role in this story. “He made the discovery many, many years ago, that lipid bilayers would self-assemble and form these little bubbles, or liposomes. He also recognized that this would be an opportunity to potentially deliver cargo,” said Dr. Wouters. With the knowledge of mRNA from Kiriko and Weissman, the lipid bilayer “cargo transport” from Cullis, and the pressing global need for a COVID vaccine, development of mRNA technology moved forward more rapidly, resulting in the success that we all know today.

Now that COVID is under control in many parts of the world, the future applications of mRNA are becoming more clear. “[mRNA] opens up the possibility of targeting or delivering genes, for example for rare genetic disease… There’s obviously a huge opportu-

nity in different kinds of vaccines, as well. There are now studies to look at HIV and a universal flu vaccine. There’s also opportunities for cancer treatment, either cancer vaccines or even gene therapies to deliver that mRNA,” explained Dr. Wouters. Imagine a world where you could never get the flu and you never needed to worry about HIV, cancer, or any number of other extremely deadly diseases. While that world is still a long way off, the initial success of mRNA proves its potential.

But what exactly makes mRNA vaccines and other treatments special? What’s so different compared to the vaccines we’ve had for centuries? The main advantages of the mRNA approach come in speed of development, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. Looking just at the COVID vaccine, “they made the vaccine in about ten days. With the sequence from China, they could just synthesize that mRNA, combine it with the

lipid nanoparticle, and they had [it],” said Dr. Wouters. This is mainly because of its “plug and play” nature, where different vaccines and treatments for any number of diseases or strains of diseases can be created simply by changing the “programming” of the mRNA cargo. It’s far easier to change the protein that the mRNA is coded to create than to develop and test a completely new drug. The final piece of this puzzle is financial: mRNA is far cheaper to produce than many other pharmaceuticals. Instead of a complex synthetic chemical, mRNA treatments can be grown with the desired sequence far more easily and on a large scale.

What does any of this mean for you? Despite sounding like another in a string of medical advancements without practical uses, chances are, you already have this technology in your blood. The COVID vaccine has had a massive impact on every single person, and with development, more and more

will follow. In a few years, you could be getting a flu vaccine that’s 90% effective, or receiving mRNA-based cancer treatment that could save your life. The opportunities for students looking to go into research are also tremendous. Private companies, governments, and universities will all be looking to expand mRNA as a field, and the timing couldn’t be better if you want to be on the cutting edge of medical science.

mRNA, as well as the opportunity it offers, has been kick-started by the pandemic, with countless years of research coming to fruition with the development of the COVID vaccine. Dr. Wouters said that “we think it’s going to be a new class of therapeutics in general,” potentially opening doors to innovation in medical treatment on a scale we haven’t seen in decades.

Image courtesy of UHN

SCHOOL TEAMS

NT’s swimming comeback: the journey to get back in the pool

After two long years, NT’s swim team is finally back.

Grace Uy Section Editor

After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NTCI swim team is finally back in action and ready to make a splash. The swim team, made up of dedicated swimmers, timers, guards, and coaches, is excited to be back in the pool and competing once again. “I’m very excited to get back into swimming,” says Grade 11 student Jean Xu. “It’s been so long since the school had a swim team because of COVID, and now we finally get to get back into it!”

The NT swim team has competed in four trial meets this season and will participate in the regional finals on February 8th at the Etobicoke Olympium. The top swimmers will qualify for the City Championships on February 14th, and those who swim

OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) qualifying times will be able to attend the OFSAA swim meet in Windsor, Ontario, from February 28th to March 1st. Best of luck to all of the team’s swimmers competing at OFSAA.

One of the great things about the swim team is that it’s open to all students, regardless of their swimming ability. During swim meets, swimmers are split into five different categories; Junior Girls and Junior Boys for students in grades 9 & 10, Senior Girls and Senior Boys for students in grades 11 & 12, and the open category for all who do swim out of school. This is one of the aspects that makes the swim team so appealing to students.

Julia Pralat, another member of NT’s swim team, emphasized the strong bonds that exist within the team.

“The NTCI swim team is a place where you can meet new people and branch out socially,” she said. “It’s a communi-

ty-based sport.” With students ranging from grades 9 to 12, the swim team is the perfect place to make new friends and get involved in a sport you love. Charlotte Shin, a grade 11 student on the team, reinforced the same idea: “I think the NT swim team has a strong sense of community”. Further adding, “because I used to swim outside of school, it’s really exciting to be back in the water.”

This sense of community is evident in the team’s strong spirit and dedication to the sport and each other. Whether they are cheering each other on at meets or supporting one another through the ups and downs of the season, the NTCI swim team is a tightknit group that values the importance of coming together as a team.

Grade 12 student Keira Ayoub shares how thrilled she is to be back on the swim team after its break. Keira first joined the team in grade 9 and had a great time; she was excited to con-

tinue competing with the team in the following years. However, due to the pandemic, the swim team (like all other school sports teams) had to be put on hold. Finally, in her grade 12 year, the swim team is back, and Keira is “very excited to have the opportunity to be back in the pool with the team” and is loving every moment.

Mrs. Chamberlain, the coach of NT’s swim team, is thrilled to have the team back in action and is grateful for the opportunity to coach such a dedicated and passionate group of athletes. “It was great to see so many new faces coming out this year,” she said. “I have no doubt that a great future lies ahead for NT’s swim team.”

Image courtesy of Grace Uy

SCHOOL TEAMS

An inside look at NT hockey

Excitement surrounds the program’s first full post-pandemic season

Sofia Muruve Contributor

As the full return of extracurriculars and athletics after a long pandemic brings NT back to life, the revival of our school’s hockey teams is one to remember. This year, NT is home to a Varsity Boys team, coached by Mr. Taylor and Mr. Russell, and a Varsity Girls team, coached by Ms. Alexandra Vilde (a former NT parent), Mr. Russell, Ms. Chamberlain, Mr. Johnston, as well as Serena Vilde and Zoe Arzuman (former players and NT alumni). After a cancelled 2020-21 season and a shortened 2021-22 season, this year of North Toronto hockey will mark a spectacular return to normal life.

The hard work of volunteer coaches and NT staff ensures that both hockey teams can run every year. Alongside coaching, Mr. Taylor organizes ice time for both teams and orders merch to boost team spirit. Mr. Russell and Ms. Vilde consistently provide their valuable experience and leadership. Ms. Chamberlain and Mr. Tallevi take care of the necessary paperwork. At the start of this year’s season, it was unclear whether a girls’ team would be able to run. Uncertainty surrounding player turnout and gaps in coaching staff (specifically a need for a current teacher to sign on) left the team’s existence, in Mr. Russell’s words, “on the bubble.” Luckily he, along with

Ms. Chamberlain and Mr. J, stepped up to coach. Pre-season meetings held by Mr. Russell and Ms. Vilde hammered home the value of commitment and accountability. It was made obvious to players that by signing on, showing up for the team was essential to have enough people on the bench.

Both teams are coached with an emphasis on honouring the responsibility that comes with representing the school, however, specific approaches vary from coach to coach. Mr. Taylor expects every team of his to “get better as a group” by putting the team first, bonding together and using feedback from their coaches to improve. He particularly enjoys coaching because it allows him to instill values that can be taken “far beyond” school: “the value of teamwork, effort, accountability and respect”. As for the girls’ team, Ms. Vilde wants to create a “fun yet competitive” experience. Zoe Arzuman would like to see good team relationships that translate into “good teamwork on the ice.” Mr. Russell’s influence on both teams this year means that his philosophies are especially present throughout this year’s program; showing up to practices, giving it your all in games, and leading on and off the ice. “Discipline yourself so others don’t have to” is a favourite line of his, urging players to improve their time management to be there for their team.

As of writing, some significant victories include a 3rd place spot for the boys’ team in an early season tournament and a 7-4 win

for the girls team against Northern in the Broadway Bowl. So far, the players have been enjoying the fun. As somebody that has had the experience of playing for both teams, assistant captain Chloe Nakamura describes the boys team as “more competitive”, but with “lots of room” to have fun. She says that this year on the girls team, it’s a “very welcoming” environment with “lots of NT spirit,” adding that “when we wear our away jerseys, we have the best style in the league.” Amy Chen agrees; she “[likes] the dynamic of the team”, adding that she’s “excited to see how we do”.

Since the girls’ team does not have a regular goalie, coming together as a team is necessary to ensure there’s somebody in net. Mr. Russell sees this as a challenge that can be overcome. Last year, Amy Chen and Sofia Muruve rotated in net. This year, the “very coachable” Patricia Alexopoulos is stepping up. Coach Arzuman explains that the whole team has been very supportive of Patricia, which has been “nice to see.” Coach Serena Vilde plays in net for York University’s ice hockey and field hockey teams; Mr. Russell notes her expertise makes the goaltender “almost a non-issue” as she covers the basics and more. Still, he emphasizes that there is a standard that “we cannot lower” to keep girls hockey a meaningful experience.

On the boys’ team, there’s a similar sense of enjoyment. For Luke Taylor, his favourite part about being on the team is the opportunity to represent the school;

“it’s about more than just a club team.” He remembers the progression of last year’s Senior Boys team to ultimately eliminate Northern in a tournament as “just epic,” as they developed and improved together. Ryan Black adds that putting on the red and grey gives him “a bit more motivation” to play well. Connor McFadden describes his time on the team as “one of the best parts about [his] high school experience,” as it has helped him get involved at NT and make friends. For McFadden, game days are especially enjoyable because the atmosphere can range from “just messing around and having fun” to a “more competitive” experience. Players echoed their appreciation for coaches Mr. Taylor and Mr. Russell, as their efforts help to create a rewarding experience every year. Mr. Taylor is known to be a “dedicated coach” who knows what he’s doing; someone that truly “gets the most out of the team” while going above and beyond for the program and the school. Mr. Russell brings substantial “experience and energy” to the team, and he’s got a “story for everything”. The only thing Chloe Nakamura says she doesn’t support is his “dusty tape job”. As this season draws to a close, both teams (and their coaches) have revelled in another chance to represent the red and grey. For many, this year holds a newfound sense of excitement as this season is the first since 2020 that has been experienced in full. Best of luck to our Varsity Boys and Girls hockey teams as the playoffs approach!

Image courtesy of John Taylor

How modern athletes are changing how we watch sports

A look into how Rory McIlroy and Tiger Wood’s TMRW Sports is reshaping sports entertainment

Zach Taylor Contributor

In the modern era of entertainment, streaming services dominate the user counts. Chances are, you probably have a subscription to one of the major streaming services. In fact, in a survey of 30 NT students, all of whom were in grade 10, with a boy-to-girl ratio of 70:30, more people watched entertainment through the popular streaming services of Netflix and Youtube than through cable television. Additionally, newer streaming services such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime display signs of close competition.

It is this trend toward the streaming aspect of entertainment that the sports industry is trying to tap into. On August 23, 2022, famous golfers Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods announced the launch

CULTURE

of their business, TMRW Sports, a sports and media company that “[uses] new tech[nologies] and new media to help reimagine sports for future generations”.

At this point, their goal of reaching new fans while also drawing current ones to their business is not unlikely: just four months after launch, TMRW Sports has partnered with athletes ranging from North American-dominated sports such as basketball and football to global sports such as soccer and tennis. Even influencers such as Ninja and Justin Timberlake have partnered with the sports-based group. Altogether, the business’ total investors have topped 500 million followers on Twitter and Instagram while combining to achieve 2 World Cups, 19 Major Championships, and 21 Olympic Medals, to name a few accomplishments.

With this star-powered lineup of investors, it hasn’t taken long for TMRW Sports to secure its

first deal. Shortly after launch, the business announced a partnership with the PGA Tour, which, among a variety of benefits, included an agreement for a secondary, PGA Tour-approved tour.

But you might be asking yourself: why would professional sports leagues and associations want more entertainment outlets and more tournaments outside their own major events, especially with all the controversy surrounding the LIV Golf Series?

To understand why media outlets like TMRW are in fact beneficial for major sports organizations, one can look at current streaming services, specifically Disney+.

Disney is a massive organization, owning a variety of entertainment companies, including Marvel, Pixar, and Walt Disney Studios. Prior to the launch of Disney+, other streaming services made money off of Disney-owned pro-

ductions. However, with Disney+, Disney has effectively cut out the “middle man” and now earns 100% of the revenue generated by viewers of their productions (on their platform).

The same logic is present with TMRW Sports. By partnering with the PGA Tour and hosting events that are exclusively streamed to TMRW users, not only do their business investors earn money, but so does the PGA Tour.

It is for this reason that some of the most successful athletes in the world have partnered with this new sports streaming platform, and why more partnerships with sports leagues are very likely.

So remember the name TMRW Sports, because their first event goes live in January of 2024, and with its recent spark in popularity on the business side, more events with other sports are sure to follow.

2022 FIFA World Cup: The Impact on Canadian Culture

A look at what the World Cup meant for our country

Will Smith Contributor

The 2022 World Cup kicked off in Qatar last December with Canada making its first appearance at the tournament since 1986. Canadian celebrations were short-lived as Canada was knocked out in the group stage without a single point. However, to put our challenges into perspective, Canada was placed in a group that included two semi-finalists, Croatia and Morocco, as well as FIFA’s second ranked team in the world heading into the tournament: Belgium.

After three rounds of exciting soccer, the finals were a thrilling showdown between reigning champs France and soccer powerhouse Argentina. The match lived up to all the hype, as the latter stages featured a back-andforth battle between Argentina’s Messi and the French powerhouse Mbappé. Ultimately though, it was the South American squad who prevailed in penalty kicks.

Far from the action in Qa-

tar, and the victory parades of Buenos Aires, a massive cultural shift was underway. For one month, our hockey-crazed nation of Canada was dominated by an entirely different sport. In the North Toronto area, the Yonge-Eglinton Mall was adorned with flags and had matches live-streamed on their digital billboards. At NT, teachers played CanMNT matches during class, and a World Cup club was even run after school. Between watching Canada v Morocco in the auditorium and watching Brazil v Croatia at the mall, there was a vibrant, screaming passion for the games which was truly exclusive to the World Cup.

However, the frenzied celebrations were merely a glimpse into a much larger trend that has so far gone unnoticed: soccer in Canada is growing and it shows no signs of slowing down.

At the grassroots level, it’s overwhelmingly positive. According to Soccer Canada, the number of kids playing organized soccer has since overtaken that of hockey! Homegrown Canadian players are reaping the benefits of a cohesive system that allows them to progress from house leagues to our

own domestic league, and possibly to the top clubs of Europe. Meanwhile, new and old fans alike, thrilled by the World Cup, have a full slate of Canadian soccer on the calendar to look forward to after the World Cup.

Toronto’s two soccer teams, Toronto FC and York United, are on the hunt for titles this season in the MLS and CPL respectively. For fans of the national team, more excitement is in the near future. There is much speculation that the 2024 Copa America, the South American Championship, could be hosted and participated in by the US and Canada. Of course, this will all lead up to the pinnacle of Canadian Soccer, the next World Cup in 2026, in which Canada, the United States, and Mexico are

host nations, and Toronto a host city, meaning automatic qualification for Canada. This, combined with a group reduction to 3 teams but still 2 qualifiers means an expected appearance in the knockout stages for our national team. In short, there’s a lot to look forward to for soccer fans. No matter whether you prefer watching or playing, the future of Canadian soccer looks bright and it’s only getting brighter.

Image courtesy of Adam Wilk

Humour and Games

Small talk: … were you waiting for a point?

A rapturous deconstruction

Elizabeth Rosen Section Editor

“This semester, I have math, English, science, and history,” is what I would have said if I didn’t have any better way to start this article, but unfortunately now, I can’t prove the alternative.

I get it, socialising is hard. We all have people that we run into on a daily basis who don’t have the least bit in common with us other than the weather in our shared climate region. Maybe you and Person B are hanging out with a mutual friend who, despite your pleading otherwise, unexpectedly leaves, forcing you and Person B to acknowledge each other’s presence. Whatever your individual, group, or completely out-of-the-ordinary-andtherefore-resistant-to-my-generalised situation may be, rarely does any form of small talk leave one satisfied and genuinely interested in the person they just had a brief conversation with.

Small talk is forcing us to become dull, predictable drones of our former selves. It is a perpetuation of social conformity, the modern-day Newspeak, if you will. And since you have no shortage of menial conversations to experiment with, there’s nothing wrong in seizing an opportunity to make your hallway conversation a little more memorable. The classic classes colloquy is a great example on which to practise.

Next time someone asks about your classes, especially if you’ve informed them previously and multiple times, throw in a couple creative ones in there: “Oh, my afternoon? Quite average really, I just got out of my Fried Chicken Throughout 19th Century History class. I’m on my way to present my culminating assignment for Danny Devito impersonation class now.” Of course such blatant lies cannot be flung around without caution, so apply when contact with people is under the ten second mark so that they cannot ask. Instead, they’ll silently wonder to themselves whether you have suffered from heat stroke.

Now, if the conversation you intend to have is one where the other person is expected to reply, I suggest steering off the cliché questions completely. As soon as you hear the other person revving up their tongue just to spit out a “how are you,” interject before they’re in too deep

How to know an

NT student goes to GoodLife

Look out for Sophie’s next “How to Know” column in Issue 3

and you have to adhere. Conversation starters can literally be anything, and the more obscure and arbitrary the question, the better. If it is your first few times on the go, improvising these may be troubling, and you may end up asking, “what’s your favourite type of toothpaste.” Unless you’ve been intensely researching the toothpaste industry for this very moment, you won’t feel very compelled to engage the question any further, and the conversation will end then and there. If improvising (the thing you do during a normal conversation) isn’t your style, try directly countering the question you have been asked: “What classes did you take this year?” “Better yet, what classes did you not take this year and what does that reveal about all the potential in you that you’ve thus far ignored or suppressed?”

Remember: people love personal questions! One of the main problems with small talk lies not even in the questions themselves, but in people’s attitudes. If one starts blabbering about their day, as they were asked, suddenly the person on the other end, the initiator no less, tends to lose interest. Why? Because it was never there in the first place. So actually memorize their classes. Really listen when they tell you about their geography exam and how they stopped being a morning person because of biology. Then bring it up later as soon as you see them. Put an uncanny amount of research into the potential cause of their back pain and suggest some new geography study methods tailored to their personality type, so they actually pass the term. Take any leftover scraps of enthusiasm lying around in your cranium, and put it all into reviving the conversations that were meant to be born dead. Become genuinely fascinated by the classes you’re taking, to the point that giving someone a rundown of them is a communicational pleasure.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t hurt to squeeze a little fun out of your routine activities, and the best part is that the people around you will doubtfully care, so exploit that! And if you’re still concerned with maintaining an image of “social decency,” I’ll leave you with a quote from my project: “A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful the way you lean.”

Sophie Block Editor in Chief

1. They won’t shut up about it

2. If they’re not telling you, they’re telling someone else

3. They have a GoodLife bag which seems to be attached to them, even in math class

4. They have a gym protein shake bottle with them at all times

5. Attached to this bottle is their gym pass

6. Sweaty after spare

7. Ditch class to get the gains

8. You, someone they barely know, knows their most recent personal record

9. They get mad if you say, “Wait, you go to the gym? Really?”

10. Flexing!!

So as you walk the hallways of NT, or as you try and do your work during a spare, don’t be surprised if you hear NT’s finest gym bros talking about chest day.

Valentine’s Day cut-outs!

Too lazy to write your own Valentine’s Day cards? No worries, we’ve got you covered, shoot your shot.

Zoe Rosenfeld Contributor

NT Starter Pack

Everything you need to survive and thrive at NT

Zoe Rosenfeld Contributor

Indiana Jones and the Hallway of Doom

Tori Wilson Contributor

Study Time?

Krisha Mittra Contributor

JOKES

Jokes to Cheer up Your Day

Having a bad day? These jokes should cheer you up!

Saanvi Satish Contributor

1. What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite.

2. Why do reindeer like Beyoncé so much? She sleighs.

3. How do you turn a soup into gold? Add 24 carrots.

4. What kind of tea is the hardest? Reality.

5. Why can’t you give Elsa a balloon? She’ll let it go.

6. What do you call cheese that’s not yours? Nacho cheese.

7. Why do birds fly south for the winter?

It’s faster than walking.

8. How many apples grow on a tree? All of them.

9. Can February March? No, but April May.

10. Did you hear about the new restaurant, Karma?

There’s no menu; you get what you deserve.

11. What did the stamp say to the envelope on Valentine’s Day?

“I’m stuck on you!”

12. What kind of water cannot freeze? Hot water-, duh!

13. What do you call a musician with problems?

A trebled man.

14. Why is a piano so hard to open? Because all the keys are inside.

15. What is in the 2020s calendar? January, February, Lockdown, December.

16. What did the lawyer do on Leap Day?

Jump to conclusions.

Rowen Uy

Head Copy Editor

Across

3. Literacy test taken by all grade 10 students. Required for graduation from high school.

5. Mr. _____, staff advisor for Graffiti, English teacher, and History teacher at NTCI.

7. An annual, week-long event organized by Student Council to raise funds for a non-profit organization.

10. Complete the Tri-Sci: Biology, ______, Physics.

12. Mrs. _____, staff advisor for NTCI’s Student Council.

14. NTCI’s rival school.

16. Website where students can make their course selection choices for next year.

18. Ms. ______, music teacher and choir director at NTCI.

Down

1. Room where school assemblies are held.

2. Sports team coached by Mr. Bourgase.

4. A week off school in the middle of March.

6. Hot Air’s favourite word. Often used to describe the daily lunch in the cafeteria.

8. Culminating evaluation for almost all courses. NTCI had these for the first time in four years in 2023.

9. Instrument played by Mr. Hobson at Fall Fare 2022.

11. Lyrics to the NTCI School Song: “We shall________, to bring thee fame & glory”.

13. Food item you can purchase from student council around Valentine’s day to send to someone.

15. NTCI’s environmental awareness club.

17. First name of the Junior Vice President of Student Council, and star of “School Alone”.

Top 5: Lunch Spots in the School

Each issue Jack will list their “top 5.” Look out for the next list in Issue 3!

Have you read Graffiti?

Did you really? Prove it with this quiz

Sophie Block Editor in Chief

1. By how much have reported hate crimes against Asian people increased since COVID-19?

A. 300%

B. 50%

Jack Wolkove Section Editor

1 2nd Floor Northwest Corner

My personal favorite, with the wall to rest your back against and a charging outlet. The only con is people coming in and out of the gallery, but if you can put up with that it’s a pretty comfy corner. But you definitely shouldn’t sit there, though, you would HATE it.

2. Library

After a long hard morning, my favorite thing to do is settle in for a hearty lunch in the library, preferably with something crunchy to distract others and increase the likelihood of food getting stuck in the computer keys. Why stop at solids? Maybe bring some juice, some hot chocolate, anything to give the tables some nice texture upon spillage. (I feel the need to disclaim that this is very much a joke, no eating in the library!)

3. The Field

Not ideal during these fierce winter months, but just peachy once the weather gets warmer. Being able to lie out in the sun with your friends on this little plot of land is just such a reprieve from those last days of class. Aside from a break in the great outdoors, you can also put some terf pebbles in your food for some extra seasoning, yum! (Once again, I feel the need to disclaim, no eating on the field!)

4. Practice Rooms

You may want to prevent people from playing their instruments during free school time, or you may want to serenade your friends with some ticking of the ivories. Either way, be sure to stick yourself in a music practice room from 11:40 to 12:40. The only thing more gross than the inside of an old piano is the slightly less old food found inside of it. (No eating in the practice rooms!)

5. Cafeteria

A little basic, but for a good reason. The Caf™ is a sensory nightmare in my opinion, but all that stimuli sure are good when you’re in a pinch for a grounding technique. There are always at least five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and (hopefully) one thing you can taste, considering what the room is used for. If you’re big into sensory stimuli, the cafeteria is for you.

C. 100%

D. 500%

2. Does NT have AP courses?

A. Yes

B. No

3. How can you get a poster approved at NT?

A. A staff says it’s okay

B. You don’t need approval

C. Club head approves it

D. Ms. Dicks, Ms. Mazzaferro, or Dr. Lee need to approve it

4. What’s NOT a way to know if an NT student goes to GoodLife?

A. Sweaty after spare

B. They won’t shut up about it

C. Ask them because you have no other way to know

D. Have a protein shake bottle

5. What are the grade 12’s top choices of school?

A. Queens

B. Western

C. UofT

D. McMaster

6. What percentage of grade 12’s have received early acceptance (before winter break)?

A. 63%

B. 14%

C. 78%

D. 24%

7. Where did Ms. Monteith and Mr. Kinoshita meet?

A. At Queen’s University as students

B. At Bloor Collegiate as teachers

C. At NT as teachers

D.In high school

8. What do Brayden Rak and Quentin Distin think of DJ Khaled’s album “God Did”?

A. Amazing!

B. Mediocre

C. Terrible

D. 10/10 best ever

9. What does Stella Sherman think the number one film of 2022 is?

A. Top Gun

B. Everything Everywhere All at Once

C. The House

D. Black Adam

10. What was the score in the girl’s hockey team game against Northern? A.

Answers:

Horoscopes

Aries - March 21 to April 20

Take the opportunity to make some positive changes in your life. Express some gratitude, smile more, and give out hugs! Use this time to grow and learn, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. This is the perfect time to take risks and reach those long awaited goals. If you can take the initiative to make these changes, you will find yourself feeling more secure and content.

Taurus - April 21 to May 20

February will be an exciting month for Taurus! With the Sun in Aquarius and your ruling planet Venus in Aries, there will be a focus on your social and love lives. Your social life will be active and your friendships will be a source of joy and support. Your love life will be a source of pleasure and joy, so if you’re single, you could meet someone special this month, and if you’re in a relationship, it’s a great time to strengthen your bond and share more of your feelings. Saturdays are your lucky days!

Gemini - May 21 to June 21

You may find yourself feeling more creative and curious than usual. Take some time for yourself to unwind and relax, as you may also find yourself more in tune with your emotions and thus more sensitive when it comes to relationships. Don’t be afraid to confront issues head-on and make sure to express your feelings honestly. This is also a great time to focus on your spiritual journey and cultivate a deeper connection with yourself.

Cancer - June 22 to July 22

The last few weeks might have been hard for you, but there’s always calm after a storm. This is a month of learning and understanding, so try to stay open to new ideas and possibilities. With a little patience and understanding, you’ll be able to make progress and leave this month feeling more fulfilled and content. Don’t forget to take time to appreciate the small moments. Wear the colour red or yellow for extra luck!

Leo - July 23 to Aug 22

February is a time for Leos to focus on their relationships and how they can best support those around them. Take the time to appreciate the people closest to you and show them how much you care. Spend quality time with your family and make sure to tell them how much you value them. With Mercury about to enter Pisces, now is the time to be extra compassionate and understanding with those around you. The universe is sending you lots of positive energy and luck, so take advantage of it.

Virgo - Aug 23 to Sept 22

Your patience will be tested, but you will stay strong and trust that your hard work and dedication will pay off and you will find success. You will be able to balance your stress levels by taking time to relax and re-energize. Do some selfcare! Activities like yoga or journaling will help you stay grounded and focused. Ultimately, if you stay patient, you will find success.

Libra - Sept 23 to Oct 22

Although your relationships may be a bit challenging, you will be able to work through any issues and come out the other side with a stronger bond. You may also find yourself being more generous and helpful to others, especially those in need.

Scorpio - Oct 23 to Nov 22

With Jupiter and Saturn both in retrograde, you may find yourself feeling the desire to shift your focus and redirect your energy. Taking some time to yourself will be beneficial for your mental health and wellbeing. It’s a great time to look inward and reflect on your values, goals, and ambitions. At the same time, don’t be afraid to reach out to friends and family. Spending time with people you love will bring you joy and energy. Numbers 5, 8, and 12 are lucky!

Sagittarius - Nov 23 to Dec 21

You will be overflowing with energy and self-assurance, which will empower you to take on the world with zest. Your capacity for creativity will be at its peak, enabling you to think outside the box and produce fresh thoughts. Don’t be scared to take chances and pursue your dreams because the stars are aligned in your favour.

Capricorn - Dec 22 to Jan 20

Take some time to rest and recharge, and don’t be afraid to be spontaneous. This is a time to follow your heart and trust your instincts. Don’t get caught up in rumours and gossip; instead, focus on your own growth and development. With some rest and relaxation, you’ll be able to tackle any challenges that come your way. The dates 16 and 17 are special for you.

Aquarius - Jan 21 to Feb 18

Aquarius, you are entering a new cycle of personal growth, and it is important to make the most of the energy available to you this month. Stop procrastinating and put your passion for innovation and exploration to use, but also take time to rest and recharge. Your heightened intuition will be especially helpful when it comes to making decisions and planning for the future.

Pisces - Feb 19 to March 20

You will be drawn to new ideas, activities, and people. This could lead you to make major changes in your life. This is a great time to try something new like knitting or going to karaoke. You will be able to make meaningful and lasting connections with people around you. Your romantic life will also be very active. You will have lots of opportunities for love and romance, so make sure you make time for it.

Written by Ariana Acosta

Illustrations by Angie Ling