Volume 42, Issue 4, (June 6, 2023)

By Logan Prolux page 10

Semi Formal: Behind the Scences

By Sammi Track page 19

By Grace Uy page 42

Red and Grey Day

North Toronto’s longest celebrated and most anticipated spirit day of the year

Sophie Block Editor in Cheif

It’s that time of year: your Instagram feed and camera roll have once again been overwhelmed with school pride. Nevermind the pictures, though, because Red and Grey day 2023 isn’t just about the looks. It takes months of planning to create a full day of events.

The NTAA heads, Kai Huang and Alyssa Fowell, were heavily involved in Red and Grey day. Fowell said that “Knowing Red & Grey day was the best day of the year made the day so much harder to plan than anything we had ever done. As Kai and I worked with our executives, the day became more real after every meeting we had and our vision started coming together.”

As Huang says, “planning Red and Grey day was a big collaborative effort.” Huang and Fowell worked with the Red and Grey day committee heads; grade twelves Keira Ayoub, Abby Harlow, and Janna Kazerani. Harlow said that “Red and Grey day was so much fun to plan, but it was also a labour of love! Many hours went into making sure everything would run smoothly, and it was so rewarding to see everything pay off.”

Like most, Harlow appreciates that “Red and Grey day is so special to NT spirit” and she “hope[s] the tradition is able to continue for years to come.” And Fowell was “so excited to see the NT spirit on Red and Grey.” Huang thanks “the amazing NTAA members” that helped make Red & Grey day “a big success.”

Of course, Ms. Rough, Ms. Hayden, and Mr. Tallevi all made Red and Grey day happen. Ms. Rough “loved seeing all the students showing their school spirit and having fun.” And in her last Red and Grey day, she “Thanks NT for joining in the celebrations to make this Red and Grey the best ever!”

After a day of decorating doors, watching rugby, volleyball, ultimate, track, and basketball, enjoying the barbeque and ice cream sandwiches, and, of course, cheering hard during the assemblies, NT once again showed their spirit.

A letter from the editors

Dear NT,

Before the start of this school year, we created a BINGO card with our friends for this year. A few wins, failed missions, and empty squares later, it’s June again. And a great year it has been.

Let’s start with this year’s wins. Word on the street is back. Gra ti extended home forms are coming back. And Jack Vanek never le . Our other wins are perhaps better saved for text group chats.

About the losses (because there were a few). For Elena, her rst G2 road test…. But more importantly, Sophie’s grandmother is very upset with Elena for not nding Sophie a prom date. For Sophie, it was joining the rugby team without any idea about the physicality of the sport. Lucky for us, the wins outnumber the losses (in our minds, at least).

NT recommendations for a fantastic experience? Don’t take physics (from Elena, who’s going into engineering). Take physics (from Sophie, who’s going into social sciences). Sports and clubs are a must. Take a spare in grade twelve because it’s fun, not because it’s going to be productive (it’s not). Take your Airpods out and talk a lot and to a lot of people.

A er the past 4 years, Elena walks out a proud Norsemen, a little less regretful she didn’t go to LP. Sophie leaves NT, shockingly, with friends?!

We’ve 0.5ed it all, giving the highlights to the Gra ti Instagram for all to see.

EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITORS IN CHIEF

Elena Vlitas

Sophie Block

STAFF ADVISORS

David Silver

Jessica Bulgutch

SECTION EDITORS

Sara Kaboudvand | Logan Proulx

Malak Mohamed | Arissa Roy

Ruby Steinberg | Natasha Bernstein

Ava Reitmaier-Stone | Victoria Man

Constantia Pilnitz

Leila Schrenk | Krisha Mittra

Elizabeth Rosen | Jack Wolkove

Sarisha Panday

Luke Taylor | Grace Uy

Tai Vaughan | Ethan Cairns

HEAD COPY EDITORS

Ema Kazazi

Rowen Uy

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY HEAD

Baran Forootan

LAYOUT

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: ntcigraffti@gmail.com

Instagram: @ntcigraffti

Twitter: @NTCI_Graffti

ABOUT US

Your 2022-2023 Editor in Chiefs, Sophie Block and Elena Vlitas

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

Logan Proulx Section Editor

Joining the NT community in 2019, Ms. Mazzaferro has been a pillar of the administration, helping to keep NT spirited and structured. We’d like to celebrate Ms. Mazzaferro and her retirement by looking back on her career and her experience at NT.

Ms. Mazzaferro started her career in education after admiring the teachers who helped to inspire and motivate her during her formative years. She decided she wanted to follow in their footsteps and inspire change in others. “I saw the kind of impact that they made on my life and the lives of other students, and I wanted to pay that forward.” After graduating from teacher’s college at York University, she supplied for her old English teacher who she still kept in touch with. Around mid-October of that year, she received a call from a school named Albert-Campbell Collegiate Institute in Scarborough for a position as a Grade 11 english and Grade 9 music contract teacher. She accepted.

During her time as a contract teacher, Ms. Mazzaferro got a better sense of the values one needs to have in order to work in education. She continued to show empathy, grit, and passion for learning as she moved from school to school. Although each of the schools she worked at involved different challenges, settings, expectations, and responsibilities. She found that one thing was always consistent: the students. “One of the most valuable lessons I learned during my time as an educator is

that students are all the same. [It] doesn’t matter what school you go to. By that, I mean kids are all the same wherever you go and depending on the circumstances and backgrounds that they’ve come from, that’s where they experience the barriers and challenges in their lives. They have the same worries, they have the same problems, they have the same things that make them happy”. She learned that all students share a common baseline, and the most valuable belief to go by as an educator is to value each and every student without prejudging them.

Ms. Mazzaferro joined the NT community in the 2018-2019 school year. The following year, schools were shut down. This meant her years at NT were a hectic mix of in-person and virtual instruc-

tion. The shutdown presented her with an opportunity to refect on the changing role of educators and education as a whole. “Now, there’s so many standards that continue to build on teachers and it will keep building and building. I don’t mean to say that educators are disrespected entirely, but I do think that there’s a general expectation of society as a whole that teaching is an easy job which I don’t think is entirely accurate.” Nonetheless, she says that it was very fulflling to help NT’s administrative affairs post remote learning and ensure that things went back to normal.

“It was fulflling in the sense that I was able to experience the craziness that was COVID-19, the lockdown, the virtual, everything, and you know coming out of it on the other side, her I am in my last year

of my career, with no restrictions, with everything happening in the school. I’m glad I was able to help other students and myself. I was very humbled and grateful that I was able to survive.”

In retirement, Ms. Mazzaferro is looking forward to being able to sleep in and spend more time with her family. She also hopes to hone her musical skills in her two bands and keep her passion for performing alive!

We’d like to thank Ms. Mazzaferro for helping to make NT so inclusive. She has done so much to ensure that every student is heard, respected, and accepted. The school will not be the same without her. We wish her a happy retirement and we hope to see her soon!

You’ll be missed, Ms. Mazzaferro! Saying goodbye to one of NT’s most dedicated VPs.

Photos courtesy of Ms. Mazzeferro

A Goodbye to Mr. Kinoshita

Will NT ever recover from the loss of our beloved Physics teacher?

Sara Kaboudvand Section Editor

Although “It feels like [he] just started”, this year marks 35 years of teaching for Mr. Kinoshita. It all began when he decided to follow his friend who was going to teacher’s college; a fun career choice that “seemed like a good ft” led to a 35-year career that started at a private school, led to 10 years at Bloor Collegiate, and 24 years as the Head of Physics at North Toronto. Being a North Toronto graduate himself, he has completed a full circle, and as we all say goodbye to a beloved teacher, let us look back at Mr. Kinoshita’s story one last time.

As a student, Mr. Kinoshita wanted to be an astrophysicist. He describes that “studying the stars, that was what [he] wanted to do, but by third-year university [he] was really not feeling good about sitting still and doing math problems--[he] didn’t see the connections, and [he] didn’t see [himself] making any of these connections.” Because he had experience being a tutor (and had enjoyed it), he decided to attend teacher’s college.

Fast-forward to 1987, Mr. Kinoshita’s frst teaching job as a long-term occasional at a private school in Whitby. He recalls that he loved teaching the grade 11 and 12 physics courses the most, but due to the nature of the school, he had to teach subjects like chemistry, geography, and grade 6 science. It was at this time he found one of his main teaching values; “one of the reasons I went into teaching was that I didn’t think that some of the teachers knew their stuff well enough”. He remembers that teaching subjects like chemistry, which he did not have a suffcient background in, were unappealing for him, which is why when he was offered to teach biology the following year, he quit. “I wanted to be the one that had the background, and the idea of me teaching biology and chemistry again was not consistent with my belief of what education should be.” And so in 1988, Mr. Kinoshita was hired at Bloor Collegiate.

Now, you may remember from issue 2, but Bloor Collegiate was an incredibly important place in Mr. Kinoshita’s life, not only as his frst job in the TDSB, but the place where he met the love of his life (in his own words), Ms. Monteith. At Bloor Collegiate, Mr. Kinoshita kept busy as a teacher, the cricket team coach, as well as a boyfriend (aww). They got married in August of 1994, and in September of the same year, Ms. Monteith

was offered a job at North Toronto. Since Mr. Kinoshita had graduated from North Toronto, he says he was enthusiastic about Ms. Monteith taking the job. As fate would have it, they were so meant to be that in 1998, Mr. Kinoshita was also offered a job at North Toronto as the Head of Physics. He remembers that he happily accepted knowing that he would be returning to his alma mater and working alongside his wife.

Twenty-four years at North Toronto has allowed Mr. Kinoshita to experience lots of change in the school, as well as the education system. From saying goodbye to the old North Toronto building and original classroom L17 to experiencing online school and quadmesters, Mr. Kinoshita still fnds “the change to semestered” the most dramatic (not in a positive way) change he witnessed. “The TDSB is gradually getting rid of these needed systems under the guise for “more consistency”--because some people struggle with exams we’ve cancelled them altogether, but what about the ones who wanted an opportunity to practice an exam?

Exam writing, time management… Shouldn’t we be letting students practice these skills? I would say that most of the teachers here who have taught in a non-semestered system wish to go back. I’ve seen what the board is doing and I know it’s (transitioning back to non-semestered) not going to happen, but as far as my own personal policy goes, even for my own kids, a non-semestered school is so important.” The past few years have

been transformative not only to students’ lives but to the education system as we know it. Now, Mr. Kinoshita explains, “I am not sure that our education system in Toronto is an education system I would want to send my kids to.”

Though the years have brought many changes, one thing that has stayed the same is the love and comfort students feel in Mr. Kinoshita’s classroom. Ryan Spagnolo is a grade 12 student who is in Mr. Kinoshita’s class this semester. He explains that “Mr. Kinoshita never fail[ed] to amaze me with the devices he would pull out to demonstrate a concept. He’s hilarious”. Ryan says he will always remember Mr. Kinoshita’s dedication and preparedness. Mr. Zheng was a student in Mr. Kinoshita’s class as well, and he has been a teacher at North Toronto for two years now. He says Mr. Kinoshita taught him “the most important lesson--how to handle failure”. Mr. Kinoshita’s

class, he remembers, “made me realize that what teachers do, whether they intend it or not, can really leave a long-lasting impact on people-- and I think that I wanted to be a part of that. I would not have become a teacher if it weren’t for my experiences in his class”.

During his retirement, Mr. Kinoshita’s biggest plan is to ski with Ms. Monteith and their children (I mean, it is the key to lasting love). He says some of his best memories are with the ski team at North Toronto.

Thank you, Mr. Kinoshita, for everything you have done for us. Your commitments to students as well as skiers and robotics team members have been so special and appreciated, and we will not forget the impact that you have had on North Toronto. We wish you a relaxing, fulflling and happy retirement, and we hope that this is not goodbye, but rather, see you later.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Kinoshita

NT’s math wizard retires: Farewell Mr. Gardner

NT will miss you forever Mr. Gardner.

Sophie Block Editor in Chief

Stop by room 424 after school and you can fnd a group of students, likely in grade twelve, getting help from Mr. Gardner. A few are standing at his desk, while others wait, discussing their math problems in the math-memecovered room. In Mr. Gardner’s class, if you need help or support, you get it. As Mr. Gardner will tell you on your frst day of class, he isn’t “smart” (self-prescribed, others may beg to differ), he just knows how to work hard, and success in mathematics often comes with practice.

Mr. Gardner became a teacher because he “likes to help people.” Thankfully, he also likes high school students and explaining math. His then girlfriend, and now wife, was also going into teaching. With this perfect ft, Mr. Gardner went into teaching. Though he wanted to get a Ph.D. in Social and Political Thought, he really enjoyed his frst-semester teaching, so he turned down the master’s program to stick with teaching.

His career began as a supply teacher in the fall of 1992, and then he was hired as a mathematics teacher in February of 1993 at Winston Churchill C.I. After 4 years, he moved to SATEC at W.A.Porter (a technology magnet school, also in Scarborough) and stayed there

for 14 years. This is Mr. Gardner’s 13th year teaching mathematics at North Toronto C.l. He says that “I originally thought I would stay at NT for fve years, but I loved it so much I decided to stay until the end of my career.” In the classroom, Mr. Gardner “likes teaching everything”, but most “enjoys the challenge of teaching frst principles proof in trigonometry and vectors.”

Mr. Gardner’s commitment to the school and student life at NT has shown not just through the success of his students, but also through his large wardrobe of NT athletics merch. Though there was no football team this year, Mr. Gardner coached the volleyball team. Being a teacher for Mr. Gardner is about more than just the academics: “I loved coaching and this is a big reason I stayed in the classroom.” Over his career, he has mainly coached track and feld, volleyball, hockey, and football. He says that “I could never have coached without the support of my wife and kids who made dinners and lunches, and picked up my slack.” His best coaching memory is in 2014 when the Junior Football team went to the TDSB fnals, where they lost to Northern. Still, in that season, they beat every big Tier 1 football program, except Northern’s.

Favourite NT Tradition?

Well, Mr. Gardner is a big fan of Red and Grey Day, saying it’s the best tradition “by far.” Over the years of his career, he’s found it “amaz-

ing to be associated with a school with such great traditions.” Over his years, he has attended Visual Art showings, Christmas concerts, Maytime Melodies, Soda Pop Shop, the Santa Claus Parade, and the Sears Drama Festival. Mr. Gardner told me that “although I have associated myself with sports at NT, I love the entire program.”

And, I promise I didn’t force him to say this, but Mr. Gardner did say that “Graffti is by far the best student newspaper because it is not just good news and fuff, it encourages critical thought and the asking of tough questions.”

In his retirement, Mr. Gardner is not scared of being bored, saying confdently that he “will be busy.” He and his wife are going on an Alaskan cruise in July, and once the school year starts, Mr. Gardner is excited to offciate high school football games, cook, and work around the house. He is “an avid reader and jogger” and “will play hockey a few times a week.” He’s also looking forward to spending more time with his dog, Lucy. Mr. Gardner will continue to help students with math, tutoring and supply teaching.

Over the course of Mr. Gardner’s own education and his experience teaching in education, he has seen a huge change in the marking system, telling me that when he started teaching, class averages were between 65% and 70%. Now, they are between 85% and 90%. Mr. Gardner thinks that “there

are many things wrong with this, mostly that when everyone’s marks are so high the numbers convey little meaning.” He says that to improve, the education system has to decide what to do with marks: either make them truly meaningful, or scrap them all together.

His message to NT students is simple: you have to learn how to work hard. Sometimes, it’s supposed to be hard, and if it wasn’t hard, you wouldn’t need Mr. Gardner to teach you. And though he didn’t tell me this in our interview, I have learned from Mr. Gardner’s strict no phone or earbud policy that phones are, in fact, addictive, and that they deeply distract you from math.

It makes sense that Mr. Gardner feels the most pride when students tell him how well prepared they were for university because in his classroom each student feels confdent and encouraged to ask questions. He makes sure to cater to multiple learning styles, explaining the reasoning behind concepts, instead of just handing out equations.

Mr. Gardner’s eager willingness to help every student will be missed both on the fourth foor and on the feld. We wish him a busy and active retirement and thank him for his continuous support of students.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Gardner

Farewell, Ms. Rough

A goodbye to Ms. Rough, the coach of our dreams

Abby Harlow Contributor

Walking into my frst day at North Toronto, I had grade 9 gym as my homeform class, so the frst teacher I met was Ms. Rough. Throughout the next 8 months, gym became the period I looked forward to the most, as I knew I was always going to have fun.

Although she has “had such a fun career [in education]”, Ms. Rough had no intention of becoming a teacher while growing up. After going to Laurier and earning a business degree, she began a career in sales and marketing. This gave her the opportunity to travel around the world, but she ended up deciding to make a career change when she realised that “[she] didn’t feel like she was helping anyone.” This led her to make the choice between becoming a physiotherapist and a teacher. She ended up becoming a teacher because she had some experience teaching swimming, as well as the fact she could play by her own rules and “do [her] own thing” within her teach-

ing. She then took the next steps in her teaching career at the University of British Columbia, and got her teachers degree before being placed in a high school in downtown Vancouver, and later a high school in the small town of Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Here, she taught business classes in an enterprise centre where students could create their own businesses with the accessibility to actually have the opportunity to start them. Although these two highschools began her teaching career, in 1995, Ms. Rough moved back to Toronto, got married, and started her frst TDSB job as a geography and keyboarding teacher at North Toronto. Although it’s uncommon for a teacher to remain at the same school for 28 years, through going part-time when her kids were little, having principals on her side, and a little bit of luck, Ms. Rough was never surplussed to another school, and spent her entire teaching career in Ontario at NT. While she has been here, she has done some extraordinary things that have become key aspects of North Toronto. In 1997, Ms. Rough started the coop program at NT. With knowledge of business, she released the amaz-

NT’s Got Talent

A rate and review of NT’s very own talent show

Sara Kaboudvand Section Editor

Move over Simon Cowell because your petty comments are no match for Ms. Boon’s clever commentary.

ing enrichments that experience at a co-op placement can have on a student’s education. She spent several years building the program from the ground up. Later, she decided to get certifed to become a gym teacher, and she became the gym teacher we all know and love today. Her favourite class to teach is grade 9 gym, and she loves that gym allows her to be active, and never be bored.

On top of teaching, Ms. Rough plays a big role in the school. She helps to run events like red and grey day, and coaches various different sports teams. Her favourite sport to coach is softball or feld hockey, as “[she] loves seeing development of kids who have never played before, and the excitement they have when they do something good.”

In retirement, Ms. Rough plans to continue to stay super active, noting that “if you are healthy you can have so much fun.” She is looking forward to playing sports including learning to play hockey, swimming, mountain biking, pickleball, and snowboarding. She also has plans to travel this summer to the Yukon Territories with her kids, and next winter travel to New Zea-

land for a month with her husband. With 31 years of experience, Ms. Rough hopes that students always keep an open mind. Growing up she was shy and hated presenting, so teaching was something she thought was just not for her. Although “[she] still gets nervous in front of classes,” she has realised that you change, and she is so grateful for the amazing teachers and kids this career has brought her. Additionally, she noted that “you don’t learn without consequences.” She hopes that schools will begin to reintroduce consequences, such as when students show up to class late, as she has seen from experiences that consequences are crucial to helping kids succeed in the future. Although Ms. Rough noted that she will greatly miss her colleagues who have always been there for her, the kids who bring fun and energy, and coaching, she deserves a well earned break. From myself and the entire school, I want to wish Ms. Rough the very best time in retirement. Her personality and contributions to the school will be very greatly missed!

Bilmer, and Ms. Chamberlain as judges.

Logan

Proulx Section Editor

On Thursday, April 6, NT hosted its very own spinoff of America’s Got Talent, including our very own teachers, Ms. Boon, Mr. Roche, Ms.

Audience anticipation was high as the event began, and the mystery of who exactly was performing was what kept students intrigued. Baran Footoran said in a pre-show interview, “I’m so, so

excited to watch this”, and as performers and their acts were not revealed beforehand, she explained, “It’s truly a surprise and I have no idea what to expect.”

The frst act presented to the eager audience was NT Metal Band’s debut with an original song.

Photos courtesy of Ms. Rough

The incomprehensible lyrics combined with the ear-ringing electric guitar was a truly intoxicating opening to the show. The judges were at a loss for words and the audience was left with a loss of hearing. Mr. Roche’s opening comment stated how his hearing aid stopped working and he was “okay with it”.

The following act was Christina Qu performing her own original song called Silent Story. While Qu is already well known in the music department for her musical prowess and skill (she plays and has mastered four instruments, take notes), she blew the judges out of the water with her strong lyricism and musicality. Ms. Bilmer had a lot to say about Christina’s assured stage presence and calm vibe.

Next was a solo cover of a musical theatre song No One Else by Hadasse Kernerman. For context, No One Else is a song from the Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 that requires Celine Dion levels of range. We were nervous to see if Kernerman’s cover would underwhelm us. Thankfully, we were whelmed! She hit every beat and we ate it up. As gleeks, she reminded us of Lea Michele with literacy skills. Ms. Bilmer made a point of showing the audience her goosebumps, while “I fnally forgive you for taking music over visual arts.” was Ms. Boon’s closing comment.

Arissa Roy and Rishan Roy followed Kernerman with a vocal and ukulele performance of Rivers

and Roads by The Head and the Heart. The siblings dazzled the judges with their strong message and sibling dynamic. Goals!

ed into his routine which kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Upon his dismount from the pogo stick, Mackinnon awaited feedback

non. Jaws were dropped, roars were roared, and screams were scrumpt. Ms. Boon quickly stepped in to let Mackinnon know that Roche was more of a Mandel to her Cowell. With that, she ushered him off the stage. Defnitely a moment for the history books.

Although it was hard to follow the slay to end all slays that was Mackinnon’s act, Andrea Lee proceeded with a dance routine. All eyes were on Lee as Sam Smith’s Unholy started playing.She received a standing ovation from Ms. Chamberlain who claimed Lee had shown immense courage and determination to perform in front of an auditorium full of people.

Lucas Wang followed with another dance, this time to Lili Film’s Tomboy. The performance was spunky, energetic, and lively. The outft change was a stunning addition and it looked completely professional. “You are the new queen of inappropriate”, said Ms. Boon, as the audience cheered one last time.

The most notable act was by far Joshua Mackinnon’s stand-up comedy routine delivered on pogo stick. His circus camp and chemistry-related jokes were hilarious, inventive, and slightly painful (in a good way!). Parkour was also incorporat-

Word on the Street

from the judges. “I couldn’t wait for it to end” quipped Mr. Roche, garnering a few gasps from the crowd. “Mr. Roche, I know you’re trying to be the Simon Cowell of NT’s Got Talent, but you don’t have the looks for it” responded Mackin-

The last act, was a continuation of the Jazz Band from Soda Pop Shop, with Lola Urosevic and Jesse Sol serenading the audience with their calming piano and saxophone playing. Although it was quite the tone change from the invigorating dance performance that preceded it, Lola and Jesse’s frog themed outfts and gentle playing of “Love Like You” satisfed both the audience’s ears and hearts. Having raised hundreds of dollars to support CCVT, NT’s Got

Hey NT, ever wondered what’s going on in students’ minds? This issue for word on the street, Sarah and Leila take a deep dive, and fnd the answers to our most pressing question. To check it out, head to @ntcigraftti on Instagram for the full story.

Leila Schrenk Section Editor

Sarah Flemington Contributor

What would you give up for the Leafs to win the Stanley Cup?

Nick Singh: I would give up my grade in physics so I would get a zero.

Damauni Taylor: Probably my girlfriend.

Jake McGrath: Nothing. Not my rod, not my fshing rod. I am a leafs fan but I would not give up my fshing rod.

Damien Caruthers: I would give up Stone Dolgin.

Abby Harlow: I would give up Fresca, my pride and joy. Go Leafs!

Amelia: I would give up my dog.

What’s your most controversial opinion?

Leila Schrenk: I have zero shame in being a 2% milk drinker. I will defend it until the day I die.

Chloe Toby: If we had a football team, I don’t think we would be very good. Natasha Pfeffer: Chipotle is an overrated food spot.The lines are too long and the food is too expensive.

Miah Jensen: Chipotle charges too much for their chicken.

Adam Abouzaki: Twinning is overrated.

Rowen Uy: Spares are overrated and you should take classes now while your education is free.

Isis Mullaj: Country music is so mid.

Deniz Gueven: I could not be Bethany Hamilton

Elena Vlitas: I like the quadmester better than the semester, by like, a lot.

Claire Kelly: Spare was a terrible book.

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

Photo by Sophie Block

Exams.

Some Do’s and Don’t’s for the upcoming season.

Advice with Leila

Sophie Ratner Editor in Chief

As the warmer weather approaches, so does the fve-letter word that NT students can not escape in their daily conversations. Exams. Of course, for many, this time period can bring up many stressful thoughts. Perhaps you remember the cramp in your hand as you were grinding out that short answer question or the stressful thought of “There’s no way there could be 4 C’s in a row on a Scantron sheet”, but don’t worry, because here is a list of do’s and don’ts for your upcoming exams.

DO: Make sure to layer up on those clothes. Depending on the semester of the exam you might be tempted to wear a seasonally appropriate outft, but you never know what could happen. You could end up writing in an unusually cold third-foor classroom, or realize that you shouldn’t have skipped studying that one section and start sweating profusely. Side note- I’m not too superstitious, but if you have a sweatshirt lying around with your preferred post-secondary institute of choice on it (you can even aim high with an Ivy-league t-shirt) maybe wear it! A little manifestation never hurt anybody.

DON’T: Pack lightly in your pencil case. If it seems overthe-top to bring 12 pencils to your math exam you’re wrong. Being over-prepared is never a bad thing! Maybe it feels illogical to bring a compass to your history exam? Wrong. You never know when you’ll be asked to draw a pie chart. Also, bring that A-list stationery. That really nice Muji mechanical pencil that you “borrowed” from a friend and never gave back is just begging to be used for your exams.

DO: Make a study playlist. Even if you prefer to study in complete silence, playlists are a great way to compile your emotions into a few songs. Pro-tip: listen to it on your way to school on exam day to calm you down, and then hype you up as you leave the building. The feeling of hearing the birds chirping in the opening notes of “Good Days” by Sza after my last exam of the semester was honestly unmatched.

DON’T: Forget how lucky you are in this moment to have a semestered year. No matter how overwhelmed you get, just remember: those poor non-semestered students have to take all their exams in the same time period!

DO: Make pretty notes. If you are a hater who rolls their eyes every time you see a classmate pull out 20 different coloured highlighters and start making the most elaborate MoMA-worthy notes, just know — I used to be a hater too. It was so annoying when they would make the teacher stay on the slide for 10 minutes just so they could intricately write each word in their handwriting that looks like a perfect Google font. But… for the past exam season, I put in more effort for my notes, using a brush pen for the titles, and assigning a colour for each unit. It helped make studying more fun and I can’t see light pink without thinking of the quadratic formula, so there.

With these tips, you’re all set up for the upcoming exams, good luck!

Leila Schrenk Section Editor

Dear Niners,

So my time giv ing you advice has fnal ly come to an end. I’ll be graduating, but more importantly, you will all become the slightly less annoying, but always infa mous 10’s. Even though I will miss you all, I’m glad to be mov ing on to the next stage of my life and starting university (ROLL GAELS!!). Over the past couple of issues, I’ve talked mostly about NT, but this issue, I’m going to share some of the more general things I’ve learned over the past four years.

Probably the most important thing I have come to realize during my time at NT is that you will grow and change as a person over these four years. I can tell you with certainty that if Grade 9 Leila and Grade 12 Leila met each other, there would probably be an all-out brawl; hair would be pulled, and blood would be drawn. That girl was actually feral and needed a good humbling. But she was also actually scared of everything and it took me almost two years to break free of the shell I was in. Shout out to Grade 11 Leila. She was when I actually started to fgure out who I was as a person and not who I thought other people wanted me to be. She was also the reason I got early acceptances so fair warning, your Grade 11 grades do matter. I can truly tell you that when you are in this exact position in three years, about to graduate, you will look back and see how much you hate, love, and miss your past self. So if you don’t know who you are yet, don’t stress about it because you will come to fnd yourself.

But overall, I can confdently say that I have found the greatest group of friends (shout out to every single one of you) who have gotten me through heartbreak (failed talking stages), put up with me during some questionable nights out, and stuck by me through every single time I fell off the face of the Earth. And trust me, you will fnd your people. It might not be next year, but you will fnd the type of people that you know will stay with you long after you leave the walls of NT. And please please please don’t stress if you start drifting with certain friends. It’s bound to happen and it’s not the end of the world. Friendships change, people change and THAT IS OKAY. Not all friendships are meant to last, but the ones that are, are the true ones worth holding on to.

Lastly, if Grade 9 Leila heard me saying this I think her head would explode, but Viv is your best friend. Viv, my mom, is the one person that I actually could not have

survived these four years without and I am so eternally grateful for everything she has done for me to help me get to where I am today and shape me into the person I have become. I know you are all 14 and 15 years old, so you’re in that

parents are actually the worst (trust me I’ve been there). But there is no one else who will support you like they do, so cut them a little slack, and I can guarantee that they are not as bad as you think. Also, you guys are low key mean to them so try and be a little nicer.

So if you take one thing from this article, please take this. People always told me that highschool would go by in a fash, and I never believed them. Now that I’m graduating it feels like yesterday that I stepped into that orientation for the frst time and learned the school song, which I now know by heart (RAH RAH RAH). So embrace your days at NT, because one day will be your last. So roll Coyotes, roll Hawks, roll Norseman and now roll Gaels.

XOXO, Leila

P.S. Don’t get high and mighty because you’re 10’s now and you think the new Niners are sooo annoying. You guys are literally not any better.

P. P. S. 11’s you have the right to be cocky, being in Grade 12 is so nice.

Leila

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

Clue: Behind the Scenes

Behind the scenes of NT’s most recent Drama Club production.

Elizabeth Rosen Section Editor

Viola Wang Contributor

Dear North Toronto student body, We know that by now you’re very well acquainted with the music and art departments, with their frequent showcases and events spanning the school year. Little do you know, ignorant reader, that NT also has a (semi) drama program! With the generous assistance of new drama teachers, Ms. Bilmer, Mr. Macdonald, and Mr. Davis, the NT Drama Club is working to make the school’s frst play in at least all the years I’ve been here. We got assistant directors, we got set designers, we got organizers, we got acto- wait. Huh? Where are the actors? So, as a school, we may be down a couple of knowing and willing participants for drama-related activities. That’s alright because there are a select few “in the know” of drama club ventures who coincidentally enjoy and care about acting. As a part of the cast myself, in all honesty, our practices have gone smoothly despite our noticeable attendance issue. Part of the reason for this epidemic of truancy is the relatively small size of the cast. Without many people being a part of this project, there’s little pressure to prioritize presence over alternative errands. To pause the hapring (harping) on the negative, as I stated earlier, we have made some signifcant strides. Lines are fnally starting to come together, blocking is visualized and bits and pieces of the set are emerging. A few favourite lines of the cast include:

“Why are you blackmailing us? I’m frustrated that I fnd you attractive!”

“Husbands should be like Kleenex, soft, strong, and disposable.”

“There’s nothing illegal about any of this…This is America, and that was the pursuit of happiness.”

Of course, procuring weapons like a dagger or a pistol is illegal on school grounds but we’ve made do with convincing fakes. All props are carefully chosen to ft within the play and are nothing more than replicas.

Of course, if one were to swap out the prop weapons for real ones on opening night…well, I’m sure that it would add to the authenticity. All the people involved with the play are putting in the effort to make it great and if one were to stay after school on Tuesdays or Thursdays and hear a faint, piercing scream from within the auditorium, do come in and tell us to scream louder.

Now, the play Clue takes from the movie, which takes from Hasbro’s original game. While there have been multiple endings in multiple movies set to deliver shock-value to the viewers, we can promise that this one is equally, if not more so, funny than all others you may have seen. The play is set in 1950’s America, at the height of the red scare and as such, satirizes the textbook paranoia of that era. Or, maybe it doesn’t and instead is just a campy, dramatic, and overall enjoyable play that doesn’t take itself too seriously. However, that doesn’t mean the actors don’t. During rehearsals, the actors show a collective (though disjointed, due to missed rehearsal dates) effort in playing our parts to the max, pushing the shock, the humour, and the accents. Oh, the accents. They lend so much to a character. And while this article is written before we’ve fnalized the costumes, I can guarantee that it’ll be a visual affront to the eyes. In a fun, colour-coded paintball war inside a church kind of way. Anyway, our collective effort in dramatizing an already over-the-top play will be shown clearly on opening night. It’s slated to be an unforgettable experience of hilarity and a dose of good-old-fashioned comedy in a darkly set manner and with a host of unforgettable characters. It won’t be one to miss. And oh, spoiler alert: there will be murder. Lots of murder.

Now you, enlightened reader, have either already watched our performance that happened on May 31st or are just now realizing the regret you feel for missing out on the spectacle I’m certain it was.

Photos by Sam Steepe

Maytime Melodies

A Maytime Melodies for the record books.

Sophie Block Editor in Chief

May 13th wasn’t just the day the Leafs lost in the semifnals, but also the second show of the 75th anniversary of Maytime Melodies. Alumni and students came together to perform over two nights, showcasing NT talent from today’s students and the students of the past. Around 175 alumni returned to play in ensembles of band, jazz band, choir, and orchestra.

Alumni ensembles were led by past NT music teachers, Camilla Rayman Bricknell, Joel McNaughton, Mike Ferguson, and Liz Monteith. Before each show, receptions were held for alumni, separating them by decade. Brian Maltman, graduate of 1971 and a current member of the alumni council, said that performing at NT is “like deja vu all over again.” Rayman-Bricknell says that teaching the alumni “has been amazing.” Though alumni only had four rehearsals, she says “they came in totally prepared, which is a real treat.”

Ms. Monteith agreed, saying that “even though the Alumni Stage Band had a wide range of ages in it, there was a lovely sense of reliving the ‘band fam’ feeling. We enjoyed rehearsing (go fgure), caught up on each others’ lives and shared stories of band class antics. It was so much fun!”

NT’s music department isn’t all talk; for decades, it’s been renowned for its quality music

program, creating industry leaders and passionate music students. Maltman explained that the music department was only created in 1946, when Jack Dow got the support of the principal to put music in the curriculum. Though now having a music class is standard, at the time, NT was the frst school in the Toronto system to have one. The class wasn’t just the basics; students were introduced to “the real stuff, not just high school transcriptions.” In one graduating class from 1975, because in that graduating class of string players, “Jack Dow had 14 people who went on to professional performance careers.” This includes Ivars Taurin, now a

world class conductor, who credits his career to his time at NT.”

Hana Chessel, current NT music council president, says that the countless hours preparing for it makes the experience seem so surreal. Agreeing with alumni, Chessel says that “being in the music department you spend so much time with a group of people that you become a family.”

Speaking to alumni showed that NT music students carry their experiences and skills with them throughout their life. Several explained that they continue to play in a band or sing in a choir, and for some, they do this with their NT music friends. Maltman credits his

success to his time in the NT music department, saying that “I wasn’t much of an academic – I was kind of all over the place. Quite frankly, music saved my butt. It’s what kept me going.” Al Cunningham, graduate of 1961, said that “Maytime Melodies was my favourite part of being an NT student.”

The 75th Maytime Melodies showed both the talent of current students and the strength of the music department, while also showing the strength of NT’s alumni community. Just like for the students of decades before, Maytime Melodies continues to be an NT highlight.

Graffti Thanks the Alumni Council

Elena Vlitas

Editor in Cheif

NT Alumni Council is a committee of NT grads who have all pursued their own careers but have kept their roots at NT. To promote entrepreneurship, teamwork, and community among students, they started the Dragon’s Den. Through this program, twice a school year, they generously provide NT clubs with the opportunity to pitch proposals for their activities to receive funding. Graffti is once again grateful and fortunate for a grant of $1100 to continue the print of student work to be read by all of NT.

Photo by Sophie Block

Photo courtesy of Dr. Jane A. Lee

Eglinton Cupcake Man: Cupcakes For a Cause

Who is The Cupcake Man?

Malak Mohamed Section Editor

Arissa Roy Section Editor

For as long as we can remember, there has always been a man offering cupcakes near the Young and Eglinton Centre. Naturally, this brought attention and curiosity to who this man is. Harvey Webber has become quite the sensation amongst NT. Webber’s plan was simple yet effective: bake a batch of his cupcakes and offer them to passersby in exchange for a donation.

Cupcakes have always been a crowd-pleaser, but Webber has taken his love for cupcakes to the next level. Freshly baking homemade cupcakes is a very smart way to raise money. That money would then be donated to missions in Toronto. Harvey has been offering cupcakes on and off for about seven years. Having all that dedication is truly admirable and sets an example for what we should strive to be.

When asked why Webber offers the cupcakes specifcally near the Young and Eglinton Centre, he mentioned that “there is a big fow,” and he is right. Webber

also mentions that many people donate and that he has regulars. Webber has truly built a community which is very notable.

Now, you may be wondering what he means by Missions in Toronto - well when we asked for clarifcation he shared “the money raised goes to a religious organization the website is https://torontoicc.org/.” When looking more into the work they do, we found that they run initiatives to support the homeless populations around the city, and organize toy drives for children during the holidays.

Some may like to classify Harvey’s actions as random acts of service and kindness. Sara Kaboudvand added, “he is brave for putting himself out these especially in a place like yeg but the people who actually trust him and buy the cupcakes are WAY braver.” Many of us grew up with our guardians/ parents telling us not to take food from strangers; however, it is clear that in some circumstances, stopping to have a short conversation with people and learning more about the story behind it can prove that the world is inherently good in many ways. You just have to ask the questions to see it.

NT Senior Class among frst time voters

The opinions of NT Seniors on Casting Their Ballots

Minuette Waugh Contributor

Although high school students don’t typically talk about voting and politics, thinking about these topics becomes unavoidable as they approach the future. As we move closer to 2023, more NT grade 12 students will become eligible to vote in Canadian elections. This raises the question: What are the thoughts of NTCI’s grade 12 students on voting in elections? With politics being a seemingly taboo topic among people. (So much so that several 12th grad-

ers refused to comment on their political views and voting plans.) Education on the subject of different political views and voting has been left in the grade 10 civics classroom. For this very reason, a somewhat large number of 12th graders feel uneducated on the matter. “How are we supposed to vote properly if all the education we get is a week-long crash course in Canadian politics?” Luke Martin confessed. Despite this, other 12th graders seem to disagree with the notion that education should be the responsibility of schools and that students should take personal responsibility to educate themselves.

That being said, most 12th

graders fnd voting to be an important part of their transition into adulthood, with some going as far as to say that they’d wish that the voting age would be lowered to include adolescents, who will be most affected by new policies. “We are exposed to so much more information than people our age had over 50 years ago when the legal voting age was set at 18,” stated Daniel Jung. “We have more knowledge, and we have a mind of our own. They shouldn’t be silencing it.” Nonetheless, others feel odd about the lower age. “I’d say it’s kind of weird that grade 12s get to vote because our votes don’t do anything for us,” said Zoe Rosenfeld. Overall, the opinions of our

seniors are split, but the future’s looking good. Ultimately, whether or not high school seniors vote is a complex issue with valid arguments on both sides. It is important to consider the potential benefts and drawbacks of such a policy and to carefully weigh them against each other. While there is no easy answer, it is clear that young people have an important role to play in shaping our democracy, and their voices should be heard.

Photo by Malak Mohamed

New Starbucks Location Near NT

Where have all the chairs gone?

Salma Kassim-Lakha Contributor

Given that there are just a few Starbucks locations near the school, you won’t have any trouble fnding students studying there. Starbucks is considered by many students to be the ideal study spot. With its large drink selection, sweet treats, and nice environment, why wouldn’t it be a perfect work location?

Although it recently moved a few stores down, the Yonge location’s Starbucks, located across from the Eglinton station, has been a popular spot for many years. Many people found the two-month closure to be inconvenient, but the removal of seating was the worst aspect of this move. Where have all the chairs gone? Students from North Toronto appear to be puzzled by this, despite the fact that the foor of the cafe is spacious enough to accommodate tables and chairs. The four stools side by side with each other aren’t doing any favors for those who want to study. The removal of cafe seating in response to COVID public health regulations would be a valid justifcation, but as of now, how many indoor dining

establishments still follow COVID protocol?

“Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity” is one of Starbucks’ guiding principles. If that is the case, then where is the great work environment? Is this “graband-go model” something we want Starbucks to become? Have they gotten sick of people buying a single coffee and then sitting at a table for 4+ hours with their laptop using the wif?

Students don’t seem to be very pleased with this adjustment, regardless of the reasons why the customer seating was removed. When asked about the store, grade 10 student Sophie Ratner said, “I was disappointed with the little seating provided when I frst entered after the reopening.” NT student Sabrina Soros also added, “I don’t like the fact that there’s zero seating; there was limited seating before, but now there’s even less.” Sandra Tauroni Fernandez stated, “I’m a big fan of the location, as it’s really close to the subway and our school, but I like to sit and study, and there’s no place to do that.”

With all of the construction and the COVID-19 outbreak during the past few years, the area surrounding Yonge and Eglinton has

been diffcult for businesses. Numerous Starbucks branches have been slowly disappearing in the midtown area, frst at Yonge and Davisville and then at Yonge and Lawrence. The last thing students need is a new Starbucks without adequate seating.

Aside from the unavailability of seating at this new location, students also expressed other opinions on the new Starbucks. Sabrina mentioned, “I really like that it’s close to the station, and their employees are super nice, and it’s

always a great experience.” Sophie also found the customer service to be really pleasant: “The frst time I went there, they were having some issues with their new card system, but it ended up being a good thing because I got a free drink.”

Overall, the decline in customer seating within Starbucks is certainly unfortunate for students who fnd it a suitable study spot. The next time you’re looking for a Starbucks study spot, you might want to avoid this one.

First Ontarian set to orbit the moon

The future of space exploration in Canada.

now spend his time training for the Artemis II mission.

Jasmine Noone Copy Editor

On April 3rd, 2023, Jeremy Hansen, a 47 year old Canadian astronaut, was announced to be the frst Canadian to orbit the moon. He will go on NASA’s historic Artemis II mission with three other astronauts: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman.

Jeremy Hansen was born and raised in southwestern Ontario, and had dreams of pursuing space exploration; “[he] wanted to see what it would be like to leave this planet, to look at it from beyond.” Hansen joined the Air Cadet Program when he was 12 years old, and later attended the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, to study space science. He then became a pilot, and is currently a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Hansen was recruited by the Canadian Space Agency in 2009, and has had extensive training in various environments. Hansen will

The Artemis II mission, in which four astronauts will go to space to orbit the moon, will be launched no earlier than November 2024. This mission is historical not only because it is the frst step to having humans on the moon again since 1972, but also because the astronauts in the crew will be the frst Canadian, frst woman, and frst person of colour to visit Earth’s satellite. It will be the frst crewed journey to the moon since the Apollo missions back in 1972, and it will make Canada the second country to ever send an astronaut around the moon. Additionally, the orbit route for Orion is farther than any astronauts have travelled before. With Artemis I, Orion travelled 434,525km from Earth, but the previous farthest distance was 400,171km from Earth during the Apollo 13 mission.

The Orion spacecraft of Artemis II is the second step in NASA’s plan to return astronauts to the surface of the moon. The frst step was Artemis I, in which NASA

launched the Space Launch System (SLS) and its new crew capsule, Orion, without any crew. The SLS went on a 25-day mission around the moon, which was deemed a success, initiating the second step, Artemis II. In this mission, the Orion spacecraft will orbit the moon for 10 days, with a goal of testing key components in preparation for Artemis III, which NASA hopes will place humans on the moon around 2025.

Unlike the Apollo missions of the 60s, the Artemis missions are international efforts, in which Canada plays a signifcant role. Canada contributed the Canadarm3 to NASA’s building of the Lunar Gateway, a space station that will orbit the moon, is building a lunar rover that will be provided by Canadensys Aerospace, and is sending astronauts as well. As a result of Canadian contributions, Canada was able to get a seat on Artemis II, which has been given to Hansen. Canada also has another guaranteed spot on the future Artemis crew assignments. Not only will Canada soon have its frst Canadian orbiting the

moon, but it could also have its frst Canadian setting foot on the moon. Canada’s contributions have opened opportunities for people like Hansen, and it will hopefully continue to provide opportunities for Canadians in the future. Hansen stated “Canada’s participation in the Artemis program will spur the creation of thousands of highly skilled jobs, boost innovation, and be a source of national pride for years to come.” According to Lisa Campbell, President of the Canadian Space Agency, Canada’s space program “generates revenues of $5 billion, and it creates 20,000 jobs.” Canada’s participation in space exploration has encouraged more people to start pursuing the feld, which Hansen hopes will continue: “I just want Canadians to feel that pride. I just want Canadians to realize…we are up to big things here in Canada and can accomplish the seemingly impossible if we believe in ourselves.” NASA’s mission will pave the way for future generations of Canadians to join and pursue space exploration and discovery.

Photo by Malak Mohamed

Libraries Around NT

Find your new favorite study spot.

Saanvi Satish

Contributor

Brentwood Branch

Address - 36 Brentwood Rd. N

Hours - Weekdays: 9AM to 8:30PM

Weekends: 1:30PM to 5PM

Description - A large, urban library with plenty of space. It has extravagant architecture and various study areas for solitude

Toronto Public Library - Bloor/ Gladstone Branch

Address - 1101 Bloor St. W

Hours - Weekdays: 9AM to 8:30PM

Weekends: 1:30PM to 5PM

Description - The environment is pleasant. It boasts beautiful architecture both inside and out with huge windows and tons of books. Plus, a delightful Tim Horton’s right next to it!

Toronto Public Library - Lillian H. Smith Branch

Address - 239 College St.

Weekends: 1:30PM to 5PM

Description - This is a book lover’s paradise! Four storeys make up this modest and compact library. The outer structure is designed to re-

semble a castle, with two enormous bronze griffns fanking the entrance. The front façade has an owl sculpture from one of the branch’s earlier incarnations.

Hart House Library

Address - 7 Hart House Cir

Hours - Weekdays: 9AM to 8:30PM

Weekends: 1:30PM to 5PM

Website - harthouse.ca

Description - A small, serene, and elegant location for some peaceful reading. There is beautiful old architecture and overall, it’s a welcoming, relaxing, and cozy library.

Acadia Art & Rare Books - Est 1931

Address - 232 Queen St. E

Hours - Monday - Saturday: 11AM to 6PM, Sunday: CLOSED

Website - acadiabooks.com

Description - This bookshop is very beautiful. Full of exotic books as well as paintings and sculptures. For want of a better term, a particular vibe. The bookstore’s owner is really... There are cats! It’s really one of my favorites :)

Toronto Public Library - Toronto Reference Library

Address - 789 Yonge St.

Hours - Weekdays: 9AM to 8:30PM

Weekends: 1:30PM to 5PM

Description - This library includes an endless number of books and other materials to view. I can assure you that there is something for everyone here! The architecture is unmistakably stunning. The inside is well lit, and the design incorporates lush greenery. There are plenty of places to sit, and everything is quite clean.

Toronto Public Library - High Park Branch

Address - 228 Roncesvalles Ave.

Hours - Weekdays: 9AM to 8:30PM

Weekends: 1:30PM to 5PM

Description - One of Toronto’s oldest libraries - it’s roughly a century old. It is worthwhile to see this place and is a wonderful location to read your favorite books.

Caven Library (Knox College)

Address - 59 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E6

Hours - Monday-Saturday: 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Sunday: CLOSED Website - knox.utoronto.ca

Description - Absolutely magnifcent place with a low-key style. It has a pretty amazing book collection; if you like dark academics, you’ll enjoy this one.

Summer events in Toronto

What to do as the weather gets warmer.

defnite must-do.

Nivedeeta Cour Contributor

As the harsh and long winter of Toronto fnally descends, it is thankfully replaced by a season loved and cherished as well as widely wished for: summer! As summer slowly approaches, more and more events around the neighbourhood start showing up on the calendar.

The frst event is at one of the most iconic spots in Toronto, Casa Loma. It is one of the top tourist destinations in the 6ix and is close to the Yonge-Eglinton neighbourhood, offering a variety of events to enjoy. Their all-time favourite escape rooms have a wide array of situations to choose from. Not to forget the phenomenal Symphony in the Gardens” event, a

Another event happening just around the corner is the Apple Tree Market at Davisville from May ninth, onward. This is heaven for environmentalists at NT, as its main goal is to provide fresh food in a city like Toronto in a safe and healthy way for the planet. Along with the great food, there is an opportunity to have some fun with your loved ones! I really look forward to attending this one.

A venue that is defnitely a hidden gem,often bypassed and overlooked, is our neighbourhood’s very own comedy bar, Absolute Comedy. Known to host a tonne of rising and well-known comedians accompanied by great food and drinks. Youths over the age of nineteen are most recommended for attending these shows, but anyone under the age of sixteen accompanied by an adult is allowed entry.

So, who’s up for some laughs?

Another perfect way to spend your summer is to indulge in a sport. This goes hand in hand with NT’s students’ large amount of sports participation. Are you concerned about wanting to play sports during the summer break without school facilities? Say no more. There are not one but three available tennis courts in the Yonge-Eglinton area for you to show off your skills, or if you’re like me, hone them rather. But it doesn’t just stop there. Do you want a slower-paced, less-exerting sport to play with family and friends of all ages? Yes please! Golf is the answer, and luckily, our neighbourhood happens to have its very own golf course you can use to “hit the links” as the weather improves. The Don Valley Golf Course is known for its beautiful, green setting and

John W. Graham Library, Trinity College

Address - 3 Devonshire Place, 6 Hoskin Ave.

Hours - Monday-Saturday: 8:30AM to 11:45PM, Sun: 1:15 to 11:45PM

Description - Beautiful lighting. I appreciate the cozy seats and the old-library ambiance. Great atmosphere, but just a handful of seats available.

Emmanuel College Library ����

Address - 75 Queen’s Park Cres. E Hours - Monday-Saturday: 9AM to 5PM, Sunday: CLOSED

Description: Feels really medieval and intellectual. The type of library that’s usually written in a magical fantasy book. Certainly worth a visit!

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Address - 120 St George St. Hours - Weekdays: 9AM to 5PM, Weekends: CLOSED

Description - It’s a really popular library and there is a good reason behind it. It contains a lot of books! History, cooking, science - doesn’t matter, it’s all there! (I love this one like crazy, it’s a MUST visit)

is one of fve award-winning municipal golf courses in Toronto. I guarantee you will fnd me there, getting my golf on!

Some at NT can’t wait to get their “summer on” after learning about the things the neighbourhood offers. Kuo Diangha, a grade 9 student, offers her views: “I think that these activities are so fun and that they make our neighbourhood look really good, plus they give me an opportunity to do things over the summer!” Another student says, “The activities sound cool. I would defnitely be interested in indulging in them during summer break.”

All in all, our neighbourhood may have more to it than meets the eye, especially when it comes to fun activities during the summer. So, NT, have you chosen where your haunt is going to be this summer break?

The Mario Movie Perfectly Embodies the Legacy of this Timeless Franchise

Personal thoughts from a dedicated Mario fan.

Jordan Phua Contributor

Yeah, yeah, I know. This should be in the “Arts and Lifestyle” section of the paper since technically it is a movie review. However, this is so much more than a simple review of what I liked about the Mario movie, because I ended up enjoying it more than I would realize. This right here is a Nintendo fanboy gushing over his personal feelings for a kid’s movie. I’m not just going over why it’s a fantastic movie- I’m also going over why this movie will forever have a special place in my heart, the part of my heart that will love Nintendo forever. For me, going to the cinema to watch this movie was not just a fun time; it was an experience, one that I know I’ll fondly look back on.

I want to start with what I disliked about the movie, which is how it uses licensed 80’s music in a few parts of the movie. This felt lazy and generic, and the few scenes that use it would’ve been made more relevant by using actual Mario music instead. It just feels out of place, like they didn’t have time to include iconic Mario themes. Thankfully, only about 2 or 3 scenes use this music, making this faw nearly negligible.

I have one more minor gripe- it feels like it tries to cram too much content into the span of 90 minutes. Some scenes don’t get the screen time they deserve, and everything just goes by faster than a certain blue hedgehog. The movie would have benefted from being slightly longer (2 hours max) so that some characters and locations could’ve been a little more feshed out.

The rest of the movie is what I can only describe as an absolute joyride, one that you won’t regret being a part of. Massive shoutouts to the casting. Chris Pratt as Mario was fne, but nothing too special. Same with Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlie Day did great jobs as Peach and Luigi, respectively. But Jack Black as Bowser? Give the genius who thought that would work a raise.

Alright, but I’m sure you’re wondering, “What exactly made this movie so special for me?” Well, it’s that it gets so much right. The animation is night-on fawless, the

worlds look breathtaking, the action scenes are basically perfect, and the references… DUDE, THE REFERENCES. As someone who has been a Mario and Nintendo fan for years, I tell you, every time they included a new reference, I had this goofy grin on my face because I knew and could pinpoint every exact little nod to Mario’s history. Heck, it’s not even just Mario references. They really included nods to other Nintendo franchises and obscure ones at that (no Kirby references though?). You have to be attentive to spot all the references. There aren’t just visual references - they even reference games in the music and the audio.

The level of attention to detail really carries over for the rest of the movie. You can tell everyone who worked on this movie put their heart and soul into it, because it feels like a legitimate, proper Mario

movie. It wasn’t like the 1993 Mario movie (google it) that screwed everything up because it felt more like some cheesy 90’s era sci-f action movie rather than a “Mario movie”. This movie gets so much right despite its insignifcant but still noteworthy faws. It perfectly captures the essence of Mario while still remaining entertaining for the audience. This movie is exactly what you would expect from a Mario movie and so much more.

Final shoutouts to the composers for the movie, because they killed it with the orchestral remixes of classic Mario themes. Seriously, they didn’t need to go that hard on the “Underground Level” remix. The iconic 1-1/Ground/Main theme is also brought to life in a way that almost feels surreal. Never would anyone realize that orchestrated versions of those classic chiptune themes would sound this natu-

ral, but they’ve pulled it off and it sounds like something that could defnitely be part of the soundtrack for the next modern Mario game. Also, please listen to “Peaches”. Trust me, it’s a good song and you’ll understand my defnition of “good” once you listen to it. By the time Issue 4 comes out, if the movie is still in cinemas, stop reading this article and GO WATCH IT. You’ll thank me later for recommending the movie. I can’t wait for a sequel (which is practically 100% going to happen) because I know that they’re going to kill it again. And I also know that this is just the beginning of the Nintendo Cinematic Universe. There better be a Kirby movie before I die, or else I’m going to riot.

Illustration by Justin Long

50 First Dates

Why 50 First Dates is Adam Sandler’s best rom-com.

Ava Ahlstrand Contributor

The romantic comedy “50

First Dates” came out in 2004, starring beloved actors Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Henry Roth (Adam Sandler), is a veterinarian at a Sea Life Park living in Hawaii. He develops feelings for Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), a local art instructor who suffers from a unique form of amnesia, due to a car accident and brain trauma, which renders her unable to recall anything from the previous days. This causes her to live everyday the same way, believing it’s always October 13th, her dad’s birthday, and a day after the accident. Her family goes to lengths to convince her everyday is the 13th, thinking it will protect her. They do this by putting the October 13th newspaper on their door every morning, and eating birthday cake everyday for her father’s birthday. Even her favourite restaurant’s staff who know Lucy, including regulars, will play along with the idea that everyday is the 13th, yet again, to protect her. Henry tries to win over Lucy, but

she can never remember him or any of his past gestures or interactions when she wakes up. Everyday, Henry comes up with a new way to

for the movie’s protagonist. This movie looks at love’s obstacles that seem to be impossible to overcome, rather than perfect love story Hall-

get her to fall for him, trying all different methods, seeking assistance from his father (Blake Clark) and his friend Ula (Rob Schneider). It’s a unique take on a romcom as it centers around a woman with short-term memory loss. The interesting premise keeps viewers intrigued throughout the movie, as it presents a quirky challenge

The Willow Project

Do our voices really matter?

Jasmine Noone Copy Editor

ConocoPhillips is an energy company that has explored and drilled for oil in Alaska over the past few decades. ConocoPhillips proposed the Willow Project, a huge, decadeslong oil drilling plan, that was originally approved by the Trump administration in 2020. On March 13th, 2023, the Willow Project was approved by the Biden administration, causing controversy. The drilling would be on Alaska’s North Slope in the national Petroleum Reserve, which holds an estimated 600 million barrels of oil. However, it would take years for the oil to reach the market because the project has not yet been constructed, leaving us only with detrimental consequences in the meantime.

The Willow Project would provide access to a signifcant amount of oil that would prolong and intensify the reliance on fossil fuels, which could escalate the climate crisis. Furthermore, if com-

pleted, the Willow Project would release 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere annually. The negative impacts of the project, including harm to local animal populations, degradation of the region’s air quality, spills, and leaks, have brought major concerns to many locals and environmentalists, and people are not staying quiet.

Over one million letters were written to the White House to protest the project, and several petitions were started, including the change.org petition, which gained more than fve million signatures. On social media platforms, especially TikTok, there have been thousands of posts spreading awareness about the detrimental effects the project would have, while encouraging people to fght back.

The pushback did not just take place on the internet. Environmentalists fought against the Willow Project in court, requesting to halt immediate construction related to the project, as they worried that noise from blasting and road construction could affect wild-

marks. Furthermore, the chemistry between the two main actors makes their dynamic in the movie feel real and authentic. Their conversations are sincere, and full of warmth, love, humor, and compassion from their very frst interaction. It covers themes of love, dedication, and sacrifce all while maintaining successful comedy. Due to Lucy’s

condition, her father is overprotective of her and fnds it daunting to accept the fact his daughter could fnd love, since she suffers from such a serious condition. The flm demonstrates his gradual acceptance of Henry and their relationship, as he learns to prioritize his daughter’s feelings over his fears. The movie also has great supporting actors in addition to the main romance. These individuals provide the flm with richness and humor, such as Rob Schneider’s portrayal of Ula, a Hawaiian native who offers Henry guidance on his journey of love. Not to forget the fun soundtrack used by the movie which includes several of my favorite songs, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys, “Another Day” by Paul Mcartney, “Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips, and many more. “50 First Dates” is Adam Sandler’s best rom-com because of its original idea, chemistry of its actors, emotional depth, stunning setting, catchy music, fantastic supporting actors, and critical and box offce success. Whenever you get the chance, defnitely give this movie a watch, or a re-watch, or a re-re-watch, or a…you get the point!

life. However, they lost the fght on April 3rd, 2023, when the U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason rejected this idea, declaring that ConocoPhillips Alaska could go ahead with construction work. Gleason said that the ConocoPhillips’ construction work is less harmful than the Willow Project as a whole, and she was not shown the irreparable damage the construction would cause.

Although many people are protesting the project, it is hard to make change when there are many leaders on the opposing side. ConocoPhillips Alaska sees this project as an opportunity because it could create up to 2500 jobs during construction, and 300 long-term jobs overall. Additionally, there would be billions of dollars of revenue generated for federal, state, and local governments in Alaska. Supporters also say new oil will ensure the U.S. has a reliable and domestic supply of energy, which will limit the country’s dependence on oil suppliers run under authoritarian regimes.

With Biden’s approval of the project, one can see that the

decisions on this project and many other climate decisions are beyond the control of the general public. If this is the case, how can we make our voices heard in protests trying to protect the earth? Despite many fghts against major corporations, there seems to rarely be any successful intervention. This has been especially felt with regards to the Willow Project. Millions of people signed petitions against the project, and yet the outcome was still the same. It seems as though any efforts made, whether online or in court, have been entirely ineffective. Everyone is aware of the negative effects this project will have on the earth, but what can we do to save our planet if all our efforts are ignored? Major corporations, courts, and leaders need to see that the potential proft is not worth the consequences. The futures of today’s youth have to be more important than money made from the destruction of the earth. We speak out on social media because it is familiar, it is what we know, but how can we get people to listen?

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Refecting on my experiences with English class.

Rowen Uy Head Copy Editor

When I was four years old, I read my frst novel. It was a simple story, easy to read and easy to learn; your classic beginner novel. But I was four, I wasn’t expected to be reading about complicated moral dilemmas and conficts. It was my frst introduction to the art of English.

When I was six, I wrote my frst paragraph. I learned to express my emotions through the art of writing, instead of merely crying and yelling. I learned to pour my soul onto the page, to hold my pen with my heart and let the words pour out. It was writing that was my frst coping mechanism, the frst way I could truly express myself and escape from the world I was living in.

I used to love reading. When I wasn’t at school, you would fnd me trapped within the pages of a book, my mind off in a distant land, laid out in front of me by the words on the page. When I was a child, my imagination was wild. My room was lined with bookshelves, lined to the brim with stories of discovery and adventure, or tales of destruction and freedom. I would stay up past my bedtime, hiding underneath my bedsheets with my fashlight in my hand as I read into the wee hours of the morning. These stories built my life. They became my last resort, my comfort place. I grew to love the characters and the fantastical worlds that they lived in; places where I could escape and be free from judgment.

I used to love writing. I used to dream of one day writing my own fantastical world into existence. I dreamt of open felds, of mountains that touched the sky, and of waves crashing into riverbanks. It was my greatest dream, to one day create my own world, that I could escape to when I needed a break. To make my own happy place.

In seventh grade, I was given the chance to write my own short story. I was ecstatic. I would fnally have the chance to let my imagination run free. This was my frst real chance to let my imagination run wild and free.

I haven’t felt that way in years.

English class killed my imagination. It tied down my wings and chained me to the ground. It roped in my dreams and took the pen out of my heart and into my hand.

My grade seven short story assignment taught me to follow the guidelines, not my heart. It taught me to follow the expecta-

tions, not my imagination. And this is what English class does. It takes away the creativity of the writer in favour of creating a machine that endlessly pumps out textbook pieces of writing.

Art is a means of speaking through the soul. A creative outlet for artists to express themselves through a means that words cannot describe. You wouldn’t ask a painter to stick to colour by number sheets. You wouldn’t ask a musician to only play scales in certain key signatures. These are artists, creators, and dreamers who think and live outside of the box. Who stretch the limits of what is possible by breaking the norm. Why then, do we learn to stay within the confnements of restricting parameters when learning to write?

In seventh grade, I ignored the limits placed on me and wrote with my heart. I got a 70. The feedback; “You didn’t write the story the way I wanted you to write it.” And it goes beyond writing.

I haven’t read a book for fun in fve years. I went from a curious child who would read whenever I could, to a melancholy teenager who sees reading as a chore. You may blame this change on technology, on the piece of glass I carry in my pocket. You may blame me for not making an effort to enrich my mind. Not me. I blame English class.

I used to read to explore. English class taught me to read critically. To analyze everything. Every word choice, every sentence structure, and every use of punctuation seemed to have a meaning. We’d spend hours upon hours analyzing a single paragraph, trying to

understand the meaning of a single paragraph when the answer was right there in the frst sentence. I understand that we must learn the English language in order to be able to effectively communicate ideas and maintain a conversation. I understand that being literate is crucial for the progression of our society. But criticizing imagination is taking this a step too far. Putting a limit on creativity teaches our society that there is no greater skill than being able to follow orders. It teaches that there is no greater accomplishment than to be able to churn out a fve-paragraph essay that is exactly the same as everyone else’s. What happened to praising those who challenge the limits of what is possible?

English class is teaching us to follow the standards of what has been done before. It is telling us that exploring our imagination through creative writing is wrong, and that challenging the limits results in punishment.

Art, unlike something like math or science, is not something that can be quantifed. One cannot place a numerical value on a piece of artwork, and one should not be placing similar expectations on English writing, which at its core, is another form of artwork. We need to stop teaching students how to write a simple fve-paragraph essay that mimics the works of all who have come before them and start praising the adventure and creativity that is inherent inside each of us. I might never read a book again. English class has locked down my imagination, sealed the cage in which it is contained, and thrown away the key. Maybe one day, another child like me will come along and not be confned by their seventh-grade English teacher and will learn to spread their wings and write with their heart. I wish that was me, but alas, I can only imagine.

Photo by Elena Vlitas

Semi Formal: Behind the Scenes

What goes into creating a night no one will forget.

Sammi Track Contributor

Choosing a venue: In Toronto, several popular venues have become the go-to locations for hosting semi-formal high school events. These venues are typically nightclubs that can be rented out for a few hours. In contrast to cheaper locations like Airbnbs or frat houses, these venues are less likely to cancel at any given moment. It also removes the liability of having to pay for repairs, amongst other issues that may arise. Another crucial factor to consider is the size of the venue. It is important to fnd a location that is spacious enough to accommodate the attendees comfortably. Additionally, having a DJ is essential to keep the party going and create a lively atmosphere. Nightclubs are equipped with professional sound systems and lighting that can help enhance the overall experience. One more advantage of renting nightclubs as venues is that they come with built-in security. This is especially important to ensure the safety of everyone attending the event. Having security personnel present can prevent any unwarranted incidents.

Liability: There is relatively low liability associated with hosting semi-formal events at nightclubs. The open and spacious design of these venues makes it diffcult to cause signifcant damage, and the owners are generally not strict about the space getting dirty. The club owners tend to be strict when it comes to illegal substances; any individuals caught doing so would be penalized rather than the event organizers. In the event of serious damages or incidents, the planners may be fned up to $1000, depending on the severity of the issue. It is important to note that if a semi-formal event does not go well at a particular venue, the owner may not allow the school or group to host another event there in the future.

Choosing how much to charge people: Choosing how much to charge depends on many different factors. Firstly, these venues are not cheap. They usually cost around $7,000 or more. You also have to purchase the physical tickets which cost around $50-$100 dollars to produce, and sometimes people pay their ticket sellers.

Choosing how much to charge usually depends on how many people

are going – Semis usually have anywhere from 250-400 people. To break even, it is best to assume that the least number of people are going. For example, suppose 250 people are attending and charge per person accordingly.

The reason why tickets are usually cheaper in the beginning and then increase is because the venues require deposits. There is an initial deposit of $500 dollars just to secure the venue. Some students have this money on hand or can be without this money, but for others, this becomes the most challenging part. Bookings and deposits happen at least a month or two in advance. It is hard to get highschoolers to purchase tickets for an event far in the future. By giving an incentive, such as cheaper tickets, individuals are more likely to purchase quicker. The longer people wait the more stressful it is for the planner, hence the increase in prices for tickets.

Money is made once ticket sale revenue exceeds the costs. The more tickets sold, the more profit made. You can generate a good amount of money from planning a

semi, but it is never guaranteed. In addition to potential fnancial concerns, planning a semi-formal event can be very stressful. The initial deposit often comes out of the planner’s pocket since no money has been made yet from ticket sales. For most 18-yearolds, $500 is a large sum of money. Furthermore, once the deposit is made, there is no way to get it back in the event of a cancellation. Handling a large amount of money also requires extreme organization to ensure that all expenses are accounted for.

I have not personally lost any money, but I have come close to not paying off the venue and barely making any proft. This was a combination of fewer people going than expected and not handling expenses properly.

Additional Information: Semi-formals are typically held early in the night because the clubs that host these events are open later in the evening for adults who can go clubbing. However, if you plan a semi on a Wednesday, you may be able to secure a later time.

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays

are the most popular nights for going out, making it harder to secure later times.

Organizing a semi-formal requires a lot of effort and attention to detail. It involves constant communication with the venue and ensuring that deposits are paid on time. Selling tickets can also be time-consuming, as it often requires waiting around during lunch or after school and even delivering tickets to people’s houses. If you have ticket sellers, you need to keep track of how many tickets they have and how much money they have collected. It’s essential to keep accurate records of all the money and tickets received. Additionally, social media can be a useful tool to promote ticket sales and reach a wider audience, especially students from other schools. Ticket sellers can also help promote the event and attract more people, as not everyone may feel comfortable approaching someone they don’t know. Having sellers from different grades and friend groups can be particularly helpful in spreading the word about the party.

Photo by Arissa Roy

The Reasons Behind Their University Decisions

NT’s Grade 12s share their thought process in picking their universities.

Abby Harlow Contributor

Each year between May and June, we’re bombarded by a never-ending stream of Instagram grad account reposts. Be-

ing a Grade 12, I can say that these posts are now a great insight into who I may see next year at school. In my early high school days, though, these posts were a constant reminder that it would soon be my turn.

For me, choosing a university was a really scary thought.

Abby Harlow - Queen’s University

Program: Engineering

I didn’t feel like I was in a place where I felt 100% certain that I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. If you’re in Grade 9, 10, or 11 and feeling this same way, know that you are not alone. As my mom has told me hundreds of times, you can have an engineering degree and still decide to go to

law school. Ultimately, your undergraduate degree is just a stepping stone in your career path, and not the fnal destination.

In order to help ease some anxiety, here are some of the reasons why people chose the university and program they will be attending next year:

For most of high school, engineering wasn’t on my radar. In Grade 9, I wanted to go to culinary school, in Grade 10, I wanted to go into business, and in Grade 11, I was completely unsure. Come Grade 12, I had decided I was going to go into a Bachelor of Science, majoring in math. The only reason I applied to Queen’s Engineering was because my dad wanted me to keep it open as an option. Thankfully I did, because throughout the next 4 months of research and talking with various people, it made it up the roster to top choice. Why Queen’s Engineering? Here are some of my top reasons:

1) Queen’s is not too far, but not too close. I don’t have to take a fight and my sister can visit on the train, but I get enough distance to learn some independence.

2) I love the overall vibe of the school. The campus is really beautiful and inviting.

3) The campus does not feel isolated from everything else.

4) Queen’s Engineering has a great community within itself.

5) Good social life

Keira Ayoub - York University

Program: Kinesiology and Health Science

I chose to go to York mostly because of the program. I am doing a major in kinesiology and health science with a separate degree in athletic therapy. I also chose York because it is a bilingual school, so I’ll be able to take some courses in French.

Sarah Flemington - Queen’s University

Program: Arts

I chose Queen’s General Arts because I love the classic university town feeling of Kingston and how all the students seem so lively and spirited within the Queen’s community. Arts was an easy decision for me because I have a wide variety of interests when it comes to school and I want to be able to experiment with classes that fall under the Faculty of Arts and Science to see what appeals to me in my frst year. I was considering going to Dalhousie, but ultimately this was a fairly easy decision for me since I have wanted to go to Queen’s for the past few years!

Sophie Block - McGill University

Program: Arts

If you ask any of my friends, you will know that I struggled choosing where to go. For me, it wasn’t a question of why go to a school, but why not? I visited all of my choices, but to be honest, they all look relatively the same. And visiting Canadian universities in the winter makes them all seem really grey and ugly. I ended up using a list to help me think about each school: size of program, size of school, size of town, upper year residence, distance from res to school, distance from housing to school, the newspaper, clubs to join, social life. I had always wanted to do arts, so I only applied to arts programs. After getting into all my schools with a week to decide, I found it most helpful to talk to people a year older who go to each school. I ended up choosing McGill because I liked their program best, I had heard great things about the social scene, and it was far away from home.

Miah Jensen - University of British Columbia (Okanagan)

Program: Human Kinetics

I chose to take human kinetics at UBC and my program is in Kelowna at the Okanagan campus. I decided on going there as I love the city (it gets some of the most sun in Canada) and the program itself is one of the best in the country. I was also offered a scholarship there so that defnitely helped to infuence my decision as without it, I thought it was going to be too expensive. It was defnitely a very diffcult decision for me and I’m still not 100% I’ve made the right choice as I originally wanted to stay a little closer to home. Kelowna is very far and a much smaller city than Toronto so it should be a very different experience but I’m super excited to live near the mountains and lake for the next few years.

Claire Kelly - University of King’s College

Program: Journalism

In the last few years of my life, I have had the idea that I wanted to live in Halifax. Whether it was being closer to family or the ocean, I knew that was where I wanted to be. The University of King’s College was where I found my interest. Through lots of research, I found the journalism program which also provided the foundation year program for all frst year students at Kings. In my time at North Toronto, I started fnding interest through writing from my good friend Sophie Block. Sophie pushed me to sign up for an article and this inspired me to sign up for the next few issues of Graffti. So, the journalism program was what I wanted. Once I had gotten in, I was ecstatic. I was sitting on the couch when I got the email, which I kept reading over and over. I tried to imagine life in Halifax, but once I thought too hard, I thought about leaving Toronto, and this made my quick decision much more diffcult. It was hard to press accept but everyone around me was reassuring me that it was the right choice, and I agreed. Once I accepted, I got even more excited. I looked through different residences, different courses, and what my program provided. Leaving my family and starting new seems scary, but I’m willing to try and looking forward to doing so.

No shoulders allowed!

Claire Kelly Contributor

As a woman, I am faced with never ending comments; “that’s too small” or “too revealing”. Thankfully, the TDSB dress code is very lenient when it comes to what people are able to wear at school, allowing students to express themselves however they’d like. Why is it that we can

wear tank tops in every class but gym? I thought the dress code in gym class was an attack against women showing their skin. Turns out, I was wrong.

If you’ve ever been in a gym class at North Toronto, you’re well aware of the dress code: only loose ftting t-shirts are permitted, no tank tops, or short-shorts. Many students have taken offense to this, seeing it as a rule that objectifes them, forcing them to hide their bodies. I’ve taken NT’s gym

and personal ftness classes for the last four years, and am constantly hearing complaints about the dress code, whether it’s the panic of forgetting a shirt, wearing a tank top, or that your cleavage may be “too distracting”.

If you believed that the uniform was about preventing compulsive gazing, it’s understandable that you’d be critical. A grade 12 student taking co-ed gym, thought the rule was about pushing “the idea that girls are distracting and

that their comfortability is not as important”. Something we often forget is that these rules are for everyone. For the boys and girls gym classes, we are all given the same dress code rules. However, women are often the most affected or in violation of this rule, at least that’s how it feels. This leaves some students against the uniform code believing that it is unfair and not thinking of women properly. This

A look into NT’s gym class dress code.

Photo by Emerson Bristol

left the grade 12 student questioning “Why are we still viewing women as objects?”.

To clear up some of the confusion about the reasoning behind these rules, Ms.Chamberlain, my personal ftness teacher, explains that the TDSB dress policy states that “undergarments may not be worn as outerwear”. She goes on to explain that it is often diffcult

to determine whether a student is wearing a tank top or an undergarment. “By insisting that everyone wear a t-shirt, there is less confusion and it makes it easy for students and teachers”.

Ms. Chamberlain explains that the uniform or dress expectations for Health and Physical Education classes do not include tank tops, not because they are

Who Loves the Sun?

“inappropriate” or “show too much skin”, but rather because uniform expectations are based on teachers wanting all students to be comfortable while in a ftness or gym environment. Additionally, it ensures that everyone is treated the same regardless of sex or gender identity.

The dress code given to students who take physical education

The 2nd place-winning short story in this year’s TCTE Short Story Contest.

Ava Reitmaier-Stone Section Editor

Late summer. Sweat sticks to the buzzing air, Lehna’s toes dig a hole into a balding patch of crabgrass. Sprawled across a lawn chair in her backyard, sporting only a sagging pair of bloomers, Lehna chainsmokes and reads the same three beaver magazines with the solemnity of a monk. The world has taken on a decided staleness this August, with everything adopting the limp itchiness of unwashed bed sheets. All the grass in Alpharetta, Georgia has turned the colour of duck bills. The tap water has started to taste like pepper and milk powder. The price of instant coffee has risen by 75 cents.

The Sun beats down relentlessly. It seems that this summer, the nature of its glare has shifted from merciless to desperate. Lehna never found the Sun to be particularly joyful. It always seemed a bit perverted to her. Voyeuristic. But then again, even the lobsters at the supermarket seemed a bit perverted to her. If one has been alone for a long time, they start to become very protective of their aloneless. They start to get selective about the things that can crawl through their windows. Lehna has stopped letting the Sun through her windows. If she ever wants to see it, she gets as naked as she feels like being and lays in her lawnchair.

She is 48, she’s never been kissed. She never left the obsessive virginal phase that most shed in their youth. It has stayed with her, mutating as it survived past its anticipated expiration date. With all the perverse naivete and jumping eyes of a teenage boy and all the apathetic discontent of a middle aged woman, most people fnd Lehna off putting.

Lehna looks at the grass. She wonders if watering it would help, or if her hose has been what turned it this colour. She tries to remember the last time she made boxed mac and cheese, and what it had looked like. She had been stoned, she recalled. It hadn’t been a good kind of stoned, it never was anymore. It was the kind of stoned

that had made her quit her cashier position, the kind that had you feeling like a sack of shit dangling over a ravine. With an achy dread, she thinks of her bed. Sleeping another night with her head on the same pillow makes her want to cry hot tears. The underside of her breasts are sweaty, and the folds of her stomach, the backs of her knees, armpits. She has been mixing canned ice tea concentrate into her tap water to make it taste less like diner dishwater. It has rotted her breath. Her hair is thin and pin straight. Her face has a lot of beauty. It sits on the tops of her cheeks in red constellations, in her cupid’s bow, in the corners of her eyes.

A peeled orange sits among a dozen unpeeled oranges in a plastic shopping bag on the concrete.

A chain link fence stands to the left. It separates Lehna’s yard from the abandoned one next door. The fence stops abruptly in the middle of the shared lot, defeating its purpose altogether.

The Sun hisses and pops, it’s been doing that lately. Nobody else has seemed to notice. Lehna squints at it.

“Gotta smoke?”

Lehna turns her head, squints harder. A face has appeared above the fence, an arm languidly extending beside it.

“Sure.” She makes no effort to offer the face one, standing up wasn’t on her afternoon itinerary. Besides, if she can make it uncomfortable enough, maybe the face will go away. Her gruffness doesn’t seem to bother the face however, which Lehna can now make out is ringed with the kind of peroxide locks that make her sour.

The face belonged to one 23 year old Cadey Lebowski, the kind of girl who sits in the backseat and gets dirt under her manicure. The kind who can’t cook.

“You gonna offer me one?”

Lehna has returned to observing her magazine, she jerks her head to the right indicatively, cigarette ash dribbles onto the pages of Escort.

Flouncing around the fence, Cady seats herself between

the half naked woman in the lawn chair and the bag of oranges. Lehna wordlessly hands her a cigarette and a light. The Sun sputters. Looking at the sky with vague concern, Cady rolls her painted lips into her mouth. She’s still young enough to smudge her lipstick.

“Have you noticed that it’s been doing that?”

Lehna fxes her eyes on the Sun.

“Yeah.”

“Ever happened before?”

Lehna shrugs.

“I’ve never seen it.” She looks down at her magazine for a moment, then she looks at Cady.

“The wind has stopped too.”

“There’s no wind in Alpharetta.”

Lehna half turns and points to the weathervane on the roof of her bungalow. Cady tries not to fxate on the grotesque twists of the woman’s skin, she’s frmly resolved not to care.

“Moves all the time. Well, it used to. Hasn’t budged in a week.” She turns back.

“It’s like a lightbulb you know? It’s gotta burn out eventually.”

“So what? Some man in a plane is gonna fy up there and switch out the Sun?”

Cady’s brow furrows, consumed by the technicalities of changing the bulb in the sky.

Lehna sucks air between her teeth.

“No, they can’t fx it. Or else everyone wouldn’t be ignoring it.”

Lehna waited for Cadey to start crying. But she didn’t. Instead, she sat quietly for a while, and then she asked Lehna if she was in the mood to fx her some lunch.

“How long till it goes out?”

Standing in her kitchen, poised like a French monarch, Lehna fries eggs. She doesn’t respond to the pile of limbs in her leather recliner, how was she supposed to know? Cady hauls her elbows onto the armrest of the recliner, dropping her neck so that she is staring at Lehna upside down. The woman is still practically naked, her bloomers an indescribable nothing kind of colour. Her kitchen a

at North Toronto has sparked many conversations. Many students are unsure of the reasoning behind the dress code and therefore think of it negatively. By having this explanation, and understanding that it is not sexism behind the rule, NT students can not just comply, but understand the meaning behind their actions.

swarm of taupe and russet. Cady likes looking at her, the way that she likes smelling gasoline.

“A week?”

“A light bulb only starts sparking like that a few days before it shuts off”

“So, soon then.”

Lehna splits the eggs onto two plates and walks them over to the recliner.

“Soon.”

Cadey pushes her soles into the armrest opposite the one on which her elbows rest, pushing her knees into her chest like a loaded spring.

“So what the fuck? How come nobody cares? Asked my friend about it this morning, looked at me like I was crazy.”

Lehna sinks into the suede couch opposite Cady. Even after so many years, her legs are still taught with the anticipation of being touched by another person. Lehna examines them the way that a young girl would: with the eyes of a man.

“It’s not that they don’t care, it’s that if they admit that it’s happening then they have to confront it.”

“But like it could all end today, shouldn’t we all be shooting up or something? Getting our goods while we still can?”

“The kind of people that would do that already have been doing it. Everyone just wants to keep on living the way they have been.”

Outside, the Sun spits.

A seafoam light fxture hangs to the left. A cluttered coffee table sits between them. It’s covered in empty cigarette packs, tarot cards, Playboy’s, rolling papers, a water bong, two untouched plates of eggs. The light is turned off, and its dead stillness makes the room feel like one big blanket with a rock in the middle. Cady looks at it anxiously, then she asks Lehna for another cigarette. She sucks it as she looks out the screen door, hanging ajar.

The Common Experiences of Hobson Band

Stella Sherman Contributor

Brayden Rak Contributor

Joining a band, not to be confused with “band”, is something I never imagined myself doing. Cello isn’t the most accessible instrument. However, since learning bass guitar, I joined Hobson band.

I am Stella the bass player. Brayden, our drummer, is helping me make this article funnier because I don’t know how. We also have Danny our guitar player and singer, Ryan our pianist, and Lola our saxophone player.

Agreeing On Setlists

As a band, the most important thing you will ever do (besides practice) is agree on what music to play. These decisions often prompt long and sometimes infuriating discussions since we have to actually like the music we’re playing, and we have to sound good while playing it. To avoid confict, we have a few banned songs from appearing on our setlist. That being Creep by Radiohead as well as any song made by the Beatles. Having all the correct instruments is also crucial, so we can’t play any 80’s songs because apparently the only instrument that existed at that time was the synth. There’s also the problem of playing music that’s too easy or boring for no one in particular, so that pretty much rules out any song with a slightly repetitive or mundane drum part. We get it Brayden, you’re going into music, that’s no excuse, you’ll have your entire life to play in bands.

Not Being Able to Hear Each Other During Practice

The last thing you are ever going to hear from your NT music teachers is “Can you stop practicing for 5 minutes?” It is quite diffcult try-

ing not to snap at your members (Brayden and Ryan) playing Super Mario Theme Song when I am trying to ask someone (Danny) a question from across the room. When band members need to talk to each other there is always someone conveniently playing their instrument as loud as possible as if they’re trying to explode the ear drums of everyone in a 5 kilometer radius. I’m going to take this opportunity to shield my unbiased opinion that bass guitar is superior. I can play any riff for as long as I want and no one can even hear me play.

Miscommunication

Hobson Band has already played for a few school events but there have been many times where last-minute changes were made to our performances. We were actually supposed to be a part of the talent show but because the lunch period was nearing its end, we just

played outro music. For the TedX event, we were told that we would be playing at the assembly intermission. It wasn’t until the day of the event that we realized we would just be playing as people walked into/out of the auditorium. And we weren’t even supposed to be playing on red and grey day but someone told us that we were, so we “politely” declined.

Moving the Drum Kit

Since all of our equipment resides in the band room, it often needs to be transported for our performances. Moving the drum kit is what we dread the most about this process. Multiple people are needed to move each piece of the kit and then set it up to be in perfect position for Brayden. It especially angers us when the Maytime Melodies program is written so that we have LESS THAN A MINUTE to move the entire (7 piece) drum set all the

9th Grade Views on NT Events

What does the freshman class think?

dogs. Here are some of their highlights ranked from least to most.

Lily Homenuk Contributor

Throughout the school year, NT has many events. Considering that the Grade nines have the least power in the school, it is interesting to hear what they have to say as the proverbial under-

Spirit Week

Spirit Week was a full 5 days where students got to dress up for different themed days, like jersey day, pop culture day, twin day, and pajama day. The themed days helped students who wanted to participate, get creative,

and show off their looks. Though the idea was good, it didn’t have a ton of participation from the younger grades because not everyone had the right accessories to take part in the themes. Some students thought there could have been a bit more added to the week like school-wide activities. For people who did partic-

way from the hallway to the stage. Even without the drum kit, setting everything up is a demanding task. We would like to give a personal shout out to Charlie Carter for all his help with the audio tech stuff because we don’t know how to use any of that.

The Infamous Hobson Band Name

We are all aware of Mr. Hobson’s departure from North Toronto to Wexford School of the Arts. Since then, the #1 question that we have been asked other than “Why are you guys so incredibly awesome and talented?” is “So ArE yOu GuYs sTiLL cALLeD hObSoN bAnD?”. Sometimes we like to mess with people and tell them that we’re just called The Band. Stop asking us this, Hobson Band is a fre name and we’re keeping it. Why are you so obsessed with our name anyway? Weirdos.

ipate, the event was a smashing success.

Grade Nine Welcome Day

Early in the school year, Grade Nine Welcome Day took place with the goal of building school spirit and friendships. The event occurred on the feld, where stu-

continued on the next page...

Photo by Sophie Block

dents got to participate in activities with their homerooms. The event helped students get to know each other, and eat treats like freezies. A bit more variety in the activities, fewer sport based ones, would have been welcomed. In all, the event was fun and certainly one to be remembered for the grade nine students.

Grade 9-athon

The school came up with Grade 9-athon when they wanted to have a special event for grade nines during Charity Week. Everyone who signed up for the event would get the afternoon off to play sports such as basketball and soccer, decorate cookies, and have a chance to win a scavenger hunt. The event took place inside where you were put into teams. From my knowledge, there may have been a bit of switching to get on the same team as your friends but that was just the start of all the fun. The activities were well-planned and not too competitive for the students. Some students wished the event had more of a theme in the activities because it seemed a bit disconnected and rushed.

Charity Week

Charity Week seemed to be one of the biggest and most anticipated events at NT. Charity

Week is an awesome experience, being able to see all the booths with my friends was certainly the highlight. Students could go down at lunch and buy food, services, and play games for low prices. The cherry on top was all the money raised went to charity. Why not buy three cupcakes and support a charity? All of the attention that Charity Week received caused the hallways to be super crowded around the tightly packed booths. Some students liked it so much that they

wanted the event to take place after school to have more time to purchase from the booths. At the end of the week, there were happy students and good memories from the event.

playing games like girl’s soccer, girl’s rugby, and boy’s basketball. Students get excused from their classes to watch and cheer on the teams. Everywhere you look you can see students decked out in red and grey. From shirts to pants and even a spider man suit, NT students really stepped up and showed their spirit. Red and Grey day has been a tradition at the school for many years and for all the Grade nines like myself, it was our frst year being a part of it. It certainly lived up to the hype and I will be looking forward to it next year!

Grade 9s have certainly enjoyed experiencing NT’s events for the frst time. The events are so wonderful due in large part to the organisers and the volunteers who run them and also with the students’ school spirit. If you have ever assisted in running an event at NT, I thank you for bringing that event to the students.

Red and Grey Day Red and Grey Day was the majority of students’ favourite event this school year. On Red and Grey Day classes get to decorate their homeroom doors for the spirit contest - the doors are outrageously fun! Throughout the day NT sports teams are

Great or Gauche? How an NT Student Feels About the Bathroom Graffti

Breaking down the art on the bathroom stalls.

Clara Proulx Contributor

From cartoon characters to body parts, I’m sure that we’re all familiar with the diverse array of unique expressions featured on the washroom stalls of NT. In fact, one need not even brave the bathrooms to see NT’s extensive graffti collection; samples of NT’s works were shown to all of us; courtesy of faculty, in an attempt to catch those responsible for said creations. And yet, I can’t help but wonder why this has become a pressing issue?

Why are we arbitrarily labelling harmless doodles as “vandalism”? Let us refer to them as what they are: works of art, because while crude, many of the drawings feature concepts of proportion, anatomy, and colour theory so complex that they could not be recreated by the majority of the

student body- even with that mandatory art credit under our belts. Moreover, the sheer level of detail and planning begs the question: just how long did this person have to spend crammed into the corner of the stall drawing the entire cast of the muppets? The lack of understanding for the skill, time, effort, and most importantly, appreciation for these drawings vexes me.

Students at NT actually claim that the art in the bathrooms improves the dingy atmosphere drastically. Entering the bathrooms at NT is widely understood to be an unpleasant affair. Those who open the doors are greeted with a unilateral assault on all of their senses. One’s sensory receptors are simultaneously cauterised by the combined stench of urine and god knows what collection of vape juices, the migraine inducing intense lighting, the depressing concrete walls, and the claustrophobic lack of space. However, students report that the drawings on the

walls aid in combating said sensory overload. One grade 10 student remarked that she feels happier after seeing the graffti in the bathrooms, because it says you look pretty, which is “very validating.”

Another grade 10 student claimed that, “it’s comforting to know Elmo’s there for me when I’m stuck in a stall with no toilet paper.” And even those who don’t frequent the bathrooms are adamant that the graffti on the bathroom is a welcome improvement. With this unanimously supportive feedback, one becomes hard pressed to deny the colossally positive impact that graffti has had on NT students. Perhaps the only real victims in this state of play are the caretakers who are tasked with scrubbing the images. I assume it feels bad to erase art, and I acknowledge that in drawing on the stalls, the caretakers are put into a diffcult position. Also, if your job is to ensure the schools stay clean and bare, being given extra work

likely feels unfair and frustrating. Let’s take the advice of the wise person who once said, “give me the strength to accept that which I can not change.” Graffti is not confned to the walls of NT, it’s a divisive topic that has even gone so far as to prompt government intervention in some places. As is the same with a slew of other issues, so long as enough people have the will to commit an act, no amount of authoritative policy will be one hundred percent effective eliminating it, so why fght the tides? Instead of treating graffti as a blemish to be corrected, view it as something with the express purpose of bringing light and mirth to the experiences of the student body. After all, some of the greatest visual and literary artists of their time were persecuted before they were embraced.

Photo by Lily Homenuk

A Breath of Life: A New Take on Washroom Graffti

Ms. Boon’s insights on the bathroom project

Brooke Williams Contributor

The second foor washrooms may be closed for a little while, but don’t worry, it’s for good reason. During the month of May, Ms. Boon and two of her grade 10 classes have taken upon transforming the washrooms through art, breathing life into the drab grey stalls. The bathroom art project has each stall featuring a different mural theme both on the inside and outside, including themes such as Spongebob, under the sea, Minecraft, mythical creatures, and outer space. According to Ms. Boon, this variety of themes “allows the big group of over 60 students to all work on something they are engaged in.”

This revamp aims to draw attention away from negative graffti. Ms. Boon recalled that “over the course of the year, there’s been a big problem with graffti in the bathrooms, and it came to [her] attention that some of the graffti was inappropriate.” But amongst the crude drawings and curse words, “some of it was really artistic though.”

Student art is a pleasant sight when spending the day engulfed in the grey concrete walls of North Toronto. Whether that art be in the halls, on the windows, or even in the washrooms, seeing more art around the school is re-

freshing. Ms. Boon noted how “it’s really important that students feel like the school belongs to them,” and that “we have this beautiful building, but for a lot of students the lack of student art doesn’t really make it feel like home.” Moving forward, this project allows students to take some “ownership of the school.”

This idea isn’t entirely new; Ms. Boon shared how this project is “similar to what the city has done, how they have put up artwork.” Like our own project, Toronto’s stART program has transformed

NT’s London Trip

A close-up and personal review of the London Trip.

underpasses and walls across the city, while also discouraging illegal vandalism through beautiful artwork. Hopefully, the bathroom project has the same effect in our school.

North Toronto is a school that is undeniably flled with spirit and pride. When Ms. Boon came to the school two years ago, she realized “that the teachers were all so excited because of the spirit the kids had, so that spirit is what makes NT special.” She has also noticed that “since the pandemic, that spirit is really suffering, and

[she] thinks that as a community we need to do as much as we can to bring that back up.” So a step towards a solution? “Allowing kids to take ownership and make this place feel special is a step towards getting that spirit back.” Ms. Boon believes that “the more art that we can get up around the building, the more we can keep up the pride and the spirit”.

Viola

Wang Contributor

Day 1: Kick-Off

Our fight departed at 9:00pm. The plan was to sleep seven hours, waking up as we hit the ground and plunging into our day. We arrived stumbling and bleary-eyed, our sleep depreciation only staved off by the time difference, as well as the promise and allure of the city. Immediately it is clear that London is different from Toronto. On the bus ride from the airport to the hotel, we passed scenic views such as ponds and valleys and lakes. It may not sound

like a lot, but Toronto doesn’t have picturesque rural places just outside the edge of the city. Our hotel was gorgeous and ornate, old-flm themed, with pictures of Marlon Brando and other golden-aged Hollywood stars. We dropped off our things and immediately hopped back on the bus to visit Camden market. It was interesting to see all the little knick knacks and booths, my only regret was the little time we had to look around. After an interesting dinner, we collapsed in our rooms: sleep came instantly.

Day 2: Tour and British Museum + Covent Garden Part 1

The second morning I woke up early to the most delicious waffe I

have ever had. If only I had more room to write, I would fll up the page writing an ode to that waffe. Proceeding the best thing I’ve ever eaten, we went on a tour bus with an enigmatic tour guide who told us interesting facts as we drove around. For example: There is a department store called Harrods that is considered extremely ‘posh’, has everything one could possibly want, as well as strict rules for those who were allowed entry. Ladies were not permitted to dress promiscuously or to wear short skirts that displayed their shins. People were not allowed to shop in groups, only individually. Apparently a former US president asked if he could purchase an elephant as a joke. A Harrods employ-

ee responded with, “Would that be African or Indian, sir?”. That was how Ronald Reagan ended up with a baby elephant. While the story is probably apocryphal, it is amusing nonetheless.

We then went to see Big Ben, the changing of the guard, Westminster Abbey, and other touristy sights. We then went to the place that I was looking forward to the most: The British Museum, where I had to battle my hatred of blatant trophies of colonialism and my love for pieces of history. I succeeded and my group and I spent hours doing reenactments from the artwork. We went to Covent Garden, which despite the name, is not

Photo by Elena Vlitas

a garden, and instead is a notable place for antiques and other curious things. I found a tea shop and tasted all the teas they had, including a chocolate popcorn favored one, that really tasted just like it. We went back to the hotel and were given the opportunity to explore the largest mall in Europe. A mall at night with very few people is the birthplace of shenanigans but we restrained ourselves for the good of the school. The day ended with rain and we slept comfortably. At least, I did.

Day 3: The Theatre and Covent Garden Market Part 2

The day started off with an immersive tour of Theatre Royal Drury Lane with per haps the most strange yet interesting tour guides ever. They were dressed in im maculate suits and quick to quote Shakespeare at the drop of a hat. We were led through the sheer opulence of the theater, ghost stories, history, and secrets. The the ater had burned down, and during World War ll, a shell had been dropped down which led to renovations. We were guided through tun nels under the theater until we came upon a peculiar old chair with an engraving. The tour guide told us that the chair had an infamous for mer owner, and was gifted from soldiers who used the theater for army entertain ment. The girl sitting on it was reading the engraving as he spoke. If it was me, I would have gasped. It was Hitler’s chair. The photos are horrible because the lighting was poor and I was shaken after the revelation. For the rest of the trip, at random moments, we would turn to each other and say “Remem ber when we saw Hitler’s chair?”. After that odd experience, half of us went back to Covent Garden to explore it fully and the other half went on a river cruise/tower of London tour. I think our group made the right choice, as Camden market had a live string quartet and then an opera singer for entertainment. We also went to the museums of transportation and took photos in old buses and coaches. Afterwards, we went and saw Wicked, the musical. We traveled the whole week using mostly the London tube which had a number of unique advertisements. Coming back to the hotel was a shame. But people have to sleep, even in London.

We had to take a coach because there was a Tube strike that day

crevice. We were split up into more tour groups and our tour

Day 4: Oxford and the Tube Strike

We got up early to visit Oxford.

and the next. We shared the coach with the Tennessee kids, probably the frst interaction we had with them so far. Oxford is one of the places with the most stunning architecture and history. Academia seeps into every

guide told us of the extensive history of the place. Someone’s dorm college was a 14th century building. We saw the lamppost that inspired C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. We saw one of the

most magnifcent bookstores I have ever visited in my entire life. They had the entire Penguin’s cloth-bound classics that resulted in many of us having aneurysms about our dwindling funds and the number of books we could afford. Our coach bus, as we neared the outskirts of London, became lodged in traffc. It got worse as we went into the city. With the Tube strike, the only available method of transportation was walking or driving. Even though Londeners have become used to the rain by now, most still elected to drive. It created a chokehold that locked us in. Ever wonder what happens when you put a bunch of arts, drama, and music students in an enclosed space for a long, drawn out period of time? Lord of the Flies had nothing on us. Singalongs broke out. Les Mis references were made. A Greek gods naming contest grew intense. The Tennessee kids went quiet a long while ago. We outnumbered them two to one. We had been on the bus for fve hours and it was now dark outside. Then the tour guide told us that she loved us and that the bus driver was at the end of his shift and had to leave. We had to get out and walk in the rain. We cheered. It sounds awful when I talk about it now, but it felt like the highlight of the trip. Not because it was fun, but because it was a very human experience. We were all in surprisingly good cheer after that. After dinner, we returned to the hotel, and I was unconscious before my head hit the pillow.

Day 5: Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern, and the Lion King

The next day, the Tube strike was called off. We went to the Globe Theatre, which was modeled after the original that Shakespeare performed all his plays in. We went to Boroughs Market

Photo by Jack Wolkove

Letters to our grade nine selves

A close-up and personal review of the London Trip.

Hi tiny Grade 9 Izzy,

Okay so, you just got out of Glenview and I know you feel really old even though you’re essentially an infant. You think you know exactly what you want your future to look like, and who’s going to be in it, but little do you know it’s taken a whole new turn. Having said that, I want you to try to spend more time with the people who make you genuinely happy (not just the idea of what happiness is supposed to look like). I want you to know that the more planning and nitpicking you do on every detail of your life, the more you confuse yourself on what you want the outcome to be. What you don’t know is that you will fnd a true passion, even if it didn’t stem from a subject you took in school. No matter how big your aspirations may be or how confusing other people’s faces look when you tell them what you want to do with your life, keep pursuing it, because by the end of Grade 12, you’ll be ready to move to New York and start a new chapter of your life.

See you at Fashion Week in another 4 years.

About a foot taller, Grade 12 Izzy.

Dear Grade 9 Claire,

It’s yourself, but older and more stressed! Kidding.

Welcome to high school. As a niner, you were really nervous starting fresh. New school, new teachers, and new people. It was weird. You had a few friends you knew, including your cool older sister who said that she would let you hang out with her and her friends, but would also joke about pushing you into a locker. Even though you used your sister as a safety net, you made a lot of new friends. Most of which became your best friends in Grade 12. You learn a lot along the way, so don’t worry. Just letting you know that we’re going to school in Halifax next year, like we have always dreamed of. And even better, you aren’t taking math anymore!

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that it all works out. Whatever friend drama or bad grades you experience, it’ll be okay. You do go through a lot, I can’t lie. But, enjoy Grade 9 while you can. Whether it’s spending far too much time at Revitasize or going to ‘Yeg’ every day, it’s going to be a pretty good year. There are some, or many bumps in the road, but you made it. You’re graduating in a few weeks, and although you’re quite happy, it’s a bittersweet feeling.

Time goes by very fast so enjoy every 12 minute run, reading or listening test, and the strenuous walk to the fourth foor for frst period science. It’s tough, but it’s fun in the end.

Love, Grade 12 Claire

Dear Grade 9 Gordon,

4 years in high school might seem like a really long time, but trust me when I say this: It goes by in the blink of an eye, and you will miss it if you don’t cherish it. While you’re in Grade 9 and 10, do yourself a favor and enjoy those days when your marks don’t matter as much. Spend as much time with your friends as possible, join as many clubs as you can, and most importantly, don’t stress about school. Grade 9 and 10 is when you can afford to bomb a test. Now, that is not to say do absolutely nothing in school, cause you would be a fool to think that subjects like math and science don’t transfer over. When you get to Grade 11, teachers will start expecting you to know things that you already learned, so still try to listen in class and understand the material. Just know that Grade 9 and 10 is more about actually obtaining the knowledge and not so much about getting high grades.

High school is really one of the most important periods in your life. It shapes who you are, and decides your future in many ways. So whatever you do, don’t waste those 4 years.

Wishing you the best of luck in your upcoming years, Grade 12 Gordon Wang

Dear Grade 9 Bruce Lee wannabe,

Outside of the fact that you are a loser, whose face looks like if a Dorito and a turnip birthed a baby, you are about to endure a 4 year battle with authenticity and acne.

Supposedly, school is about getting good grades: they are said to get you into a good university, which will get you a good job, and then a good life. But this “good” life isn’t the one you want, at least not in that way. A stable, mature life is often interpreted as the goal. But what good really means is fulfllment, no matter what that looks like. The only goal you should have is to treat your life like music. Because like life, music is a playful artform. You don’t work the piano, you play it. With friends, you don’t hang around them for a purpose or destination, that would make them a product, and your relationship an exchange.

What school should be about is learning what you want; about fnding your instrument. The problem is,, as much as I tell you that you should play as loud as you like, at the end of the day, you’ll suppress your authenticity if people tell you that your sound is off. You will try to please everybody, take on everything, and be responsible for everyone’s style of music. So when that moment comes, you gotta ask yourself, is that really what you want to do?

In the battle between authenticity and conformity, which are you going to choose? And please, for the sake of our dating life, pick up some acne cream.

Love,

Grade 12 Medet

Dear Niner Yaks,

Remember when mom always told us that bad work habits would catch up to us in the later grades? Well, she was wrong. Although you developed some of the worst possible work habits, you managed to pull it together. Good job. It does get a lot harder though. The stress builds as the workload grows, so have as much fun as you can when grades don’t matter as much (just don’t fail).

Unfortunately, a global pandemic did take you out of school for around half of the time you should have been in class. Hours a day spent behind a computer screen limited your social interactions, and altered your view on school. It made it seem like school was just for learning, and other academic purposes, but as the world reopens, you will be enlightened and see that North Toronto is a community. So, I encourage you, get involved as much as possible. Although Red and Grey Day, alongside other miscellaneous spirit days are fun, I have come to learn that being involved is even more fun than just participating. You were sent on a rollercoaster ride of friendships, where sometimes it felt kind of lonely, but I promise that you are leaving North Toronto with some of the most amazing friends one could ask for.

If I had one lesson for you, it is to have fun while you can, and try as many things as humanly possible. I know it’s cliché, but you will never know how much you enjoy something until you try.

Sincerely, You

Dear Grade 9 Elena,

It’s been a while since we had our wisdom teeth ripped out the frst week of high school and got denied from Lawrence Park optional attendance. You’ve changed a lot but realized change is good. Actually, you might have had a heart attack if you met me.

So let’s start out with a few things that haven’t changed. You’re irrationally superstitious. GoodFellas is still your favorite movie (although Interstellar nearly dethroned the champ). And you still speak way too loudly. Seriously, quiet down.

Despite the ups and downs you’re a pretty lucky girl. There’s good in every situation if you know where to look. Some people will come and go, but you’ve found a friend group that’s about as good as it gets. In grade 11, you’ll think Pft will be the best course you’ve taken, until Global Ed (which you thankfully didn’t drop). Oh, and remember how much you hated grade 9 circuits and were excited for the end of your physics days? Yeah, about that, you’re going into engineering in the fall…

Have tons of fun, take some risks, and read more. Always remember how you do anything is how you do everything. If things get hard, keep working harder. It always pays off somehow.

You’re stuck with me, Elena

Best Prom Dress Ideas

With your qualifed Grade 11 host.

Earth’s content, you’ll be smokin’!

Elizabeth Rosen Section Editor

Guys - Did you know prom’s just past? Crazy, right? While I, myself, am a puny grade 11 who was not invited but, I realize those of you that have been may be struggling to get all your ducks in a row. Not to worry, because while it may already be June, there’s still time to put together a memorable ft, with my help, a neutral 2nd party with absolutely no ulterior motives. I have already done you the courtesy of putting together just fve of my best ideas (out of the millions). And I know what you’re thinking: another list? When will Graffti writers stop milking this awfully simple format for humour which at this point blends all correlating articles together?’ And to that I say… whoopsies! The word limit is coming up!

NUMBER 1: The every-promdress prom dress

Senior prom only happens once, so you better get it right. This dress alleviates decision anxiety while making all your wildest fascinations a reality. If you think a Starbucks drink is customizable, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Can’t choose between a turtleneck and decolletage? This dress has a neckline plunging like Niagara Falls and a detachable neck cozy ft for royalty. Mermaid dress? Short skirt? What’s the difference? Do half and half! It comes with a cape! It comes with a scarf! It comes with tiny shoes for each of your toes and fngers so you get to wear twenty half-pairs of shoes! You want it all? You got it all.

NUMBER 2: The 80s prom dress

Staple? Classic? You’re not wrong, but I doubt you know the way in which you’re right. The key here is, the farther back, the better. 1980s? You did not understand the assignment. Have fun twinning with half the grade. 1880s? You’re getting there. It’s a pass. 1680s? This is more our speed! Flaunt that crinoline and those watermelon-sized sleeves! 1180s? You’re glowing, you’re stunning, you’re as ravenous as the plague! 80 BCE? Stands for beyond comparable elegance. Year 80 of the Earth’s existence? Go as a molten magma that made up most of the

NUMBER 3: It’s. A. Boat. If Marie Antionette can turn her hair into boat, you can be boat. What a beau(t).

NUMBER 4: SPEAKING OF HAIR-

Big hair, or big dress: the ageold prom conundrum. Well now you’ll never have to choose! Your dress shall be made of hair, and your hair shall be made of dress! This one is such a cute DIY project. Firstly, get an old doll’s dress and put it upside down on your head, making sure to stuff all your hair inside the dress! Look at you! You’re half done! Next, you want to gather up all your friends whose locks you’ve always secretly envied and gather them in a basement to “watch a movie”. As their eyes will be glued to the screen, mesmerised by Cars 2, you will get up from the couch, say you’re grabbing snacks, but sneak behind all of them with a razor and shave their heads behind their backs. They won’t even notice until McQueen wins (sorry for the spoiler). Once your former friend group has turned into a band of Mr. Cleans, usher them out of your abode and begin designing with your fresh harvest of material.

NUMBER 5: That pinterest dress

That pinterest dress? You know the one. It’s been your unmatched desire and your waking nightmare. If only Thailand could ship sooner and you had that $50,000 to spend! Well fear no more impatient peasant! All you have to do to make your prom dress dreams come true is take one large board of bristol and slap on a print-out of your pinterest prom dress picture. Hang that board around your neck with pride, after all, it was everything you ever wanted. For those of you that did, however, get a hold of your ever-after dress this option works just as well, if not better. Just wear it underneath your bristol board and fing then fing it off for your great reveal! I may try this myself someday.

Photo courtesy of Natasha Berntein

Photo by Ron Pearson

Photo courtesy of Izzy Gelman

Photo courtesy of Amelia D’Arolfi

In Case You Live Under A Rock

All of the ever important celeb news that you may have missed.

Sophie Ratner Copy Editor

The end of #Jaylor

The fve stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. When the rumours of a breakup between beloved pop star Taylor Swift and actor Joe Alwyn started circulating online, parasocial Swifties worldwide went through this grief together. As a fan myself, the denial stage lasted the longest. There was absolutely no way they actually broke up...right? Taylor just released a song about Joe, and Joe just posted a picture of Taylor’s cat. Along with the release of some solo Taylor paparazzi pictures came the anger stage. Angry fans started bombarding Joe with hateful comments on photos from an alleged new girlfriend of his. Once it was revealed she was just a co-star, the bargaining started. Taking a small break just in time for Taylor’s tour is a logical thing to do, and they will most likely get back together after. But of course, it is only so long before the depression comes. In this stage, the most commonly heard phrases are “Love isn’t real” and “What about the entire Lover album?”. Finally, acceptance came. Driven by the undeniable proof (Taylor’s closest friends unfollowing Joe and relationship TikToks being deleted), it was time to accept that Jaylor was over. Rumours have been circulating that Taylor is with Fernando Alonso, a Formula 1 driver, but the real rebound seems to be The 1975’s Matty Healy. This breakup, of course, was heartbreaking for those who idolized Taylor and Joe’s relationship. Maybe he was sunshine, she was midnight rain, or maybe just because a couple is famous doesn’t mean that they’re perfect.

Coachella 2023

April showers bring May fowers, ut April also brings us the Coachella Music Festival, where normal people everywhere can either criticize or lust after this desert gathering. Performing live for the frst time in six years, Frank Ocean was defnitely the most enticing part of this year’s lineup. Unfortunately, the frst weekend set did not go as expected, and many fans felt disappointed by the underwhelming performance. He then pulled out of the second weekend due to a leg injury. The fan reaction was split. Some fans said it was just “Frank being Frank” and that he didn’t like performing live, while others were extremely upset and felt that their time and money were wasted. In other news, Zendaya revived her brief live music career (shoutout to “Replay”) by performing “All For Us” with Labrinth. Due to some technical issues, this performance also fell below expectations. Last year, it was declared that trying hard for Coachella outfts was embarrassing, and all the real celebrities just wore jeans and a t-shirt. This, of course, led to countless infuencers describing how they

were going for “a more chill vibe” this year. This year’s Coachella was a spectacle, but for all the wrong reasons.

Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial

To some, she’s a pseudo-science promoting, nepotism baby, almond mom. To others, she is a fashion icon and activist. Gwyneth Paltrow has been a polarizing fgure in the past few years due to her controversial lifestyle brand, Goop. More recently, she has been in the public eye because… well…she lost half a day of skiing. In the least biased way possible, here’s the breakdown: Some guy who seemingly skied into her is now suing her? For $300,000?

Whether or not this lawsuit was provoked because of Paltrow’s fame or not, the real issue is being forgotten here. She lost half a day of skiing! This comment made by Paltrow can seem out of touch, but in the context of the whole trial, it makes sense. The entire ordeal seemed very unserious, with the attorney for the man suing Paltrow making weird comments to her. They were chatting about shoes and Taylor Swift. In the end, Gwyneth won her countersuit for $1. If only she could get back the real loss…those 6 hours of prime skiing time will always be remembered.

Met Gala

On the frst Monday of May, the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts a gala to raise funds for their Costume Exhibit. Of course, in more recent years, the Met Gala can be summarized as celebrities wearing couture and getting photographed in it, and then Twitter decides whether the fashion crimes they committed are so heinous that they deserve jail time or that they are the highest standard of fashion in the world. This year, many celebrities’ outfts fell in the middle, with some calling it “the most boring Met Gala of all time”. The theme was celebrating Karl Lagerfeld the late controversial designer, most known for his work with Chanel. In my opinion, the only look that will be remembered far into the future from this Met Gala is Jared Leto’s. The eccentric star sported a cat fursuit. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a trend of furries at the ball from now on, considering the publicity it gave Leto. Doja Cat and Lil Nas X also showed up in feline fashion to honour Lagerfeld’s cat. They both embodied this persona by literally responding to interview questions with meows. My personal favourite looks were from Anok Yai and Anne Hathaway. The Met Gala is without a doubt the biggest fashion moment in North American culture, but the guest list seems to narrow down along with the event, making it seem less elite and exclusive each year. Allegedly, the Kardashians would be absent this year in an attempt to bring back the high-brow image, but Kendall, Kim, and Kylie were still strutting on that toothpaste-looking carpet. Sorry, Anna Wintour, but every year that you keep inviting Jared Leto back, the Met Gala will not be a serious event.

Illustration by Justin Long

Image courtesy of Glamour

Image courtesy of Outside Magazine

Image courtesy of The New York Times

Teenage Girls Made Rock n’ Roll

How teenage girls were leaders in the popularization of Rock n’ Roll.

Robina Nguyen Contributor

Igot my frst ear punch of live rock music in a cramped, dimly-lit concert venue on Queen Street. A wailing four-piece band showering eyebrow-melting screeches over a sea of moshing bodies was the energetic release I never knew I needed. Rock is a genre that has always been seen as more egalitarian than the others – it’s a world flled with tons of subgenres, each with their own distinct fanbase.

Rock’s all about self-expression, rebellion, and radical dissent. But for one of the most diverse music genres out there, it’s plagued with gatekeeping and elitism. Gatekeeping isn’t new. Back in the ‘90s, “poseur” was one of the worst insults you could throw at someone. It meant that you were a liar. A thief. An amateur who wasn’t cool enough to actually be part of the community. When Lars Ulrich threw darts at Kip Winger’s photo in Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” video, the message was clear – you’re either with us or against us.

And usually, it’s the teenage girls who get shut out. “75% of our lives is proving we’re a real band,” said Ashton Irwin, the drummer in pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. “We’re getting good at it now. We don’t want to just be, like, for girls.” According to Irwin, you aren’t a “real band” until you’ve gained approval from the ol’ boys

club. Seeing a man among a sea of female superfciality must be an incredible turning point in their careers, guiding them closer to success and credibility. But hold on to your cap, Ashton – this one might be a hard pill to swallow. Teen girls were the frst Beatles fans, long before Beatlemania took the world by storm. They fell in love with the group of grinning, foppy-haired Brits crooning about soulmates and hand-holding before the rest of the world caught on.

Initially, the older generation saw their music as cheap commercial trash. As Paul Johnson said in his infamous New Statesman article (1963), “those who fock round the Beatles, who scream themselves into hysteria, are the least fortunate of their generation, the dull, the idle, the failures.” And yet the Beatles went on to become one of the most revered and infuential rock bands in history. In 1992, Kurt Cobain was featured on the cover of Sassy Magazine. “Hysterical” teenage girls screamed to Elvis Presley’s live “I Got a Woman,” and even after his stardom exploded, they continued to fock to his side. Teen girls were David Bowie’s frst fans too, back when he was deemed a “bizarre self-constructed freak” according to one 1972 BBC episode. They took one look at his outrageousness, his famboyance, his splashy makeup and Kansai Yamamoto suits, and said yes. “Who’s to say that young girls who like pop music – short for popular, right? – have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy?” English pop singer Harry Styles said in a

Rolling Stone interview. “That’s not up to you to say. Music is something that’s always changing. There’s no goal posts. Young girls like the Beatles. You gonna tell me they’re not serious?” The same young women who were treated like the punchline of a tired joke ended up driving mainstream music. Big Mama Thornton frst sang “Hound Dog’’ in 1952, which later put Elvis on the radio. With her raw voice and boundary-pushing artistry, she paved the way for other Black singer-songwriters like Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a Black pioneer in gospel music and singer-songer accredited as the “godmother of rock and roll,” was known for her picking and degree of emotional athleticism. When I pressed play on Tharpe’s live “Didn’t It Rain,” I saw her for the frst time: a young, vibrant woman of colour who swept the ‘60s stage with her gritty singing and fearless guitar solos. In 1975, The Runaways became the frst teen-girl punk band – to this day, we still scream “Cherry Bomb” every time it comes on the stereo. The members, who were all talented and precocious musicians in their own right, were only 15 or 16 years old when they formed the band. Since then, they’ve planted their own cherry bomb in music history. In 1991, L7, the all-female band that redefned punk feminism and inspired Nirvana, founded Rock for Choice. It was a series of pro-choice beneft concerts that turned musicians into abortion rights activists. Years later, Chris-

sy Hyde led Pretenders to triumph and vocal powerhouse Hayley Williams fronted Paramore in the early aughts.

Courtney Love, the grunge trailblazer who wrote a scathing op-ed about the Rock Hall’s “sexist gatekeeping,” says that this year’s nominations are “the annual reminder of just how extraordinary a woman must be to make it into the ol’ boys club.” The frst inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were all men and since then, just 8.48% of them have been women.

“If the Rock Hall is not willing to look at the ways it is replicating the violence of structural racism and sexism that artists face in the music industry, if it cannot properly honour what visionary women artists have created, innovated, revolutionised and contributed to popular music – well, then let it go to hell in a handbag.”

You heard me. Teen girls were the founding mothers of rock ‘n’ roll. Your favourite legacy bands are still remembered today because teen girls bought their records en masse and created an atmosphere of fanaticism that could not be ignored. Keyboard warriors love to one-up cover bands on the internet and metalheads have this kneejerk tendency to ask female fans to name fve songs by that band. But leather-clad men with expensive vinyl collections are not the only bearers of good taste. The tastes of teen girls are not one single monolith, but an eclectic mosaic that makes pop culture so colourful.

Love Island: The Hot New Bombshell That We Can’t Seem to Stop Watching

Mind if we pull you for a chat?

Sabrina Soros

Contributor

Lindsay Fitzgerald

Contributor

Love Island is a reality dating show where excited single men and women enter the show’s exclusive luxury villa in the hopes of fnding love. The show begins with fve boys and fve girls, none of whom are guaranteed to still be there by the end of the show. First, the boys step forward to choose whichever girl

they fancy the most. Ultimately, it is up to the girls to decide who to couple up with. Once we have our fve couples, the islanders begin to develop their connections with one another. Right when things seem to be going smoothly in the villa, a hot new bombshell will come in and try to turn the coupled-up islanders’ heads. At least once a week, there is a recoupling that allows the boys and girls to choose if they want to stick with their current partner from last week or recouple with someone new. The last person standing who is not in a couple is sent home immediately. Sometimes, the public gets the

chance to vote for their favourite islander. The three contestants with the fewest votes are at risk of going home. Throughout the show, texts are sent to the phones provided, and whichever islander receives them alerts the rest about a challenge, activity, or recoupling soon to come. In the fnal episode of the season, the public votes on who the strongest couple is. Then, the winning couple receives an envelope each. One reads £50,000, while the other reads £0. Whoever opens the envelope with the money gets to decide whether to keep it all for themselves or share the prize with their partner- the fnal

relationship test. This show is flled with fun challenges, drama, friendship, love, and betrayal. But what is it really about?

Love Island is geared around just that: love. At least, that’s how it’s advertised. But, at the end of the day, viewers aren’t taking 45 minutes out of their day to watch happy couples live happy lives amongst other happy contestants. No one knows this better than the producers, so the true objective of the show is – and always will be –drama. Despite the winners supposedly being chosen by how gen-

uine the couple appears, the public almost always votes for the pair who offered the best entertainment (AKA: whoever broke up and made up the most). When Zoe DiRisio, a Grade 10 student at North Toronto (and Love Island fanatic), was asked if she thinks islanders will fnd real love in the villa, she said that it is “...very highly unlikely”, echoing an opinion most fans have held since the beginning. Let’s face it: what are the chances that these strangers fnd what they’ve been looking for in such a limited pool of options? Coupled with how con-

testants are partly chosen for their potential to stir things up, it’s hard to interpret Love Island as a show where the sole purpose is to fnd ‘the one’. Instead, the focus turns to all the dramatic bickering that makes the show enjoyably ridiculous. It is a light-hearted viewing experience in which the contestants’ issues pale in comparison to those of someone not living in a fve-star villa for eight weeks. In addition, could the islanders outlandish accents be playing into the humorous nature of the show? Despite there being two

main Love Island shows, American and British, the latter is by far the most popular. When one grade 10 student watches, she fnds it hard to, “take British people seriously”, confrming that the absurdity of Love Island may be enhanced by the equally absurd (to Canadian ears) accents. Perhaps it’s the UK version’s banter and cheeky slang that have yet to be matched by its U.S. counterpart. Or maybe it’s that the customary ‘I’ve got a text!!!’ announcement will never sound right from a non-British bloke.

Love Island is a show that

begs to be watched if you’re looking for a good time. You will fnd yourself sympathising with your favourite islander or couples, anxiously biting your nails during the recouplings, laughing at the narrator’s painful puns, and much more. But most importantly, you will inevitably become enthralled by the lives of a dozen strangers whom you will never meet in real life. That’s the Love Island effect!

Everything Everywhere All At Once: A Milestone For Asian Representation

What does a flm like this mean for our modern cultural landscape?

Grace Uy Section Editor

The 2023 Oscars made history with Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s flm Everything Everywhere All At Once becoming the most awarded Best Picture winner since 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire. The flm led in nominations for 2023’s ceremony, with 11 nominations in 10 categories. It went on to take home seven Oscars that night, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress for her portrayal of the protagonist, Evelyn Wang. She became the second woman of colour and the frst woman of Asian heritage to win this award. Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Waymond Wang, Evelyn’s husband. Just like Yeoh, he made history as the frst Vietnamese-born actor to win an Oscar and the frst Asian winner of the award. It marked the frst time in history that multiple Asian actors won Oscars in the same year and served as a major turning point for Asian representation in media.

Everything Everywhere All At Once tells the story of a Chinese American immigrant, Evelyn Wang, who co-owns a laundromat with her husband, Waymond. It follows the family’s journey, saddled with bills and debt, and Evelyn’s tense relationship with her daughter, Joy (portrayed by Stephanie Hsu). Amidst this mess, Evelyn gets pulled into the multiverse and discovers that only she can save it from its demise.

The flm portrays a specifc and tender depiction of the Chinese American experience, all while illustrating a sincere and profound message to all viewers. Starring an Asian family, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the story revolved

around their ethnic roots. In the case of Everything Everywhere All At Once, the characters didn’t have to be Asian for the story to make its point. People of all backgrounds can understand the message of the flm: the importance of kindness.

This representation has become a nice contrast to the increasing anti-Asian hate. During the frst year of COVID-19, anti-Asian hate crimes rose to an all-time high. It has been three years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and anti-Asian hate is still prev-

alent. Despite the police getting involved in trying to stop this, the problem of Asian-hate still hasn’t been solved. With the success of Everything Everywhere All At Once at the 2023 Oscars contrasting the problem, Asian people all over the country have felt a sense of increasing pride and comfort in their heritage and identity.

It isn’t until you see your own culture represented that you realize how much the lack of representation has affected you. While some may argue that Asians are

represented in other forms of media, this is typically in a stereotypical way: as a Kung-Fu warrior or checking off the “diversity box”. Not only does this inaccurately represent Asian culture, but it makes it into a joke and promotes the underlying hate and racist attitudes towards them. Films like Everything Everywhere All At Once are extremely important and impact people in profound and meaningful ways.

Photo courtesy of Buzzfeed News

Digital Art VS Traditional Art

The never-ending debate that separates today’s artists and why it’s completely pointless.

Roya Lofft Contributor

There are thousands of art styles and everyone has their own way of creating a piece – but what do you do when the entire artist community is separated by what type of art they do?

Ever since the rise of digital art in the artist community, there’s been debate surrounding the new medium. While a lot of artists on social media support digital art or do digital art themselves, some people question the validity of this form, saying it’s “not real art” and saying it’s “cheating” to use digital guidelines or textured brushes.

Another problem they have -that they repeat incredibly often- is the advantage that one gets when having the availability of an undo button. You might hear someone saying “I can’t undo the lineart in my sketchbook, so it’s unfair if you’re allowed to do so much more on your tablet!,” or even “It’s cheating if you can just undo your mistakes!”. Having the undo button is defnitely an advantage, and anyone who does traditional art can relate to the pain of accidentally ruining your beautiful sketch with lineart. But this doesn’t mean digital artwork is

cheating, and it doesn’t mean it’s a less valid or legitimate form of art. The undo button defnitely makes digital artists’ lives easier, but people saying that the undo tool alone counteracts any struggles they may have is utter nonsense.

Others say that digital art may be valid, but it is signifcantly easier than traditional art, so someone creating the same art as digital art on a piece of paper would have a much higher amount of skill. Despite the numerous advantages digital creation has, the convenience of digital artwork doesn’t translate into a low amount of skill, because every medium has its disadvantages and advantages. Being good at traditional art does not guarantee being good at digital art, and vice versa, which is true for almost every type of art. This is only one of the reasons that the digital vs traditional art debate is missing the point. But something that I think is important is that some people don’t understand the defnition of art.

What even is art? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it’s “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects”. Notice how the defnition never once mentioned any specifc medium and emphasized the use of creative imagination. Also,

even though this is the book’s defnition, art is subjective and can’t really be defned. Each artist has a personal defnition of the word art and it means something different to everyone, which is why it’s unfair to limit someone’s use of medium just because it’s not “authentic” enough for you. To put it more simply, art is for everybody and if you don’t like the way someone does art, just don’t engage.

If you are a person who does not believe digital art is real art, I would strongly suggest trying it yourself. Many of the people who think digital art is “too easy” have never once tried digital art for themselves, and that can lead to them having a lack of perspective or a very narrow view of what art is. Trying different media of art (like trying different foods or music genres) will give you a better and more expansive understanding of art and the different ways one can express themselves through it. To use food as an analogy, you don’t need to like seafood, but it’s unfair to dislike it when you’ve not tried it, and it’s wrong to tell someone they shouldn’t like it just because you don’t. Everybody is allowed to state their opinions and personal preferences, but turning them into hate is harmful and unkind.

Some artists care way too much about the art medium and

often forget that art doesn’t have to be complicated or come with hundreds of dollars of art supplies or tablets. It can just be something you enjoy making. Art is something that anyone can do and you can enjoy it whether you do it digitally or not.

The same young women who were treated like the punchline of a tired joke ended up driving mainstream music. Big Mama Thornton frst sang “Hound Dog’’ in 1952, which later put Elvis on the radio. With her raw voice and boundary-pushing artistry, she paved the way for other Black singer-songwriters like Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a Black pioneer in gospel music and singer-songer accredited as the “godmother of rock and roll,” was known for her picking and degree of emotional athleticism. When I pressed play on Tharpe’s live “Didn’t It Rain,” I saw her for the frst time: a young, vibrant woman of colour who swept the ‘60s stage with her gritty singing and fearless guitar solos. In 1975, The Runaways became the frst teen-girl punk band – to this day, we still scream “Cherry Bomb” every time it comes on the stereo. The members, who were all talented and precocious musicians in their own right, were only 15 or 16 years old when they formed the

Illustration by Mariia Krasnenkova and Ela Meshur

band. Since then, they’ve planted their own cherry bomb in music history. In 1991, L7, the all-female band that redefned punk feminism and inspired Nirvana, founded Rock for Choice. It was a series of pro-choice beneft concerts that turned musicians into abortion rights activists. Years later, Chrissy Hyde led Pretenders to triumph and vocal powerhouse Hayley Williams fronted Paramore in the early aughts.

Courtney Love, the grunge trailblazer who wrote a scathing op-ed about the Rock Hall’s “sexist gatekeeping,” says that this year’s nominations are “the annual reminder of just how extraordinary a woman must be to make it into the ol’ boys club.” The frst inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were all men and since then, just 8.48% of them have been women.

“If the Rock Hall is not willing to look at the ways it is replicating

the violence of structural racism and sexism that artists face in the music industry, if it cannot properly honour what visionary women artists have created, innovated, revolutionised and contributed to popular music – well, then let it go to hell in a handbag.” You heard me. Teen girls were the founding mothers of rock ‘n’ roll. Your favourite legacy bands are still remembered today because teen girls bought their records en

Our Stake in Celebrity Drama

From Scandoval to The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial: Why Are We So Invested

Rowan Boswell Contributor

Love it or hate it, celebrity drama is now an integral part of everyone’s lives, but really, why is that?

One explanation could be the sense of importance and meaning people get when they are deeply invested in a celebrity drama. The extreme investment in celebrities is often caused by parasocial relationships, which is when a fan has a one-sided relationship and love of a particular celebrity. It is natural for people to be invested in the personal lives of others, especially when it is more eventful than their own. Celebrity drama culture, as it is known, started in the late 90s and has been growing since. Why are we now so obsessed - what has changed so drastically in modern culture that has left people publicly mourning the break up of Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn?

A possible explanation is the increase in media coverage and scrutinization of celebrities. The early 2000s media saw the rise of gossip through TMZ and Perez Hilton, with the goal of finding the most shocking and humiliating details on celebrities. Many popular celebrities are now frequently subjected to judgment from popular gossip pages such as Deux-Moi. These

pages often feature ‘blind items’ insinuating a story about an unnamed but implied celebrity. People now have access to information and sightings of their favorite celebrities 24/7. Naturally, they are more invested and know more personal details. This has become so common that if a celebrity is unseen for a short period of time they are often thought of as reclusive.

Another explanation of the culture shift could be that people spend more time consuming media, especially from and about people they do not know. The percentage of a day people spend online is astronomically larger than in the past. People, especially young people, are constantly seeking to strengthen their sense of identity and being involved with celebrity drama gives them a sense of belonging and importance. This is evident in stan culture, where people obsessed with celebrities have their entire lives consumed with the fan base.

Celebrity drama is so reported and a part of everyday life that is unavoidable. The access to celebrity drama and the time spent interacting with it can easily control someone’s life, but it can also just be a fun break from the world and society’s pressures. With all the available outlets, people need to make a conscious effort to manage the time they spend consuming celebrity drama to ensure it

does not become overwhelming. The same young women who were treated like the punchline of a tired joke ended up driving mainstream music. Big Mama Thornton frst sang “Hound Dog’’ in 1952, which later put Elvis on the radio. With her raw voice and boundary-pushing artistry, she paved the way for other Black singer-songwriters like Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a Black pioneer in gospel music and singer-songer accredited as the “godmother of rock and roll,” was known for her picking and degree of emotional athleticism. When I pressed play on Tharpe’s live “Didn’t It Rain,” I saw her for the frst time: a young, vibrant woman of colour who swept the ‘60s stage with her gritty singing and fearless guitar solos. In 1975, The Runaways became the frst teen-girl punk band – to this day, we still scream “Cherry Bomb” every time it comes on the stereo. The members, who were all talented and precocious musicians in their own right, were only 15 or 16 years old when they formed the band. Since then, they’ve planted their own cherry bomb in music history. In 1991, L7, the all-female band that redefned punk feminism and inspired Nirvana, founded Rock for Choice. It was a series of pro-choice beneft concerts that turned musicians into abortion rights activists. Years later, Chrissy Hyde led Pretenders to triumph and vocal powerhouse Hayley Williams fronted Paramore in the early

masse and created an atmosphere of fanaticism that could not be ignored. Keyboard warriors love to one-up cover bands on the internet and metalheads have this kneejerk tendency to ask female fans to name fve songs by that band. But leather-clad men with expensive vinyl collections are not the only bearers of good taste. The tastes of teen girls are not one single monolith, but an eclectic mosaic that makes pop culture so colourful.

In Celebrity Drama?

aughts.

Courtney Love, the grunge trailblazer who wrote a scathing op-ed about the Rock Hall’s “sexist gatekeeping,” says that this year’s nominations are “the annual reminder of just how extraordinary a woman must be to make it into the ol’ boys club.” The frst inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were all men and since then, just 8.48% of them have been women.

“If the Rock Hall is not willing to look at the ways it is replicating the violence of structural racism and sexism that artists face in the music industry, if it cannot properly honour what visionary women artists have created, innovated, revolutionised and contributed to popular music – well, then let it go to hell in a handbag.”

You heard me. Teen girls were the founding mothers of rock ‘n’ roll. Your favourite legacy bands are still remembered today because teen girls bought their records en masse and created an atmosphere of fanaticism that could not be ignored. Keyboard warriors love to one-up cover bands on the internet and metalheads have this kneejerk tendency to ask female fans to name fve songs by that band. But leather-clad men with expensive vinyl collections are not the only bearers of good taste. The tastes of teen girls are not one single monolith, but an eclectic mosaic that makes pop culture so colourful.

TikTok’s Effects on our Trend Cycles

From fuzzy bucket hats to oversized blazers: How TikTok has altered the trend cycle.

Sabrina Soros Contributor

The trend cycle has steadily grown quicker and quicker since the birth of the internet. Society is no stranger to seeing a trend on the rise and rushing to capitalize on it, only to be discarded in a matter of a year or couple of

months. However, trends that used to last for years now struggle to last more than a couple of weeks. TikTok app has altered the trajectory of practically every aspect of the modern-day trend-cycle, especially its impact on the fashion industry.

Before the development of the internet, people found their fx of up-and-coming trends through magazines with a couple of weeks in between each issue. Later, in the 2000s, post-internet discovery evolved into style blogs. Yet the

coolest trends were through word of mouth. More recently, in the mid-to-late 2010s, Instagram was the hotspot for all things fashion. Still, it required you to search and follow the “trendiest” accounts to fnd what you were looking for. Come 2018, TikTok came into the picture to steal the spotlight with their fast-acting algorithm. The introduction of said algorithm meant that now, after you’ve downloaded the app and interacted with the ForYou page for a short amount of time, it picks up on what you like to see and shows it to you without you needing to touch the search button. Now, the speed at which fashion trends are being introduced to you becomes increasingly quicker.

If we refect on the late 2010s, the years can each be identifed by a handful of statement pieces and outfts that had their respective year in a chokehold.. and some should probably never

be revisited ever again (I’m looking at you, galaxy print leggings). In comparison, if we only look back to 2022, it’s not hard to recall two or more popular items/styles for each month, such as: ultra mini UGGs, Lululemon‘s Scuba hoodie, and the Zara Satin Slip Dress. The common theme among these items is how they all found their claim to fame through frequenting TikTok users’ ForYou pages.

Tiktok has a way of blowing things up overnight - something that previous apps have not yet achieved to the same extent. This spells trouble for major fashion houses and brands that now have to cope with the fact that they no longer dictate what’s in vogue. Currently, it’s all in the hands of TikTok and which of its videos are happening to receive the most hype at the moment. What is in the brands’ hands however, is how they adapt to this phenomenon. Will

The Eras Tour

A summary of Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras Tour

Sabrina Soros Contributor

Lindsay Fitzgerald Contributor

If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, or active on social media, I’m sure news about the ongoing eras tour has been hard to escape. Fans have even begun live streaming the event and each night fans from all around the world tune in and hope that she plays their favourite songs. But let’s go back to the start. On November 1st, 2022 Taylor Swift made the exciting announcement on Good Morning America and on her social media accounts that she would be starting her 6th ever tour, and frst tour since 2018 called The Eras Tour. The concept of this tour was that Swift has had many eras defned by her various albums. Each of these eras corresponds to a particular time in Taylor’s life and goes with a specifc style of music and fashion. Through these eras Taylor Swift has explored many genres of music as well as several personal styles. For example, Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” era was characterized by her country-pop sound and a youthful, romantic aesthetic, while her “Reputation” era was marked by a darker, edgier sound and a more rebellious visual style. During this tour, Swift performs several songs from each era with incorporated visuals, costumes and other props to help bring each era to life. Through her creative set design and choreography Taylor Swift’s tour has been taking over the internet and making headlines everywhere. Overall,

the Eras tour is a way for Taylor Swift to celebrate her evolution as an artist and connect with her fans by taking them on a journey through her career. It allows her to showcase her growth and versatil-

they view TikTok as their downfall or as new marketing real estate? And if they choose the latter, how will they do it in a way that is innovative and not cringey or boring?

Either way, TikTok has and will continue to keep the world’s top fashion brands on their toes.

As well, these fast rising “micro-trends” are making it possible for over consumption to run rampant. According to a poll conducted by Shift, a London-based fashion site, 66 percent of people aged 14-27 admitted to purchasing more clothing after joining TikTok. Specifcally, the worst cases of this urge to buy stem from fast fashion hauls on TikTok with captions that read: “$700 SHEIN HAUL!”, with a link to the creator’s discount code, sending users in droves to spend their money. With this happening so often and in so many places, let’s just say many of yesterday‘s trends have found their new home

in landflls all over the world. Although clothing overconsumption has existed for ages, increases will contribute even more to the pressing issue.

There is no denying it, TikTok is powerful. In just about 4 years, Tiktok and its algorithm have been able to create an upset in the way fashion trends operate. Since its creation, the app has brought with it an uptick in the speed and number of trends we see on a dayto-day basis. Whether the app is a detriment or an advantage is up to the individual, but one thing remains certain: it’s not going anywhere. It does lead to the question, however, how and what will the next big thing do to spin the trend cycle on its head even further?

ity as a musician while also giving fans the opportunity to relive their favorite eras and experience Taylor Swift’s music in a new and exciting way.

This tour got off to a rocky start when tickets went on sale on November 15th. The ticket purchases did not go as planned when 14 million fans and bots logged on

to Ticketmaster attempting to buy presale tickets and the site experienced many issues. Customers attempting to buy tickets found themselves locked out of Ticketmaster, despite having a verifed

izona on March 17th and 18th. The city was temporarily renamed ‘Swift City’ on Google Maps and on airlines, adding to the excitement of the event. During the concert, she performed a 44 song setlist with a wide variety of pop, country, rap, and folk music including two surprise songs titled “Mirrorball” and “Tim McGraw.” Throughout the show, Taylor showcased her creativity with numerous costume changes and the use of props. However, the night was not only memorable for her amazing performances and choreography but also for the overwhelming support she received from her fans. Around 150,000 fans attended the concert throughout both nights to sing along to their favorite songs and show their love for Taylor. Here, many of the fans took this concert as an opportunity to showcase their creativity showing up in Taylor Swift themed costumes corresponding to specifc eras. Overall, the frst stop on Taylor Swift’s tour was a huge success, with fans leaving the venue feeling thrilled and grateful for the experience.

fan code, while others got tickets but were still unable to check out with them. This led to an uproar from many angry fans and fans suing Ticketmaster itself. Despite the rough start that this tour had, the frst few stops of the tour were extremely successful.

The frst stop on Taylor Swift’s tour was in Glendale, Ar-

After Glendale Taylor went on to perform more successful shows in Las Vegas, Florida, Texas, Atlanta, and performed with many co-stars such as Gracie Abrams, and Phoebe Bridgers. Overall The Eras Tour has been an amazing and impactful tour as many fans feel connected to Taylor Swift and enjoy listening to the songs that they’ve grown up listening to as it brings them back to a certain era in their own life. Hopefully this tour will continue to thrive and eventually make it to international destinations.

Photo by Faye Block

NT’s Favourite Mobile Games

They’re not as addictive as social media, they’re worse!

Chess

Tai Vaughan Section Editor

All around the school, and all throughout the day, students can be seen (and heard) playing mobile games on our phones. Despite all the other better things they could be doing, students spend their time on games. I investigated what was so appealing about them, and which were the school’s favourites. So, without further ado, here are some of NT’s favorite mobile games.

Hayday

When you’re hearing sounds coming from the back of your class, it’s probably because someone is engrossed in Hayday, a farming game where one constructs their own farm, complete with animals, crops, and various agricultural buildings. Melina Paterno, in grade 11, is the self-proclaimed “biggest Haydayer out there,” being on level 100 and playing every day for the last three years. According to her, the school wif has blocked Hayday, which means if you are hearing its audio, that means someone is willing to burn their data in order to play, signifying a truly addictive phenomenon.

Subway Surfers

A classic of the mobile game genre, Subway Surfers allows players to practice thumb dexterity by requiring them to jump, duck, and move between subway cars while running away from a police offcer (or for the month of December, Santa Clause). This game has been around since at least 2012, making it a long time classic of our generation.

The Business Strategies of NT’s Favourite Spots

Investigating how stores on Yonge and Eglinton target their teenage market.

Arguably the most notorious of these games, online mobile chess has won the engagement of students around the world, distracting them from all other tasks. Since chess requires thought and strategy, it can be hard to do anything else while playing, and since it involves playing against another person in real time, you can’t pause it to answer a question, or pretend like you were paying attention. On the bright side, the game does cause people to use brain power for strategy, planning, and quick-thinking, so it may be a better alternative than its contemporaries, which only need you to move your fngers a bit and tap on stuff.

Solitaire

A simple yet strategic game, Solitaire is, by its name, a single player game. When frst picking it up, all the rules about suits and putting the black cards on the red cards but not the other black cards and such can feel very overwhelming. However, once players get the hang of it, they can’t get enough. Tori Wilson, a grade 11, says the game is good because of its “funny cards (and) easy pattern” and that “it’s very simple and repetitive so it’s not incredibly mentally straining”.

Despite these games varying in style and diffculty, I think it’s safe to say that they all have something in common: they provide students with an escape from their stressful days, and allow us to think about something other than tests and due dates.

Tai Vaughan Section Editor

Budgeting as a teenager is hard enough, but budgeting as a teenager at Yonge and Eglington? Nearly impossible. The North Toronto campus is located in one of Toronto’s busiest intersections, with over 65 stores, a shopping mall, and a lively atmosphere. While going to school in this area is idyllic, it makes us more susceptible to buying expensive lunches or going shopping after school, among other costly activities.

As the coffee empire that has taken over North America and reached the hands of almost every teenager at some point, Starbucks is a multi-billion dollar company that attracts an average of 60 million customers a week. A key part of this company’s success is its incredible marketing and, of course, customizable drinks. Its massive media exposure in the early 2000s inspired the idea that having Starbucks was something to be proud of, as it is both trendy and insanely overpriced. How does this relate to NT students? There are three Starbucks within a fve-minute walking distance from North Toronto, and as a loyal customer myself, the lunch rush at these locations is bigger than ever. After cultivating your go-to order, it becomes far too easy to go to Starbucks at any time of the day, to work, hang out with friends, or even just bask in the feeling of superiority.

Next on the list is one of NT’s favorite lunch spots, proven every day by the massive line. The Chipotle on Yonge and Eglington is located right in front of the school, making it the frst lunch spot many students will come across when going out. In being able to cultivate their order, NT students are more likely to look past the high cost of their lunch. As well as meal personalization, Chipotle’s long tables, open

seating area, and proximity to North Toronto make it a great place to go out for lunch. However, accessibility should not be the leading reason for regularly spending such amounts of money. Those $20 orders add up quicker than we think, which is why establishing a food budget is super important!

This article wouldn’t be complete without addressing Yonge and Eglinton’s hotspot for those wanting a meeting place with their friends from neighboring schools, a variety of food options, clothing shops, and more. The Yonge and Eglinton Mall is home to Urban Outftters, Sephora, the infamous food court, Metro, Indigo, Cineplex, and more. This diversity of options makes going to hang out or spend money easy and accessible. To have placed this mall at the center of such a popular intersection and across the street from a large high school was a strategic business move, and in understanding this, NT students may become more mindful of their spending habits.

To give a few honorable mentions, Tim Hortons, Shoppers, Dollarama, bubble tea shops, and McDonald’s are other Yonge and Eglinton stores that target the teenage market that is North Toronto. While we all love the stores that keep us fed, happy, and social, looking at the business they use to attract us will help us establish better spending habits and stay true to our new year’s resolutions.

Photo by Elena Vlitas

Making co-op work for you

Are you feeling bored sitting in class?

Tatiana Takes Contributor

Education comes in many forms, but it’s often misinterpreted as being only for the classroom, with lectures, assignments, and tests. In–class education doesn’t have to be the only way for someone to learn; it’s im-

Maeve McGuinnessGrade 11

portant to make education work for you. North Toronto offers cooperative education (co-op) for grade 11 and grade 12 students to earn 1-4 credits in a placement they choose from a set list of options. Many students take part in this program to improve their experience in the real world and learn about where they could be in a matter of years. School doesn’t last forever and soon, most students will be entering the workforce. Placements

can include hospitals, banks, elementary schools, construction signs and vet clinics. However, coop might not be benefcial if you are unsure what the future holds after graduation. Since a student has their choice of placement, knowing what to select is essential. The student that will have the most success in a co-op program will know what placement they want. They will take initiative every day by asking questions, estab-

Severyn GomolkaGrade 11

1. What is your feld of interest for the future?

The feld I want to work in in the future is Medicine, specifcally internal medicine.

2. What placement were you given?

I work in the Hematology clinic at Princess Margaret Cancer Center.

3. What tasks do you take part in for your placement (anything interesting that you do)?

I help check in patients and take them into their rooms. This involves handing out any paperwork to new or returning patients, putting on wristbands, and flling out billing sheets. I also have to check the status of other patients and doctors to make sure all of the rooms are full and the wait is kept to a minimum. I also help the nurses and receptionists to coordinate appointments with other departments at PMH and other hospitals such as Toronto General and Mount Sinai.

4. What have you learned with co-op and was it worth taking co-op over the classroom?

I have learned a lot about the healthcare environment and the way a hospital functions. Overall, I would say that taking co-op is defnitely worth it when you’re working in a placement that you’re passionate about. I would also say that it is a big commitment and more strenuous than taking other

1. What is your feld of interest for the future?

My feld of interest for work in the future is something in business / law.

2. What placement were you given?

I was able to get a placement at Parker & Company, a law frm right down the street from here. They have been practicing in Toronto for 25 years, and they do Family Law & Estate Law.

3. What tasks do you take part in for your placement (anything interesting that you do)?

When I am given work, most of the time it’s normal offce work, like scanning, printing, fling, correcting documents, etc. Sometimes, I am asked to review other legal documents such as Wills, Affdavits, and more. It’s interesting because I have the opportunity to read specifc cases in detail, and try to analyze it and make sense of it.

4. What have you learned with coop and was it worth taking co-op over the classroom?

I’ve learned quite a lot of things at the law frm so far, and it was 100% worth taking co-op instead of another course. There’s really nothing that can prepare you more for your feld of work than just working there.

lishing contacts, and speaking to people from different departments. Keep in mind, co-op is still a form of learning; it is crucial to embrace the opportunity. Above all, if you are a student who knows where their passions lie, co-op could be perfect for you.

Read further to learn about specifc experiences NT students have had in co-op!

Joshua ZippanGrade 11

1. What is your feld of interest for the future?

Aviation

2. What placement were you given?

BMO Placement

3. What tasks do you take part in for your placement (anything interesting that you do)?

Offce work ie processing checks

4. What have you learned with coop and was it worth taking co-op over the classroom?

Defnitely was better than being in the classroom you get work experience and learn how communicate with coworkers better

Emilie MaddenGrade 11

1. What is your feld of interest for the future?

I am interested in the medical feld, specifcally healthcare.

2. What placement were you given?

I am at Mount Sinai hospital in the fracture clinic and NICU.

3. What tasks do you take part in for your placement (anything interesting that you do)?

In the fracture clinic I am in charge of placing patients in their beds once they arrive, organizing medical equipment, retrieving different medical equipment which varies depending on each procedure, but as time goes on, I am allowed to do more hands-on procedures. In the NICU it’s less hands-on as the babies are very premature therefore they are very susceptible to infection as their immune systems have not been given the time to strengthen.

4.What have you learned with co-op and was it worth taking co-op over the classroom?

I have learned so much about the medical environment and how I want to work in it in the future. I learn so much about people and how to socialize in a professional setting, but also about medical procedures and the body, and medical school level curriculum.

Lily KanyamunyuGrade 11

1. What is your feld of interest for the future?

I would like to be a Human Rights Lawyer, I plan on studying International Development for my undergrad.

2. What placement were you given?

I was given a placement at Habitat for Humanity GTA and at the Restore

3. What tasks do you take part in for your placement (anything interesting that you do)?

I engage with volunteers doing work in store and in the warehouse such as pricing and handling furniture.

4. What have you learned with coop and was it worth taking co-op over the classroom?

Co-op is an interesting experience, I would recommend it for anyone who would like a chance to grow both in the workforce and mentally due to its everyday challenges. It is worth taking because it teaches you life skills that you might not attain only in class.

Sydney GrabenGrade 12

1. What is your feld of interest for the future?

The feld that I am pursuing is International Mediation. I would be part of an international organization (ie. UN, International Mediation Institute, etc).

2. What placement were you given? For my co-op placement, I was working at Alternative Dispute Resolution Chambers. I got this placement through connections.

3. What tasks do you take part in for your placement (anything interesting that you do)?

Since ADR was still transitioning out of COVID-19, a majority of my placement was online. Other than helping on Zoom I would send emails to the parties’ lawyers requesting briefs for the mediation. Other times I would be able to skip the whole day of school and cover the receptionist at ADR.

4. What have you learned with coop and was it worth taking co-op over the classroom?

The stuff I learned at my co-op is something that I could never have learned in the classroom. It is so important to have these hands-on experiences not just to have them on your resume but to know what you want in the future.

Apple vs Alternatives

Is the fruit fresh or rotten?

Elsa Scurfield Contributor

After asking the students of NT for their input on the ongoing Apple Vs. Android debate, the results were shocking. Everyone I asked believed that Apple phones were, in some way, superior. Their reasoning came down to three main points.

Apple’s exclusivity and prestige: “Apple is more well known and it is more exclusive”

-Molly Tutching

Due to their high prices, status and distinction have been linked with owning Apple products and their newest models. People look at phones as a status symbol, as if having a “better” phone makes you a “better” person.

Apple’s features and compatibility with other products: “Apple products have many good features” -Brooke Stemmle

Even if you prefer another phone brand, people still want Apple watches, iPads, and MacBooks. You can have these things without an Apple phone, but let’s be honest, it’s so much easier if you do.

Apple wants it to be more diffcult for you to use non-apple products with the rest of their product line. Apple’s phone design: “I just personally like the design of the phones better, it is much more simple” -Evelyn Radford

Although other phone brands are looking more and more like Apple products, the sleek design and tasteful colour palette have not yet been mastered by other brands. Despite being more expensive, it is clear that the materials of Apple products match the market prices; this prohibits them from being effectively replicated.

As a result of these combined factors, Apple is widely considered the “superior” form of phone and technology products overall. That being said, there is a reason this is such a long-lived debate, and there are many points of view - you certainly shouldn’t be shamed if you disagree!

Why You Should Join Robotics Club

Not just a bunch of nerds.

Ethan Cairns Contributor

Idon’t speak for all of NT, but in my four years here I’ve rarely heard the robotics club mentioned. When I have, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a clear answer on what they do, or what their meetings look like. I’ve considered joining myself, but I’ve never gone farther than that - how good could a high school robotics club be, really? I remained oblivious until this year, when I started hearing more about it from Mr. Kinoshita and a couple of its members. Although it’s too late for me, after conducting a thorough investigation, I hope to provide a clear look at what the robotics club is, what they do, and why you may want to join its ranks in the coming year.

As you may have guessed, at its core, the club is about building robots. At their weekly meetings, members use a variety of tools, from power saws to screwdrivers, to transform raw metal, bolts, wiring, sensors and more into purposefully designed machines that effciently solve problems. They even program computer brains for their

robots. The club uses the Vex V5 system, a set of standardized raw parts and electronics that simplify the design process while leaving plenty of room for creativity. I saw frsthand the drawers upon drawers of chaotically organized Vex parts and half-assembled machinery that comprise the back wall of room 412. While they are a small group, when I attended a meeting myself, it was clear that the club’s members are all totally dedicated to their projects, and excel at working together to accomplish their goals. If you’re at all interested in engineering, or even just like science, and want to actually apply some of the concepts you’ve learned in class, don’t be afraid to give it a try.

Where does the club get its ideas, though, and what does it do with its robots once they’re fnished? The answer lies in the wide variety of robotics competitions the team has participated in since its founding in 2003. They came 2nd in 2021 and 4rth in 2022 in the VRAD world martian survival competition. This year, they competed in the Spin Up competition, where they designed a robot which can consistently pick up a frisbee and throw it accurately at a target. Most recently, they fnished 18th

out of 50 teams at the iDesign Central Toronto Robotics Competition, being the only public school present! These contests provide a goal to achieve and give the team members the drive to achieve it. Their members told me they often stay at school until 7 PM in the days leading up to a competition, fexing their problem-solving muscles and putting the fnishing touches on their creations. Don’t think of the robotics club as a bunch of nerds sitting around messing with some bits of metal - the team is smart, motivated and has been incredibly successful in the past.

The current head of the club, Theodore Hall, told me that it’s “not a nerd club.” The other members quickly followed up, telling me that for them, it’s about “the skills you pick up and the friends you make.” Theo has done a lot to help the club recover from COVID, when they were unable to attend competitions or meet in person. He also emphasized the impact Mr. Kinoshita has had on the club, staying late with the members and acting as a helpful, dedicated staff advisor. Theo assured me that after he retires, though, the club has good options for next year. Speaking of which,

I also spoke with the future club head, Jack Cai, who is furiously preparing to take the club even further come September. “There’s a lot to do,” he said, “[but it’s] the best club at NT.” Under Jack’s leadership, expect even more dedication, innovation, and competition.

In the end, the small but focused team that is North Toronto’s Robotics Club blew me away with their creativity and commitment. As long as you’re willing to put in the work, I would recommend it to anyone wanting to make friends and be part of a tight-knit team. Not to mention it looks good on an engineering application! This year has been incredible for the club, and from what I’ve seen, they’re only just getting started.

Photo by Theo Hall

2022/2023 NT Sports Highlights

A highlight of this year’s sport season!

The open girls, open boys, and junior boys teams made it to OFSAA!

Girl’s Basketball Won the Earl Haig tournament

Girl’s Tennis Placed frst in Regionals!

Swim Team

Senior Boys’ Soccer Team

The team went 5-0-2 and beat rival team, Northern!

Girls’ Soccer Team

Undefeated season!!!

Luck in Sports

A look into which sports involve the most luck.

Luke Taylor Section Editor

With the NHL and NBA playoffs in full swing and the MLB’s new season underway, sports lovers may fnd themselves wondering what chance their favourite team has at winning. Whether your team is the odds-on favourite or listed as a clear underdog, every team still has at least some chance of winning. But how much does that chance vary depending on the sport?

Michael Mauboussin, a sports journalist and author, derived a system to calculate which sports have the most unexpected winners, or, put another way, involve the most luck. What he discovered led to a ranking of the major North American sports as follows: basketball with the lowest levels of luck, then soccer, baseball, football, and hockey with the highest levels of luck.

This might seem surprising since it is widely accepted that

hockey is among the most skilled sports in the world. However, the study doesn’t necessarily measure the overall amount of skill required but rather how much of an effect skill has on game outcomes.

A study from Mauboussin’s group found that there are three key factors that reveal why hockey is based more on luck than any other major team sport: sample size (which refers to games and opportunities), possessions, and the overall skill differential within the sport.

Skill can be refected in sample size, as in the number of regular seasons played in a particular sport. For example, in a sport like baseball, 162 games are played in a year, so one game involving bad luck has very little impact on a team’s overall fnal standing. Contrast this to hockey and basketball, in which every team plays about half of that total, and the chances of luck having an effect on the fnal standings are almost doubled. And then consider football, in which only 16 regular-season games are played, and a few unlucky games can have a major impact on a

team’s fnal standing. The second aspect of sample size is how many opportunities an athlete gets to demonstrate skill. In a sport like basketball, there’s a shot clock during each possession, forcing players to take shots regularly. By contrast, in hockey, there is no shot clock, possession is much more fuid, and as a result, there isn’t a shot taken every 24 seconds but rather at random intervals, which are often far fewer in number. Thus, highly skilled players’ opportunities to score are diminished.

In addition to sample sizes in sports, another key factor that involves luck is how many possessions go to the key players on a team. In football, just about every offensive play involves the quarterback, who is typically the highest-paid and most impactful player on the team. His skill then has a major impact on the outcome of the game. In many other sports, this is similar: in soccer, basketball, and baseball, the same players who start the game play most, if not all, of the game. In comparison, in a high-intensity game like hockey,

the best players simply cannot play the entire game, which is why players like Austin Matthews or Mitch Marner play 20–25 minutes at most in a typical game, representing just over one-third of the action. In essence, the luck that thus infuences the outcomes in the game of hockey is derived from the amount of time the weaker half of the team gets to play.

Finally, one of the most overlooked aspects of determining luck in sports is to look at the differences in skill in the various sports. In basketball, height is demanded to play in the NBA, and as a result, there are largely two different groups: those who are very tall and very skilled, and those who are very tall but not as skilled. In comparison, in the NHL or MLB, unique height or stature do not play nearly as great a role, and thus the skill gap is much narrower. As a result, the skill gap in the NBA is greater than in most other sports, and in turn, skill plays a much more signifcant role in determining game outcomes.

When all of these variables are combined, they explain the comparatively different overall records in sports. For example, the skill effect on outcome is one of the reasons why the Golden State

Warriors were able to go 73-9 in the 2015-16 season, but the best NHL record in history is only 65-17. For the same reason, the 2007 New England Patriots had an entirely undefeated 16-0 regular-season re-

cord. So as you watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring, don’t be surprised when an 8th-place wildcard team like the Florida Panthers knocks off the best team in the league, the Boston Bruins, in the

frst round. Or when the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche lose to the expansion Seattle Kraken. These upsets are far less common in the NBA and NFL, and now you know why.

Back on Track: NT’s Track Team Returns Stronger Than Ever

NT Track Team returns to competition after COVID-19 hiatus.

Malak Mohamed Section Editor

NT has a long-standing tradition of athletic excellence, and its track team is no exception. After a hiatus due to COVID, the team is fnally back. NT students are pumped. “It’s so good to have these types of social activities back,” says grade 11 student and track teammate Sophie Burchartz.

The NT track team competes in a variety of events, including sprints, middle distance, long distance, hurdles, relays, and feld events such as high jump, long jump, and shot put. The team has been attending mini-meets at Birchmount, and has attended regionals at The Etobicoke Centennial Stadium.

One of the best parts about the track team is its requirements - there aren’t any. Having a sport that is open to all students can be very encouraging for people to join. “They make the team based on your dedication to it, not your skill,” says Sophie Burchartz. The coaches, Ms. Blackmore, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Johnston, provide the necessary coaching to improve the team. Furthermore, having multiple meets helps develop the track

team and guide them to victory.

The athletes on the NT track team are some of the most hardworking and driven students in the school. They wake up early every morning to train before school, then continue to practice after classes are over. They spend countless hours on the track, working to improve their speed, endurance, and technique. Despite the long hours and grueling training, NT track athletes are always eager

to push themselves to their limits and achieve their goals.

The NT track team is not only a place for competition, but also one of community and teamwork. The athletes support and encourage each other both on and off the track, creating a strong bond that goes beyond just running fast or jumping high. Although you have to be on the track team to attend regionals, all students are welcome to come support both the

team and its members.

The North Toronto track team is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and teamwork. The coaches, athletes, and community all play important roles in the success of the team. NT’s track team is not just a group of athletes running and jumping, but a community that embodies the spirit of excellence, perseverance, and support.

The NHL’s race to the bottom: who will get Bedard?

Who will get the projected number one pick?

Joseph Black Contributor

At the end of a thrilling regular season in the NHL, headlined by the record-breaking Boston Bruins, many fans have shifted their focus to the Stanley Cup. However, that is not the case

for teams left sitting at the bottom of the standings, including the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets. These teams are so behind that Boston’s NHL record of 135 points is more than double the Ducks’ or Blue Jackets’. Instead of dwelling in the past, they have their eyes set on one of the most exciting NHL prospects of all time

-

Connor Bedard. The 17-year-old

Vancouver native is projected to be selected frst overall in the NHL draft on June 28. This comes after Bedard registered 143 points in only 57 games for the WHL’s Regina Pats and was named MVP of this year’s IIHF World Junior Champtionship while playing for Team Canada.

Bedard has been on the radar of many NHL scouts since

he played for the West Vancouver Warriors in minor hockey. He was the frst WHL player to be granted exceptional status, meaning he was eligible to play in the league before turning the minimum age of 16. Only six players in the history of the CHL’s three leagues (OHL, WHL, and QMJHL) have been

Photo courtesy of NTAA

granted this status, the most notable of whom is Connor McDavid, arguably the best active player in the world today. Bedard’s achievements throughout his career have resembled those of many incredible hockey players. With his sharp agility, magical playmaking, and

quick toe-drag-release shot, Bedard can be a key part of any NHL team.

At the end of this year’s regular season, Anaheim and Columbus fnished bottom of the league and thus were awarded the highest chances of winning the frst

Fan Culture at NT

overall pick. However, each of the 16 teams that missed the playoffs also had a chance to win the frst overall pick. The NHL draft lottery is run by placing plastic balls with numbers assigned to each team in a pressurized air machine. The balls are then selected in the order of the

Come show your support for our school’s athletic teams!

draft, and the rest is down to luck. With Chicago winning the rights to draft the 17 year old prodigy frst overall, the Blackhawks now have a very promising future and a strong core to build around for a future championship.

Sofia Maruve Contributor

Given North Toronto’s impressive selection of sports teams, it makes sense that most of the attention goes to the teams themselves during the coverage of any sporting event. After all, the inner workings of a game are the main attraction, which is normal, but what are the fans up to?

Often, the fan environment at NT games falls victim to low turnout. Between busy schedules and simply not knowing a sporting event is happening, games frequently fy under the radar, and fan turnout can be pretty bleak. However, NT sports games tend to attract small groups of supportive and respectful people who come to watch. Take our Ultimate team, they play a game governed by the rules of spirit, where players make calls based on their integrity and honesty rather than a referee. Even

in a less-than-packed fan section, fans still have a history of getting excited about the game and even getting involved in the calls themselves. The usual environment at NT games has been described as “quiet … but fun”, with NT fans mostly enjoying “being with [their] friends” at these events and making it a fun afternoon activity.

To see more people come out, NT sports team needs good marketing. Effectively timed posts or announcements allow for excitement to build around games and give people time to plan to come with friends. As our senior boys soccer team advanced far into the playoffs and made the city fnals, their consistent social media campaigning encouraged people to come out and support the team. Their Instagram account (@ ntci_soccer) currently sits at 367 followers, full of posts advertising games, memes taking aim at their opponents, and even a fan appreciation post. To somebody with a free fall afternoon, this account makes attending a game after school ap-

pealing. Students present for the playoff run describe a “quite nice” experience, thanks to the sheer number of people in the bleachers and “occasional” cheering that motivates players. Other teams whose marketing tactics shine include the boys basketball team (@ ntboysbasketball) and this fall’s girls ultimate team (@ntci.girlsultimate). On both teams, the balance between advertising, comedy, and team celebration leads to an improved fan environment where people not only show up but show up enthusiastically.

Events that encourage and advertise spirit, like our iconic Red and Grey Day, help to enhance the fan environment at NT. This year’s Red & Grey Day saw each game packed, with invested fans all around. Ms. Chamberlain described the fan section for our girls basketball team as “crazy noisy”, and enthusiasm surrounded each event. Between the track, basketball, rugby, soccer, volleyball, and ultimate events, the whole day saw

an impressive amount of school spirit surrounding NT athletics. The support continued beyond school hours, with a considerable number of people packed on the bleachers to support the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoying the show as the team secured an impressive 15-2 win against Northern.

The NT spirit exists, and even if the stands aren’t always packed, it’s alive and well. Overall, NT fans create a generally positive and supportive environment for our sports teams. Whether it’s an organized event or a fun afternoon with friends that brings you to the feld, be sure to come out and support NT as our athletics continue!

Photo by Grace Uy

humour & games

Dear Eglinton Crosstown...

A Track Laid Through Time

Elizabeth Rosen Section Editor

January 24th 2020

Dear TTC Councillor transit commissioner,

My name’s Leslie Ande-Finch, and I’m just soooo excited for the Eglinton Crosstown to fnally be fnished! I know it’s been a tumultuous couple of years, but it looks like things are fnally going to settle down, in this the year, 2020. I’m going into grade 9 in the fall (omg high school!!) and since I live on Eglinton West, having the LRT will be so convenient for when I travel to my new high school, NTCI! Just imagine, me, on yonge-and-eg. YEG! Going to the bustling Cineplex on the weekends with my friends, going to the Sephora after school, and getting Chipotle at lunch! I’m just going to spend soooOOOooOOOoo much of my time outside with my friends, taking in all my adolescent years. What else could possibly happen?

Yours dearly, Leslie Ande-Finch

June 21st 2024, Dear TTC Councillor,

Today I’m graduating, no thanks to you! I have spent the entire duration of high school dodging every open manhole, construction pit, nook, cranny, and crater of Eglinton West. I can’t walk on the street without crossing to the other side because every side of the street is blocked off. And just when you think you have your route memorised, THEY CHANGE IT. I have weathered the glaring heat of summer, the winds of autumn, and many bitter winters all to get to school on time, and yet I have very rarely succeeded. And the bus, ohhh you wretched liars and schemers, DON’T YOU PREACH THE 32 TO ME. Squished in like sardines, you can barely breathe as the demon on wheels shoves and heaves you until you get to your street, where you leap off the bus in relief. Anyway, I’m here now, after four years of crosstownless hell. I won’t even need you next year when I go off to Dalhousie with the rest of my school (apparently). Have a good (non)life!

Goodbye forever, Leslie

August 17th 2036

Dear TTC Councillor,

Today’s the day. My wedding/ baby’s delivery day/chinchilla’s quinceanera. It all happened so fast, I went into labour on my wed-

ding day, which was supposed to be a joint party with my chinchilla, and I bet you’re still making your way to Bathurst, huh? Sorry for mentioning it, I wouldn’t want to RUSH you. I moved back to Toronto for my job as an AI painting language interpreter for holographic mixed media art demonstrations, whatever that is. See, we’re very much alike, you and I. We have jobs we don’t know exactly how to do or don’t know the meaning of, we both serve a vague purpose. But the difference between you and me is that you weren’t meant to be this way! The people looked up to you! You know, I always pictured my wedding day a certain way. Me and my husband would have our small, quaint, cozy service in my childhood home backyard, I’d throw my bouquet, and we‘d hop on you, the Eglinton Crosstown, as our getaway car and fy across the city to our fve-star hotel in the east. It would be perfect. But now, all that’s goneperished. I’ve become a cynical and reserved woman, no longer like my naive teenage self. I hope my newborn daughter, Jane Ande-Finch–unlike most little kids–NEVER has a train phase.

Bet you won’t even read this, Leslie

October 30th 3307

Dear TTC Councillor,

It’s been a while, hasn’t it, old friend? When the government and modern medicine fnally joined forces, they discovered a way to preserve human life essentially forever. Now humanity is expected to live on far longer than any other competing species on Earth, or Mars, since a third of our population moved there. Once immortality was no longer a thought experiment but a reality, the ‘human condition’ as we so often call it, had completely changed. Still, my past life haunts me every waking moment. My daughter has started to ask questions such as, “Mummy, how did you get to school?” and, “mummy, what did you want to be when you grew up?” Oh Jane, I tried! I wanted to be a mechanical engineer, working for none other than the TTC! I wanted our city to be more liveable and accessible, but now, there’s no need for such primitive travel. All my childhood dreams are out the window now, and it pains me to be reminded of them when I look into my daughter’s eyes, and see the twinkle that I too once shared. You did what you could, TTC. You did what you could.

Forever yours, Leslie

Ande-Finch

Photo by Elena Vlitas

How to Know if Someone is an NT Grad

Sophie Block

Editor in Chief

1. The grad quarter zip becomes their new favourite top

2. They’re not at school

3. Favourite class? Spare.

4. Their marks drop 30% after midterm

5. They talk to their teachers like they’ve been friends for years

6. They’ve been talking about prom tables for months

7. They’re still waiting on Western Ivey (fngers crossed)

8. They’ve spent all of their money on Chipotle and daily Starbucks

9. Their Instagram feed now has a Red and Grey Day/Senior Skip Day post

10. Ms. Wilson knows them by name and they’re not actually in third period spare

Jack’s Top 5: Backpack Styles

Jack is back looking into the best backpack styles for students around NT.

I say, it’s ok when I do it.

Jack Wolkove Section Editor

1) Double strap

A basic choice, really, and the standard for students everywhere. It’s probably the most effcient way to carry stuff around. For this reason, and also the fact that I was struggling to come up with different categories (you try doing this four times, it’s not for the faint of mind), this one ends up making the list. It has its merits, yes, but have we considered that placing valuables in a bag that’s behind you puts you at greater risk for theft? The only solution to this would be putting the backpack on backwards and carrying it around like those baby slings, thus creating a front-pack of sorts. Since this is a ridiculous idea, and no one wants to be witnessed in such a manner, the double strap method loses to the subsequent items on this list.

2) One strap

Cool kid alert!!! As we all know, one strapping the backpack is a key signifer of coolness and popularity, as made clear by the high school centric TV shows of decades prior. Alternative to this, maybe you’re just in a rush to get to class and did not have time to put the other strap on your other shoulder, because you’re just such a busy bee. You can’t win approval with this one— you’re either a 2000s Disney channel antagonist or you’re full of yourself. Either way, this style gains points for being a classic, but loses some for its penchant to tire out one shoulder while the other does not pull its weight and causes constant shifting of backpack custody between the two. This is a personal account, due to the fact that I partake in this method of object transportation. Have I just judged others for doing this? Yes, and to that

3) Tote bag

If you carry around all of your stuff in a canvas tote bag two or more times a week, I applaud you for your commitment to the indie-record-store-Phoebe-Bridgers-listener-oat-milkin-your-iced-coffee aesthetic (very specifc, I know, but trust that it paints the picture accurately). Though stylish, this one requires the patience and commitment to constantly be pulling the strap up because it keeps falling. If your shoulders are broad enough to effciently carry said strap on them without external intervention, congratulations, and also I’m a little jealous.

4) Satchel

A noticeably new style of bag, the satchel bag that sits at the hip has made its way into the academic accessory wardrobe. Though rare to see, it is certainly a suave alternative to the regular, run of the mill backpack you see around everyday. Not only is it usually a brown-green colour (love the Earth tones), but its wearers can be seen adding additional pins and patches to it, creating a whole new level of customization and self-expression.

5) No backpack

The bravest soldiers among us go about their days not with the human-made utilities of the modern era, but with their God-given hands. Just like they carry all their supplies, they also carry the rest of us throughout the school year, with their confdence and self-assuredness. Such bravery, such faith in a friend, locker, or maybe a kind omnipotent force. Kudos to y’all for doing the unthinkable.

Photo courtesy of Sophie Block

The Second Floor of the Auditorium

What secrets lie beyond the stairs?

Lola Urosevic Copy Editor

My job before each assembly of this year has been to make sure the frst foor of the auditorium is full before letting students onto the second foor. However, each time I have found myself in the same situation. People request, nay, demand to go on the second foor. Some people are disappointed when I tell them no, some try to convince me that the frst foor is full, some try to sneak past me, and some try to just run past me without even an attempt at stealth. After the many times other stage crew members and I have dealt with this, we began to wonder, what is so special about the second foor? What’s so amazing up there that the poor soul in stage crew placed at the bottom of the stairs deserves to be tossed around like a pinball? To try to solve this mystery, we (members of the stage crew) have cultivated our top fve theories, from least to most likely, in an effort to understand the student body and their constant obsession with the second foor of the auditorium.

5. Illusion of not being under surveillance

For those that like to think outside of the box, this one is for you. Students think they can be on their phones and not pay as much attention if they’re on the second foor, even though there are teachers who monitor it. This option is incredibly unlikely, near impossible, but I decided to include this outlandish theory just to cover all bases.

4. People feel godly.

What can I say? Being on the second foor allows students to feel like fearless leaders that look down at us with all their power. They need to feel superior to those around them and establish dominance.

3. There’s a working, clean bathroom up there.

I can understand the desire to race up to the second foor if this is the case. I mean, a functioning bathroom that hasn’t been destroyed for no reason? At NT? A true hidden gem that has to be taken advantage of.

2. Mr. Hobson is on the second foor.

This is almost certainly the reason. Why else would people constantly want to run up to the second foor? Of course, they all just want to

hang out with him and have a good time during assemblies.

1. The Lost City of Atlantis. There’s simply no other explanation that makes as much sense. The city, while being sunk into the depths of the sea, managed to make it to the second foor of the auditorium. The daring explorers of our school have an obligation to salvage this city, to rescue it from the depths of history. This

is pretty much tied with the #2 theory. It would probably be even better if they were combined, and Mr. Hobson actually left to go look for Atlantis on the second foor of the auditorium, and that’s how he ended up there. That’s ridiculous though. There’s no way. Wait…I mean, he is a history teacher. He left with no warning and we haven’t seen him since. We’ve even spoken about Atlantis in history class. It’s all connected. But that’sno…it can’t be. That’s just crazy, or

is it? It has to be the answer. With this new information, I think it’s safe to say that the stage crew and I now fully understand the motivations behind the students who must be on the second foor during assemblies. Carry on brave explorers, and say hi to Mr. Hobson while you’re there.

Photo by Name Here

End of Year Crossword Puzzle

Flex that brain of yours!

Rowen Uy Head Copy Editor

Across

1. Mr. Rice teaches this course at NTCI.

6. The course HSP3U teaches students about three subjects; Sociology, Psychology, and what other topic?

7. The head of stage crew (frst name only).

8. NTCI’s spirit day, held this year on May 4th (no spaces).

12. The latest NTCI Drama Club production.

15. A party for graduating students, that was held on May 25th this year.

16. NTCI’s mascot, the Norseman, can often be seen carrying an axe and this item.

17. NTCI held elections for this group of students from May 16-17.

19. Students can learn three languages at NT. English, French and what third language?

20. Street located to the South side of NTCI.

21. Exam __________, the period of time before exams when teachers are no longer allowed to assign new work or have tests.

Down

2. Ms. Blackmore and Mr. Davis coach this summer sports team.

3. Mr. _______, retiring math teacher who teaches in room 424.

4. Leading From The _____, the weekly newsletter sent out by Dr. Lee.

5. Ms. ______, Phys. Ed teacher retiring this year. Has been a key part of Red and Grey day for many years.

9. Maytime ________, NTCI’s spring concert that will be having its 75th anniversary this year.

10. The offcial name for the graduation ceremony.

11. The _______ committee held many events to learn more about mental health during the week of May 1-5, 2023.

13. Student Council position in charge of managing funds.

14. Salt & _____, a club headed by Mr. Taylor.

17. Ms. ______, staff advisor for the prom committee.

18. A course that allows students to earn credits while simultaneously gaining work experience.

Comic Corner

Zoe Fingret Illustrator

Ella Meshur

Illustrator

Zoe Fingret

Illustrator

North Toronto Student Bingo

Sophie Darlow Valencia Illustrator

Jack Wolkove Section Editor

Horoscopes

Aries - March 21 to April 20

Hey babygirl, it looks like it’s your time to shine! Don’t be afraid to head into the next chapter of your life with that strong head full of bright ideas, look at that big shiny brain! You’ve got a good thing going, see where it takes you and take it even further, believe in yourself and you shall be received with admiration and high esteem.

Taurus - April 21 to May 20

Taurus, Taurus, Taurus, what are we gonna do with you… You’ve been a bit of a troublemaker, a little stinker perhaps, maybe even a hooligan (though that may be too far). Sure, the rules were made to be broken, but in a more poetic or metaphorical way, not a literal and material way, because someone has to clean that up. Be yourself, sure, follow your star, (this is an astrological message after all), just not like that.

Gemini - May 21 to June 21

Quiet, just- quiet. Have you ever pondered the possibility that maybe we all don’t need to hear your opinion all the time? Because trust me, everybody’s already far too acquainted with it. Hey, I get it. You’re youthful, vivacious, outstanding, but colouring inside the lines occasionally won’t kill you. Find something genuinely meaningful to you and focus on that for a while. Put the famethrower down…

Pisces - Feb 19 to March 20

I’ma indulge you. You’re talented, you’re graceful, you’re a delight to be around. We acknowledge and appreciate the effort you put into making your notes as organized and aesthetically pleasing as conceptually possible. Really, I didn’t even know they made that many shades of highlighter. I’ve never seen so much as a speck of dirt on your shoes, and you’ve had your schedule in order since you frst downloaded Google Calendar. Any-

Leo - July 23 to Aug 22

AHHHHH NO LOOK BEHIND YOU!!!

Now that I’ve got your attention, you need to get that head out of the clouds before your oxygen supply gets too low. Don’t get us wrong, we love your big ambitious dreams, but you need some time to actualize them. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? How many of them have you started, or did you lose the list? Don’t worry if you fnd actualizing your goals diffcult, you’ve made it this far, you can probably make it a little farther. Probably.

Virgo - Aug 23 to Sept 22

Honey, darling, sweet cakes, we gotta talk about your life goals. You can’t just choose to work at the “business factory” doing “document transactions” with a “job degree”. No pressure or anything, but it’s high time you stopped giving cheat days their own cheat day. You know you have the skills once you put your mind to something and fsh out your remaining willpower. Just one day of uninterrupted competence is all we ask of you.

Written by Jack Wolkove and Elizabeth Rosen

Illustrations by Selina Lee

Sagittarius - Nov 23 to Dec 21

Careful where you tread, but tread nonetheless Sagittarius, these next few weeks could make or break you. Maybe it’s a big project, a turning point in a relationship (romantic or otherwise), or a spiritual crossroads you’ve come to, but something is waiting in the near future and you’ve got some choices to make.

Capricorn - Dec 22 to Jan 20

Hey stunning, ya free later? There’s nobody who’s not infatuated with your latest greatest self, so own it! The hallways shall part like the red sea at your presence. Eyes will trail as you walk by, eager to lunge after you right out of their sockets! Remember, the whole world is watching, so this can be the moment that makes or breaks your public image for good. I know y’all won’t take that lightly.

Aquarius - Jan 21 to Feb 18

Hey, you! How are you holding up buddy? There have clearly been some changes in your life, and it hasn’t been easy. There will be rest and refuge for you just beyond the horizon, maybe climb a building if you’re having trouble seeing it from where you’re standing.

Cancer - June 22 to July 22

I admit, you’ve had a good run. You’ve started off this school years with big dreams, high hopes, and a positive attitude you fought tooth and nail to preserve. Unfortunately, your fall from grace is approaching, and you have a fnite amount of time to regroup and possibly achieve your longed-for success or lose it all in one fell swoop. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Although even you have to admit, you’re not part of the best.

Libra - Sept 23 to Oct 22

Hi. Forgot y’all existed. How’s the thing going? You know, that super generic thing you have going on that you keep mentioning and everyone keeps forgetting because it’s so mundane? Yeah how’s that? Touch some grass man…

Scorpio - Oct 23 to Nov 22

You’ve really been off to the races for a long time there buddy, why don’t you have a rest. You might be a water sign, but don’t burn out, it’s a great big world and you’ve got time to do all those things you want to do. Yes! Even that one thing that you think you need to do right now! No, not that one, the other one… oh my, how many are there?