Volume 38 - 39, Issue 5 (May 11, 2020)

Monday, May 11, 2020 | Volume 39, Issue 5

raffiti

THE VOICE OF NORTH TORONTO C.I.

THE SPRING ISSUE STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS >> pages 10, 12-17, & 21 NT & COVID-19 >> pages 8, 11, 19, & 44

Photo by Emily Sakaguchi

2 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

editorial

An unexpected end: letter from the Editors in Chief

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITORS IN CHIEF Sara Chiarotto O’Brien Emily Sakaguchi

INTERNAL EDITORS

Jane Carli | Sofia Platnick

EXTERNAL EDITORS

Kiara Distin | Lauren Keith

FEATURES EDITORS

Kaya Makivic | Joshua Chong

Sara Chiarotto O’Brien Emily Sakaguchi Editors in Chief

T

he last issue of Graffiti always heralds the end of the school year. This year, rather than coming to a close with Soda Pop Shop, Maytime Melodies, Prom, and Pentagon Day, the end of school manifests as assignments completed over Google Classroom and food delivered to the door. We miss what it feels like to walk through the breezy, sun-drenched halls of NT in the spring, stumbling over outstretched legs in the halls at lunch, and taking naps at our desks after pulling all nighters to finish summatives.

Though we may be missing out on some memorable moments, it is our hope that we have preserved some of NT’s spring traditions in this final issue of Graffiti. In the following pages, you will find “Letters to my Grade 9 self,” the spread of nomi-

nees for student awards, and the interviews with the outgoing student council. Hopefully we can enjoy these rites of passage from home. Above all else, we hope that this issue brings you the NT community at a time when you may be feeling isolated.

In our letter from the September issue, we wrote that, “although we cannot plan for every contingency, we can prepare ourselves for an uncertain future by staying informed about the present.” This rings even truer now than it did then, and we encourage you to stay informed.

The news cycle can feel repetitive and discouraging these days, and inevitably a large portion of our reporting relates back to COVID-19, but scattered through these pages you can also find positive articles, from stories of human connection, to humour articles, to pandemic-free book reviews.

To us, these stories serve as reminders that each of us has a role to play in the lives of our neighbours. When one person leaves home sick, they put communities at risk.

On the other hand, when one person bangs a pot for frontline workers, they pull communities together.

At its heart, Graffiti’s job is to report on the lives of NT students and the choices they make everyday, whether it be the choice to skip school for a climate strike or the choice to try a new strategy in a basketball game.

We hope that the articles in this issue remind you, as they remind us, that there is power in our choices.

Finally, we want to thank you.

Whether you are a reader, writer, illustrator, photographer, or editor, Graffiti isn’t possible without you. As we sign off, we think fondly of the support Graffiti has received and of the community to which it belongs. It has been an honour to serve that community as editors in chief. We wish you and Graffiti all the best in years to come.

Here’s looking at you, NT, Sara Chiarotto O’Brien & Emily Sakaguchi Editors in Chief

ARTS AND CULTURE EDITORS Anna Goodman | Jessica Hungate Brendan Weeks

BUSINESS AND TECH EDITORS Nathalie Adriana Funes Serna Hao Zheng

OPINION EDITORS

Sean Lee | Ashley Keller

HUMOUR EDITORS

Hannah Argiloff | Emma Frasheri Jayden Orlotti

SPORTS EDITORS Cassandra Chichora Cameron Gilliland

ILLUSTRATIONS EDITORS Yoohyun Park | Yuchen Zhang

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Sahil Turakhia | Kenneth Salim

COPY EDITORS

Sophie Cohen | Audrey Gong Simone Bellengier | Elise Farmar Sarisha Panday

JUNIOR ADVISORY BOARD Lee-Ashley Keshet Defne Tuncer

SENIOR ADVISORY BOARD Maeve Ellis | Julia Goldthorp Rachel Lee

LAYOUT TEAM

Sara Chiarotto O’Brien Emily Sakaguchi Kiana Sharifi | Abigail Shin Jasmine Lem

BUSINESS MANAGERS

Jessica Pearson | Deena Shirkool

STAFF ADVISORS

David Silver | Baruch Zohar

CONTENTS External . ...............................................5 Internal..................................................8 Features................................................19 Business & Technology................................30 Opinion..................................................34 Arts & Culture...................................................36 Sports....................................................40 Humour & Games...........................................41

CONTACT US

Photo by Emily Sakaguchi

Facebook: @NTCIGraffiti Instagram: @ntcigraffiti Website: www.ntcigraffiti.com Email: ntcigraffiti@gmail.com

EDITORIAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 3 EDITORIAL

The human race: an incurable virus Is the COVID-19 pandemic one more symptom of humanity’s unsustainable growth?

Maeve Ellis Julia Goldthorp Rachel Lee Senior Advisory Board Everyone is familiar with the neverending story of humans destroying the environment, but the planet’s eventual salvation may come from an entirely unexpected place: COVID-19. The international havoc that a strand of the flu has caused is a wake up call that should make us acknowledge the precariousness of modern society and the possibility of a future where we could no longer exist.

The fight to protect our planet has come from unpredictable places before. Most notably in 2018, a 15 year old Swedish student named Greta Thunberg took a stand in her own community by skipping school to protest outside the parliament for more action against climate change. This small yet remarkable act of defiance from a single 15 year old student sparked a global movement that would eventually make its way into our own communities, schools, and homes.

In November 2018, more than 17,000 students in 24 countries took part in the Friday school strikes, and fast forward to February 2019, protests directly inspired by Thunberg took place across more than 30 countries. Toronto’s own climate strike on September 27 was proof enough that Canada was on board.

However, the fight for change never comes without its own set of challenges and backlash. July 2019 was a month marked by Conservative and far-right lawmakers urging a boycott of Thunberg’s appearance in French parliament, while mocking her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and a nomination for the “Nobel Prize of Fear”.

Environmental protest attendance and social-media presence shot up, but did nothing to curb the accompanying rise of greenhouse gas emissions.

Activists, movements and protests come and go. They rise and run their courses. Instead of supporting their inspirational and empowering ideas, many put out these sparks of hope with hatred and antagonism.

Many times, the potential for change has been bound by the restrictions of others, rather than being able to take flight, and erase the destructive footprint we’ve left on the Earth.

However, during these past months, the coronavirus has brought entirely unanticipated environmental aid. Officials have observed that the drop in air travel, commuting hours, manufacturing, and economic activity has drastically reduced air pollution in the places worst affected by the virus. We can only wonder, could this pandemic be an environmental inflection point? With past dips of pollution not lasting, could this be the catalyst to lasting environmental salvation?

There are many cracks in the system, and when we put exorbitant amounts of pressure on our natural systems, something must be sacrificed. In the past, the cost of our reckless manufacturing and unsustainable living has

been the health of the environment.

Yet now, it is our turn to take the hit, while the environment replenishes.

The Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, stated, “The way we are exploiting the planet’s resources is making it easier for pathogens to pass

to kill the majority of the world’s population by saying, “When you get a virus, you get a fever. That’s the human body raising its core temperature to kill the virus. Planet Earth works the same way: Global warming is the fever, mankind is the virus. We’re making our planet sick.”

Throughout history, we have

In the past, the cost of our reckless manufacturing and unsustainable living has been the health of the environment. Yet now it is our turn to take the hit, while the environment replenishes. from wild and domestic animals to people.” You could say that in many ways, we brought this pandemic upon ourselves, and that it is simply one of the consequences of our continuous greed and denial. The virus of human greed and COVID-19 are interlinked.

In many ways, movies have said it best. One of the most memorable and very relatable quotations to the world’s current state is from the movie Kingsman: The Secret Service. The lead antagonist of the action-spy-comedy film, explains the reasoning behind his plan

abused the natural systems of our home. From tearing down forests to building cities to polluting the oceans, the human race has turned this oasis into a personal dumping ground. Past generations have agreed that they have the right to claim this planet’s natural resources, so as modern citizens, it is our duty to learn how to undo all the harm that has been afflicted.

But the widespread reluctance to start the fight for environmental causes comes from mass psychological reasoning. The main reason for the

Illustration by Yoohyun Park

general public being reluctant to fight the climate emergency to an appropriate degree is fear of significant change.

People are scared of having to lose their trucks, beef, or any comfort of everyday life that we enjoy in rich countries.

What is different now, with the pandemic, is that we know that greatly altering life styles on a mass scale is possible. Even a few months ago it would have seemed ridiculous to imagine a significant chunk of the world’s population homeschooling, working in pyjamas, rationing food, or completely altering their way of life. The coronavirus induced self-isolation proves that humans can adapt to change.

If we put ourselves up against this virus, we will eradicate it like we have every other. But, if we continue to put ourselves up against the Earth, we are sure to eventually lose. We need to stop viewing Earth as a pathogen to be conquered and defeated, because if that day comes, we will die along with it. Let this pandemic be a spark for the change that many have been looking for, because we are running out of time. We can assume a COVID-19 cure will be found and the health of millions will return, but the well-being of Earth cannot be taken for granted.

4 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

Mental health during self-isolation: Tips on how to stay healthy The government continues to stress the importance of staying home to flatten the curve of coronavirus outbreaks in Canada. We must take the necessary steps to keep up with our daily living activities.

Lee-Ashley Keshet Defne Tuncer Junior Advisory Board

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pending time outside and meeting others is essential when it comes to living a healthy and balanced life. However, the reality remains that at this point in time, going out and being around too many people is the main risk to one’s physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government continues to stress the importance of staying home in attempts to flatten the curve of coronavirus outbreaks in Canada. Due to the fact that physical isolation oftentimes leads to the deterioration of one’s mental health, we must take the necessary steps to keep up with our daily living activities. This would allow us to enhance our mental state as we would maintain our usual schedule. However, we should also focus on discovering methods of stimulating our minds to achieve well being in a broader sense.

Getting dressed every day is one factor that maintains the ability to remain mentally healthy during this period of physical isolation. Regardless of the fact that wearing pyjamas makes one feel more comfortable and at ease, studies show that doing so can actually interfere with and compromise productivity. This is the case because pyjamas are associated with sleep and lounging. As a result, they decrease one’s inclination of completing necessary daily tasks and chores.

Changing out of pyjamas also allows us to feel more lively and awake. Considering these benefits, getting dressed is something everyone should incorporate despite staying at home all day.

Other than getting dressed, structuring a routine for ourselves also makes us feel mentally healthier.

Examples include, not sleeping in too late, making a nutritious breakfast, taking a shower, relaxing for an hour or two and completing a daily chore/task so that we can stay productive. Kiana Sharifi, a grade 10 student, is doing her best to keep busy during this stressful time. She explains that she follows a strict schedule which incorporates a significant amount of physical activity and properly balanced meals. After finishing her schoolwork on a weekday, Sharifi often decides to bake, draw, or paint, and then proceeds to complete her daily 30 minutes of piano practice.

Keeping ourselves busy all day can prevent us from feeling upset or being in a bad mood due to the fact that sticking to a routine allows us to feel more accomplished and gives us more energy.

Limiting our screentime is essential when trying to stay healthy during physical isolation. Studies have shown that too much screen time could lead to problems with focusing, vision,

Getting some fresh air during quarantine can be good for both physical and mental health. | Photo by Marina Papachristos

mood swings etc. In an article titled “Screen Time and the Brain,” Harvard Medical Students stated that “A good night’s sleep is also key to brain development, and HMS researchers have shown that using blue light-emitting screen devices like smartphones before bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing secretion of the hormone melatonin. Many teens who stay up late [on screens] are not only getting less shut-eye, they’re also lacking the deep REM sleep essential for processing and storing information from that day into memory.” Therefore, at a time like this, where we are forced to stay home and might find it difficult to oc-

cise is proven to help our mental state.

This is because exercise releases chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin that improve one’s mood. Regular exercise can reduce one’s stress and symptoms of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety (which often worsen when being isolated), and help the recovery from mental health issues.

Another essential thing that you should consider doing during social distancing is getting some fresh air. This doesn’t mean going outside to hang out with friends, but rather sitting in your backyard or balcony and getting some vitamin D. Spending time outdoors has proven to reduce stress,

Although wearing pyjamas makes one feel more comfortable and at ease, studies show that doing so can actually interfere with and compromise productivity.

cupy ourselves, we must find ways to stay healthy and productive. This could vary from completing a puzzle, cleaning your room, finishing any school assignments to get ahead, and more.

Exercising is necessary during this time, not only for staying physically healthy, but mentally as well. Selfisolating makes it difficult to bring ourselves to exercise due to the temptation to stay in bed at home. However, exer-

depression and anxiety, and you can do many daily tasks outside, such as studying, reading a book, or simply scrolling through social media. However, for the safety of your community and everyone around you, please make sure to stay within your home’s boundaries and as far from others as possible.

Many of us had work that was due sometime after March Break, and now that there’s more time for us to

finish it, it’s a good idea to break down your workload. It is uncertain how many days or weeks we are going to spend in self-isolation, which means there’s a lot of free time, so why rush to finish everything? Creating a schedule and planning ahead can help you be more productive and it can certainly help you do your tasks more quickly and effectively.

Although it relates more to physical health, re-evaluating your diet is really important, especially if you’re staying home and not getting enough exercise. Many teenagers have the habit of eating when they’re bored, which can be quite often in quarantine. It’s better to make healthier food choices when you’re constantly craving something, and physical health is an important step in improving mental health.

Finally, there isn’t a better time than now to talk to your loved ones.

These are very extraordinary and difficult times, and you should check up on your friends, family and distant relatives, especially older ones since they’re the ones most affected by the virus. On top of that, it is hard to find time to talk to your relatives during our regular busy lives, so we should all be taking this situation as an opportunity to talk to them and ask how they’re doing.

Social distancing and physical isolation can be very difficult, and we should all be following social distancing rules so that this pandemic is over as soon as possible. In the meantime, you should consider these tips to stay healthy, energetic and motivated during these tough times. We can get through this together if we all do the necessary things to protect our community.

EXTERNAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 5

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Universities prepare for upcoming school year Universities move to virtual tours, online webinars to prepare admitted students.

Lauren Keith Cassandra Chichora Editors

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n response to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, universities across the world are taking the necessary precautions. As encouraged by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian universities are working towards supporting administrators in the process of cancelling large gatherings and closing residences in accordance with the federal government’s efforts to encourage physical distancing. But what does this mean for this year’s high school graduating class who are desperately waiting to hear back from their future university?

Universities across Ontario in particular, are actively monitoring the evolution of the pandemic through Public Health Ontario. While it seems

as though everything has been put on pause, admissions offices are continuing to assess applications for Fall 2020.

Ultimately, all of the universities are presenting the same message to applicants, which is that they are understanding of any disruptions to schooling or exams, and wish to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on their application. Individually, they are offering as much flexibility as possible through altering key dates and deadlines. As well, to follow physical distancing regulations and accommodate the students’ needs to get a better understanding of the institutions, many universities are offering virtual tours and events.

Due to the indefinite postponement or cancellation of open houses and campus tours, the universities continue to ensure that applicants are still able to experience what they have to offer through allowing potential new students to continue to ask questions, con-

nect with current students and professors, get a feel for the environment, etc.

If you are a Grade 12 student applying to Ontario universities, you are probably far too familiar with the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). OUAC continues to operate as they are still processing applications with their staff working remotely. But with this comes the big unknown in every applicant’s mind: marks. What marks will universities be looking at?

Will my marks get updated? All of the grade requirements, including an average of one’s top six marks and a course’s prerequisites, are going unchanged. As of April 6, North Toronto C.I. has been following the direction of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Minister of Education in their implementation of remote learning. In times of uncertainty, there is some good news for Grade 12 students, which is that the mid-term marks will be en-

tered by April 23 to meet the deadline to report grades to OUAC. The marks will reflect work done up until March 13, and any work done past this date will only be used to improve students’ mid-term marks. Moving forward, teachers were advised to think carefully about their course expectations, which has caused not only less work, but a shorter time frame to complete it.

As Grade 12 students and Ontario university applicants ourselves, we know just how stressful this time has been. For any student, all of the unanswered questions have been extremely challenging to deal with. After all of our hard work, waiting to see what the future will hold presents an even greater unknown due to the pandemic. But through acting in accordance with the school, the board, and health and government officials, we must remain hopeful and safe in the wake of COVID-19.

The power of absence: feminism in Mexico

Women in Mexico went on strike by staying home and disappearing from everyday life for one day.

Nathalie Adriana Funes Serna Editor

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very day, ten women are murdered in Mexico.

Every day, ten friends, daughters, sisters, mothers, disappear and never come back.

Every day, there are 293 reported cases of violence against women. Many other times, women do not report their aggressors.

These include femicides, the traffic of minors, physical abuse, and rapes.

90% of murderers go unpunished in Mexico. They keep living their lives as if they hadn’t taken one.

66% of women 15 years of age and older have experienced some type of violence at least once in their lifetime. In 2019 alone, 2 173 women were murdered.

On March 9, one day after International Women’s Day, thousands of women united to show their distress towards the femicides and gender violence in Mexico. The number of acts against women has kept increasing at an alarming rate, and yet the government has not responded to this issue or provided a solution.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico’s current president, blamed the “corrupt regime, injustices, and privileges” for the high rates of femicides.

Although he claimed to “desire with

all [his] soul that violence is reduced and that women are not assaulted,” since he gained the presidency on December 1, 2018, according to official records, femicides have increased by 10% and he has yet to present a clear strategy to combat this issue.

This strike was different from the commonly known walkouts. Women from Mexico, no matter their age, social class, occupation, or marital status were asked to not leave their house. They were asked not to attend school, work, shop, or walk the streets, but to instead disappear from everyday life for one whole day. The purpose of the movement was to raise awareness about the absence of all these women in Mexico and to show the great contributions of women in Mexican society, from learning spaces to workspaces.

If for some reason women could not join the movement or men wanted to join it, they were encouraged to wear purple, the colour of the protest.

Organizations, companies, universities, and government institutions, among many other associations, supported this strike by allowing their female workers to be absent on this day to participate in the national protest without any consequences.

In just one day, the absence of these women cost 34.6 million pesos (the national currency) on a national level, according to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. If the non-remunerated work that women do were considered, this

figure would go up to 43.5 million pesos.

This movement was ignited after the violent murders of Ingrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old woman, and Fátima Cecilia Aldrighett, a seven-year-old girl.

The movement was held after monthly strikes that had been going since 2019, including a major strike on March 8, 2020, which had around 80 000 protesters..

After years of peaceful — but ignored — protests, women started changing their approach. Painting national monuments, busy streets, and government buildings are some of the actions protestors took. These actions were largely criticized by the government and by some citizens, accusing the protesters of violence and vandalism. Norma Andrade, a member of the Action Group for Human Rights and Social Justice, said, “The authority is going to tell you ‘see, they are vandals’, but they are going to take off those paintings with white painting, but the psychological damage that that girl suffered will never go away in all her life. The authority and justice and the Government are failing her.”

Many people have claimed that these women could have protested peacefully and gained the same media attention, and thus the attention of the government and citizens.

Many feminists responded with the examples of peaceful protests held years before that were unheard of and ignored by society. Feminists that support the movement also challenged

people by asking how they think that women (and other minorities) gained the rights that they have today.

After the strike in November 2019, Vanesa Duran, a criminology graduate, stated that “Mexico is a country in which if a woman is violated, the authorities doubt. Here, the life of women is not respected, they treat us like consumption objects. This strike is to demand the respect we deserve”.

Bertina Marmolejo, an expert in sustainability and an ecological leader, stated that there had not been much progress after the movement of March 9 “because sadly all the effort that had been put [into improving women’s lives] were hindered by this crisis that we are currently living because of the coronavirus.” She added that this crisis is further worsening many women’s current situation.

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 is not reducing the numbers of abuse against women. Since March 26, when the Mexican government recommended quarantine, there has been a 60% increase in calls complaining of gender violence, and the petitions for shelter for women has increased by 30%.

Arussi Unda, a member of Las Brujas del Mar, an organization that helped in the divulgence of the movement of March 9, said: “What we want is for this to not stay as an anecdote or a pretty picture of the strike, but rather to transform into concrete actions in which everyone participates and takes action.”

6 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | ÈXTERNAL INTERNATIONAL

How to hold an election in the middle of a pandemic: Korean Style South Korean elections go on like any other, but with the addition of handsanitizer and temperature checks.

Photo Courtesy of Lee Jin-Wook

Sean Lee Editor

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n the middle of a global pandemic which shut down non-essential services everywhere, South Korea entered into their 21st Parliamentary Election. Although France had delayed local elections and Poland had opted for a mail-in ballot election, the Korean Election Commission adopted several measures to keep the public safe from community spread of COVID-19 while voting. With all of the measures in place, a record 66% of citizens, the highest turnout for the past 28 years, cast their vote and made their voice heard. Two weeks after the election, the Commission has reported that there have been no COVID-19 cases related to community spread from the election. With several elections coming up from around the world, it is important to examine the measures taken by the Koreans which led to their successful election.

Everyone, whether you were

completely healthy or self-isolated with COVID-19, was allowed to vote in several different ways. Around 26% of the population, roughly 11 million people, cast their vote in advance whether it was with a mail-in ballot or at early polling stations set up across the country. For those that showed up on the day of, everyone was instructed to stay a metre apart, disinfect their hands with hand sanitizer, wear plastic gloves, and have their temperature taken. If there were no signs of infection, they would be allowed to go and vote in the polling station. Once each person voted, one of over half a million volunteers would enter the booth and disinfect everything before the next person entered. Those with a temperature over 37.5 degrees were taken to ballot stations separated from everyone else and allowed to vote there.

As for the 60 000 citizens in self-isolation, they were allowed to leave their houses at a specific time during a 5:20-7:00 period and had strict instructions of where they had to go to cast their ballot. They were not allowed to take public transport but had to walk

or drive their own car to get to and from the station. Once they returned home, they would have to call the Health Department or else the police would be dispatched to find the citizen in question.

All of these measures led to the result of no COVID-19 cases coming from the spread between voters in the election.

However, even with all of these measures in place, voter turnout was a concern as the pandemic may deter citizens from coming out to vote. In reality, it was quite the opposite due to all the measures described above which increased the accessibility of voting for all members of the South Korean public and also the fact that it was the first election where 18-year olds were allowed to vote. This election also comes halfway through the Incumbent Moon Jae-In’s term as president and serves as a judgment from the public of how he has been doing in office.

This election also follows a controversial period of Politics in South Korea. The Incumbent President, Moon Jae-In, was elected in 2017 in an emergency election after the Impeachment of Former President Park Geun-Hye.

President Park faced several scandals including her handling of the Sewol Ferry Accident, which was the topic of the Oscar nominated short film “Into the Absence”. She was also charged with bribery and corruption which the Incumbent President Moon promised the public during his 2017 election campaign would never happen under him.

In the end, the Democratic Party, President Moon’s governing party, received a three fifths majority of seats claiming 180 out of 300 seats in Parliament. The opposition party, the United Future Party, claimed 103 seats losing 19 seats which included the seat of their Party Leader Hwang Kyo-Ahn. Thae Yong-Ho, a United Future candidate for the Gangnam area, became the first North Korean defector to win a seat in parliamentary history.

As other nations approach critical elections, such as the November presidential elections in the United States, South Korea’s handling of elections during a pandemic will offer important lessons.

EXTERNAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 7 PROVINCIAL

Childcare sector at risk of crisis in wake of “short-sighted” government order “As of yet, nobody I know has been able to access any government relief,” says school-owner.

Emily Sakaguchi Editor in Chief

“T

hey’re behaving appallingly,” says school-owner Isabelle Kunicki about the Ministry of Education. As she tries to refund parents whose children are at home, instead of at school, “compliance officers [have] come raining down on [her] threatening fines” for noncompliance with a government order.

In 1996, Kunicki co-founded Forest Hill Montessori School, which has since become The Clover School.

With students up to, and including, Grade 8, Kunicki says that running a school has “been a labour of love.”

Although she believes “that education needs to change” and “COVID-19 is the perfect opportunity” for that change, Kunicki says Montessori schools “are in trouble because right now” they are “faced with having to refund a lot of money.”

On April 9, 2020, the provincial government prohibited child care providers from charging fees while the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered daycares and schools. According to Kunicki, child care providers are also expected to reimburse prepaid fees.

After Kunicki heard the news, she waited for the provincial government to announce measures to help the child care sector adjust. “That has not come, and it’s been three weeks, so I’ve lost all confidence in the provincial government in the belief that they’ll do something for us,” says Kunicki. “Some provinces have jumped in and offered to cover operating costs for childcare centers to save the sector. Our government has done nothing of the sort.”

Although private schools have received no government directions, many Montessori schools fall into a

“grey zone.” The Clover School has students between the ages of 18-monthsold and 14-years-old. Because of this age rage, the school has to “be licensed both as a private school and for child care.” Any students six years of age or younger are considered to be in child care. “The bulk” of students fall into that category at many Montessori schools, according to Kunicki.

A key difference, however, be-

where, cost reductions have not been sufficient; “I have a number of friends [who run their own schools] who have already said that they won’t be able to make it past May, and that they’re going to have to close permanently,” Kunicki says. “As of yet, nobody I know has been able to access any government relief.”

Beyond her concern that teachers will be left unemployed, Kunicki worries that, if schools have to

Photo by Emily Sakaguchi

tween Montessori schools and daycares is that, while daycares usually charge fees one month at a time, schools charge an annual tuition “well in advance of services rendered.” The bulk of tuition has already been reinvested in the school, so Kunicki cannot return the money to families. “We’ve offered our families credit, which is really still a refund,” says Kunicki, but she “regularly” faces warning letters for non-compliance as she tries to “figure this out.”

Among several cuts, staff salaries have been reduced to accommodate the province’s demands. Else-

close, children will be left without child care spaces. Issues of shortages and long wait lists for spaces with licensed child care providers have long existed in Ontario’s child care sector.

In 2013, a Toronto Star investigation found that licensed daycares can only offer spots to twenty percent of children in Ontario, putting pressure on unlicensed daycares to accept more children than is legal and safe, and leaving parents with few options. Hundreds of complaints had been filed to the province regarding unsafe conditions for children.

In a government-relief-seeking petition on change.org, child care providers estimate that 90 000 families will be left without child care in the event that twenty percent of childcare businesses have to close.

In addition to the school’s financial losses during the pandemic, Kunicki points out that “people may be in a very different position than they were when they chose to send their child to a private school,” and that while confronting the crisis-related losses, the school will need to spend “a lot of money to be able to create an environment that’s safe for kids.”

She has been keeping an eye on countries where students have returned to schools. In Denmark, measures include seating students six feet apart at all times. It is one of many signs that children will be entering different classrooms than the ones they left in March.

“It’s going to look like smaller classes, more staff, social distancing, likely a hybrid model of online and in-person learning,” Kunicki predicts. “Creating classrooms where social distancing is possible will mean much smaller classes. I don’t know where we’re going to put those kids.”

Measures to keep students safe are not “going to be cheap to deliver.”

Although Kunicki “[understands] why that [government] order was made” and wants to help parents who are in difficult positions, she feels it was “a very short-sighted decision that the government made. What they’re going to do is create a terrible crisis. Parents are going to need us when we go back. The world cannot function without child care. We are an essential service,” Kunicki says.

For the time being, Kunicki awaits access to financial relief and government aid.

LIFE IN QUARANTINE

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom at Queen’s Park. | Photo by Sara Chiarotto O’Brien

8 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | INTERNAL

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

When did COVID-19 become real?

No one thought it would last this long. But here we are, 59 days after North Toronto C.I. closed its doors for what was supposed to be a 21-day shutdown For many students at North Toronto, COVID-19 seemed like nothing worse than the common cold. For others, it was just one more menace in a world where news cycles seem dominated by tragedy. Below is a collection of responses from NT students about the moment they realized COVID-19 was more than just another country’s problem.

When did COVID-19 become real for you?

“

“I was going to see Swan Lake with my sister at the beginning of June. When that was cancelled, I thought, “oh my god this is real.”I was looking forward to that performance for years. - Sophie Cohen, Grade 12

“

“It hits you once something you were looking forward to gets cancelled. I was looking forward to a summer program and when it got cancelled, that’s when it really hit me.” -Simone Bellengier, Grade 10

“It came in waves. The first weekend of March break my friends and I were still hanging out and we noticed a

“I was supposed to go to an interview for a job.

lot of stores were closed and aisles were empty. There

“

They had canceled it without telling me and I

were long long lines and all the supplies were already

had to travel on the TTC. I was riding on the sub-

taken. I remember thinking, this seems like the apoca-

way and started noticing how empty it was and

lypse. But it wasn’t until a few weeks into the quaran-

how eery it felt.” - Deena Shirkool, Grade 12

tine that I realized I haven’t seen my friends in weeks, I’m not going to go back to school, and that’s when the reality really sunk in.” - Kaya Makivic, Grade 12

“

INTERNAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 9

Dear Grade 9 Kaya,

“In all honesty, it took a while for the reality of COVID-19 to really sink in for me. I kept subconsciously brushing it off. I just didn’t want to believe that it could last longer than the original two weeks off from school, let alone blow up and shut down the whole world. I looked at graphs and stats every morning and night, convincing myself it wasn’t half as bad as the toilet-paper-stockpilers thought it was. I never worried about my health or the health of my family and friends because practically everyone was staying at home. Even when the numbers got bigger, the reality of COVID-19 didn’t fully hit me. It was when I started hearing people talk about how, if not handled properly, this could go into the summer or even next school year. That’s when the panic and gut-wrench-

“

“

ing feelings started. The possibility that my summer job, music camp, school concerts, or even my last sports seasons with NT could be cancelled. Watching the dates of huge events my family, friends, and

“I don’t remember a world without the looming fear

I had planned pass by was when I realized the grav-

of climate change. We watched Trump get elected,

ity of this situation.” - Marina Papachristos, Grade 11

saw the rise of nationalist groups and watched as the middle east was destroyed in countless wars.It feels like every week there is a new conflict, and it’s hard (and quite frankly exhausting) to keep up. At this point, it’s become a coping mechanism to become detached from what’s happening in news, politics and

“

the world. I have friends and family who are essential

workers, and if I let myself think about it too much, I’ll go insane. So I don’t. I’ve become unfazed by the coronavirus because I’m so used to international

conflict, because I’ve always known what it’s like to be scared for the future.” -Lucy Macmillan, Grade 10

Illustration by Yoohyun Park

10 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | INTERNAL STUDENT LIFE

The struggles of quaranTEENS It’s like New Year’s Eve 2.0; don’t let it go to waste.

Marina Papachristos Contributor

O

n the last Thursday before the March Break, students across Ontario heard the news that seemed only possible in a dream: two extra weeks off of school due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. That evening, the information spread throughout social media within minutes of the articles being released. I sat through orchestra practice and I can’t tell you how quickly I saw everyone’s faces light up with excitement and disbelief.

Here’s the only problem: we had no idea of what was about to hit us.

Those two weeks have turned into an indefinite number of weeks. All those plans you made? Gone. Shot out of the air faster than the formation of the cafeteria line at lunch. Socializing is out, social distancing is in! That’s right ladies and gentlemen; we’ve given you the fine opportunity to sit around in your house and do absolutely nothing! At first, quarantine sounded pretty good. Scroll through Instagram for a bit, finally watch that Netflix show your friend suggested, maybe even do some baking. It’s not gonna last forever; how bad could it be? It’s turned out to be pretty bad and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon.

With COVID-19 literally taking over the world, there are few aspects of our lives that have been left unaffected.

Although many students had hoped to take this time to talk with friends more often, 68% of the students I talked with feel that their friendships, support systems, and even romantic relationships have been affected negatively by the quarantine. Many students expressed that they communicate more in person than over text, and find it harder to keep contact when we aren’t seeing people at school on the daily. Giorgia Woolfe, a Grade 11 student at St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School, has found “[it] difficult to express emotion over text and [feels] that more conversations turn to arguments because of misinterpretation”. The majority of students I talked with expressed that the less we see our friends and loved ones, the more isolated we begin to feel.

Not only has coronavirus fractured many students’ relationships, but it’s completely disrupted the plans students had for this coming summer.

Camp, summer jobs, travelling abroad, competitions, sports events, volunteer work, you name it Corona took it.

A majority of the students who had these plans were relying on them for their post-secondary pathways. Yes, even students who aren’t graduating this year. These plans were experiences to add to resumes or university applications, and even jobs to help save up for post-secondary education expenses. Many Grade 11 students were relying on Grade 12 courses they were reaching ahead with, and many Grade 12 students are missing out on greater

preparation for their post-secondary pathways. Even the more minor aspects, such as prom and graduation, have left many graduating students feeling that their high school experience, particularly their last and most valuable year, is being robbed from them.

Without school or the ability to leave our houses to see friends, this quarantine has called for more family time than we’re used to. More than half of the students who noticed a difference in their home life stated that their household’s irritability has increased.

Tensions between family members tend to increase during stressful times, especially for households that have lost a source of income via work. The students that struggle the most are those who don’t have very healthy relationships with their families. They struggle to find privacy and alone time. For many students, school is a safe space and a break from home life, and, without it, numerous students feel frustrated and lonely.

As difficult as it may be, it’s important to stay positive and keep yourself busy. I think I can safely say that just about everyone misses regular life, and that’s why it’s so important to limit the aspects of our lives that COVID-19 affects. Go for a walk or run and get some fresh air, but keep that 6-foot distance.

If the government stops letting us out of our houses, go on your balcony or out to your backyard and run some laps.

Some French guy ran a marathon on his balcony, try that one out and tell me

how it goes. Do all those activities you thought of doing during quarantine.

Start baking, try out a recipe for dinner, watch that TV show, create some art, play Minecraft, read a book you actually have an interest in, pick up a new hobby like cross-stitching, work out, have some tea cause that stuff bops, I swear the possibilities are endless.

Most importantly, call your friends and family. Just as High School Musical said, we’re all in this together, and we need to support each other during a time that can be so draining on our mental health. It’s difficult to help our loved ones when we aren’t there in person, but it means a lot to pick up the phone and call someone.

If school starts up, online or not, don’t throw everything you’ve been doing out of the window. Continue baking, or going for runs, or calling people, or playing Minecraft. If we start doing school online, we still won’t be seeing people in person, so keeping yourself busy while we’re missing out on socializing is important. I think I’ve said staying busy is important 3 times now. Want to hear it for a fourth?

We won’t be given this time to sit around and do nothing ever again. It may be draining on our mental health but if we take advantage of it properly, it can become a refreshing and perfect place to take a breather, collect ourselves, and start off on the right foot this time. It’s like New Year’s Eve 2.0; don’t let it go to waste.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Art Council elected to Student Council After a constitutional amendment, Art Council gains a seat on Student Council.

Cheryl Zhang Contributor

O

n December 18, 2019, 94% of North Toronto students voted in favour of Art Council holding a spot on the North Toronto Student Council. The format of the vote took place under a new system made possible with a constitutional amendment voted past

by Class Representatives in November.

The constitutional amendment was made in March, because Art Council proponents argued that the class rep voting system was unrealistic, making it near-impossible for councils to land spots on Student Council. The old policy required votes from both class reps of each home form, however it is standard for only one out of the two class reps to attend the monthly meetings. Supporters of the constitutional amendment posited that this new way of voting is more democratic as only one class rep from every home form needs to be present in order for a vote to pass. Supporters of the constitutional amendment, also argue that, in the future, clubs who want a seat on the Student Council will find it easier to be elected.

Maeve Ellis, the Vice Head of Art Council noted “no one offered any

Photo Courtesy of NTCI Art Council real reason to vote against Art Council”.

One of the reasons put forth for Art Council to be elected is how the Art Council has a similar structure to that of Music Council, NTAA, and NEAT.

The core of Art Council is made up of the general members. Anyone in

the school body is welcome to join and is not required to take an art course. These members contribute to weekly meetings and are essential for the production of all Art Council projects for the school.

Art Council also has class reps, who fulfill the same tasks as general members but also take on the responsibility

of informing their art classes of what Art Council is doing and any upcoming events. There is also an executive council made up of a few students who take on the responsibility of running committees and projects. These roles are similar to those of Student Council, and include the Head, Vice Head, Secretary, Treasurer, among several others.

Another reason put forth to convince the student body as to why Art Council should be elected was their mandate to make NT’s walls more colourful through the placement of art around the building. The committees within the Art Council serve different purposes: the Spirit committee makes crafts for the holidays, while the Semaine Blanche committee makes pieces that are outlets for student voices on issues such as climate change and mental health.

Iva-Mari Miškulin, Junior Vice President of Music Council, commented “the arts are really important to improve the environment around the school, so I’m glad that there will be another artistic representative on Student Council. I look forward to the new ideas and involvement the Art Council will bring.”

Art Council members share that enthusiasm and look forward to holding a position on Student Council in the 2020-2021 school year.

INTERNAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 11 STUDENT LIFE

NTCI donates thousands of gloves to healthcare workers Unused PPE from Science and Art classrooms useful in healthcare.

Sara Chiarotto O’Brien Editor in Chief

O

n Monday 23 March, while most students at North Toronto were enjoying their extended March break and preparing to return to classes on 5 April, Dr. Frances Wright, a surgeon at Sunnybrook Hospital, returned to work after a one week vacation. Immediately, it was clear that Sunnybrook, and other Toronto hospitals, did not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for their staff to battle the onslaught of COVID-19 passing through their doors. Later that day, Dr. Wright sent an email about the problem to her husband, the head of North Toronto C.I.’s science department, Mr. Roche, who was struck with an idea.

Upon hearing of this problem, Mr. Roche’s first thought was of the “two or three thousand” gloves sitting abandoned in the science labs of North Toronto Collegiate Institute. After emailing Mr. Mack, he learned that he wasn’t the only one who hoped to

make use of this unneeded equipment.

According to Mr. Mack, “all schools were asked to do an inventory and notify the [TDSB] of the types of PPE that were available in each school,” on that same Monday.

Almost immediately, teachers from North Toronto’s Science and Art departments, namely Mr. Roche, Mr. Kinosita, and Ms. Marquis, ran through their memories of department storage closets and sent lists to Mr. Mack, who then passed along the information to NT’s caretakers.

At present, one caretaker is allowed into the building for one day each week, and it was their job to track down the PPE reported by the teachers. On top of Mr. Roche’s estimate of two to three thousand gloves in the science department, Ms. Marquis informed Graffiti that the art department had approximately twenty boxes of non-surgical gloves and two boxes of N-95 masks. Protective wear students typically use with materials such as “clay, plaster, and staining pigments.”

North Toronto also kept a small number of hand sanitizer jugs in its science department which were also donated.

According to Mr. Mack, the Ministry of Education took over donation efforts “in early April” and the decision of where the PPE would be donated was left to them. Mr. Mack has been informed that the PPE is currently in the process of being distributed to healthcare workers. Mr. Roche estimates that the total number of gloves donated across the board is over ten thousand.

In the coming school year, there is some concern that “when we go back, we’re going to need some of that stuff,” says Mr. Roche. However, he believes it will be manageable to “work around it” by flipping the order of units so that dissections occur later in the 2020-2021 school year when the demand for PPE will hopefully decrease.

At a time when all of Canadian society is suffering through the same health crisis, Ms. Marquis is happy that North Toronto’s equipment “went to some good.” Mr. Roche echoes that sentiment as “It’s nice to be able to help, especially if it means somebody didn’t pick up [the virus] and pass it on.”

TEACHERS

Farewell, Mr. Sibera

We were Seniors Brendan Weeks Editor

H

ow could we have known, Our walk in the sun was going to be so brief?

The final bell rang without us knowing, And our last time in the halls was complete.

We were seniors, Nothing short of kings and queens.

And for a brief moment, We were together as one team.

Then suddenly without warning, We faced judgement day.

Nothing left to add to our story, Fate cruelly stole it away.

The instruments are now all silenced, No athletes to compete.

The stage is without its performers, All our classes, incomplete.

The perfect prom dress that will never be worn, It’s magic sent into retreat.

The camera roll that will forever remain empty, Philosophy cannot comfort this defeat.

Still try to be happy, About this, our fractured final year.

Be strong for our moms, That cannot hold back the tears.

I will search for you again one day, To share in what was left undone.

To reclaim our stolen moments, That will once again, let us be young.

So, look ahead down the road, Past all the heartache and disbelief.

Take a moment to smile when you remember NT, And keep those precious memories, on eternal repeat.

Simone Bellengier Copy Editor

T

he North Toronto Community is desolated to express their goodbyes towards Mr. Sibera as his 10 year teaching journey in Canada and 5 years at North Toronto comes to an end. Mr. Sibera contributed his knowledge and passion towards teaching economics and accounting as a staff advisor for several clubs, including the Stock Market and many other business related clubs. He enjoyed partaking in school activities initiated by students, as he wanted to “make sure students complete their objectives and necessary education to improve as a person”.

Mr. Sibera proceeds to share his memorable achievement regarding the expansion of the courses he taught , stating, “5 years ago there were only two grade 11 accounting and one grade 12 class, as well as one economics class”.

This was then altered as a result of Mr. Sibera’s efforts within the business programs. He soon began teaching two more additional classes for the same course. Although his teaching career extended to various other schools, it became clear that North Toronto’s atmosphere and community had inspired and provided a second home for him.

Mr. Sibera hopes that he will be remembered as an enthusiastic and dedicated teacher at North Toronto.

His commitment for teaching and love for his students always ensured that

POETRY

Until we meet again…

“And in the end, our final lap around the sun was interrupted, but it was still ours.”

We are the class of 2020

Photo Courtesy of Mr. Sibera their needs were addressed before his own. Mr. Sibera made his own sacrifices, including missing certain events and appointments to attend class and help his students succeed. In fact, when starting a new unit for his civics, economics or accounting classes, he never took a day off as a way to ensure the comprehension of the material for his students. Similarly, his devotion to North Toronto led him to commute 3-4 hours per day for five years due to the distance from his home.

Mr. Sibera originally taught in the island of Sri Lanka prior to moving to Canada in 2000. From here, Mr. Sibera attended York University to re-

ceive his BA for teaching in 2003, and was later transferred to North Toronto.

Although he is excited to experience this new chapter in his life, Mr. Sibera is planning on potentially becoming a supply teacher for next year. Therefore, the school will hopefully see Mr. Sibera back in the halls of NT, ready to attend to the needs of his students again and continue to make memories with his collegues. Though we are dismayed to see Mr. Sibera move on, his commitment, resiliency and hard work will forever be remembered and we wish him all the best.

Photo courtesy of Brendan Weeks

12 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | INTERNAL

2020 Student Council Elections: Meet your candidates!

President Ciara Borg

Anthony Beca

“My name is Anthony Beca, candidate for 2021 student council president. Elect me if you want a responsible, forward-thinking president that will nurture a greater sense of community among the norsemen. My experiences as a club head, de facto tennis captain, and an integral part of the volleyball team mean that I am a good leader, and a good listener. With the transition to online classes, we have all realized how important the NT atmosphere and access to student support is for learning, especially for younger students.

As president, I would create an online interface for students in need to contact tutors that can help. I pledge to bring the NT community closer together by putting an emphasis on NT’s classic Red and Grey day as well as other spirit events and clubs. Vote for me and together, we can make a new normal. Follow my campaign @ anthony_beca_ on Instagram!”

“Hi North Toronto! I am Ciara Borg and I want to be your president. I am in grade 11, I play on several sports teams at NT, and I love improving. If I become your president I will assure you to improve whatever it is our school needs as much as I can, you will see lots more opportunities for fun and unity, and I will make sure this upcoming school year will have some unforgettable moments.

I would be absolutely thrilled if I got elected for president, and happy to represent NT. I am totally ready to help make 2021 a positive change, especially coming off a rough end to 2020. Vote Ciara for president in 2021 and what you’ll see it is a lot more fun!!!”

Cameron Gilliland

“I’m Cameron Gilliland and I am running to be your 2020/21 student council president. I bring a wealth of experience to the table, from my tenure as your JVP, regular contributions as a writer and sports editor of Graffiti, ongoing charitable work with Skylark, to annual participation in NT sports teams, I’ve learned the valuable skills of what it means to be a leader, and am ready for this challenge. I can promise you the following: hard work, dedication, and accountability.

With those being the building blocks of my work, my goal is to bring the Council to the students and reshape the way it operates alongside the students it serves. Student council is a place for everyone, not just those elected, or class reps. I believe everyone should have an opportunity to get involved, and I hope to succeed in that ideal. I appreciate your vote!”

Sean Lee

“Hello! Or in the words of Mr. Haughton, “Hello my wonderful students of mine!” I’m Sean Lee, and I’m running for President of NT. But why should I be President? Well, I have had great experiences in extracurriculars from the LEGENDARY sport of Curling, to the Symphonic Band where the lyrics of Shenandoah is a mustknow. In fact, all of us have great memories involving ourselves at NT, and it’s our turn to continue the tradition. My promise is to adapt to current times and fight to keep school spirit alive.

I will find ways to improve on current spirit events which will build a strong school identity.

I will increase communication between council and students and keep Norseman spirit consistent with more contests and events in the second half of the year. Let’s not just make the next school year great, but let’s make it the greatest one. Together.”

Mridul Mittal

“Hello, my name is Mridul Mittal and I am running to be your next student council president for 2020-2021. I have been at NT for two and a half years and it has been a rollercoaster full of experiences. I came from England with a British accent and I’m going to graduate with a Canadian one how sad. Anyway, the real reason for me running is for me to give back to the school community by making the school year of 20202021 the best year of your high school lives. My leadership experiences as the president of DECA, one of the heads of engineering club, and being a class rep have amply prepared me for taking on the task of being the next student council president. If I were to be elected, I would ensure that everything ran smoothly and that all parts of the student council are working in tandem to each other to present our ideas in interesting and unique ways to keep everyone engaged.”

Senior Vice President Kate Gilliland

“Hey NT, I’ve missed you! I’m Kate Gilliland and I’m running to be the 2020/21 Senior Vice President.

I’m currently in grade 11 and have taken on leadership roles each year, including PALs, Class Rep, Hot Air and Charity Week. I’ve loved all these opportunities to help NT become its best self! My primary responsibility as SVP will be to run a successful Charity Week with the JVP and staff. I will use my previous experience to create a profitable and inclusive Charity Week for all. I will plan events that will involve the arts, sports, and academics, so all students are represented. Promotion of events will be improved so all are aware and can take advantage of this incredible initiative. My goal is to have the best time while making the most money for the deserving Charity. Follow my platform @kateymcmuffin on Instagram. VOTE KATE G FOR SVP!!”

Leah Manuel

“What’s up NT! My name is Leah Manuel and I’m running for your next senior vice president. You’ve probably seen me bouncing up and down in the hallways saying hi to every person I know, but I’ll shoot you guys a brief summary about who I am for those who don’t know me personally. Currently, I am a grade 11 student who’s always ready for a challenge. I have a driven passion towards music and participate in a number of clubs and teams, including NT’s choir ensemble, rugby team, and PAL organization. My goal is to base my platform all around school spirit. This includes raising the bar on our school’s charity week game, helping organize year-round events, and taking our enthusiasm as a community to new heights! Make sure to keep your eyes out for my campaign material launching May 11th! Can’t wait to virtually connect will you all:)”

Chloe Petrohelos

“Hey NT! I’m Chloe and I’m one of your Senior Vice President candidates! You may have seen me in Room 333 running weekly Culture Club meetings or around arenas managing our Boys Varsity Hockey Team. Next year, I plan to increase student involvement in Charity Week, increase collaboration/communication between the student body and council, and focus on events that make NT an amazing place.

I chose to run for SVP because I love NT’s spirit and I want to fully immerse myself in all NT has to offer. Some of my favourite memories include singing in the change rooms before grade 9 PE, becoming a businesswoman during Charity Week, and conversations during many Chipotle lunches. This position gives me the opportunity to organize and improve the events that make NT unique. I am excited to see you in the fall to choose our charity for Charity Week 2021!”

INTERNAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 13

Junior Vice President

Natasha Bernstein

“This year I was lucky enough to be a class rep, but I want to do more for our school. I believe that I would do a good job of representing the juniors and that I could get many things accomplished in this position, such as making sure the views of the studentbody are clearly heard and strengthen the relationship between junior and senior grades at this school. I feel that the juniors aren’t as involved as seniors are, and I want to change that. I think that we need to make the grade 9’s and 10’s feel more comfortable, and included in the school. There is an age barrier, which stops juniors from trying new things because of intimidation of seniors. We need to make Juniors feel comfortable, as this is their school too and I intend to do so.”

Sophie Block

I am running for Junior Vice President to ensure that next year I can make a meaningful impact on the lives of students at NT. I was the class rep this year, I was the student council president of my middle school, and I am involved in several charitable organizations. All of these leadership positions have given me the necessary leadership skills to be a great leader on the student council. I am extremely passionate, hardworking, organized, and dedicated. I would try my best to create more charitable events, to make charity week as fun and well-functioning as possible, and to improve the experience for all students, especially grade-nines. Both my qualifications, my strong passion and my ideas will make me an amazing JVP. As your qualified, responsible Junior Vice President, I will try my absolute best to make this year and charity week as amazing as possible.

Georgia Pomorova-Mann

“Hi NT! My name is Georgia Pomozova-Mann and I’m running to be your next Junior Vice President. I’ve always been a natural leader and love having bigger parts in group scenarios.

I’m outgoing, charismatic, and love interacting with everyone. At NT I’ve been a part of biology club, charity week, volunteering in the art room, etc. I’m a bit of an overachiever because I always set big goals for myself and do my best to accomplish them. My next “big goal” is to win the JVP election. As JVP, there are many things I’d want to accomplish. The 3 main things I want to do are improve accessibility in the school for those with mobile disabilities, help make the school cleaner/more eco-friendly through environmental initiatives, and organize more school-wide events. There are many other reasons why I’d be an amazing JVP, but these are the main ones.”

Victoria Man

“Hey it’s Vicky! Reading this short paragraph is the perfect chance to get to know me better if you don’t already! I love being a part of the NTCI community, and I do so by joining a bunch of clubs that interest me, try out for sports teams, join school committees, and participate in the band programs. I love making friends, taking initiative, and being organized. I have many skills that are beneficial for the JVP position, but you’ll have to wait for my speech to hear more.

I’m easy to talk to and I truly love NTCI. If I were your JVP, I would help out whenever and wherever. I want what’s best for the students, teachers, and community. I care about the wellbeing of the school environment and would do my very best to maintain and improve it. DM over Instagram @vickyman205 and let’s be friends!”

Ojus Davli

Hey everyone! My name is Ojus Dalvi and I’m running to be your next JVP. I believe that I can help to foster a culture of respect, inclusivity, and diversity here at NTCI. I’m passionate about improving student life at school. I believe that your opinion matters. Don’t choose someone who’ll make all the decisions for you. Choose someone who wants to be your voice and cares about what you want.

I promise to work with you and for you. You should have a say in the actions that will affect you. Whether that is improving our washrooms, or creating measures to prevent school thefts, every single one of you can come to me with your ideas, and I promise to listen and speak for you. A vote for me is a vote for you. You can find my extended platform with my vision for NTCI on Instagram @ojus.dalvi

Madison McBride

“Hi! My name is Madison McBride. I would absolutely love to be your Junior Vice President next year. I immersed myself in NT this year by becoming a class rep, joining the dance club, the ski team, the field hockey team and the layout team on Graffiti. If I was your JVP, I would increase social events at NT to help everyone stay connected! After all, the pandemic this year has left us all missing our friends. On that note, if I were elected I would also like to improve the online learning environment. One more thing I would like to add to NT is more spirit days to spread positivity. I would make sure to listen to all of your concerns. To hear more about myself and my plans, watch and vote on Wednesday, May 13th! Confide in Madison McBride, she’s on your side!

Instagram: @madi.cate_19 Snapchat: @jellybeancatie”

Janna Kazerani

“As my favourite rapper once said “Hi! My name is Janna Kazerani and I’m running for Junior Vice President at NT” (or something like that). I am a hardworking and responsible individual with strong leadership and communication skills. More importantly, I am 100% approachable and always happy to listen or help. If elected, I will handle this role with devotion and tenacity. I will ensure that us juniors are more involved in executive decisions made by the student council. Everyone’s voices and ideas are important (yes, even the Gr.9s) and they will be heard with me as JVP! Now, more than ever, we need to spread more positivity at NT. I vow to start new traditions to display more acts of kindness. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to feel more involved, and my ideas (ie. TikTok Tuesdays) will definitely boost student engagement! Vote Janna for JVP. Janna Vows Possibility.”

Reaghan Milne

“Hello North Toronto! In the past year at NT, I have been involved in many different dimensions of student life including the school ski team, the Special Events Committee for Charity Week and Junior Band. I believe this allows me to represent multiple areas of student life and the diverse needs of Junior students. As Junior Vice President, I will not only listen to your opinions and ideas, but will also make sure to actively share and promote them during Student Council Meetings.

I am very responsible, reliable and passionate towards this role. I would love the opportunity to become even more involved in North Toronto next year and make an impact. I intend to strengthen the connection between grade 9’s and 10’s. I cannot wait to represent you and ensure that you are heard! Find me on instagram @reaghan. milne. Let’s make 2020/21 the BEST YEAR EVER!”

Romi Litner

“Hellllooooo NTCI! My name is Romi Litner and I am one of your candidates for Junior Vice President! As your junior vice president, I vow to end all homework. Just kidding. I can’t do that, but what I can do is be your voice with the school administration and work to make this the best year NTCI has ever had. I want to be that friendly face for new students coming in and a defender for students already here. One of the reasons I’m running for Vice President for the student council is because I want to give back to the school I love so much. So come check out my instagram @romilitnerforjvp and let’s work together to make a change in our school and make next year the best year of our lives!”

Gordon Wang

“I’m Gordon Wang and my dream is a Great and United North Toronto. Our school is the best school I’ve ever been to and I want to make it even better by having more fun activity days where everyone can engage in and make new friends, creating surveys for individuals to fill out whenever they have a suggestion, and allowing more clubs to run. Those are all things that will make NT an even better school. But what I believe is even more important and crucial for greatness is a united NT. A united NT will be stronger than anything else in the world. We need to fight for our struggles and beliefs because WE ARE FIGHTERS. We shall have the freedom for what we desire and the expression of thoughts, without anyone controlling them. I’m running for Junior Vice President candidate and I say Let NT be the Greatest.”

14 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | INTERNAL

Treasurer Wyatt Gilliland

“Hey y’all, it’s LIL PAYCHEK (also known as Wyatt Gilliland) and I’m running for Treasurer in the 202021 Student Council election. I excel in my business, economics and accounting courses, which provide me with the skills needed to succeed as Treasurer. I will bring my A-game and love of money to ensure financial success for Student Council and clubs.

Positioning myself as THE advocate of the student body, all clubs and student initiatives will receive proper funding. Don’t worry - I’m no boring bean counter ;). If you believe that I’d contribute to the fabric of NT, VOTE LIL PAYCHECK FOR TREASURER. To keep up with my campaign, follow my socials at: TikTok: lilpaychek, Instagram: lilpaychek.”

Peter Maniatis

“Hey North Toronto! My name is Peter Maniatis and I want to be your next Student Council Treasurer. A little bit about myself is that I’m in grade 11 and I have a huge aspiration for Business and Finance. I have two years of financial experience through the Junior Achievement company program where I co-founded two company’s, Stackd. gg and Charmed. In these companies, I have spent one year with sales and another year with the finances team. I have worked closely with financial transactions and would do a great job managing the budget for the Student Councill next year. If you vote me, Peter Maniatis for treasurer, not only can you count on a well-allocated budget; but as a team player, I will be able to assist other executive members amongst my own responsibilities with ease. Thanks, NT! and remember to vote Peter Maniatis for your Student Council Treasurer!”

Audrey Gong

“Hey NT! I’m Audrey Gong, a candidate for the 20202021 Student Council Treasurer! Throughout my campaigning process, I aim to demonstrate my strong integrity, work-ethic, and competency that will allow me to excel in the Treasurer position. As Treasurer, I would be committed to actively supporting and leading Student Council endeavors, and responsibly managing our school’s finances — including appropriately allocating club funding in a manner most convenient for the student body. As this year’s Co-Head of the Model UN Club, and Class Rep, I have a thorough understanding of the inner-workings of how club finances are handled, and how these funds are subsequently used. This first-hand experience — alongside my efficient adaptive, and organizational skills — will enable me to accurately gauge, record, and distribute finances, to ultimately make the NT experience fair and rewarding for the entire student body. Find me at (@audrey.gong) on Instagram!”

Lyza Salman

“I, Lyza Salman, am a candidate for the position of Student Council Treasurer, for the 2020-2021 school year.

I am a current grade 10 student and am incredibly excited to see how this year’s election rolls out. I believe that I have great organizational and time management skills which I believe are very important for this position. I want to attempt to continue the great work that the previous treasures, as well as all the student council members have done. I would like to make certain that funds are distributed fairly, and to ensure that all students enjoy the various extracurriculars that our school has to offer. Moreover, I am also interested in expanding NT’s role in the community, and help them build a stronger community presence, through our fundraising events and contributions to our community.”

Carson Paton

“Hello NT community. My name is Carson Paton. I’m probably the one you’ve seen in the hall and thought whoa that guy’s tall. Currently, I am running for the 2020-2021 student council treasurer. During my past almost three years at NT, I have developed a keen interest in finance which has resulted in a perfect opportunity for me to bring this passion to the student council and NT community. In addition, I have been a member of many sports teams and clubs where school budgeting was critical to their success. I enjoyed all of those experiences and now feel that it is my time to step up and return the favour to next year’s NT community. If you want passion, leadership and financial stability for a thriving 2020-21 school year, vote for me as NT Student Council Treasurer starting May, 20th, 2020. Follow @carsonpaton.treasurer on Instagram for further information.”

Abdikaram Abukar

No platform available.

INTERNAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 15

Secretary Nicole Kan

Alyssa Pather

Cheryl Zhang

“My name is Nicole Kan, and I am currently in Grade 11. Having had volunteer and job experience in leadership roles, I have been put to the test in organization and planning situations. If I were to fulfill the role of secretary, I would use my time management skills to my advantage when planning Club Fair to prepare one of the most fun Club Fairs you will ever experience. Hopefully. My [some might say] super amazing note taking skills will come in handy during student council meetings to provide effective communication between all members of the student council and class reps. But being a part of student council means going above and beyond.

I will not hesitate to help my fellow council members to offer a more welcoming and productive environment. You can expect to see me on Instagram @nicolekan_, and don’t forget, Nicole Kan do it.”

“Hi! I’m Alyssa Pather and I’m running for student council secretary for a 2020-2021 school year. I love North Toronto and I want to do what’s best for our school. I’ve had leadership roles in our school before, but I wanna make NT better on a bigger level. My main jobs as secretary would be taking notes at meetings and handling club fair. I’ll take care of both jobs and more! I want to improve club fair and make it better for both club heads, and attendees. I also want to improve how we connect with the student body. I’ll achieve all of these using my leadership skills, teamwork skills, and my passion for our school! So follow me on Instagram @alyssapather and stay tuned for more election content! Remember, Vote Alyssa P for a better NT!”

“My platform is based on these 3 ideas: attentiveness, commitment, and organization. As secretary my job would be to take notes at Student Council meetings and organize Club Fair. This means the secretary needs to be observant, and who’s observant? Yep, you guessed it, me! My thoroughness is reflected in my results such as, through my marks. The secretary must also be reliable because the Student Council has meetings every Monday. I have lots of experience going to meetings because I have consistently attended Art Council and NEAT meetings every week all year up until quarantine season. The other main part is planning Club Fair. It can be hectic, but I’ll use my superb organization and time management skills to make a schedule that guarantees minimal overcrowding. For more reasons to vote Cheryl Zhang, the “write” choice for secretary, follow me on insta @ cherylzhang4 and add me on snap @cherylzhang8.”

Environment Minister

Music Council President

Art Council President

Evelyn Kim

“Hi my name is Evelyn Kim and I will be your new environmental minister for next year! I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with you guys on ensuring that North Toronto continues to uphold our status as an eco platinum school and actively working on reducing our negative impact on the environment. I am thrilled to introduce some events never before seen at N.T. next year. NEAT has been brainstorming a whole bunch of exciting new activities and events that will take place throughout the year. Taking care of our environment is incredibly important and it needs to be something everyone at N.T. is knowledgeable about. I hope that you are as enthusiastic as I am for this coming year and about making our school a better place, not just for you guys but for our planet as well.”

Julia Fowell

“I am so excited to be Music Council president next year.

After spending two years on music council and observing great presidents like Kamil Mamdani and Rachel Lee I hope I can do the position justice and keep the streak of awesome music council presidents going. I plan to take my experience of being on council and improve events, along with having a stronger connection with the music council and the music community at NT.”

Anna Sum

“Hi! My name’s Anna, and I’m thrilled to be next year’s art council president. The students of the visual arts department here at NT create amazing work, and I’m excited to be able to help showcase all their hard work through all the stuff we do here on the art council.

Next year, whether you’re an art student or not, I hope we can hear about your ideas! It’ll be the first year officially a part of student council, but our goal is still the same as always: bringing art to the school by the students for the students. Even though there won’t be any particular campaigning for the position, make sure to follow the art council’s instagram account @ntci_ art_council to find out more about what we’re doing!”

16 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | INTERNAL

Social Convener Bahar (Bridget) Korkmaz

“With my ideas for next year’s unforgettable plans, I will make sure to make students’ wants and teachers’ needs a priority. Some of my amazing approved ideas include the process of embracing the unknown talents of NT students, by giving them opportunities like auditioning to sing during lawn parties, carnivals, and many more! Another significant plan includes graduation, and improving it by adding a graduation cap throwing ceremony on the field, and a drama performance during prom; “The Last Performance”, along with many other social events to bond the students of NT, and make this a memorable last year for the upcoming seniors. I will focus on the entire school and their wishes to make the year of 202021 the best. I am ready to embrace the responsibilities that come with social convener and provide the school with every possible opportunity.”

Rachel FergusonWuls

Hilary Tanner

“Hey NT! My name is Rachel Ferguson-Wuls and I am running to be your social convenor for this upcoming year. I’m in grade 11 and have two years experience being class rep. NT has many exciting things to offer, so as your social convenor I promise to keep you updated and excited about what is going on. After all this social distancing, it will be my duty to make next years events like lawn party and prom unforgettable. With your feedback, I also want to create a new event to mark 2021.If I am elected as social convenor, I promise to be your voice and make sure we take communication to the next level so everyone’s opinions are heard. Let’s face it - after the start of 2020 we are all ready to party. Vote for me and I’ll make sure we have events that go down in NT history.”

Noelle Taylor

“Hi NT! I am Noelle Taylor and I would love to be your Social Convener for the ‘20-’21 school year!

This will mark the first time in many months that we are back at our school, and I want to make sure it is one of the most memorable years ever. If you elect me to be your Social Convener, I would implement three ideas. First, I would like to create a platform on which students can submit their own social event ideas. Second, I would like to implement a Starbucks day in a winter month during which students can create their own special Starbucks beverage.

Finally, since there will likely be no prom this year, I want to make sure that the 2021 Prom is twice as incredible to make up for this year’s missed event.

Follow me on Instagram @noellet20, on Snapchat @noelle.t20, or on Tiktok @noelletaylor20.”

“Hi! My name is Hilary Tanner and I am running for Social Convener for the 2020/2021 student council.

I am currently in grade 11 and have attended North Toronto C.I since grade 9. I love sports, hanging out with friends, traveling, and meeting new people. I am very outgoing, hardworking, and dedicated, shown through my past accomplishments. I have been a PAL at NT, an active member in a variety of different clubs and I volunteer at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in my free time. Some goals I have for the next school year ensures the student body has a fun and memorable year, with pre-existing traditions along with new ones. As social convener, I will organize an unforgettable prom, an eventful lawn party, make original decisions, and ultimately I will help make the 2020/2021 school year an amazing experience. You can find my campaigns and a little more about myself on my Instagram page, @hilarytanner!”

Lauren Tigert

“My name is Lauren Tigert and I am running to be your 2020-21 Social Convenor! Some of you may know me from Field Hockey or Swim Team or maybe just a face around the school. As a grade 9 student, the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the grade 12 North Toronto student left an impression on me. During my first year, the stairwell windows had a motto saying ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ which I took to heart. I believe that hard work can be rewarded with fun times. With your ideas and input, I would like to live up to those words and leave the same impression that I got, not only on the incoming grade nines but on the rest of the student body. I may not be the most well-known person running for social convenor, but I will make next year one to remember. Vote for me, Lauren T!”

INTERNAL | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 17

NTAA Female President Lucy Colley

As your NTAA female head, I want to bring back a classic event called Nets for Vets which is a teacher versus students game of floor hockey. I also want to introduce NT AllStars day. It will happen once a season, and anyone can sign up to test their skills against others. Finally, I plan to create an athlete of the month award. Students can nominate themselves or their friends to be recognized for their dedication and commitment to the sport community at NT. COLLEY stands for Collaboration with the student body, NTAA and the teachers, On & Off the field spirit wherever we are next year, Love for NT, Leadership, Everyone is involved and included, and Y... Well, why not me? I’ve got what it takes and unmatchable devotion to NT and the NTAA.“True, ever faithful, in Red and Grey, Our North Toronto leads the way.”

Haleigh Di Buono

“Hey NT! I’m running to be next year’s NTAA Female Head. I think this position is a great fit for me because I am already super involved with the athletic programs that our school has to offer and I’m ready to take on the role as leader. My goal next year is to make sure everyone feels involved in the events that NTAA runs and to make sure we all express our school spirit & support for all of the amazing athletes at our school. Whether it be through sports teams, intramurals, or coming out to support your friends and classmates, I want everyone to feel like they have a place in athletics.

Thanks for your consideration!”

Kiara Distin

“Hey NT! I’m Kiara Distin, and I love sports, which is why I’m a candidate for the 2020-2021 Student Council Election NTAA President! I plan to prove to you why I am the best candidate for NTAA President, as I will ensure that all of NT’s sports endeavours are fun, and run smoothly — including events from our school’s teams to our beloved Red and Grey Day. Having been on multiple teams as well as NTAA, I can confidently say that I have a thorough understanding of how NTAA works. This, combined with my drive, leadership, and ability to get things done, guarantees that I am your perfect candidate. And although I am running for NTAA President, I can assure you that I won’t only be proudly running the sports at our school, but also helping run our school as a whole. So follow me on IG (@kiara.distin), and vote for me, Kiara D”

Livie Hardy

“Hey NT, my name is Livie Hardy and I am running for the 2020/21 NTAA female president. After being a member of NTAA this year, it made me realize that I would love to take on a bigger role in the NTAA community.

Being put in the position would allow me to further my passion for athletics all while furthering an association that made me step out of my comfort zone and further my involvement in the NT community. For next year, I want NT to continue to have the great athletic program that it has today. I hope to do this by maintaining the hype around many of the athletic associations biggest events like Red and Grey Day and Pancake Breakfast. These major events are such a substantial way to maintain and build community amongst the student body, and that would be my biggest goal as NTAA president.”

NTAA Male President Augustin Benoit

“Heya! My name is Augustin Benoit but most of you know me as Gus… or THAT band kid. I am running to be your NTAA Male President and I am so excited to run for this position. Since grade 9 I’ve watched past NTAA presidents shape our athletics association into what it is today and if elected I can’t wait for us to build on those foundations. I plan to further collaborate with the music department to bring you an even more entertaining red and grey day along with increased communication from NTAA to the athletes and the non-athletes, and vice-versa.”

Kaura Sankaran

“Hey, I’m Kaura and I’m running to be your NTAA Female Head!

I’ve been playing sports since I was three and I’ve always loved the excitement and the thrill of it all. Every year, I play on half a dozen teams at NT, and once I realized how much NTAA does for those teams, or what the committee does to make events like Red and Grey Day run smoothly, I’ve wanted to be a part of it. I’ve developed many key skills from sports like leadership, cooperation and being open-minded.

Having these traits will help me work with the other NTAA cohead, the rest of the Student Council and with your input to make next year unforgettable.

NTAA is the core of sports at NT and I’d be honoured if you voted for me as Female Head. You can follow me and my campaign on Instagram @sankykforntaa!”

18 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | INTERNAL STUDENT LIFE

Music Council and music teachers adapting upcoming events amid the COVID-19 pandemic

From elections to choir performances, here’s how the music department is going online.

Sophie Cohen Copy Editor

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or nearly two months now, students have not been in school due to the rise of the global pandemic COVID-19. However, this has not stopped the rest of North Toronto C.I. from operating. One such example is the music department. Music Council and the teachers alike have been working to make sure that related events still happen in a modified and creative format.

The first upcoming event that the music department has created alternative plans for is Soda Pop Shop, the annual Music and Art Council event where performers and artists show off their craft to anyone who has purchased a ticket. Since this event takes place at school and involves a large gathering of people, it cannot happen in its usual format this year. Instead, Music Council has decided to host an online Soda Pop Shop: an Instagram giveaway of sorts.

To enter, students must attend NT, follow the NT Music Council Instagram account (@ntcimusiccouncil), comment one thing they miss about school, one of their favourite things to do in selfisolation, and tag two to three people in the comments. The post where students can do all of this was released during the week of April 27. To gain an extra entry for the contest, participants can send in a short video clip of their musical talent to the account, which will then be featured. The giveaway prize is a brand new ukulele.

The Music Council has also started brainstorming a modified plan for the banquet. The Music Banquet is an event for all NT music students to share a meal and receive awards for their work during the past year. Due to COVID-19, the music department is unsure if it will happen this year. Therefore, the Music Council proposes an online banquet. It could take place on Zoom and awards would be ‘given’ to their respective recipients. The Music Council is also considering pushing the banquet back until the fall if logistics work out. The department is urging stu-

dents to share any thoughts and ideas they may have regarding the Music Banquet.

Music Council elections also had to be adapted. Every year NT students come together to vote for their future Student Council. These elections usually take place at school near the end of the year. Due to COVID-19, this year, the 2019/2020 Student Council has proposed that students vote at home. Candidates running for Music Council president will take part in the online elections this spring, while the elections for other music council members will be held in September.

However, unlike the plans for Soda Pop Shop, Music Banquet, and Music Council elections, the future of Maytime Melodies still remains unclear.

Many teachers in the music department have been inspired by professional orchestras and ensembles that have been able to create music from their homes.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is a prime example of this. In the early days of quarantine, members of the orchestra filmed Copland’s Appalachian Spring alone in their houses instead of

at Roy Thomson Hall. The musicians all sent in clips of them playing their parts to one orchestra member who edited them and organized them into one video. While this is a difficult task for professional musicians, the music department acknowledges that it will be even harder for high school students. Despite this, Ms. Dalamba’s choir is creating a video with a similar concept and some of the other music teachers are exploring comparable ideas. Music Council is still looking for online music programs that could help with the organization of an idea like this and are welcoming suggestions from any students that have had experience with similar projects.

Many NT music students are upset that they are missing out on the multiple music experiences that they have always been able to have. However, in the words of Music Council President Rachel Lee, “even though this year has been cut short, the Music Council will continue to spread music to NT students with the intention of providing them with some light during these difficult times.”

STUDENT COUNCIL

Farewell from Student Council After a year of successful school events, Student Council is ready to pass the torch.

Kamil Mamdani Student Council President

T

his year, Student Council has been such an incredible experience, and it wouldn’t have been what it was without the help of the North Toronto community. Whether it was the teachers, the students, or administration, everyone played a crucial role in making this year one to remember. Back in September, I had certain aspirations and plans for the council, and reflecting back on them now, each one of those aspirations were fulfilled to the highest extent. Whether it was through implementing the Red and Grey Day Hype Squad, passing the constitutional change for Art Council President to hold a spot on council, or our highly choreographed assemblies, the hard work put in by numerous people made it all possible. If we needed the Marching Band, Ms Monteith and Mr Varahidis were there, If we needed the Choir, Ms Dalamba was happy to help, and when we wanted to fire confetti from the catwalk during our Holiday Assembly, Mr Mack allowed it having seen the hard work and planning that we put into our council initiatives. Behind the scenes, Sean Proctor and the rest of the stage crew spent countless hours in the stage crew booth, helping to choreograph our assemblies in

order to create fully produced performances. We achieved things this year that have never been done before. Each member of the council took initiative and executed each task with passion and a desire to create something that the student body would love. We all worked together throughout the year and not only grew as a council, but as companions. On behalf of the council,

we’d like to thank our staff advisor, Ms. Hayden, for creating an environment where the whole council was like one big family. We wish we could have finished our term on council at school, however amid the current situation, we continue to run weekly zoom meetings in preparation for the 2020-2021 Student Council Elections, which will be running from May 11th to May 22nd. As

Photo courtesy of Student Council

our term is coming to an end and the next student council will soon come into office, I would like to thank everyone on behalf of the 2019-2020 Student Council for showing interest in our events, and making this year unlike any other. I’m excited to pass the torch to the next council, and wish them success in their future events and endeavours.

FEATURES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 19

HEALTH

features

A new normal: How three NT students are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic “Everyday I wake up and hope that I don’t have a fever,” says NT student battling COVID-19.

Joshua Chong Editor

“I

t’s kind of lonely,” says Grade 10 student Holly Gomes. Tucked in a corner of her room and wearing a thick hoodie, she flashes a faint grin in an effort to lighten the mood during her interview with Graffiti. At first glance, she is just like the average North Toronto C.I. student during this period of physical distancing: tired, restless, and bored. But her reality is far different from that of the majority of students who spend their days completing online learning and playing video games.

Gomes is one of 524 teens and children in the province of Ontario who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. “I started getting a cough on April 2,” she said. “Two days later, I had a fever.” The fever began to worsen; two weeks later, it spiked to over 40 degrees celsius. That is when she and her family knew something was wrong. “My parents thought it was pneumonia,” she stated. “So we called the doctors and I was placed on antibiotics, but it wasn’t working”.

Gomes then went to Sick Kids Hospital on April 17. “I had a bunch of tests done and [the regular ones] all came back negative,” she said. But two days later, she received a phone call from the hospital: she tested positive for COVID-19.

“Honestly, I wasn’t that surprised,” Gomes reflected. “All the other tests came back negative, so there wasn’t much else that it could be.”

Yet, Gomes has no idea how she contracted the virus. “I have been in my house and I really hadn’t left to go anywhere,” she explained. Except for asymptomatic transmission, Gomes believes the only other possible source of her sickness is from a piece of food delivery that wasn’t wiped down.

“But I really don’t know,” she admits.

Gomes spent the majority of April isolated in her bedroom. She fights boredom by connecting with friends online. Unlike most of her peers, however, she is rarely able to interact with her family, except during mealtimes or when they come to her door. But even meals are an inconvenience and a challenge for her. Before going downstairs to eat, Gomes must wear a clinical mask; when she is done, she heads directly back to her room. It’s a task most would find straightforward, but for Gomes, it is a struggle. “When I walk up the stairs, I get really out of breath,” she notes.

Her cough and fever have also persisted for over three weeks.

Though COVID-19 symptoms manifest differently in each patient, Gomes describes her experience to be similar to the seasonal flu, “but just much longer, which is making it worse”.

There are some days when Gomes feels that she is on the mend, but these periods of respite are often followed by a period when the symptoms come back in full force.“At the beginning, the fever was around 39 degrees celsius, then it went down,” she recounts. “It almost went back to normal, but then it spiked again. It is really confusing because my fever is so inconsistent.”

It is this level of uncertainty that drains Gomes. “Everyday I wake up and hope that I don’t have a fever,” she says. “But I really don’t know when it’s going to end.”

Uncertainty is also something that has loomed over Grade 12 student Deena Shirkool and her family since the pandemic began. Shirkool, who lives with her mother, would usually visit her father every weekend – catching up over dinner and staying for the night.

time, they were willing to take the risk in order to see each other, perhaps for the last time for the foreseeable future. “Even then, I couldn’t be near them, I couldn’t hug them – I couldn’t do anything of that sort,” she noted.

Since then, the only contact Shirkool has had with her father and her stepdad is via video calls.

“But video calls aren’t enough compared to the personal and physical interactions,” she explained. “So, it sucks a lot. I don’t think there is going to be a situation where there is no risk in seeing him anytime soon.”

Back at her mother’s small apartment, where she currently resides, Shirkool is preparing for another change: her mother, who is a scientific researcher developing technology to identify diseases such as COVID-19, returns to work at the beginning of

Photo by Deena Shirkool But in the past month, she has only visited her father once and doesn’t know when she will be able to see him again.

Her father is a neurologist who splits his time between a clinic in Guelph and a hospital in Toronto. According to Shirkool, “it would be very high risk” for her to visit him and his husband, who is a secretary at the clinic.

The only time she managed to visit them was in mid-April, immediately after her father tested negative for COVID-19. Because she had been isolating and her father knew that he did not have the virus at the

May, when her leave of absence ends.

“I’m just trying to make sure that I don’t physically interact with her as much,” said Shirkool, who is trying to employ strategies that will limit the amount of contact she has with her mother when she returns to work.

For Shirkool, having two parents who risk their health to serve the healthcare sector has been difficult.

“Of course, there is a selfish part of me that wishes they didn’t have to work.

Like most families, I wish they were both at home,” she reflects slowly. “But I understand that it is thanks to these

kinds of workers that the pandemic is less severe [than what it could be].”

For now, Shirkool is focusing on the positives. “On the plus side, they both provide essential services, so their paychecks are still somewhat coming in,” she highlights.

“With everything that is going on, I don’t want to dwell on the negatives.”

Similarly, fellow Grade 12 student Emily Sakaguchi is trying not to focus on things that are out of her control.

Sakaguchi’s grandmother is currently living at Heritage Green, a 167-bed nursing home in Stoney Creek that has seen four deaths related to COVID-19.

Her grandmother has not tested positive for the virus, but there is the possibility that she could come in contact with it.

For the past few weeks – since an outbreak was declared at the facility – Sakaguchi and her family have been living with anxiety. “There is that stress of knowing that there are people of her age being diagnosed with it and that is a terrifying thought to have of a family member,” she explains. “There is a level of risk to living [at the nursing home] right now and she is not completely safe.”

Adding to the stress is the lack of information that her family has been receiving from the nursing home.

Sakaguchi found out about the nursing home’s outbreak from the news, rather than from her grandmother, who didn’t even know that there was an outbreak at her residence. “It feels like we don’t know what is going on,” Sakaguchi laments. “And that is frustrating.”

Sakaguchi, along with Shirkool and Gomes, is imploring her peers to stay at home and practice physical distancing during the pandemic, in order to protect individuals like her grandmother and healthcare workers. To the people who aren’t following the guidelines, Sakaguchi says that they should “reflect on the impact their actions can have on other people and why they think it is okay to play with the safety of others.”

Likewise, Shirkool is equally outraged at those flouting physical distancing guidelines. “I don’t understand why people are not able to comprehend the outcomes of their actions,” she stressed, after witnessing a group of about 20 people lining up outside a Chick-fil-A restaurant. “They are willing to risk the lives of the people who work in essential services in order to go outside for a small chicken sandwich.”

A few days after Gomes returned from the hospital, she posted a message to her Instagram story, revealing that she was diagnosed COVID-19.

In it, she also begged her friends to follow the physical distancing guidelines.

“It is unfair to go out,” she argued, “especially for all those working in the hospitals, who are risking their lives for people who aren’t staying home.”

20 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | FEATURES STUDENT LIFE

Divorced parents and COVID-19: How NT students are responding When parents live in different houses, maintaining family arrangements can be difficult.

Kiara Distin Editor

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ith COVID-19 running rampant around the world and now Canada, North Toronto C.I. students are being forced to practice physical distancing. But how is this affecting NT students and others that have more than one house? Do the rules of physical distancing still apply?

In my case, I was at one house with one mom (we’ll call her Mom 1 for clarity) for exactly three weeks, or since school ended. This is because at my other house, my mom (Mom 2) wanted to ensure that all three of us at this house (Mom 1, my brother, and I) had all not been in contact with anyone for two weeks before my brother and I switched houses. After the first week, Mom 1 stopped going to work, and

so we needed to isolate for two more weeks. Mom 2 picked my brother and I up on April 3, and we are now spending an indefinite amount of time at her house, or until she deems it safe to go back and forth. This is far from our regular schedule, and honestly, I’m not really sure how it will play out.

Deena Shirkool, a Grade 12 NT student, hasn’t seen her dad and step dad for almost all of quarantine.

“I used to go to my dads’ home every weekend, but he lives downtown – and I don’t have a car so the subway is the only method to get there, which is risky – and he is a doctor, meaning that contact in general is a risk.” She now video calls them often instead.

“Before this I used to spend Tuesday and Friday with my dad, now it’s every Friday. My dad usually picks me up but I’ve started walking there myself (backroads so I don’t meet anyone) because my dad is more worried

about leaving his place,” says an NT student who wishes to remain anonymous.

While some are taking special precautions, others are continuing on as usual.

“I am keeping the same schedule as before the pandemic of one week at each house. I walk over or get a drive to each house. I make sure to keep sanitary and wash my hands/wear gloves when changing houses.” says Gail Crawford, a Grade 10 student at NT.

Jessica Stokes, a Grade 10 student at Havergal, says that “it was the same before, always Sunday to Sunday. My family is taking the best precautions to stay indoors unless necessary (for food), so we are all making an effort to clean things and wash our hands frequently.”

In regards to contamination, most families are not too worried, especially if both sides are physical distancing.

“If both [sides/parents] are quarantining then going back and forth is not an issue,” says Ella Doull, a Grade 10 student at Northern Secondary School.

A Grade 11 student at NT when asked if his parents were worried about potential contamination while switching said “nah, because we’re not seeing any other people.”

He is sticking to his regular schedule.

Another student at Northern Secondary School, Sarah Cohen, says the opposite. “I’m basically living full time with my mom because the trek to my dads would be too much,” she says.

“It’s too hard to move around houses and it would just end up not social distancing so I had to settle in quarantine.”

Families across the board are figuring out various ways to handle their own unique situations,with some more relaxed than others. In the end, it all depends on what works best for each.

HEALTH

Disparity in COVID-19 cases reveals racial inequality African-Americans are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in many American states, shining a light on how classism and racism affect public health.

Grayson Plumpton Contributor

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hen looking through COVID-19 case demographics in the U.S., a pattern quickly emerges: African Americans are dying at a disproportionate rate compared to other ethnicities. In fact, African Americans represent over three quarters of COVID-19 related deaths in the District of Columbia, despite making up less than half of the population.

Even amid an international health crisis, this is cause for alarm, as African American communities have continually been hit hardest throughout the U.S.: In Louisiana they account for 57% of reported deaths due to COVID-19, despite making up only 32% of the population, and in Illinois they account for 32% of deaths while making up 14% of the total population.

This pattern follows suit in nearly every state and is most pronounced in the South, causing many to question the sources of the current racial imbalance.

For Marisa Creatore, an epidemiologist at the National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR) Institute for

Public Health, the ethnic disparity in cases in the U.S. is the result of “many different systemic issues [...] related to racism and classism”; there are “much higher rates of chronic disease in people of African American background,” she says, and “higher rates of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, [...] which puts people at higher risk for complications related to COVID-19.”

An explanation for this comes from a report funded by the National Institutes of Health. It determined that African Americans “are less likely to have insurance coverage from a private employer, whether directly or through a spouse,” and are also “more likely than whites to receive care in nonoptimal organizational settings (such as emergency rooms) and to lack continuity in health care.”

With states and provinces announcing reopenings, many fear the racial divide will only grow. African Americans are less likely to own a car and more likely to take public transportation. As people return to the workplace, this exposes minorities to greater risk of contracting illness. Creatore fears that they are also “disproportionately represented in certain service jobs” that would place them at greater

risk of contracting the virus, such as bus drivers, postal workers, and nurses (although people of colour represent roughly one-quarter of the total U.S. workforce, they make up over 35% of the total number of nursing assistants).

In addition to rates of illness, the pandemic’s effect on employment points to racial inequalities. While 38% of white American residents either lost their job or took a cut in pay, that number rises to 44% among African American residents, and 61% among Hispanic residents.

In Canada, however, the toll on various ethnic communities is unknown because the Canadian government has not collected race-based data.

According to Creatore, this has been “a problem” for Canadian research, even causing some scientists to try to “push back” because they “need the information.” Despite the lack of adequate data collection, Creatore believes there is a “suspicion” that certain ethnic groups are being “disproportionately affected.”

On April 2, a group of health leaders in Ontario released a statement asking for greater racial consideration in the province’s response, saying that, in Canada, “COVID-19 does not flatten [racial] disparities; it amplifies them.”

The group further stated that the virus will not be contained “without bringing critical analysis” of racial demographics “to our pandemic response.”

In Ontario, recent cuts to public health have only worsened the situation. In response to this, Creatore explains that “the problem with [investing in] public health is that when public health is working, you don’t see anything because the whole point of public health is to prevent things: to prevent outbreaks, to prevent people getting chronic disease, to prevent people getting preventable diseases like measles, or mumps.” Recently, “as often happens, we’ve slowly been cutting back on our public health infrastructure and we don’t have enough personal protective equipment, we don’t have the data infrastructure, we haven’t been able to do enough testing.”

Despite issues in our current system, there exists a silver lining; statistics from the current COVID-19 crisis will be able to inform decisions made for public health funding. This provides the opportunity to better accommodate minorities that we now know are at greater risk in events like these.

FEATURES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 21 STUDENT COUNCIL

Your guide to voting in this year’s student council elections How will online voting work? Which grades can vote for which positions? Read on to learn how to make your vote count!

Jane Carli Editor

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his year’s Student Council election has been moved online as North Toronto’s current Council works to modify the election process in the coming weeks. Candidate Google Meets have been sporting high turn out rates across all grades in the last few weeks in preparation for online campaigning which will run from May 11-19. While Grade 12 chief electoral officers (CEOs) have organized the elections in past years, the current nine Grade 12 Council members will take the place of the CEOs in order to alleviate excess work brought on by the new system. The CEOs were previously responsible for programming technical aspects such as the meticulous computer voting process, however, Ms. Bulgutch has been in liaison with Ms. Hayden to coordinate this year’s voting platform.

Voting will take place from May 20-22 on parentinterview.com, a third

party organization that is a partner of the Toronto board. It is a platform that can accomodate a high volume of data, and was used to schedule the booking of Parent Teacher interviews in November as well as relay past NT student surveys.

It is an organization properly equipped to eliminate potential hacker threats or further technological complications that may arise due to the online voting process. Ms. Hayden says it was important to ensure a technically sound platform as she “doesn’t want candidates to pour their heart and soul into campaigning only to find out someone has manipulated the results”. Students will be able to access voting on the designated voting days with their name and student number and are encouraged to check their emails, Facebook, or the Student Council Instagram page for the link. Preferential voting will not be included this year and students will have to choose their top candidate choice for each of the positions.

Unlike other years, campaigning will be conducted entirely online through social media platforms with

speeches to be posted on Youtube and IGTV. Speech times have been increased by thirty seconds to one minute depending on the position as there are no assembly time limitations. To qualify for each position, candidates were required to obtain nominations from five other students and one teacher through a Google Form. An introduction to each of the official candidates as well as their subsequent positions is posted on the Student Council instagram page. A link in the bio of their page will direct you to linktree where you can then view candidate speeches through Youtube.

The charity pitch process that was previously incorporated into the election has been removed. It will run in the fall by late September or early October to lessen the complications of coordinating votes and meetings and give students the chance to pitch potential charities for Charity Week 2021. Similar to past elections, the newly appointed JVP and SVP along with Ms. Hayden will oversee the viewing of the charity pitches.

For the first time in North To-

ronto election history, the Art Council president will hold a spot on Student Council, and will be voted on by all students. Due to coordination difficulty, all students will be voting for Music and Art Council President. Additionally, the female and male NTAA heads will be voted on by all students as a newly implemented voting policy that will carry through to future elections.

Support your fellow candidates by staying up to date on the election process and voting from May 20-22. The results will be posted May 22 barring technical problems. Your vote counts!

Grades running for each position: Current Grade 9s: Junior Vice President Current Grade 10s: Secretary, Treasurer, Environmental Minister, Music Council President, Art Council President, NTAA Female/Male Head Current Grade 11s, & 12s: President, Senior Vice President, Social Convenor Secretary, Treasurer, Environmental Minister, Music Council President, Art Council President, NTAA Female/Male Head

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

Highschool experiences around the world Highschool is nearly universal, but it looks a little different for everybody.

Nathalie Funes-Serna Editor

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One may think that the high school experience is almost the same for everyone, everywhere. In reality, however, students build unique high school memories depending on where they live. A student’s journey through the education system is deeply tied with their country’s culture.

Cafeterias Just as in Canada, public high schools from other countries have cafeterias that offer a variety of dishes. For example, Henrique Severo Saraiva, a North Toronto C.I. student says that “when [Brazilian schools] do have them they are actually really good because they sell normal food like rice and beans.” In other parts of the world, some students don’t frequent school canteens, but they don’t go to the conventional fast-food places either. In Mexico, students go to one of several food stands outside their school and return to their classrooms to eat. Kyna Wu, an NT Grade 11 student, says that in China “[students] don’t go

to cafeterias. They pay for lunch and there is a large portion of food in buckets and [they] have their own bowls, and [they] just go get [their] own food.”

Course Curriculum International students often find the Canadian curriculum condensed and less demanding than what they are used to. Kyna Wu says: “The basic [content], such as in advanced functions and calculus, is the same, but in China they give you word problems, which are another way of using your knowledge.” It is not rare that after coming to Canada, students find the Science and Math curriculum easy because in their native country, they have already covered the same material. For example, in Mexico, students have completely covered the Ontario curriculum for Grade 9 and 10 Science, and even dealt with the first units of Grade 11 Biology and Chemistry by the end of Grade 9. Martina Hipolito, a Grade 11 student, says that in Filipino high schools, the curriculum is “ definitely harder and much more strict than what we have here in Canada.”

Course Selection Compared to students from other countries, Ontario high school stu-

dents are lucky because they can begin to choose their courses in Grade 9. In Mexico City, in Grade 10 and 11, students only have one elective each year. In Grade 11 they choose an “area” they want to focus on (Humanities, Health Sciences, Math and Engineering, or Social Sciences) for Grade 12.

Students can choose two courses related to their area of interest, and the remaining 11 courses are chosen by the school system, also based on the area they chose. Michelle Ferreira Salgado, a student in a Mexican high school, says, “since we have a wide variety of courses in Grade 10 and 11 it is good that we don’t [choose many of our courses] because those years help us realize what are the courses we want in Grade 12.”

Dress Code In most countries around the world, public high schools do not have a dress code. In Kenya, however, students are required to use uniforms until their last day of high school. In France, students are not allowed to wear anything that portrays their religion. This means that thousands of muslim students are not allowed to wear hijabs, Jewish pupils can not wear yarmulkes, Christian students can not wear any crosses over a certain

size, and many more students can not use any religious symbols. In 2003, after the law banning all religious symbols was announced, President Jacques Chirac said that “secularism guarantees freedom of conscience. It protects the freedom to believe or not to believe.” .

Graduation Graduation traditions also vary widely and broadly around the world. In Sweden, for example, women wear white attire, while men wear a black suit. All graduating students have a studentmössa, which is a graduation hat, but instead of the customary cylindrical blue hat, they wear a headpiece similar to a sailor’s hat. In Norway, the graduation celebration lasts three weeks, beginning around April 20 and ending on May 17, before the final exams. This tradition is called russefeiring. Students rent a bus or an old van, paint it, decorate it, and then go around the city to different festivals and parties. As opposed to this frenetic tradition, in Japan, graduating students are in uniforms and they have coordinated marches where they sing the national anthem, the school song, and other traditional songs.

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Dear Grade 9 Emily,

Grade 9 will pass by pleasantly and quietly, so I’ll start by warning you about Grade 10 instead. When you first come to NT in Grade 10, you’re going to feel lonely. Despite your efforts to make friends, you’ll spend a couple months eating alone in the cafeteria. Don’t worry, because joining clubs and testing your underdeveloped, cringe-inducing social skills on unsuspecting classmates will pay off, and you’ll be weeping with love for your friends before high school is through with you.

No, that’s not a hyperbole, and yes, they’ll be crying with you. In some ways, joining as many clubs as you do will backfire because, once you have friends, you’ll barely have any time to eat with them, but by Grade 12 you’ll have achieved some level of balance. To be honest, your work-life balance peaks in Grade 11, but you’ll be happier in Grade 12 as a strategic slacker. Throw all your expectations out the window. You think that you’ll be done with science after Grade 10, that you’ll eventually drop Data Management, that there’s no way you’ll date in high school, and that you’re done once and for all with flute playing. Nope! Lastly, I don’t think you like yourself very much right now, and that’s okay, because your self-disgust will force you to grow and become much more tolerable.

You’ll mellow. And you’ll still have no idea what you’re doing.

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All the best, Future Emily

P.S. Don’t stress about the time you’ll have two sleepovers in the span of three days, because a pandemic will force you to stay inside and it will have been totally worth it in the end.

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Dear Grade 9 Hannah,

Where do I even start? You make a lot of questionable decisions, and I resent you for all of them. As your refined and evolved 17 year old self, however, I’ll share with you some of my invaluable wisdom. Firstly, do not have an aneurism if you arrive at school after 8:45. Not one other student is speedwalking/doing a weird half-jog into the building at 8:51, and you look incredibly dumb doing so. One day you’ll arrive at 8:57, visit your locker at 8:58, and get to your fourth floor class at 8:59. You’ll subsequently realize that you’re a clown. Secondly, do not even attempt to justify wasting your mornings caking on layers of makeup and planning elaborate outfits instead of sleeping, because I’ll laugh at all of your pathetic, 14 year old reasonings. Spoiler alert: you have no social obligations to do these things. Get over yourself, swap the lipstick for some self confidence, and succumb to your desire to exist almost exclusively in big, turtleneck sweaters. Also, you’re going to hate me for this next one, as you seem to love to waste your own time by agonizing over every piece of pointless busywork that gets assigned, but I’m pleased to announce that your marks don’t matter. That’s right. Absolutely no one cares how you did in Grade 9 geography. Complete only the homework that a) is being assessed, or b) is of some actual educational value. Prioritize your happiness over your academics, and paradoxically, your marks will be the highest they’ve ever been. Finally, appreciate your time with your friends; I don’t know if warning you about our current pandemic can cause some irreversible ripple in the fabric of time and space, but take the time to live in your present, because ours leaves a lot to be desired.

Dear Grade 9 Deena,

Knowing you, you are probably dreading the coming month, the horror of May: Summative Season. You have already pulled your first all-nighter a few weeks ago for year one Latin, and have cried over a French project at 2 AM. So, I’m gonna let you in on a secret that you will hate: everyone around you is right. I know, it sucks, but it’s true. You have spent this entire year aiming for high 90s in every class, even gym (which we both know to be a lost cause), and everyone has warned you of burning out. You think you are invincible, and that everything must be perfect. Newsflash: you aren’t, and it doesn’t. The most ironic part is knowing you did all of this to prepare for Grade 12. And yet, here I am, content with my university choice and picking which assignments I want to do. Sure, you couldn’t have predicted a mass quarantine that would close down all of the schools and leave you with an easy academic schedule, but even without those factors, I can say in absolute truth that that astronomy test you are so scared of getting an 80 on will not harm my university prospects. Speaking of university, you are in for a surprise about your future, but, for now, I will just say that I am happily not taking any math or science courses this year. So I guess more advice is this: screw planning, YOLO (do you guys use that still?). Ugh, I can tell you are rolling your eyes at the cliche warning, but I promise it is gonna save you a lot of tears.

Love, Deena

P.S. I don’t know if I should thank you or curse you for choosing to play the euphonium.

Letters to my Grade 9 Self

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Signed, Grade 12 Hannah

Dear Grade 9 Jane,

Learn to trust yourself, your decisions, and the inevitable life processes that lie ahead of you. The mistakes you make will not define your high school life; in fact, make as many of them as you can. Don’t worry yourself over trivial matters. Instead, learn to embrace the freedom that comes with the unknown.

Sure, you’re trying to find your place and figure out who you are, but trust that it will happen in the ways it is supposed to.

Treat everything for what it is, nothing more and nothing less; that mark is a number, that test is a lesson, that performance is an exercise, and that game is a fun experience. You don’t need to be good at everything, so accept math isn’t your thing and pursue what you truly enjoy. You will see that social status really doesn’t matter and that you will meet many incredible people and make many incredible friends regardless of what others around you are doing. Let your guard down and stop hiding who you are. The things about yourself that scare you are the things that will open you up to the most interesting experiences and opportunities. Four years may feel long, but it is not. Enjoy what you can and let whatever happens, happen.

Sincerely, Grade 12 Jane

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22 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | FEATURES

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Dear Grade 9 Grayson,

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Your time in high school will be both better and worse than you expected, so don’t go into it with any preconceived notions, and don’t be afraid when you set off to a rocky start because each year will be radically different and better than the one before. That being said, whether or not you meet your expectations is within your control, so listen closely. To begin, don’t think of high school as having no value except to service the future; you can actually learn a lot of valuable things and have really great experiences, so take advantage of your time here. To help with that, join extracurriculars.

Clubs, sports, and the newspaper will be extra work but it’s all worth it and will only help you meet friends and enjoy yourself. Also, put effort into schoolwork before Grade 12. Although you think it’s unreasonable and of no value, it’s not so easy to pick up the pace when it matters. In not trying your hardest for an essay, or a presentation, or a test, the feedback you receive will be less valuable because it’s not reflecting your understanding of the topic but instead of your time management skills. And lastly, take others’ advice (including mine). You are not as smart as you think you are and you can’t always make it on your own. Ask for help when you need it.

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Dear Grade 9 Owen,

I doubt this message finds you well. High school’s a lot tougher than middle school. Don’t say I didn’t tell you so. Your older sister was right all along. There’s no more aimless fun. No more! You can’t blow off your homework anymore in favor of watching “Nailed It!” by the season on Netflix while eating your fifth “pre-dinner” snack of the afternoon. High school’s a marathon. You can’t blow all your energy in your first couple of weeks. For the next four years, you will be slaving through three hours of work a day, sports, and extra-curriculars, while still having to be nice to people so you can actually have some friends. So don’t try and make everything perfect, because it will never be so. I know the act of accidentally misspelling the word “February” on your worksheet would be enough to keep you up at night, but no teacher in their right mind would penalize you for using the wrong font size for your title page. So take a chill pill. And one more thing… I’d be careful who you share your water bottle with, mono spreads easily.

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Your’s truly, Grade 12 Owen

I know you think you’re not nervous to start a new school, but believe it or not, going to a high school with 1400 students is going to feel scarier than going to an elementary school with 60. You’re going to spend Grade 9 figuring out who you do and don’t mesh with, so be patient. In Grade 10 English class, you’ll sit next to acquaintances who will soon become your best friends, and three years later they still will be! I know your plan is to sit tight, focus on school, and graduate with the stellar grades you’ve always expected of yourself, but you’ll realize sometime toward the end of Grade 10 that you can’t let fun pass you by — cue a number of stupid decisions, some of which you regret, most of which you don’t. You’ll come close to failing a few math tests, and yes, you will cry, and maybe your ego will be bruised, but in the end you’ll have learned that success has a lot more to do with effort than with raw ability (sorry). That newspaper you were too scared to write for in Grade 9? You’ll end up editing it and it’ll lead you into some of the most interesting conversations you’ve ever had, so please get over your fear of looking weird and just go to a meeting!

You’re going to enjoy high school more than you expect. You’re also going to hate it more than you expect, but in the end you’re going to wish for those last three months back (spoiler alert: a dystopian pandemic will sweep the globe and you’ll be locked in your house for four months…). In four years, you’ll know yourself a lot better, while simultaneously feeling like you don’t know yourself at all. The only way to crack that code is to push yourself even further after highschool. It seems daunting, but I promise you’ll be ready.

Don’t stress too much, Grade 12 Sara

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Best wishes, Grade 12 Grayson

Dear Grade 9 Sara,

Dear Grade 9 Megan,

Wow, you made it! Firstly (and most importantly), when it comes time to choose Grade 11 courses, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD do not choose chemistry. You will complain about it at least 17 times a day for the next two years and lose any sense of sanity you may have had, just to find out that you don’t actually need it for university. Now that that’s out of the way, stop stressing so much. You’re in Grade 9! You’re only going to get busier over the next four years, so try to enjoy having free time while it lasts. You’re going to change a lot in the next couple of years (ok, not that much, who are we kidding?), but all for the better.

I know you think other people’s opinions are the most important thing right now, but let me tell you, they really aren’t, and once you realize that you’ll be a lot happier. I would tell you to “be yourself!”, but that’s a process and you’re still figuring it out.

And that’s ok! While you will gain a lot more confidence over the next four years, you’re still going to feel uncomfortable when you walk into the bathroom and there’s five people in there — sorry, that’s just the way it is! But, you no longer think everyone on the streetcar is staring at you, so I’d say that’s some pretty solid improvement. It may feel like you don’t have a lot of friends right now, but don’t sweat it too much. In the next couple of years you’re going to meet the most amazing friends you could ask for, so hang in there.

You’re doing great.

Love, Grade 12 Megan

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You’ve made it! You’ve gotten to the end of high school. Trust me when I say Grade 12 is not at all ending the way you expected it to, but you’ll see what I mean when you get there. First and foremost, you need to stop saying you’ll never drink coffee cause that’s a blatant lie. I know you’re not a fan right now, but just give it a few months. Also, please learn how to dress yourself. You know that pink sweater you think goes with everything? I can tell you right away it absolutely does not. Now, this letter isn’t long enough for me to tell you everything I wish you’d known going into high school so I’ll go straight to the important stuff. As never-ending as some weeks may seem, it will all go by so quickly and at the end of it all it doesn’t matter if you got some bad grades or showed up to class late that one time. My biggest piece of advice to you is to stop stressing all the little things and step out of your comfort zone once in a while. Don’t be so scared of talking to people, because most people are far more approachable than you think. If you get a bad grade, it’s really not the end of the world. I promise it won’t matter in less than a week and you’ll even get accepted to university (shocking, I know). Make plans with your friends whenever you can, because those are the moments you’re going to remember and you’ll end up wishing you had more. Most of all, just enjoy every moment and stop wishing that high school would go by faster. Enjoy every band rehearsal no matter how early in the morning or how late after school, every class and the friendships you make in them, all the lunches on the second floor with your friends, or even the ones you spend in the library studying.

Before you know it, it’ll all be over so just take it day by day and have some fun; everything else will work itself out.

Best of luck, Grade 12 Kaya

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Dear Grade 9 Kaya,

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FEATURES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 23

PS. When you injure your knee, take advantage of that elevator pass, girl. You’re not going to experience that kind of power again anytime soon.

24 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | FEATURES POST SECONDARY

What do NT grads think of their first years at university?

Hear from last years grads on their first year experiences at Queen’s University, Western University, and the University of Toronto.

Sarah Zhang Alumnus Instagram: @sarahzzhang School:Western University Location: London, Ontario Program:Medical sciences with advanced entry opportunity (AEO) to the Richard Ivey Business School Residence Life

Advance Entry Opportunity Program Structure

Western offers three different styles of residences – traditional, suite-style, or apartment-style. I was in a suite-style building called Ontario Hall, known for its newly renovated design as well as its amazing cafeteria. Traditional residence styles often have communal washrooms and less space, but greater opportunities to be close with your roommate and floormates. Suite-style residences like mine are larger in size – usually, it consists of two bedrooms (two people per bedroom), so four people share a kitchenette and a private bathroom. Apartment-style residences offer the chance to have your own bedroom and a full size-kitchen to share with 3 others, with residence meal plans still available. Each res floor has two res “sophs” and a Residence Advisor (RA) – orientation leaders (mostly second and third year students) who will live on your floor for the rest of the year and guide you every step of the way.

The Ivey Business School provides all students with an opportunity to study two years of any program, and 2 years of Ivey (HBA1 - third year; HBA2 - fourth year). Requirements for students with the AEO status include maintaining an 80%+ (combined first and second year averages), taking a second year business course (the infamous 2257), as well as being involved in extracurriculars (they will check up on you every year to make sure you are being involved and you are on track academically as well). Ivey also provides the opportunity for a combined dual degree program with many faculties (with a minimum of 5 years of study). If you don’t have AEO, you can still apply to Ivey in your second year in the competitive pool if you have a competitive average and plenty of extracurriculars.

Social Life & Extra Curriculars Yes, the rumours are true – Western is definitely a party school. There’s always something to do each weekend, and you will never find yourself bored.

However, with all the endless fun, it’s more important than ever to manage your time between school, going out, and hanging out with friends. Time goes by faster than you think when there is so much going on at once, and I definitely recommend making a study schedule to make sure you’re on top of everything because it’s really easy to get behind. In terms of extracurriculars, Western is well known for student experience - it offers 200 clubs, so it’s really easy to meet people and get involved. During Clubs Week, each club on campus has a booth to help everyone get involved as much as they can.

Campus Culture

Photo courtesy of Sarah Zhang

With a population of approximately 37 000 students, 12 faculties, and more than 400 academic programs, Western is one of the largest universities in Ontario. The campus itself is considered one of Canada’s most beautiful campuses, filled with trees and green space, beautiful buildings, dedicated study space, and impressive facilities. The city of London is something that took me a while to get used to because it’s very different from Toronto. It’s still super easy to call an Uber, go shopping at a big mall, or find a place to go out with friends, but it will take some getting used to in order for it to be called home.

FEATURES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 25

Connor Colwil Alumnus Instagram: @connor.colwill School: Queen’s University Location: Kingston, Ontario Program: Computing Residence Life Queen’s has a variety of room types.

From single-plus (where I lived) to quad rooms, there is a lot of variety and they all come with different benefits and drawbacks. Single-plus are the ‘nicest’ rooms you can get; they offer larger beds than the other styles along with being the only residences that don’t have a communal washroom, which is a major benefit. The biggest downside is that nothing really happens in singleplus buildings; they remain really quiet even on Friday nights, so I always had to go to other friends’ buildings to have fun. They also have super thin walls. I was able to hear the person beside me typing on their keyboard when I was silent. The doubles, triples, and quads are where all the fun takes place; they are in the “party-res” buildings such as GordBrock and Vic Hall. These res buildings are where everyone goes on a Friday night. They’re constantly noisy and also the grossest buildings on campus so it’s up to you to decide whether you want private comfort, or social craziness.

Extracurriculars

Queen’s Computing

Queen’s has the most clubs per student out of any university in Canada, and I felt overwhelmed at first because of the vast amount of interesting clubs I could have joined. I guarantee that you will find at least one club that interests you, and I encourage everyone to join at least one club because it opens so many doors. One aspect that’s a bit different than high school is that some clubs are run like jobs in the sense that you send in a resume and have to interview for a spot, which was the case for the club I’m in, Queen’s Technology and Media Association (QTMA). Through this club, I got to meet upper year students in computing, commerce, and engineering who have interned at some of the most well-known companies such as Microsoft, Tesla, Uber, Deloitte, KPMG, and many more. Clubs and networking events have also allowed me to develop personal relationships with recruiters from companies such as IBM, RBC, Shopify, and many more.

Queen’s Computing is a very good computer science program. During orientation we were told there were about 3500 applicants for around 180 spots, giving it roughly a 5% acceptance rate.

Of course, when considering comp sci programs, many will turn to Waterloo, but Queen’s offers an environment that simply doesn’t exist at Waterloo.

Queen’s Computing is the second smallest program at Queen’s, I believe, and that allows for many benefits not possible in programs with hundreds or thousands of students. I’ve grown to know almost every computing student in my year through orientation and class. Your comp sci courses have the same 100-200 students in them so everyone will quickly become a familiar face. Everyone helps each other succeed, there’s no cutthroat environment like some other schools, and you can always find some event to go to, or new experience to try out.

Photo courtesy of Connor Colwill

Hana Sharifi & Sarah Ha Alumni Instagram: @hanasharifi @sarah.ha01 School: University of Toronto Location: Toronto, Ontario Program: Life Sciences Campus Life Anyone who goes to UofT can tell you confidently that it is one of the most beautiful and exciting campuses in Canada, as it lies right in the heart of downtown. In fact, it’s hard to tell where UofT ends and where downtown begins. Within the campus itself, there are so many beautiful libraries and study spaces, so you’ll never have to fight for study spots. There are endless pretty buildings and lecture halls. Many are new and modern and many are old, with that characteristic antique feel that comes with an old university. Everything is mostly within walking distance (though make sure to look up the locations of your classes before enrolling because a few buildings are quite far from each other and you’ll find yourself sprinting – we say this from experience. . You’ll never be at a loss for things to do.

UofT Life Sciences

Social Life

I think the first thing that anyone thinks about when they hear the words ‘University of Toronto’ is that it’s hard and ruins your life. Although wildly overexaggerated, to some extent the rumours are true.However, there are so many students at UofT who have a healthy work/life balance, have made plenty of friends, and are happy. Take it from us!

In the Life Sciences particularly, you’ll first be shocked by the class sizes of some of your courses. First year biology, held in the infamous Con Hall, is made up of 1000+ people. However, there are lots of options to take smaller seminar classes, which are great for meeting new people, making connections with professors that you wouldn’t be able to make in a huge class, and ease the transition from high school to university.

UofT Arts and Sciences (is particularly good in that there’s lots of flexibility in choosing courses and exploring before declaring your major in second year.

Another misconception that has become synonymous with UofT is how there’s no party scene and that it’s impossible to have a social life. We’re here to tell you that this rumour is simply not true. From orientation to classes to clubs, there are so many opportunities to meet new people and make friends. Like most people, we thought it would be a struggle to make new friends and that we’d be tethered to people we knew from high school, but we made a lot of friends from all across the world and in all sorts of programs. If you’re kind to others and open to meeting new people, making new friends will happen naturally.

Don’t stress it. And regarding the partying and clubbing, don’t believe the rumours - it’s possible to find great parties at EVERY university. UofT is also right in the heart of downtown.

We’re also known to have a lot of fraternities and sororities, some of which are as old as the university itself.

Photo courtesy of Hana Sharifi & Sarah Ha

26 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | FEATURES HEALTH

COVID-19 stories from around the world Netherlands “Compared to its neighbors, the Netherlands was hit hard by the virus. But the government decided to put the country under what they call “intelligent lockdown”, which means full disclosure of the situation and setting “herd immunity” as the ultimate target, with less restrictive rules and trusting that people would act responsibility. However, less than 2 weeks after announcing the intelligent lockdown, they tightened the measures, calling for cancellation of all gatherings above 4 people, asking for minimum 1.5 m distancing between people in all public places, and introducing fines for individuals and businesses that wouldn’t follow the distancing rules.”

- Erfan Abdi

Mexico “In my work there is a [woman] who at every chance she has asks [my coworkers]: ‘Do you know someone with coronavirus? No, right?’

She thinks that it is a lie. That outrages me.

So I tell her: ‘In Tlajomulco, [a municipality in Mexico], there are six confirmed cases. So even if we apply the Centinela model, [which is a model proposed by the Mexican government that predicts that the number of cases is eight times higher than of what is reported], there would be 60 cases, of which six are confirmed in all of Tlajomulco, which is the second biggest municipality. So do you know what are the chances of you knowing someone of those 60 people? It is very unlikely for you to know someone with the virus, but not because the virus does not exist.” There is a lot of stupid people than think the same way she does. The advantage is that [the Governor of Jalisco] established the mandatory usage of surgical masks and set fines for people who are on the streets. People are more afraid of the fines than of coronavirus. Coronavirus is not the main problem. For example, the dengue kills a lot of people, every month a lot of people disappear, how many willful homicides are in the country, 50% of Mexicans die because of a bad alimentation, and what has [the government] done about it? Nothing. [The politicians’ mindset is:] ‘The coronavirus is not a problem. It will kill whoever it has to kill, then it will leave and we will say that we did what we could.”

- Santiago

FEATURES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 27

New Zealand “We have four levels of lockdown, and we were at four for the past five weeks, meaning that it was almost a total lockdown so people weren’t allowed to leave their areas, schools closed, everything closed except for essential stores. They promote going outside for exercise and fresh air though; we just have to stay two meters away from other people. Now that it’s level three, it’s the same but you’re allowed to go surfing and you can expand your bubble to one other family that’s preferably family. In terms of schooling, I’ve just started term two out of four school terms and still not being able to go to school. If your kid is year ten or under (Grade 9) they’re allowed to go to school if they can’t be taken care of at home, like if their parents are essential workers.”

- Brooke

United Arab Emirates “We have four levels of lockdown, and we were at four for the past five weeks, meaning that it was almost a total lockdown so people weren’t allowed to leave their areas, schools closed, everything closed except for essential stores. They promote going outside for exercise and fresh air though; we just have to stay two meters away from other people. Now that it’s level three, it’s the same but you’re allowed to go surfing and you can expand your bubble to one other family that’s preferably family. In terms of schooling, I’ve just started term two out of four school terms and still not being able to go to school. If your kid is year ten or under (Grade 9) they’re allowed to go to school if they can’t be taken care of at home, like if their parents are essential workers.”

- Simon

England “We’ve been under lockdown for a month now in London and it’s definitely been really strange - the most noticeable change for me is not being able to see my friends and having to queue for the grocery store.

Other than that, it doesn’t feel particularly different - the weather has been uncharacteristically beautiful so the parks and riverside are always full, which is a bit of a problem for social distancing sometimes. It’s funny because the news is a consistent cycle of panic and gloomy predictions and yet the people don’t seem too put down! Every Thursday there’s applause for the NHS, and most houses have rainbows in the window.

I know a lot of people are scared, but there’s been some really heartwarming stories out of this too (like the 99-year-old veteran who raised £15 million for the NHS by walking around his garden!)”

- Lauren Ballard

28 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | FEATURES

Student Award Nominees Valedictory Prize Nominees

Annie Ballantyne

Sam Barton

Marc Goldthorp

Rachel Lee

Kamil Mamdani

Kerr Trophy for Leadership Nominees

Sam Barton

Rachel Lee

Kamil Mamdani

Emily Sakaguchi

Sifton Trophy for Citizenship Nominees

Zoraise Ahmad

Annie Ballantyne

Jane Carli

Megan Christoforidis

Ensi Cullhaj

Michelle Ehrlich

Yoohyun Park

Sakhawalkar-Bhatt Award Nominees

Maeve Ellis

Kate Gilliland

Sean Lee

Roma MacDonald

FEATURES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI  29

Female Athlete of the Year

Annie Ballantyne

Sam Barton

Cassandra Chichora

Sophie Cohen

Rosie Nichols

Male Athlete of the Year

Aidan Antoniadis

John Budeng

Michael Che

Marc Goldthrop

Ethan Hum

Female Rookie of the Year

Keira Ayoub

Madison Che

Sophie Cockett

Olivia Conacher

Lily Gulerce

Abby Harlow

Male Rookie of the Year

Asier AlvarezFernandes

Nathan Fraleigh

Kai Huang

Medet Kazbek

Alon Rotem

Rowen Uy

Voting for the student awards will take place on May 20-22 alongside voting for Student Council.

30 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

GLOBAL ECONOMY

business & tech

COVID-19 is infecting the economy

As businesses struggle amid physical distancing and shut-down orders, the path to economic recovery is unclear.

Kiana Sharifi Layout Editor Danielle Xin Contributor

T

he ongoing spread of COVID-19 has become the biggest threat to the global economy and financial markets today. From an economic perspective, the key issue is not just the number of cases of COVID-19, but the level of disruption to economies from containment measures. The impact of this pandemic has rocked markets worldwide, creating plunging stock prices and bond yields. Investors fear that the rapid spread of COVID-19 will destroy economic growth and government action will not be enough to stop the economic decline. Widespread lockdowns have been enacted in some virus hotspots and have further weakened the global economy. According to the International Monetary Fund, the global economy has officially entered a recession – defined as two consecutive quarters of economic decline – that could be as bad or worse than the Great Recession of 2008. The Great Recession had long-term impacts within the economy and high unemployment, falling incomes, and reduced economic activity carried through for a slow recovery.

In just weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has shaved off nearly a third of the global market cap. Globally, many indexes remain more than 20% lower than they were at the start of the year.

According to BBC News, stock markets around the world have suffered the worst quarter since 1987, amid the massive sell-off tied to COVID-19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, a stock market index, and London’s FTSE 100 plunged 23% and 25%, respectively.

The S&P 500 lost 20% during the quarter, its worst since 2008. Economists have warned that the impact on the global economy is likely to be worse than the Great Recession of 2008. For example, forecasters for IHS Markit predict that the growth will shrink 2.8% this year, compared to a 1.7% drop in 2009. BBC News also reported that the outlook for countries such as Italy and less developed economies is worse than that of China and the UK.

“We remain very concerned about the negative outlook for global growth in 2020 and in particular about the strain a downturn would have on emerging markets and low income countries,” says the president of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva. Over recent days, governments have pledged massive rescue funds which helped lift share prices. Analysts for US Bank Wealth Management expect that despite monetary and finan-

cial stimulus, the volatility within the stock market will remain elevated as the impact of COVID-19 remains unknown.

COVID-19 has influenced a significant change in consumption habits. With fewer people going out due to social distancing and quarantine, consumerism is down and businesses are suffering the consequences. Furthermore, the sudden shut down of all nonessential services in Ontario has left business owners and entrepreneurs facing alarming uncertainty for their future affairs. Places like gyms, spas, and retailers were closed, and restaurants were limited to only providing takeout.

On the consumer’s side, fewer people are going out and associating in public spaces, and more people are changing their spending habits. For employers and employees, the supply of materials and resources are delayed due to the disruption of global supply chains, further jeopardizing the shipment of products and supplies. According to a recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), half of the small businesses have recorded a drop in sales due to the pandemic. The areas most affected by COVID-19 related closures included arts and recreation, hospitality, personal services, and retail.

“These are very difficult days for a lot of small business owners,” says CFIB president Dan Kelly. “They have to think about the safety of their employees first and foremost, how they’re going to pay each employee

and … how they can continue to serve their customers as best they can.”

Eileen Fischer, a professor of marketing at York University’s Schulich School of Business, encourages customers to support local businesses to ensure their survival. In terms of local restaurants, people can order take out or purchase gift cards for future use. Buying online can also help out local retailers that have closed their doors but still deliver online.

To furthermore help sustain these businesses, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced additional economic actions to help those affected. “These are extraordinary times. Our government is taking extraordinary measures,” stated Trudeau. “The measures we’re announcing today will provide up to $27 billions in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses, plus $55 billion to meet liquidity needs of Canadian businesses and households through tax deferrals to help stabilize the economy.”

He stated that these measures will ensure that Canada’s economy recovers after the pandemic. In terms of protecting the health and safety of Canadians, the government of Canada is investing more than $1 billion to public health measures. Communication and public education on COVID-19 have been undertaken to ensure that Canadians are properly notified of the government’s actions and are able to make in-

Photo by Emily Sakaguchi

formed decisions on how to best protect themselves. Federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers of Finance are carefully monitoring the impacts of the virus on workers and economic growth, and are prepared to take action where needed.

Through the pandemic of COVID-19, no country has been left untouched and significant economic pain seems unavoidable in all countries. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned that the world will take years to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In typical economic shock, the government spends money to try to encourage people to go out and spend. Unfortunately in this crisis, the authorities are demanding that people stay inside to limit the spread of the virus. Within developing countries, the consequences are extremely severe. According to the World Bank, the financial impact of coronavirus will stop almost 24 million people from escaping poverty in East Asia and the Pacific. In the most optimistic view, China has shown signs of effectively containing the virus and if their factories spring back to life, that will ripple out across the globe. Although this recession has put many businesses and companies in jeopardy, some economic theories say that capitalism actually needs periodic downturns to refresh itself through creative destruction.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 31 BUSINESS

What are companies doing to help with the COVID-19 pandemic?

While businesses hit hard times, many are working to bring relief during this crisis.

Hailey Wong Contributor

A

s the battle against COVID-19 continues, it has created an unfamiliar situation that has affected everyone. Whether it is from social distancing, getting sick, or learning from home, this pandemic has been a difficult situation to adjust to. However, through this challenging time, the contributions of various businesses are helping to bring light to this situation. Some businesses are helping further students’ learning during this time, while others are going straight to the front lines and producing medical supplies. Regardless of whether they’re helping people at home or in hospitals, larger businesses are repurposing their facilities, donating assets, and doing whatever they can to help with various issues that people are facing due to the pandemic.

Education The transition to online learning has been a difficult and different experience for students, teachers, and parents.

However, companies have been contributing in various ways. From helping teachers effectively connect with their students, to letting them keep up with their learning habits and creating new ones, several corporations’ generous contributions are helping to make this transition easier for everyone. Audible is helping students18 and under keep up with their learning habits by making hundreds of their books available for students to listen to in up to six languages. For students of families with lower incomes, the transition into online learning has been more difficult due to the lack of technology. How-

ever, in partnership with Rogers and Apple, the government is distributing 21,000 free iPads to students in need.

These iPads are pre-equipped with free Rogers LTE wireless data so wifi is not needed. Babbel, an online language learning platform is providing K-12 and post-secondary students with three free months of Babbel lessons. Once a paid tool, Google Hangouts for G suite customers is now allowing the use of their service to everyone free of charge until September 30. With this, teachers are able to effectively communicate with up to 100 students at a time.

Healthcare As the cases of COVID-19 continue to surge, the demand for necessary medical equipment has become vital for hospitals across the world. Healthcare workers must wear the right protection to protect themselves, and the proper equipment to help treat the virus must be available. After closing Canada’s largest apparel manufacturer, Canada Goose is now taking advantage of their facilities and producing 10,000 units of scrubs and gowns. Distilleries and breweries are repurposing their equipment and putting it into necessary use. Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewery, has been producing and distributing over one million bottles of hand sanitizer. These much needed 8 ounce bottles have been donated to healthcare facilities all across the world. Through its supply chain, Apple has donated 20 million facemasks to hospitals worldwide and hopes to produce more. Ford is repurposing the fans typically used in ventilated car seats, to produce new pressurized respirator masks. They are additionally manufacturing reusable gowns with similar materials that are used in airbags

Healthcare Workers Healthcare workers have been risking their health and safety to take care of those who have tested positive for the virus. To show their appreciation, various businesses have been offering their services or products free of charge as gifts of gratitude. Working right in the core of this pandemic can be a stressful, and traumatic experience. TalkSpace, an online counselling service, is providing over 100 years’ worth of their free online therapy in trying to help healthcare workers and their mental health. In Toronto, Tim Hortons has set up coffee trucks in front of hospitals to provide healthcare workers with free coffee. Airbnb is providing 100,000 rooms to accommodate frontline nurses and doctors who need to stay near hospitals or want to isolate themselves from their families. Crocs are donating 10,000 complementary pairs of their shoes to healthcare workers every day. Uber has pledged 10 million free deliveries of meals to healthcare workers and first responders.

Food Banks and Non-Profit Organizations While this time has been difficult for everyone, it has been especially challenging for Canadians who do not know where their next meal is going to come from. While food banks have always been an important resource, there has been a surge in demand for their services as a result of this pandemic. However, food banks have been struggling to continue to provide their resources as they rely on donations and are facing funding shortages. To help provide Canadians with food during this challenging time, Rogers is donating one million meals to Food Banks Canada.

They are additionally taking advantage of their platform by spreading awareness of this issue by airing an aware-

ness campaign for food banks. The Serge Ibaka Foundation has been hosting Instagram talent shows in order to raise money and awareness towards Fred Victor, a local charity. This charity provides services to the homeless in Toronto and serves over 2,000 people on a daily basis. With the $100,000 pledge made by the Serge Ibaka Foundation, the Fred Victor charity will be able to continue serving the homeless during this unprecedented time. HelloFresh has donated $40,000 to local food banks in communities across Canada.

As well, $200 million of Google’s $800 million pledge is going towards nonprofit organizations across the world.

Small Businesses Small and local businesses have been struggling during this pandemic. Many were forced to close, and those that have remained open are not experiencing the regular amounts of in-store traffic needed. Many customers are trying to avoid purchasing food from restaurants, as it is recommended to stay inside as much as possible. To the local restaurants that remain open and are struggling, Uber has waived the delivery fees for independent businesses across Canada. Facebook launched the Small Business Grants Program. This program is offering $100 million in cash grants and ad credits to small businesses that are struggling with their customer connections, workforce, rent, and operational costs. Google has committed to donating $340 million of its $800 million pledge to support small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, Yelp has made a donation of $25 million to independent restaurants.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create difficult situations, it is these generous contributions that are helping with the numerous issues being faced.

SMALL BUSINESS

Stores closed but expenses continue

As small business owners shutter their doors due to COVID-19, mental health takes a toll.

Taylor Pettifer Contributor

T

he World Health Organization has declared a worldwide pandemic and Canadians have been restricted under the Quarantine Act due to COVID-19. The Quarantine Act regulates the use of quarantine to prevent the introduction and spread and communicable diseases. As of March 22, 2020, Canada has been under the Quarantine Act due to COVID-19 and the disease was named an emergency by provincial and territorial officials across the country.

This state of national emergency has been challenging for most individuals in terms of mental, One of the most substantial effects of COVID-19 has been the

loss of jobs and income for people.

It is difficult to support yourself and your family in a state of emergency.

As a self-employed business small business owner, Mark James spoke about the effects he has endured. He has seen, “an incline in cases all across the world and deaths; [and] although there are places that are starting to level off, we are far from out of this right now.” James described social distancing as very difficult for everyone as the right we have to interact with other individuals in a meaningful way has been taken away. Although difficult for everybody, it would be irresponsible to not take this social distancing seriously right now until there is some sort of plateau in the number of cases and the number of deaths.

As a business owner of a sales agency that is a supply chain company primarily for the

furniture industry, James’s income has plummeted. With retail stores being shut down and a very small number of online sales being made, his income based on commission has come to a complete halt. This has placed him in a tough situation as the primary income earner in his household, which includes his wife, and three children. As James says, “There is nothing we can really do right now in producing income with all the stores being shut down; all we can do is continue to keep open communication and working with the buyers to plan for the future even though no one has any idea when the future will resume.”

As well as this, James made the point that he did not know what retail stores will indeed look like when they do open again, making the future a true guessing game. “All we can do right now is wait the pandemic out,” James exclaims.

We next got into the topic of how the immense decrease in income is associated with families’ stress and anxiety levels.

James said the stress and anxiety in his household has risen tremendously due to the COVID-19, as no one has been through something like this pandemic before. He has tried to reduce this stress by refinancing with the bank and receiving assistance from the government such as the $2000 individual CERB benefit and the $40 000 small business loan. The benefits are needed.

James explained, “Although we are not making an income, the expenses of the business do not stop, therefore, every bit of benefit does help.” Society has had to adjust to the difficult changes as we are currently living our lives in an altogether different fashion than we were used to prior to the pandemic.

32 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY ANALYSIS

Blockchain in today’s world Blockchain technology is promising, though much of its potential remains unknown.

Photo courtesy of BuiltIn.com Hao Zheng Editor

I

magine you are in a shopping mall and getting ready to pay, only to realize that your card doesn’t work at the till. This might be because your bank suddenly has a computer meltdown, which means that all of its customers, including you, can’t pay for anything.

But what if all the tills in the world had access to your record and balance of all your debit and credit cards that is updated every time you buy something?

You can buy anything you want as long as you have enough money in your card.

This is made possible by blockchain, which is otherwise known as a distributed ledger. It is a growing log of records that are linked with cryptography; the practice of securing information from malicious third parties in order to maintain data confidentiality and integrity. Each of these records is called a “block,” thus giving blockchain its name.

Although this tool was introduced ten years ago, it hasn’t been widely used. However, it has the potential to bring benefits to the technological society we live in today.

Professor Gilbert Fridgen, a financial services expert at Luxembourg University, proposed a blockchain system that keeps track of certificates and degrees issued by universities, where copies of the ledger would be held by multiple parties and individuals rather than a single organization. This way, it creates a decentralized system that tracks all qualifications, so employers are less likely to encounter fake degrees.

On top of this, a distributed ledger system also makes the entire recruitment process more efficient. Apart from ensuring the authenticity of academic and professional qualifications, it is also able to verify birth dates, IDs, and addresses of the job candidates, meanwhile preserving their privacy.

Sky Guo, CEO of blockchain platform Cypherium, reveals that clients could keep their personal information secure by using a database extractor: “If a job candidate wants to prove that he

has the grades and diploma, what they need to do is provide the hash (one of the blockchain algorithms) of the diploma and the employer can verify that hash with the hash of the university.”

Randstad, a Netherlands-based human resources firm has started to incorporate the Cypherium blockchain into its recruitment activities, hoping that it would bring the company closer to streamlining and automating the bureaucratic tasks associated with workforce recruitment, and make the process of matching talents with employers easier. This can be extremely helpful in today’s time, where many companies are looking for immediate role fulfilment in a disease outbreak, medical emergency, and other global issues that are of rising concern.

Another sector that could benefit from blockchain is the media and entertainment industry. Many artists and creators are currently suffering from unfair or ambiguous treatment when it comes to dividing the profit between the label, studios, managers, other middlemen, and the artists themselves. Many of them were never exposed to other disciplines apart from the ones needed for their pursuit in arts or music, like law, business, or finance.

However, as the blockchain technology is introduced, frauds and production costs could be drastically reduced, and the overall transparency and traceability could be increased. As there are many disputes and lawsuits pertaining ownership over audio, visual, and written content, blockchain strives to solve this problem by offering a way to track IP (Internet Protocol) through various routes, thus ensuring that intellectual property rights are authentic and making it easier for digital rights management companies to access each transaction. The use of blockchain will also promise better liquidity of profits for all stakeholders of the produced content, including investors like labels or studios, and creators like the artists themselves.

Blockchain also offers great potential for new musicians who need funding for the development of their

debut single or album. Oftentimes, singers contributed the most into their music, but labels end up keeping all the ownership. While streaming services have enabled the artists to easily track their streams, blockchain aims to maximize the benefits of all by establishing a stronger relationship between the musicians and fans.

Vezt is an app that allows fans to share in the royalties of songs of their loved musicians. Fans can purchase a percentage of the song’s rights, therefore providing funding directly to artists, songwriters, and producers. This makes it easier for the creators to have enough funding to pursue their passion, and also gives the fans a feeling of satisfaction, as in a way, they will be owning a portion of their loved artists’ success. This could be a win-win situation for both sides.

According to Forbes, Audius is a new blockchain-based music streaming service that aims to offer free hosting for its artists, return 90% of its revenues back to the creator, and encourage increased discoverability and fan engagement for current and upcoming artists.

Blockchain can also transform contents of film, TV, and short-form digital media. With its technology based on Ethereum, a Switzerland-based blockchain computing platform, FilmChain collects, allocates, and analyzes revenues in film, TV, and other digital media to promote transparency and efficiency in the process of profit distribution among stakeholders.

Closer to home, the Torontobased StreambedMedia is using blockchain to monetize micro content. It allows creators to track their works posted on social media through a stepby-step reputation mechanism: as the content’s primary creator, you can connect with people that you have received funding from or others that have shared your content on other platforms.

But blockchain is a lot more useful than just in the entertainment industry. The United Nations is also looking to advance its humanitarian causes and goals with the use of blockchain.

“For the United Nations to deliver bet-

ter on our mandate in the digital age, we need to embrace technologies like blockchain that can help accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals,” United Nations secretarygeneral António Guterres told Forbes.

First adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) act as a universal call to end poverty and produce and consume goods in a more responsible way. With its aim to be completed by 2030, blockchain has already been put into use in five of the 17 projects in the United Nations Innovation Network; cocoa supply chain in Ecuador and pig supply chains in Papua New Guinea are now being tracked using blockchain.

Although blockchain has not yet integrated into our daily lives, it is already helping many people around the globe. Syrian refugees are experiencing the benefits of blockchain in Jordan’s Azraq camp. Instead of having traditional ID cards, each person now uses an iris scan that is recorded on the blockchain as a way to identify themselves and to keep track of the food they paid for and the aid they received.

The Windrush generation, nearly half a million people that immigrated to Britain from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1970, faced immense struggles in 2018, during which many of them were wrongly detained, denied legal rights, and deported from the United Kingdom. The legal status of many were questioned as the records of their granted leave to remain were lost by the government with the passing of time. However, with the introduction of blockchain in the future, information like this could be kept on a distributed ledger instead to prevent situations like this from happening again.

Many of the uses described above are only theory-based, and need to be further put into application in real-life scenarios. In order to discover blockchain’s full potential, countries and companies need to cooperate together. As blockchain becomes more well-known around the globe, its impact can be phenomenal.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 33 ECONOMY

A breakdown of how businesses are responding to COVID-19 From eCommerce, to food, to travel, here’s what’s happening.

Kenneth Salim Editor

A

s of March 2020, countries around the world ordered nonessential businesses to close in order to diminish the spread of COVID-19. It has put many businesses, particularly small ones, on the edge of bankruptcy. Two months later, this regulation is still in place. There is no doubt that during this time of self-isolation, large-scale businesses are also struggling to keep afloat. Some have closed stores in various locations and some are also on the brink of bankruptcy. However, it does not apply to all business sectors. Instead, some sectors have benefited from the current circumstances.

Businesses with a strong online presence have survived more easily in the current crisis. If one compares Amazon to a local bookstore or electronics store, Amazon has got their online purchasing and delivery method all sorted out since it is how they have always operated, while a local bookstore or electronics store might not have a

sufficient website or delivery method to deliver their products to the consumer. Thus, they would receive little to no customers which would eventually lead them to bankruptcy. According to CNN Business, Amazon has had an increase of 20.4% on their year-to-date stock value. This shows that since more people are staying at home, more people are purchasing their goods online.

Other than the eCommerce sector, there are multiple other sectors such as communications, healthcare, and certain retail businesses that are hugely benefitting from this shutdown.

In a crisis, people seek food, shelter, and a way to preserve their jobs. Therefore, companies like Costco, Metro, and Loblaws are thriving since they provide essential products for us to stay alive.

In addition, based on the current state of affairs, healthcare companies like Clorox are benefiting due to the need of disinfectants as preventive measures avoid getting the virus. The increased number of people working from home has also led to the rise of communications businesses such as Zoom.

On the other hand, sectors like services, travel industry, and trans-

portation are taking a huge hit during this period. People are staying in their homes and their businesses are not allowed to open due to restrictions in different countries. Travel companies such as Royal Caribbean Cruises have decreased their stocks 69.7% from the beginning of the year. Salons, concerts, and recreation centres are also taking a hit due to closures and the danger of spreading the virus in crowded places.

In Ontario, this is all coming to an end soon. On May 1, Doug Ford confirmed that Ontario will be opening some businesses, such as garden centres and nurseries, effective May 4. Other provinces in Canada have done this and many other countries around the world have also taken part. This is being done mainly to save the economy from a bigger crisis, for these businesses would slowly lift up Canada’s economy. From an economic perspective, it is the right thing to do for the immediate future, but if the government and businesses are not careful, a second wave of the virus might strike and cripple businesses and the stock market all over again.

However, as more people begin to recover from the virus, countries

will allow more and more business sectors to open. “With consumer spending possibly impaired by a higher propensity to save and serious potential curbs on investment, we think the likeliest scenario is for the world economy’s rebound post lockdown to be quite soft,” said AXA Investment Managers Group chief economist Gilles Moec.

It is clear that we are living in a time of survival of the fittest. Businesses that fail to survive the crisis will eventually go bankrupt, unless the government comes into play. This is not a privilege for all businesses in all sectors of every country in the world. Depending on where and what the business is, the government might offer some help. In Canada, the government is offering subsidies of up to $1 375 per employee and $25 000 per employer to help businesses pay their workers and prevent lay-offs. This was put in place along with other measures such as flexibility in filing for taxes and also ensuring businesses to have access to credit. Therefore, in countries like Canada, businesses are more likely to get through this tough time.

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34 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | OPINION

EDUCATION

opinion

Reflections on taking a fifth year

Yes, there were moments when I felt lonely. But my fifth year gave me freedom.

Joshua Chong Editor

D

uring a lunch about a year ago, I asked my friends, “Do you still enjoy coming to school?” Immediately, they shot back with a definitive “no.” Now, these were students whom I knew enjoyed going to school each day – at least for the first three and a half years of their high school careers. But

by May of our graduation year, senioritis had set in; as acceptance letters arrived, their interest in high school began to wane. Their drive to excel in academics and extracurriculars faded, and their only goal was to maintain the 75% average required to meet their post-secondary conditional acceptance; their eyes were set on life after high school.

I, however, still felt joy and excitement walking through the halls of NT every day, the same feeling I felt in September of my Grade 9 year. I knew then, during that spring day in midMay, that I had made the right decision to return the following school year for a fifth year. But my friends teased me, jokingly: “Why would anyone want to willingly put themselves through another year of high school,” they asked me – almost weekly – as they shuddered at the thought. (That there is still a negative connotation among students with taking a fifth year is unfortunate). It was because I had unfinished business: courses I still wanted to take, projects I wanted to complete, activities I wanted to experience.

By that point in time, I really didn’t have a choice. I had already selected my fifth year courses and had not applied to any universities – I was doing a fifth year no matter what. But, it felt comforting at the time that I was mentally prepared for it.

In fact, I had been pretty set on taking a fifth year since Grade 10. As I was surveying the course options for Grade 11 and Grade 12, I knew that I didn’t want to be pigeon-holed into a certain category; my gung-ho 16 yearold self wanted to take everything. So that’s what I aimed to do. I was going to take a salad-mix of courses: math, science, music, language, humanities, social science. I planned, and I planned, and I planned some more – everything was set to a tee because I wanted my fifth year experience to be perfect.

As my time at NT comes to a close and I reflect back on this past year, I am grateful and extremely glad that I took a fifth year, but I would be lying if I said my fifth year was perfect, or went exactly according to plan. For a start, I’d never imagine in a million years that my time in high school would end under the ominous cloud of a global pandemic.

Beyond that, there were multiple times during the school year when I second guessed myself. It took no longer than the first day of my fifth year

for doubt to set in. As I looked around at the unrecognizable faces of some of my classes, I realized that for the first time since junior kindergarten, I was in a class where I knew no one, which was the case for about a third of my classes.

In a way, this is the same experience for a first year university student, but for me, there was a certain unease in feeling like a new kid in a school I knew so well.

That lunch, I had an existential crisis – one of those, “what the hell am I doing here” kind of moments. I would later find out from my older friends who took a fifth year that this kind of identity crisis is actually quite common during the first week back for a fifth year student.

As the first few days turned into the first few weeks, I embraced the new experience of being pushed out of my comfort zone and meeting new people. Yes, there were still moments when I felt lonely, envying my best friends who had jetted off to different corners of the country to begin a new chapter of life. But my fifth year experience gave me something that a four year high school experience could never have provided: freedom.

Photo courtesy of Joshua Chong

I soon discovered that in order to make the most of my fifth year journey, I needed to throw away all the planning I had done. I had the spontaneity to do whatever I wanted. So I dropped courses that, in Grade 10, I was certain I was going to take and selected courses like Ancient Greek, Philosophy, and Writer’s Craft on a whim, choices which were the best decisions I’ve ever made in high school. In my fifth year, as I started the year with basically a blank slate, I was able to participate in extra-curricular activities I would never have been able to fit into my jampacked schedule in the four years prior.

But perhaps the greatest gift of taking a fifth year was that it removed me from the mark-oriented mentality that is synonymous with senior students.

Many Grade 12s who take six or seven courses experience immense pressure to succeed on every test and assignment in senior year. I saw dozens of my friends break down after receiving a poor grade on a math test, fearing that it could mean missing an admission cut-off.

By taking more Grade 12 courses and spreading them over two years, I

have been able to liberate myself from that pressure. I didn’t worry much if I did poorly on an assignment last year, because I knew that I had another year of courses to improve my mark. And when I did poorly this year, I knew that I already had seven courses stored in the bank. Instead, I was able to truly immerse myself in the learning without having to agonize over marks. And that, I believe, is what education is all about.

To all the junior students who have their eyes set on sprinting to the finish line and graduating in four years: don’t discount a fifth year. While the option isn’t for all, it is for those who want a more holistic education that is more focused on the means, rather than the ends. But first, any student considering a fifth year must acknowledge, to themselves, that high school is not a race. Only then will they be able to find meaning in taking a fifth year.

After an extra year of courses, new opportunities, and life, I can now relate with my friends from a year ago. A fifth year was the missing piece that completes my high school journey. Now, I am ready to move on.

OPINION | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 35 POLITICS

COVID-19 is an opportunity to revolutionize Canadian welfare

In theory, a Universal Basic Income has supporters from across the political spectrum.

Now, pandemic response measures are putting UBI-comparable support to the test.

Maeve Ellis Advisor

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pandemic of this scale does not just fizzle out without changing the course of history. The Black Death ended Western European feudalism. The Spanish Flu led to nationalized health care systems. Ebola triggered an expansion of international charities.

While the symptoms of coronavirus do not last longer than a few weeks, some of the changes it has wrought on Canadian society may be here to stay. The vast majority of the government relief effort Ottawa has established is a onetime expense. However, key aspects, like unprecedented welfare support, could continue past the pandemic.

Workers’ rights advocates argue that this recession exposes systemic cracks that Canadians can slip through all-too-easily. Some say the bandages Ottawa has stuck onto the economy for the shortterm should remain indefinitely.

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the federal New Democratic Party, said, “The crisis that we’re in right now has shown the gaps in our social safety net and particularly shows how ill-equipped we are to take care of people when they need immedi-

ate and direct financial support.”

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) hands out $2 000-a-month for those who have lost their job from COVID-19 related economic changes. According to CityNews, more than 6 million Canadians are currently taking advantage of it with more expected in the coming months. Some advocates are arguing for a similar system to continue beyond the pandemic, such as a Universal Basic Income (UBI). This social safety net subsidizes incomes below a certain threshold so that everyone brings home an amount that is well above the status quo of welfare.

UBI proponents exist on both sides of the aisle. The left-leaning say it is the best way to combat poverty and reduce wealth and income inequality, while the right-wing like how it simplifies the current welfare system and eliminates the bureaucracy that comes with regulating it.

UBI is also popular among everyday Canadians. 67% of adults in a 2016 Angus Reid Poll supported a UBI of $30,000 per year for all adults. In a 2019 Gallup poll, an overwhelming 75% agreed with one for those who lose their jobs to artificial intelligence.

This kind of program is not entirely new, as Ontario has al-

ready assessed it on a small scale.

Golem, Ontario residents were the test subjects of the Basic Income Pilot Project, which for two years, until March 2019, gave $17 000 to individuals and $24 000 annually to couples of low or no income. Many of the Golemites, in the largest UBI experiment in history, took the opportunity of a subsidized paycheck to pursue higher education and start businesses. The residents emotionally prospered without the all-consuming mental load of always worrying about their finances.

But these benefits do not come without a hefty cost. According to the parliamentary budget watchdog, in its first year, a UBI program benefiting 7.7 million people would cost $43 billion. Although that may seem like an outrageous amount, consider that a program like the Canada Child Benefit, which helps far fewer people, costs $23 billion. The UBI’s price tag would also be offset by a smaller strain on the healthcare system due to its participants leading healthier lifestyles, from lifestyle changes like eating betting groceries and buying gym memberships, afforded to them by the extra cash flow.

A program like this may also bridge expanding socio-economic divides. Extensive and ongoing re-

search reported by the New York Times has found significantly different trajectories for Americans with and without a post-secondary education. While the collegeeducated are on track to higher incomes and life expectancy, the less fortunate are experiencing rising “deaths of despair” like suicide and drug overdose. Canada, America’s closest relative, inevitably experiences similar problems and the urgent need for solutions.

Societal views on state-toindividual interaction mutate as frequently as viruses. If Canadians could accept CERB handouts overnight, establishing a post-pandemic UBI may be entirely feasible.

Frank M. Snowden, a scholar who studies societal changes following pandemics, said in a New Yorker interview, “Epidemics are a category of disease that seem to hold up the mirror to human beings as to who we really are….it doesn’t show just the dark side of humanity. It also shows the heroic side.”

Previously it seemed contrary to human nature to push individuality aside in favour of the common good. This pandemic may prove otherwise. The lingering symptom of COVID-19 may be an overhaul of Canadian attitudes towards the less fortunate.

LIFE IN QUARANTINE

A local house displays a message everyone can relate to. | Photo by Sara Chiarotto O’Brien

36 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | ARTS & CULTURE

BOOKS

arts & culture

Five must-read books

These five books are all amazing reads and will greatly lift your spirits.

Sophie Block Contribtor

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1

I Wish You all the Best

by Mason Deaver, published May 14, 2019, rated 4.1 /5 When high school senior Ben De Baecker finally uses all of their courage and comes out to their parents as being non-binary, their parents react in the worst way they could: kicking them out of the house. They are forced to move in with their sister who they haven’t seen in years and her husband who they have never even met. Challenged with coming out, embracing their identity, making friends, and suffering with anxiety, Ben never thought that the year could turn out well. But as Nathan Allan becomes friends with them at school, Ben begins to think that this year may turn out to be good after all. This novel will have you both tearful and happy at the same time, and it is a perfect pick-me-up in these difficult times.

3

Frankly in Love

uring this tedious period of social distancing, reading is a great way to fill your time. These five books are all amazing reads and will greatly lift your spirits. All of these reads can be found for free on Overdrive from the Toronto Public Library.

2

by David Yoon, published September 10, 2019, rated 3.8 /5

You Asked for Perfect

by Laura Silverman, published March 5, 2019, rated 3.9/5 Like many high school students, Ariel Stone, a bisexual senior, struggles to be the perfect student. He has dreams of going to Harvard and works extremely hard to get there. As the year goes by, Ariel struggles to keep up his grades and all of his volunteer work, as well as his position as the first-chair violinist. In order to do this, he must skip out on plans with his friends and even get a tutor for calculus after he fails a test. But as Ariel begins to fall for his tutor, and his workload becomes too much to manage, everything he has worked so hard for begins to crumble around him. Can Ariel find a way to make time for school and what he loves? This heartwarming and relatable novel is the perfect read for high school students.

Frank Li is a high school senior. He describes himself as a Limbo, which is his way of describing a Korean-American teenager who struggles with balancing his parents’ traditional expectations and his own American upbringing. Frank and Joy, a family friend, think they have the perfect plan to be able to date others without having their strict parents find out. Throughout the year, they pretend to date each other when in reality, they are both dating non-Koreans: an act that their parents would never support. However, the plan gets more and more complicated and ends up leaving both Joy and Frank more confused about themselves and about love.

4

The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan

by Gia Cribbs, published May 21, 2018, rated 4.2 /5

Sloane Sullivan has been switching identities for years as she moves across the US with her witness protection program caseworker, Mark. She is in constant fear of being discovered. Sloane barely remembers anything from the days when she still had a family, and Mark seems to prefer it stays this way. When Sloane moves to a new town, she is reunited with her best friend from before this secret life. She is determined to keep her cover, but as she begins to fall for him, secrets get harder to keep.

Sloane begins to discover that everything around her is nothing like she thought. As she discovers more and more about her past and her present, she begins to solve the mystery of her life. Written with so much complexity, this novel is hard not to read in one sitting.

5

Here Lies Daniel Tate

by Cristin Terrill, published June 6, 2017, rated 4 /5 A young runaway in Vancouver is trying to find an identity to take over at a youth shelter one night and, as usual, he looks on the website for missing children. When he explains his “identity” to the social workers, they are blown away. Apparently, Daniel Tate, the child he decided to act as, vanished years ago and his family wants to meet him. This new Daniel Tate isn’t exactly as his family remembered, but he is still brought to their huge private estate in Los Angeles. As Daniel Tate lives with the family, he wonders how long he can keep up this act before others find out. But the longer he pretends he is Daniel Tate, the more he wonders what actually happened to this boy. Can he stay long enough to figure out this horrific mystery?

ARTS & CULTURE | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 37 TELEVISION

Why everybody should watch Sex Education Netflix’s new teen dramedy is a visual delight filled to the brim with heartwarming friendships, laughable story lines, and rich characters.

Megan Christoforidis Contributor

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ince we’re all home watching Netflix all day (when we’re not doing online school, of course…), I thought I would take this opportunity to provide you with a list of all of the reasons why you should watch Sex Education, one of my personal favourites on Netflix. To give you a quick summary in case you have no clue what the show is about: two of the main characters, Otis (whose mother is a sex therapist) and Maeve (who is kind of broke) decide to start a “sex therapy” clinic at their school to help their fellow classmates with all of their sex-related problems, and to make some quick cash. Don’t judge it at first sight - below is a list of reasons why you should give it a chance.

Diversity Sex Education is one of the most diverse shows I’ve ever watched, and it feels completely natural and organic. Many shows throw in the signature gay best friend without ever giving that character much depth, while Sex Education has characters of all different races, backgrounds, and sexualities, and they all have their own storylines and purposes in driving the plot forward. The variety of characters feels authentic and not forced; it happens naturally. The show especially does an amazing job of showcasing characters of different sexualities, including bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality, which are not often explored in television. It also shows a number of characters going through the process of discovering and coming to terms with their own sexuality, which is a relatable storyline for many teenagers.

They also make sure to not make any of the characters feel ostracized for going through these experiences, which translates to viewers who are going through similar situations feeling less alone in their experiences. Overall, the show excels in showcasing different people’s perspectives and experiences, making it more appealing to a wider audience.

Character depth Throughout the two seasons, the show does an impressive job of giving each of the main characters a well-developed backstory and personality, which makes the show a lot more enjoyable. In getting to know each of the characters, you become more invested in the plot and finding out what happens next. The characters are all unique from one another, and their range is what makes the show so much more versatile and engaging for viewers. Each character is on their own personal journey, and following their stories is both emotional and hilarious at the same time.

Variety of storylines The show addresses many relevant topics including sexual assault, consent, sexual identity, internalised homophobia, and abortion. Each topic is handled with care but also sprinkled with humour, in a way that is both refreshing and relatable for viewers. One of my favourite storylines in season two is Aimee’s sexual assault case. The ensuing

display of female empowerment and girls supporting each other is extremely heartwarming and moving to watch.

Diverse friendships One of my favourite aspects of this show is the way it displays so many different kinds of platonic relationships.

While a lot of teen shows tend to focus more on romantic relationships, Sex Education spends a lot of time building on a variety of friendships that are

easy for viewers to become invested in throughout its two seasons. A lot of them are conventionally unlikely pairings, and the contrast of personalities adds greater depth to the relationships formed between many of the characters. The sincere and organic quality of each friendship makes the characters even more endearing and relatable. One of the most unexpected friendships of season two is that of Ola and Adam, the (former) school bully, a

Image courtesy of Netflix

surprisingly wholesome and humourous relationship to watch unfold.

Scenery If you need any more reason to watch Sex Education, the sunny, green backdrop of Wales, UK should do it for you. There’s not much to say for this one; it’s just really pretty.

38 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | ARTS & CULTURE TELEVISION

Tiger King: The failed Blackfish documentary

The docu-series that set out to expose the problems of big cat ownership in the United States lost sight of its mission in the bizarre world of Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Sean Lee Editor

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iger King sucks viewers in by transporting them to a world far more bizarre and outlandish than our minds could ever fathom. It takes us to the world of exotic animals, where we meet roadside zoo and big cat owners like Joe Exotic and Doc Antle. The documentary series focuses on the feud between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist who advocates to ban private ownership of big cats in the country. It seemed like an impossible feat with a global pandemic going on around us, but the Tiger King universe made it seem like the pandemic was the plain oatmeal of breakfast. However, once the spectacle of the event is put aside, one must ask, “Do any of them truly care about what is in the best interest of the animals?”

There is one statistic that constantly popped up during the series, and it was that there are more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild.

There are an estimated 5 000 tigers held in captivity in the United States compared to the 3 900 left in the wild.

However, it is impossible to know for sure as many captive tigers are not kept track of. Only 6% of captive tigers are held in zoos and other facilities that are approved by the North American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which regulates and mandates zoos to meet certain standards. The majority of tigers are held in roadside attractions, private breeding facilities, or even backyards. In Canada, there is no estimation of the captive tiger population, for there is no government agency assigned to watch over them.

Throughout the series, many big cat owners claim that they are actually helping the tiger population by raising them in captivity to help with decreasing populations. However, Dr. John Goodrich, Chief Scientist and Tiger Program Director for Panthera stated that “these tigers that [Big Cat

owners are] producing are worthless to the wild. They’re not genetically fit, they’re not behaviorally fit to be reintroduced to the wild.” He also pointed out that before talking about reintroduction, we should focus on the tigers we have currently. He explained “that we usually don’t want to get there” because even with the tigers bred very carefully and prepared behaviorally by professionals to be reintroduced into the wild, “it’s a bit of a Hail Mary.”

The truth is that the difference between private zoos and zoos certified by the AZA comes down to personal gain. Giving people close contact with tiger cubs can bring in enormous sums of money. Each cub can make up to a million dollars in the first four months of their life. Once they reach the age of four months, they lose their value as they can start hurting the people that interact with them. It is unclear what private zoos may do after these tigers reach the age of four months.

They could be killed, sold, or kept in the same zoo for the rest of their life.

These AZA approved zoos also provide big enclosures of the tigers and constantly try to stimulate the tigers with different scents and toys. They are also carefully bred to keep the genetics of the tigers pure. It is mandatory for them to be part of “The Species Survival Program” which in theory could lead them to be reintroduced if ever needed.

Privately bred tigers however have been inbred and outbred to the point that if they were released into the wild, they would be introducing extremely poor genetics to the whole species and do more harm than good. Behaviourally, if these privately owned tigers were released into the wild, because they have been constantly fed and taken care of by humans, they would seek out humans for food and entertainment creating a danger to society.

While watching the documentary, I felt conflicted between the two sides. Both Carole Basking and Joe Exotic seemed to personally gain something from owning tigers. After doing further research following the comple-

tion of the series, I felt even more conflicted than where I started. I realized that instead, there were three sides that were all wrong at varying degrees.

The private big cat owners such as Joe Exotic and Doc Antle should not be allowed to own exotic animals as they are not professionally trained to do so, and they use the tigers to be able to make money for themselves. Evidence that the tigers have not been taken care of properly can be seen throughout the series. Dr. Goodrich explains that “some obvious physical signs [that a tiger may be mistreated is if] a tiger [is] extremely thin or extremely fat… If it’s pacing around its cage and showing other kinds of neurotic behaviors, then it’s probably in too small of a cage, it’s not receiving enough stimulus.” There were several tigers shown in Doc Antle’s zoo that were clearly overweight, and others in Joe Exotic’s zoo that were pacing around in the way that Dr. Goodrich describes.

The third side which was not previously mentioned was the production staff of the documentary series. Although they started off with the intentions of revealing to the world the large amount of exotic animals under private ownership, they quickly got absorbed into the world of figures like Joe Exotic and lost focus of their original vision to raise awareness of exotic animals living in bad conditions. By the time they reached their conclusion about saving tigers from bad conditions in private ownership, people cared less about the tigers and more about freeing Joe Exotic or persecuting Carole Baskin for killing her husband. When asked about the documentary, Carole Baskin, the owner of Big Cat Rescue, stated that originally “[the creators of Tiger King] wanted to make the big cat version of Blackfish.”

Instead she says that they created a “[documentary series that] had the sole goal of being as salacious and sensational as possible to draw viewers.”

Finally, there’s Carole Baskin. I felt conflicted about her from the way that she was portrayed in the documentary. After further research, I have realized that her portrayal in the docu-

mentary was done in a way to incite confusion and add to the craziness of the tiger world. In reality, Big Cat Rescue is a Global Federation of Animal Sanctuary certified place that has a great record from animal conservationists.

The cages shown in the documentary are temporary or feeding enclosures and not where the cats in the sanctuary usually stay. In reality, the cats stay in enclosures from 1 200 square feet, to over two acres. Although many conservationists say that Baskin should be paying expert employees to take care of the tigers as opposed to the volunteers that she has on staff, the tigers are raised in conditions beneficial to them.

There is also a strong difference between Baskin’s sanctuary and Joe Exotic’s zoo as they are nonprofit and forprofit institutions respectively. Baskin runs a sanctuary that would likely shut down if private owners like Exotic stopped owning and breeding tigers. In fact, Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reviews the financial aspect of charities, has given Big Cat Rescue a 100% score for its financial health, accountability, and transparency.

The documentary concludes with a quote from Joshua Dial, Joe Exotic’s campaign manager, which I think is fitting to describe all three sides of the documentary. He says that,

“What started out as this feud between two people, a good and noble fight to stop cub selling, cub petting, turned into a personal and legal court battle, and it just became about them…

It has to be millions of dollars… Think of the hundreds of thousand they spent investigating Joe. Think of their millions of followers, donors, and whatnot, [and] think of how far that could go saving these tigers in their natural habitats. We’ve completely lost sight and lost touch of what really matters here. And that’s the conservation protection of the species of this planet.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is streaming now on Netflix.

ARTS & CULTURE | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 39 TELEVISION

Community: the show that changed my perspective on sitcoms With well developed characters and plotlines that span genres, the 2009 series is just what 2020 needs.

Sean Lee Editor

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here is not much that meets the eye when looking at the 2009 NBC sitcom Community. It is a show about seven misfits who form a Spanish study group at Greendale Community College. It received an average viewership and came out during a time when shows like the Office, 30 Rock, and the Big Bang Theory were on air. Personally, I have a faint memory of a Community poster in my brother’s room but that was it. When it came out on Netflix, I decided to watch it and see what it was about. What followed was a show that constantly pushed the boundaries of a network sitcom and transformed from genre to genre each episode.

It is impossible to talk about the show without first mentioning the talent behind the scenes. This show was put together by Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon. It is emotionally based on his experience in a biology study group in community college.

Along with Harmon, the Russo brothers (Avengers: Endgame, Arrested Development) produced the show and directed some of the episodes. Justin Lin (Fast and Furious, Star Trek Beyond) directed a couple of the episodes as well. Writers of the episodes included Chris McKenna (American Dad!, The Mindy Project) and Megan Ganz (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, Mythic Quest). This team put together and executed different plots for episodes based on the “story circle” principle that Harmon used while writing stories.

The result were episodes including a Goodfellas spoof with chicken fingers, a pillow fight shot like a war documentary, a Law and Order episode to find the culprit of a smashed yam, and the most well known paintball episodes which spoofed anything from video games to western films. In fact, the Season 2 paintball episodes, which the Russos directed, caught the eye of Marvel as Kevin Fiege was a fan of the episodes and eventually led to them directing Captain America: Winter Soldier. Although there was a lot of genre hopping, it was not done for the sake of spoofing but was done to better serve the story. Therefore, some episodes may seem extremely absurd but still fit into the universe and characters that Harmon brought to life.

For example, in the fourth episode of season three, “Remedial Chaos Theory”, the plot explores seven different timelines as each study group member is chosen by a roll of a die to go down to pick up the pizza from the delivery man. The audience follows the “chaos” that ensues during each member’s absence. It is a fun concept, but the execution of the actual episode serves the show far more than a take on the multiverse theory. The episode reveals the connections between all the characters and the impact that one character carries. It is brilliant and had me laughing

Photo courtesy of IMDB

at how thoughtful the character development was and how absurd it got. Chris McKenna, the writer of the episode, was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the 2012 Emmy’s.

It’s also amazing to see the diversity of the cast and characters. Specifically, Abed Nadir, played by Danny Pudi, is praised by the online autism community for being a true-to-life representation of someone with Asperger’s. Although it is never explicitly said in the show, it is assumed because of Abed’s behaviours and interactions with others. However, unlike other shows that may alienate or isolate the character, he is embraced into the study group and builds a special relationship with Troy (Donald Glover). Sarah Kurchak wrote about the friendship between Troy and Abed stating that “for the first time in my life, I was seeing an outside example of how an autistic person might be able to form a mutually beneficial friendship with another person without having to fundamentally change or hide who they were.”

The show stars Joel McHale (Tiger King and I, The Soup) as Jeff Winger who is a lawyer that faked his bachelor’s degree and must therefore return to community college. Other members of the cast includes Donald Glover (Childish Gambino, Atlanta), Alison Brie

(GLOW, Bojak Horseman, Mad Men), Danny Pudi (DuckTales, Mythic Quest), Ken Jeong (Masked Singer, Hangover), and Chevy Chase (SNL, National Lampoon’s Vacations). The chemistry between the cast elevates the show as their interactions and lines feel natural and in line with their character. Most of this was due to the fact that all of them became close as a result of crazy filming hours (18 hour work days) and still talk in a text group chat to this day.

Before, I saw sitcoms as comfortable, money-grabs for studios to mass produce to a large audience. However, after watching Community with its incredible stories, cast, and characters, my perspective on sitcoms changed to “maybe I’ve just been watching the wrong ones.”

With all of that being said, Community is not a perfect show. Dan Harmon was fired from the show following the third season for a variety of different reasons. The following season was taken over by David Guarascio and Moses Port, who had the extremely challenging job of re-creating the jokes and vision that came straight from Harmon, without Harmon and many members of the original team who departed with him. The result was still a pretty good sitcom, but nothing compared to the first three seasons of the show.

Even though NBC re-hired Harmon for Season five, the show never consistently returned to its former state, in part due to the departure of Donald Glover and Chevy Chase. NBC cancelled Community after five seasons and was not able to fulfil the fan motto from the Episode Paradigms of Human Memory, “Six Seasons and a Movie!”

Actually, Community was able to make a sixth and final season. The show was not picked up by any major networks or even Netflix, but was funded by the defunct streaming service Yahoo! Screen. It truly is the darkest timeline. All of this just goes to show how unknown and underappreciated the Community was in its prime. It was a sit-com that revolutionized the medium, yet was nowhere as popular as the Big Bang Theory or Glee which it regularly poked fun at.

Admittedly, Community is not for everyone. It is full of TV and movie references and layered jokes that sometimes have to be played back to fully understand it. However, those very elements allow the show to be extremely re-watchable as there will be new elements that you may have never picked up the first time.

Community is now streaming on Netflix and Hulu.

40 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | SPORTS

sports

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

The impact of COVID-19 on spring sports Both pro-sports and NT sports have been halted by pandemic. What are the consequences?

Simone Bellengier Elise Farmar Copy Editors

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ports often act as an escape from the struggles of daily life, however, every now and then, the two worlds collide. The COVID-19 pandemic illustrates this through its negative effects on sporting events. COVID-19 has not only affected sports within North Toronto C.I.’s athletic community, but also sports on a professional and global scale.

Due to the current international pandemic, all facilities have been shut down and events have ceased indefinitely.

In terms of professional leagues, the National Basketball Association (NBA) season was suspended on March 11. This call was made in response to a substantial number of players testing positive for the virus, which set precautions for the safety of players and fans. The NBA was among the first professional sports leagues to suspend their season in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This initial decision acted as a wake-up call for many.

As NT teacher and sports enthusiast, Mr. Barnswell views it, “this was the first time many sports fans took the virus seriously.” Several fans were disappointed to be informed of such a decision. Mr. Barnswell stated, “What I’ve learned about sports is that it acts as a calendar. Having game days to look forward to is one thing that breaks up the week. Without Thursday night TNT NBA games, Saturday night hockey, or Sunday night baseball as markers during this quarantine, days just blend into each other making every day seem like one long holiday Monday.”

Nevertheless, the prospect of resuming the NBA season has been difficult to neglect as ideal possibilities such as returning without fans have added suspense and hope of fans tuning in.

In regards to tennis, associations including the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s

Tennis Association (WTA), have cancelled many of their events. This includes the unprecedented cancellation of the grass tournament known as Wimbledon for the first time since The Second World War. The associations have also attempted to postpone grand slams including the Roland Garros tournament in Paris. Hence, the tournament was moved to mid-September instead of its usual appearance in May and June. On the other hand, when it comes to Tennis Canada, the Rogers Cup has been indefinitely cancelled in Montreal but is still expected to proceed in Toronto. Despite the disheartening cancellation and rescheduling of tournaments, there has been the unique implementation of the Madrid Open Virtual Pro tournament. Professional players, both in the WTA and ATP, have swapped their tennis rackets for a controller. Thus, they are gaming through the midst of the new technological development to comply with social distancing measures for fans to enjoy.

Due to the closures of schools,

within days, the season was cancelled.

Pralat explains, “I was devastated, and lost motivation to run.” In contrast to team sports, Adam was able to continue his sport by himself, and noted, “I am lucky that my sport can be done alone and in any location.” Pralat found that he could utilize this free time to further improve his skills, stating, “last week, I ran my first half marathon.”

While like many student-athletes, Pralat understands it was the right decision to cancel the season, but remains optimistic, adding, “I look forward to running with friends and racing again”.

Physical distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the ability of many students to participate in team sports. NT student Emelia Grossman’s favourite sporting season at NT is the spring, where she plays on the softball team. Grossman stated, “I was really looking forward to another season of softball with all my teammates!” However, due to school closures, this will no longer be possible. Grossman stated her enthusiasm

“I was devastated and lost the motivation to run,” says NT student. It is difficult for both coaches and students to overcome the limitations of not being able to visit the field, gym or track. since March 13, NT’s spring sports teams including soccer, ultimate frisbee, badminton, rugby, table tennis, baseball and archery are not able to begin. Similar to many NT athletes, Adam Pralat, was quite excited for the 2020 track and field season to begin this spring. Pralat is a competitive runner who spends most of the year focusing on training for the upcoming season. He explained, “I had set big goals for myself, and could not wait for racing to start,” however, seemingly

by stating, “it is difficult to miss such a great season, but I’m looking forward to getting back to school once this is all over and hopefully being a part of that team again!” Kiara Distin is another NT student who is heavily immersed in the sports culture both in school and in extracurricular activities. Distin stated, “COVID-19 has completely hindered my ability to participate in team sports, both at school and outside of school.”

She mentions that, at NT, she was looking forward to participating in either

the soccer team or ultimate frisbee team. In addition to school sports, Distin usually has extracurricular sports keeping her busy. Distin stated, “outside of school I play rep basketball and soccer, but the rest of my basketball season has been cancelled.” This means her basketball team can no longer participate in provincial competitions. Her soccer season has also been delayed until further notice. Distin mentions, “I’ve been doing drills for both sports at home, but these activities cannot compare to the actual sports season.”

The cancellation of sports has had an everlasting impact on NT students. In an interview with NT teacher, Ms Rough, she explains how it is difficult for both coaches and students to overcome the limitations of not being able to visit the field, gym or track.

Being stripped of the ability to attend competitive events such as Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA), and the City or Regional Championships is also extremely disappointing for coaches and students who have worked hard striving to make it to the finals and represent NT. Similarly, NT seniors who have participated in a sports team every year would usually be finishing up their final fourth year of commitment. Ms. Rough explained that around this time of year, the North Toronto Athletic Association (NTAA) would be “going into the final term getting ready for the Athletic Banquet by completing a slide show, buying decorations, folding programs and polishing trophies.” Rough explains, “it’s always a special night to collectively celebrate the achievements and hard work of the athletes and coaches.”

Instead, NTAA is now planning on creating a slideshow, highlighting NT’s sports teams to present to the school.

Overall, the suspension of sporting events have had a negative impact on NT students, and spectators of professional sports.

However, the athletic community remains hopeful and excited to resume sports seasons in the future.

LIFE IN QUARANTINE

Quarantine leaves much free time for photography. | Photo by Marina Papachristos

HUMOUR & GAMES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 41

humour & games

LIFE

The 5 worst predictions for life after COVID-19

The fruit flies probably miss us...

Emily Sakaguchi Editor in Chief

1.

eLearning will take off The stars have aligned for Doug Ford’s beloved henchman, Supreme Education Leader Stephen Lecce, as being forced to learn at home is exactly what he needed to secure his eLearning schemes. What better associations could we possibly attach to eLearning at the dawn of its forced introduction than a profoundly disruptive pandemic? The support for eLearning will be just like the boom in pet rats after the Black Plague. It will remind us how much we already wanted to reelect Doug Ford after he so valiantly defended our right to one-dollar beer and bravely disregarded all the student protests rejecting education budget cuts and mandatory online courses.

2. We’ll return to the life we knew before I could talk about how we’ll all wash our hands more often and stand farther apart like we’re in a movie made right after the introduction of widescreen televisions… But the real changes will be far more disturbing. You may not recognize some of your friends because, instead of having the decency to build stunning catacombes or to forsake class structure, paving the way for a Renaissance (as is the clear precedent from the 14th century), they’ve committed war crimes on their hair. You’ve seen the pictures of quarantine bangs and uneven trims.

And we’re going to have to return to a world where those are still growing out.

3. We’ll never go back to normal life From now on, we’ll work from home and shop online for our video-conference-tailored ensembles of businessappropriate button up shirts on top and out-of-sight pajama pants on the bottom. Because there’s no way we’ll

ever leave our houses again. Children will play with hand sanitizer instead of play dough. Families will have subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and Crave. And they won’t cancel even one of them.

4. It will be a wake up call for health care in the United States Yeah… That’s the joke. Let’s just say that, after the flooring government response to wildfires, hurricanes, centuries of systematic inequality and national poverty, we should have complete faith in America’s government to learn from a crisis. His Right Honorable Effervescent Excellency’s recommendations to drink bleach are a promising start to the health care system we will watch develop as this pandemic brings America’s long-feared communists out of the woodwork for a socialist revolution.

5. We’ll appreciate school with a new found joy Yes, it’s true, we’re starting to think

fondly of school. Particularly for youngsters at this vulnerable, transitional age, this may feel uncharacteristic and lead to an identity crisis. If you need to talk to someone about it, the Kids Help Phone can be reached at 1-800-668-6868.

Sweet recollections of high school are behavioural patterns only stir-craziness or midlife crises are known to inspire.

Now we shake our heads in wonder that we ever complained about spending all day with friends at a two-minute walk from Chipotle. We’ll eventually wonder why we mourned waking up early, treading through snow, then standing in the late line at 9:05, which for all intents and purposes is only a few hours after bedtime. After a couple weeks back, we may no longer be thrilled to run up flights of stairs to find one, just one bathroom with soap. But for now, sure, I’m not immune to romanticizing the fruit-fly infested halls of North Toronto C.I. either. If this goes on long enough, I may take up eating on the floor just to feel some connection to my former life.

SCHOOL

What did you leave in your locker?

You can really find out a lot about students from what they keep in their lockers.

Some things you want to know, other things... not so much.

Here are the top 12 most “interesting” responses!

Brendan Weeks | Editor

“Toe-nail clippers”

“Ham & cheese sandwich”

“Vape”

“Hamster cage”

“XL bottle of Axe Body Spray”

“My sister’s EpiPen”

“Air pods”

“Air Force 1s — the right one only” “Sam” “Extendable flyswatter”

“Air hockey table”

“Vape”

Photo by Sahil Turakhia

42 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | HUMOUR & GAMES TECHNOLOGY

The royal etiquette school of video conferencing How to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of your teacher and the government official who is spying on you.

Deena Shirkool Business Manager

1.

Keep the length of small talk to a minimum I can promise you that most people on a given call would rather be doing anything else than having to look appropriate for a call. So, please, give them an efficient meeting to make up for the effort they had to put in. No one really cares about your thoughts on how the sun is finally out, just like you could have gone through life without knowing how many assignments your classmate completed yesterday (the record number remains zero). Stick to the topic of the meeting and run through it. If you want to stay behind for some chitchat afterward, by all means, do so, but don’t force everyone else to take part.

2. Invite only Believe it or not, these video conferences are invite-only. Whoever the host has invited to the call can be there, but you are not a comedic genius for giving out the passcodes to others. If you are going to be bored on the call, and crave some added chaos, just forgo the call and achieve chaos elsewhere. No one else finds it hilarious; it is just plain annoying. Unless,

of course, it is one of those viral cases when a celebrity joins a meeting.

3. No ASMR Unless you are live streaming a Mukbang in front of your followers, please refrain from any sort of ASMR during the call. You are stuck at home and this call will last an hour. Do you really have to eat those carrots right now? It’s hard enough to hear with the bad connection. You crunching away into your microphone just makes the whole experience ten times worse.

4. Lights, CAMERA, Action Seeing as this is a video conference instead of an audio conference, you would expect that everyone has their camera on. I get it, you want to keep your bedroom private, and you have not exactly kept up your physical appearance. Still, at least have some decency, and show your face to affirm that you are participating.

5. Don’t be late (literally how is this possible?)

You would think that without needing to physically be anywhere, people will show up to a call on time. A few minutes late is forgivable, but nothing is more distracting than having someone pop up mid-conversation and demanding a recap. Nevermind that most calls only last an hour, so

at least show up for the entire event.

6. Stay on mute if you are not adding anything to the conversation This rule somewhat coincides with the ASMR rule, but to avoid the wrath of everyone else on the call, turn off your microphone unless you are going to speak. No one needs to hear you munching on chips, and you don’t want to hear the background noises of someone else’s house. Besides, don’t you owe your family some privacy?

Your parents’ arguments don’t exactly fit the topic of the meeting, so perhaps try to ensure that they’re not heard.

7. The green screen isn’t that funny If you are talking to your friends, go crazy: make your background your favourite BTS member or a nice summer meadow. However, during actual meetings, try to avoid being the centre of attention. It really is just distracting and not all that humourous.

8. Private means private, public means public Do you see that little chat button?

Great. Now, do you see how you can message someone privately or message everyone? Please be very careful. If you are too lazy to just use your phone to message your friend on the call, at least message them privately. It is a function

for a reason, so keep those messages between yourselves. It is great that you are using the chat instead of cluttering the call with too many voices, but you won’t want people to see those complaints you were messaging about the call.

9. Don’t flounder when met with silence If you are asking the group a question, and no one responds, just take that as a no and move on as quickly as possible. The most awkward thing that can happen in a call is total silence, so try your best to lead the group out of those situations. And, if the topic of conversation has come to an end, leading the group to just stare blankly at the screen, toss another idea into the circle. Hopefully, that grenade will explode the awkward tension.

10: Don’t you dare hide your fluffy pets away from the camera This is the most important rule. I do not care how many people say it is unprofessional. If your pet appears in the shot, or even in the room, you have to bring them up to the camera for everyone to regain some spirit. If this rule makes you contradict rule number one, go ahead. Nothing is more valuable than a fluffy little cat who wants to say hello to the camera.

LIFE IN QUARANTINE

Playgrounds sit empty and cordoned off with caution tape. | Photo by Emily Sakaguchi

HUMOUR & GAMES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 43 INTERNATIONAL

2020 is actually cursed Alternatively: “Wait until you get load of the murder hornets!”

- God, probably Hannah Argiloff Editor

D

ue to reasons that shall not be mentioned in a school publication, my memories of December 31st are slightly skewed.

What stands out vividly, however, is the moment I made a fatal mistake.

“Guys, 2020’s gonna be epic” I proclaim with certainty, before giggling and grabbing at the communal bowl of salt n’ vinegar chips. A chorus of agreement ensues, and spirits amongst all those stationed in the living room to watch the Times Square ball drop are high. Though I wasn’t with him to affirm it myself, I’m sure that the one guy who was upheaving the contents of his stomach into the snow outside would have agreed too, had he not been otherwise occupied.

In light of recent events, it seems that every higher power has conspired to ensure that my comment aged as gracefully as milk.

Enter January. Tensions rise between the US and Iran. Gen Z responds by producing meme after meme about recording Tik Tok dances in the trenches and performing Naruto Ninjutsu on the front lines in order to cope with the creeping inevitably of being drafted for

WWIII. Simultaneously, Australia is overwhelmed by bushfires. No memes are made, because the idea of crispyfried Koala bears is unanimously recognized to be too harrowing. Miffed at being outdone, the Taal Volcano erupts in the Philippines, claiming the lives of 39. Meanwhile, the WHO tracks the outbreak of an obscure virus in mainland China. No one’s all that concerned about a little cough, however. Days later, a helicopter crash in Calabasas takes the lives of all nine passengers onboard, including those of Kobe Bryant and 13 year old daughter Gianna.

This all occurs within the first 26 days of the new year.

After an ominous start, the optimists among us assure that “it’s always darkest before dawn,” and that an abysmal start can only predict improvement. I am naive enough to be among the ranks of this group.

In retrospect, it appears that maybe Dundas Square’s resident doomsayers, along with the man who tried to hand me a pamphlet about the robot apocalypse when I was ten, had ironically been the voice of reason all along.

Having evidently learned absolutely nothing from my escapades on New Year’s Eve, I declare to my friends that “2020 can’t possibly get any worse.”

What I failed to clarify at the time, however, was that said statement was

not meant to be taken as a challenge.

“Oh YEAH?” shouts the universe in response, having obviously missed the memo. “How about a pandemic, ugly.”

“No, please, that’s really not what I meant,” I rush to explain.

“How about economic collapse?”

“That’s really not-”

“What if I absolutely flattened a developed country?… I heard Italy’s nice this time of year.”

And suddenly, two weeks of quarantine becomes four,which becomes almost two months. Prom becomes a thing of fantasies, and so does basic social interaction, along with economic stability. For the unlucky, lung function joins the land of make believe too.

2020 is what 2012 wished it could be, and refuting such will be taken by the divine as a personal attack, resulting in an appropriate rebuttal of catastrophic proportions.

As we enter May, the spread of COVID-19 is slowing marginally, and certain regions are regaining gradual semblances of normal human life. I stupidly begin to hope that maybe, just maybe, Pestilence is beginning to tire of being the only of the four horsemen to pull his own weight, that whoever is playing a round of divine Plague Inc.™ with our world is beginning to grow bored, and that 2020

has begun to chill out just a little bit.

Well, surprise! As of a few days ago, there’s murder hornets. Spanning a grotesque 4-5 cm in length, the Asian Giant Hornet (aptly nicknamed “murder hornet”) has made it to Vancouver Island and parts of Washington. I initially refused to believe such news, as these ungodly little satan spawn beings of pure diabolical intent should not have the right to exist on this planet, and 6ixbuzz is not exactly what most would call a reliable source of news, but I’m both devastated and horrified to confirm that it’s no hoax.

Invading from Japan, “murder hornets,” as cited by Global News, have a stinger as long as the body of a standard honeybee, which is capable of piercing through regular clothing, along with beekeeper’s outfits.

They’ve also got a propensity for ripping the heads off of entire colonies of bees, and are even responsible for killing a few dozen humans annually.

Their sting, as described by one poor sap who had the misfortune of discovering a nest, is akin to “having red hot thumbtacks driven into the flesh,” and has been known to draw blood.

In my expert journalistic opinion, it seems our most apt plan of action going forward is to simply accept that 2020 is cursed and cry.

LIFE IN QUARANTINE

Flowers are left outside the window of a nursing home by a visitor. | Photo by Emily Sakaguchi

42 GRAFFITI | MAY 11, 2020 | HUMOUR & GAMES STUDENT LIFE

Sitting at Starbucks and whiskers on kittens, going to band class and warm woolen mittens, not feeling that life is an empty abyss...

These are a few of the things that I miss (a.k.a: a list of first world problems) Deena Shirkool Business Manager

I

t has been over two months in quarantine, and I am sure that all of us can name so many different parts of pre-quarantine life that we wish we could experience once more, or, perhaps, happily avoid. Maybe knowing that you don’t have to worry about that math test makes life a little easier. Or maybe you miss the loss of routine.

I suppose this is my way of mourning and rejoicing for the days that keep on coming.

Things that I miss

Okay, this first one might receive some backlash, but, I actually miss band practice. Sure, it would usually mean staying at school ‘til the sun went down, and joining the music with my growling stomach instead of my instrument. At the same time, however, there was a sense of community: all of us wanted to go home. Even if our instruments were not in tune, our thoughts were, and isn’t that the better option?

I assume that this second one is going to hit home for a lot of you; it is just being with your friends. Maybe it’s getting something to eat from one of the many stores near NT, or ruining your posture on the hard linoleum floors of the school at lunchtime. Either way, how do you go from seeing these people nearly every day to never overnight? I suppose video calls can be a temporary placeholder, but it just doesn’t give the same feeling of

Things that I don’t miss

satisfaction as sitting at Coco for so many hours that your ice has melted and you have bitten through the straw.

The last one is a bit more abstract and #deep, but I miss that sense of purpose you get with going to school. The day meant something important, even if its importance stemmed from a test during second period. I think we can all agree that routine kept us busy, and stopped our minds from turning into mush.

First of all, I have happily said goodbye to my greatest enemy: the stairs at NT. There is no more trudging up and down between class and trying to avoid getting smacked in the face by someone’s backpack. Farewell, stairway CC, with your overpopulated steps, you will not be missed.

And let us all appreciate the wonder that is not waking up before 9 AM. Have any of you woken up in fear, scrambling for your phone as if you were about to be late to first period? Let me tell you, the relief that fills you up when you realize that you can retreat back into your covers and hide away from the world almost makes up for everything I miss.

Finally, the dreaded TTC. There is a part of me that is glad that it is now socially acceptable to just walk everywhere instead of using the TTC. Just remembering the smell of

sweat and fast food wafting through the train during rush hour, or the cramped position which you hoped would stop you from toppling down on neighbouring passengers like a bowling ball, sends shivers down my spine.

If you are reading this, you might be thinking, these aren’t huge problems, and that it sounds like a whiny child who just found out they got 35 presents instead of 37 presents for their birthday. And really, I already know that. We as NT students are barely experiencing the worst of the pandemic. But, we are going to lose prom and bubble tea and Starbucks, and we are allowed to be upset. Still, however, look at what we have in our possession: the ability to still have food on our plates, and little true fear that the virus can hurt us personally. Yes, those video calls are not enough, but they are something, which is more than others can say.

LIFE IN QUARANTINE

The commons have never looked so quiet. | Photo by Emily Sakaguchi

Horoscope

HUMOUR & GAMES | MAY 11, 2020 | GRAFFITI 45

Emily Sakaguchi Editor in Chief Illustrations by Christina Kim Taurus (Apr 21 - May 21) At the gateway between winter and summer, the separation of the dream world and of reality is at its weakest. Make the most of these days to pursue your dreams, but do not be frightened when they begin to shift. It is a good time to reflect on the relationship between your own needs and the needs of others, preferably with a warm cup of tea.

Scorpio (Oct 24 - Nov 22) Take this time to strengthen your connections with others. Many surprises lie ahead, but you can prepare for them by seeking solace in trustworthiness and honour. The Eater of Sins will show you the path to drawing strength from your own failures. Remember to wash your feet.

Gemini (May 22 - Jun 21) Your understanding of what is established and immovable is about to change. As you begin to cleanse your heart of the detritus that weighs it down, try to appreciate idle time. The quietest hours are often the most challenging, but one’s enjoyment of busy, noisy hours is not half as sincere.

Listen to the winds.

Sagittarius (Nov 23 - Dec 21) You are welcomed in many homes, but the multitude of hearths available to warm your feet divides your soul. You will need to wander longer before you know where to rest. Beware the temptation to look over your shoulder at the road behind you. The future must be your guide.

Cancer (Jun 22 - Jul 23) When a solitary wolf howls in the night, the surrounding trees must also bow their heads, sharing in the wolf’s pain. Realize that their eyes look empathetically on you, even when you feel alone and misunderstood. Every flower, twig, and snail is your friend. Watch out for artificial light sources. The most insidious lies are the ones we tell ourselves as comfort.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 20) You may believe that your best course of action is to struggle to preserve that which you are holding onto. Instead, it is only in letting go that you will be able to keep what you treasure. Embrace creative destruction. Wildfires that cut away the weakest trees allow for the strongest forests. Water your plants well while you can so that they will survive both drought and frost.

Leo (Jul 24 - Aug 23) Now is the time for playfulness. Stay true to your word, but make time for lighthearted fun. If you take yourself too seriously, you risk overlooking the significance of outwardly unimportant moments. Only in looking back will you be able to uncover the answer to the questions you are currently asking. Now is the best time to attempt rising with the sun; it does not rise for you.

Aquarius (Jan 21 - Feb 19) Listen for the moments of silence between songs; appreciate the stillness at the heart of music. Calmness itself is what gives meaning to the power of the storm. You will find your path in keeping your ears tuned to the multitude of sounds in this universe, but you may lose more than you expect during your travels. You may even realize that you are lost. Do not worry. You cannot lose what you truly value because it is in your heart.

Virgo (Aug 24 - Sep 23) A great quest lies before you, but it will appear to you disguised in ordinary robes.

Sometimes, confronting the simplest of tasks makes for the greatest victories. You should neither underestimate the courage you already display in your gentlest movements, nor spend too long in self-congratulations.

Pisces (Feb 20 - Mar 20) Take a leap of faith. You will doubt yourself in the days to come. This is the most crucial time for respecting yourself as if you were the person you want to be, rather than the person you think you are. Neither your present self nor your ideal self is make-believe, yet they are both illusions.

The question you must ask yourself is not “who?” but, rather, “how?”

Libra (Sep 24 - Oct 23) The shadow in your soul has been seeking justice and a return to balance. Now is the time to realize that you must fashion it for yourself. Use these days to transform the negative into the positive; weapons intended to wound can be remade into tools for helping others. Listen when you find yourself in a disagreement.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 20) You may be having a difficult time expressing yourself. Though your words are tangled up in frustration, you will come to see the poetry of your actions, if only you are willing to look for it. You may also be surprised if you look out your own window.