Pourquoi les films de comédies romantiques n’ont plus le même goût ?
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), 27 Dresses (2008), Notting Hill (1999)... On est toute une génération à avoir grandi avec ces classiques des années 90 et 2000. Ces films ont révolutionné une époque: ils étaient réconfortants, naïfs et profondément mémorables. Pourtant, aujourd’hui, quand on lance une nouveauté sur Netflix, l’ambiance n’est plus du tout la même. La magie semble s’être perdue pour laisser passer à des récits rapidement oubliables. Qu’est-ce qui a changé dans la recette de ces représentations parfois irréalistes, mais pourtant très appréciées de la romance ?
Tout d’abord, l’ère numérique a totalement chamboulé la manière de représenter l’amour. Avant, on se croisait par hasard dans une librairie de quartier. Maintenant, les échanges se font à travers l’écran d’un téléphone. Le film Netflix People we meet on vacation (2026) a récemment fait parler de lui par son effet du retour de l’ère des comédies romantiques. Son aspect d’interaction physique à travers les voyages a rappelé le style d’intrigue des
années 2000. Pour donner un exemple totalement contraire, le film Anyone But You (2023) a été largement critiqué pour son histoire jugée sans âme et son manque d’alchimie entre les personnages principaux alors même qu’ils vivent également des interactions physiques. Une autre critique qui revient souvent est que les histoires manquent de réalisme : un accent sur l’humour trop forcé qui fait perdre son aspect naturel, une sensation d’adaptation faite pour le spectacle et la performance ou encore une impression que la vie des personnages commence et finit avec le film. Le tout avec une intrigue qui semble surjouée et irréelle.
On retrouve aussi des détails indéniables qu’on ne pourra simplement pas retrouver à nouveau. La qualité de l’image est un exemple majeur : le grain chaleureux de la pellicule 35mm a laissé place à une netteté numérique parfois un peu froide, presque “trop propre”. Cet aspect réaliste brise l’essence même d’une comédie romantique qui cherche à raconter des histoires presque fausses, mais c’est pour ça qu’on les aime. La qualité des décennies précédentes donnaient un air rêveur et réconfortant aux films avec une sorte d’étincelle qu’on ne revoit plus aujourd’hui.
Les années 90 et 2000 possédaient également de véritables icônes du genre. Des actrices comme Anne Hathaway, Meg Ryan ou Sandra Bullock, et des duos mythiques comme Julia Roberts et Richard Gere dans Pretty Woman (1990) et Runaway Bride (1999), incarnaient à eux seuls la comédie romantique. Leur simple présence attirait naturellement les spectateurs et créait une véritable attente. Aujourd’hui, de nombreux acteurs évitent les collaborations répétées ou les rôles trop marqués, par peur d’être enfermés dans un genre et de limiter leur carrière. Cette stratégie rend les films moins mémorables et empêche l’émergence de nouvelles figures emblématiques.
Le budget constitue également un facteur déterminant. Les films d’action et les franchises génèrent des revenus bien plus importants que les comédies romantiques, poussant l’industrie à investir davantage dans ces genres. C’est pourquoi la majorité des comédies romantiques se retrouvent désormais sur les plateformes de streaming, le public étant moins enclin à se déplacer au cinéma pour ce type de film qu’auparavant. Malgré quelques exceptions comme Materialists (2025), le genre peine à retrouver sa place sur grand écran.
Au fond, la recette d’une véritable comédie romantique se cache derrière une pincée de nostalgie. On se retrouve à romancer tout et n’importe quoi et c’est précisément ce qui nous touche. Et finalement tout est relatif : peutêtre que les générations Alpha seront, elles aussi, nostalgiques des comédies romantiques actuelles.
By Sirine Askri, Journaliste Française
photo:Canva
CAMPUS LIFE
EDITORIAL
PRO TEM
Editor In Chief/Éditrice en chef
Destiny Chan
Chief of operations/Cheffe des opérations
Flo Iyam Tierra
Layout Designer/Maquettiste
Cynthia Xie
Photographer/Photographe
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Section Editor/Rédactrice de sections:
Julia de Leon
Campus Life/Vie étudiant Arts & Entertainment/Arts & Divertissement
Bianca Anderson
Issues & Ideas/Actualité, Health & Wellness/Santé & bien-être, Metropolis/Métropole
English Editor/Rédactrice Anglaise
Amie Sosa
French Editor/Rédactrice Française
Leanne Eyre
English Journalist/Journaliste Anglais
Connell Simkin-Watt
French Journalist/Journaliste Française
Paige Lalonde
Letter From The Editor
Dearest Gentle Reader,
A new Pro Tem season has begun! And this author is pleased to declare that Pro Tem is back on the stands with me as your new Editor-in-Chief! I am most eager to assume the leadership of this paper and to see it rise to the finest expression of its potential! Thank you for gracing us with your readership, as we invite you to plunge into this tantalizing Valentine’s Edition of this paper, surely to entice even the most anti-love individuals.
Une nouvelle saison de Pro Tem a commencé ! Et l’auteur de cet article est heureux d’annoncer que Pro Tem est de retour en kiosque avec moi comme nouveau rédactrice-en-chef ! Je suis impatient de prendre la direction de ce journal et de le voir atteindre son plein potentiel ! Merci de nous honorer de votre lecture. Nous vous invitons à vous plonger dans cette édition spéciale Saint-Valentin alléchante, qui séduira à coup sûr même les plus réfractaires à l’amour.
This issue brings nothing short of a scandal, bringing hot takes on all things love from romantic comedies, romance on campus, interracial marriages, and women in music, tired of it all. For those eager to forget all about the dreaded V-Day, I’d wager you would be interested in reading about ways to combat exam stress, Glendon Dinner events, Caribbean festivals celebrating Black History and more!
Ce numéro est tout simplement scandaleux, avec des articles passionnés sur tout ce qui touche à l’amour, des comédies romantiques aux amour sur le campus, en passant par les mariages interraciaux et les femmes dans la musique, lassées de tout cela. Pour ceux qui souhaitent oublier cette redoutable Saint-Valentin, je parie que vous serez intéressés par des articles sur les moyens de lutter contre le stress des examens, les dîners organisés à Glendon, les festivals caribéens célébrant l’histoire des Noirs, et bien plus encore !
Dive into our poems to get in your feels, or relive that tragic Blue Jays loss to shed a tear or two. All’s fair in love and war, and every ending brings a new beginning—very apt for this new start to Pro Tem! The biggest thank you to the team for rallying together for this issue and to YOU, the readers, who make it all possible.
Plongez-vous dans nos poèmes pour vous laisser envahir par vos émotions, ou revivez la défaite tragique des Blue Jays pour verser une larme ou deux. Tout est permis en amour et à la guerre, et chaque fin apporte un nouveau départ, ce qui convient parfaitement à ce nouveau départ de Pro Tem ! Un grand merci à l’équipe qui s’est mobilisée pour ce numéro et à VOUS, les lecteurs, qui rendez tout cela possible.
“A whisper is relevant for only as long as it is spoken, but a paper represents more. Its physical form grants permanence” (Bridgerton Season 2 Episode 6).
Avec amour,
Destiny Chan Rédactrice-en-chef
DISCLAIMER!
Pro Tem is a unified organization that accepts and publishes articles from students, alumni, and community members. While we edit submissions for grammar and clarity, we stay true to each author’s voice and message.As an organization, we don’t endorse every viewpoint expressed; our goal is to amplify a wide range of perspectives within our community. For those interested in viewing an article in its original, unedited form, please contact our Editor-in-Chief at editor@protemglendon.com.
Bilingual Journalist/Journaliste bilingue
Geneviève Stacey
Avis de non-responsabilité!
Pro Tem est une organisation unifiée qui accepte et publie des articles provenant des étudiants, des anciens élèves et des membres de la communauté. Bien que nous corrigeons les soumissions pour la grammaire et la clarté, nous restons fidèles à la voix et au message de chaque auteur. En tant qu’organisation, nous n’endossons pas nécessairement chaque point de vue exprimé; notre objectif est d’amplifier une diversité de perspectives au sein de notre communauté. Pour ceux qui souhaitent consulter un article dans sa version originale, non éditée, veuillez contacter notre rédacteur en chef à editor@protemglendon.com.
Editor In Chief: editor@protemglendon.com
Editor In Chief: editor@protemglendon.com
Chief of Operations: operations@protemglendon.com Photographer: photography@protemglendon.com
Chief of Operations: operations@protemglendon.com
Sirine Askri
Gabriella Maitland
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Crushing Weight of Defeat: A Farewell
By Nicholas Malcolm, Contributor
to an Amazing Season
Imagine tens of thousands of devoted fans frozen in stunned silence, watching confetti fall, and celebrations erupt for someone else, as the Toronto Blue Jays came painfully close to making history. The moment was heavy with what could have been. Just one year earlier, the idea of the Blue Jays reaching the World Series was not just unlikely, it was almost laughable, a distant dream few dared to believe in.
The 2024 season for the Blue Jays had been truly disappointing, to say the least. The team finished last in the AL East and had its first losing season since 2019. It had been a rough few years for baseball in Toronto, and this season felt like a new and unfamiliar version of rock bottom. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Jays suffered heartbreaking and frankly humiliating losses to both Seattle and Minnesota. To me, there were doubts about whether Toronto would ever replicate their previous years’ playoff success, such as their ALCS runs in 2015 and 2016 or even their days of real championship glory in 1992 and 1993. It also didn’t help that the Jays had their fair share of well-publicized off-the-field drama.
In December of 2023, the team lost out on one of baseball’s greatest superstars, Shohei Ohtani. Toronto fans genuinely believed that Ohtani was on a flight to Toronto to announce his decision to sign with the team. However, he was not on the plane. The next day, Ohtani signed with the LA Dodgers. This was another blow to Toronto and its fans, leaving us with little hope for the following seasons. Following their playoff absence in 2024, the Jays had to go back to the drawing board. The team began by acquiring new players, including some young stars and seasoned veterans. These players included the likes of Andreas Gimenez, Max Scherzer, Jeff Hoffman, and many more. Shortly after the season started, the Jays also re-signed superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr to a historic 14year, $500 million contract, giving him the most expensive contract in Canadian sports history. The Jays were focused on several key aspects of baseball, including upgrading their run scoring, strengthening their bullpen, improving their infield defence, and creating a sense of depth within their lineup.
Despite these additions, I was still expecting another 2024, a year where the Jays would miss the playoffs and end up back to where they started. It seems those in the sports world agreed with me. “Experts” at CBS Sports all predicted that the Blue Jays would either finish last or second last in the AL East.
With heavy expectations set on the team, the Blue Jays officially kicked off their season on March 27th, 2025. The team excelled during the regular season, and it is safe to say that they proved a lot of baseball fans wrong. The Jays finished the regular season with a record of 94-68 and ended with a 1st place finish in the AL East. The team had defied and exceeded expectations. Known stars such as George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and Alejandro Kirk had great seasons. However, it was the up-and-coming stars that were able to shine when it mattered most. The Jays clinched their spot in the playoffs on September 21st and later fought hard for a 1st place position, receiving an automatic spot in the divisional round.
Even though they had just completed a dominant regular season, the Jays were once again being doubted. In the divisional series (ALDS) against the New York Yankees, both the MLB website and CBS Sports had the Yankees winning, with CBS having all five of their “experts” picking the Yankees over the Jays. Once again, they were proven wrong. The Jays made quick work of the Yankees, beating them in four games. The team scored over 34 runs and dominated defensively with solid outings from pitchers like Kevin Gausman and Jeff Hoffman. Without a doubt, the most remarkable pitcher from this series was Jays rookie Trey Yesavage. When he pitched in Game 2, Yesavage had 11 strikeouts and didn’t allow a hit in 5 ½ innings, setting a Blue Jays postseason record for the most strikeouts in a single playoff game. I had the pleasure of attending this game, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. The feeling of Jay’s fans being truly united once again was something special to witness. Yesavage blossomed under the pressure and was a remarkable highlight not just against the Yankees but throughout the postseason as a whole. Other key players included Kirk and Guerrero Jr., who shone against Yankees pitching.
In the ALCS, the Jays faced another challenge against the Seattle Mariners, a team just as hungry to win as them. Seattle is the only MLB franchise that has never made it to the World Series, making this a massive moment for the team and their fans. Seattle started the series up 2-0, the Jays bounced back and ended up forcing the series to 7 games. In Game 7, the team had a slow start. The Jays gave up three runs against Seattle while only being able to score one. This was until the seventh inning, when George Springer came to the plate. Springer hit a 381-foot home run to left field, giving the Jays a 4-3 lead. They would eventually hold on to this lead, winning the game and sending them to their first World Series in over 30 years. Springer’s home run is one of the most clutch hits in Blue Jays history, and it is safe to say that he is permanently etched in not just Blue Jays history but in MLB history as a whole.
So, the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays, a team that was expected to finish last, not make the playoffs and not beat the Yankees, were suddenly on their way to the World Series. This series would be their most difficult challenge yet. The Jays faced the LA Dodgers in a seven-game series and were up against, you guessed it, Shohei Ohtani. This series went back and forth constantly, with the Jays winning games 1, 4, and 5. One game that easily stood out was Game 3, an 18-inning game being the second-longest running game in MLB postseason history. Once again, the series went to seven. The game started well, with a three-run home run from Bo Bichette, a star who had been injured for the majority of the playoffs. When this home run was hit, I thought it was over. I believed that the momentum had shifted in favour of the Jays and that they would finish the series, but this was not the case. Despite multiple efforts to close out the game, the Jays could not hold on. The game ended in the 11th inning with the Los Angeles Dodgers as World Series champions. I happened to be downtown at the time of the game, ready to celebrate a Jays win, but instead, I saw countless emotional fans left disappointed and heartbroken by the outcome they had just witnessed.
The truth is, this loss still does not sit well with me. The fact that the team was that close to winning it all against the defending champions still hurts. The Jays fought hard right till the final inning and made a team like the Dodgers look much more mediocre than they actually are. I give all respect to LA. They are an incredible team and showed up when it mattered most. They dominated in the playoffs and were absolutely good enough to win it all. As much as it pains me to say, the Dodgers deserved their win. However, they are still a hard team to root for. The Dodgers have the highest payroll in the MLB and a team full of future members of the Hall of Fame. That’s not to say that the Jays are not an expensive team, but this year’s Blue Jays team was not built on money. This was a team built on development, grit, and key players showing up when it mattered most.
A new record that was set this year was the most hits in a single MLB postseason, a record accomplished by Ernie Clement. This was a guy who was drafted in the fourth round and was cut by the Oakland Athletics in 2022. A true underdog that was one of the most clutch players in this run. Players like Addison Barger, who was drafted in the sixth round, Nathan Lukes, who spent almost 10 years in the minors and obviously Trey Yesavage, a player who started the year in Single-A and was now pitching on the biggest stage in the world. Toronto was built on an underdog mentality with players who had faced plenty of adversity in their careers. These players, who had never even competed in the playoffs, showed up when it mattered most. The chemistry of this team was also incredibly strong; they were a team that elevated each other and moved as one cohesive group. This team loved playing together, and we saw it in their success. Ernie Clement put it perfectly in his post-game interview, saying, “The only thing I can think of right now is spending this last night with all the boys. I’m just going to miss them in the off-season. I couldn’t wait to come to the field every day and just hang with everybody. I’ve been crying for probably an hour. I thought I was done with the tears, but I just love these guys so much. It was just so much fun coming to work every day and battling with these guys. We have so much to be proud of, even if it didn’t go our way.”
It is normal to be disappointed in the outcome of this series, but now that a month has passed, I believe it is important to highlight what an incredible season this was. A team built by underdogs that played with a passion and connection that I believe has rarely, if ever, been seen before in team history. We should be proud of this team and give them credit for uniting a whole country behind them. I’m excited for the future of this team, and I think the results next year could be even better than what we saw this year.
photo: Nicholas Malcolm
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Lovesick: When Women in Music Are Tired of Being Loved
By Amie Sosa, English Editor
Love has always been central to pop music, but lately, something has shifted. Where women singers were once expected to romanticize devotion, sacrifice, and emotional availability, many are now writing from a place of exhaustion. Not heartbreak in the traditional sense, but fatigue from being consumed, used, idealized, and misunderstood. This is not love lost. This is love overdone.
Across genres, women artists are articulating a shared frustration: the expectation to be endlessly loving, endlessly patient, endlessly available, endlessly working. Love given to women, as it is portrayed in the media, often comes with fine print. Be desirable but not demanding. Be nurturing but not needy. Be devoted but not human. The result is a generation of songs that sound less like love letters and more like exit interviews.
One striking pattern in recent music is how often women question the terms of love itself. There are lyrics that ask whether affection is freely given or simply taken, whether intimacy is mutual or assumed. One popular song, “use me!!!!!!” by Olga Myko, frames love as an “open invitation,” questioning whether kindness and care are being mistaken for consent. She is not confused about love; she is angry that it has been misused and taken for granted.
This anger is not loud in the way rage is often portrayed. It is controlled, lyrical, and cutting. It shows up in songs where women name the emotional labour they are expected to perform without recognition. The song “Labour,” by Paris Paloma, for example, turns domestic and emotional work into something suffocating, almost historical, tying modern relationships to long-standing gendered expectations. Love, in this context, becomes work; unpaid, invisible, never finished and tiring
Face à ce contexte, les réactions diffèrent. Tandis qu’une partie du public salue le courage de l’artiste qui utilise sa visibilité pour défendre les communautés marginalisées, d’autres dénoncent une politisation excessive du divertissement. Les alliés Trumpistes ont ainsi tenté de répondre par un contre-Super Bowl conservateur, révélant moins une opposition à Bad Bunny qu’une peur plus large : celle de perdre le monopole culturel américain. Il devient donc un symbole d’une Amérique où les minorités ne demandent plus la permission d’exister.
Dès lors, une véritable question se pose: le problème, est-ce Bad Bunny ou ce qu’il représente ? À travers son succès, quelles nouvelles normes imposet-il à l’industrie musicale mondiale, et jusqu’où cette transformation culturelle est-elle prête à aller ? Face à cette remise en question, l’industrie musicale doit donc repenser ses hiérarchies, ses langues de légitimité ainsi que la place des communautés minoritaires.
What makes this cultural moment significant is that these artists are not rejecting love altogether. They are rejecting a version of love that demands self-erasure. The songs are not anti-romance; they are anti-exploitation. They question why love so often requires women to shrink, soften, or silence themselves to be considered worthy.
The media plays a large role in reinforcing these expectations. Women artists are frequently marketed through narratives of desirability and relatability, their personal relationships dissected as part of their brand. When they sing about love, it is often assumed to be autobiographical, inviting public ownership over their emotions. This creates a cycle where women are expected not only to experience love deeply but to perform it publicly, gracefully, endlessly, and without complaint.
What these newer songs do instead is reclaim authorship. They allow women to be tired, bitter, sarcastic, or detached without framing those emotions as failure. Being “lovesick” no longer means longing or yearning; it means being nauseated by the same patterns repeating themselves. It means recognizing that love, when uneven, can be corrosive rather than fulfilling.
This shift also resonates strongly with listeners, particularly young women, who see their own experiences reflected back at them. Many recognize the feeling of giving too much, of being praised for selflessness while quietly burning out. Hearing these realities named in music offers both validation and language; a way to articulate discomfort that might otherwise feel personal or shameful.
In this sense, lovesickness is not weakness. It is awareness. It is the moment when love stops feeling romantic and starts feeling transactional, when women begin asking what they are receiving in return for all they are asked to give. If love is changing in music, it is because women are changing how they speak about it. They are no longer content to be muses, sirens, or metaphors. They are narrators of their own limits. In doing so, they are redefining love not as endurance, but as equity.
Quand l’identité dérange : le phénomène Bad Bunny
Par Sirine Askri, Journaliste Française
Victoire au Grammy Awards 2026 représentant une première pour un album entièrement en espagnol, performance à la mi-temps du Superbowl 2026 qui fait enflammer les débats : Bad Bunny enchaîne les accomplissements symboliques alors même qu’il boycotte les États-Unis pour sa tournée. L’artiste profite de son succès pour faire passer ses messages politiques déclarant « Dehors, ICE ! » (« ICE out ! ») suite à sa victoire aux Grammy Awards. Dans un contexte de climat fragile pour les immigrés du pays, le chanteur porto ricain s’impose alors comme une figure de résistance.
Mais en réalité, qu’est-ce que “Benito” a fait de mal ? Sa simple existence semble déranger: un artiste latino, profondément porto ricain, qui refuse de lisser son identité pour la rendre acceptable. Bad Bunny ne revendique pourtant aucun statut de militant, il ne mène d’ailleurs aucune campagne politique. Il chante sa langue, son île, sa colère, et surtout sa liberté d’expression. Son album, “Debí tirar más fotos”, est salué pour son côté nostalgique qui a su rassembler des auditeurs du monde entier autour de leurs propres racines. À travers des images simples et universelles, comme celle des chaises blanches en plastique figurant sur la pochette de l’album que l’on retrouve dans les foyers et rassemblements familiaux, il réunit une mémoire collective partagée par de nombreuses diasporas, permettant à chacun de se reconnecter à son pays d’origine, son enfance où ses racines à une échelle inter-culturelle rarement atteignable dans l’industrie musicale dominante.
La réussite de cet album lui permet par ailleurs de faire partie, pour la quatrième fois, du top artiste mondial sur Spotify, confirmant son influence planétaire. Au-delà des paroles, le style musical de Bad Bunny est en lui-même profondément politique. Le reggaeton, souvent marginalisé, représente une forme de résistance à Porto Rico utilisé comme véhicule d’expression de la frustration des inégalités raciales et les impacts de la colonisation et de l’impérialisme. Le fait qu’une star d’une telle envergure mette en lumière ce genre musicale accentue la crainte ressentie par les élites occidentales face à une culture populaire qui échappe à leur contrôle. Dans son ensemble, ce succès a été accompli sans même se plier aux codes linguistiques ou culturels dominants, et l’artiste refuse de s’en excuser. L’industrie culturelle se sent donc menacée face à l’émergence d’une culture américaine non centrée sur une identité blanche, anglophone et politiquement neutre.
photo:canva
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Recession Pop
Par Paige Lalonde, Journaliste Française
C’est la chaleur torride de l’été. À travers les haut-parleurs de l’épicerie, alors que vous regardez les prix effroyablement élevés des légumes importés, vous entendez le son étouffé de la dernière chanson pop de Kesha. Bien que votre portefeuille vous fasse mal, vous ne pouvez pas vous empêcher de danser sur la chanson électropop contagieuse, vous suppliant d’oublier vos soucis pour l’attrait de la piste de danse indifférente.
C’est la récession, et ce n’est pas 2009. Nous sommes en 2025, l’économie s’effondre, les mélodies de danse de Lady Gaga passent à la radio et une nouvelle génération de jeunes d’une vingtaine d’années réconforte ses peurs financières en s’évadant musicalement.
Recession Pop se caractérise par une pop dansante lourde en synthés avec des BPMs élevés et une plus grande concentration sur des refrains accrocheurs que sur des paroles trop complexes. Les airs sont tout sauf évocateurs d’émotion. Pour les jeunes adultes des années 2020, les chansons de la fin des années 2000 et du début des années 2010 sont l’élément vital de nos jeunes, façonnant notre culture et notre goût pour l’art. La théorie de son succès est que ces chansons dominaient la scène de la fête pour les jeunes à une époque où le plaisir bon marché était une nécessité pour la survie spirituelle; sans des airs de danse funs, la crise économique dans laquelle les jeunes adultes tentaient d’établir leur indépendance financière aurait été écrasante.
Par exemple, pensez à Animal de Kesha avec des succès comme TiK ToK, Blow et Your Love Is My Drug. Les LPs The Fame Monster et Born This Way de Lady Gaga. Pensez à Taio Cruz, Boom Boom Pow des Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears. Collaborations de Rihanna avec David Guetta. Pink Friday et Roman Reloaded de Nicki. Usher, Pitbull, Ludacris.
Mais il n’y a pas que les vieux qui font leur retour. Les listes de chansons « Recession pop » abondent en ligne, et parmi les classiques, vous trouverez une tonne de nouveaux tubes. La sortie de Lady Gaga en 2025, Mayhem, joue sur l’esthétique audio de ses premiers albums – grungy, bruyante, dansante et sans cesse accrocheuse. « Abracadabra » a été en tête des charts tout l’été, et la tournée qui l’accompagnait a mélangé de nouveaux morceaux avec d’anciens succès comme Judas et Paparazzi. Charli XCX, qui est elle-même une diva du début des années 2010, a sorti l’année dernière, son album le plus réussi commercialement à ce jour, BRAT, et ses chansons de club n’ont pas quitté l’air du temps culturel depuis. Sorte de protégée de Charli, Addison Rae a sorti son premier album éponyme cette année, et il est plein de sons glitchy et synthétiques. Money is Everything présente des paroles avec des supplications au DJ pour jouer Lana et des références à la défonce avec Gaga.
Fancy That de PinkPantheress donne l’impression qu’il supplie des lumières clignotantes et des pistes de danse en sueur. Something To Give Each Other de Troye Sivan domine les vendredis soirs dans les clubs gays depuis plus d’un an. 5 Seconds of Summer, qui a sorti il y a seulement trois ans un album lyrique et pensif de 19 titres, fait la promotion d’un album qui ressemble à un croisement entre Gorillaz et NSYNC*. Shygirl a séduit le public lors de la tournée SWEAT avec ses rythmes fluides mais hype. Et la « dernière chanson » de Kesha, JOYRIDE, avec son rythme d’ouverture digne d’un cirque et son refrain fouettant, est son titre le plus classé en près d’une décennie. Par rapport à la mélancolie poétique de la pandémie (Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, folklore), il s’agit certainement d’un changement.
Pourquoi, alors, l’électropop fait-elle un retour si difficile?
En ce qui concerne l’opinion publique, il semble que cela ait à voir avec la précarité économique de notre époque actuelle. Le marché du travail de la génération Z est catastrophique et ne promet pas de s’améliorer dans un avenir proche. Les tarifs douaniers ont créé une catastrophe de prix astronomiques sur les biens de consommation courante. Le marché locatif, bien qu’il soit censé être dans un bref moment de répit (quoi que cela signifie), empêche les professionnels en activité de vivre seuls sans un nombre déraisonnable de colocataires. Les prix des restaurants sont fous. Les billets de cinéma coûtent environ 20 $ maintenant. Les billets de concert sont trois fois plus élevés qu’ils ne l’étaient avant la pandémie. L’achat d’un billet d’avion vous garantit à peine une place, et encore moins de la place pour un sac. Bars à cocktails, abonnements à une salle de sport, représentations théâtrales, jeux vidéo, livres, fournitures d’artisanat, tout, tout, tout est trop cher. Que reste-t-il encore à faire pour s’amuser?
Danser pour disparaître vos problèmes.
Les paroles sur le fait d’aller au club, club, club, club sur des rythmes insatiables sont vraiment toutes les catharsis que nous avons en ce moment. De la même manière que les milléniaux ont appris pendant la récession de 2008 qu’ils ne pourraient jamais acheter une maison et qu’ils avaient besoin d’évacuer leurs angoisses en s’amusant sans entrave et en désordre, les jeunes adultes de 2025 ont besoin d’un exutoire similaire. Rien n’efface vos problèmes comme de vous perdre dans un battement. Mais, s’il y a quelque chose qui est différent dans cette vague de Recession Pop, c’est sa sincérité émotionnelle. Au-delà de la dansabilité fulgurante des succès d’aujourd’hui, il y a une crudité et une honnêteté dans leurs paroles. Pensez, par exemple, à Sympathy Is A Knife, One of Your Girls, Fame is a Gun, Perfect Celebrity, Nice to Know You et mr useless. Je pense que c’est l’évolution actuelle de l’engouement pour la dancepop; la combinaison de paroles réfléchies provoquées par l’agonie induite par la pandémie et de synthés funky rendus nécessaires par une récession.
Quelle que soit la raison, les pop stars d’aujourd’hui aideront certainement une génération de jeunes à traverser l’une des périodes les plus précaires financièrement de l’histoire.
VIE ÉTUDIANTE
Dîner avec les anciens élèves de Glendon/Dinner with Glendon Alumni
Par Destiny Chan, Éditrice en chef
Le jeudi 29 janvier, le Bureau des affaires étudiantes de Glendon a organisé son premier dîner annuel avec les anciens élèves de Glendon ! La soirée s’est déroulée de 18 h à 20 h dans la salle YH A304, en présence de deux anciennes élèves ayant connu le succès, qui ont partagé leurs expériences après l’obtention de leur diplôme, leur recherche d’emploi et leur entrée sur le marché du travail.
On Thursday, January 29th, the Glendon Office of Student Affairs hosted the first annual Dinner with Glendon Alumni! The evening event ran from 6 pm to 8 pm in YH A304 with two successful alumni in attendance to share their experiences post-grad, job hunting, and in the workforce.
Cet événement était bilingue, les questions étant posées en anglais et en français, et les panélistes maîtrisant les deux langues. Elles ont souligné que le bilinguisme constituait un énorme avantage sur le marché du travail canadien. L’employée de RBC a insisté sur le fait qu’elle était la seule de son équipe à parler français et qu’elle s’occupait donc de toutes les tâches qui devaient être effectuées en français, ce qui faisait d’elle un élément essentiel de l’équipe.
This event was bilingual, with questions asked in both English and French, and panellists being skilled in both languages. They emphasized that being bilingual is a huge advantage in Canada’s workforce. The one who works at RBC emphasized how she is the only one on her team who speaks French, and so she handles all the tasks that are required in French, making her a vital part of the team.
Voici quelques conseils que j’ai
La plupart des étudiants participants, environ 20 d’entre nous, ont posé des questions avec enthousiasme sur de nombreux sujets, notamment comment tirer le meilleur parti de notre temps et de nos ressources à Glendon, quels étaient leurs projets d’avenir, comment elles avaient obtenu leur poste actuel, etc. Parmi les étudiants de première année à ceux de dernière année, l’excitation, mais aussi l’anxiété, lorsqu’ils parlaient de l’avenir, étaient palpables. Beaucoup étaient également curieux d’en savoir plus sur le travail et les études à l’étranger, comme l’une des anciennes élèves qui a obtenu un double diplôme et a passé un an et demi en France, une expérience enrichissante qui a changé sa vie.
Many of the student participants, around 20 of us, eagerly posed questions on everything from how to make the most of our time and resources at Glendon, what their future plans were, how they got their current positions, etc. From first-year students to students in their last year, the excitement, but also anxiety, when talking about the future, was palpable. Many were also curious about working and studying internationally, like how one of the alumni did a dual degree and spent one and a half years in France—a rewarding and life-changing experience.
- Profitez de l’aide à la rédaction de CV et des services d’orientation professionnelle du Centre de carrière de Glendon pendant que vous le pouvez.
- Essayez d’interagir et d’élargir votre cercle à Glendon en étant plus sociable avec vos camarades de classe
- Soyez avide d’apprendre et cu� rieux sur votre lieu de travail
Some takeaways I received were…
• Use the Glendon Career Centre resume help and career counselling while you can.
• Try to interact and expand your bubble at Glendon by being more social with classmates.
• Be eager to learn and curious in the workplace.
• Try applying directly to the organization’s website that you would like to work at.
• Try not to talk too much in the interview, as you should be concise and answer the questions directly. Talking too much would imply nervousness as well.
• Make the resume exactly what the job description is.
• When they ask what your salary expectations are, ask what their range for the role is.
• Start applying to jobs 4-5 months before graduating if you would like one or need one (because of your visa), right after graduating.
• Be prepared.
Après la discussion, les étudiants et les anciens élèves ont pu se mêler et discuter autour de wraps au bœuf sharma, au poulet et au falafel, accompagnés de jus d’orange, de baklava et de cheesecake. Une pause agréable après les pizzas sans fin des événements de groupe et des clubs !
After the discussion, students and alumni were able to mingle and chat over sharma beef, chicken, and falafel wraps with orange juice, baklava and cheesecake on the side. A pleasant respite from the never-ending pizza at group and club events!
photo:Glendon
By Amie Sosa, English Editor
CAMPUS LIFE
Love, Actually: Redefining Valentine’s Day Beyond Romance on Campus
Valentine’s Day often arrives on campus wrapped in pink, heart-shaped club posts, red dress-coded events, and an unspoken assumption that love must be romantic to be valid. Hallways fill with the scent of roses, cookies, and chocolate galore. Instagram feeds turn red and pink overnight. For many students, February 14th becomes either a day of celebration or quiet disappointment. But what if Valentine’s Day could mean something broader, something more honest about how love actually shows up in student life?
University life is full of relationships that rarely appear in Valentine’s Day conversations. There is the friend who walks you home after a late-night study session, the classmate who shares notes when you miss a lecture, the roommate who knows exactly when to offer silence instead of advice. These are forms of love that sustain students daily, yet they often go unacknowledged because they do not fit the traditional romantic narrative.
On campus, love often looks practical. It is someone saving you a seat in a crowded lecture hall. It is a study group that becomes a support system during the midterm season. It is calling home after a long day, even when you are too tired to talk, just to hear a familiar voice. These small gestures build a sense of belonging that is just as meaningful as romantic displays, sometimes even more so.
Valentine’s Day can also highlight feelings of isolation, especially for students who are single, far from home, or navigating personal challenges. Social media tends to showcase highlight reels of couples and grand gestures, creating the illusion that everyone else is experiencing love in its most polished form. In reality, many students spend February 14th attending classes, working shifts, or studying for exams, just like any other day.
Redefining Valentine’s Day does not mean rejecting romance. Romantic love can be beautiful and worth celebrating. But it should not be the only version of love we acknowledge. When we expand our definition, Valentine’s Day becomes less about comparison and more about appreciation. It becomes an opportunity to thank the people who make campus life feel less overwhelming and more human.
Some students are choosing to celebrate “Galentine’s” or “Palentine’s” Day, hosting dinners with friends or exchanging handwritten notes instead of expensive gifts. Others treat the day as a moment for self-care, recognizing that loving oneself is not selfish but necessary. In an environment where productivity often takes priority over well-being, choosing rest and reflection can be a radical act of self-love.
Universities are communities built on relationships, both visible and unseen. Professors who encourage struggling students, staff who remember names, and student leaders who create inclusive spaces all contribute to an environment shaped by care. Valentine’s Day offers a reminder that love exists in these interactions too.
Perhaps the most meaningful way to approach Valentine’s Day on campus is with intention. Instead of asking who you are celebrating with, we might ask how we are showing love through kindness, patience, and empathy. In doing so, Valentine’s Day becomes less about roses and more about relationships that last far beyond February 14th.
I’m So Full of Love, I Can Barely Eat
By Amie Sosa, English Editor
February 3
Dear Diary, I have always been a lover girl.
This is not something I chose; it is something I notice. The same way you notice a bruise you don’t really remember getting. I love deeply, reflexively, sometimes, actually most times, irresponsibly. I love people before they ask to be loved. I love them in advance, just in case.
Today I realized that love sits in my stomach before it ever reaches my heart. It’s a fullness, a heaviness. Like I’ve eaten too much of something warm and familiar. The kind of fullness that makes you push the plate away and say, I can’t have another bite, even though you want to. Like chocolate cake.
February 7
Dear Diary, I give love easily. I give it in long messages, in remembering small details, in staying longer than I should. In giving the benefit of the doubt, in forgiveness, in effort that no one asked for. Loving others feels natural and instinctive. It feels like breathing. Loving myself feels like learning a language I should already know.
I am good at seeing potential in other people. I am good at holding space for their growth, their mistakes, their softness and their hardness. I am patient when they are complicated. I am kind when they are distant. I am generous when they are unsure. I wonder why I don’t offer myself the same grace.
February 10
Dear Diary, being a lover girl is often framed as naïve, ditzy or embarrassing, but it doesn’t feel small to me. It feels deep and vast like an ocean. It feels like walking around with open hands, constantly giving, constantly reaching. It is beautiful, but it is also exhausting. Some days I feel so full of love that I don’t know where to put it anymore. It spills into places it doesn’t belong. It stays where it isn’t returned. It settles in my body and makes it hard to rest.
I don’t think loving deeply is the problem. I think the problem is loving outward without learning how to turn it inward.
February 14
Dear Diary, Valentine’s Day makes everything louder. The love, the absence, the comparisons. It asks who you are loving and whether they love you back. It doesn’t often ask whether you feel safe in your own care.
I buy gifts for people easily. I write notes without hesitation. But when it comes to myself, I hesitate. I minimize. I wait for permission. Why is it easier to nourish others than to feed myself?
February 16
Dear Diary, I am trying to be better. Not colder, not less loving, not distant, just more balanced. I am trying to believe that love is not something I have to earn by overextending myself. That I am allowed to receive the same warmth I give so freely.
I am learning that self-love does not have to be loud or performative. Sometimes it is quiet. Sometimes it looks like boundaries. Sometimes it looks like rest. Sometimes it looks like choosing not to give when giving would cost too much.
February 20
Dear Diary, I am still a lover girl. I don’t want to stop being one. I just want to include myself in the circle of people I love. I am so full of love, I can barely eat. But I’m learning how to feed myself anyway.
Yum
By Amie Sosa, English Editor
I want to hold you in my stomach because it is the only place that knows how to hold things until they stop being separate.
My mouth thinks too much. My hands hesitate. But my body understands instruction: take this, hold it, don’t let it go.
I imagine swallowing you without chewing not out of mercy, but impatience.
I don’t want to savour you. I want to secure you.
There is acid working constantly.
It breaks down what it’s given until escape is impossible. That is true devotion. That is true trust.
I don’t want you preserved. I want you processed. Reduced to something essential, something I can’t live without without knowing where you end and I begin.
If I keep you there long enough, you’ll become instinct. Hunger. The dull ache that tells me when to stop, when I’ve had too much of everything else.
People warn me about love like this. They say it’s violent, that it mistakes possession for care. that makes mistake
They don’t understand the relief of knowing where you are at all times.
I would lie very still, hands over my abdomen, listening for proof. For movement. For weight.
I would let the world starve me as long as you stayed.
There would be nothing left of you that could leave me.
I love you.
Jules and Verde
By Anonymous
were told to dress in all black and wore a unique hat to be made of so much Meisse
words to describe the sound of airplanes
By Anonymous
my fingerprints show creases carved out by ages knife worms on my fingers, birds of feathered snow beneath my skin the song repeats itself the same way over, but below, and under
lover I’m over this, world to lonesome imagine, I am this way for a reason
I am this way because I told the truth too many times and someone finally said “yes, you’re right”
When all my poems start with “I” can I move you can I get to you, without yelling at myself from myself, to the source of all the problems I want a heart so a heart can beat, next to mine
I want a love so the love, can be all mine
With the sky empty, invertebrates of emotions guttural energy of life and destruction, to my fingernails of divine complexion, I cut them off everyday and they still grow back longer each time The same words usher out of my mouth
a gold tooth, an instrument of mine
play me a melody she says, “of words that aren’t yours for once,” and then a billion other words came and they spoke more loudly than mine it’s such a shame, to really be so alone; to forget the voice of the forest spirit, and the ancestors to the blue blood moon, so night falls and here to witness this first glance at life,
I sit here, crossing out words, like over and under, beneath and again
SANTÉ & BIEN-ÊTRE
Bouchées de gâteau au pain d’épices
Par Geneviève Stacey, Journaliste bilingue
Ingrédients :
Pour les bouchées de gâteau :
• ½ tasse de beurre ou de margarine fondue
• ½ tasse de cassonade
• 1 tasse de farine
• 1 cuillère à thé de levure chimique
• 1 cuillère à thé de cannelle moulue
• 1 cuillère à thé de muscade
• ½ cuillère à thé de sel de mer
• ¼ tasse de mélasse
• ¼ tasse d’eau
• ¼ tasse de compote de pommes
• 1 cuillère à soupe de pâte de gingembre (ou, si ce n’est pas possible, de gingembre râpé)
• 2 cuillères à soupe de gingembre confit, haché
Pour le sucre à la cannelle :
• ½ tasse de sucre
• 1 cuillère à soupe de cannelle
Instructions :
- Si vous allez couvrir les bouchées de gâteau avec du sucre à la cannelle, mélangez le sucre et la cannelle dans un petit bol et mettez-le de côté.
- Mélangez tous les ingrédients dans un grand bol. Vous pouvez d’abord mélanger tous les ingrédients secs, puis ajouter tous les autres ingrédients, mais ce n’est pas vraiment nécessaire. La recette pardonne beaucoup. Le mélange devrait ressembler à une pâte à gâteau légèrement liquide.
- Remplissez chaque réservoir de cuisson (voyez la note) avec environ une cuillère à soupe de pâte.
- Faites cuire pendant environ cinq ou six minutes, ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dent inséré en ressorte propre.
- Laissez refroidir et couvrez du sucre à la cannelle, si vous voulez.
J’ai modifié cette recette : https://inthekitch.net/ cake-pop-maker-ginger-bread-pops/
Note : J’ai utilisé une machine à boules de gâteau, car il se trouve que j’en ai une sous la main, mais cette recette ferait probablement aussi de superbes gaufres.
Ways to Combat Exam Stress
Exam season is usually stressful, regardless of your education level. As a result, it can be relatively easy to fall into “harmful” habits, like cramming or sleeping less. In fact, numerous studies have demonstrated that the more rested and prepared you are, the better you perform. Having said that, de-stressing might be easier said than done, particularly if you don’t know where to begin. Here is a list of ten things you can do to help yourself when you feel stressed during exam time:
1. Get Enough Sleep
Not only is sleep important for overall health, but it can also aid in stress reduction and improving memory. Think of sleep as a “spawn point” in a game. After rest, you’re able to remember much more than you would have had you crammed information instead. ¹
2. Organize Friend Study Groups
When organized effectively, study groups can be beneficial as they establish a safe space where accountability thrives, and peers with greater subject-matter understanding can fill in knowledge gaps.
3. Use Stress Relief Tools
Sometimes it can be helpful to distract your mind whilst working. Stress balls, fidget toys, breathing/grounding techniques, etc., can be very helpful in moments like this.
4. Avoid Cramming
While cramming may seem helpful in the moment, it frequently impedes comprehension and saturates the brain with short-term memory. In other words, recalling information then requires the brain to work twice as hard. Therefore, when taking more content-heavy courses, active recall and interleaving are frequently suggested. This is because they both make learning more challenging in the moment, which strengthens neural links and improves memory. ²
5. Identify Your Community Of Support
Having people you rely on not only reduces feelings of isolation whilst studying, but also provides emotional support and validation. This can be helpful since it reduces the risks of both stress and procrastination. ³
feel-out-loud&utm_content=overwhelmed&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22375979695&g-
By Gabriella Maitland,
6. Practice Self-Care
Practicing self-care is always important. During exams, it can be hard to maintain a positive attitude, especially when your grades aren’t where you want them. Still, even if it’s temporary, doing something you enjoy, like listening to music or even taking a 5-minute break, can go a long way in improving your mood and refilling your “motivation cup.”
7. Think Positive
Thinking positively can go a long way in improving mood and reducing stress and procrastination. Even if you feel otherwise at present, there is always a chance to improve if you believe there is one.
8. Prioritize
Take things one step at a time. Often, exams aren’t as spaced out as we wish, but we still have to work with what we’ve got. In times like this, it can be helpful to focus on material you don’t know or the project with the nearest deadline.
9. Know Your Limit
Not all anxiety is bad! However, if anxiety is affecting your well-being and general functioning, it may be time to step away from or even speak to someone. Grades are important, but so is your health.
10. Set Goals
Setting goals helps with curating a sense of control and direction. This can be helpful when feeling overwhelmed by the workload of your courses. Furthermore, having goals can improve motivation and positive thinking since it provides a sense of reward when tasks are accomplished.
photo:Freepik
English Journalist
ISSUES & IDEAS
I Love You, But It’s Illegal: The “Loving” Story of Interracial Marriage
By Destiny Chan, Editor In Chief
In Toronto, the most diverse city in the world, interracial couples can seem very common as a result of our superdiversity. What with many popular shows and movies depicting multi-ethnic pairings such as “Bridgerton”, “Love is Blind”, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”, “The Summer I Turned Pretty”, “Save The Last Dance”, “The Walking Dead”, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Euphoria”, “Bachelor in Paradise”, and many more, the representation of different ethnic groups in popular North American culture is greater than ever before. In the case of Bridgerton (Season 4 out now, yes, Benophie!!!!), it is all the more striking to witness interracial couples in a period drama, given that history would have made such pairings unthinkable.
Thanks to today’s internet age, we have become more connected than ever before. This connectivity has allowed us to explore and understand other cultures in the blink of an eye. Want to make a traditional Indian dish? Go on YouTube and learn from an authentic chef! Want to dive into Korean culture? Watch K-dramas and listen to K-pop with just a few clicks of your phone! Want to learn a new language as if it were a game? Download Duolingo! (And work to increase your score…not just keep your streak ifykyk). Want to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader? Learn the dance online and send in an audition tape. All of this to say, the cultural, social, and racial boundaries of before have become more nuanced in today’s day and age.
Despite all of this, interracial couples continue to face struggles and stigma. Maybe the family does not approve. Maybe there are language barriers. Maybe it affects how you would raise kids in the future. Every couple has its differences, and for interracial couples, those differences can be even more pronounced. However, the effort interracial couples often put in to find common ground for their outward differences often strengthens their problem-solving skills. This helps them figure out their subtle differences that all couples have, such as attitudes toward money, sleep schedules, communication styles and more. Interracial couples often adopt an “us against the world” mentality, and a study from the University of Toronto confirms that basing your marriage on being a strong, unified, nuclear team is the best way to ensure your family endures.
But how did we get here? Let’s take a look back in time to the start of interracial marriage.
Bible Era: Moses and the Cushite Woman
If we were to go way, way, way back in time to before the Common Era (BCE) or before Christ (BC), we can find proof of interracial marriage through Moses and the Cushite woman, a term referring to Black Africans from the region south of Egypt. God responds by punishing Moses’s sister Miriam with leprosy for speaking against the marriage. While some might use religion as a justification to not support interracial marriage, biblical scholars often use this story as evidence that it was not condemned but defended in the Bible.
New World Era: Pocahontas and John Rolfe
We all know and love her (unless you never watched Disney as a kid, or if it was never your thing). Even though “Colours of the Wind” remains one of the best Disney songs created, a quick history lesson taught every child the sad and insidious truth behind Pocahontas and her “love story” with John Rolfe. Their marriage was the first documented in North America in 1614. The girl, a Powhatan Indigenous woman and daughter of a tribal chief, and the boy, an English tobacco farmer. Even though the story is often romanticized in pop culture, this marriage was deeply tied to colonial power dynamics rather than mutual romance and consent. Pocahontas was held captive by English settlers for over a year before the marriage, and the union was used to establish peace between English colonists and Indigenous peoples.
Colonial America Era: Eleanor Butler and Charles
It’s the mid-1600s, and the trans-Atlantic slave trade is in full force. Laws banning marriages between white people and enslaved individuals were soon to be official, but not before Eleanor Butler, a 16-year-old Irish servant in Maryland, married an enslaved man named Charles. Under the law at the time, a free woman who married an enslaved man would herself become enslaved. Butler’s employer then petitioned for a law banning interracial marriages, which was passed after their marriage. Eleanor and her children lived in slavery for years, but later, one of her grandchildren successfully sued for freedom by proving descent from a white woman.
Anti Era
From the 17th to the 20th centuries, many American colonies enacted anti-miscegenation laws, which criminalized marriage and sometimes even intimacy between white people and people of other races. These laws were designed to uphold racial hierarchies and white supremacy. By the early 20th century, more than 40 U.S. states had laws banning interracial marriage. Canada never formally enacted nationwide anti-miscegenation laws, but couples still faced intense social pressure, discrimination, and informal segregation.
Landmark Loving Era: Richard and Mildred Loving
In 1958, Richard Loving, a white man, and Mildred Loving, a black woman, were arrested in Virginia for being married. They were sadly taken into custody, where he spent one night in jail and was released on a bond, and where she spent three nights in jail because she wasn’t allowed bond. After pleading guilty, they were forced to leave the state for 25 years or face prison, leading to nine years of exile from their home. Inspired by the civil rights movement, Mildred contacted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which took their case through lower courts and finally reached the U.S. Supreme Court. And finally came justice! In the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, the Court unanimously ruled that banning interracial marriage is unconstitutional and violates the Fourteenth Amendment, as marriage is a fundamental right and should not be restricted based on race. The Lovings returned home legally to Virginia and raised their children. Their legacy endures through the anniversary decision celebration “Loving Day” on June 12 and the 2016 award-winning film “Loving”.
Modern Era: Same-Sex Marriage and Mixed-Race Children
Since the 1960s, interracial relationships have steadily increased. Today, at least 19% of couples in the United States are interracial, signalling a significant cultural shift. In the 1970s, only 1% of children were identified as mixed-race. In contrast, by 2020, over 33.8 million Americans identified as multiracial. A Pew Research Center analysis highlights this dramatic change in public opinion: in 1987, only 13% of Americans approved of interracial marriage, compared to 94% in 2021, with Millennials and Gen Z being the strongest supporters. Census projections even suggest that white Americans may become a statistical minority by 2045. However, acceptance has not been uniform, and social stigma remains common. Interracial couples who are also LGBTQ+ or disabled may experience compounded discrimination. In 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, echoing earlier civil rights battles by reinforcing the principle that love and partnership should not be restricted by identity.
Despite Canada’s reputation as a tolerant, multicultural society, sociologist Tamari Kitossa explains that interracial couples and their children still encounter discomfort and prejudice in everyday life. At a Toronto conference, Kitossa said he and his partner were “just gawked at,” adding that he felt “like some sort of curiosity, like you would stare at animals in a zoo.” Kitossa’s son, Jelani Deliovsky, shared that racist name-calling during his childhood caused a deep identity crisis: “I can’t satisfy either group, and I can’t be myself.” At the same time, CBC also shares hopeful signs of acceptance. Liane Gillies, a Toronto mother of children of Scottish, German, Ethiopian and Japanese descent, observed that her young son’s classroom includes many mixed-race children. “In a class of about 20 kids, around a quarter…are from mixed-race unions.” “I don’t think they see themselves as being any different from the other kids, which they are not.” Still, she also acknowledged how early unconscious bias can appear in children and works to educate her children to correct these biases.
And there you have it. The ups, the downs, and the wins that interracial couples faced and continue to face in our divided but slowly globalizing world. From centuries of legal prohibition to landmark court rulings, from the legalization of same-sex marriage to the realities of mixed-race families today, we are lucky to live in a world made more equitable by people like Richard and Mildred Loving. People who fought tirelessly in the name of their love. Interracial and mixed-race families are not proof that racism has ended, but are reminders that inclusion requires active effort, education and acceptance. Love is love. No matter your race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or appearance, everyone deserves to be loved and to love freely.
1. Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq., “‘Us Against the World’ Makes Sense for Interracial Couples. Finally, a Study Confirms What I’ve Been Saying,” Medium (blog), November 30, 2025, https://medium.com/interracial-relations/us-against-the-world-makes-sense-for-interracial-couples-66b5491e30f8.
2. “History of Interracial Marriage,” BetterHelp, accessed 2026, https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/marriage/history-of-interracial-marriage/.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Brynn Holland, “Mildred and Richard: The Love Story that Changed America,” History, last updated January 31, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/mildred-and-richard-the-love-story-that-changed-america.
7. “History of Interracial Marriage,” BetterHelp, accessed 2026, https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/marriage/history-of-interracial-marriage/.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Government of Canada, Civil Marriage Act, S.C. 2005, c. 33.
11. Nazima Walji, “Mixed-race families in Canada,” CBC News, last updated November 3, 2017, https:// www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mixed-race-families-in-canada-1.4376379.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2016.
photo: Wikipedia Mildred and Richard Loving
& OPINION
Valentine’s Day Simplified: It’s a YOU
Too....
By Alyssa Furlan, Contributer
Cupid called…and he wants you to know this:
Can we talk about the over-commercialization of Valentine’s Day? The overhype? The cute (yet cheesy) social media posts that sometimes make us feel frustrated? Don’t get me wrong, love is beautiful, but it’s even better when we are able to show ourselves an even greater abundance of love.
In order to truly love someone, it always starts from within. The dreadful (to some) or exciting (to others) 14th of February is a time where we all reflect within ourselves, whether we are single, taken, or “it’s complicated,” and get to spend this day with our loved one(s), or maybe even with no one at all … It doesn’t really matter. Simply prioritizing your happiness and self-love is already a step in the right direction.
Anyways, I can keep going on and on and on, but the point is that no matter your status, no matter how you are feeling, you are special, you are loved, and you deserve a box of chocolate. Just because you may (or may not) have a Valentine, doesn’t mean the day can’t be special.
With that, treat yourself! Do something special that you have been putting off, whether it be because of school, work or just the hustle and bustle of life.
Make today extra special!
Psychological Neuromyths: Learning Styles
By Gabriella Maitland, English Journalist
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1.“Evidence for individual learning styles is weak to non-existent.” ³
2. “Matching teaching to the learning styles of students was found to have an insignificant effect of a fraction above zero—that is, essentially not helpful.” ⁴
Learning is one of the few things we carry with us from birth to death. Though we often liken learning to academia, beyond that, it also enhances wellbeing by bringing individuals together through shared interests. Learning also promotes physical and cognitive health through brain stimulation, which can aid in delaying symptoms of Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Despite the fact that education unites nations, many countries have different approaches. This differentiation isn’t bad. Every individual has a specific method of going about things in life…but it turns out that “learning styles” as we know them are not one of them.
The idea that all individuals have a specific way of learning is one that has been circulating for a while. I’m sure we’ve all taken those short online quizzes that categorize us as either a visual learner (those who approach learning by looking at graphs, charts, diagrams, and so on), an auditory learner (those who approach learning by hearing lectures, discussions, podcasts, and similar methods), a kinesthetic learner, (those who approach learning in a hands-on fashion), or a reading/writing learner (those who prefer learning via text-based information such as books or detailed notes). However, “there is no concrete or substantial evidence” to support that individuals learn better by using a particular learning approach. ¹
We’re all different people, so naturally we have preferences on how we spend our time learning. Still, “There is a big difference between a learning preference and a learning style.” ² We all know our own likes and dislikes, but that doesn’t translate into one approach being superior to another. In fact, restricting oneself to a certain “learning style” can actually hinder progress and cause demotivation if the content being taught, particularly complex material, doesn’t suit a supposed learning preference.
Whilst there is unsubstantial evidence that prescribing to one particular learning approach promotes better learning, it’s been found that:
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3. Prescribing to learning styles when teaching can potentially “encourage a cultural tendency to look for explanations for behaviour and attachment in the wrong place.” ⁵
4. “There is growing evidence that people hold beliefs about the way they learn that are faulty in various ways, which frequently leads people to manage their own learning and teach others in non-optimal ways.”
5. “It is undoubtedly the case that a particular student will sometimes benefit from having a particular kind of course content presented in one way or the other.” ⁷
Ah Feel to Party METROPOLIS
By Gabriella Maitland, English Journalist
Black History Month commemorates Black accomplishments and contributions while also encouraging reflection on, and education about Black people’s overlooked roles in society and ongoing history of suffering they have endured. However, since its establishment, the celebration of Black culture and achievement has often been sidelined in favour of surface-level gestures, such as reposting quotes of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have A Dream” speech on social media, or creating “honorary” seats for Rosa Parks on buses. While awareness is important, and slavery is undeniably a significant part of Black history, it is only a part of it, not the whole. Reducing Black History Month to slavery, reduces Black people to suffering, but we are more than an event that happened to us. So, take a trip with me, if you will, to a region that stands as one of the most prominent and vibrant examples of proud black culture: the Caribbean.
Comprised of several sovereign nations, dependencies, and overseas territories, the Caribbean is located Southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and of the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America. Although the region is widely recognized as a cultural melting pot shaped by a deep-rooted colonial history, it is most commonly associated with tourism and its thriving cruise industry. While tourism has its benefits, allow me to take you beyond the superficial. Aside from shared ancestry and a collective colonial past, there’s one thing all Caribbean countries have in common: ‘We love to pardy”.
1. CARIFESTA – The Caribbean Festival of Arts Dubbed as “the inspirational exchange of creative flows,” CARIFESTA is a festival designed to unite islands and territories in the Caribbean, and showcase diversity. ¹ Since its initial staging in Georgetown, Guyana in 1972 under the theme of “The Artist in Development of the Nation” the festival has since been held in countries such as: Jamaica (1976); Cuba (1979), Barbados (1981, 2017, 2025), Trinidad and Tobago (1992, 1995, 2006, 2019), Suriname (2013), Haiti (2015), and of course, Guyana (1972, 2008).
This multiday convergence of culture contributes to over 100 events spread across the disciplines of music, dance, theatre, visual and performance arts, and most recently technology.
There’s something for everyone, from lively steelpan and calypso performances to storytelling and mural installations, to showcases of regional cuisine, to “Big Conversations” symposia, which tackle topics like Caribbean identity, climate and innovation, etc.
2. Trinidad and Tobago (T&T): Carnival – The Greatest Show on Earth Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is a two-day street parade that draws in tourists from all across the world. But this is not how it began. From Columbus’ claiming of Trinidad (1498), to the Dutch attempting to settle Tobago (17th century), to France capturing Tobago from the British (1781), to Britain capturing Trinidad from Spain (1797), to enslaved people being emancipated from Britain (1838), to the two countries being annexed in 1889, “more than any other islands, [T&T] was in the hands of various European metropoles.” ²
While each metropole played a role in “making” T&T the melting pot it is today, it is the French that brought Carnival to Trinidad. Originally, Carnival was for the French plantocracy, with the ruling class dressing in exquisite clothing, and others in masquerade, mocking social realities of the French slavery system. Being an exclusive, white-only celebration, enslaved people were barred from participating, but this did not stop them. As a form of protest, enslaved peoples banded together and created their own celebration called, “Canboulay.” It was only after emancipation that formerly enslaved Africans were allowed into Carnival, and almost immediately, they began to change it from within.
The celebration that was once used to mock the French ruling system was then flipped to mock the European ruling class. However, that wasn’t the only change that was brought about. From the 18th century to independence in 1962, Carnival began to change and reflect societal issues, ancestry and culture. Some of those changes took root in the form of: costumes (i.e. the sailor costume to mock the British); cultural preservation (i.e. incorporating Moco Jumbies brought from Africa by the enslaved people); reclamation (i.e. bringing music over from the plantation such as African drumming, Keusis and Canboulay resulted in Calypso music, and creation of the steelpan); the emergence of Soca (a mix Calypso and traditional Indian rhythms); Pretty Mas (emerged with the second wave of feminism in the US); and steelband march (Steelbands marching streets with a following of Trinidadian citizens, regardless of class, on the night of formal separation and independence from Britain).
3. Barbados: Crop Over Festival – A Bajan Celebration of Culture
Crop Over is “one of the oldest festivals in the Western Hemisphere”, having been around since the 17th century. ³ While it’s known as a three-month celebration today, its roots can be traced back to the height of the Sugar Revolution. With sugar production dominating Barbados, and nearly 500 plantations spread across the island, enslavers sought methods to keep enslaved people compliant. To reinforce servitude, plantation owners began sponsoring festivities, providing food and liquor as a means of control. However, these events carried a significance far beyond their intended purpose.
With Crop Over signifying the end of the Harvest, it took place in Mill Yard when it first began. A grand opening gala, arts and crafts, fireworks, and a vibrant and vivacious parade of costumed dancers were just a few of the culturally inspired celebrations that were held back then. Among the traditions, were climbing oiled poles, stilt walking, singing and dancing paired with a triangle, fiddle, guitar, shak-shak, banjo, and bones, as well as a procession of decorated farm carts carrying the last of the sugar crop, led by a woman dressed in elaborate clothing. Since the end of harvest also meant the beginning of less work and lower wages, Crop Over was also an opportunity to showcase creativity and ingenuity. Since its revival in 1974, Crop Over has more closely resembled T&T’s Carnival due to the decline of sugar production in the 1940s which then led to a need to attract tourism.
Building off of the festivities and customs from the 17th century, Crop Over has since included: Road March; folk concerts, art and Photography exhibitions; and so much more.
4. The Bahamas: Junkanoo - A Kaleidoscope of Colours and Sound
Born of a fusion of African and European heritage, Junkanoo was introduced to The Bahamas by enslaved Africans in the 19th century, and has since served as a platform for artistic expression. Although its true origin is unknown, it’s widely thought to be derived from “John Canoe,” a West African warrior chief who, even while enslaved, demanded the right to celebrate with his people.
Symbolizing the tenacity and exuberance of Black people, the celebration was formed during the three days of reprieve enslaved peoples were granted around Christmas. Back then, the festival was mostly commemorated via parades that preserved African elements and showcased impressive displays of Indigenous storytelling, music, and craftsmanship. At its core, Junkanoo was (and still is) a way to uphold tradition and unite people from all socioeconomic backgrounds in their shared heritage. To find this common ground, the celebration placed an emphasis on turning junk into art. Therefore, throughout this period, Junkanooers donned masks made of rags and wheat paste, while sea sponges and other natural materials, such as leaves attached to nets, were worn on their bodies. They even utilized handcrafted instruments ranging from conch shells to goatskin drums.
Even though the festival has remained true to its origins, still centered on music and observed around Christmas, with Boxing Day and New Year’s Day as its fixed dates, the twentieth century introduced greater structure and organization to its execution. These developments included, but were not limited to, the replacement of flour paste with wire masks on sticks, the practice of Junkanooers fully covering themselves in sponges during the 1920s, costumes fringed with newspaper and later multicolored crepe paper in the 1930s, the inclusion of women in the 1960s, and the introduction of Kiddies Junkanoo in 1988.
5. Jamaica: Reggae Sumfest – The Greatest Reggae Show on Earth
Established in 1993 at a critical moment in Jamaican music history, Reggae Sumfest stands as a celebration of heritage through reggae and dancehall music and culture, while also serving as a platform to support Jamaican artists and creatives. Following the closure of Sunsplash, Jamaica’s long-running music festival, a cultural void emerged within the nation. Recognizing this absence, music promoter Robert Russell founded Reggae Sumfest to showcase Jamaica’s rich reggae legacy to the world. Launching at the Bob Marley Entertainment Centre, the festival has since touched virtually every corner of the world, earning the moniker “largest musical festival in the Caribbean.”
Since its inception, the festival has evolved from a four-day event into a weeklong celebration, with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday serving as its primary nights. Beyond celebration, and with Jamaica as the birthplace of reggae, the festival has played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the genre’s authentic roots while also embracing its continued evolution.
photo : Freepik