The Mike, Issue 2 (2016-17)

THE MIKE Wednesday October 12, 2016 ISSUE 2

22, A million

The Return of Bon Iver Through the Eyes of a True Fan

2

editorial

Happy October, SMC! I opted for this greeting with a considerable bias: the tenth month of the year plays host to my birthday, my favourite fashion trends and of course, Thanksgiving weekend. A visit home is enough to put any fourth year trying to make major life decisions in a good mood, even if the mood in question is temporary thanks to the oncoming array of mid-terms and weighty evaluations that seem to be barreling towards our undergraduate path.

With this said, I hope that St. Mike’s can continue to be a home-away-from-home for all of its membership. The Mike has a role to play in serving this community. Recently, I was asked what my vision for the year was. In terms of content, I think we as a team are still deliberating on what ideas we have in terms of our legacy.

My personal vision, however, is simple. I want the brilliant community I’m incredible grateful for to know that their values have a home. Not just a temporary dwelling to park your trust in for a while, but a space that you can refer to for the reporting and commentary that you, as students, deserve to be privy to.

In the case that you don’t find the pages of the issue to be an accurate representation of where you stand, I want more than anything for you to know that your voice is more than welcome.

At the end of the day, we as a student newspaper are accountable to you, the students. There’s a great deal of responsibility for a relatively small operation, one that all of us involved take very seriously.

Rest assured, we are small but we are definitely mighty – and we get that might from you.

Anah Mirza EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Note from the Faith & Thought Editor It is a futile attempt to look up an exact definition of the word Faith, because it is by default one of the most abstract concepts of our lives. It is more malleable than Play-Doh and exists in as many forms as there are creatures and objects. As part of a Catholic university, and more importantly as scholars, we are constantly prompted to evaluate, reflect, and redefine how we see ourselves and the world around us. Whether it be through the lens of an organized religion, the philosophies of the Ancients, or even through pop culture, we all access the world and construe a sense of purpose and belonging. It is through Thought that we approach any form of Faith. It thus becomes vital that this section of our newspaper instigate more than a nod of approval. This year, the Faith and Thought section of The Mike will welcome the diverse approaches to Faith that exist in our world. We are looking for articles that will stand out and get people thinking more deeply and critically about what it means to say “Faith”. Friends and colleagues, take a leap of Faith, submit an article.

masthead 2016-2017 Editor-in-Chief Ms. Anah Mirza editorinchief@readthemike.com

MANAGING EDITOR Ms. Elizaveta Mironova managingeditor@readthemike.com

faith & Thought editor Ms. Farah Rasmi faith@readthemike.com

Sports editor Mr. Josh Scott sports@readthemike.com

Copy editor Daniela Solimine

Arts editor Mr. Liam McConnell arts@readthemike.com

Living editor Ms. Jennifer Bueno sports@readthemike.com

Copy editor Marianna Kalaczynski

BUSINESS MANAGER Mr. Zia Faisal business@readthemike.com

Design Manager TBA

Photography editor TBA

Opinions Editor Ms. Garnet Ryu opinions@readthemike.com

OPINIONS are the new Black.

Write or Edit for us editorinchief@themike.com The Mike is the Official Bi-weekly Student Newspaper of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, publishing since 1947. The Mike has a circulation of 2000, delivered to over 40 newsstands across the University of Toronto: St. George Campus and is published

by The Mike Publications Inc. The Mike is printed by MasterWeb Inc on recycled newsprint stock and is a member of Canadian University Press. Copyright: 2012 The Mike Publications Inc. All Rights Reserved. All editorial inquires should be sent to editorinchief@ readthemike.com. The Mike reserves the right to edit all submissions

3

sports Why Do We Keep Coming Back?

Josh Scott

SPORTS EDITOR

Need I do any more than raise the topic of last week’s Baltimore-Toronto AL Wild-Card game? I went, and despite the fact that the entire affair cost me 6 hours – transit included – of valuable time I could’ve spent doing homework, the result somehow left me happy enough to forget all this, as well as everything else.

The pitching from both sides was stellar — so stellar that it remained 2-2 until the 11th inning. Barring Baltimore manager Buck Showalter’s near incomprehensible decision not to use Zach Britton – who is arguably the top reliever in baseball – both teams brought their absolute best. Edwin Encarnacion and the Jays eventually won out with 5-2, and it was glorious. With that win, they earned the chance to face the formidable Texas Rangers.

In lieu of last year’s bat flip, does Texas-Toronto promise to be a great series?

At the very least, it promises a testy one. Do the Jays have what it takes to beat them? On paper, perhaps. Are they playing well enough right now to do so? Probably not. Did any of these questions matter Tuesday? Not in the slightest.

It’s been said before and it’s worth saying again: nothing brings a city together like a sports team. In the case of the Jays, nothing brings Canada together like its lone representative in an otherwise all-American league.

(Whether or not this should be the case is another matter altogether.)

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about — and for that matter, likely aren’t reading this — that probably sounds like complete and utter tripe. For those of you who do, this surely seems obvious.

Many liken sports to religion, but I find the gambling metaphor more fitting. We risk the hurt of defeat for the potential payoff of victory; the higher the likelihood our team will lose, the sweeter the victory when it comes.

This is one of the reasons why people gravitate towards underdogs — in other words, the low-risk, high-reward options.

The only difference is, with this type of gambling, the stakes are low enough for everyone to take part. And take part they do, in what is perhaps best described as the emotional rollercoaster of sports fandom. Happiness and sadness are put on the line, for what the casual observer might perceive as no reason.

Why, exactly, did we do that? In hindsight, I can’t provide a satisfying answer, other than that we couldn’t help ourselves. We placed our faith in a team, and that team lost.

We place our faith in all sorts of things. It’s in our nature.

What is life without something to hope for? Some choose religion, and some choose sports. Some even choose both.

Historically speaking, sports are usually the safer choice.

Had the Jays lost, the long, crowded walk down the tunnel from the 500-section would have been eerily silent, save for the occasional drunk man’s cry of lament. But that’s just it — they didn’t lose. Chants of “Go Jays Go”, “Ed-dy, Ed-dy, Ed-dy”, and “We Want Texas” shook the concrete walkway to its very foundation and, that night, I saw the most smiles I’d ever seen in one place. In that moment, for some of us – myself included – all was right in the world.

Case in point: I watched the Leafs epic collapse against Boston in game 7 of the first round of the playoffs three years ago, with a group of friends. The initial plan was to attend a party afterwards with girls. Instead, at the game’s conclusion, not a word was exchanged, and we each left silently for our own separate houses. One of us, I forget who, by way of explanation texted the girls something along the lines of “they lost.”

Remembering the Red Sox Slugger In All His Glory Rory McCreight CONTRIBUTOR David Ortiz will soon play his final major league baseball game. He’s spent most of his 20 seasons in the majors as the resident slugger for the Boston Red Sox, so as a reasonable Blue Jays fan, I should despise him. But I just can’t. He’s a great baseball player and, more importantly, a great person – but let’s focus on his baseball career.

While Ortiz, or Big Papi as he’s also known, began his career with the Minnesota Twins in the ’97 season, he is largely known for his play with the Red Sox post-2003.

2004 marked the first season Big Papi’s magic was felt in Boston. At the legendary 2004 World Series championship, Ortiz began to stake his claim as best Red Sox player of all-time. No slouch during the ’04 regular season, Ortiz has a .301 average, with 41 homers and 139 RBIs. However, it was Ortiz’s clutch hitting in the playoffs that was truly remarkable. Starting in the ALDS, Ortiz lifted a walk-off homer into right for an extra innings win that completed the sweep against the Anaheim Angels. Then, after falling 3-0 behind rival New York Yankees in the ALCS, Ortiz lead the charge back against the Yankees, with another walk-off HR in the 12th for the Sox’s first win of the series. He went on to hit a third walk off of the playoffs, a single in the 14th inning of the fifth game of the series, which the Red Sox went on to eventually win—becoming only the third professional sports team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series.

They went on to sweep the Cardinals, underneath a total lunar eclipse that coloured the moon red for the Sox. This became Boston’s first World Series win in 86 years, breaking the Curse of the Bambino – a Red Sox superstition based on them having not won a World Series since selling Babe “The Bambino” Ruth to the Yankees in 1920.

Mind you, Big Papi and his Red Sox didn’t peak in ’04. The Red Sox went on to win two more World Series’ with Ortiz: their second in 2007 and their third in 2013, in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing. Ortiz would bat over .350 in October both seasons and won the World Series MVP in 2013, not to mention 560 write-in votes for mayor of Boston that same year.

Aside from World Series titles and unstoppable postseason performances, Ortiz has also had spectacular regular seasons. Ortiz’s single season record in home runs sits at 52 in 2006, career high batting average is .332 over 549 at-bats in 2007 with on-base percentage of .445, and his peak in RBIs came in 2005 with 148.

I know that was a lot of stats, but they’re just unbelievable. In his final season Ortiz has not slowed at all—he’s leading the American League in RBIs, fourth in batting average, and tied for eighth in home runs. He’s had a season-long goodbye, but unlike, for example, Kobe’s last NBA season, he’s playing a major role in a division leading team.

Ortiz is going into his last month of playing professional baseball and it would seem he’s got one more legendary story in the works. I hope it’s not a bigger story than the Jays, but I’m not holding my breath.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/al-wild-card-blue-jays-beat-orioles-on-edwin-encarnacions-walk-off-homer-034011738.html

The New Kid In Town Nicholas Fleming CONTRIBUTOR When the Toronto Maple Leafs were awarded the first overall pick in the NHL entry draft this April, it felt like a long needed victory. 1967 was their last Stanley Cup, 1985 was the last time the Leafs held the first overall pick, and a Leafs draft pick has not received the award for best rookie season since 1965.

It would be an understatement to say that fans were excited when the Leafs selected star centre Auston Matthews with the first overall pick this past June 24.

Who is Auston Matthews, you might ask, and is there hope for the Leafs?

To answer the first question, Matthews is an American who was born and raised in the Arizona desert. In fact, in Matthews early life he was actually better at baseball than he was at hockey, but once he started playing he found a genuine passion for the game of hockey. He also happened to be a phenomenal player.

This was truly evident at the World Cup of Hockey this past month. Not only was Matthews able to go toe-to-toe with the best in the league, he didn’t look out of place whatsoever. In three games with Team North America, he scored two goals and one assist — not too shabby for the youngest player in the tournament. Even more impressive, at the beginning of the tournament he was slated as the 13th forward and ended up finishing the tournament on the first line with Connor McDavid.

In addition to passion and skill — according to Wayne Gretzky, Matthews also has heart. Gretzky recently said in a press conference with commissioner Garry Bettman that, “McDavid, Matthews, Crosby – they’re just really nice people. And that gets passed down from guys like Gordie Howe and Beliveau and Bobby Orr, and it’s a great tradition in our sport.” That’s a pretty incredible group of players to be compared with, let alone by the great one himself.

So is Auston Matthews worth the hype? Only time will tell, but things are looking pretty good right now. For the Leafs, that’s enough. With Matthews, a handful of other promising prospects like Mitch Marner and William Nylander, arguably the best coach in all of hockey with Babcock, and a senior management team dedicated to building the team the right way, the Leafs have the best shot they’ve had in a long time.

Better start planning the Stanley Cup Parade now.

4

opinions

Why the US Presidential Election should make us feel worried for ourselves, not glad we aren’t them Micah Ryu CONTRIBUTOR There’s a storm brewing in the American political arena. Canadians, and indeed a lot of people around the world, pay close attention to the quadrennial US Presidential election, and this has never been more true as the uniquely circus-like debacle we are seeing this year. From suspicious purges and voter suppression in the Democratic primaries to the jungle that was the Republican primaries, this is definitely an election that will be studied and discussed for decades. Throughout this mess, many of us Canadians have taken the opportunity to pat ourselves on the back for not having to deal with such an ordeal ourselves.

However, such self-praise is not only unwarranted, but also ill-advised. While America has to deal with the two least popular presidential candidates in American history, all three of our major federal political parties are at high risk of “going” bad (in quotations because it is not difficult to make a case that they have all gone bad already). Not only could the presidential election - especially the Donald Trump campaign - give us a false sense of contentedness, but the political phenomena we have witnessed in the States could happen here, too.

to look as crowded as the first Republican presidential debate. The more crowded the field, the more extreme policy positions will need to be in order to attract significant attention.

Trump definitely won in that aspect in the Republican primary. Kellie Leitch, who was the face of the racially charged “barbaric cultural practices” hotline (despite the continued existence of 9-1-1), is winning the battle for attention with her proposal to implement a “Canadian values test” for new citizens which clearly has potential discriminatory consequences. In fact, in terms of media attention, she’s followed only by Brad Trost who to this day opposes all abortion and same-sex marriage, and Maxime Bernie who advocates a return to the gold standard (a disastrous monetary policy which Canada abolished in 1933). With the current political climate in the US and here at home, a field that is this crowded (there are currently 10 candidates registered or declared candidates and 9 other potential candidates), the craziest voices have the advantage. And as we are seeing down south, anything can happen during a campaign and results can be unpredictable or unexpected. Regardless of what outlandish policies are proposed, any leader of the Conservative Party will have a real shot at becoming prime minister in 2019, and those are the facts.

Not buying it? Let’s take a look at our wonderfully moderate and reasonable Canadian parties, starting with the Liberals. Our beloved rebranded Liberal Party is not immune to the “Trump effect” either. It’s easy to let what is happening in the US lower our political standards, and the fragile state of the other two Canadian parties could give the Liberals lots of room to break even more of their promises with relative impunity. Fact-checking website “Trudeaumetre” lists 20 promises broken (about a tenth of total promises made) to 34 promises kept. However, it’s a matter of human psychology that, given events to our south, we won’t mind as much that we are still selling heavy arms to Saudi Arabia, or that Trudeau broke his promises of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and giving First Nations veto power over resource development on their lands, as long as our leader isn’t a completely incompetent compulsive liar whose every other statement is factually untrue, right?

We as Canadians already have a poor record of participating in -- or even paying any attention to -- the various parties’ leadership elections. However, those are where real decisions on the future direction of this country lie. I am certain that the US primaries would have had a much higher turnout if voters knew their choices would be Clinton and Trump, and the polling date proves it. Even if you still think our prime minister is doing a good job, it cannot hurt to hedge your bets by participating in one of the two upcoming leadership races to make sure that the alternatives to Trudeau in 2019 will not threaten to be a major setback to our country’s progress.

Then there’s the NDP. After losing last year’s election, the NDP became the first party in Canadian history to give their leader the boot in a convention vote. Whether Mulcair should have resigned immediately following such a dramatic collapse in national polling -- as well as analyses of why such a collapse occurred -- are beside the point. The NDP is without a leader and nobody seems to be interested in taking the job. Not one candidate has publicly floated the idea of running. Toronto’s own Cheri DiNovo was going to make a bid, only to withdraw her candidacy citing health issues. Since that April vote in Edmonton, the NDP is completely acting as if the convention never occurred, with Tom Mulcair allegedly enjoying unanimous support from his MPs. But this state of quasidenial can’t last forever, and, with a leadership vote scheduled for October 2017, the NDP simply cannot afford to let this leadership race go without some serious policy debate and media attention. The current lack of any candidates means there is a risk that “some rando” (from inside or outside of the party) could take over and send the party of Tommy Douglas and Jack Layton into permanent irrelevance.

The deadline to register for the Conservative Party leadership election is on March 28, 2017.

We as a people seem to love feeling intellectually superior to our neighbours. Let’s see if we can justify that feeling by learning from their mistake and making sure we don’t have any potential disasters in serious contention to become our next prime minister.

The deadline to register for the NDP leadership election is on August 17, 2017.

The Conservatives have the opposite problem - their first leadership debate is almost sure

THE FINAL CHAPTER?

Series written by a student who returned to campus after a break comes to a close Judith Laus CONTRIBUTOR I’m getting a t-shirt made, Class of 1969 AND Class of 2016!

What a journey this has been; from the fears and tears of last summer to the highs of good marks and the occasional lows of essay criticism. Seems that academia doesn’t value my descriptive prowess or sense of humour.

But never mind, I have had twelve months of walking around with a smile plastered across my face, making new friends, and receiving the most fantastic support from everyone.

I have to say my biggest thanks go to my family, who has cheered every mark, responded to every self-doubt e-mail, and told me in so many ways that they were proud of me.

My two nieces are facing the rigors of graduate school at the moment and it was so cool to compare experiences. I know it’s NOT cool to say cool but I’m a child of the 60’s….actually I’m a child of the 40’s but that’s way too overwhelming to contemplate.

My friends have also been great, prompting me to reach for whatever I want and not to accept ‘no’. It’s amazing how slaying this dragon gave me even more strength to spread my wings in other directions as well. I certainly cannot forget Mohra Taylor, registrar at St. Mike’s. She sighed, she cried, and she laughed along with me from the very first day.

No question was dismissed and we (read her) always found a solution – what a great ally to have on my side.

I have also met some wonderful professors and T.A.’s. I think I threw some of them on the first day of class. They were expecting a demure old lady who was auditing their class.

What they got was a student not afraid to ask questions, offer opinions, or answer questions. I hate that silence when the lecturer says, “So who won the Battle of Salamis?” or “What’s significant about the Bayeux Tapestry?” My hand goes right up – more than one said that was a mixed blessing – I’m not examining that remark too closely!

I also met wonderful young men and women who were holding down part time jobs, raising families, involved in sports, or preparing for grad school. They epitomize what is right with the younger generation: dedication, diligence, and a sense of duty to their families who are supporting them. I going to shelve the ones I saw playing video games or answering emails during class. I believe in karma so I’ll leave them in the hands of the gods (Greek and Roman).

The question I get asked most, sorry the second most – the first is “what class am I teaching?” Grey hair is truly defining! But the second question is “What’s the same?

What’s different?” Well, the answer is short but please understand it’s neither trite nor simplistic. Nothing is different – same fears, same workload, shifting priorities, building friendships, etc. The difference is not in anything

external – except for the cursed computers – it is all in me.

My circumstances have changed; career, family, finances, retirement and so less stress means that I have the ability to love learning even more.

I am graduating but before that I am rewarding myself with a month in Spain. I will visit all the beautiful art and architecture of Roman, Medieval, Gothic, Baroque, and Moorish cultures that I have studied this past year. My best friend will be with me and she is already prepared that I will ‘out guide book’ the guidebook. So look for me on the stage in November, I will be the grey haired lady with the biggest smile plastered across her face!

5

opinions U of T prof’s critique on political correctness generates controversy on campus Soy M. CONTRIBUTOR

University of Toronto Psychology Professor Jordan Peterson recently made a public YouTube video, Professor Against Politically Correctness, as part of an online lecture, and it has made national headlines because of its controversial content. For the majority of the lecture, the professor talks about Bill C-16 and how it will impact Ontarians. Bill C-16 allegedly adds discrimination in regards to gender identity and gender expression, as well as a whole list of other hate crimes in aspects like race, sex and age.

Many of his rebuttals are valid, however, and, with his stance on gender-neutral pronouns, his lecture has made headlines and drawn equity advocates – including Professor A. W. Peet, who identifies as non-binary – out of their seats. Professor Peterson stands against having to address people by their preferred pronouns. As an example, he claimed that, if a student or colleague came up to him and wished to be addressed by gender-neutral pronouns, he isn’t obligated to do so. He also questioned the part of the legislature that mentioned gender as being classifiable as male, female, neither, or anywhere else on the gender spectrum. I agree with some things that the professor says in the video, but also some things that I believe should be further debated.

I agree with the problem Professor Peterson addresses in regards to political correctness.

In modern society, it has gotten to the point where you could be punished by law for saying something offensive, whether or not this offense was intentional. I can think of a number of times when political correctness popped up in frustrating scenarios of my own life. Even as I write this article, I feel the need to be extremely careful with the terms that I use, not necessarily because of the danger of being factually correct – although this is important – but because of the chance that I may be classified as offensive, despite lacking the intention of doing so. And, in any case, who determines what is officially “politically correct?”

Professor Peterson argued in his lecture that it is impossible for everything an individual says to be agreeable, but it is still necessary that people speak their mind, in order to further the dialogue between individuals and further understanding and change. I agree with Professor Peterson in regards to his idea that conversations on the topic are way more effective than a complete and immediate shutdown of all dialogue, in which case we would have the government decide what is “good for us”. This is not the same as saying that the movement is not what is best for humanity, but that contradictory opinions should be allowed because they are bound to exist either way. Instead of forcefully coercing everyone into conforming to a certain ideology, we should be allowed compromise and learning.

However, there are aspects of his video that I disagree with. Professor Peterson argued that it is his freedom to use whichever pronoun he wants to address people, even if they prefer to be addressed as something else. He claims that he should be able to do so without being punished by the law, noting that legislations are becoming increasingly restricting and geared towards a more left-wing ideology. Refutes against Professor Peterson’s statements have likened preferred pronouns to preferred names. I think the underlying question between those two viewpoints is: to whom do these pronouns belong to: the person who speaks it or the subject that they are referring to? I would argue that it belongs to both, and there has to be some kind of mutual agreement both sides can come to. You may certainly address someone as whatever you want – even the law cannot dictate what comes out of our mouths – but using the pronouns that people identify is prompted through respect for that individual.

In furthering his argument against Bill C-16, Professor Peterson contends that there is no scientific evidence that a non-binary gender exists, and says that it is an ideology that is motivated by politics. He says a person can be born male, female, or intersex, but, due to the minimal number of intersex people, it could be omitted from the equation.

This argument has to go back to what constitutes as gender. Gender is, by definition, a person’s identification of their sex, which has to do with social and cultural representations.

But what is gender in social context? The reason that we even discuss this matter is because society implicates a “normal” image of what a certain gender looks like. The professor is right in stating that the regulation is vague. But what the professor doesn’t touch on is that being categorized into one of two genders can misrepresent an individual, the label holding connotations that the individual does not associate with themselves.

It would probably be impossible to know for sure, with scientific evidence, whether or not a non-binary gender is due to nature or nurture, but, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, it is a current issue. Professor Peterson knowingly took a risk when he spoke out against political correctness, especially when it pertained to the Trans community, and his case was definitely argued against by a number of oppositions. Conversely, many also supported his reasoning. Regardless of individual stances, I think the Professor can be commended for generating dialogue on an issue that affects us. There is no need to bash Professor Peterson for bringing up his argument rather than immediately shutting it down. Instead he allows his argument to be critically analyzed by both sides. Perhaps this will help you discover more about what either group faces.

In an age of division, we can only blame ourselves ANONYMOUS History has a tendency to repeat itself, and the events portrayed in recent news are more than enough to demonstrate this. To be specific, I am referring to the divisions and issues plaguing our modern world. In politics, the divisions between the left and the right have never been so heated. The increasingly prominent feminist movement has met an equally forceful counter-movement. On top of all of this, there have been mounting racial tensions in Europe.

An example of a great divide within politics can be found in America, namely through the presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who both use tactics of division in their campaigns. For the past decade, left wing politics has been incredibly powerful within the United States. With the two-term election of Democrat Barack Obama to the presidency, Obamacare – also known as the affordable care act – was passed. Samesex marriage was legalized as well. If you are a supporter of right wing politics, though, a feeling of defeat will probably be imminent. Adding fire to the flame, those supporters of the right wing are often degraded and called bigots. These forces together make previous right wing supporters even more furious, and have made some of the flip-floppers switch camps and join the left side. Donald Trump takes full advantage of this right-wing flame of anger and fans it.

Next is the new issue of the feminist counter-movement. The feminist movement itself has gained a lot of traction within the past few years, and it often clings directly to the left wing of politics. A “new” branch of feminism, known as neo-feminism, has gained the attention of masses of viewers on certain internet sites and therefore, by extension, the attention of a large number of people in the real world. These neo-feminists, although they claim to be in the interest of gender equality, have a certain hatred for “white cis-male” individuals.

Of course, since they have a lot of media control via the internet, and are outspoken in regards to their message, their movement spreads quite far. This, by extension, creates hate, and the average person is often someone who responds negatively to unfounded hate. Ironically (although, then again, not really), these people who are targeted by the neo-feminists then group up to hate on the feminist movement, and by extension the left wing politics that support it. These people may then go to the Trump camp, creating an even bigger camp of people who support the hate involved in the party, rather than the policies it represents.

The final great event is the migrant crisis in Europe. While this wouldn’t have been such a massive issue normally, the multiple terrorist attacks that have occurred in Europe in the past year make it a larger problem. Because many Europeans blame the coming migrants for these terrorist attacks, not to mention the fact that many refugees that have already moved have been integrated very poorly into the landscape of Europe, many divisions and issues arise within the continent itself. To top it off, it was made apparent that many European countries like Sweden and Germany were censoring statistics and news to support the minority population. It didn’t help that the parties in power were left-leaning.

These issues all together have created a hostile global environment in which people who have received hate jump to the side that is seemingly less hostile toward them. I am also part of the crowd that feels poorly represented. As a once-proud left-winger, I can no longer say that the modern left is what I wish to be a part of. They represent those who ignore the modern male issues, like the wide-scale male depression epidemic or the rise of male poverty. On top of that, I cannot stand for the name-calling and bullying that most of the followers of modern left-wing ideology indulge in. Especially the mindless hatred of whites and males which I see every other left-winger do. I guess you could say I’m part of the problem, but as an average man you tend to get swept up with the average. Perhaps one day these issues will calm down, but this doesn’t seem to be the case in the foreseeable future.

Donald Trump The new face of right wing politics

Milo Yiannopoulos The face of the movement that counters the modern feminist movement

The Return of Bon Iver Through the Eyes of a True Fan Liam McConnell ARTS EDITOR Bon Iver has returned. September 30th—the long-awaited release date of their third album, 22, A Million—has arrived, and not a moment too soon for some particularly dedicated fans. “Particularly” is the operative word here. I’ve often noticed that Bon Iver is one of those acts that seems to garner a supremely dedicated following. Some bands have a fairly large and dedicated underground fandom, but never manage to extend their fame across borders and boundaries: not so for the Gold recordselling Bon Iver. Some bands recruit a massive cult following only to be abandoned when they turn mainstream: not so for the Grammy-winning Bon Iver. Some bands suffer from the infamous “sophomore slump,” and release a comparatively weak second album after their creative juices have prematurely dried, perhaps the result of immense pressure to live up to their previous greatness while the eyes of the music world are suddenly upon them: not so for Bon Iver, whose second album has earned universal acclaim. I sat down with Annelise U., one of the band’s most adoring fans, in order to understand exactly what makes a Bon Iver enthusiast tick.

her route around a stop in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Vernon’s hometown. She roamed the city for a short while, listening to some Vernon projects and pondering the city’s ongoing influence on the music she had grown to love so dearly.

Annelise was on pins and needles on the new album’s release day, counting the minutes until she could leave work and rush home to find the album, already delivered and waiting. After all, this was a day she had waited on for exactly 5 years, 3 months and two weeks, without even knowing if it would arrive at all. (Their last album—the Grammy winning Bon Iver, Bon Iver— was released in June 2011.) Reportedly, she waxed poetic about the band’s importance as she ate dinner with her bewildered boyfriend, admiring the unique cover of the new vinyl record and building anticipation until the moment of truth.

After dinner, she poured herself a glass of wine, loaded the album onto her turntable, let the needle drop, and gathered herself to be submerged in the musical lagoon that she felt as if Justin Vernon had dug and filled especially for her. This was in the neighbourhood of 9 PM. By 1 AM, she had listened to the album six times. Luckily, she says, she woke up the next morning to a day off of work. She listened another ten times before noon.

She was hooked. She had dived into her auditory lagoon sixteen times thus far and, like a lucky treasure hunter, came up each time with a new prize.

Thus is the complexity of Vernon’s music, she says. It requires many, many excursions to receive the fullest of effects.

“Did you like the album on your first listen?” I asked, “Or did you like it Justin Vernon, an extremely prolific musician known primarily for fronting more after you’d listened a few times?”

Bon Iver but who also releases music under his own name, with the band Volcano Choir, and more, had led his fans to believe that Bon Iver was, for all intents and purposes, dead. He cited a lack of motivation as the cause of the demise of the beloved band, saying that he had mentally left the Bon Iver headspace. True fans like Annelise were rocked by the news, but never let go of the hope that one day, he’d feel inspired by the Bon Iver name once again. In the meantime, they contented themselves with releases by Volcano Choir, guest spots on Kanye West and Jay-Z songs, and other sundry projects and collaborations.

Annelise’s fandom is one of immense respect of Vernon’s artistry. She often speaks of his simple, unpretentious adoration of music. “He’s just the artist that I find to be the most musically curious,” she says, referring to his collaborative versatility. He’s had a hand in producing music in genres ranging from indie-folk and soft rock to hip-hop and dubstep to jazz and bluesy soul. As Annelise moved to Toronto from the west coast, she planned

“Both,” was her concise reply. “There’s just so much going on, you need to listen a few times before you really hear everything.” We then indulged ourselves by snobbishly listing the merits of artistically or lyrically complex music, especially when compared to the state of modern pop. It can be refreshing to hear an artist put serious effort into creating a work of merit in an era when we have two pop songs getting heavy radio rotation whose choruses both feature the word “work” repeated between 15 and 29 times (no offense to Rihanna or Fifth Harmony; throw no shade and none shall be thrown at ye). But I digress.

The genuine admiration Annelise feels for Bon Iver and other Vernon projects is, like the man himself, unpretentious, curious, dedicated, and inspiring. It made me think of creators that I feel an equal adoration for, and reflect on the things they’ve created and why I love them. What do you love? What is it that you can talk about for hours, maybe boring your friends but not caring? Is it the fashion design of Jason Wu? The athleticism of José Bautista? The art of Frida Kahlo? Heck, even the music of Fifth Harmony?

complimentary. It plays baritone to Vernon’s ever-present falsetto.

Bon Iver’s retired folksy sound makes a slight resurgence in the particularly beautiful and symmetrical “29 #Strafford APTS,” bringing the listener back to the For Emma, Forever Ago days of Bon Iver’s infancy.

The melody of “666t” is the kind to evoke a powerful pathos response in the listener, the type to make one reflect on those loved and lost long ago.

A calculating, electronic backbeat soundtracks any emotional fallout that may, and probably will, occur.

“The math ahead: the math behind it... It’s moon water,” so Vernon tells us on “21 MOON WATER.” A steadily growing electronic wall of sound builds behind him, cut again by the travelling saxophone of Lewis. As if suffering a malware attack, the sound electronically degenerates until the most beautiful and soothing synthesizer line takes over in “8 (circle).”

Perhaps the most lyrically dexterous song, Vernon spins a yarn that resists unequivocal interpretation.

On Annelise’s glowing recommendation, and in an effort to understand the The Messina is present throughout, but it makes its second high-profile music that has become a veritable phenomenon, I sat down to listen to 22, appearance in “____45_____,” creating the auditory illusion of a saxophone A Million myself. Here’s what I found. orchestra of one. Instrumentation and electronic manipulation meet as equals, and combine like lovers.

The album opens on “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” with Vernon’s falsetto voice, sustaining a note, played on repeat like an alarm. Rather than alarming the As soon as it began, the very short album ends with “00000 Million.” A listener, though, it lulls them. The album’s expert integration of samples sample of Fionn Regan’s “Abacus” sings a duet with Vernon, complimenting begins straight away, in this case with Mahalia Jackson’s heavily edited the song as if he reached back in time to request it. “It harms me, it harms croon. The saxophone of Michael Lewis interjects, not breaking the serenity me, it harms me, I’ll let it in,” are the work’s closing notes. A deceptively but adding to it. surreptitious sadness that has been approaching the listener for the last 34 minutes finally reaches and claims its victim. But it is a welcome sadness, brought upon the realization that real beauty can and does exist in our world, if it is unlocked by the skilled hands of a gifted craftsperson.

22, A Million is available now through Jagjaguwar at your local record store.

It is broken, though, when the comparatively harsh second track, “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄” begins. A plodding bass and drum line compliment Vernon’s robotically edited voice. The bleeding of speakers is intentional, but makes the listener glance to their speaker’s health. The album has begun with a bang.

The Messina, a digital instrument specially invented for use on this album, makes its first appearance in “715 - CRΣΣKS” The voice recorded through the Messina makes a sound reminiscent of a talk-box, but with an unrivalled complexity. Vernon sounds as if he is singing a harmony with several versions of himself, ranging from the enormous to the minuscule.

Jagjaguwar label-mate Sharon Van Etten’s gorgeous, smoky voice makes an appearance in “33 ‘GOD,’” edited to be unrecognizable but nevertheless

8

arts Toronot’s Largest Art Festival Succeeds Without Corporate Support

Cacophonous Interconnection at Nuit Blanche Kaelan Unrau CONTRIBUTOR At the heart of Nuit Blanche lies an enormous artificial star, towering over Nathan Phillips Square and illuminating the sea of late-night revelers. The installation—some fifty feet tall and lit by a clever array of projectors—bears the title “The Death of the Sun.” And as people mill about the square, the orb’s surface slowly blanches from orange to purple to white, before finally fading away to black.

It makes for a portentous spectacle, especially in light of the 400ppm carbon threshold that we surpassed just last week. (Here’s some consolation for you: the death of our world—at least as we know it—will long precede the death of our sun). Yet despite this conspicuous testament to our own mortality, no one around me seems particularly distressed. They continue to scarf down their minidonuts and pose for photos. They continue to smoke cigarettes, deliberate over Instagram filters and joke with their friends.

I am no exception to this. As the night progresses, my feelings of foreboding give way to all the varied sights and sounds, including, one, a river made from secondhand books, two, an interactive mural and three, a kinetic sculpture that explores the metaphysics of myth (perhaps more interesting in theory than in practice). I eventually come to realize that Nuit Blanche is more of a verb than noun. Artworks begin to blur together, renouncing their individual meanings. If they retain weight and import, it is by way of their relation to the whole.

It’s now after midnight. By this point, the festivities have taken on a chiefly sonic hue, with a multitude of sound sources—art installation, dance party, ramshackle drum band—coming together to form an overlapping network of noise. I am wandering down Queen Street when I notice my neighbours’ eyes dart suddenly skyward. At the same time, a distorted guitar line gently wafts over the din. I, too, look up and spy, perched atop one of the shops lining the street, the unlikely sight of a 70s-style rock band. They burst into a psychedelic dirge, all wailing guitars and crashing drums. Yet I amble onward. And before long, the song has lost itself in the clamor of the street.

Madeleine Anderson CONTRIBUTOR Despite concerns over losing ScotiaBank’s sponsorship, curators, organizers, and artists successfully maintained Nuit Blanche’s status as Toronto’s most vibrant art festival.

As always, Nuit Blanche brought people of all occupations and interests out into the streets to be audience to any and all art they could find. The art festival’s popularity creates a perfect atmosphere for buskers and street performers to draw immense crowds. This night seems to put the people of Toronto in an imaginative mindset that allows them to appreciate the artistic elements of the city that they might otherwise take for granted.

The major centre of all this art and energy was at Nathan Phillips Square where there was a collection of three pieces collectively entitled Oblivion by curators Janine Marchessault and Michael Prokopov. The piece Pneuma, by Floria Sigismondi, was a captivating animation projected onto a wall of water in the middle of the fountain that fanned out in a semicircle, a shape that was duplicated in the arches that stretch across the fountain. Next to the fountain was a huge globe with four projectors surrounding it, titled Death of the Sun. This piece was accompanied by thunderous and consuming sounds that hushed the awe-struck crowd, creating a moment of silence after each demonstration.

Just Ssouth of Nathan Phillips Square was Eunoia II by artist Lisa Park. Park used the Nuit Blanche audience as creative fuel for her piece. By attaching head sets to audience members, Park allowed them to control the sounds of the

The Art Gallery of Ontario also opened its doors to resident exhibits and a piece by Montreal performance artist Rebecca Belmore. Belmore’s performance was a culturally reflective counterbalance to the energetic party atmosphere outside.

In response to artists Lothar Baumgarten and Robert Houle, Belmore used clay in an act of reclaiming Canadian Iindigenous land. Belmore placed handfuls of clay on the floor of the main room, eventually filling the entire space with clay. As the performance went on, Belmore’s clothing and body also became covered in clay, which connected the artist to the symbol of reclaimed land and her place in it. This performance was part of the collection called Militant Nostalgia, by curator Paco Barragán. By focusing on “mediation and meditation [of] history and the passage of time,” the artists challenged people to reflect upon our historical and contemporary culture.

Once again, Nuit Blanche showcased the city’s eclectic art scene and sparked the excitement of Torontonians.

The Nathan Phillips Square exhibition Oblivion has been extended to the 10th of October, 2016.

An Equal Opportunity Art Gallery Angela Feng CONTRIBUTOR Sitting within 401 Richmond St., an artistic hub in Toronto’s Fashion District is Tangled Art Gallery. Run by a not-forprofit organization, Tangled Art + Disability, this is Toronto’s first accessibility-orientated art gallery. Opened in 2016, the organization has been showcasing artworks by disabilityidentified artists through free public festivals since 2003.

artists to show in a major arts space, and to a diverse audience base outside of the disability arts community,” says Lee.

According to Statistics Canada, 13.7% of Canadians selfidentify as a person living with a disability. We rarely see this represented in the arts community, but this is quickly beginning to change. With the worldwide emergence of artistic hubs geared towards improving the visibility of disability-identified artists, Tangled is “a space that has been a long time coming,” says Sean Lee, Arts Management Intern at Tangled.

“It was important for us at Tangled to show that disability experience is impacted and informed by a variety of other identities including sex, gender, race, class, age etc.,” says Lee “Our artists are diverse because the experience of disability is diverse. By providing these artists with a space to tell their own individual stories, we are countering stereotypes that represent disability as a singular experience, and showcasing diverse artistic works that are inclusive of a variety of perspectives.”

“Tangled provides opportunities to professional artists who are disability-identified to present significant work that contributes to a more accessible and inclusive arts community.”

Tangled does not shy away from showcasing an incredibly diverse selection of artists.

According to Lee, Tangled events strive to create accessible spaces by “hanging artworks at a lower level to accommodate an eye-level that is friendlier to those in wheelchairs or with shorter stature, offering audio description with every exhibition, encouraging artists to consider tactile components, providing ASL interpreters and attendant care at all events or making all events free.”

Lack of accessibility, whether a lack of necessary funding or a lack of accessible spaces, often prevents persons with disabilities from viewing and creating art. Tangled “hopes audiences, artists, arts managers and artistic leaders will notice the ways in which we incorporate accessibility to the benefit of our artistic presentations,” Lee says.

The night ends as it begun. I am back in Nathan Phillips Square, hoping to check out an audio-visual installation that I had missed the first time around. Unfortunately, the project is beset by technical difficulties, so I spend the next forty odd minutes watching the sun as it ages, dies and is reborn again—an endless loop. The repetition strikes me as absurd and intensely bathetic.

Yet perhaps there’s something life-affirming in it, too.

On the walk home, I continue to mull on this paradox, as I dodge pools of vomit along the sidewalk. Perhaps there’s a place for hope in the midst of hopelessness.

Perhaps there’s a space for inter-connectedness in the midst of despair.

Watch your shoes.

speakers. The speakers, set up in a mandala-like shape, had water resting in the top of them which made lively jumps and visual vibrations as the speakers were sounding. Taking this collaborative energy one step further, artist Peggy Baker reimagined these shapes of water and sound through an hourly movement performance piece.

“By creating these standards of accessibility, we hope other organizations will take note and incorporate accessible features and contribute to a more inclusive arts community.”

Tangled will to continue to immerse itself in Toronto’s arts community. The launch of this permanent gallery “allows

Mad Room, by artist-in-residence Gloria Swain, is on now to December 3rd. This exhibit is focused on themes of mental health, intergenerational trauma, self-care, stigma and much, much more. Swain has created visual, textural, as well as auditory pieces representative of her own mad room.

Like all of Tangled’s festivals, this exhibit is fully accessible and admission is free.

9

arts The Hazy Authenticity of Donald Glover’s Atlanta Josh Scott SPORTS EDITOR To the extent that Donald Glover’s new TV series Atlanta depicts the plight of the young black man in urban America, it can be considered a cultural commentary. But to call it merely so, would be to grossly undersell the living, breathing world it creates.

resulted in a different beast—Atlanta is not quite like anything else you’d find on TV. Their unique and previously unheard of perspectives surely contribute to the show’s apparent rawness and slightly off-kilter vibe.

Glover plays Earnest “Earn” Marks, a broke and middling Ivy-League dropout with a young daughter that her mother looks after—with whom he also lives but is separate from and unable to support.

Don’t be mislead: this isn’t the Atlanta of past, or quite the Atlanta of present—despite the similarities it bears to both. It’s a living, breathing hybrid of the two with a dash of something else. It most closely resembles modern-day Atlanta, but its moody, surreal undertone lends it a haziness that at once de-familiarizes and intrigues.

The central plot goes something like this: Earn hears his cousin Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles is trying to break into the rap game and, sensing an opportunity, nominates himself to be Paper Boi’s manager.

At least so far, this arc seems like little more than a jumping off point. The camera follows Earn, Paper Boi, and Darius (Paper Boi’s right-hand stoner). Sometimes together, sometimes apart, each character is vivid enough for the viewer not to mind the show’s meandering shifts and seeming lack of structure.

Atlanta follows in the footsteps of Louis C.K.’s “Louie”, which at the time of its initial release was the first show, the first television comedy of its kind—in that it somehow felt closer to independent cinema in not only origin but effect. The same can be said of Atlanta.

Here, much credit is due to director Hiro Murai: this is his signature style. Best known as the creative talent responsible for Flying Lotus’s Never Catch Me video, Chet Faker’s Gold video and pretty much any recent Childish Gambino (Glover’s rap alter-ego) video, Atlanta is the Tokyo-born music video mastermind’s first foray into television.

What Atlanta does best is find humour in what Murai refers to as “the grey areas”. The show succeeds in creating “a tone where [we] are allowed to laugh at the hard jokes” without in any way selling short the cruel reality of life on the margins of society. Consider for example, the jail waiting room scene in the second episode: “Earn” is caught in the middle of a situation in which another character, to his own chagrin, realizes the girl he’s been sleeping with (who is also present) is a man. Despite the touchiness of the subject matter— and the high potential for it to devolve into cliché—the show treats the moment with grace and élan.

You don’t feel guilty for laughing: the moment is treated as just that—a moment. It quickly evaporates, as the focus shifts to a mentally ill man who becomes the victim of an act of police brutality. In turn, this is neither dwelt on nor overly dramatized.

Instead, it is dealt with matter-of-factly. The camera pans to the faces of its witnesses. By focusing on them rather than the event itself, the viewer is forced to see it through their eyes. Some are angry, pained or confused; most, resigned.

Atlanta weaves the comic and serious together in such a way that feels not only funny, but real—most comedies filter out the troubling aspects— Atlanta simply observes them.

http://2dopeboyz.com/2016/07/06/donald-glover-atlanta-trailer-2/

To create the show, Glover assembled a team made up entirely of black writers that, for the most part, had never before graced a TV writers’ room. This unorthodox approach has

And if that’s not enough to make you want to watch, it also has an episode with a black Justin Bieber.

A Little Night Music at the Stratford Festival Katharine Tiitson CONTRIBUTOR Gary Griffin’s production of A Little Night Music depicts the complexity and absurdity of love through the use of lively song and dance. Currently playing at the Stratford Festival until October 23rd, 2016, I had the opportunity to watch the play in late August with a good friend, and can highly stress that it is a play worth watching.

I entered the play with moderate expectations, but found myself blown away from the minor aspects of the play to the larger components that made the play worth watching from start to finish. To commence, the costumes were spectacular. Each character was appropriately dressed, and there was enough detail assigned to each outfit that not only correlated to the character’s personality, but made them stand out on stage even more. According to the official Stratford Theater website, an average of 130 hours is individually given to each dress, and that 36 of the dresses were hand stitched. I commend the designers on their hard work, as it’s evident the moment the actors walk out on stage. Each outfit appeared unique in its own means, even when it came to the secondary actors.

Likewise, the means by which the director used the stage was interesting. In the midst of the actors performing, there would be secondary characters, dressed as maids and butlers, bringing in new prop pieces and removing unneeded ones. It was a unique concept, but a tad distracting on occasion; especially during the more intense scenes of the play. Concerning the props used, the director’s concept appeared to be minimalist. There were only the basic of necessities set on stage, such as an ironrod bed when Frederik and his wife Anne were pretending to sleep. The lack of props however, did not take away from the performance. If anything, it added an element of grace to the production as it enabled the audience to focus more on the actors.

As A Little Night Music is a musical, there must be mentions of the characters’ vocal capabilities. There are specific scenes and characters that I wish to divulge into further. Beginning with the play’s opening scene, there was a group of five singers--three women and two men-

-who appeared to be narrators of sorts. Each of their voices was strong and perfectly harmonious; not once did they miss a count or beat. In particular, I found the singing of Juan Chioran to be absolutely delightful. From the moment he first appeared on stage, his commanding presence combined with his powerful voice had captured my attention. Even when compared to the professional singing of Yanna McIntosh, for instance, it was evident that Chioran could hold his own on stage. The only downside I found was the singing of actor Cynthia Dale (who played Countess Charlotte Malcolm). At times, her voice would rise to such a high pitch that it became almost impossible to discern the words.

In large part, A Little Night Music was a highly entertaining and comical musical. From the witty remarks of Frederik and Count Malcolm, to the splendid performances of Désirée and Countess Malcolm, this is a performance that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good show.

If you’re a theatre fanatic or merely looking for another production to watch, A Little Night Music is one you must keep in mind.

10

Faith & Thought

Exploring Individuality Through Belief

Distinctions Matter

Abdullah Sarwar CONTRIBUTOR

Muhammad Sarwar CONTRIBUTOR

There are some norms that serve as the impetuses to the ‘order’ and proper functioning of society. We may or may not value these certain norms but they do indeed connect us together. So, what kinds of norms are these? One of the most significant ones is faith; some might associate faith with established religions but that is not necessarily the case.

Faith is essentially an epistemological way of knowing people have faith in their families, communities, work, customs, relationships or religions. It is basically a strong, ‘one-way’ connection of the specific individual to the other party, where the individual possesses a strong belief that the other party would reciprocate.

Communal Faith It is important to note that although individuals have their own set of beliefs, they do ultimately have ‘shared’ beliefs that connect them together. This is a fundamental aspect of our society that helps it take its natural course. The Sunday gatherings at Churches or Friday prayers at Mosques illustrate how people of common set of beliefs gather systematically to share their beliefs and reassure themselves that they are not alone in the journey of life, that there is someone else out there who gives a similar meaning to life.

These ‘values’ that individuals share are essentially benign, meaning that they create a positive ambiance. The people reach these common values because they are intrinsically benevolent and are sympathetic towards one another. So, these values are the result of people unconsciously agreeing to these common values. Because of this strong faith in moral values, we have been able to create laws and order that, at least as far as people think, does justice to the society as a whole.

Throughout my life, I have read extensively about many grotesque acts committed due to, or in the name of, religion—beheading, torture, inquisitions, wars, female genital mutilations and so on. On the contrary, I have also read a plethora of positives—charities in the name of religion, education, community festivals and, quite recently, Pope Francis himself.

Before I go into the details, let me just make a qualification: I am not trying to show the falsity of any religious belief(s) nor am I suggesting that not “believing” is better than, or superior to, having religious beliefs or vice-versa; instead, I will take a purely analytic approach (a logical method, which is colloquially referred to as “rationality”) to investigate whether a person’s beliefs, irrespective of how innocuous or destructive they may be, matter when it comes to living in a multicultural place like Canada.

In order to make this analysis simple, I have taken a binary view. The ‘content’ of any given belief could either be harmful or harmless (surely, I am considering only the extremes here).

Similarly, a person can take an action or refrain from taking one; thus the combinations of the above two would result in three possibilities: harm, no harm and good. Now onto the logic part: if a person believes in something harmful but does nothing, it would cause no harm. Similarly, if a person with the same beliefs actively pursues those ends, then it would be harmful. On the other hand, if someone with innocuous notions takes no action, no harm is caused; if the same person does, in fact, do something, it could either be some good contribution or cause no harm at all.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/tourism/images-videos/Muslim-pilgrims-participating-in-the-annual-hajj-pray-at-the/159385

Individual Faith Faith, as mentioned earlier, is ultimately individualistic even though at the surface it seems to be similar. How do people happen to develop faith? One would obviously say that beliefs, especially the religious ones, are the result of simply being thrown into the world at a specific place. Yes, this is a major factor influencing one’s faith, but we can easily draw a parallel between the values shared by different religions. Almost all religions, at their very hearts, advocate the ‘good’, moral values. This is why they have come into existence in the first place. So, people do not simply agree to a religion that they are born into, but, because they are innately benevolent, they tend to conform into the positive values associated with their religions.

Let us not forget that faith does not simply connote with religious values. Faith is at the heart of our relationships. Faith is trust in and reliance on others, and this is how we develop relationships. We develop understandings with our loved ones because we have faith in them. A child has faith in his mother that she would protect him, a couple has faith in one another that they would be on eachother’s side when in danger, and siblings have their own subtle form of faith in each other. So, faith is the value that we need and always have had that keeps the harmony in our society and makes us who we truly are.

Quite clearly, those who have beliefs that I (and other secular humanists like me) consider harmless, there would be no problem. The discussion is, therefore, pertinent only when it comes to someone having religiously inspired notions that cause damage and offense. So the real question is: should we really allow someone to harbor the idea that homosexuals should at least be ostracized, if not stoned, just because they are homosexual? Or that if a person denounces a particular set of religious beliefs (that he or she happened to be born into), he or she is guilty of apostasy and the appropriate punishment is death? I am certain that this is not representative of the beliefs of virtually everyone, whether or not they are religious. The point is: can someone continue to be a member of our society and enjoy the same rights, benefits and privileges (both legally and socially) even if he or she cherishes such concepts?

My answer: Yes! I believe that the most important considerations when determining the ‘wrongness’ of an action are not, as is often mistakenly assumed, beliefs or intentions—though I do not dispute their significance per se and their relevance unto action. Instead, the determining factor is the outcome of the action itself. In other words, what makes something ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is, in our simplistic binary analysis, whether or not it hurts anyone other than the person who committed the action. Therefore, it follows that the beliefs are irrelevant and only actions must be punished, since beliefs themselves cannot harm anyone.

Another reason is that I would much prefer a place that does not reprimand even the most extremist of ideologies but only their actions, instead of living in a society that is morally conformist. That is to say, it is better to be surrounded by different perspectives, including the extreme ones, instead of being complacent and self-righteous in our own way of thinking. One might fairly object: “surely one cannot be complacent yet simultaneously eradicate the said extreme ideologies.” However, though I am not at all a moral or a cultural relativist, the absolute eradication is far more dangerous than complete rejection of such beliefs for a variety of reasons, but I will elaborate on one. The mere existence of these religious extremities allows us to have a “moral compass” with which we can gauge the progress we have made over the millennium by giving us a real, vivid illustration of the havoc that the actions based on these ideas can wreak.

After all, it took generations’ worth of organized work that allows us to enjoy the freedoms that we have, and it would be a shame to deny to those precisely that what we hold most dear, namely the freedom of conscience and religion without consideration to their content.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/03/25/is-religion-good-for-your-health/

11

Living Easy recipes for when you’re short on time or craving something sweet Jennifer Bueno LIVING EDITOR Want a fancy omelette for breakfast or brunch? Try this fast mug recipe!

cooked yet) and microwave again for another minute and 30 seconds. Divide the spaghetti and cheese mixture into the mugs and mix with the sausage on the bottom. Top with more cheese and black pepper. Microwave on high for another 3 minutes 30 seconds, until hot and bubbly (you might want to place a sheet of parchment on the bottom in case it over-spills.) Now enjoy your cheesy dinner!

You’ll need: • 2 eggs • 1 tbsp. flour • 1 tbsp. skim milk • 1 tbsp. grated cheese • 2 tbsp. diced green bell pepper • 2 tbsp. diced onion • Salt and pepper (to your liking) https://www.babble.com/best-recipes/nutella-mug-cake/

Crack the two eggs into a small bowl or directly into your mug and beat them with a fork. Stir in the flour, milk, cheese and diced vegetables, and season the mixture with salt and pepper to your taste. If you started out in a small bowl, pour the mixture into your mug. Microwave for 1 minute first, and keep microwaving in 15-second intervals afterwards, checking the mug after each interval until the omelette is cooked to your liking. Take the mug out of the microwave and you’re done!

http://www.justputzing.com/2013/01/omelette-in-a-mug.html

Are you a fan of Nutella? Then try this Nutella cake recipe!

You’ll need: • 4 tbsp. self-rising flour • 4 tbsp. white granulated sugar • 1 egg • 3 tbsp. cocoa powder • 3 tbsp. Nutella • 3 tbsp. milk • 3 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

But what if you’re craving something cheesy for dinner?

No problem! This particular recipe is very cheesy and yields two mug portions of cheese and sausage spaghetti!

You’ll need: • 1 & 1/2 cup (180 grams) of spaghetti that’s broken into short segments • 1 & 1/2 cup (355 grams) of water • 1/4 tsp. of salt • 1 cup (240 gram) of half and half (half cream) • 1/8 tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg • 1/2 heaping cup (45 grams/1.6 oz.) of shredded fontina cheese • 1/2 heaping cup (45 grams/1.6 oz.) of shredded sharp cheddar (and more for topping) • 1/3 cup (20 grams/0.7 oz.) of grated parmesan cheese (and more for topping) • Black pepper (to your liking) • 4.2 oz. (120 grams) of sausage meat • 1 clove of finely minced garlic • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme • 1 tsp. of unsalted butter Pour the broken spaghetti into a bowl. Add water and salt, then stir together. Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes, then take out the mug and stir. Cover and microwave again on high for 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness of the spaghetti) until the pasta is al-dente and the water is mostly absorbed.

Combine all the ingredients into a large coffee mug, and mix well until the batter is smooth. Microwave on high for 0:30 – 3:00 minutes – the time depends on your microwave wattage. Check on the mixture in 15-second intervals until it’s cooked as desired. And add whipped cream with chocolate sauce, and enjoy!

http://ladyandpups.com/2013/10/07/pre-departure-microwave-madness-eng/

For the sweet tooth, here’s a cookies and cream cake recipe.

You’ll need: • ¼ cup of white chocolate chips • 3 tbsp. whole milk • 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour • ¼ tsp. baking powder • ½ tbsp. vegetable oil • 2 Oreo cookies First, combine the white chocolate chips and milk in an oversized mug, and microwave for about 40 seconds. Stir the mixture until chocolate is completely melted, and then add the flour, baking powder, and oil. Mix until the batter is smooth. Using a fork, smash the Oreos into small chunks and add it to the batter. Cook in the microwave for about 1 minute. Let the cake cool for about a minute before eating, and enjoy!

Add the half cream, grated nutmeg, and all three cheeses.

Mix evenly and season with salt and black pepper to your taste.

Set aside your pasta and divide the sausage, minced garlic, fresh thyme and unsalted butter into 2 mugs. Mix them slightly, then microwave on high for 1 minute. Break up the sausage meat with a fork (which shouldn’t be completely

http://kirbiecravings.com/2014/06/cookies-n-cream-mug-cake.html

The dress code shouldn’t be a source of pre-interview stress Jennifer Bueno LIVING EDITOR First impressions on potential employers are incredibly important. The first evaluation an interviewer is going to make is on your appearance, and what that implies about you.

That’s why it is always better to look your best at an interview, regardless of what kind of environment you’ll be working in. The candidate dressed professionally implies an organized and dependable personality; the candidate dressed in jeans and an old t-shirt implies a messy and undependable one.

For men, suits are the easiest choice. Make sure to stick with solid colours like dark blue or grey. A long-sleeved shirt is also a must, either in white or colour-coordinated to the suit. A belt and tie are also nice additions, black being the safest choice or, again, colourcoordinated to the suit. Dark socks to match are also a plus, and the shoes should be black leather in order to tie in the image. There should be little to no jewelry, and you should try to style your hair into a neat and professional hairstyle. Make sure to limit the aftershave, and neatly trim and clean your nails. Add in a portfolio or briefcase, and you’ll complete the look of an organized, professional and dependable future employee.

For women, suits are also the easiest choice to depend one. Whether it’s a skirt suit or pantsuit, the colour should still be solid – like navy, black or dark grey. If you go with the skirt suit, make sure the skirt is long enough that you’ll have minimal issues sitting down, as wardrobe malfunctions are never fun when you’re focused on what you’re going to say to your interviewer. Neutral pantyhose would also go best with a skirt suit. There is some freedom with the blouse, but make sure to colour-coordinate it and keep it appropriate.

Conservative shoes are a must, black being the easiest colour, but you may colourcoordinate those with your outfit as well. There should be little to no jewelry – no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets. No jewelry is always better than cheap-looking jewelry in a professional setting. Your hairstyle is up to you, whether it’s completely straight, in a ponytail, pinned back or in a bun. Light or natural makeup would be most appropriate as well, and a light spray of perfume if you wish. Neatly trimmed and neutral coloured nails are best. Add a portfolio or briefcase to tie in the whole outfit, and voila!

Here’s what not to bring to an interview: don’t come in chewing gum or with some kind of beverage or snack. The interviewer will be asking you questions, and eating or drinking gives the wrong impression, as it makes you look messy and careless. Your cell phone is also a big one – you may wish to bring it in with you, but make sure it’s either off or on silent. If you’re not confident you can last the whole interview without checking your phone, then just leave it where you can’t get to it. Your friends might not mind when you’re with them, but in a professional setting, it is rude and rubs people the wrong way.

Now that you know the basics, here are some tips for a smooth interview. Get your clothes ready the night before, so you’re not stressed throwing things together in the morning.

You’ll be answering questions, so maybe have a breath mint before the interview. And lastly, the interview will go much smoother if you go in with a relaxed and calm demeanor.

Responding readily and openly will imply you are easy to work with and adaptable to change. Good luck!

12 photo corner Keenan Gibson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER