MODERN NOMADS
Learning to carry my home without having it with me
Nandinzaya Bulgankhangai, Contibutor
We are the nomads of Mongolia daughters and sons of the eternal blue sky and the harsh, dry wind. Before, being a nomad meant you would never be alone. It was a collective identity intricately shaped and intrinsically tied to the people around you Looking for an abundant land for our herd, we used to move with the changing seasons with our family and neighbours But today, we move for better education and work opportunities, trying to escape the financial struggles our country has imposed on us. We move not for necessity, but for survival, not for communal reasons, but for self-contained ones. Thus, the identity of a modern nomad is one filled with great solitude and homesickness
Looking back at all the photos I collected of my family throughout my life, I am rediscovering what the word āhomeā means to me as a Mongolian. āHomeā was never a house, an apartment, or a building. Walls or ceilings never constricted us, because we did not have any. The vast steppe was our playground, and rocks were our toys. As a kid, home was everywhere you could reach Then, āhomeā was also a sense of belonging It could be felt because it existed within people It was in the embrace of my parents, in the laughs of my cousins, and in the warmth of my grandmotherās tea. I belonged everywhere I set foot. I never ate, slept, or showered alone. Existence itself was a shared pursuit. At that time, even loneliness felt like a privilege.
Today, I carry this home of mine across the ocean I carry it to my lectures, to parties, and to the rainy streets of Toronto. I am learning to allow my home to live in me, not the other way around. This may be the single most important duty of a modern nomad to continuously carry everything that I had left behind, no matter how heavy it feels
A Moment to Pause and Reflect
Forgiveness: The Pain of Letting Go
āAs long as you feel superior to someone, feel like you are a much better kind of person, you will find it very hard, if not impossible, to forgiveā Tim Keller
We usually imagine pride as arrogance: the person who brags or thinks they are above everyone else But pride is simpler, more ordinary. It lives in our confidence that we are the exception, in the belief that weakness belongs to others, but not us It does not only say, āI am better,ā but also, āI do not need help,ā or even, āI would never,ā a silent assumption that we could never make the same mistakes someone else has
Many people struggle not only to forgive others but to forgive themselves Thinking, āI would never,ā refuses to see ourselves as capable of error, making self-forgiveness impossible
This everyday pride, the one we barely notice, keeps us from receiving grace and from offering forgiveness to others and ourselves. In daily life, at work, and in relationships, it shows up as disdain, judgment, or dismissiveness When we feel superior, we lose empathy and vulnerability Believing you would never act like the person who hurt you reinforces superiority and makes it harder to connect on a human level, a necessary step in forgiveness We create a gap between ourselves and those who err, making forgiveness impossible
Valeria V. Rojas , Contributor
āIf you stay superior and disdainful of the person, truth will eat up love You will only criticize, and not in a way that the person can hear You will be too scornful and harsh ā Tim Keller
āHumility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself lessā (Rick Warren, 2002) True humility is the posture of reducing ego, letting go of the need to always be above, right, or in control. It allows us to communicate and repair, speak truth without cruelty, and forgive ourselves without diminishing ourselves Without humility, you cannot say, āmaybe I could fail like that; maybe not above it ā
Where grace flows, pride dies
Grace belongs not only to spiritual language but to ordinary daylight life, in how we treat others. Grace does not ignore wrongdoing or erase accountability; it simply refuses to elevate us above those who falter Grace can forgive without stepping back into what broke you It says, āyou did wrong, but I will not stand above you for it,ā or āyou failed, but you are still worthy of love ā Grace lets us rebuild where rebuilding is healthy, and release what cannot be repaired Receiving grace allows transformation, and when we extend it, we create bridges instead of walls.
Forgiving can be difficult in many situations because it asks us to let go of the one thing our ego clings to most: the sense of being above the one who wronged us We want justice, fairness, and pain to go Forgiveness can feel like lowering our guard or letting someone āoff too easilyā Yet often, the real barrier is not the harm done; it is the pride within us
Documenting the Encampment at Kingās College Circle
A student photographer capturing the community behind the fence
Aiden Fung , Photo Editor
In May of 2024, when the university erected a fence only weeks after Kingās College Circle had completed its renovation, it sparked mixed emotions across the student body Many students believed the fence held ulterior motives amidst the war between Israel and Palestine, purposefully stifling any student-led dissent directly related to the invasion of Palestine The physical barrier did not just serve to keep us off the pristine and newly planted grass, but it acted as a barricade between our right to protest the institutional support of an ongoing genocide. With this in mind, in less than a couple of days, Pro-Palestinian students and activists breached the fence surrounding the field and set up camp for the next two months
Inside the university-constructed barricade, the encampment became a village of its own Quickly, the community constructed public infrastructure, such as a communal kitchen, mini-library, supply tent, and even an outdoor theatre In addition, there were constantly new tents being built to accommodate the ever-growing population As a student photographer, I thought it was important to document what life inside the encampment was like, in order to showcase the spirit and community of those who dared to stand for what they believed in I hope these photos offer a glimpse of what life within the encampment was like
FLAG
In front of University College, an unnamed individual climbed a tree and waved a Palestinian flag
Stories from the Sidewalk
How Toronto connects through posters
Claire Wilson , Contributor
If youāve ever walked around Toronto, youāve probably spotted a strange poster or advertisement stapled to an electrical post or a tree. Maybe youāve wondered what youād find if you went to one of their events or websites or scanned their QR code. In this article, I bring to you three mysterious posters found around Toronto and tell you their stories.
This poster was found on the OCAD campus. The awkward photo of a screen of a QR code brings me to styleicon.org, a competition in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, where participants compete to become the style icon of the year The group phase is ending and Mirjana has placed 8th
A snoop around her Instagram reveals that Mirjana is a registered massage therapist, and that in the 90s, she was a stunning runway model These days she posts photos of her bold outfits, often featuring frills, bright colors and patterns, and vintage pieces She is always smiling Even though Iāve never met her, Iām sorry she hasnāt made it to the next phase of the Style Icon contest Better luck next year Mirjana Iāll be rooting for you
This poster was found on St George Street, outside of Robarts I sent a message to the email address and a few days later had a phone call with Schroeder Reitzel, a film student at TMU He tells me the poster is part of his latest project, a documentary called My Red Shirt, about his search for the man in this photo
In late February, he spotted the man at Innis Town Hall and snapped a photo of him Reitzel was compelled by the stranger because āhe looked like he could have been anybody's dad. I think the fact that he was so normal-looking. But maybe not. He stuck out to me in the moment.ā
But Reitzel isnāt only compelled by the man in the red shirt. āI see interesting people all the time and I never see them again,ā he says, āand these people just disappear from our lives.ā Reitzel hasnāt found the man yet, but he isnāt giving up anytime soon. He and his film crew have put up around 140 posters around Toronto and plan to put up even more, even offering a cash prize for anyone who can find the mystery man
The film is scheduled to come out in mid-December and will be showing at TMU and local theatres
This poster, found on College Street, was put up by Erin Saint Gull I met her for coffee to hear the story behind it Saint Gull walked into the cafe wearing a big fur coat and matching fur hat She has the kind of energy that fills up a room I asked her who the woman in the red shirt is, and she excitedly launches into a story about a different poster she found in her neighbourhood The poster reads:
āI met you on Saturday night You were walking on College Street I was sitting at a bar You had a red shirt on and your hair was up Silly me, I never got your name I want to apologize for my behavior I was celebrating my friend's birthday and had too much to drink I was inappropriate I hope you can forgive me If you let me take you out for dinner, you will see I am actually a really nice and smart guy and a traditional gentleman I am saved in your contacts as Alex I also left my number for you at Cafe Diplomatico I hope to hear from you "
āHe decides to make a plan and to take action, and that is the exact quality I am looking for in a partner,ā said Saint Gull No one at the bar had his number, so she made her own poster in the hopes that Alex, or someone with the same sense of initiative, would reach out
When Saint Gull describes herself as agentic, she means it She graduated high school at 15, and at 17 moved from Paris to Toulouse, where she couch surfed her way into a new city and community After that, she moved to a house in the woods in Tours, then Portland, and finally, Toronto āThe world is something that you create There is no great man I do not believe in the great man theory of history I believe that it's always people just like us who have just decided to do things, right? You can just do things ā
Saint Gull has the same take-charge approach when it comes to dating She hasnāt heard back from Alex, but sheās received six emails so far (excluding mine), one of which resulted in a date āMy goal is to be in the same room as the kind of person who is compatible with [me,]ā she said āThat person exists and is roaming around in Toronto I just need to be there at the same time, same place, and look into their eyes and be like, āso what's your deal?āā
If you or someone you know might be a good match for Erin, you can email her at torontoheartfelt@gmail.com.
After investigating these posters and hearing from the people who put them up, I find myself lingering on posters a little more when Iām out walking And I think you should too You might scan a QR code that gives you malware, but you might also find a style icon, a mystery man, or a girl who wears a lot of fur and has a lot of stories Why not take the risk? If I learned one thing from these posters, itās that Toronto is a city of people searching for people, looking to be seen and for their stories to be told Only some are brave enough to put it on a lamp post
Born To Bleed Blue
From Childhood Memories To Lifelong Devotion
Lucas Carpignano, Sports Editor
Iāve spent my entire life bleeding blue for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and itās all because of my dad. He grew up a Leafs fan, and he made sure I would too My earliest hockey memories aren't of goals or wins, but rather, sitting beside him, watching the blue and white jerseys chase the puck across the ice While I didn't understand the rules yet, I understood what true passion for a team was by watching how my dad reacted to the TV. Cheering for the Leafs isn't just something we do; it is the foundation of our bond
While I am only 21 years old and have never seen the Leafs win the Stanley Cup, my dad, who is 55 years old, hasn't either. The Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, three years before he was born. Every spring, my dad loves to make the same comment: āI just want to see them win at least once in my lifetimeā
When he was around my age he had the privilege of watching many Leafs legends in their prime, such as Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, and Felix Potvin With them and a very well-rounded supporting roster, the Leafs made it to the conference finals against the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. To this day, he still talks about the infamous missed penalty on Kings forward Wayne Gretzky, which altered the series and arguably cost Toronto a shot at the cup Thirty-two years later, he still can't believe thatās the closest they have been since their last cup
I got to grow up watching future Leafs legends in Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares. It has been a decade since this hopeful core arrived, and since then, the Leafs have reached the second round of the playoffs twice, both ending in disappointment. There have been countless years of first-round exits and Game 7 chokes, and at this point, like my dad, I'm also questioning if I will see them win the Stanley Cup in my lifetime
If you were to ask me what my favourite memory of watching the Leafs is, the truth is, it hasn't happened yet. That honour is waiting for the day Toronto finally wins it all, and I get to witness it beside my dad When that day comes, it won't be just a victory for the Leafs; it will be the completion of years of shared hope, heartbreak, passion, and loyalty. Because at the end of the day, it was never just about hockey; it was about us
Torontoās Greatest Game in Decades
Ticket-Hunting To Attending The World Series
Ashley Thorpe, Staff Writer
. On October 24, I woke up at around 6:00 a m while shaking with excitement I had been wearing a raggedy blue shirt that read āBLUE JAYS OCTOBER BASEBALL,ā accompanied by matching pyjama pants with the teamās logo all over them. Although the game was 14 hours away, I could not remain calm knowing that I would be watching my favourite team play in the World Series that evening. More importantly, I knew I would be there in person despite not yet having tickets.
When getting dressed, I threw on my powder-blue Alek Manoah jersey, still feeling disappointed after finding out he had been cut from the team the month prior I briefly searched my hat collection before settling on the one with navy-blue panels and a powder-blue brim From there, it was time to leave my house and hop on a train to Toronto
The atmosphere in the city was completely electric Outside the Rogers Centre that day is the most exciting sports environment Iād ever experienced Cold rain fell outside the stadium, but no one was paying attention Every single fan was smiling and enjoying a unique type of happiness the city hadnāt felt in years I walked around outside, taking in the celebrations, the art, and the pure joy radiating through the air I had been to many Blue Jays games before, but I had never felt as giddy as I did in that very moment
Piercing through my excitement was the prospect of securing tickets Refreshing Ticketmaster, StubHub, TickPick, and SeatGeek was painful. Instead of prices dropping, they were going up as other fans splurged on last-minute tickets. I began to feel as though going to the game for under $1,000 was going to be hopeless. I was willing to spend that much money to go, but I wouldnāt have felt entirely good about it. Iād be spending the entirety of my expendable funds. Yet, as rain dripped off the brim of my hat, I experienced a stroke of luck. I managed to secure a ticket two rows from the top of the 500 level for around $650. It certainly wasnāt the most glamorous seat in the stadium, but it was all I needed
I skipped into the building, unable to break my intense smile as I collected a rally towel and a World Series scarf before rushing up to my seat Taking in my surroundings, a pit of anxiety began forming in my stomach The Blue Jays are an excellent team of course they are Bad teams donāt make it to the World Series However, the Jays win as a team and lose as a team Youāre rarely going into an at-bat expecting a home run like you would when the Los Angeles Dodgers have Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, or Freddie Freeman at the plate Despite my worries, I knew I could trust my team and genuinely believed theyād pull through with a win
I wasnāt too concerned when the Dodgers put up a couple of runs by the third inning The Blue Jays had the most comeback wins in the league this season, and I knew the game was far from over The Jays proved my loyalty and hopes worthwhile as Daulton Varsho hit a game-tying two-run home run in the fourth inning.
Varshoās home run was the motivation the team needed. During the sixth inning, Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes, George Springer, Addison Barger, and Alejandro Kirk drove in nine runs, giving the Blue Jays an 11ā2 lead in the second half of the game Bargerās grand slam within that inning was the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history
That nine-run sixth inning was the greatest thing Iāve ever watched in my life I lost my voice while cheering and screaming, which didnāt stop me from choking out more celebrations as the game went on and the Jays inched closer and closer to winning.
I happily chanted āWe donāt need youā with 44,000 Blue Jays fans as Ohtani approached the batterās box The two-run home run he hit in the seventh inning only brought the final score to 11ā4. We really didnāt need him. That night, I got to watch Toronto win its first World Series game in 32 years. It was their first win in my lifetime, and I will never forget the deep-seated happiness I experienced while watching my favourite team play that night. It was unforgettable.
