VOL. 7 NO. 5
June 2019
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From the Editor by EMMA WAI
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Photo: Anthony Chang
ear reader,
Every ending is bittersweet. This one, in particular, comes with its share of strong memories and inside jokes; perhaps no number of words may encapsulate the journey these past months have been, but I will try. There are, of course, things I wish I did or could’ve done. Nothing is or was perfect. There are always more articles to be written, more issues to be explored, and more editions to be published. Yet even with the late hours and deadline frustrations, I remain grateful for every minute I spent working for The Reckoner and for everyone who made this journey so special, both current and past. From my first day as Editor in Chief, I have considered myself incredibly fortunate to carry the torch and not only uphold but expand on the high standard set by the previous seven guards. It was never easy, and that’s what made it so special.
No farewell letter would be complete without thanking everyone that made every edition—every publication—possible. To Ms. Goldenberg, Ms. Speirs, Ms. Ali, Ms. O’Flynn-Wheeler, and all the teachers and staff that encouraged and supported us: thank you for your time, your feedback, and your genuine efforts in helping The Reckoner succeed. There has never been enough credit given for how much help you provide the paper. To the Eighth Guard: thank you for all your contributions. It is your efforts that make each edition more than a blank sheet of paper; it is you that allow the paper to exist at all. I will always be very proud of the work that has been done this year and I hope you are too. To the executive team: it’s been twelve long months filled with active group chats and difficult deadlines. Above all, thank you for caring, for wanting to make this paper better, and for the sacrifices you have made along the way to
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allow others’ voices to be heard. Lastly, to the reader: thank you for reading, for contributing, and for supporting this long journey. I hope that over the past year you saw and read something new, something different, and something interesting. I hope that you felt heard, represented, and validated. Please remember that this paper was never mine, nor the exec team’s, nor the staff’s: it is yours. The Reckoner is a legacy to be carried on, and it will next year in Aiman’s capable hands and yours. Join the Ninth Guard. Remain involved and active. Ask questions, raise concerns. Help us make the student voice heard—that’s the mission. I never considered myself a writer, much less dreamed of contributing to the paper, when I first stepped into Garneau. But I applied, and I found a tight-knit community of students who cared and helped me grow. The Reckoner was one of the most valuable and defining parts
of my high school experience and I encourage you to make it part of yours. There is always a place for anyone and everyone passionate about the cause. If I’m being honest, my Reckoner journey still doesn’t feel like it’s over. Perhaps it’s denial or disbelief, but I haven’t fully grasped that we’re done, that I’ve been here at Garneau and a part of this paper for almost forty-eight months. The bittersweetness hits hard as I write these final few words: The long nights of editing and boisterous board meetings and deadline stress will soon enough be no more than pieces of nostalgia, memories to sit back and gaze upon. Even as the summer comes and goes, the friendships, the lessons, and the paper will live on, strong as ever. Thank you. Emma Wai Editor in Chief
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VOL. 7 NO. 5
P2
June 2019
NEWS The Votes are In: SAC Elections 2019
Introducing Iftaar Night
by HARGUN KAUR and UROOBA SHAIKH
by IVY DING
Photo: Justin Ye rom colourful posters decorating every hallway to videos on Instagram feeds, politics prevailed at MGCI during Student Activity Council (SAC) election week, as voters made their decisions from 31 May to 4 June 2019. Election campaigns started on Monday, 27 May 2019. During the week leading up to their speeches, candidates advertised with posters around the school and paraded the hallways during lunch, making themselves known in every way possible. Many SAC hopefuls even made Instagram pages and websites for the occasion. On Friday, 31 May 2019, each candidate gave a speech in the cafeteria outlining their platforms and plans for improving MGCI in the upcoming school year. The speeches took place throughout the morning, starting with Grade 9 students in period 1 and ending with Grade 11 students in period 3. In addition to campaigning prior to the beginning of the voting period, Edith Nyamekye and Nelson Lee, the two presidential candidates, participated in a debate held by The Reckoner on Monday, 3 June 2019. At the beginning of the debate, each candidate was given a few minutes to outline their qualifications and platforms, after which they discussed ideas they had for increasing spirit, increasing SAC funding, and keeping SAC accountable to the student body. To conclude the debate, the candidates were asked about what makes them stand out. While Nelson emphasized passion and dedication, Edith spoke about her insider perspective on student council. The debate was later posted on The Reckoner’s Facebook page for students who were unable to attend. Chosen candidates for each of the seven elected positions were announced
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on Tuesday, 4 June 2019 at 3:00 pm. The students of MGCI voted Nelson Lee as their president for the 2019–2020 school year. His campaign focused largely on multiculturalism and ensuring that students from all backgrounds feel included and welcomed. In addition, Nelson campaigned for a rise in school spirit and student involvement, promising to make spirit and social events more accessible for students. Nelson’s plan also includes bringing back grade representatives to increase leadership opportunities for students in all grades. He also plans to continue the MGCI Let’s Talk initiative, a mental health awareness event which featured many de-stressing activities, and he wants to implement a Universal Mental Health Program. This program would make it mandatory for every student to attend an educational mental health session in which they would learn about dealing with anxiety and stress and recognizing symptoms of poor mental health. Alongside Nelson, students elected Ryan Chang as Vice-President. In this position, Ryan will act as a liaison between the student council and the student body. Ryan intends to do this by supporting Nelson in bringing back representatives for each grade to give students a stronger voice. He also hopes to introduce student ambassadors and house colour leaders to create unity and promote spirit. Taira Mehta has been entrusted with the task of organizing school events as Social Convener. Although this was her first year at the school, Taira already has a clear idea of how to improve the social atmosphere at MGCI. She plans to work with Nelson to implement the idea of MGCI Season Passes , which would allow students to pay in advance to attend all social events for the year. She also plans to start an initiative called the Grade Lounge. In her campaign, she said, “It is ridiculous to have to pay money in order to go to social events and meet the rest of your grade, so by implementing this free solution, we can build grade spirit and collaboration!” The Grade Lounge will feature a hangout-spot in the cafeteria for one hour after school for one week per grade every month. With this initia-
tive, Taira hopes to remove any divisions among students at MGCI and create a bonded school community. Eram Ahmed, the next Athletic Convener, has been involved in sports at Garneau since his first year at the school. He has promised an unforgettable Athletic Banquet and an increase in the number of intramural sports, with students voting on which sports are available. His goal is to give those who are unable to join teams an opportunity to participate and be active by playing sports they enjoy. Special events such as the famous International Show have previously been the highlight of the year for many MGCI students. However, with the cancellation of International Show this year, students have found themselves in need of an event that brings them together and gives them something to celebrate. They have entrusted the duty of planning large-scale events to Qays Matadar, Special Events Convener. In place of International Show, Qays has an idea in the works for an International Dance. This event will differ from other school dances in that it will feature traditional clothing and cultural performances from students. Students voted Evan Woo as Spirit Convener in this year’s election. Evan plans to keep spirits high by having a welcoming committee to greet students in the morning on the first day of school. He has also promised to keep students on their toes with more pep rallies that are inclusive and engaging, as well as increasing the number of Spirit Weeks so that students have more chances to display their school pride. His idea for a large-scale spirit event involves bringing back MGCI’s Fun Fair. The final elected position was Prom Convener, for which Zeinab Omar was the only candidate. She did not have to deliver a speech and received the position by default. The newly-elected SAC was sworn in on 11 June 2019, and they will select the remaining members later this week based on applications and interviews. With promising ideas from all the candidates, teachers and students alike have great hopes for the next school year. ■
Ms. Essery I
n April 2019, MGCI’s English department received a new addition, Ms. Essery, who has taught at elementary and high schools for the past eight years. She is currently teaching Grade 11 English, but has previously taught drama and art. Ms. Essery described a welcoming first impression of the school: “I feel like there’s a mentorship here in this school, where a lot of teachers help each other out and I so appreciate it. There’s a lot of humour here and there’s a lot of joy in this building so it’s great coming to work here.” Ms. Essery has always enjoyed drama and was an actress before becoming a teacher. One of her favourite aspects of acting was the people she met and worked with because they were “very open and very loving people.” She also enjoys being able to explore a variety of personas as she values the opportunity to “learn about the world through the eyes of a new character.” In addition to acting, Ms. Essery also taught children’s drama classes. Through her work with children, she realized that she wanted to pursue a teaching career: “The audience would just shout stuff out, they might even leave their seats and come up and walk onstage. And I found it to be so spontaneous and fun. There’s a sense of humour with kids, and I wanted to be a part of that.” Ms. Essery attended Canisius College in Buffalo to obtain her teaching degree. After graduating, she wanted to teach for the Toronto District School Board but had difficulty getting an interview. Reflecting on how she succeeded in getting hired, she said, “I had to be really creative I think. I started teaching night school and summer school, so I didn’t [start] right in September, I had to juggle
by JACQUELINE HUO a couple of jobs before I became a full, daytime teacher.” Comparing acting and teaching, Ms. Essery said, “They’re super similar in a lot of ways. You need to be really open-minded, be really welcoming, and I think you have to have a lot of energy. For theatre you have to be a very passionate person and really love what you’re doing. I think for teaching it’s the same way.” She feels that her experience with acting has helped her become the teacher she is today: “When you’re an actor, you have a lot of empathy from finding different ways to get into a character, get into a role, so I think I bring that compassionate side to teaching that I learned through acting.” In the last several years, Ms. Essery has taken up swimming and now goes to the pool almost every day after school. She not only gets exercise, but finds this hobby helps her relax and unwind: “I just listen to music and think about the [next] day, and what I’ll be teaching. It’s such a good end to the day.” In her free time, Ms. Essery regularly attends plays and musicals in Toronto, as well as the Shaw Festival and the Stratford Festival. She is also part of a book club and most recently read The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman. Some of Ms. Essery’s favourite memories are of travelling with her family: staying at cottages, visiting Florida, and going on road trips. She has plans for a road trip to New York City this summer to see plays. She also dreams of taking time off to travel with her family for an entire year, with Greece as number one on her bucket list. As an avid follower of current events, Ms. Essery feels we need to talk more
Photo: Eric Zhao about the environment and how we can slow down climate change. She is also concerned about the affordability of tuition for university and college: “It seems a little bit frightening how high [the cost] keeps going. I really hope we can do something about maybe offering more scholarships, grants, maybe tweaking OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) so students come out with less debt.” Ms. Essery loves being able to learn from her students, especially from “their experiences, joys, and challenges.” She is inspired by seeing her students grow and eventually go on to university and college. “I feel like the best part of teaching high school is to see kids take this big leap and discover themselves,” she said. She hopes that after they graduate, students remember her as someone who was “trying to motivate them and [who] was really behind them all the way.” She added, “If they didn’t already have a love for reading, for theatre, and for art, I hope they saw my energy and passion for art and books, and maybe took a little bit of that with them.” Her biggest advice to her students would be: “Do what you love, follow your passion, follow what makes your heart happy, and find what brings you joy.” ■
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or Muslims, the month of Ramadan is a time of fasting and worship that brings families, friends, and communities together. To break their daily fast, two hundred and twenty MGCI students gathered for the school’s first Iftaar Night on the evening of 17 May 2019. During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset, smoking, or behaving in a way that is regarded as sinful. The first meal of the day is called Suhoor and is eaten before sunrise. Shortly after, the Fajr prayer is performed. Muslims then fast for the entire day and partake in an evening meal called Iftaar after dusk. Muslims believe Ramadan teaches discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for the less fortunate, therefore encouraging generosity and charity. Iftaar Night was held in the school’s cafeteria from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. Doors were opened at 8:00 pm and closed at 9:00 pm. Dates, appetizers, and drinks were set out for students to take as they waited for sunset to break their fast. At 8:37 pm, Sunni Muslims broke their fast, and Shia Muslims did so fifteen minutes later. At 9:00 pm, the Maghrib prayer was performed, and the main meal was served shortly after. Among other dishes, chicken biryani, ribs, and pasta were served, as well as watermelon and künefe (a sweet Middle Eastern cheese pastry) for dessert. Hosted by the Student Activity Council (SAC) and the MGCI Muslim Student Association (MSA), Iftaar Night is an event that has been long in the making. During the 2016–2017 school year, then-SAC President Zaid Baig talked about how various school events were
Photo: Elmirah Ahmad postponed during Ramadan, as many students were unable to attend. Instead, the idea of an Eid event was proposed, as it was something that many MGCI students would be able to take part in. As a result, current Special Events Convener Zimman Yousuf introduced Iftaar Night for the 2018–2019 school year, with the expectation of a higher turnout than an Eid event due to many students wanting to spend Eid with their families. Tickets were sold for $3 at the MSA table in the cafeteria from 6–10 May, and the event was promoted on both the SAC and MSA social media platforms. Though Ramadan is an Islamic month of worship, the event was open to all students. Zimman said Iftaar Night was “a chance to battle Islamophobia, as we welcome all believers of all religions.” Iftaar Night was an immense success, bringing students together for a beautiful evening filled with food, prayer, and love. “I think it went amazing. [I’m] definitely proud of MSA for their efforts,” Zimman said. She hopes this event will continue to be hosted again in future years. ■
Catching for the Cougars: Ultimate Frisbee by EVAN WOO
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oss. Run. Catch. Repeat. Ultimate frisbee may seem like a simple sport, but there are many complexities that go into the game. Over the last decade, the sport has become increasingly popular at Marc Garneau CI. Schools across the Toronto District School Board compete every spring. Teams are split into four districts, North, South, East, and West, and play against other schools based on their region. Both the senior and junior teams from Marc Garneau CI played in the South Region. The senior teams are further divided based on skill level into two tiers. Garneau’s senior team played in tier one, the higher-ranking of the two. Marc Garneau CI has had an ultimate frisbee team for more than fifteen years. One of the team’s coaches, social studies teacher Mr. Graham, said, “I took it over in 2008 from Ms. Lesser. We used to have just one varsity team but went to having a junior and senior team two years ago and then adding a third female-only team [that played in October].” While the junior team was coached by Mr. Graham, the senior team was coached by social studies teacher Mr. Blyth. The season for the girls ultimate team took place in October. Tryouts for both the junior and senior teams were held in early April, with an overwhelming number of students trying out in both divisions. Both teams were eventually narrowed down to seventeen students each, with seven girls and ten boys. After several practices at the hydro field near the school, Garneau played games throughout May. The junior team, composed of Grade 9 and 10 students, played three games in total, against Jarvis CI, Danforth CTI, and North Toronto CI, with Garneau winning one out of the three games. Due to a lack of teams in the South Region, the junior team also played an exhibition match. Qualifying for playoffs, the junior team then played on 23 May against Humberside CI. Although the team lost 7–15, many looked back at how far the team had come. “I’m really proud of how we have bonded and played as a team this season. I think we bonded the most
through slipping and falling into mud.” said Grade 9 frisbee player Sebastian Assuncao. Nonetheless, both teams faced challenges this season. There were several scheduling conflicts throughout the season, and dates of both practices and games constantly changed due to the weather. “We were late getting started outside because of the long winter and couldn’t get onto the fields because of the wet spring,” Mr. Graham said. Additionally, members were busy with other commitments, resulting in a shortage of practices for the team, and low attendances for the ones that were held. Many members of the junior team were beginners and had only recently started playing the sport. More experienced students and the coaches were able to support new members and teach them to catch, throw, play defense, and strategies to play cohesively as a team. Members hope that they can build even stronger teams in the future as students continue playing through high school. When asked about his hopes for future teams, Mr. Graham replied, “My one hope would be that everyone on the team joins the Toronto Ultimate Club (TUC) and plays over the summer and winter so that they all hone the necessary skills, technical abilities, and fitness levels to play the game at a high level before we even have the tryouts. That is what many of the other schools are doing and if we want to compete with them we need to play more than a few times in the spring. We have some raw athletic ability on the team but most need to learn how to play the game and TUC is a great league to do that.” Junior team captain Jalal Jalali said, “It would be great if we could have more pickup practices and scrimmages so we can learn new plays as a team in the future.” By the end of the season, it was evident that the players had improved individually and as a team. Ultimate frisbee was an opportunity for students to learn new skills, represent their school, and have fun with their teammates. ■
June 2019
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VOL. 7 NO. 5
EDITORIAL Significant Digits:
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: The Future of Abortion in America
April Showers Bring May… Elections?
by SARAH ALI and TINA WEI
by ADIL HAIDER
+21 Seats
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n a recent wave of anti-abortion legislation across the United States, several states, including Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio, have passed bills pushing restrictive abortion laws. These bills generally seek to criminalize nearly all abortions and introduce harsh sentences for the doctors who perform the procedures and/or the women who receive them. Many states, including Georgia and Ohio, have passed “heartbeat bills” banning abortions after six weeks, supposedly when a fetal heartbeat can be detected. At the very least, Alabama and Missouri have specifically stated that the women who receive abortions will not be criminally liable; however, doctors can be prosecuted and face up to ninety-nine years of imprisonment for performing an abortion. The Georgia law, on the other hand, is less clear; although it is not stated that women can be subject to prosecution, it doesn’t say for sure that they won’t be for seeking and enacting abortions [1]. In the words of DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, “this new law muddies the water and may open the door for this type of prosecution.” As if that isn’t draconian enough, some bills aim to restrict birth control as well. Ohio’s legislative bill seeks to limit access to certain contraceptives by preventing insurance companies from covering them, which would disproportionately affect women from low-income communities. The reason for this is that such methods would “prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus”[2], which is entirely untrue as hormonal birth control pills simply prevent the release of an egg, and thus fertilization, far earlier in the process. Let us not forget the legendary policy on ectopic pregnancies, which has thankfully been scrapped from the Ohio ban. After prohibiting insurance coverage on birth control, Ohio legislators decided to “compensate” by allowing coverage of the non-existent procedure of surgical reimplantation of ectopic pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancies occur when the embryo attaches outside the uterus, which can threaten the woman’s life. The bill suggested the ability to “reimplant the fertilized ovum into the pregnant woman’s uterus.” In reality, the only current treatment available is to end the pregnancy. Naturally, numerous healthcare providers had something to say about Ohio’s new policy. Obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Jen Villaviencio describes the idea as “an incredibly bizzare thing for someone who is not medically trained to suggest”[2]. If it isn’t already obvious, many of these laws are based on a complete lack of basic knowledge about reproductive healthcare. For one, most women are completely unaware of their pregnancy at six weeks—for them, it’s the equivalent of a two-week-late period. Additionally, the supposed “fetal heartbeat” that is detectable at six weeks isn’t actually a heartbeat, since the heart would have barely started to form. There wouldn’t even be a fetus at this stage of the pregnancy, only an embryo the size of a pomegranate seed. At this stage, the organs have only begun to form, and the “heartbeat” can be attributed to electrical signals from cells in the area where the heart will form. These signals are undetectable without advanced ultrasound technology and cannot, in fact, be heard or felt from the woman’s belly, as many legislators seem to believe [3]. Apart from this troubling ignorance, these bills are also arguably founded on a deep lack of compassion and willingness to treat women in a humane manner. Georgia’s bill would require that women who suffer miscarriages be investigated to ensure that they were not purposefully induced by a third party, who would then be prosecuted [4]. Miscarriages already have the potential to cause lifelong trauma, and are extremely mentally exhausting on their own. To mandate that women be scrutinized and questioned in such a difficult time is utterly inhumane. Consider the case of Bei Bei Shuai, a woman from Indianapolis who was prosecuted for the death of her three-dayold daughter, Angel, after attempting suicide by eating rat poison. On 31 December 2010, Angel was delivered by Caesarean section, but soon had to be taken off life support with the full consent of Shuai. Distraught, Shuai was transferred into the mental health wing [4]. However, despite her state of mind, a homicide detective arrived at the hospital and began to interrogate her within just half an hour of the death of her child. Shuai was arrested on 14 March 2011 and charged with murder and attempted feticide. Because of this, she risked a sentence of forty-five years in prison [5].
Illustration: Molly Yu There is also the matter of abortion for rape victims. The Alabama and Missouri laws make no exception for victims of rape or incest. Other states, such as Georgia, do provide exceptions for rape and incest for up to twenty weeks as long as an official police report has been filed [1]. However, mistreatment of rape victims still runs rampant in these states. For one, in order to make use of this exception, victims would have to prove that they were raped. As has become increasingly clear in recent years, victims of rape rarely receive justice. Some simply do not feel as though they can handle reliving their trauma through the legal system, while others don’t feel that they can prove their case with confidence, fearing the stigma that comes with it. In many cases, bias works against survivors even when their case is proven, most commonly in the form of victim-blaming. In any case, survivors should not be required to go through this dehumanizing and exhaustive process just to be granted the right to not carry their rapist’s offspring to term. This law effectively strips victims of the ability to choose what to do with their bodies while retaining their basic dignity. The ultimate goal of these new laws is to initiate a Supreme Court challenge to overturn landmark abortion cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which protect women’s right to receive abortions regardless of their reasons for doing so [6]. However it is more likely that the court will uphold two pending laws, each with the potential to further restrict abortion rights. An alteration to a Louisiana law, if upheld would require any doctor offering abortion services to have admitting privileges at a hospital within thirty miles. An Indiana law would prohibit “discriminatory abortions”, which are sought due to characteristics of a fetus, such as gender, race, and/or diagnosis of defects such as Down syndrome [7]. If the Supreme Court chooses to uphold either of these laws, it would mean a stricter constraint on abortion without the need to overturn Roe. It is important to note that overturning Roe and Casey will not directly criminalize abortion, but will allow states to do so [8]. For example, abortion will be completely banned in four states—Louisiana, Mississippi, and North and South Dakota—if Roe is overturned. Additionally, nine states still have unrepealed anti-abortion laws that predate Roe. Though nine states have laws that explicitly protect abortion rights [9], it is difficult to predict what will happen from there. No one should need to present a heart-wrenching story to get the basic human right of bodily autonomy. ■ Works Cited [1] https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/arti-
cle/2019/may/24/georgia-abortion-bill-prison-factcheck/ [2] https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/05/17/ohioanti-abortion-birth-control/ [3] https://www.livescience.com/65501-fetal-heartbeatat-6-weeks-explained.html
[4] https://www.npr.org/sections/healthshots/2012/05/18/153026015/bail-granted-for-indiana-woman-charged-in-attempted-feticide [5] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/30/ indiana-prosecuting-chinese-woman-suicide-foetus [6] https://www.washingtonpost.com/ health/2019/05/11/could-miscarriages-land-women-jaillets-clarify-these-georgia-alabama-abortion-bills/?utm_ term=.1e3e2def7774 [7] https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/29/politics/supreme-court-cases-overturned-history-constitution-trnd/ index.html [8] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/ supreme-court-abortion-will-right-survive-new-onslaught-n1006386 [9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/ national/abortion-rights-supreme-court/?utm_term=. b71799f92520
After a month of voting, India’s Lok Sabha (parliamentary) elections are finally over. Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party have been returned to office with a convincing mandate, as they and their coalition partners gained 21 seats for a total majority of 350 seats in the 545-seat body. The result surprised many Indian pundits, who expected a victory for the opposition Indian National Congress (INC) party, after their strong showing in state elections. Instead, the INC only managed 60 seats, largely in South India, while losing several important seats in the north. Modi’s term had been marred by economic hardship for farmers, a squeeze in the labour market, and a disastrous “de-monetization” policy, but he was able to secure reelection by focusing on Hindu religious appeals and increased tension with Pakistan. [BBC]
recently announced they would be running as independents in the ridings of Markham-Stouffville and Vancouver-Granville, respectively. After the two were expelled from the Liberal caucus for refusing to toe the party line on the SNC-Lavalin scandal, they were courted by both the NDP and the Green Party, with Green leader Elizabeth May even offering them leadership of the party. The two instead made the decision to run as independents, running on a platform of non-partisanship and being responsive to their constituents, instead of to a party. There are doubts as to whether they’ll be able to survive the next election without party backing, but only time will tell. [CBC]
$60,000
That’s how much 2 courtside seats for the NBA Finals costed on reseller StubHub. Official tickets from Ticketmaster sold out almost immediately to the 2000 people in line. The On2 Independents tario Liberals and the NDP blame the Ex-Liberal Cabinet ministers Jane ridiculously high ticket prices on the Philpott and Jody-Wilson Raybould Progressive Conservatives’ scrapping
of the Ticket Sales Act, which limited resellers to 1.5 times the initial sales price. Many Raptors fans feel they have been effectively locked out of seeing their team play by the high prices. [CBC]
12 Days with 8 or more
The US has been wracked with tornadoes in recent months, reporting a record-breaking 12 consecutive days with 8 or more simultaneous twisters. 935 tornadoes have been reported in 2019, far above the average of 743 by this time of year. There have been 38 deaths so far, along with hundreds of injuries and millions of dollars in property damage. Scientists blame the increase in storms on increased atmospheric instability due to climate change, and there are further worries regarding our lack of preparedness for future storms. This year’s storms heralded a shift of the so-called “Tornado Alley” southeast into more densely populated and less prepared states like Arkansas and Alabama. [CBC] ■
The Case for the Kia MVP by ANDREW LIANG that affected Harden’s play, too. Through January, Harden scored a staggering 43.6 points per game, which is, again, the most points per game over a month since Wilt Chamberlain in the mid ’60s!
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Illustration: Sheri Kim
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ith the regular season over, the decision for the NBA’s annual Most Valuable Player (MVP) award now rests in the hands of the voters; player performances are over and done. I’ll dive into the cases for the clear front-runners James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, each of whom have had spectacular regular season campaigns this year. Harden averaged the most points per game since Michael Jordan’s heyday back in ‘86. He also added on 7.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game. On the other hand, Antetokounmpo scored 27.7 per contest to go with 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists.
James Harden
The reigning MVP Harden put on an absolutely dominant NBA season. Just a few years ago, Harden was often degraded as a poor defensive player. This year, he had the second most steals in the league, demonstrating a willingness and ability to contribute on the defensive end. His steal%—how often an opponent’s possession ends with a steal from Harden—is a career-high 2.7. Harden’s defensive plus-minus, which refers to how well the Houston Rockets defend with Harden on the court compared to when he’s off the court, is 1.2. This means that the Rockets play better defense when Harden is playing. “The Beard” really has smoothed out this facet of his game. And his offense? Harden’s offensive versatility presents a masterclass every other game. Whether it’s scoring a season-high 61 points in a single game or scoring 30+ points for a historic 32 straight games, Harden has proven he’s still got it going on the offensive end. That 32 game stretch trails only the great Wilt Chamberlain’s streak from 1962. During those games, Harden averaged 41.1 points and managed to score 40+ points on 18 separate occasions. His scoring hasn’t come at the expense of his team, either. The Rockets went 22-10 in those 32 games, and Harden’s streak propelled them to where they ended the year: the third seed in a competitive Western conference. It’s easy to forget that the Rockets were a middling 13-14 in their first 27 games before Harden starting his scoring streak. In fact, they weren’t even in the playoff picture! It’s also worth noting that the Rocket’s spectacular 22-10 run happened despite injuries to many key players in their rotation. Big man Clint Capela did not play for weeks due to a hand injury, while point guard Chris Paul and shooting guard Eric Gordon were both out for much of the run. You can see how
Oftentimes, the Kia MVP trophy is awarded to the best player on the team with the best record. This season, the Bucks easily snagged the top record, winning 60 of 82 games—beating out the Toronto Raptors by 2 full wins. And Giannis was undeniably the leader of this Milwaukee squad. In fact, he had the most points, assists, and rebounds among the Bucks. He had an offensive rating of 121 and a defensive rating of 99, meaning the Bucks outscored opponents by a whopping 22 points per 100 possesions when Giannis played. His length and athleticism point to his defensive potential and Giannis doesn’t disappoint. He records 1.8 steals and 2.2 blocks per contest, emphasizing his flexible defensive capabilities. He has the footwork to keep up with smaller players in the mid-range, and his 6’11” frame allows him to be a top-notch rim protector. However, Giannis is far more than a lock-down defender. In fact, the entire Bucks’ offense runs through Giannis—hence his ridiculous offensive usage rate. He’ll pick up speed in the mid-court, building up momentum to get to the basket in just two or three strides. He easily sidesteps immobile opposing bigs, and smaller guards have no chance against the juggernaut that is Antetokounmpo. And he’s efficient too. His true-shooting%, an advanced metric that accounts for the disparity in difficulties of three-point and two-point shot attempts, of 64.4 is very high—scoring 27.7 point per game on just 17 shots per game is about as efficient as you can possibly expect, from any player in any position. The solution? It may seem that you must prevent the Greek Freak from gathering speed, but that has its own problems. Double-teaming the star results in an open man for the Bucks, and Giannis is a passer with great court-vision. It’s almost impossible to stop Giannis, but teams have found some success by essentially building a “fortress” close to the net. Then, as Giannis passes to an open teammate, the defender rotates to cover the open man. It’s not a perfect solution—the shooter has an open window of about a second—but there isn’t really an answer to the well-rounded offensive equivalent of a rampaging elephant.
So Who Will Win?
Though it’s difficult to elevate one over the other, the prize will likely go to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The past few years have demonstrated that perhaps the decades-old pattern of “best player on best team” may already be obsolete. It might be all about the narrative of the top candidates. Harden carried his team through that 32-game stretch when multiple key players were injured, but Giannis has led his team to the best record without another bona-fide star. The next best Bucks’ player, Khris Middleton, can’t even create his own shot consistently. Based on this trend—that the better, more compelling narrative wins—Giannis Antetokounmpo is my pick for MVP. ■
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VOL. 7 NO. 5
P4
June 2019
LIFE
Open Ocean
Blunt Force
by AVA PUN
by SUMEDH DHANVANTHRY
Y
Haec Dies by BRIDGET HUH
Illustration: Sophie Yang
O
n certain days I’m afraid to be alone with myself. These are days of a deep disquietude, of lifelessness, of a hatred for mirrors. These are the days I wish I could duct tape my eyes shut to stop them from leaking. These are the days I force the words, the days they stagger
drunkenly about, devoid of purpose and also of any meaning. On these days I find myself desperate for company—namely, for someone else’s words and substance to fill my head and distract me from my own. Your girlfriend just broke up with you and you need to talk to someone? I’m right here. You want to rhapsodize about international trade law but everyone else refuses to listen? Well, I will (yes, I only listen to you talk about trade law because I’m lonely. It really is boring). You have a crippling porn addiction and want to get it off your chest for cathartic reasons? Tell me all about it. (No, not you, I’m talking about a different porn addict.) These days are especially odd, I think, because I’ve always enjoyed my own company. I’ve always enjoyed the inimitable clarity of thought cultivated by solitude, the easy honesty of having no one to impress. As a child, I would always be in my own head, talking or narrating to myself (regardless of whether or not I was around people). I’ve always found comfort in my own presence and in my own thoughts—but these days are different. On these days, the very thoughts
that haunt my head are the most excruciating, the most cumbersome. See, the ego has inbuilt mechanisms that defend against foreign aggression and other unfamiliar impressions. But when it turns on itself, when you realize and magnify your own infinite shortcomings, it’s so hard to fight your certainty in your own crappiness, your own feelings of vehement hatred. It frightens me to know that I can never escape myself. On these days especially I can’t understand how people be with themselves—myself is such an incorrigible piece of garbage. I would know, having had to bear with myself for all of seventeen years. God knows how other people do it. Now I could and probably should end this on a positive note, but I feel that would render the entire thing incohesive. So instead, reader, I leave you with a piece of my undisputed and profound wisdom: everything is so very garbage, but on these days, it can always become more garbage. ■
human
by INDIA DAS-BROWN
T
ell me: in what honour do you deign me worthy of this name? Tell me: how grey a face you veil under that limber amber mask, and what deprivation leads to this depravity, and besides, what is that your fingers cling to! Tell me of this walkway: What sombre procession it is; Us, the unruly, mute and slow do we march, and how straight a column do we serve! Did useless torment sign that hermetic seal? Yet why louder is this pyre of crows: and how wretched are you, against the will of mercy; is it not but your worthless human shadow, from which I cower? And why do I fear you so? Is not that fallibility mine, and does this not tell of some duplicate from my making? Is not that you whom my dreams sought to counsel by night? Alas, you worthy fiend! How pale a spirit reigns King of this memory! ■
Illustration: Christina Zhang
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Illustration: Lauren Liu
ou’re afraid of the possibility of a trauma you don’t remember. That you could understand so much more about yourself if your brain would cooperate. Something made you this way. Something happened when you were a child that flung you into the air, because now you spend your life bracing for the impact. And that is why you do what you do, even if you don’t realize it. But what? What was it that pushed you so far? You can’t know. Your infantile brain brushed it off. Memory is funny. All your heroics, that nobody has forgotten but you. And you think you’re not good enough because of it. Because you’ve forgotten what nobody else ever will. You’ve changed lives. Trust me, they remember it was you. Remind me. Why do you try to be good? It’s your childhood. Nothing more, nothing less. Your past. Your past has killed your future. You are a good person. You ask questions you already know the answer
to. So he knows his words are being appreciated. So you can see his face as he shares with you everything he thinks you need. He doesn’t know that none of this is new to you. But it doesn’t matter, because you’ve made him happy. Why you use “I love you” so loosely. It’s unfair to compare the circumstances of your existence to his. What you hear everyday, he never hears at all. So say it one more time. But you’re unlucky. Your axis is askew. Who’s to blame? The reason why inspiration hits you the day after your deadline. Because, I think, this one wasn’t meant to be held by the fourth dimension. There is no box. So make it exactly as you wish. Be precise. Don’t you dare make it perfect. Treat it as God. Now you know. This, everything you need. Everything I think you need. And I know you knew this already, but you still asked. Now tell me, What were you hoping to hear? ■
Into the Woods by ERIC ZHAO