ISSUE #3: LIMBO

the

howl mag

issue three

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Chantel Ouellet @chantelgabrielle editor in chief

Joyce Wong @princesspissed_ creative director

Kendall Preston @kendal.preston copy editor

Danielle Linder Matthew LeGallais Logan Blair assistant copy editors

Michaela Fuchs @michaela_fuchs sounds editor

Gabbi Gard @classiquerock sights editor

Simona Presutto @elfearss thoughts editor

Sena Cheung @radfoxes public relations coordinator

Contributors:

Shazre Khan | @Shazreeatsworld, Madeline Taylor | @madeline.ltaylor, Simran Sawhney | @simransawhneyx, Suwilanji Sichilongo | @sichi29jr, Danielle Linder, Wyatt Whyte

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Letter from the Editor: For four years I naively saw Toronto as a shiny beacon of freedom and culture.

I remember I used to lie on the beach with my friends late at night.

We had “borrowed” alcohol from our parents cabinets. Bathing suits were abandoned further down the beach and everyone said they were sleeping at each other’s houses. I wore knock off sunglasses and my hair was short. I pulled my cardigan closely around my body, watching the sun droop below the horizon.

As our illegal fire dwindled and we all felt a little hazy, I laid amongst a pile of my friends. Bodies were intertwined. Sand was everywhere. I shut my eyes and had a vision of sorts. I saw a small yellow, sunshine filled kitchen. It was tiny, with a tiny stove and a small man in front of it. He was standing over a frying pan at the stove. He looked over at me but the sunlight streaming in obscured his face. I could tell he was smiling though.

I felt warm. I felt happy. I felt free. I opened my eyes and returned to the stars above me.

I didn’t know where this little apartment was but I knew it was all I wanted.

I would revisit this same vision late at night over the next three years.

When I climbed out onto a windowsill in my underwear in the pitch black Thai night, I shut my eyes and was filled with this vision. As I lied on my bedroom floor and felt the walls closing in, I went back there. When I tried to climb out my bedroom window and runaway at eighteen, I was chasing this place.

Then finally I moved to the city. I looked for this vision in kind men and overpriced apartments. Yet, even here in Toronto the city I dreamed of I would return to this vision. I would see it while I slept on a bench in a Montreal bus station and again when I slept in the Chicago airport. I imagine it every winter when the snow falls and I get scared.

Toronto is my home now but not forever. It is a stopping point for me. It’s the in between, a tick on a timeline that is constantly expanding. I think I am now happy about that. I didn’t want to find my sunlit kitchen here. This is not my final destination.

This city often makes me feel in limbo because of this. I know it’s not final.

In this issue we wanted to explore the constant state of change that is magnified by both being in university and in the city. We explore this feeling of limbo throughout this issue. We talk about nostalgic music tastes, liminal spaces, the constant draw of dropping out and much more.

As always, we hope you enjoy!

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Chantel Ouellet, Editor-in-Chief

liminal spaces | page five second year drop out | page seven the international student limbo | page nine defining relationships | page thirteen poetry | page fifteen

sights

content

thoughts

life is guccy, baby | page seventeen in between | page nineteen

sounds

questioning reality | page twenty seven a LANY concert | page twenty nine how “mother!� broke the critic | page thirty three music in limbo | page thirty five

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There is something to be said for *~*~*vibes.

Or, to use a less your-mildly-insta-famous-cousin phrasing: I don’t think it’s kooky or magical to say that physical places have energies. K-Mart has an energy that is literally inimitable, and you all know exactly what I’m goddamn talking about.

If you’ve ever walked through an empty playground past midnight, you’ve probably felt that indescribable feeling— like your body is sensing, without your permission, that reality is subtly altered here. The rules are different, the borders of our universe have stretched. It is not entirely comfortable, but not entirely uncomfortable. Vaguely, you wonder if you’re merely anxious at the prospect of being murdered in some playground in the middle of the night, which is fair.

That said, the specific feeling you have in these circumstances cannot be entirely attributed to reasonable anxiety.

Something feels, in its most simple sense, off.

It’s the same feeling you have in an empty hospital waiting room. It’s the same feeling you have in an unfamiliar McDonalds in some bullshit flyover town you’re passing through on a road trip.

It’s the same feeling you get deep in the mountains, on a rooftop in the early morning or in a laundromat at midnight.

Friends, foes: I’m talking about a liminal space. A Tumblr user whose account has since been deactivated (RIP) describes this phenomenon as such— “Places like rest stops, stairwells, trains, parking lots, waiting rooms, and airports feel weird when you’re in them because their existence is not about themselves, but the things before and after them

Reality feels altered here because we’re not really supposed to be in them for a long time or think about them as their own entities, and when we do they seem odd and out of place. The other spaces feel weird because our brains are hard-wired for context— we like things to belong to a certain place and time and when we experience those things outside of the context our brains have developed for them. Your brain is like ‘I already have a context for this space and this is not it so it must be dangerous.’ Our rational understanding can sometimes override that immediate ‘danger’ impulse but we’re still left with a feeling of wariness and unease.”

Now that we all agree that this is a legitimate Thing, please behold: A Non-Exhaustive List of Liminal Spaces 1. Empty small town gas stations 2. Empty university residences

a. A specific woodsworth suite that shall go unnamed 3. Ponds in suburban neighbourhoods 4. Most playgrounds when they’re devoid of children 5. Any bathrooms in a power outage when you’re trying to light the room unconventionally 6. Target. Just Target.

7. Specific movie theatres (Scotiabank at midnight, lookin’ at you) 8. Shitty diners at the ass-crack of dawn 9. Dark lighthouses 10. Your elementary school, right now 11. Several specific spots in the stacks at Robarts 12. Bathrooms in tiny concert venues 13. The platform at Yonge/Bloor station, on the rare occasion it is empty 14. Old school confession booths 15. Honestly, most churches

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Second Year Drop Out Second Yea Drop Out thoughts | Logan Blair

A bit about me, I am currently in fourth year of life science, studying Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Forest Conservation Science. I did not start out in these programs, and here is a short story of how I found myself here.

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My second year at U of T was a rough time. As with most students in life science, I had lofty goals of some sort of professional school (i.e. medicine, pharmacy). I felt it was best to complete my bachelor’s degree in a related health-/ medical-science field. When I enrolled in my programs after first year, I chose a double major in Physiology and Immunology. Naturally, I took those courses in my second year, along with some other science things like biochemistry, genetics, and, oddly enough, forest conservation.

Fast forward to when I received all my marks at the end of my second year.

Somehow I managed to scrape by with four Ds, three Cs, a B, and a late withdrawal. Honestly, it was a shining moment in my academic history. My annual GPA was 1.55 that year. Amazing, truly.

Immediately, I realized that the type of science that I thought I should study was not necessarily what I should be studying. Of course, I love science, it is straightforward and factual. I simply don’t have the ability to wrap myself around arts-based programs. Regardless, I knew I needed out of the “harder” things like physiology and biochemistry, so I took a seat and planned my future.

My first thought was literally to drop out, go back to my hometown in the States, and become a farmer. At the least, I would have a job for as long as I wanted. Once I calmed down and thought realistically, I understood that I moved to Canada to pursue a degree at a topnotch institution, and my ego would not let me back down from that plan. So, I had to improvise.

I gave my transcript a thorough review and evaluated what I was performing better in. Turns out I am somewhat good at a different type of biology (ecology and evolution). And remember that one B that I received? It was in my forest conservation course. Maybe, I thought, perhaps I’m not horrible at all science?

Maybe I can still be a scientist? Maybe I’m just not cut out for the type of science I had planned on studying?

Moving forward, I dropped the two programs I was in at the time and changed to my current ones. Having only studied ecology, evolution, and forest conservation for two years now, I can genuinely say that I love trees. I never thought I would find myself here. I was faced with [potential] academic probation and, worse, dropping out and moving home.

Somehow I powered through. Instead of beating myself up for being bad at things, I focused on the good things and changed my plan of action.

And now I’m here, in my second term of fourth year, doing pretty dang well in my ecology, evolution, and forest conservation courses. My GPA is better and so are my stress levels. I’ve come to enjoy my studies as well. There’s certainly a difference between learning about pituitary hormones in PSL300 and learning why trees are tall in FOR305, but I know which one I’d rather be studying now.

Looking back I’m glad I didn’t quit when things got tough.

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international

the

student limbo

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thoughts | Shazre Khan

sights | Simran Sawhane

Let’s talk about what it’s like to be an international student. It’s not all that sunny.

We’re not all Moose Knuckle jackets and Audi’s parked outside Con Hall. There’s a darker side, albeit a flip side, of being a foreigner in your own home.

I can only talk about my own experience, but its one that I feel may resonate with other people like me. I grew up in Pakistan and like many others there decided to come to Canada for university. I packed up my suitcases, brought my warmest clothes (let me tell you, warm for Pakistan is not warm for Canada), and left my friends, my family and my whole life behind.

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I did the usual growing up everyone does at university. I changed my major twice (which is pretty standard at U of T). I joined and quit the gym. I discovered coffee. I learnt how to cook and discovered the beauty of being alone. I went through various groups of friends.

I learnt that family goes beyond blood.

With that knowledge I came to the realization that there is no replacement for a mother and absolutely no cure for being homesick.

I fell in love in all sorts of ways and I fell out of it (but in different ways). I learnt the TTC system by heart and still, Uber became my most used app. I fell down in my heels a lot and I wrote a lot of essays. I realized a bit later than I would have hoped, that I liked politics and disliked law. I realized that I was intimidated by my female professors more so than my male, and that I definitely studied best in coffee shops that definitely overcharged me.

I found my favourite study spot. I learned to read for pleasure in the summer but wrote for pleasure year round. I learnt to ride a bike again. I dyed my hair myself twice and consequently, hated it twice. I fell in love with Yonge street (but only before midnight) and I developed a taste for 4 dollar shawarmas. When I went back home for winter break, I found myself counting down the days to go back to a different home.

As I said, I did the usual growing up that everyone does at university. Except, the growing up that a international student does is a bit different. It’s always on a timeline, the expiration date of your study permit always looms. It is followed by a piercing question, “What’s your plan after this, what are you doing after

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you graduate?”

The funny thing is, we don’t know. We spend four years making a home out of a country we don’t have a passport for, four years memorizing street signs, furnishing apartments, falling in love in our favourite restaurants, having our hearts broken in cafes and building families out of friendships in parks and beaches only to realize it isn’t home at all.

Like I said, being an international student, a foreigner in your own home has a dark side. You’re growing up in somewhat of a limbo uncertain of what the future holds. Do you go home after? What is home? Is it harder to get a job without a Canadian passport? Will employers discriminate? Did our parents spend all this money on us for us to never come back to them? Did they spend all this money on us to waste it and come back to what they sent us away from? What’s the right decision? Where is the right decision?

I traveled thousands of miles only to find myself stuck in a new set of insecurities and in a plethora of new uncertainties.

However despite all this doubt, I think I./’ll figure it out. I think there’s comfort in knowing you have roots somewhere else, and can plant them anywhere else.

There’s comfort in not being comfortable, a certain familiarity of the unfamiliar. Being an international student means building yourself an armour that gives you the tools that with time, will be able to answer the multitude of questions that are thrown at us.

I do not know where home is, but I think I’m learning it doesn’t have to be one single place.

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If you pick up a magazine, chances are the cover is going to have a head line with advice on how to cope with being in a relationship limbo, or how to find out if you’re “stuck” in a dead end relationship.

The more we progress, the more social labels are blurring together and the pressures of defining your relationship within binary, or perhaps any, terms is melting away. However, Cosmo seems to want to let me know that I should cut my losses if my relationship isn’t going anywhere. Romance is important to people, Love is considered necessary.

Despite what Cosmo says, every where i look a new pattern of ambiguity of relationships seems to be emerging.

We’ve grown up on fairy tales, on Hugh Grant professing his love in a cute British accent, and Kate vowing to never let Jack go. I think growing up in this world we have seen too many types of perfect loves and so the fear of not having it and the risk of failing to achieve a Pretty Woman Love is also increasing. We have a standard to live up to, which is why I think Millennials feel safer avoiding the risk of failing to find it.

As someone in university, I know how complicated dating is. Are your friends hanging out or are they dating? Are they hooking up or did they actually want to chill and watch the office at 2 am together on Netflix? Is Netflix and chill a thing? Are we going on tinder dates out of boredom or because we want it to lead somewhere? Are we even allowed to go on second date with our bumble matches?

If the trend of not defining your relationship is rising, why is that considered a bad thing? Millennials are accused of dismantling institutions of marriage and killing love (and apparently replacing it with technology, but thats a topic for another time) but I fail to understand why my friends who are unofficially together are supposedly responsible for the

downfall of society. I think its possible for us to be happy, healthy, and maybe even in love without actually having to be with someone. I think its possible to kind be with someone, to kinda be dating them, to kinda introduce them to your friends as your kinda boyfriend but not really and still manage to have a PERFECTLY healthy relationship.

My friend Martha tells me she’s not defining her relationship because if she’s not in one she doesn’t have to break up with him. My other friend, George tells me he’s not with his boyfriend officially because he’s not officially gay to the world and its not of their business. My friend Susan (Yes, these aren’t their real names, you got me) tells me that she loves her best friend but they aren’t ready to date yet because they’ve been best friends for so long they’re scared they wont know how to be anything else.

If you ask them if they’re happy, all of them say yes. Maybe they are scared of defining their relationships as something officially more, but maybe thats not the goal they need to reach, just the goal they have been taught to reach.

At the same time, we’re all well aware of the risks of this. Acting, breathing, hanging out with a and loving someone like you’re in a relationship with them and having to deal with the consequences of the blurry lines of not actually being with them. Are you allowed to date other people, are you allowed to love other people, are you allowed to be jealous?

Like I said, as unofficial relationships rise, so does the ambiguity of love. My point remains though. Relationships are risky.

Non-official relationships are also risky.

There has to be a middle ground and that middle ground comes with a learning curve that we have to be allowed to ride ourselves, to figure out our own definition of healthy and happy, without the societal pressures.

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thoughts | Suwilanji Sichilongo --------------------------------------------------------profound unalleviated anguish i gave you the world yet I’m still starved for land i treated you well, you tricked me till i drowned i sunk into the ground, the very place you now stand i burn in desert sands, but who am i to curse the sun severe relentless pain --------------------------------------------------------“In this life I’ve been lost. Without a clue how I got here, or how to find myself. I’ve lived many a day in uncertainty. Awakened to the fact that I may never be found again. But stubborn as a mule, with limited tools, I search to find a muse, for this poetry I [ab]use.”

“Everyone’s a user, but leave if they’re abusive.”

- A naive 20-something millennial --------------------------------------------------------I let my fears go and forgot all my phobias. Now I row a packed canoe en route to Utopia.

Gone Why do we hurt the people we love the most?

How come we only see how they feel when the feeling is gone?

I found answers, but they’re not here anymore.

“I lost my mind, and you won’t believe the things I found as I searched the world for it” - Another 20-something millennial

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“Insecure. I feel like my existence could soon be forgotten by you because I lack in everything you deserve to have. Insecure. Tatted scars on narrow shoulders that weigh the world, but for how much longer? Insecure. I find words with deep meaning when I’m spilling out my feelings, but if you ask me this is just a poem because I’m insecure”.

---------------------------------------------------------oxy + gin She thought my silence was suffocating until she realized it was the only way I could breathe Entangling the present with the past, is like walking through shards of glass, from dawn to dusk, and asking why your feet stain the dust with blood.

-------------------Emotion x Immortality Wounds from a past life heal but stitches on a heart are hard to conceal You showed me your scars They are who you are And you’re beautiful just the way you are A soul like yours is worth more than gold A soul like yours has left me in awe -------------------------------------------------|

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The word Gucci is universal, accepted by everyone in terms of utter luxury.

Ever since Alessandro Michele was appointed creative director in 2015, the brand transcended into something more than luxury. Something young, bold and, quite honestly, weird.

In the mid-2000s Gucci was doing the whole ‘sexy’ thing, which is what the brand was known for, then, suddenly, the public was flung into Alessandro’s bizarre 1970s grandmother world. Shockingly, the public picked up on it. According to Alessandro, “I literally destroyed everything and created something new.

We destroyed the old attitude of the company.” This was clear because soon I was seeing the massive square Gucci sunglasses, loafers, and floral appliqués EVERYWHERE. This style is not particularly mainstream, so why is EVERYONE on this crazy kick? I really cannot tell you.

What is particularly shocking is the way in which the hip hop community has embraced Gucci. Which soundcloud rapper isn’t in a full Gucci getup, even the new Alessandro Gucci.

Lil Pump literally made a song called “Gucci Gang”; not the particular style one expects for a classical rapper. Regardless, the Gu-

cci influence is there, the name is dropped in countless songs; and it is probably due to the boldness of the brand. Other celebrities are also very much into the brand. Gucci dresses all the hottest actors, singers, etc. Ones that are interesting and have a certain style, such as Harry Styles or Dakota Johnson.

This boldness was clearly displayed in the new clothing and accessories Alessandro has presented. This season that just passed, on the runway were bags that said ‘Guccy’. Obviously a satire on its own knock off bags, it was still shocking to see on the runway… let alone think of a consumer who would want a Gucci bag that said Guccy.

But behold, according to WhoWhatWhere and Marie Claire, it is the newest ‘it’ bag. I even received an email the other night where I saw a classic box shaped Gucci bag, but on the lock it had Guccy in the font Comic Sans. Yes, that is correct. I said Comic Sans.

Gucci is making fun of itself and therefore allowing consumers to laugh alongside.

Unlike other fashion brands today, Gucci is filled with happiness and humour, not some dreary collection filled with black oversized coats (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

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In Between sights | Sena Cheung

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models: @daethepoet, @urfavouritelsoer

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Questionning Reality

Psychedelic films that will distort your norm thoughts | Michaela Fuchs Psychedelic films push the limits in art, thought, and imagination. These surreal pieces make you feel as if you are high out of your mind – and in a great way. Psychedelic movies can be characterized through the influence of psychedelic drugs; with visual distortion or experimental story-lines, the viewers are left questioning their own understanding of reality. If you are new to this limbo genre, I have provided a list of four beautiful films that are worth checking out, and will leave you awake at night questioning life.

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Yellow Submarine (1968)

Fantastic Planet (1973)

Music lovers rejoice! If you are a major Beatles fan, then you may have already been exposed to their animated movie Yellow Submarine. This film is one of the earliest memories I have when it comes to watching movies – it was also what sparked my own obsession with the Beatles.

This movie follows the trippy adventures John, Paul, George, and Ringo have in order to save Pepperland from the Blue Meanies. The amazing visuals are also accompanied by their album Yellow Submarine. Essentially think of this movie as a major-feature music video.

Fantastic Planet is a story about the relationship between an oppressed, small human and a giant-blue oppressor on a far-away planet called Ygam. These giant-blue humanoids are both spiritually and technologically advanced, so they keep humans as pets since they are seen as animals.

This movie has similar visual elements to the Yellow Submarine, however there is more political commentary surrounding the topics of supremacy and human rights.

Belladonna of Sadness (1973) This is the movie to watch if you are into anything witchy. Belladonna of Sadness is a Japanese film which follows a Brigitte Bardot-looking peasant woman who makes a deal with the devil for magical powers after she is banished from her village. Sexuality, magic, and witch-trials, this movie provides a feminist inquisition with some of the best animation I have seen for a psychedelic film.

Angel’s Egg (1985) While there is very minimal dialogue, Angel’s Egg provides a more animated art piece than an actual plot-driven film. The neo-gothic styled film follows the story of an unnamed little girl who cares for an egg, and appears to be living in a post-apocalyptic world. She crosses paths with an unnamed boy who frightens her, but ultimately accompanies her throughout the remainder of the film. Full of religious visuals, there is no definite way to interpret this film due to the lack of plot – however, the darkness and mystery of it all makes it a bewildering movie.

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A LANY Concert

thoughts | Logan Blair sights | Chantel Ouellet

A few weeks ago in mid-October, I managed to score tickets to see one of my favourite bands, LANY. For newcomers, it’s pronounced lay-nee.

They’re a hip, groovy, alternative band from LA. The group released their self-titled debut album this past summer, playing at festivals in Asia and Australia shortly after. They kicked off a headlining tour in North America in September, and will eventually make their way through Europe to finish the year.

Now, picture this. I’m super pumped to head over to The Danforth. My emotions are running high because these tunes are heavy on relationship themes, something that I had just gotten out of a few days before. I’m not sure whether I am going to have a good time or leave a sobbing wreck because of thoughts of my ex. Oh well.

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In we go. I had no clue who was opening beforehand, but it was a delightful Norwegian gal under the name Dagny. She pumped out a few songs that I quickly got into, then turned it over to LANY. On the real, check her out. I stopped mid-show to follow her on Instagram.

Onto my boys. They came out to an altered version of “Dumb Stuff,” sliding into a proper-length “yea, babe, no way,” through which they discussed a break up, questioning, “How did we get this far, and still not know who we are?” How relatable. The next song, Flowers on the Floor, hit a chord with me in that it touched on the things leading up to a breakup. Unreciprocated actions and making excuses for dropping the ball, leading to no more drive for continuing the relationship.

Yikes.

The group carried on through a number of bops, naturally ending with their best-known song “ILYSB,” an acronym for I Love You So Bad. Let me explain: when I heard this first note of this song, I felt like I had been hit by a sledgehammer to my sternum. If there was a song for my partner and I to consider “our song,” this was it. Like, it would have been our wedding song. We discussed it. Shortly after, I realized I knew about LANY and this song before this person came into the scene, I was at this show to have fun and live my life. I was doing my own thing.

All-in-all, having been worried about the emotional trauma I was potentially putting myself through, I came out of that music hall a stronger person. If you’re looking to go to watch a band perform, one that you and your former partner had built into your relationship, LANY is definitely the one to get you through.

I left with an empowering thought: maybe they should change that song to ILMSB—I Love Me So Bad.

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Being someone who attempts matic scene of the film happened, I was to stay “up-to-date” with the movie in pure shock. My friend actually ended industry, I was excited to read and up leaving the theatre for the last 20 hear all about the controversy Mothto 30 minutes of the film. In her words, er! (2017) was receiving. Every month “it was a great movie until I wanted to there are a couple superhero movies vomit.” and random adaptation released, and as much as I love the occasional Won To this day, Mother! has left der Woman or horror remake, it seems me contemplating what director Darren to be rare that an original film hits the Aronofsky was attempting to get silver screen. When Mother! came out, across – I interpreted more of an emthe world was divided. Viewers were ru- phasis on the treatment of the planet moured to have gotten up and left the earth, while I know others I have talked theatre during certain scenes; reputato saw more of the religious commenble critics were giving opposite reviews tary. Whether you end up hating or of the film - ulloving it, Mothtimately there er! is a film evwas never a eryone should general conwatch once. It sensus about makes sense a surreal masterpiece that was full of political, why there has the movie: this intrigued me. been a decline in originality – environmental, and religious commentary I generic movies invited a good are where friend of mine the profits to accompany are. Films me to this film with complex – curious to themes, such see if we ouras Mother!, selves would be divided. Ironically, we actually attempt to make the viewer were. I myself loved the film; I have nev- think and therefore do horrible at box er seen anything like it. It was a surreal office. Ultimately more independent masterpiece that was full of political, and original movies need more support environmental, and religious commenor else the only movie options we will tary; while critiquing human nature as have are the 20th instalment of Star a whole. The remaining 45-ish minutes Wars, or the Emoji Movie 3 - which no of Mother! was one continuous shot – one needs to witness. and it was a fucking ride. This cinematography style exposed the vulnerability of the main character, especially in the last half of the movie. I was in a constant state of anxiety and horror of what I was witnessing, and once the cli-

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music in limbo thoughts | Danielle Linder

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sights | Chantel Ouellet

MGMT’s Andrew Van Wyngarden perfomring at Osheaga

Music is a part of millions of people’s lives by choice or not. It plays at parties, shops, cafes, TV shows, and streets; basically, anywhere and everywhere. So it’d be no surprise to think that music has some kind of meaning to it. Could be that a specific song reminds you of a specific person, or a genre that takes you back to a specific time in your life.

And if music can do that, then it can also remind us of who we once were.

least two of those phases I’ve had in my life have got to be anything by either the Jonas Brothers or All Time Low. Listening to music by my first boy band obsession, or jamming out to my awkward fourteen-year-old emo-phase favourite, is still somehow enjoyable. Although, my music tastes have diverged into very different categories, I still like this type of music.

Obviously one would say that one can just love music in general, and of course that is the case for many, including myself. But why is it that regardless of how much we change, we still somehow manage to fall back into these songs, these artists, and these genres that we left behind? It’s as if we’re stuck to these songs, even if they’re embarrassing or irrelevant to our lives now, we choose to have a stagnant music collection that brings us back to maybe not even the good ol’ days, but just back. It’s as if music is one of the few things that can avoid change completely, and is rather only added onto to create this larger state of “stuck-ness” or limbo isn’t really all that bad or confusing.

My dad was, and still is, what my mom calls a frustrated rock star: a person who wants to produce music, but for some reason doesn’t actually strive to do it. I believe that whenever my dad manages to get up on a stage, or gets ahold of a microphone and starts belting out Van Halen, he is brought into this limbo; into this place where he goes back to being a fourteen-year-old jamming and singing to that same song in his room.

Thirty-two years later, and my dad’s music taste has changed throughout the years, but he still enjoys those songs or genres he once felt such a There are so many songs that we may not think we’d enjoy now bestrong connection to. cause of how we may have changed Music preferences shift and change or grown up, but I really believe that everyone will at some point in their as we do. We go through “phases” we think will last forever, and these, life go back and listen to that song they used to jam to when they were in at least some cases, are accomfourteen and just enjoy it for all the panied by music. But I think these different reasons they may have to phases do actually last forever, not do so. really in how you think or look, but in the music you listen to. We all have our guilty pleasures in music, which for some can be a few songs from that phase you thought you’d never grow out of. In my case, the music that brings me back to at

music in limbo

music in limbo music in limbo 36

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