SEPTEMBER 2025

Letter From The Editor

Dear reader,

We are sooooo back!

The Plant is a student-led newspaper that has been proudly publishing issues for students and the greater Montreal area since 1969, and whether you’re stepping onto campus for the first time or returning after the summer break, we’re beyond excited to launch this new issue alongside you.

Cegep can be stressful. I get it, you know it, and that shift from summer to school can suddenly be (and usually always is) a lot. That’s why we wanted this issue to feel grounded in something close to home, something that connects us to where we are right now.

With that being said, for this edition, we went for a very local take, with a special focus on what both Montreal and Dawson itself have to offer. From the people and spaces that shape our city, to the things happening right here on campus, this issue is a celebration of our shared environment and the voices within it!!

You’ll notice the cover features Encore, the beloved record and used book store in NDG, a place that The Plant team loves immensely. To us, it felt like the perfect symbol of the intersection between Montreal’s music scene, its literary spirit, and the kind of community spaces that support independent writing entities just like us. Inside our issue, you’ll find reflections on local music, interviews, niche topics, and stories that aim to resonate with Dawson students.

Just last year, around this time, I was new to Dawson, just beginning to sink my teeth into the role of Staff Writer for The Plant. As I wrote then, and as I write now, I feel such a strong sense of belonging in The Plant. That sense of belonging is what has brought me here today, writing to you as your Editor-in-Chief. I can’t begin to express how much this means to me. Gratitude has consumed me.

I really hope you enjoy this issue, and trust me, more is coming. Keep reading, keep creating, and maybe even consider contributing.

This space is for all of us!!

Yours, Maya

Law 14 Enrollment Caps: What it Means for the Future of Education in Quebec

MIKA SAUVAGEAU COPY EDITOR

Law 14, formerly known as Bill 96, is legislation passed in 2022 aimed at strengthening the protection of the French language in Québec. It promotes French proficiency by mandating additional French-language courses at the college level and by increasing opportunities for students to learn and use French. However, the law’s impact has extended far beyond language protection, raising concerns about its effects on access to English-language education in the province.

Since its implementation, Englishlanguage institutions have been subject to strict enrollment caps. Under the new regulations, students enrolled in English-language CEGEPs cannot exceed 17.5% of the total CEGEP population across Québec. In addition, only 11.7% of the total CEGEP student body (including both English and French institutions) can enroll in an Attestation of College Studies (ACS) program offered in English.

According to the CBC, these quotas were only publicly disclosed at the end of February 2023. They were based on enrollment data from 2019, a pre-pandemic baseline that does not account for the significant increase in ACS program demand leading up to the law’s enforcement in 2023. As a result, LaSalle College—a major institution offering ACS programs—exceeded its quota and has since been fined nearly $30 million.

This penalty has been widely criticized as disproportionate. According to Claude Marchand, President and CEO of LaSalle College, the over-

enrollment was primarily due to international students who had already signed contracts before the law came into effect. Cancelling these admissions would have breached agreements made prior to the 2023–2024 academic year.

Claude Marchand confirmed that he fully disclosed these contractual obligations to the government and formally requested leniency. He explained that the college would not have been able to implement the new caps until the 2025–2026 academic year, after the 2023 cohort had graduated.

Adding to the controversy, LaSalle College does not receive additional funding for ACS students; it receives a fixed annual budget, says the Montreal Gazette, regardless of student numbers. What’s more, international students pay 100% of their tuition, as they are not subsidized by the government.

Despite this, the Ministry of Higher Education denied the college a transition period—even though LaSalle College expressively supports French language protection and is classified as a francophone institution, where all students must pass a French exit exam to graduate.

The result: a $29.9 million fine issued to LaSalle College in June 2025. The college now warns that this penalty threatens its very survival.

Even more troubling, LaSalle claims it has been fined twice for the same students. According to its website, the college had 716 "extra" students enrolled in 2023–2024. In the following academic year, 2024–2025, this number dropped to 350. Despite the reduction, the college was fined for a cumulative total of 1,066 extra students—as if they were new overages rather than part of a continuing cohort.

These rigid measures not only penalize LaSalle but also restrict access to education in high-demand technical fields. LaSalle is known for its leading-edge ACS programs in Early Childhood Education, Information Technology, Business Management, Fashion Marketing and Styling, Graphic Design, and Gaming—fields directly

aligned with Opération main-d’œuvre, a provincial initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to address critical labor shortages.

The severity of the penalties raises broader questions about the government’s true motivations behind the enrollment caps.

“Hidden within Law 14 is a little-known clause: not only must Englishlanguage institutions stay below 17.5% of the total CEGEP enrollment, but they cannot admit more students than they did the previous year.”

In other words, the proportion of students in English-language programs can never increase—only decrease.

This built-in decline poses a serious threat to the future of English education in Québec. A small dip in enrollment one year could result in a permanent loss of capacity the next, making longterm recovery nearly impossible.

While much of the focus has been on LaSalle’s ACS program exceeding limits between 2023 and 2025, a bigger question looms: what does this mean for the college’s pre-university DCS (Diploma of Collegial Studies) program, which has already seen a decrease in enrollment since 2019?

If these boom-and-bust cycles continue, they could mark the beginning of the end for English-language education in Québec.

Menstruation as a Death Sentence: Period Insecurity Under Gaza’s Blockade

CHLOE BERCOVITZ NEWS EDITOR

“Israeli bombings and displacement have created an immense amount of stress, but experiencing menstruation in these circumstances feels like an entirely different kind of war,” says Mona, 17, after speaking with More to Her Story. She has been displaced alongside 45 others and confined to a stuffed shelter in Rafah. With pharmacy shelves bare, the utter absence of medication leaves Mona throwing up in agony from period cramps. There is no privacy.

After Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, Israeli officials have undertaken extreme efforts in isolating the Gaza Strip from both the rest of Palestine, and the world. By drastically limiting the quantity of goods and peoples that can pass Israeli-controlled crossings, there has been a dramatic downward spiral of negative effects.

According to a factsheet provided by Unicef, in 2022, Israeli authorities have only approved 64% of requests to exit Gaza for entry into the West Bank to receive specialized medical treatment. There has been a clear pattern of patients dying before hearing a response.

However, since March 2,2025, it has been the longest complete closure since the blockade’s start and little to no supplies have entered the territory.

The UNRWA (UN agency for Palestine refugees) claims that every single one of their trucks—containing food and medicine alike—have been denied entry for over 150 days now. While the precise death toll remains indefinite— indefinitely—PBS’ current estimate is now 64,000.

While the world was busy watching Palestine perish from missiles, a silent killer was on the rise—one that has failed to receive adequate attention due to various triggers, such as indignity, pain, and embarrassment. “I do not know [what to say]. No matter how

much we talk, we cannot express what happened to us. One is ashamed to talk about these things, but what can we do?” was said anonymously to More to her Story

Period products are a rarity in Palestine. With food and medicine taking precedence in scenarios where an aid truck manages to surpass state lines, this leaves other essential goods out of the picture. In fact, the communication coordinator of NGO ActionAid International disclosed that 16 trucks of sanitary items have been permanently stalled by the Egyptian border.

Even when pads reach Gaza in the form of hygiene kits, Mona, for example, claimed that they were very itchy and poor quality: so much so that she got an infection from them. Other women and girls that receive these hygiene kits trade them in exchange for food to nourish their starving families. “I go… [to] Facebook marketplace where I see women replacing or bartering pads for food for their kids,” was likewise said in an interview for More to her Story.

Amidst a state of desperation, the only option is to seek alternatives. A girl sheltering in an Unrwa school told The Guardian that she washes and reuses her used pads. An amalgamation of bacteria and soap caused irritation. However, she didn’t feel as if she was given any choice in the matter; she was desperate.

“I wish I was able to properly clean myself,” says Sara, 18, in an interview with Care.

Factors, such as a lack of toilet paper or clean water, contribute viciously to this deprivation of dignity. While filledtrucks remain rooted at state lines, so many needed goods fail to reach Gaza. Especially when compounded by an innumerable demand, essential products such as toilet paper fail to reach the hands of those who rely on them. Such an utter desolation has not only

left women and girls in a state of desperation and grief, but also without their dignity. A key pillar of a humanitarian crisis is when cleanliness becomes a luxury. Washing oneself has been reduced to once a month—once a week for those who are “fortunate” enough. Unicef reveals that 97% of piped water in the Gaza strip is contaminated. With Palestinians forced to live a life reduced to the fraught search for food and clean water, their health hangs in the balance.

A spike in stress levels was quick to become an everyday reality in Gaza; stress means heavier, or more frequent periods. Such loss in blood is a common contributor to anemia. UNICEF states that 76% of pregnant women in Gaza are currently suffering from anemia, and 92% have a UTI. Indirect complications from these forced conditions include sepsis, infertility, and death.

Every month, women and girls in Gaza need 10 million disposable pads. A private space to clean themselves— and clean water to do so. Clean clothes to change into.

This utopia can only become a reality once the blockade imposed by Israel is lifted. On June 15th of this year, the UN had a “special meeting”; the resolution was to ensure that aid reaches civilians and that border crossings reopen. Albeit 149 votes in favour, Israel has not acted accordingly.

In the meantime, we must watch women and girls endure a war that extends far beyond missiles and manufactured starvation, for they are fighting more than one. The latter is unspoken; a battlefield in oneself.

Mushrooms for Spirituality

CHARLOTTE RENAUD ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Mushrooms have always been a controversial food, from setting off countless arguments around the dinner table between parents and children to prompting debates in government over its legalization. The mushroom is a curious organism that continues to spark interest amongst scientists as well as curiosity in all of us. As we grow older, new questions surround it: how did some of us go from refusing to eat mushrooms as little kids to now having the desire to take them for psychedelic trips?

Scientists estimate that there are over 2.2 million species of mushrooms— some we eat, some grow on our feet, and others are even psychedelic treats! The psilocybin mushroom, commonly referred to as the magic mushroom, might not be offering us any true nutritional benefits like its cousins the Shiitake and Maitake, but it has been (and continues to be) consumed for its spiritual benefits.

According to Gastón Guzmán’s article “Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Mexico: An Overview,” this kind of mushroom can be traced back all the way to Mexico prior to the Spanish Conquest. Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been used by many indigenous peoples such as the Nahuatls, Morelos, Mixes, Zapotecs, and Mazatecs for religious rites throughout the country. There are about 250 species of Psilocybe mushrooms, including 150 of them that are hallucinogenic. However, only specific species of these mushrooms are found in Mexico and are used for the ritual (Guzmán 408).

In his article, Guzmán explains how the ceremony is held at night so that the consumer is free from daily distractions. They will also be guided by a shaman or an older experienced person in their homes in front of a Catholic altar (409). The mushrooms are then typically placed in a gourd named the jicara and incensed with copal resin

(409). The prayers are in Spanish or indigenous tongues and the mushrooms are set out in male-female pairs. Generally, the ceremony only uses one species of mushroom, and a local participant receives up to six pairs whereas outsiders may be offered only one or two at first.

The love for hallucinogenic mushrooms is reflected in the Nahuatls’ “Mushroom Church” that was built to honor the Ganoderma lobatum mushroom. When a Nahuatl native found a mushroom with the outline of Christ on its undersurface, the miracle seemed too great not to commemorate it. The reality of the mushroom’s origins is believed to be fabricated by a priest in the 18th century to redirect the Nahuatls’ love for hallucinogenic mushrooms towards a love for Christ. Despite this, the indigenous tribe continues to worship the mushroom that remains in a metal box in the Church’s corner alcove (410).

According to Lapatin V. A’s article “Psychedelic Revolution: Psychedelia in the American Counterculture of the 1960s and its Place in Today’s Culture” psychedelic mushrooms gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s in the United States when their consumption coincided with “youth protests in Western societies” (Lapatin). Psychedelics have a great effect on the human psyche and consciousness that is incomparable to that of other drugs, rendering them as an interesting candidate for spiritual and even medical use. The magic mushroom, like other psychedelics, demolishes the barrier between a person’s ego and the external world. Lapatin describes that these drugs “[make] it possible to experience bliss and oneness with all things.” The writer also refers to the frequent spiritual growth that people experience afterwards, developing qualities such as compassion, acceptance, and pacification.

Psychedelics became a staple of the American counterculture of the 1960s because many believed it was the cure for injustice, oppression, violence, militarism, racism, and sexual repression that stem from fear, greed, and distrust.

Drugs like the magic mushroom could cleanse people’s consciousness from materialistic and consumerist ideals and instead plant unconditional love for oneself and the world. This begs the question: if psychedelics can change a person, what’s stopping them from changing society?

“The extent of the mushroom’s magic could reach much further than the individual, it could potentially affect society at large”

—a belief shared by many counterculture activists such as Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg who saw this as justification for the use of psychedelics.

Authorities, however, did not share this view. In fact, psychedelics have been banned almost everywhere in the world. Recently, few countries have begun to distance themselves from the taboo surrounding the magic mushroom and its legalization. For example, according to Jennifer Chesak’s article in BBC “What psychedelics legalization and decriminalization looks like around the world,” the magic mushroom is allowed in Australia for “prescribed therapeutic use under strict regulation” (Chesak). In 2008, Peru decriminalized personal and spiritual use of the drug, recognizing it as a part of its indigenous heritage. In Canada, magic mushrooms remain illegal, but as pointed out by Eric Stober in his article “Magic Mushrooms are still illegal in Canada: how can stores be opening?” stores like Shroomyz and Fun Guyz have opened in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver.

Overall, the magic mushroom remains controversial. Is it the key to a deeper understanding of ourselves and of the world we live in? Is it just another hard drug that should be banned? The magic of the mushroom is undeniable, but it has yet to be determined as positive or not.

How Bluedog Bar Closing Symbolises the Attempted Murder of Creativity in our Society

MIA MOUDILOU ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, and engineering—these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, and love— these are what we stay alive for.

—N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society

Whitman from Dead Poets Society said it best. Yet our city seems to have forgotten this. The systematic murder of artistry by the capitalist system we are part of is slowly diluting our humanity and impacting our sense of community. We are conditioned to live to work, and not the other way around; everything is a money-hungry venture above all else. Art in its pure form is being threatened like an endangered species, because the system fails to support what truly feeds the human soul: real-life connection and the support needed to sustain art.

Having spent half of my life living in Europe and the other half in North America, this cliché is a piercing thought in my mind. In the Northern Hemisphere, we are taught to value and sustain the wrong things in life and obstacles are created by a system supported by those who are conditioned just enough... to lose touch with what truly feeds the soul.

I spoke with Sergio Da Silva, a former partner at Bluedog, a 30 year old bar on St. Laurent that hosted countless bands and creatives over the years. It was the first place where I explored my addictive passion with band photography. Sadly, it closed its doors on July 19, 2025, leaving the lively community it built behind.

Bluedog's death symbolizes the ongoing attempted murder of creative pursuits. Sergio shared some of his insight with me on this topic over coffee at his cafe, Big Trouble As "Bittersweet Sym-

phony" by the Verve sonically overcast the lyrics, “You're a slave to money, then you die”, I wished I had the powers to resurrect Richard Ashcroft, so that he could be a part of our conversation.

The cafe is located next to Turbo Haus, his lively 11 year old bar/music venue, which gets its name and ethos from the time his band Trigger Effect spent touring in Europe for 10 years. He aims to bring the European spirit of valuing art to the North, specifically

upstairs apartment that hosts bands and artists coming to perform, who might need a place to stay—free of charge

Turbo Haus began as a DIY space, and Sergio found every loophole in the books (and beyond the books) to make it the safe and vibrant music hub it is. After 3 moves and many obstacles, he still believes "you can find a way to make things that you believe work."

Sergio being valued as a musician

through music.

The first half of the name is “Turbo”, inspired by Turbo Machine, the nonprofit initially created to obtain a "liquor license for weddings", which then flourished into much more - without the involvement of any wedding bouquets... The second part of the name is "Haus" because every second spot in Europe was named something "Haus". The band was given a house at each of the music venues they performed at, along with food and genuine care. Sergio described the hospitality his band experienced at music venues in Europe as pure respect for them as artists.

It sounded like the complete paradox of North America, where Wall Street wolves get their 5-star hotels paid for in Miami, while musicians couch-surf or pay more for a hotel than they earned from their gig. Nowadays, Turbo Haus serves as a time travel machine; it's a space that emulates Sergio's experience with music venues in Europe. Like those bars in Europe, Turbo Haus has an

in Europe makes sense, as Europe was the original hub where creative pursuits were taken seriously as professions in all realms of art, music, literature, and film. Whole cities, like Florence, were dedicated to artists, musicians, philosophers, and filmmakers of all kinds. Upon visiting the city under the Tuscan sun this summer, it's crystal clear that the evidence remains in between its intricate architecture, the musicians taking turns singing under the Santa Maria Novella, and the white marble that Michelangelo turned into an otherworldly, tangible yet uncanny giant named David. Standing at the Uffizi Museum, his detailed veins, fingernails and crevices come to life. It's a sight that can still impress a human's mind 521 years later. The cultural heritage of creative pursuits as valued human activities is undoubtedly a healthy form of baggage for Europeans.

According to Da Silva, Montréal has 3 primary enemies to its nightlife and music hub: property tax, police, and

PHOTO OF DOLLHOUSE AT BLUEDOG BY MIA MOUDILOU

the cost of living. The first enemy is property tax and developers. It’s clear where the values of the current administration stand when a noise complaint from one person—who willingly lives in a nightlife neighborhood—could result in a $10,000 fine for bars like Bluedog, potentially leading to their shutdown and affecting the good spirits of countless people. The ratio should speak for itself, but it doesn't.

The city should look at the protection and satisfaction of the vast majority, but "this city runs on property taxes from properties in historic nightlife spaces," Da Silva told me, and there is no true interest in solving issues like this. After years of back and forth, "ultimately nothing changed", says Da Silva. In truth, the city would clearly rather build homes for the property taxes it can collect from them, and so that the banks profit off their mortgage interest.

"Anything that has to do with nightlife is under attack," are the exact words Da Silva used. In full support of this statement, I would take it even further and say that meaningful parts of life itself are under attack by the capitalist, consumer-driven society we live in. There’s a reason nightlife has always thrived, no matter the circumstances: after-hours is when people truly get to live—beyond the confines of office cubicles and the constant state of busyness. The sun sets and gives us the okay to "waste time”.

It's a shame to witness spaces like Bluedog shut down, as it is not only detrimental for the lively community expressing and practicing their creative craft of music—which is a proven source of well-being—but also because they remove safe spaces provided by people with resources and the willingness to support meaningful human activities.

It’s important to note that Montréal is still a city filled with a vibrant music and art scene. "The artists will always find a way to make it work, even if it's under bridges," said Da Silva. It's true anywhere, if passion fuels it.

Yet why does the city not make exceptions to support and protect spaces like Bluedog, which foster a safe environment for its people to share happy

moments? Instead, enemy number two comes in supposedly to do that: protection, but is it really?

The Police is an umbrella term for the many institutions that are meant to protect people. In Quebec, we have the Provincial Police, the Municipal Police, The Regie de l'alcool, & the Morality police. From Da Silva's experience, the laws across these institutions are full of nuances that allow them to constantly fight for their own interests. So far, for him, it's been about 'finding the loops' in the system.

It’s important for civilians to understand that legality does not always equate to ethicality. Sometimes laws are put in place to protect the systems that govern people, rather than the people themselves, and that’s why it's important to question, and stand with and for change. Da Silva will be running for office in the November 2nd election with Craig Sauvé’s party, Transition Montreal, aiming to put his ongoing problem-solving efforts to use.

Another sector that Da Silva values is homelessness, which is directly interlinked with the 3rd enemy: the cost-ofliving—courtesy of this pre-recession period. We are all chasing something greater because we are forced to think in terms of survival during this cost-ofliving crisis. Sergio made a comment that resonated with this issue: "It is no longer 2005, when I could rent an apartment for 400 dollars; now people live with 4-5 roommates for more." This creates immense stress for creatives, because it ultimately means working a bunch of random jobs that pay pennies, reducing time to create.

Creating becomes a burden left to the after-hours. This applies not only to young creatives, but also to working-class creatives. Overall, it strongly impacts people pursuing the arts, commercializing creative pursuits and reducing them to mere careers while stability remains scattered.

In the past, creatives met at bars, events, gigs, and concerts… After all, we are naturally drawn to reflect our inner worlds. Therefore, the likelihood of attracting a connection that aligns with our mutual hunger for creativity

is high—bringing people together on a genuine wavelength where they can flourish and support each other.

After COVID-19, there was a surge in people wanting to go out, have fun, create, and—most of all—be surrounded by others after immense isolation. However, according to Da Silva, many seemed to forget how to be around each other, having lost touch with 'nightlife etiquette.' This wave of people who no longer knew how to socialize, combined with those bearing the pressure of building successful creative careers in their 20s, was not a pretty mix.

Real-life connection beats everything; it's a human necessity, really, to be surrounded and supported by humans who see your vision. During his days in Europe with his band, Da Silva experienced this genuine way of creating. He made countless friendships and played shows around Europe. It was possible because of the small ecosystems; he naturally built a creative community during his time there. For Da Silva, "support is the only way to make any of this work”. Nowadays, everything is becoming more shallow and digitized. Artists are selling their souls on the internet to 'make it,' and communities, while strong, are virtual—shaped by the system’s conditioning and control. Although digitalization leads to globalization and immense opportunity, it's important for artists to balance promoting their work online with staying connected to their passion in real life by performing live for others.

Spaces that foster community in this way are slowly going extinct; life is increasingly decentralizing from the very things that allow us to truly be, due to the system we live in. What used to be called friendship and community is at risk of turning into a noble pursuit at networking. There is danger in closing hubs of creative communities. Genuine creativity and community—two aspects of life that are invisible but vital organs to humankind—are being endangered. It’s important to prevent that and intentionally work against it. What if, at the end of the day, we are a species whose purest form of creating—for the sake of expression and connection—is being endangered?

Eurovision: Successes and Scandals

MINOLA GRENT MANAGING EDITOR

The TV is on in the living room, children and parents alike gather on the couch. Since 1956, Eurovision has gathered an entire continent at once in front of one program. A complicated sense of competition and camaraderie is the very basis of this massively successful contest. Every year, the Eurovision contest brings one musical artist per participating country, with a maximum of 44 countries participating at once, and a maximum of 26 advancing to the Final (Eurovision). Despite the name of the contest indicating that only European countries can participate, other regions, such as Israel and Australia, can join despite falling outside of Europe and not being a part of the European Union (EU). This is because the only eligibility requirement is that the country be covered by the European Broadcasting Area, which extends beyond European soil.

In its 69 years of existence, Eurovision has helped jumpstart the career of numerous solo artists, some of whom even became popular worldwide, with few knowing their origins. For example, in 2019, Duncan Laurence won the contest representing the Netherlands. His song Arcade shot to popularity, particularly on social media apps like Tik Tok. Similarly, Alexander Rybak’s song Fairytale won Norway the Eurovision title in 2009 and is still beloved to this day.

Groups also got a career from this competition. ABBA is a great example, as they won the contest’s 1974 edition with their now universally beloved song Waterloo. More recently, none other than the Italian group Måneskin became a worldwide phenomenon after their win in 2021 with their song Zitti e buoni

Despite the obvious success Eurovision has been at the root of, many scandals have shaken the competition, often questioning the integrity and political implications of the contest. In 2022,

after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) which organizes the contest each year, took the decision to sanction Russia by banning it from competing that year, says a 2022 BBC article. The EBU faced pressure from other events originally scheduled to take place in Russia, such as the F1 Grand Prix and the Champions League final, which were either relocated or cancelled (BBC). The pressure also came from other countries like Finland, threatening that “if Russia took part, it would not send a representative to the contest in Turin in May” (BBC).

Ukraine went on to win the 2022 title with mixed reactions. Regardless of how much EBU attempts to preach the contest’s apoliticality, Eurovision has always reflected the current issues in Europe, says an NBC article, “It’s a proxy outlet for the international politics bubbling beneath its slick Euro pop surface [...]” (NBC). Though the juries’ votes mostly went to less problematic songs, the people spoke louder and awarded Ukraine the second highest number of points in history (NBC).

Last year’s edition of Eurovision has also seen its fair share of controversy because of Israel’s participation and the disqualification of fan-favourite contestant, Joost Klein. Because of Russia’s exclusion two years prior, many expected the same treatment to be extended to Israel. Israeli contestant Eden Golan was allowed to compete despite protests raised in response to her inclusion, says Vanity Fair. Furthermore, her song “Hurricane” was originally titled “October 7”, in reference to the attack on Israel that took place on that date, before Eurovision organizers demanded a name change (Vanity Fair).

Joost Klein, Netherlands’ representative, was widely expected to win the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest with his song “Europapa”, which aimed to unite the continent and pay homage to his deceased parents. Yet, mere hours before the finale, he was unexpectedly disqualified for allegedly threatening a

camerawoman off-stage (AP News). It was later explained that Klein had been followed by the camera behind stage despite explicitly saying he did not wish to be filmed in that space (Barron’s).

The winner title was then awarded to Swiss singer, Nemo, for their song “The Code”, discussing their non-binary identity. They received hate and backlash online from fans who would have preferred to see Klein take the win.

Following this controversy, the Netherlands’ participation in the 2025 edition was up in the air. However, the EBU put in place measures to protect artists “including the appointment of a ‘safety manager in the artist environment’ and ‘seriously reducing the amount of filming behind the scenes’’’ (Barron’s). Joost Klein was given the opportunity to compete again, but he declined.

Today, Europeans all over the world are waiting with bated breath to see which of the 37 participants will take the crown in next year’s 70th edition of the contest. Echoing Joost Klein’s words during his semi-final performance — “I don’t care who you are. I don’t care where you come from. All we got is this moment, so let’s come together” (Eurovision Song Contest) — tune in on May 12th, 14th, and 16th at 9 PM CEST from anywhere in the world to find out!

Its successes and scandals alike make Eurovision what it is: a pillar in European culture.

VIA IMDB

The Loss of Political Imagination: Death to the Counterculture

JULIA AZZOUZ CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Carl Jung, Aion

From Plato to Martin Luther King, the utopic ideal has challenged political authority, cultural norms, and the way we relate to one another by expanding the popular conception of what is possible. Today, as society faces mounting existential threats—rising authoritarianism, ecological collapse, and fractured international relations—we are overwhelmed by the heavy facts, paralyzed by what is often framed as the “immutable truth”; but truth on its own is not always enough. At times, our capacity to imagine, feel, and dream can disrupt and redefine what is possible. Imagination is a political force, and it can transform abstract possibility into concrete reality. When it is monopolized by dominant ideologies with the aim of control and profit through fear and suppression, there arises a deterministic rhetoric that insists on the impossibility of change. Reclamation of this imaginative power has historically emerged through the artistic counterculture, where art has served not just as expression, but as lifestyle and resistance. So where is that resistance now? Where is the counterculture?

To understand why counterculture appears to be absent or ineffective today, it’s important to ask what exactly culture is. In his 1961 book The Long Revolution, the cultural theorist Raymond Williams provides a framework for defining culture with three interrelated categories: 1) the ideal, 2) the documentary, and 3) the social. In other words, culture, according to Williams, manifests itself as the symbiotic relationship between our conception of human perfection—our “intellectual and imaginative works”— and our institutional and interpersonal structures. If a shift occurs in any of the three dimensions, the two others will shift with it. A society’s changing ideals

can reshape its art and its social organization; a radical work of art can shift collective ideals, and so on. Culture, in this sense, is never fixed. In constant flux, it’s an ongoing struggle between what is and what could be.

American art movements in the 20th century alone exemplify such shifts in the ideal, documentary, and social categories as increasing pressure and hardship delegitimized the dominant idea of utopia. The “American Dream” excluded the intersecting marginalized groups of Black Americans, women, non-Christians, and the working class. In response, artistic communities became spokespeople for the alternative futures that bloomed in the popular imagination. In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance gave form and visibility to the dignity and struggle of Black Americans. By celebrating Black identity through music, poetry, and visual art, the movement not only countered racist stereotypes, but also asserted Black cultural autonomy in the face of white supremacy. Similarly—though protesting different conditions—the Beat Generation of the 1950s rejected postwar conformity and capitalist consumerism through their poetry, jazz, and anti-institutional spiritual practices. They offered a different model of fulfillment rooted in presence, community, and transcendence rather than in the accumulation of goods and capital. The folk revival, the hippie counterculture, and punk followed in a similar vein, using music, literature, and collective ritual to reimagine society from the margins.

These movements were effective not only because of their messages, but because of their capacity to create community through collective imagination and emotional engagement. Like religion, these cultural communities operated through ritual, shared symbols, and regular gatherings. They gave people a language for their pain and tools for their hope.

“When people swung to jazz, read poetry aloud, sung in circles, and exchanged writings and criticism, they rehearsed living in a better future.”

Within these microcosmic communities, presence and opinion rippled out and exerted a noticeable influence, elevating personal experience to the status of art and protest. Mutual support, though not unconditional, was tangible. Physical gatherings make solidarity visible as crowds announce collective will through their sheer size, presence, and disruption.

Whereas community was once exclusively confined to physical spaces and media, it is now created and maintained on the Internet. Adapted to a globalized world, digital spaces can be useful for organization and communication over long distances, but they do not have the same impact as a gathering of people in a public space. Online communities demand less commitment, less sacrifice, less presence. Concert venues, art galleries, libraries, parks—these were once gathering places where like-minded people met, exchanged ideas, and built trust through shared rituals and physical proximity. You could often tell what someone stood for by the way they dressed, what music they listened to, what books they carried, or who they spent time with. Countercultural belief was visible, stylized, embodied, and situated in the real-world.

Yet, in our modern landscape, it seems like every emerging idea of utopia is turned into a product that is commodified and sold. The capitalist rhetoric of inclusion seeks to absorb dissent for the sake of commercial profit, absorbing countercultural lifestyles into the mainstream. Aesthetic symbols like tattoos, piercings, and dyed hair, once signifying dissatisfaction with oppressive and conformist capitalist systems, are now rebranded as individualist tools for self-expression and are stripped of their political and cul-

tural context. While punks in the ‘70s and ‘80s adamantly withdrew from the industrial workforce by protesting its norms, capitalism now markets itself as inclusive to gather as many participants as possible— even those who purport to oppose it.

“The corporate claim on diversity seeks not to dismantle systemic inequality, but to neutralize resistance.”

This is the logic of the “postmodern society”, a term theorized by the philosopher Jean-François Lyotard in The Postmodern Condition (1979). In this social and cultural context, grand narratives—religion, revolution, progress, nationalism—have lost relevance, leaving behind a deep skepticism toward universal truths and collective visions. In a world of hyperreality (as Jean Baudrillard puts it), “simulacra”—aka images— seem more real than people, and politics becomes performance. What remains is fragmentation: fractured identities, contradictory ideologies, and a pervasive irony that treats sincerity as cringe. Our visions of justice and transformation are shared online, applauded, and then forgotten. We admire resistance as art, but we no longer believe it can change anything. Legal scholar Cass Sunstein notes that minority groups only succeed in changing majority opinion if they hold their position with clarity and confidence,

but in a post-truth world, confidence often reads as delusion, and clarity is drowned in noise.

As we view the world on the largescale, we lose touch with ourselves. Our desires, needs, and aspirations are cast away. We verify our material conditions through the eyes of an invisible viewer: scientifically, empirically, and with little room for interpretation. While an empirical outlook is necessary and beneficial when dealing with global issues like climate change or international policy, it discourages theoretical or visionary thinking, reducing lived experience to an extraneous variable and dismissing desire, intuition, and creativity as naïve, irrational, and trivial rather than as legitimate forms of knowledge. The abolition of slavery, the fall of colonial empires, and the expansion of civil rights were not born from panoptical self-evaluation, but from an articulated sense of urgency, from a real connection to personal experience and a desire to transcend deplorable living conditions. They began as ideas that defied what was logical and accepted. The impossible becomes real not when it is approved, but when it is believed.

The modern counterculture has lost faith in its ability to mobilize action. Art and imagination are understood like fiction, entertaining and moving but ultimately disconnected from reality. However, fiction speaks to truth more than reality does. The state of a thing, isolated from interpretation, cannot speak for itself. The subjective

communication of objectivity is not inconsequential, not pointless, not a lie. Imagination must be taken seriously. The Harlem Renaissance, for instance, was more than an artistic movement; it reshaped Black identity and visibility in American culture, laying the emotional and intellectual groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement decades later. Likewise, the folk revival of the 1960s, grounded in storytelling, galvanized resistance to segregation and the Vietnam War, providing the emotional language for real-world policy critique. Even the punk and hippie movements (while less tied to legislative change) created self-sustaining subcultures that practiced alternatives to capitalist and hierarchical norms. In each case, political imagination did not remain symbolic; it mobilized people, clarified demands, and envisioned futures worth fighting for. These communities believed in the possibility of change, and that belief itself became contagious.

If the counterculture seems reclusive today, it may be because we’re still searching for it in forms that no longer match the world we live in. Maybe the counterculture is scattered, buried under layers of existential fatigue and performativity, or maybe it’s evolving in ways we are not yet attuned to see. To find stable ground to march on, we must anchor ourselves in personal experience, in community, in ritual, in hope, and in creativity. Punk may be dead, but our capacity to envision a better future isn’t, and that in itself can be revolutionary.

VIA DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE

Re-crafting Our Childhood

MAYA JABBARI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Whenever I’m in a slump, I find my childhood self again. I like to think that—by reuniting with a younger version of myself and what she enjoyed doing with her time—I'm reconnecting with the natural flow of things and how they should be: the pleasure that comes in taking time for ourselves.

My good friend Cecilia, whom I laughed with in classes we took together during our last year of high school, always told me and continues to remind me: “We are not supposed to be working the way we do.” By this, she means that we need to remind ourselves continuously that we are not designed or made to be doing the things that are now deemed humanly normal and a part of our day-to-day lives. Naturally—and from an evolutionary perspective—this work-obsessed version we’ve normalized for ourselves, is just not us.

The first time she said this to me, we had decided to go on one of our short five-minute walks—created by us, for us—just to breathe during our classes. I had been stressing over finals season and the amount of work that had fallen into my lap; all expected to be done in a jiff. Once she reminded me of that, I went back to what I’ve known and learned from myself for years now.

“Sometimes the best way forward is to revisit the simple, tactile joys of the past.”

Nowadays, the modern school system often demands more than it gives back—producing burnouts instead of beacons. Humanity and studenthood alike were never designed for this constant digital grind.

If we consider the pleasures of especially “hands-on” hobbies—like writing, sketching, or scrapbooking—often dubbed “grandma hobbies” in response to stress, we may find them to be deeply

grounding and refreshing experiences for many. In an article titled “How Knitting May Be Rewiring Your Brain,” National Geographic dives into how the activity is making a comeback among younger generations, offering a relief from digital burnout. It’s specifically the rhythmic, bilateral motion of knitting that activates brain systems tied to emotional regulation; therefore, the process of knitting itself directly helps de-escalate the knitter’s anxiety.

“Creating with your hands connects you to being human.”

Reconnecting with oneself can also bring people involuntarily back to their childhood comforts—watching a favorite comfort movie, colouring

your imaginative side. More directly for students, Frontiers, a scientific research publishing platform, proved that drawing enhances distress tolerance by fostering psychological resilience and encouraging self-disclosure, helping students articulate and process stress non-verbally. Even if the hobby chosen is ostensibly childish, this coping mechanism remains valid. While these coping methods are a far stretch from exams, the underlying principle persists: simple, familiar solace is nothing but good for a stressed mind.

Humans (and especially students) are not simply meant to endure. We’re meant to create, connect, and find calm in the doing.

Speaking from personal experience, any time I’ve been struggling with work—feeling overwhelmed and al-

in a colouring book, or even baking something simple can support their well-being when this kind of work-related stress becomes overwhelming. Julianna Bragg, a writer for CNN, discusses how psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasalu observed that “if an activity once brought you comfort as a child, it may still have the same calming effect in adulthood.” Durvasula believes that traditional childhood hobbies might also drive creativity in your job or company enterprises by tapping into

most immovable—I take a pause and do something creative. Time and time again, my assignments after that break have come out stronger and more insightful, and most importantly, I have taken pleasure in working on them.

In the words of one of my favourite authors, Joan Didion, “To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves – there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.”

VIA MAYA JABBARI

Who Elected The Billionaires?

NICOLE F. MOTTA STAFF WRITER

The finance bro—catch him with slicked-back hair and his Patagonia vest, preaching on podcasts, mumbling something or other about the stock market, or agglomerating in what seems to be their natural habitat: Montreal’s “Le Cathcart” bar, where one too many victims have gone to grab a bite at the glass-ceilinged food court situated under the Place Ville Marie complex and found themselves in an overwhelming sea of corporate talk. There’s something a little eerie (and genuinely impressive) about his 80-hour work weeks and his ability to curate his own emotional avoidance through mantras and alpha-male rhetoric.

He’s a cultural relic, and an inspiration. Many young hopefuls look up to his advice, equally as passionate about finance.

Now, date or be friends with the “finance bro” at your own risk; I’m not going to stop you. I’m not saying every finance professional fits this archetype either. However, his significance lies in the greater symbol he’s become:

“how the game of wealth has grown into a cultural obsession. For the worse.”

The game is quite simple: how can one make the most money possible?

Except, it’s not really about money is it? Finance bros talk of recognition, respect and influence—to rub elbows with the greats and have their names sparkling in gold upon people’s mouths. It seems the sport of finance can only be won when power, the kind usually only attainable through democratic elections, is the prize. These winners tend to appear on a certain list. In fact, you might know it: Forbes Real Time Billionaire List.

It is quite the accomplishment. Say you make a good name for yourself, a

great one in fact, and your company, investments, or partnerships generate enough money for your name to appear on this list. According to Forbes’ April 2025 stats, you will have now become one of the 3028 billionaires to own around 1/6 of the world’s total wealth, with the rest of us (the other 8 billion), making up the rest; but the successful businessman doesn’t stop there. Maybe, one day, hiking your way up the list, you'll have really done it and joined the "finance kings” of the world. With all that wealth, you could join Elon Musk in controlling Starlink—deciding whether Ukrainian soldiers can communicate on the battlefield or not. Or Jeff Bezos, who owns The Washington Post and can shape public narrative. Maybe even Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, which has the power to influence global elections. I don’t know about you, but to me, “Kings” doesn't sound much like a euphemism anymore. Wealth is an insidious power mechanism, and I don’t think we have fully grasped the implications of cultivating an obsession for its pursuit.

It’s nothing new to critique the rich for the unethical means by which they attain their wealth—low worker wages, child exploitation, and long work hours: an unfortunate but common ordeal. However, the danger goes much further than that. The West lives in a democracy (or so we say). Power should belong to the people, but if money is power, that principle is undermined simply through the passive act of someone being in possession of so much wealth.

In fact, democratic wealth is an oxymoron. Let’s say, exploring Dellara Gorijan’s example (a UCLA graduate lawyer providing legal advice on TikTok), you—an up-and-coming figure in the world of finance, possibly soon to be a billionaire—are considered a morally “good” person. You have extraordinarily attained your wealth through ethical means and plan on donating to charity or towards ending poverty. While technically acts of moral good, they are also acts of great consequence, which alter the course of humanity as we know it. Regardless of intentions, this power ultimately resides in the hands of a single person: you, an unelected figure, who cannot possibly represent the votes of millions of people. To keep democracy functioning, any decision regarding the displacement of wealth must necessarily be voted on.

We are quick to glamorize hustle culture, but it is time to take a collective step back and see the game of wealth as the political threat that it is.We must be cautious about teaching the next generation to idolize a ladder that bypasses the principles of government by the people—principles the West (or at least Canada…) so loves to pride itself on. We have to start thinking to ourselves, who elected the billionaires?

VIA FORBES

THE PLANT WATCHES: Revisiting a Classic: Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019)

NADIRA ZIBIROV COPY EDITOR

Among the many adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s acclaimed novel, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019) is the one that stands out the most. From its cinematography to the characters’ portrayal, the movie perfectly captures the story’s depth as well as its representation of womanhood.

Little Women follows the lives of the four March sisters living with their mother in Massachusetts during the 1860s while their father serves in the Civil War. The audience watches them grow from childhood into adulthood, facing joys and obstacles that shape their lives.

The characters are diverse and have depth, making them easy to connect with. Each sister is unique and relatable. Jo, the protagonist, is free-spirited, fiercely loyal, stubborn and at times hot-headed. She has strong morals and dreams of becoming a writer. Ahead of her time, she struggles with the limitations placed on women in the 19th century: “Women have minds and souls as well as just hearts, and they’ve got ambition and talent as well as just beauty, and I’m sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” Jo greatly values her independence but also eventually realizes that it may come in hand with loneliness.

Meg, the eldest, embodies tradition and beauty. Though drawn to acting, her true dream is to marry and have a family of her own, much unlike Jo. She even tells her sister:

“Just because my dreams are different than yours, it doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.”

Little Women depicts feminism not only as women being independent and career-oriented , which is what would usually come to mind, but also

as women being mothers and wanting a family. Feminism is about choice. There is strength in independence and ambition, just as there is in domesticity and motherhood.

The third sister, Beth, is shy, peaceful, and a talented pianist. Yet she does not dream of stardom; she simply wishes to spend a quiet life with her family. For her, happiness is in simplicity and her loved ones. On the other hand, Amy, the youngest, is ambitious and grounded, but also spoiled and vain. She dreams of becoming a renowned painter in Europe and part of fine society, which Jo considers to be shallow. Yet, Amy is a great depiction of young girls wanting to fit in and their pressures to conform. As an adult, she becomes the image of a “perfect lady” but struggles to fulfill her artistic dreams: “I want to be great or nothing.”

dreams, societal expectations, and economic struggles in the 19th century.

The cinematography certainly captures one’s attention by enriching the story’s emotional core. Heartfelt conversations by the beach evoke intimacy and stillness, while confessions framed against vast landscapes are filled with intensity. Each scene reflects the beauty of being present in the moment, while the soundtrack complements this aspect. Alexandre Desplat, the composer, perfectly transmits each emotion through sweeping orchestration filled with urgency as well as light piano to show the warmth of domestic life.

What sets the contemporary version apart most is the non-linear structure. The film experiments with timelines by jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Greta Gerwig

Interestingly, even though Jo and Amy clash, they are also the most alike in their authenticity, temper, and ambition. They both ultimately wish to be successful and to support their family. However, while Jo wants to do so by earning her own money, Amy wants to support them by marrying rich as she has come to terms with her economic limitations as a woman. She delivers a powerful monologue, framing marriage as an economic proposition in a world where women have no financial freedom. This version of Little Women is distinct as it dives deeper into the themes of womanhood, childhood

makes this more evident by adding a cool blue tint to the present scenes, making them seem cold and lonely. The past, however, is presented with a warm yellowish tint, evoking feelings of nostalgia and youthfulness. The audience therefore embarks on a rollercoaster, shifting from childhood to womanhood.

With the last adaptation dating back to 1994, Greta Gerwig brings back a classic by giving it a fresh new spin. Overall, Little Women is a must-watch for anyone looking for a coming-of-age movie filled with complex characters, family, love, and especially, sisterhood.

LITTLE WOMEN (2019)

VIA IMDB

@CASPIRIIN BY CASSIE TREMBLAY ONLY TO YEARN

@GLADMANDARIN BY ARINA GLADCHII

@HONEYDEWSTARBREW BY DARIA GLADCHII

@WANTEDGREMLIN BY AMÉLIE ANZUINO DEL VILLAR

So, Who Really Has Great Jeans?

JACQUELINE GRAIF VOICES EDITOR

What was meant to be a clever play on words has spiraled into a controversial movement of “femininity” provoked by a popular clothing brand. American Eagle published an advertisement last month with ambassador Sydney Sweeney, wherein she attempts to play on the word “genes” by replacing it with “jeans.” However, the advertisement has stirred up controversy all over the internet as the public argue it is anti-feminist marketing.

The commercial stars conventionally beautiful, big-chested, blonde-haired and blue-eyed movie star Sydney Sweeney. In one version of the campaign, the camera pans from her low-cut denim shirt to a full shot of her perfectly-shaped butt. She tells the audience: “I’m not going to tell you [the jeans] make your butt look good,” as the camera moves to show her checking her body in a full-length mirror.

In the most popular version, however, Sweeney is lying diagonally on a platform. She then buttons up her jeans in a very sexual manner as the camera moves up her body; likely to imitate the aftermath of intercourse. She speaks in a low seductive voice: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… Often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color…” She then stares directly into the camera to say “My jeans are blue.” A male voice then narrates “Sydney Sweeney has Great Jeans.”

Before her career-altering role as sexy and ditzy Cassie Howard in “Euphoria,” Sydney Sweeney had starred as theatre-club president, punk-rock bisexual, Emaline, in the ‘90s-based LGBT+ TV show “Everything Sucks!” Most queer youth envisioned her character as a pariah, being openly queer in the ‘90s and kissing girls on TV. When “Euphoria” began, it was as if Sweeney had lost this edge to her. Any vision we had of spunky, queer Sydney Sweeney seemed to have faded. She then made a splash with rom-com "Anyone But You" in 2023, where she played a “stereotypical” straight girl and flirted with co-star Glenn Powell in interviews.

Sweeney’s career has then taken a hit with the new American Eagle advertisement, especially after controversy surrounding her discovered republicanism from the last American presidential election. According to The Guardian, Sweeney registered as a republican in Florida before the 2024 election. She has been criticized by many fans and young media influencers for her sudden switch to republicanism. The criticism due to her newfound republicanism and controversial media campaign intensified to the point that American Eagle took down the full-length advertisement from their YouTube channel.

The damage, though, had already been done. Sweeney made her mark and clarified her message: she was ready to objectify herself for the sake of marketing jeans to her young audience. Perhaps it was a play on the lingering Cassie Howard personality,

but it instead stirred controversy and criticism towards Sweeney for rejecting feminist values and objectifying her body for a billion-dollar corporation.

“Sydney Sweeney has Great Jeans” is the catch-phrase of the entire marketing campaign, with the intent of a double-entendre. Sweeney has great jeans (by American Eagle), but she also has great genes. Sweeney is the prototype of the Aryan race: lightskinned, blonde-hair, blue-eyed, skinny, and idealistic proportions (small waist with big breasts and buttocks). We are no stranger to the Republican administration in the United States, wherein Donald Trump seems to be following a lot of Adolf Hitler’s practices, especially the idealization of the Aryan race. In efforts to resuscitate Hitler’s practices through racist attempts of mass deportation, Trump has currently 58,381 humans in ICE detention according to NBC News. This begs the question–

“is American Eagle pushing Republican propaganda as they glorify the Aryan race?”

Sweeney’s genes are not only Aryan, but “idealistic” by Western society’s beauty standards, which has sparked the conversation around eugenics. Eugenics is the belief (mainly by white supremacists) that the human race can breed out less desirable genetic traits, according to NPR. If Sweeney “has great genes”, then it is implied she has the most “desirable” genes, and she should be the beauty standard. Is America becoming the survival of the literal fittest?

Some say that the American Eagle advertisement was a homage to Brooke Shields’ Calvin Klein campaigns from the ‘80s, a comparison made by Doreen St. Felix of The New Yorker. In her own ad, Shields says: “The secret to life lies hidden in the genetic code” before

struggling to put on her Klein jeans. The biggest difference is that Shields was 15 in her video, while Sweeney is 28. The controversy grew upon this discovery because of the glorified sexualization of a minor while Shields has spoken-out about the abuse she experienced. What was American Eagle trying to do? Every piece of evidence seems to point to gaining traction on the internet, no matter how that may be. According to The New York Times, American Eagle’s stock grew 74% since Sweeney’s video was released.

In perfect time, global pop girl group KATSEYE joined the conversation. The group is made of members Lara Rajagopalan, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, Manon Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, and Jeung Yoonchae. KATSEYE was created from the Netflix special “POP-STAR ACADEMY” a collaboration between Korean-music corporation HYBE and American label Geffen.

The KATSEYE girls have been seen in their most vulnerable states on the show: pushed through cruel competitions and forced to work in difficult conditions. Fans were able to follow the girls and vote for their favourites during the training process, which at the time (2023) was called “Dream Academy” on YouTube. This meant a large fan-base, which was achieved as they have garnered 6.3 million followers on Instagram and 29.3 million listeners on Spotify.

KATSEYE’s advertisement, published in August, was seen as a response to American Eagle’s controversy involving the girls singing the lyrics “It’s better than yours.” The six members are seen wearing GAP denim skirts, jeans, shirts, and jackets as they dance to Kelis’ y2k-era song “Milkshake.” The choreography is electric, and their visuals are refreshing. The six girls all come from culturally diverse backgrounds: Chinese-Singaporean, Venezuelan-Cuban, Korean, Indian, Filipino, and Ghanaian-Italian-Swiss.

Their dance quickly went viral on TikTok, sparking a trend set to Doja Cat’s “MOOO!,” in which one verse resembles Kelis’s “Milkshake.” The girls in the video are seen in tight-fit-

ting, short outfits and dancing to a song with sexual intonation. So then why is KATSEYE gaining positive feedback, while Sweeney’s is negative?

KATSEYE was meant to be the next big female pop group promoting diverse and talented singers and dancers. Wildly successful, the group has already made the Billboard Hot 100 List twice with their hit songs “Gnarly” (#63) and “Gabriela” (#90). They have stolen the hearts of both K-pop fans and the general public, thanks to their unique position under an American label, which allows them to bypass certain K-pop industry regulations—such as being openly queer, using explicit language, and maintaining personal lives. However, they have also gained new fans due to their diversity.

“Young girls and teens finally seeing girls who look like them thrive in the pop music world has allowed KATSEYE to soar.”

KATSEYE’s video was empowering: a group of young, hard-working, racially diverse, and queer girls (Megan and Lara are both openly queer, which is rare in the K-pop world). Their campaign is inspiring, showing young girls of all races that they too can make it in the music industry. KATSEYE demonstrates the importance of representation through their video and as they continue to release music and chart globally.

Now, that is not to say that KATSEYE’s video does not have a sexual connotation, because it does. The girls are dancing in somewhat revealing, tight-fitting clothing to suggestive lyr-

ics. For example, the song goes “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, they say it’s better than yours. Damn right, it’s better than yours. I can teach you but I have to charge.” The girls look into the camera suggestively throughout the entire video, and shake their hips and butts.

Essentially, it all comes down to the fact that KATSEYE’s ad features a group of fresh, diverse young pop stars, whereas Sweeney is involving herself in what comes across as Republican propaganda. GAP’s “Better in Denim” ad has almost 23 million views on YouTube, and the campaign has generated over 100 times GAP’s usual engagement rates, according to Forbes. KATSEYE’s ad was well-received, as it is an empowering dance that resurrects an iconic song from the early 2000s.

Sweeney’s ad was a push on the Aryan race, eugenics and what society tells women they should be. The fact that Sweeney is allegedly a registered Republican does not invalidate the theory that the American Eagle campaign promotes far-right, neo-Nazi ideals.

Both GAP and American Eagle have managed to gain traction and public interest, with both out-performing and increasing their own sales. In the end, it was all about the marketing campaign, and stirring up controversy; gaining positive or negative attraction is still gaining attraction. People are going to support the KATSEYE campaign and want to buy from GAP, but some are also going to support the Sweeney campaign and buy from American Eagle Therefore, this continues to prove that consumerism is political, and who you support matters.

KATSEYE’S “BETTER IN DENIM” VIA ELLE

OPENING STATMENT

JULIA AZZOUZ CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR

In an age of polarization, division, and ideological echo chambers, writing remains a vital safe space for open discourse. Whether through journalism, fiction, poetry, or even online forums and threads, the written word allows for expression, exposition, and authenticity in a way that spoken conversation often stifles. When disagreement becomes fertile ground for violence, we lose the chance to engage with the complex ideas, fears, and desires that characterize modern society. We lose our capacity to reach each other through empathy and understanding. A page in a newspaper cannot be interrupted by an angry crowd, a heckler, or a gunshot. The written word is unabashed, welcoming of critical analysis and commentary. It shows and tells— then waits for a response. As you take in the following poems, remember that to write creatively is to reveal oneself. To read critically is to honor that risk with thought, not judgment; with questions, not answers. Thank you to those that submitted their work for this issue. We hope you’ll consider adding your voice to the conversation.

CREATIVE WRITING

Little Daisy

MINOLA GRENT MANAGING EDITOR

With dark wet hair clinging to her skin and fresh dew freckles dotting her cheeks, the fairy sat upon a rock bordering a waterfall. She hugged one of her knees while her other leg loosely dangled in the flowing stream below. The fairy’s long wings drooped on the ground for meters. Rays from the rising sun played hopscotch with the wings’ leaking veins and alcoves of tears. With every brush of the autumn wind, the fairy’s whimpers and tremors grew weaker. Soon enough, as if she was nothing but a plucked daisy, a fallen and discoloured leaf, limp and torn, she fell.

CREATIVE WRITING

Mother

ANONYMOUS

last night past curfew, i sat alone grass blades all itchy, mowing ideas

the next day, i sat alone the porch light, brought me back today, i sit inside phoning my mother, i’m all she knows.

CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE

Always

ANONYMOUS

This is my space forever Sounds of nothing but everything always Beating through the floorboards

This is my space forever With her sleeping soundly and loud Claws scratching into the corner of the door

This is my space forever You’ve cried here before Leaving would change nothing known

This is my space forever I’ll hold myself to it Remember it always.

Flash Prophet

ANONYMOUS

bedsheets thrown across the room in a hurry fur tossed into the mix of fabric screaming match of possibilities cds turning in full velocity

you’re a poet! only known to me. bedrooms of worry red paint and tvs

Animals Are More Sentient Than We Think

ORION PEYROL STAFF WRITER

Long have non-human species been viewed as inferior. We don’t even do it consciously;, we just see other animals as less intelligent than us, and why wouldn’t we? I mean, they can’t do the same things we can… or can they?

This underestimating of animals goes back a very long time. Ever since we started philosophizing about what it means to be human, we separated ourselves from other animals. Descartes himself, a philosopher often seen as the father of reflections on the self, viewed animals as “material automata”— lacking soul or consciousness.

This idea of other animals being distinctly different from us bled into science. For a long time, when researching animals and their behaviours, we believed that by attributing thoughts and feelings to them based on behaviours, we were projecting our human experience onto them. Ironic isn’t it?

“By trying to be unbiased, we were unconsciously dismissing the intelligence and experiences of these creatures.”

In the past few years, we’ve learned a lot about what we refer to as animal consciousness or sentience. Sentience here refers to a creature’s capacity to feel, think, experience, and interact with the world around them, and, sometimes, to have a level of self-awareness.

A lot of research has been done in the past decade analysing the behaviours of various animals and trying to determine their level of sentience. For example, we’ve found that bees, despite having sesame seed sized brains, can count, recognise human faces, and, based on a 2022 study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), order objects based on their size.

One of the tests done to check a species’ sentience is to see if they can recognise themselves in a mirror. The test was done in 2019 with the cleaner wrasse fish, a small fish with average intelligence. At first, when the mirror was placed in front of them, they viewed their reflection as rival fish and

pulsion and eviction of octopuses from the city, mating, and fighting. We’ve found that many species of octopuses use visual signaling through movement and changing colors or patterns to communicate in ways we don’t fully understand yet.

Since this research is so recent, who’s

tried to attack it. However with time they seemed to recognise themselves. They started to do things like swimming upside down to see what would happen in the mirror. Then scientists placed a brown mark on the fish and when the fish later saw the mark in the mirror, they recognised it as abnormal and attempted to rub it off.

Only a few species have what scientists call a higher form of consciousness, such as apes, dolphins or octopuses. Similar experiments have been done with octopuses but they seem to be even more complex than we even give them credit for, so don’t be surprised if one day these guys try to take over the world. The Octopus Tetricus, or the gloomy octopus as it’s commonly called, has been seen building underwater ‘cities’ in which groups varying between 2-15 octopuses live in the same area. We’ve found two different cities not far from each other that scientists have aptly named Octlantis and Octopolis.

It seems these ‘cities’ started with a few octopuses living near each other, bringing back food, and expanding their den until it eventually, as more octopuses joined in, formed a ‘city’. The octopuses exhibit complex social behaviours in these cities: social ex-

to tell where it will lead to! However, these recent breakthroughs have led experts to question the ethics of our current laws concerning animals. To them, if animals have a consciousness, that consciousness should be taken into consideration when testing on them, keeping them in captivity or farming them. Legally, animals are not seen as conscious or sentient at the US or Canadian federal level. This means that laws regarding their welfare more often deal with their exploitation, their conservation or their treatment in captivity instead of their emotional distress and quality of life.

In 2024 nearly 40 scientists and experts got together to sign the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness. This is a declaration that states that there is empirical, undeniable evidence that many species might be sentient and should be seen as such under law.

We have spent far too long regarding other species as inferior to us and willfully ignoring the atrocities we make them endure. Animals are so complex and we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of this new area of research, but it is impossible to deny that they are, in some way, sentient and should be treated as such.

VIA THE GUARDIAN

The Dawson Tadpole Troopers And The Impact Of Extreme Weather On Ecological Habitats

CLAIRE MIZUKI RODHAM SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT EDITOR

Extreme weather events in Quebec have increasingly affected herpetology fieldwork and conservation efforts. This year's extreme heat kept researchers like Dawson’s Tadpole Troopers from monitoring conservation sites. Is this due to the climate's natural variations or is it global warming? And how can we tell if these weather patterns have caused serious harm to ecosystems?

As explained in Biology Insights, tadpoles are considered an indicator species, meaning they can provide insights into an ecosystem’s overall health. By monitoring them, scientists can track water and air quality, as well as habitat degradation. Amphibians such as tadpoles are especially useful for this because, according to the Museum of Science, they are highly sensitive to environmental changes, including pollutants and rising temperatures.

What Is The Tadpole Research Group?

First introduced at a Dawson Enriched Science Seminar by biologist Dr. Jessica Ford, the Tadpole Research Group quickly became a popular student activity because it offers the opportunity of gaining hands-on experience in field work. Ford has conducted herpetology research since 2015 and, using her experience, she takes groups of Dawson students, called the “Tadpole Troopers,” to sites like Mount Royal or Creek 53. There, they test water quality, monitor larvae, and check developmental stages to see if conditions suit amphibians.

How Have The Recent Hot Weather Conditions Influenced The Tadpole Troopers?

According to data from the Weather Network, this Montreal summer has been unusually hot. On June 24th of this year, a high temperature of 35.1 °C was recorded, breaking the previous June record of 35.0 °C, which was set all the way back in 1964. This scorching climate has prevented the fieldwork divisions of the Tadpole Troopers from conducting research on many occasions since, according to Ford, since most fieldwork takes place in swamps. This can be especially challenging as, according to an article published in the University of Washington, swamps can get much hotter than their surroundings. The reason being that because water vapour is the strongest heat trapping gas, this can lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect as humidity rises in a warmer climate. Ford further revealed the extent of these intense conditions, stating that “when there is record high heat, it becomes a health risk for the volunteer. I am not going to risk the health of my team; it was so hot it was unsafe.”

When asked about these unusual weather conditions, Ford believes it may be a mix of both global warming and natural patterns of change, going further to express that while

“it is normal that we have year-to-year changes, the extreme weather events are not normal.”

How Do These Conditions Affect Tadpole Development?

Extreme heat has a significant effect on tadpoles because heat speeds up tadpole development, causing them to metamorphose faster (Ford). As described in the article “Tadpole behavior and metamorphosis”, metamorphosis is “not simply a consequence of unavoidable environmental effects but rather an adaptive response to the risk of mortality in the drying pond”. However, despite it being a natural reaction, Ford explains that this sped-up metamorphosis has many side effects. A notable consequence being that tadpoles complete development at a much smaller size, making them “really tiny!” This is revealed to be detrimental for their chances of survival, as in a study published in BMC Ecology, “the survival rate of large metamorphosing individuals was 95%, compared to 60% for those completing metamorphosis at a small size,”, meaning that these extreme heat weather events are correlated with reduced life span for these amphibians.

Why Is It Important That We Protect Tadpoles?

According to research highlighted in What Do Tadpoles Do? by Ford, on top of being an indicator species, tadpoles play a crucial role in ecosystems by reducing algal biomass, increasing the diversity of zooplankton, and regulating phosphorus levels in artificial ponds. Ford reveals that the Tadpole Troopers help protect the tadpoles by sharing the data that they collect with the conservation sites so that they can take steps, such as providing more shade, to ensure their protection. She goes on to empathise: “It is really important that we keep monitoring the sites,to keep an eye on these red flags, and we could hopefully catch it when we can still do something about it. By the time that we realize that something is wrong with them, we need to act.”

The Treatment Of The “Angry Girl In Our Society”: The Double Standards Of Anger

ALAA ETTAOUTH STAFF WRITER

As a child and pre-teen navigating primary school and strong emotions, I must admit that I have often found myself in various situations of conflict. I was always the first one to defend someone being bullied, especially if the one tormenting the other was a boy… Teachers had to get involved and it often resulted in us having to forcefully apologize to each other even if, for my developing brain, it did not make sense. I was so angry at that boy that I kept my arms crossed with an infuriated look, not to intimidate him, but as a translation of my sentiment towards this injustice. Adults trying to resolve the conflict kept telling me to uncross my arms or to be more open to the discussion. It stuck with me, « Décroise tes bras, Alaa! ». Even as a child, I deeply felt this emotion of anger because “Boys will be boys” or “He didn’t mean to hurt them!” was always the accepted conclusion to a problem involving a boy, but my irritation was unjustifiable and never to be seen. As we, women, grow into adolescence and adulthood, the “anger” does not diminish; it scatters into parts soon to be transposed into protestations and fights against injustice. Naturally, a question arises: why is men's anger so accepted while women’s anger is hidden or even shamed?

What is Anger?

Firstly, let us define what anger is in the scientific and chemical sense of the term. According to the American Psychological Association, anger is “an emotion characterized by tension and hostility arising from frustration, real or imagined injury by another, or perceived injustice”. It can be approached with two distinct reactions: the first is to eliminate the object of the anger (with a determined or somehow calculated action) or the second is to merely express the emotion like swearing or hitting something. Anger is an emotion that humans, since the beginning of time, lived with. As explained by Dr. Dimitrium in the article What Happens in Your Brain When You're Angry, According to Psychology, when faced with a situation that threatens us, our brain runs differently, and our body reacts to these intense feelings. Even today, our “fight or flight” response activates the same way it did when prehistoric men were face to face with a mammoth. Our prefrontal cortex, which is in charge of rational thinking, suppresses itself making it difficult to form educated decisions.

However, in our modern society, the word “anger” is often used to describe people who challenge the status-quo, who go against powerful entities or established systems of belief, in ways seen as unconventional or “intense” by the general population. It is becoming increasingly normalized. Indeed, as politics are more and more polarized, as the price of living increases without the salaries following, as injustice is heavily denounced, and the access to platforms to express opinions and share opinions to the world grows, the population need to cope with these overwhelming conditions which results in a general sentiment of anger and hostility. Fighting for causes like women’s rights, intersectionality, or abortion, that are often politically diverted to push controversial narratives, makes those advocating for them at risk of being seen as too “hysterical” or to be unfairly discredited. This is a problem particularly when it’s women challenging the norms on big stages. It brings this question about double standards: if anger is so present in our society, why are women more shamed for feeling it and acting on it then men are?

How do men and women experience anger differently?

To answer the previous question, it is essential to further understand how the expression of anger or the mere feeling of it differs for men and women. The most common and widespread explanation is that women are simply more emotional than men. Well, this preconceived idea is false. Ryan Martin Ph.D., a researcher specialized in anger, explains in “Are Men Angrier Than Women?” on Psychology Today that both sexes feel anger at the same rates. Therefore, the important distinction to make is that men tend to externalize their anger, engaging in violent and aggressive actions, while women are taught to internalize it and hide it because, for women, expressing anger comes with consequences on how we perceive them and treat them. In a 2008 study conducted by Brescoll & Uhlmann, participants were asked to evaluate people doing a job interview where some of the candidates became emotional, whether it was sadness or anger, and to guess what social status they had, their salary and the level of competence they had. Surprise, surprise: participants attributed the lowest social status, salary, and expertise to women who got emotional in opposition to not only men who became angry but also to “angry-less” women. In addition, partakers of the study also attributed the source of the anger to external sources for men. For angry women, though, the anger was linked to their personality.

Associating women being angry with being incompetent not only affects them in the workplace, like shown in this study, but also influences how we treat women’s anger in our society and how we approach their concerns. Because the young “angry girls” of today deserve to keep their arms crossed if they want to and to finally raise their voices without society diminishing them.

Morocco’s Atlas Lions: Carrying History, Making History

SARA EL ALAMI SAIDI CONTRIBUTOR

As we switch gears to welcome the 2026 World Cup into our homes, it is impossible to forget the echoes of the 2022 run and the mark it left on our generation of immigrants of colour, Africans, Arabs, and most importantly, Moroccans. Football is the world’s most beloved sport, one that has shaped entire national identities. In Brazil, political allegiance can be signaled by the colour of a football jersey. In Morocco, the very lyrics of the national anthem — the Cherifian Anthem — were commissioned by King Hassan II ahead of the 1970 World Cup, transforming what had been a purely instrumental piece into a chant meant to be sung in the stadium.

Beyond the joy, drama, and amazing atmosphere sparked by Morocco’s unprecedented underdog run, their path through the brackets often felt as though it were almost scripted. In Group F, Morocco defeated Belgium — the former colonial tyrant in Congo but also the home of a Belgian-Moroccan community of nearly half a million, many with roots in the Rif and Souss.

From there, the Atlas Lions’ journey seemed fated to maximize the empire and colonial legacies narrative. Spain awaited, conjuring memories of the Arab-Amazigh conquest of Al-Andalus, the Reconquista’s sweeping impact on North Africa, the Spanish protectorate in Morocco’s northern and southern regions, and the bitter experiences of the battle of Anwal and the Rif War. Today, the colonial past lingers in the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, with some even claiming the Canary Islands as Amazigh. This history hung over the penalty shootout, when Madrid-born Achraf Hakimi coolly slotted a cheeky Panenka straight down the middle of the goal, sending the stadium, living rooms and school cafeterias across the world into a frenzy and Morocco into the quarterfinals.

The next chapter came against Portugal. Fez-born En-Nesyri soared above the defense to score a magnificent header, booking Morocco’s place in the semifinals — an African first — ending in Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the field in tears. Morocco’s encounter with Portugal carried a long shadow: the beginning of Portugal’s empire starting in the 15th-century by the seizure of Morocco’s Atlantic ports, inland forays toward Fez, and King Dom Sebastian’s death at the Battle of the Three Kings near Ksar El Kebir. What some might call a full circle moment.

Finally, the Atlas Lions braced themselves for the semifinal against reigning champions France. With a squad missing some of its key players and half exhausted, half injured, they nonetheless faced their toughest test under the eyes of the world. Most of the team being French nationals, they were fully aware of the symbolism of

Yet Morocco’s run cannot be reduced only to these colonial echoes. The politics of its historic journey, and especially the climactic match against France, spoke more profoundly to Morocco’s present and future. The Atlas Lions embodied the paradoxes and dualities at the heart of Moroccan identity today. They carried African and Arab banners, but they were also the Indigenous people of North Africa, Amazigh, representation, with stars like Hakim Ziyech and Sofyan Amrabat hailing from the Rif. Their support for Palestine was proudly visible, as the team waved the Palestinian flag at every opportunity, even as Morocco accelerated its normalization with Israel. And their most human moment, the image of Achraf Hakimi embracing and kissing his mother, or Sofiane Boufal dancing with his mother, brought vicarious joy into every Moroccan household; they showcased Moroccan values on the world stage.

playing against the colonial power that had annexed Morocco into its African empire in 1912, imposed its modernizing–traditionalizing protectorate logics for four decades, and still shapes Morocco’s economy, culture, and politics today. The game ended in heartbreak but also beauty, with then-PSG teammates Mbappé and Hakimi exchanging jerseys in a gesture of mutual respect.

In the end, Morocco’s team remained a people’s team: for the working class, for immigrants, for Africa and the Arab world. Their journey in Qatar blended contradictions, overlaps, and identities into a gutsy and beautiful style of play that lifted spirits worldwide. Whatever the semifinal result, the Atlas Lions opened a new horizon of possibility, and their run will be remembered as nothing short of historic.

Dawson Blues’ Co-Ed Baseball Season

Date — Event — Time — Venue —

September 27, 2025 — D3 BAS - Beauce-Appalaches vs Dawson — 1:00 pm —

Dawson College - Denis-Boucher Stadium in Lachine. (LaSalle Park)

September 27, 2025 — D3 BAS - Dawson @ Beauce-Appalaches — 4:00 pm —

Dawson College - Denis-Boucher Stadium in Lachine. (LaSalle Park)

September 28, 2025 — D3 BAS - Dawson @ Drummondville — 1:00 pm — Cégep du Drummondville (Stade Jacques-Desautels)

September 28, 2025 — D3 BAS - Drummondville vs Dawson — 4:00 pm — Cégep du Drummondville (Stade Jacques-Desautels)

October 1, 2025 — D3 BAS - Dawson @ André-Laurendeau — 7:30 pm — Cégep André-Laurendeau (Stade Eloi-Viau)

October 6, 2025 — D3 BAS - John Abbott vs Dawson — 7:30 pm — Dawson College - Denis-Boucher Stadium in Lachine. (LaSalle Park)

October 11, 2025 — D3 BAS - Dawson @ Édouard-Montpetit — 1:00 pm — Cégep Édouard-Montpetit

My name is Tim. I'm a student athlete on the Dawson Blues baseball team. I've been in this team for two years now, and I can definitely say that it's an experience that I will not forget. Even if the team may not be the best definitely, I can assure you that it is the top welcoming team I've been in. It has one of, if not the best, team spirit from the teams I've played with! I love my teammates and my coaches! I'm sure if we had a bigger audience coming to watch our games from Dawson it would make us win more! GO BLUES ;)

Timofey Sherstov, Physiotherapy Technology Student

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Horoscopes

ARIES (MAR 21 – APR 19)

September is your busiest month of the year, so don’t neglect your time off. Pick up that book you’ve been putting off since forever. Watch a movie from your never-ending “to watch” list. You’ve got this, Aries! But really, go touch some grass from time to time.

Movie rec: Anastasia, 1997

TAURUS (APR 20 – MAY 20)

I know, you know, everyone knows you can be stubborn at times. Perhaps it’s time to use that great trait of yours to connect with people. Say good morning to your neighbors, organise a hangout with your besties, and maybe even call your siblings or cousins. The weather is perfect for a terrace lunch, Taurus.

Movie rec: El Dorado, 2000

GEMINI (MAY 21 – JUNE 20)

This month brings uncertainty into your life, Gemini. You’re feeling uneasy about this new career path you’ve taken on. Give it a chance; see where it can bring you. Waves will rock your boat badly before you see the sun rise on the horizon.

Movie rec: Klaus, 2019

CANCER (JUNE 21 – JULY 21)

You’ve been working hard lately, Cancer, so best believe the challenges, the projects, and the changes of September are nothing you haven’t seen before. Leave the hardships in the past where they belong, and step forward confidently.

Movie rec: Love Untangled, 2025

LEO (JULY 23 – AUG 22)

September is starting to get cold but your heart is burning hot. Someone special is holding up a mirror to your flaws, yet you’re not turning away. It feels strangely refreshing to have someone call you out. So keep them around.

Movie rec: Don’t Look Up, 2021

VIRGO ( AUG 23 – SEPT 22)

This month is full of existential questions about your inner world; who are you, Virgo, and what do you want? You're the only one who can ignite that passionate fire that warms your soul. Go back to your creative roots and rediscover the things that bring you joy.

Movie rec: The Half of It, 2020

LIBRA (SEPT 23 – OCT 22)

Happy birthday, Libra! Enjoy your bday, Halloween and Thanksgiving to the fullest, you busy bee. The seasons are changing, and so is your cycle. Whether you're breaking a pattern in your love life or your career path, don’t feel bad about it. The end of one chapter means the beginning of another one.

Movie rec: The Iron Giant, 1999

SCORPIO (OCT 23 – NOV 21)

It’s hard to acknowledge your wrongdoings. But it’s time to point your finger towards yourself and not the others. And you know it, Scorpio. This month will feel like everything is against you, like the stars are targeting only you. Take it with a grain of salt and look inward.

Movie rec: The Call, 2020

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 – DEC 21)

Actively choosing to give yourself time to heal is important, Sagittarius. A warm cup of herbal tea and comfy pyjamas on a cold night is what your tired body and aching soul need. Find peace and power in the quiet moments and choose yourself in this moment of change.

Movie rec: Dew, 2019

CAPRICORN (DEC 22 – JAN 19)

Maybe it’s time to shoot your shot? We both know you’re the best when you’re the one in charge, so take the bull by the horns and do it your way. Whether you’re confessing to your crush, trying something new, or choosing to step away, trust your heart. Nothing’s wrong with taking what you want.

Movie rec: Bottoms, 2023

AQUARIUS (JAN 20 – FEB 18)

This month is all about embracing the new and the strange. You’re going on this road without a map so welcome the unexpected. People might surprise you in the best way, Aquarius. Cut them some slack.

Movie rec: Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, 2017

PISCES (FEB 19 – MAR 20)

Drinks are best bottled up, not feelings. If something weighs heavily on your heart, Pisces, let it out. Let your voice be heard by the people it concerns. You cannot deny the importance of honest communication, even if, in the past, it has hurt you.

Movie rec: Quest of Camelot, 1998

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Claire Rodham Science & Environment Editor CONTRIBUTORS

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Nicole F. Motta Staff Writer

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Orion Peyrol Social Media Manager

Sara El Khatir Graphic Designer

Myka Miller Co-Cover Artist

Alexander Solovyev Co-Cover Artist

Marrie Han Cartoonist

Yasmine Bouanani Secretary

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