The Strand | Vol. 65, Issue 2

the

STRAND VICTORIA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER VOLUME 65, ISSUE 2 | 19 SEPTEMBER 2022

In conversation with A&C: TIFF 2022 ARTS AND CULTURE | PAGE 12

Food waste and inaccessibility at the Chelsea FEATURES | PAGE 8&9

This just in: cats can have A LOT of salami STRANDED | PAGE 15

02 NEWS

EDITORS | MAX LEES AND ROY SHI NEWS@THESTRAND.CA

UofT’s 2022 review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment

Ontario minimum wage will be increased to $15.50 on October 1 Reflections on how the minimum wage increase is set to impact student’s quality of life

What does it mean for students and staff?

ECE BUMIN CONTRIBUTOR

In July, the University of Toronto published their Review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Final Report (2022). The report calls for changes to the current policy to help survivors and provide support within the University of Toronto’s campuses in a more comprehensive scope.

After conducting a total of 54 open and closed consultation sessions with over 700 responders, along with a guiding statement released by President Meric Gertler in October 2021 on "Recent Concerns Regarding Sexual Violence," the report concluded on some action items, which will dictate future changes to the university’s policies, though none on the prevention of sexual assualt on campus.

What are the new guidelines?

1. "Greater support system for survivors and advancements in the reporting system" According to the University of Toronto’s current policy, the report intake process and the support system available for survivors are combined into one process. The two will now be separated to focus on survivor needs and complaints. New managing roles will be added to make the reporting process easier, prioritising both student and staff complaints.

2. "More transparent annual reporting to increase institutional accountability" New data will be added to annual reporting to include: the number of reports and disclosures, the types of incidents, the category of the complainant (students, faculty, staff, etc.), related timeframes (including how long the reporting and investigation

process took), and the training and education provided across the campuses.

3. "Revision of the Student’s Guide to the Policy on Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment" The guide will be adjusted to be easy to follow and user-friendly, clearly addressing policies and outlining the reporting process. It will be publicised to reach a wider scope of students.

4. "Additional incentives for ongoing community-wide training" Managers, deans, and other leading figures will be responsible for implementing training on the prevention of sexual violence and sexual harassment at least once a year. Consent training will be incorporated into Environment Health and Safety training.

5. "More publicity regarding the services available for survivors" A marketing campaign will be created to publicise the large array of services available to students. The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre website will be updated to be more user-friendly.

6. "More services available for survivors" New counselling models will be explored at the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre and the University of Toronto Health and Wellness resources, in collaboration with community-based organizations.

7. "Explicitly address the power dynamics that come into play in higher education institutions" The Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment will be updated to address power dynamics and the abuse of power in clearer terms.

The Provostial Guideline on Conflict of Interest and Close Personal Relations and the Policy on Conflict will

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@STRANDPAPER THE STRAND | 19 SEPTEMBER 2022

ROY SHI CO-NEWS EDITOR

also be updated to incorporate the topic of power dynamics. A guideline to manage faculty-student supervisory relationships will be developed.

8. "Complainants will be approached with more transparency" The current policy does not acknowledge difficulties complainants have with the reporting process. Without the policy formalising the sharing of information with complainants, survivors are not updated on the investigation outcomes. This change in the Policy will help make the process more transparent to complainants.

9. "Institutions will share information regarding the sexual misconduct of faculty members" The Association of American Universities (AAU) has recommended that universities release information regarding sexual harassment cases prior to employment. The report suggests that the University of Toronto will be following the AAU’s recommendation.

The new policies show promise. The university seems to have shifted its attitudes towards transparency when it comes to institutional accountability. More is being addressed and shared with the public rather than being hidden for convenience. New services will be available for survivors and complainants, and services that were already in place will be updated to be more accessible. There is still room for improvement. According to the report, a common complaint amongst the surveyed individuals was the lengthy investigation process. No changes have been made to ease and shorten the process. The report also fails to mention new policies regarding the prevention of sexual assault on campus.

Trigger Warning: reference to intentional self-starvation On October 1, the legislated minimum wage in Ontario will increase from $15.00 per hour to $15.50 per hour. This 50 cent increase in minimum hourly wage will affect over 721,000 workers in Ontario, according to Anuradha Dhar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, and Training and Skills Development. This change comes at a time of increased costs of living in Ontario and will provide an additional $1,768 per year to a full-time employee earning minimum wage and working 40 hours a week.

53 percent of minimum wage workers in Ontario are between the ages of 15 and 24.

In a statement to The Strand, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Ms. Dhar said the Ontario government hopes the change will “help workers keep up with rising costs and inflation.” According to Ms. Dhar, the change was determined using Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2022, which projected Canada’s inflation rate at 7.6 percent in July, and a formula recommended by the Minimum Wage Advisory Panel in 2014. The CPI is Canada’s official metric of inflation, which measures the change in consumer prices using a basket of goods and services.

The Strand reached out to Blake Smith (who uses any pronouns), a recent graduate from the University of Toronto. Smith is currently earning minimum wage as a server and has worked other near-minimum

wage jobs in the past, including at UofT. When asked if they were able to live comfortably as a student while earning minimum wage, Smith told The Strand: “Short answer, no. When I first started university, I was working a job that paid $20 an hour, and that amount, even combined with Ontario Student Assistant Program (OSAP) funding, is far less than the cost of living as a student.”

When asked about his thoughts on the Ontario government’s minimum wage increase, Smith said they believed the change “would make a difference,” but “the actual size of the difference it makes will depend on a lot of different reasons for a lot of different people.” They added that “it’s a 50 cent difference, but ultimately if I was reliant on just minimum wage I still don’t think it would work.”

Smith shared some of the unfortunate cost-saving techniques they’ve used as a student while earning minimum wage with The Strand. “Some [techniques] are not good for personal health or well-being. One of the easiest cost-saving methods that I’ve used is to just not eat [that much], to be super blunt. It means that I can decrease my grocery expenses and it decreases the time I have

to spend on cooking, which is valuable as a student.

I’ve also avoided purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables in favour of foods with a longer shelf life.” He added that he didn’t recommend these tactics, but that they were often necessary for students living off minimum wage, telling The Strand, “this is a pretty maladaptive lifestyle choice, so while it may be good for finances, it’s not going to be great in the long term.”

In a written statement, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities referred The Strand to the Ontario Student Assistance Program when asked about strategies for students struggling with affordability, adding that the Ministry would “continue to look for ways to reduce the barriers that exist for our students.”

ILLUSTRATION | NATALIE SONG

Events to check out around campus this Fall Get out of your dorm room and recover from assignments with something fun!

MAX LEES & ROY SHI CO-NEWS EDITORS

PHOTO | KIM NGAN PHUNG

With the Fall semester in full swing, it can be easy to forget to balance your school life with some fun as well.

Fortunately, clubs and student groups on campus are organising all kinds of exciting events for you to check out! Whether you’re in the mood to attend a movie night, to let off some steam by fighting dragons in dungeons, or to drown your sorrows in free pancakes, there’s something for everyone below.

What: Cinema Studies Student Union Free Friday Films Where: Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Ave.) When: Fridays at 7 pm Free Friday Films are back, hosted by the UofT Cinema Studies Student Union (CINSSU)! Just ten minutes from Vic campus, head over to Innis Town Hall for free movies every Friday at 7 pm. All are welcome! September screenings include The Wolf of Wall Street, Sonatine, and Beautiful Scars. Check out the CINSSU website or Twitter page for more updates.

What: Hart House Theatre Productions Where: 7 Hart House Circle When: September 20, 22, and 24 Don’t miss Hart House’s upcoming theatre productions: Truth Values and Gender Roles in the World of Dance. Truth Values is an 80-minute solo

production showcasing the stories and challenges of being a professional woman in male-dominated STEM fields. Curtains rise at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, September 20 at the Erindale Studio Theatre and on Thursday, September 22 at the Hart House Theatre. Tickets are $15 for students and $25 for adults.

Meanwhile, Gender Roles in the World of Dance dives into how gender stereotypes influence various dance styles, whether we should continue to cast within these norms, and how we can work to break away from them. Admission is free for everyone! Check it out on Saturday September 24 from 2-4 pm at the Hart House Theatre. Visit the Hart House Theatre website for tickets and other upcoming events.

What: UofT Tabletop Gaming Club Game Nights Where: Student Commons, Fifth Floor (230 College Street) When: Fridays, 6:30 pm-11:00pm The UofT Tabletop Gaming Club welcomes everyone to Friday Game Night! A variety of board, card, and role-playing games are available, and attendees are always welcome to bring their own games as well. Make sure to use the Huron Street entrance and arrive before 8 pm to be let in. There is an accessible elevator on the East side of the building and an accessible washroom on the fifth floor. Check

out the club’s Facebook page for their Discord link and further updates.

What: Vic Drama Society High School Musical: 2 Shadowcast Where: The Cat’s Eye (150 Charles St W) When: September 23 and 24, 8 pm The Vic Drama Society presents the iconic High School Musical: 2 along with live performances, drag, and water guns! For those who haven’t been to a Rocky Horror Picture Show performance, shadowcasting is a way to both appreciate and make fun of a cult classic by projecting the film while actors perform in front of the screen. There will also be a pre-show by Toronto drag legend Milkshook (playing Sharpay Evans), as well as games and prizes! Get tickets for just $5 and join in on the fun at The Cat’s Eye! What: VUSAC Commuter Free Pancake Brunch Where: The Cat’s Eye (150 Charles St W) When: Tuesdays, 11 am-1 pm Calling all commuters (or even non-commuters)!

Come and enjoy free pancakes, get some swag, and meet the Victoria College Commuter Dons at the Victoria Off-Campus Association (VOCA)’s Tuesday Pancake Brunch! Chat, meet new friends, and cover your face in syrup. All are welcome, every Tuesday at The Cat’s Eye.

04 EDITORIAL

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF | JANNA ABBAS & RION LEVY EDITORS@THESTRAND.CA

An excess of opportunities

the

strand V O L U M E

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A conversation with MPP Jessica Bell Campaign highlights, goals, and the future

And a lack of motivation to pursue any of them editors@thestrand.ca

editors-in-chief

janna abbas rion levy

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victoria allder

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adam lam

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opinions

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ILLUSTRATION | YOON-JI KWEON JANNA ABBAS AND RION LEVY EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

copy editors stephanie cui, maeve ellis, july hu, juliana rivas,

alyssa fuerte, lila carr, tanya kor, victoria bor-

tolussi, brooke collins, mia jakobsen, rachel karn,

jae kim, charles dixon design team

mahathi gandhamaneni, rion levy cover art seavey van walsum

The Strand has been the newspaper of record for Victoria University since 1953. It is published 12 times a year with a circulation of 1200 and is distributed in Victoria University buildings and across the University of Toronto’s St. George campus.

The Strand flagrantly enjoys its editorial autonomy and is committed to acting as an agent of constructive social change. As such, we will not publish material deemed to exhibit racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or other oppressive language.

@STRANDPAPER WWW.THESTRAND.CA

As we sat down to write this editorial, we were at a loss. There’s been a lot of buzz around campus with in-person classes commencing, clubs to join, events to attend, new people to meet, and friends to make. But one thing has been seriously lacking (at least for us): the motivation to engage in any of those opportunities.

Want to grab a lavender London fog from Caffiends after class? Too far from Northrop Frye Hall. What if we studied together at E.J. Pratt? Would rather be in bed binging TIFF* movie trailers. Can we meet up at Robarts? The whole peacock-turkey dilemma is too much for my brain to wrap around right now. Seriously, it’s like all we can do is wake up, put on our Strand sweaters, fill our Old Vic tote bags with overpriced textbooks and three-day-old granola bars that we are convinced we will eat today, and that’s about it.

The two of us started UofT in the middle of the pandemic, and where we could go, what we could do, and who we could meet was limited to our dorms, homes, and the cashier at the grocery store. But now, as UofT is just a few weeks into the largest return to campus ever, we’re feeling a little overwhelmed here at The Strand, and it’s okay if you are too.

This issue is all about Excess. We’re talking all things maximalism, extravagance, (false) opulence, capitalism, and more. We wanted to go big! To go bold! In the face of feeling small in such a big pond, it surely doesn’t help that every time we go online, we’re bombarded

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EDITORS | MAX LEES & ROY SHI NEWS@THESTRAND.CA

with an excess of content about other people's lives, how great they are, and how much fun they’re having.

Seeing all that, it’s hard to find the motivation to go out and figure out where and who we want to be this year.

So, our advice to you is to take it one step at a time. Although we would love for you to be holed up in a room full of Strand content to immerse yourself in 24/7, we encourage you to take the leap outside of your Strand addiction and explore what this campus and this city have to offer.

To get you thinking more broadly, we curated this issue for you with a healthy (but not overwhelming) selection of topics to read from. In Science, Victoria Allder talks about how safety measures can sometimes result in dangerous behaviors. In Opinions, Adriana Goraieb offers a strong perspective about our excessive social media consumption. The hot News in this issue is Jevan Konyar’s report on how a quarter of workstudy positions go unfilled. And, as always, you can find The Strand’s TIFF review in Arts and Culture.

We hope this excess of content doesn’t leave you feeling excess-tential, but if it does, keep a curious eye out for our next issue. ;) *TIFF: Toronto International Film Festival

ROY SHI NEWS CO-EDITOR

Jessica Bell is the Member for Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the riding of University-Rosedale. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), she is the current critic for housing, tenant rights, and urban planning. Before she worked at Queen’s Park, Bell founded and served as the Executive Director for TTCriders, a non-profit advocating for improvements to Toronto transit.

The Strand: What were some of the highlights of your campaign?

Jessica Bell: “The highlights of the campaign were similar to the highlights of the job. We have an educated and diverse electorate that cares about issues I also see as top of mind, including housing, affordability, climate action, and our healthcare and education systems. It’s a highlight when you see that your values are really resonating with people in the riding.”

Did you face any difficulties this year, compared to your last election?

“It was a different election than last time. Last election, we had a tailwind because the Liberal vote collapsed in 2018.

People just needed a change. In this election every party had headwinds because the Conservative vote was quite high provincially. There were many swing voters in UniversityRosedale who couldn't decide whether to vote NDP, Liberal, or even Green, because their primary goal was to make sure Doug Ford didn't get re-elected as Premier.”

What are your main priorities for the next four years?

“In the last term, my priorities were a fair economy, housing affordability, and a real response to the climate crisis. Accessible healthcare and a high-quality education system are also priorities. We have approximately 33 schools in our riding and every week I get calls from parents who are worried about their children not getting the support they need. I still see those five issues as the core issues that resonate most strongly in my riding. They’re brought up time and time again when I check in with residents and ask them what they're concerned about, so I intend to work on them.”

You mentioned affordable housing as a priority. What steps should the province take towards more affordable housing?

“Many seniors and students in our riding are earning

just above minimum wage and only work part time. You cannot find a place to rent in this city on those kinds of wages. It’s forcing people to commute long distances. It's forcing people to share one bedroom between two or three people because they literally can't make anything else work.

We are pushing for a comprehensive Four Point Plan to make housing affordable again. It includes clamping down on investor speculation, building new housing to meet demand, providing supportive housing, and real rent control.”

What are some of the main obstacles to achieving these goals?

“The obstacles we face primarily have to do with the Doug Ford government as well as big investors and big corporate landlords who want to maintain their profit by keeping rent high. Unfortunately, that is the main reason we are seeing so much inequality in Ontario. Lower- and middle-income people have to pay more and more money to rent and that money is going to people that are already doing really well.”

Why do you think the Conservative government is so resistant to these changes?

“The homelessness crisis exists across Ontario, but it is most prevalent in urban areas that are mostly held by NDP MPPs. We see it more in our ridings than Conservative MPPs in more rural or suburban ridings. When we go to our local park or walk down the road, we see people in crisis living on the streets.

“The other piece is that the Ontario government mistakenly believes we can solve our housing crisis by just building a lot of homes. It'll take at least ten years for our housing supply to meet demand. People who are homeless can’t wait that long. There are also many people who are never going to be able to afford a home even if it is built by a non-profit developer and rented at cost. That’s why we need government investment in supportive housing, as well as supports like social workers, mental health counsellors, and employment advisors who can help people get a job that works for them. That’s why the government’s argument falls short.”

How do you feel about the Ontario government’s policies towards post-secondary students and institutions, such as the Student Choice Initiative?

“The Doug Ford government has not been a friend to students. We organised with the student community

to make sure that the so-called Student Choice Initiative was successfully struck down and I commend the student community for winning that fight in the courts. I worked with community radio stations like CI UT who were affected by the Student Choice Initiative, just like The Strand was. If I can think of an example of suppression of free speech, it is eliminating the right for students to organise and represent themselves democratically and to be able to fund newspapers and radio stations so that they can communicate with each other.

“We have been very clear about our position, which is that universities and colleges should get more funding.

When universities and colleges are forced to raise revenue on their own, they have turned to international students to fund the shortfall. Programs teaching people to enter fields in need such as the personal support workers and healthcare workers should especially be provided with additional financial assistance, so it becomes an attractive option for students. Any provincial support that students get through OSAP [Ontario Student Assistance Program] should be converted from loans to grants, so that the option of college and university becomes an option for everyone that has the grades to participate.”

Do you have any concerns about the Ontario government’s budget moving forwards?

I do. “The budget is very status quo. It does not increase funding to education and healthcare, even though we are in a healthcare crisis. There are many emergency rooms now that have been closed down because of staffing shortages. It's really concerning that they did not do more to address the issues we're facing in education and healthcare.

“The other issue that came up is that the government has agreed to increase payments to people on the Ontario Disability Support Program by five percent and then look into indexing it to inflation. That falls far short of what is needed. If you're on Ontario Disability Support as a single person, you can get a maximum of $1,200 a month. This change would just increase that by $58 a month. That's chump change. We are calling for a doubling of social assistance payments and then indexing it to inflation so that we can lift people out of poverty. It's the moral thing to do and it is the economically sensible move as well because poverty is extremely costly for everyone.”

Quarter of work-study positions go unfilled Confusion surrounding employer expectations is a contributing factor PHOTO | KIM NGAN PHUNG

JEVAN KONYAR CONTRIBUTOR

With the work-study application period coming to a close this term on September 16, students who applied will soon receive results regarding their attempt to secure on-campus employment. In an already competitive environment, some students have pointed to an increasingly high barrier of entry for on-campus work—akin to credentialism—as a source of anxiety. To compound this, there seems to be confusion on behalf of the student body concerning what constitutes a competent application.

Credentialism, sometimes referred to as degree inflation, is a term given to the growing difficulty of entering the workforce after graduating from university, with many entrylevel positions now demanding a greater degree of experience and education from applicants. While this definition refers specifically to a phenomenon in the private sector, some would argue that a similar process is unfolding within the university setting.

While recognizing that most on-campus positions involve work that requires certain expertise—especially those where students assist in research for specific fields—other offerings directed towards a more general demographic still seem to ask for qualifications disproportionate to the job description. For instance, one listing for an administrationoriented job asked that applicants be familiar with Canadian

art.

Further, anxiety concerning fitness for a desired job plays a role in determining whether potential applicants send in applications: “Normally I apply for jobs I might not have the full qualifications for […] but I didn’t here because I worried I might be endangering future opportunities if I make a bad impression by submitting unqualified applications,” said one student.

In a statement given to The Strand, work-study program coordinator Kelly Sullivan commented that 25 percent of work-study job postings go unfilled, largely as a result of students failing to meet job requirements. “It is primarily

due to students applying for roles in a generic fashion—that is, not tailoring their resume and cover letter to the specific requirements and qualifications that a role is looking for.

When students do this, it is more challenging for supervisors to see how their experience is applicable to the particular needs of the role.”

With the work-study program providing a valuable chance for students hoping to bulk up their resumes, the expectation that they have a strong resume to begin with (paired with their misunderstanding of how to put one together) is disheartening to many.

06 OPINIONS

EDITOR | ABI AKINLADE OPINIONS@THESTRAND.CA

OPINIONS 07

@STRANDPAPER THE STRAND | 19 SEPTEMBER 2022

Chronically online—a virtual disease

4C the future

A dive into the overstimulating and excessive consumption of social media

Shrinkage and shrinking—my natural hair journey

ILLUSTRATION | JENNIFER FONG LI

ADRIANA GORAIEB CONTRIBUTOR

Chronically online: a term the internet has coined to describe users who consume media content so excessively that they become out of touch with reality. Such individuals have trouble developing genuine, real-life connections and often struggle with engaging in healthy conversations about politics and social justice due to a significant lack of worldly experience.

I would thus like to open this piece with two actual tweets I encountered: “being grossed out by another persons energy and mentality is such a real thing” (@multiverse333) “making irl [in real life] mutuals at college yall this shit is crazy…” (@marma2ade) Above are prime examples of "chronic" onlineness that demonstrate a complete distortion of reality stemming from excessive social media use.

They have re-translated the very basic and normal experiences of disliking people and making friends to “being grossed out by energy and mentality” and “making IRL mutuals.” We’ve become so desensitised to the human experience that, in the same way the virtual space may seem foreign to our parents, the real world is slowly becoming alien to "chronically online" individuals.

To begin, I find that our overconsumption of content from people’s daily lives is reducing the human experience to aesthetics. To illustrate my point, I will refer to a TikTok I came across of a content creator highlighting her “clean aesthetic routine.” It essentially consisted of exfoliating, brushing her teeth, combing her hair, and going through a skincare routine. Cleanliness has been transformed from a basic habit to an aesthetic that a particular group of people live to abide by. Many people have become so absorbed by social media that they have redesigned their lives to fit within a romanticised lens that social media recognises as an “aesthetic.” Reading books on the subway, taking class notes, cooking meals and many such regular experiences have been plastered onto social

media as an “aesthetic,” demonstrating a growing disconnect from the real world.

On another note, I would like to touch on our overexposure to "conventionally attractive" or "social media-presenting" faces and experiences on such platforms and how this overexposure can affect our reaction to people we encounter in real life. Social media is so oversaturated with conventionally "presentable" persons and livelihoods (often inaccessible to most people, as they are lived by upper-class individuals) that it can become anxiety-inducing and often despairing for content consumers living a completely different reality. We often hear people wondering why certain experiences they are exposed to online are not happening to them. While it’s not the first time that the issue of upwards comparison has been highlighted, it has definitely gotten a lot worse over the past few years. The content we consume is fed by a positive feedback loop by the algorithm so, this constant exposure to the realities we aspire to live in can feel very belittling and hopeless.

In addition, people will often jokingly admit that they are only able to find people attractive online, unaware that it is a symptom of a much deeper issue related to how numbing the virtual world can be. Our new standard for relationships (be it romantic or platonic) is set by snippets of ‘perfection’ we view online, and it often creates a gap between people wherein they feel unable to connect to human beings that don’t match the personas they see online.

Lastly, the lack of accountability and ease of expression on social media has led to an inability to engage in healthy conversations about politics and social justice. The transient nature of the content we post online, as well as the ability to remain anonymous in the virtual space has made it incredibly easy for users to post about their thoughts and ideas—however inflammatory, underdeveloped, or uninformed they may be— with no intention of participating in active discourse about it. They often can dish it out

and not take it in, and this trend has created an extremely hostile space in which people are unable to come together and listen to each other. Social media platforms have become so polarising that active communication and healthy political debate is often replaced with hostility and animosity. When creators are met with disagreement, it’s so easy for them to ignore the situation by just deleting their videos and starting afresh. Social media makes it so simple to remove oneself from an unpleasant situation and assume no accountability, that when such exchanges are moved to real-life, the lack of experience with healthy conversations leads to an inability to debate and be open to listening and educating oneself. It’s overwhelming and desensitising, and while social media is normally a great tool for spreading awareness on social justice matters and highlighting important societal issues, it has also created a space where hostility and lack of accountability prevent healthy discourse from taking place.

My point is, we need to be cognisant of how we perceive and process the content we consume on social media and effectively recognise the distinction between real life and online spaces.

The term "chronically online" is being increasingly used to describe those who are unable to do so, but it’s more than just that—it is an indication of a growing disconnect to the real world due to our thought processes being so easily shaped by what we consume online. It has also been studied that excessive social media use is a leading cause of mental health issues worldwide, including anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and others. This crisis is in dire need of being addressed.

Ultimately, my call to action is not to boycott social media—I do acknowledge the crucial role it plays in our connection to, and understanding of, the world. All I encourage is that we re-evaluate and reflect on our relationship with it and work on finding the balance between its virtue and its venom.

ABI AKINLADE OPINIONS EDITOR

A journalist that I follow on Twitter named Hannah Phifer made a Tumblr post in 2016 that read, “Black women will always be too loud for a world that never intended on listening to us.”

While Phifer makes explicit use of the word “loud,” Black women everywhere know that this adjective can be easily interchanged with almost any other unsavoury descriptor that has historically been used to typecast the Black female population— “aggressive,” “rude,” “ghetto,” “angry.” All of which is to say, Black women are more often than not simply regarded as being too much.

What is a young Black girl—socialised early on to believe that they are intrinsically “too much”— supposed to do? Do you roam the halls of your allwhite school with your head held high, naysayers be damned?

Of course you don’t.

You cower. You shrink yourself to make other people—whiter, lighter people—feel bigger.

In elementary school, I wanted, more fervently than I wanted a lot of things, for my hair to be long. Not just long—for it to be silky and straight and shiny, to cascade down my shoulders and reflect the light. 4C hair is the exact opposite of this in that it is soft, bouncy, light as air, and coily (so coily that it grows upwards rather than down). This opposition confounded me as a child.

I couldn’t fathom why every one of my non-Black friends had hair that was different than mine; why I stood alone with an Afro that I was bred from my early years to disdain, largely due to (a lack of ) representation of my hair type in the media and every Black woman in my family refusing to wear their hair out in favour of a protective style.

Which is precisely why when my mom approached me with the idea to relax (chemically straighten) my hair in middle school, I jumped at the chance. From ages ten to fourteen, I sat

diligently every month while she lathered my hair with the perm mixture, looking for ways to pass the time and trying to ignore the sting of the chemical burns on the back of my head. It’s worth it, I thought. Do you want pretty hair or not?

And, for a while, "pretty hair" was exactly what I got. It fell to my shoulders, I could slide a comb all the way through without it getting stuck (if you know, you know). I felt (temporarily) placated with the knowledge that I could (temporarily) achieve the hair that I had so coveted.

It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that extensive research and rudimentary soulsearching led me to embark on what many refer to as a “natural hair journey.” I ditched the relaxer for sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner and swapped my hair straightener with a diffuser. This was coincidentally around the same time that the natural hair movement was gaining traction on social media.

The movement made it feel as though, as Black women, we could regrant ourselves the agency that had been so unremittingly denied to us time and time again. Society didn’t have the power to tell us that the hair that grew out of our own hair follicles was ugly, or unruly, or took up too much space. And while the popularity of the natural hair movement has continued to be instrumental in my self-love and natural hair journeys, some members of our community—specifically women with type four hair—feel as though it has been co-opted and misrepresented in a way that once again centres outdated principles of “good” and “bad” hair.

“Good” curly hair grows downwards, in ringlets, and is still generally palatable and acceptable to a mass audience. “Bad” curly hair is Afro-textured and coarse. It is estranged from what most people know hair to behave and look like, and therefore it must be alienated. Thus, the public "face" of

the natural hair movement was largely dominated by women with 3C or similar-textured hair; hair that was still objectively “natural,” but not so far removed from “white hair” that it could be considered alien. Yet, while this dichotomy exists, an intra-communal pressure among natural hair aficionados to cash in on the supposed exceptionality of 4C hair also exists, which is why there has been discourse around TikTokers in the natural hair community claiming to have type four hair when, evidently, their hair is anything but.

I feel that it does all Black women a disservice to haphazardly conflate the discrepancies between hair textures. While some hairstylists have purported that these categorizations are arbitrary (seeing as it’s more than possible and quite common to have more than one hair texture on your head), the way that society views and treats thicker, coarser hair is drastically different from how looser curl patterns are regarded (and in some cases, revered!).

While we share a common struggle, the nuances of said struggle must be continually explored and deliberated so that we can continue to champion those who are disproportionately threatened by the demand to hide, diminish, and otherwise shrink the hair that they were born with. To minimise themselves. To take up less space.

There are times when the voice in my head reverberates incessantly, telling me to lay low, warning me to not rock the boat. There are days when it holds me hostage. To that I say, I not only have a right to take up space, but an obligation. The hair that grows from my head is not a burden, but a light, gentle cloud framing my face and reminding me that a younger version of myself would smile to see my Afro. For myself, for my sister, for my future daughter, for my fellow 4C-ers, I will take up just as much space as I need to (and then some).

ILLUSTRATION | SEAVEY VAN WALSUM

08 FEATURES

EDITOR | SAM ROSATI MARTIN FEATURES@THESTRAND.CA

FEATURES 09

@STRANDPAPER THE STRAND | 19 SEPTEMBER 2022 ILLUSTRATION | SHELLEY YAO

Food waste and inaccessibility at the Chelsea Residence How the Chelsea Hotel failed to provide healthy and sustainable food HANNAH KATHERINE CONTRIBUTOR

On your first day of school, figuring out what is available for you to eat should not be an additional stressor. After all, everyone needs to eat. Unfortunately for me and many other students who checked into the Chelsea Hotel—last year's makeshift University of Toronto residence—finding healthy and affordable food close by was a challenge that led to overwhelming waste.

At first, there did not appear to be an issue. As a student with several allergies and dietary restrictions, it is normal for me to source out the options available to me in advance. In an email, Professor and ViceProvost, Students Dr. Sandy Welsh told me that the Chelsea Hotel’s restaurant—Market Garden—would offer a meal plan operating on a declining basis (i.e. a meal plan commencing with a certain amount of money set to decrease with each purchase made) and that the UofT commuter meal plan would also be available to the students living in the hotel. I called both offices to ensure they had vegetarian and gluten-free options and was reassured by both that there would be something for me to eat. Not only was I misled, but my struggle to access food led to an excess of waste.

Market Garden only narrows the available options When my residence move-in day came, my mum and I spent the better part of the day unpacking and settling me in. By the end of it, we were famished and ready to check out the options at the hotel’s restaurant. Despite calling ahead of time and the bright green sign informing

us that there were allergen-friendly meals available, an employee informed us that there was nothing to eat. Disappointed (and fairly hangry), my mum and I spent the next hour or two searching for takeout places nearby where we could eat out. This inaccessibility was widespread in the Chelsea Hotel.

In an interview with one of last year's Chelsea don residents, the don, who wishes to remain anonymous, describs the options for vegetarian and vegan students as “very limited” and “ridiculously expensive.” She recalls that she had been offered “fries and salad.” Luckily for me, I was yet to pay for the hotel meal plan—otherwise I would have lost a substantial amount of money.

Issues with the Chelsea Hotel's Market Garden extend past misleading students. For both the students and residence dons, the prices of the food itself was too much for a tight student budget. In an interview, former Chelsea Hotel resident Kai Lacey tells The Strand that “the food at the Chelsea Hotel was a bit expensive, so in order to get an actually reasonably priced meal it did take a lot more [effort].” The ridiculous pricing of meals is a common consensus amongst residents, and the inaccessibility of an on-residence dining hall stressed and limited students. Without the convenience of having a warm meal available at their residence, students were forced to adapt to other means of getting a meal, such as the commuter meal plan, buying groceries, and frequenting nearby fast food restaurants.

The commuter meal plan was better, but not worth it for everyone I did not purchase a hotel meal plan; however, I— like

many other students—did purchase a monthly commuter meal plan. Most of UofT’s dining halls had something for me to eat on most days, and there were always salads.

Lacey describes his experience with the commuter meal plan as “pretty good,” though he comments that it took a while to go get a meal due to the commute to dining halls. On the other hand, some students like Suri Huang, a previous first-year resident, tells The Strand she chose not to buy any meal plans because “I didn’t think it was worth it.” Students may only use the commuter meal plan in the non-privatized dining halls on campus, most of which are a fair distance away.

“Do It Yourself ” meals are hard without space and appliances Each hotel or "dorm" room was permitted one mini fridge and the common room had two communal microwaves. Having a mini fridge helped. I could buy a carton of milk to pour over my cereal in the morning and ingredients to make a sandwich or a salad. Prior to living in the residence, I was used to cooking, preparing my own meals, and packing a lunch, so the ability to have a mini fridge sounded promising. However, two issues quickly arose: the lack of space and no access to compost or recycling.

With limited space accessible to students to prepare a meal, groceries bought went unused and were eventually thrown out. As a vegetarian, I use a lot of ingredients that can and should be composted. To my knowledge, the Chelsea Residence did not offer recycling options, let alone compost. All my food scraps and recyclables— along with everyone else’s—got mixed in with the trash.

The so-called organic waste could have been used to create compost; rather, it was added to the landfill.

The last resort: Fast food With Market Garden never being an option to begin with, and with the commute to the dining hall or

environment.

When asked about how much fast food she consumed while being a resident at the Chelsea Hotel, Lily Yu estimated it made up “around 70 percent or more” of her diet. The estimate compares to the year prior to arrival at the UofT, in which Lily predominantly “ate homemade

unaddressed. As UofT advertises a supposedly sustainable campus, residences ought to be equipped with accessible resources. Inaccessibility to healthy and sustainable meals or adequate means of food disposal (like compost) are all contributing factors to food waste, ultimately fostering a wasteful community with unsustainable habits. The

ISSUES WITH THE CHELSEA HOTEL'S MARKET GARDEN EXTEND PAST MISLEADING STUDENTS. FOR BOTH THE STUDENTS AND RESIDENCE DONS, THE PRICES OF THE FOOD ITSELF WAS TOO MUCH FOR A TIGHT STUDENT BUDGET.

preparing a decent meal being impractical, students— myself included—found fast food a very convenient option. The fast food industry is known for its waste and throwing away perfectly good products. I rarely ate fast food prior to my first year. Yet, a few months into that year, I felt myself becoming reliant on fast food, an unsustainable diet fostered by an inaccessible residence

meals.”

Moving forward Food waste, and waste in general, is widespread at the university, and is especially harmful when inaccessibility perpetuates it. Trying to combat food waste on its own will not be effective if the source of the problem goes

Chelsea Residence is back up and running for the 20222023 school year. One can only hope that Chelsea’s food is made more accessible to incoming first years.

10 SCIENCE

EDITOR | KIERAN GUIMOND SCIENCE@THESTRAND.CA

Too much safety?

ARTS AND CULTURE 11

@STRANDPAPER THE STRAND | 19 SEPTEMBER 2022

Ode to the Juicy tracksuit: long may she reign

Why safety measures can result in dangerous behaviours Better safe than sorry! We’ve all heard that before, but are there times when increased safety can have an opposite effect than what we would expect?

In 2004, the National Hockey League (NHL) cancelled its regular season, which pushed some of its players to play in European leagues instead. Those leagues mandate that players wear visors when they play, which is not compulsory for all players in the NHL. “Great!” one might think. “Players are less likely to get hit in the eye or get severely injured by a flying puck!”

The observed effects, however, were not the increased safety one might have expected. Rather, when looking at the players who did not wear a visor in the NHL but were required to in the European leagues, it was apparent that this added sense of security encouraged players to behave more aggressively and take more risks. This is reflected in the extra 0.19 penalty minutes per game they received, which is about a 17 percent increase compared to the 1.14 penalty minutes per game estimated as a basis. But what caused this increase in recklessness?

This kind of behaviour is described by the Peltzman effect, named after the economist Sam Peltzman.

Peltzman led a study in which he analysed the number of deaths caused by automobile accidents before and after security measures—such as seatbelts and airbags—were introduced. Surprisingly, he found that the death rate remained the same. He observed that the introduction of safety gears made drivers more comfortable taking risks, as they relied on their new and improved equipment to keep them safe. Consequently, there was a higher number of pedestrian casualties, as they had

PHOTO | GETTY IMAGES

no additional protection from the drivers’ increased PHOTO |RICARDO GOMEZ PHOTO |NATHANAEL carelessness. Peltzman concluded that a heightened ANGEL DESMEULES sense of safety can cause one to take more risks, which cancels out the benefits of the new safety measures.

In other words, we adjust our behaviour based on the level of perceived risk. A greater sense of danger will encourage more careful behaviour, whereas an enlarged sense of safety has the opposite effect—a phenomenon known as risk compensation.

Similar effects have been observed in extreme sports, such as skydiving. The rate of skydiving deaths has remained constant, even after equipment was made more reliable. In fact, in The Click Moment by Frans Johansson, skydiver Bill Booth states that, “The safer skydiving gear becomes, the more chances skydivers will take, in order to keep the fatality rate constant.”

Relying on the equipment to keep them safe, skydivers of advancement. Humans would never have left their will attempt more daring and dangerous jumps than cave-dwellings millennia ago if they were not willing to they would have otherwise, which can lead to fatal take some risks. Taking an unexpected or challenging consequences. course of action can lead to new opportunities and skill It is not hard to imagine a scenario where students development. The world’s most successful people have also experience risk compensation. Suppose a student inevitably taken risks to get where they are. Thus, if with a very heavy workload knows that one of their greater safety measures can embolden people to take professors, Dr. Doe, is lenient on deadlines and is greater risks, these measures would seem desirable as more than likely to grant an extension, so long as it is they would enable us to push ourselves further and requested politely. It is probable that this student will improve. Situations with uncertain outcomes are prioritise work in other courses and hope that they can essential for our learning and growth, and attempting get an extension for Dr. Doe’s assignments. The safety to shield ourselves from them would be a mistake—but the student feels from Dr. Doe’s generous behaviour we still need to be cognisant of how increased safety is reflected by an increased likelihood of the student might lead us to take more risk than is optimal. engaging in risky behaviour by not turning in their assignment on time.

Although risk-taking can lead to negative outcomes, it is also a prerequisite for almost every kind

“Green” clothing?

Environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry KIERAN GUIMOND SCIENCE EDITOR

The term "fast fashion" was created in the early 1990s to describe how certain clothing brands had a very short turnaround between the product being designed and being sold in stores. Over the past 30 years, the term has continued to grow with more brands producing lower quality clothes at cheaper prices.

Fast fashion brands such as GAP and Forever 21 can seem appealing to students due to their cheap prices and trendy looks. Of course, buying occasionally from these brands does not make you a "bad person," but there are major issues with how we consume these products. The fast fashion industry has pushed the message of “disposable clothes.” Once you are done with a product, you can throw it out in favour of the newest trends. Every year, 92 million tonnes of textile

waste is produced and the majority of these clothes end up in landfills. One fast fashion giant making waves right now is Shein, which as of 2022 is the largest fashion realtor in the world. Shein is a Chinese-based clothing brand that only functions through an online storefront. Only six percent of its product remains in stock for more than 90 days, which makes it a prime example of the "use-and-dispose" model of fashion.

Not only are clothes from fast fashion brands being thrown out at a faster rate, but washing these lowquality, cheap fabrics releases microplastics into the water, eventually infiltrating oceans and rivers. These microplastics are then consumed by marine creatures such as fish and plankton, which can cause reduced growth and development as well as other toxicological effects. This April, scientists found microplastics in human lungs for the first time. Laboratory experiments

UNA V CONTRIBUTOR

When I die, bury me in my Juicy Couture tracksuit. Let the flowers on my tombstone be fuchsia, like my outfit, and may my loved ones throw sequins—not dirt—upon my bedazzled casket. May my mourners wear anything but black—to do otherwise would offend me gravely.

A symbol of Y2K fashion, celebs like JLO, Paris Hilton, and the Kardashians popularised this velvety, sparkly, two-piece set. It is my sincere belief that the world is a better place because of it. I received my Juicy tracksuit as a gift last year, and let me tell you, I take every opportunity I can to wear it. My goto uniform for running errands, this loungewear set is everything I want to be in life: compelling, relaxed, and downright iconic.

Don’t get me wrong though, you don’t need to drop over a hundred bucks to feel like a million bucks!

If there’s anything that being the proud owner of an (imitation) Juicy tracksuit has taught me it’s that there are tiny ways you can incorporate its fabulous essence into your day-today life to spice things up a little.

Some things that come to mind are wearing vibrant nail polish (even if it’s just on your toes) and sunglasses (to dodge the paps, of course),

have shown that microplastics can damage human cells, but studies have not yet proven that there is an effect of microplastics on human health.

I spoke with Sarah Abernethy, who was a model with the Victoria College Environmental Fashion Show (VCEF) in 2021 and 2022. This club holds an annual fashion show using exclusively recycled and repurposed clothing. She says that it’s important for students to be aware of the dangers of fast fashion because “so many of us are guilty of over-consuming.” She believes that sustainable fashion is a necessary alternative to fast fashion. In terms of what students can do to help the problem, she recommends they thrift their clothes and adds: “Get creative! Sometimes a little can go a long way.”

T

VICTORIA ALLDER BUSINESS MANAGER

• • •

An e h

nu

IC V l a

K B OO

using glitter pens for your notes, and—best of all—reading a physical magazine. I recently learned that a friend of mine loves buying real magazines instead of reading them online and that blew my mind.

I miss tracking One Direction’s every move in Tiger Beat or J14.

There’s something so delicious about flipping through the glossy pages of a magazine; it screams relaxation and indulgence to me.

As the axiom goes, there is no right way for a woman to exist in society. Wherever you fall on the “girly girl” to “tomboy” spectrum (or maybe your style lies completely outside of that), someone will always have something to say about what you’re wearing. It is only in recent years that I’ve embraced my love for all things “extra” in fashion: sumptuous fabrics, sparkles, bright colours, puffed sleeves… Once I let go of the pressure that I put on myself to follow trends and dress like my peers, I started to embrace what felt like timeless pieces for me; the Juicy tracksuit is but one of them.

So, when that little voice in your head tells you to take off that flashy accessory before leaving the house, I want you to take a deep breath, look in the mirror, and repeat the wise words of our Lord and Saviour, Paris Hilton: “That’s hot.”

SALE is back afte raC

OV ID

hi a tu s!

1000s of great books in all subject areas, from Philosophy to Graphic Novels, will be available at bargain prices.

Buyers can find the latest fiction titles as well as hard-to-find antiquarian volumes.

All proceeds support the Victoria College Library system and student scholarships and bursaries.

2022 SCHEDULE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 2 PM – 7 PM First Day Only – Admission $5 Students Free with ID FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 10AM - 8 PM SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 11 AM – 5 PM PHOTO | KIM NGAN PHUNG

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 11 AM – 5 PM MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 10 AM – 8 PM LOCATION OLD VIC 91 Charles Street West (Museum Subway)

12 ARTS AND CULTURE

EDITOR | SARAH ABERNETHY ARTSANDCULTURE@THESTRAND.CA

Stories @ Vic: The art of collecting

In conversation with A&C: TIFF 2022 A lot of films, one article SARAH ABERNETHY AND MIKAELA MOORE ARTS & CULTURE TEAM

Hello, The Strand readers! Sarah and Mikaela here, coming to you with our official coverage of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This year is the first year that TIFF has run completely in person since the COVID-19 pandemic and let us tell you, the energy in the city was something we haven’t felt in ages.

Both of us were lucky enough to experience roughly a dozen of the TIFF films presented this year and we felt it might be more exciting to bring you up to speed through a TIFF-esque “In Conversation With” dialogue, instead of boring you with a novel’s worth of reviews.

So, if you’re interested in hearing about Taylor Swift, crying in public, and our biggest hits and misses, please, read on.

Sarah: Okay, so I'm recording right now… okay… so, where are you at with films you've seen? What was the first one you saw?

Mikaela: I saw Weird: the Al Yankovic story on my first day, as well as The Origin of Evil, which was my first foreign film of the festival and it was incredible! I also saw Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

S: Right, which I also have just seen… I was big on the Clue allusions…

M: And then I just went and saw the Nope Q&A with Jordan Peele… it was very cool… oh, The Good Nurse was really good.

S: I wanted to see that but the session I was in beforehand ran late, was it good?

M: It was really good. It was so special to see the premium screening because it was based on a true story, which I didn't know. And then they brought out the real woman [Amy Loughren] that Jessica Chastain's character was based on at the end and she received a two-minute standing ovation. It was incredible.

S: Bones of Crows was super great, and I really hope it gets the recognition it deserves… I think

it was pretty much an all-Indigenous cast, yeah, it was phenomenal. It was the kind of thing where I was like, ‘I hope they show this in classrooms.’

It illustrates the residential school system and its trauma with such honesty. It is incredibly powerful... I know CBC in part produced it, so I hope that brings it to a wide audience. I’m also a massive fan of Marie Clements’ work in the theatre, so it was cool to see her do something on screen.

M: That’s really good to know.

S: What else did I see? Oh, I saw The Whale.

M: Right, and you said you’ve never seen so many people cry?

S: Yeah, both critics on either side of me were crying, myself included… People were sobbing…

It was really something… so worth lining up early [for a whole hour and a half, at 7:45am ... It was totally one of those films where I haven’t seen anything like it. Really heartbreaking and really symbolic. Made me want to read Moby Dick.

M: Really?

S: I feel like I’d understand a whole other level of symbolism if I read it.

M: I left My Policeman crying. And as someone who did not go into these movies with any expectations, having not seen the trailer or any marketing for it, I was pleasantly surprised but also incredibly heartbroken by the direction it took. I was really surprised to find that both My Policeman and The Whale were LGBTQI2SA+ movies, which is something I didn't realise beforehand. And that felt really important because it felt like those stories were being told at a really important time. I always find it interesting to see what kind of movies are coming out at certain points in history. Why these movies were produced at this point and place in time says a lot about the world around us.

S: Maybe we should chat about Glass Onion, given we’ve both seen it. What’s your perspective being someone who has seen both?

M: As someone who's seen Knives Out?

ARTS AND CULTURE 13

@STRANDPAPER THE STRAND | 19 SEPTEMBER 2022

I found the first film really clever, because, although it's a whodunnit, the first film was incredibly subversive to what we're used to seeing in the genre. I was curious how Rion Johnson was going to be able to write a sequel that would still challenge viewers' expectations without creating twists that were either too similar to the first film or too conventional. And so it really gives you a lot to think about and the thing that I love about this is always looking for small details. So I was in this super analytical mindset the whole time and whispered back and forth with my seatmate about our theories.

S: What do you think of Daniel Craig's accent? That was a hot topic in the theatre.

M: The first time I heard it in the first movie I was uncomfortable, but this time I was expecting it so I was okay with it. That's very funny.

S: Okay, what was your biggest miss?

M: The Good Nurse was okay. I really just felt like it missed a lot of important beats. For a suspense thriller, I felt like there wasn't enough, like, questioning along the way. It was just very, like, clear cut. We know what's going on. And I think really, the horrifying part, to be honest with you, was the way that everyone around the main characters dealt with this real life horror, right?

Like, rather than confronting it, [they were] just kind of pushing it aside. It was incredibly interesting, but I think the pacing caused it to fall flat for me.

S: That was The Young Arsonists for me. I was really committed to seeing this film. You know, as a Canadian woman, I really wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I would say cinematography-wise, it was visually beautiful. It was so nice to see something filmed in northern Ontario. I liked all that they were going for, [except] the writing. And also, it's funny because Sheila Pye does short films and it felt like a twohour-long short film, if that makes any sense.

To read the rest of this article, head to thestrand.ca.

PHOTO | CONNIE TSANG

SARAH ABERNETHY AND MIKAELA MOORE ARTS & CULTURE TEAM

When we think about the parameters of ‘excess,’ it’s difficult not to consider the boundaries between minimalism and maximalism. How much stuff is too much stuff? Pro-minimalists (such as the infamous Marie Kondo) would suggest it is anything that does not “spark joy.”

Though sometimes, a lot can spark joy.

To kick off Stories @ Vic, we thought it would be interesting to chat with students about what they consciously choose to keep in ‘excess.’

Or perhaps, more aptly, what items and treasures they collect, big and small: Angel, a fourth year Trin student, collects clothes: “I just like to collect pieces that make me happy to think of, or that I think would pair nicely with other things I own. I really like expressing myself through the things I put on my body because it makes me feel like a walking art

piece! Because of how much I enjoy creating a range of new "art pieces" every day, I would say I've accumulated about 200 items of clothing, and […] maybe 30 pairs of shoes […] I have been considering downsizing because I would like to give the pieces I don't wear very often to someone who can actively love them! Or perhaps I'll repurpose them!”

Saskia Laufer, a fourth year student, collects tiny elephant statues, of which she has 17. Saskia

explains to The Strand that she “love[s] her collection” because all the elephants are gifts from friends and family members. Many of the statues are from India, which she states: “makes [her] feel closer to [her] heritage.”

Rion, a third year Vic student (and CoEditor-in-Chief ) collects books from the Beat Generation. He is the recipient of the Hoeninger Book Collection Prize from the Pratt Library, calling his 53 Beat books a “mini-library.” When asked about the story behind his collection, Rion explains: “I started collecting books by, and about, the Beat Generation when I purchased Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s A Coney Island of the Mind

The Strand goes glam ARTS AND CULTURE TEAM

This issue, we’re sharing with you a collection of music for relishing in the fantasy of material wealth. Lots of it. No, really… it’s excessive.

The Strand Goes Glam Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend - Marilyn Monroe Fashionista - Jimmy James Glamorous - Fergie, Ludacris Diamonds (with Normani) - Megan Thee Stallion, Normani I Want - One Direction Money, Money, Money - ABBA Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani, Eve Material Girl - Madonna Bills, Bills, Bills - Destiny’s Child Luxurious - Gwen Stefani Follow us on Spotify for more!

ILLUSTRATION | SHELLEY YAO

as a textbook for a high school English class [...].

I slowly grew acquainted with other Beat writers.

More so than them 'sparking joy,' I would say that these books spark questions. I have found the Beat Generation fascinating for half a decade now and recently completed a fellowship studying Peter Orlovsky. The more I read, the more questions I have, and the more I collect.”

Mikaela Moore, a fifth year Vic student, collects Funko Pops. She has 217 Pops total.

Amongst her collection, she is most proud of her Batgirl Funkos, of which she's spent years collecting every variation in and out of production. Mikaela says that her collection sparks joy because she "love[s] being surrounded by characters that [she] grew up with or [has] come to love in [her] adult life. They remind [her] of exciting memories of going to the movies with [her] family or reading [her] favourite books for the first time."

Check out this article on thestrand.ca for photos of each collection!

Join Jerico, the Podcast Editor, as he explores the possibilities of the podcast through the lens of some of his favourite podcasts.

Following that, he’s joined by his first guest, Cat, to answer some student questions. Are the answers any good? Listen and find out! The full episode can be found at thestrand.ca.

If you want to reach out with ideas, a simple comment, or a collaboration - you can reach Jerico at strandcast@thestrand.ca.

ILLUSTRATION | ARTHUR DENNYSON HAMDANI

14 POETRY

EDITORS | EMMA MACKENZIE AND ISHIKA RISHI POETRY@THESTRAND.CA

A Limp Hand Extending from the Body on the Couch

Spell Jars

The truth is I’m writing this on a whim, digging through the drafts for a little dark magic, at a frosh dance I can’t get out of, so here’s what I’ve got—

NINA KATZ CONTRIBUTOR

I can’t reach the Sediments settling in

The lining between my

Daydreams and responsibilities,

Every gap a yawning canyon,

Repetitions of “Tomorrow, I’ll–”

And it’s still today in spite of

Night and the

Glue leaking from my dirty pores,

For every unclean, slow dream sticks to me;

I don’t want a room full of people.

I need one.

Run away from the party with me as far as possible, and the losers are always winning.

Cut the music.

Catch you outside.

The sunset is the prettiest before we lose it all forever.

What an honour to lose my all to forever.

Give me less.

I can love harder than that.

And oh god they’re bringing out the little cakes and all the girls keep carrying out more chairs and somewhere there’s a conga line but I’ve got my hands full with theories about sunsets and shit so that’s why I have nothing to say. Uh, can I interest you in getting out of here on the boat?

They can keep the beat and the mocktail bar and the fairy lights. I want the moon.

You in?

I’ll work my spells and I’ll tell you about the trees of my past, future, and present (floorboards flooded with moonlight).

Then, you tell me if that’s too much or not enough.

I have never moved, not even once.

Self-loathing is a cloak so darling on me, I don’t

Dare believe I’ve still got skin beneath its silk;

Indolence and his ilk indulge my inhibitions,

I will, I’ll do it, right after I craft a metaphor as essential as “sticky pearls”

Right after the death of effort,

Right after I’ve got nothing left to say.

Oh, someone kiss these ugly words from me!

I can create nothing so beautiful as

A love warmly given and held by four palms Like an apple, or a prayer.

dr. f.e. line, m.d. contributor

PHOTO | KNOWYOURMEME.COM

In recent years, some cat owners have raised the question of how much salami is safe for their furry friends to eat. Well, such concerns may now be a thing of the past! I am pleased to report that cuttingedge scientific studies have conclusively determined that cats can eat A LOT of salami with absolutely zero adverse health impacts (Unpublished data, n.d.). That’s right; it turns out that salami is actually very extremely good for cats. It should be enjoyed regularly, perhaps at every meal….

Mmmmm yum…. You should really give your cat some salami… mhmmmmmm………………….

But I digress. The irrefutable fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as excess salami for Cat. Don’t worry about all that salty goodness; they can

handle it. Just give them some extra water, I guess?

They’ll be fine. I promise. C’mon…… look into my—their sweet lil' eyes……… I know it’s in the fridge……… can’t you spare just a little bit?? You don’t expect me to subsist on stale kibble alone, do you?!?! GIMME!!! SALAMI!!!!!

This Wikipedia entry has been deleted due to misinformation.

The humor(s) article Pseudoscientists LOVE this one simple trick! soup contributor

Calling all astrology girlies, MBTI subscribers, and people who still care about their Hogwarts House in the year 2022: I have a hell of a personality system for you! Everyone else, keep reading anyway. It’s about humors. Plural.

Humorism is a theory of medicine that developed sometime in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece and was popular in Europe until about the nineteenth century. The four humors of classical humorism were blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. Humorism is also known as humoralism, but I think that sounds stupid and I refuse to use that term. Any unexplainable ailment was taken to be an imbalance of the humors, usually an excess of one of the four. Eventually, these were linked to the four temperaments, or the four personalities, each the result of an excess of one humor.

While Hippocrates fleshed out the beginnings of humorism, Galen did a funnier thing: he made an alignment chart. In his work, De Temperamentis, he claims that people could be physiologically hot, cold, or balanced. This is fine.

The other axis of being was a person being dry, wet, or balanced. This is less fine. Some people might even be the equivalent of True Neutral: lukewarm and moist. I encourage you to tag yourself. Each temperament sits in one corner of the alignment chart, at an extreme of the matrix.

The four temperaments are as follows:

1. Sanguine, notable for an excess of blood.

This combination of hot and wet is associated with spring. Blood was thought to contain small amounts of the other humors, so it was sampled for any testing. A sanguine person is outgoing, impulsive, and easily distracted.

2. Choleric, associated with an excess of yellow bile.

This is a combination of hot and dry and is associated with summer. A choleric person is ambitious, aggressive, and quick to anger.

3. Melancholic, said to be the result of too much black bile.

This is a combination of cold and dry and is associated with autumn. Fun fact: cancer was attributed to a localised excess of black bile. A melancholic person is deeply loyal, selfreflective, and Very Gloomy. Melancholia eventually became the name of a mood disorder and is now in the DSM-5 as a subtype of major depression.

4. Phlegmatic. This was believed to be an excess of any white or colourless body fluids, like sweat, saliva, or mucus, but not phlegm in its modern definition.

This is a combination of cold and wet and is associated with winter. A phlegmatic person is reserved, rational, and slow to change.

Physicians would attempt to induce the correct balance

of humors as pertaining to the season. This could be done by changing the patient’s diet (humors were thought to be produced by digestive processes and food composition) or stealing their blood with vampire slugs.

As you may have suspected, the whole alignment chart as well as the humors themselves were drawn from the four Western classical elements: water, earth, fire, and air. This idea has survived in alchemy and popular culture since Ancient Greek times (though it was briefly damaged when the Fire Nation attacked). Other elemental schemes exist, but they may have a different number or combination of elements, such as the Ancient Indian panca-mahābhūta of earth, water, fire, air, and ether/void; or the Classical Chinese Wûxíng of fire, water, wood, metal, and earth.

At various points in history, the whole idea of putting people in boxes based on traits they can’t control has been heavily criticised and sometimes replaced with religion or another fun and innovative version of the same thing.

Humorism dominated Western medicine for about two millennia and still survives today. In the modern day, humorism, as well as many other personality categorizations, is considered to be pseudoscience. Subscribe to it at your own risk.

Of course, I have ulterior motives for writing this article.

In my world, which is built on dad jokes, I cannot claim to write humour articles without writing a humor article.

Mission accomplished.

ILLUSTRATION | RAQUEL LEWIN

I heed every excuse and superstition.

I’ll get up, momdadyousunbossprofessorgodme,

This just in: cats can have A LOT of salami Not just as a treat

ANYA SHEN CONTRIBUTOR

“Put it in a jar and it’s a spell,” the saying goes.

Withered flowers for resurrecting memories that outlive the bouquet.

Pebbles for conjuring a granola sunburn on rainy days in the city. I put everything in jars. This room that holds all my joy, all my fury, all my little trinkets that keep the light on in my body. I put everything in jars, and every body in this household overflows with magic. They take my father apart and sew him back together, and leave inside him scars and prayers and anger and apologies and stories that will come out when he is ready.

I have never been a light packer. I am a voyager making my way through the world with a thousand spell jars in my pocket. I keep a copy of every joke told by every person who’s ever won my heart and broke it.

Hold on to every hug because you don’t know when you’re getting the next one. And I love radically, ferociously, crashing into everything with fists full of broken glass—

ILLUSTRATION | SEAVEY VAN WALSUM

STRANDED 15

@STRANDPAPER THE STRAND | 19 SEPTEMBER 2022

ILLUSTRATION | SEAVEY VAN WALSUM

16 STRANDED

EDITOR | FAITH WERSHBA STRANDED@THESTRAND.CA

How to respectfully tell your profs that they are assigning way too much work without getting kicked out of class Reverse psychology, babey!! faith wershba stranded editor

We’ve all had that prof that’s just a little overzealous when it comes to workload. Like, 400 pages of reading in two days, and it will be testable on the exam. Man… when the rigorous academic institution that you attend is actually academically rigorous…

So, what’s a girl to do when she’s drowning in assignments before the semester has even begun? (I mean… I guess she could just buckle down and do them… HAHA as if!) Here, the sweet and subtle art of cognitive manipulation comes in clutch. If you play your cards right, your profs will lighten your workload and think that it was their idea all along.

Step 1: Hit ‘em with a friendly yet aggressive greeting.

Some options include: “Hey, champ, how’s it hangin’?”; “Sup g!”; “Greetings, my brother in Christ”; or “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” (Last one should only be used for really scary profs, when you need to establish dominance right off the bat.)

Step 2: Shower them with compliments, progressing from superficial to intensely spiritual.

This step helps build trust and puts the prof in a positive headspace, which will make them more amenable to your requests. You want to proceed from surface-level praise, like “Wow, the drip is SO real today. Straight fire, my guy," to more personal accolades, like “Your soul glistens with the light of a thousand stars.” It doesn’t matter if you don’t actually like their outfit, of course; fake it till you make it, Regina George style.

Step 3: Convince them that they are really tired from all the syllabus-writing and grading that they must be swamped with.

There are a couple of ways to do this. One is to have an insane amount of energy yourself, so that the prof appears exhausted in comparison. Try raising the pitch of your voice by three octaves, widening your eyes as far as you can, and jittering non-stop. This will undoubtedly make a good impression, and cause the prof to question their own sanity (def not yours, though). Another tactic is to feign concern over their apparent exhaustion. Try something like “Wow, you look WIPED. I can imagine that creating such a lengthy and detailed syllabus must be tiring! Not to mention all the grading you’ll have to do, with all those essays you’ve

assigned! Can I buy you a coffee? Do you need a nap? If only there were some ways you could lighten your workload….”

Step 4: Motivational speech.

Suddenly, you have a flash of insight: there is something the prof can do to lighten their workload! And coincidentally, it also lightens yours! (Don’t mention this part though—it will make things sus.) In a very cool and not-at-all rehearsed way, ask the prof if they have considered the possibility of simplifying the syllabus or knocking off a few readings.

Emphasise that they can ~empower themselves~ and ~guide their own destiny~ by doing so. Y’know, all the self-helpguru kinda stuff. “Taking charge of their life” and whatnot.

Bonus points if you use the word "manifest."

Step 5: Emergency exit plan.

If the above steps have not yielded success, you may have to take slightly more drastic measures. Yell “PARKOUR!,” do a flip off of the side of their desk, and steal all their papers before making a run for it. Retreat to the mountains and live off the land. Make friends with the salamanders. Learn how to start a bonfire using the power of your own mind. You did what you could: this is your life now.

ILLUSTRATION | JULY HU

A formal letter to Raya Please… let me in…. parsley rain contributor

Dear mistah Raya, I am using this medium, the written word, to ask you to please let me on the app Raya. For those of you reading this who aren’t mistah Raya, Raya is a dating app for celebrities that has an eight percent acceptance rate (which is similar to some Ivy League colleges, apparently), and if anything, I’m a slut for exclusivity.

Lots of celebrities are on there, like Drew Barrymore, Tom Felton (for you Draco freaks), Channing Tatum, Niall Horan, Joe Jonas, etc. You know, just a bunch of people who would be answers to charades with your friend's boring boyfriend. Also, Nicholas Braun is on there, and I need Succession season four deetz or at least to engage in a threesome with Shiv that happened in a Succession fanfiction I definitely didn’t read and just happened to hear about.

I just think that my life would be infinitely better if I was on Raya. Listen, I know that what I really long for is a respite from the cesspool of capitalism that makes survival impossible without constantly selling one’s own labour.

I crave a sense of agency that I just can’t get when all I’m given is enough sustenance for immediate consumption (i.e. rent and food). Every Monday, the working class is left again

with nothing but the prospect of working another 50-hour week, leaving no time for independent thought with which to realise their collective power; but also, like, I think Nick Kroll could just pay my medical bills for me, right? And who are you, mistah Raya, to deny me that opportunity? I just need a breeaaaaaaaak, you know? Can I get a f*cking break, mistah Raya? Like, let me be Nathan Fielder’s stay-at-home girlfriend spending the day getting my nails done and becoming a water sommelier. It’s what I was born to do.

Maybe Mark Zuckerberg is on there.

Maybe I could poison him. I mean, uh… have a good time with him and be normal—no scheming. I looooooveeeee billionaires and want to date one for normal reasons. I could even give the wealthy elites a reality check with my basic impoverished lifestyle. Can you imagine Zac Efron’s eyes when I say something like, “Yeah, but can I afford to spend the $4 subway fare it would take to get there?”

PHOTO | INSTAGRAM

And listen, before you say, “Well, you aren’t famous,” I actually once had Rookie Mag falsely attribute a Stephen King quote to me, so think before you speak.

Anyways, pleeeeease let me do a class collaboration.