She Leads: Recognizing Women’s Leadership

Editor-in-Chief

Diba

Assistant Editor-in-Chief

Melodie Jade Opara

General Editor Executives

Brianna Fasoli

Morgane Paquet

Social Media Executives

Sophia Pan

Sofia Marsico

Frederique Dumouchel

Contributors

HyacinthDomingo

MichaelaDadoun

AlexandraMalamud

VanessaM

KaylaN

Diba

BriannaFasoli

MorganePaquet

SophiaPan

SofiaMarsico

MelodieJadeOpara

FrederiqueDumouchel

TheVCFSAExecutiveTeam

VCSAElectoralCommittee

Vanier'sOracle

Alumni Contributor

Yvonne Y. F. Kelle

Cover Page Design

Sofia Marsico

Hello Vanier students,

The Insider has a new look!

You might have noticed that The Insider’s Winter 2023 Issue 2 looks different from Winter 2023 Issue 1, this is because we are trying out a new look. Although our previous format was nothing but the best, we are very excited to share this new version with everyone!

Let us know what you think!

Our Issue 2 mainly covers Women’s History Month, Student Success and achievements, Social justice issues, and Spring.

In this Women’s History Month Issue, we celebrate women and their inspirational and heartening, stories. We also highlight Vanier Student’s Success. Where we highlight the skills, achievements, and experiences that students have gained on their journey that will shape them for the future.

Enjoy our New Advice Column, where Vanier students have asked questions, they would like to seek advice in, and the Insider Executive Team has responded to those questions with beneficial advice.

Congratulations to the winners of the Spring Writing Contest and thank you to everyone who participated and sent in their submissions.

I want to thank all the contributors of this Issue! Thank you for dedicating your time to the Insider and sending in your submissions and being part of the Vanier Insider.

A big thank you to everyone for supporting the Insider, we love you!!

Please enjoy this Issue and thank you for picking up a copy!

Happy Reading!

Diba Editor-in-Chief

Dear Readers of the Vinsider,

As we celebrate Women's History Month, it is vital to acknowledge the numerous strong women who have fought for their rights and paved the way for future generations. From activists and suffragettes and to artists; women have made significant contributions to society and deserve recognition for their achievements.

In this issue of the Vinsider, we highlight some of these incredible women and their inspiring stories, who have challenged societal norms and fought for gender equality. We also provide recommendations for literature and movies that delve deeper into women’s experiences throughout history. These resources offer a valuable opportunity to educate ourselves and strengthen our knowledge about the struggles and triumphs of women.

As the assistant editor-in-chief of the Vinsider, it is my privilege to share these stories with you. I hope that this issue encourages us all to reflect on the contributions of women and inspires us to continue advocating for gender equality.

Sincerely,

Melodie Jade Wendyam Opara Assistant Editor in Chief

UpcomingEvents

March 27-31: 31st Annual Vanier College Symposium Holocaust and Genocide 2023

March 31: 4th Annual Unplugged : Intercollegiate singing competition at Dawson College (4001 De Maisoneuve West) room 5B 16 @7:00pm

March 31-April 17: VCSA Election Nomination Period

April 3: Creative writing circle in B-225 @5pm

April 3: VKS Foosball Tournament @Jake’s from 11:30am-1pm

April 5: Book Talk with VKS in B-225 from 12:00-1:15 pm

April 12: Active listening service Next drop-in session

during UB in room A-315

April 14: Karaoke with Vanier Student Life in B-225 from 4pm-7:00pm

April 21 - April 27: VCSA Election Campaign Period

April 25: Graduation Photos: graduation photo session in the Vanier Auditorium A-103 from 12pm-7pm

April 28: VCSA Elections Voting Day 1 from 8:00am5:59pm

May 1: VCSA Elections Voting Day 2 (last day) from 8:00am - 5:59pm

Please pass onto a friend or recycle after reading!

CAMPUS The VCSA Electoral Committee Team 2023 VCSA Executive Council Elections 2023

The VCSA Executive Council Elections 2023 are currently underway. This is a chance for you, The Vanier Students, to nominate yourselves to be part of the VCSA Executive Council, which is the only representative for the student body at the college.

The positions that are available for the VCSA Council Election are: The officer positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer. The Executive Council coordinator positions: Internal Affairs Coordinator, Academic Affairs Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, Clubs Coordinator, and Community Coordinator.

The Nomination period will begin on Friday, March 31 and will end on Monday, April 17 During this period, Vanier students can nominate themselves for one of the mentioned positions and be a part of the VCSA student council.

Campaign period will begin on Friday, April 21 and will last until Thursday, April 27. During the

campaign period, the candidates can promote themselves to other Vanier Students and be able to make their case on why they would make a great candidate for the VCSA Council position they are running for.

The voting days for the VCSA Elections will be held over the duration of 2 conductive lecture days, from Friday, April 28 and on Monday, May 1 between 8:00am5:59pm. All Vanier students are encouraged to vote. The voting process will happen through Omnivox. After the voting, the officially elected VCSA Council members will be announced by the Electoral Committee.

All important documents and procedures for the elections process that Vanier students will need to consult to nominate themselves for any of the available positions listed, can be found on the VCSA Electoral committee Instagram page @vcsaelections_2023, as well as any other documents relating to the elections.

If you have any questions about the VCSA Elections or the positions available, you can always send an email to vcsaelections@vaniercollege.qc.ca or you can reach out to the official Instagram page of the VCSA Electoral committee @vcsaelections_2023 and be sure to follow them for upcoming events and informations. You can also bring your questions to any of the Electoral committee members during their office hours. They would be more than glad to help you out!

STUDENTSUCCESS The

VCFSA pops at P.O.P.

VCFSA Executive Team

The Vanier College Filipino Student Association attended the Pinoys on Parliament event in Ottawa, from February 24, 2023 to February 26, 2023. It is a three-day national youth leadership conference for Filipino/a/xCanadians that happens every year. In this event, the VCFSA was able to network with Filipino/a/x-Canadians all around Canada and learn new skills from workshops led by leaders

of various fields such as politics, government, business, arts and STEM.

The first day marked the opening of the event where we were able to meet and have amazing conversations with many different inspiring filipinos/a/x, and be able to listen to their great stories. Discovering the many filipinos/a/x in fields that help build and shape the future of the youth made it a surreal

event. Multiple workshops were showcased during this event on the second and third days. For example, in one of our workshops, we learned how to elevate ourselves as entrepreneurs. As participants, we had the freedom to choose which workshops to attend, and each of us chose a workshop that piqued our interest and could possibly be benefiting our future aspirations.

On the second day, we got to choose to tour either the House of Commons or the Parliament of Canada. This activity will certainly help us grow and realize our potential as future leaders and change-makers in this country. Moreover, meeting the first filipina senator in the Parliament, the Honourable Gigi Osler, and

other Filipino Student Associations around Canada is the highlight of this outstanding annual event.

As a part of a minority group in this land, this event gave us learnings that will help us succeed and inspired us to be the best versions of ourselves to be able to venture into our society.

Achievements of Computer Science Students at Vanier

Diba

Computer science students at Vanier have competed in events such as The Morgan Stanley Hackathon and the 2023 Warhacks Concordia Hackathon and have won 1st place in both events!

Morgan Stanley Hackathon 2022

In November 2022, second-year Vanier computer science students won first place at the 2022 Morgan Stanley Hackathon event held at the Palais des Congrès The secondyear computer science students are: Kaolin Stacey, Jeffrey Juan Grospe, Md Saqliyan Islam, Phuc Nguyen, Amanda De Rosa and Tommy Rivard. The team representing Vanier, had won first place for the non-profit: Earth Day Canada. The Vanier team developed a web-app prototype aimed at helping fight food waste. Morgan Stanley will take the prototypes and deliver finished products to each non-profit in 2023.

A prize of $500 was given to the members of the winning team as well.

Congratulations to all the students for being part of the event and winning 1st place and congratulations to Computer Science student Jeffrey Juan Grospe, who was offered a paid internship with Morgan Stanley.

2023 Warhacks Concordia Hackathon

On February 11, 2023, the 2023 Warhacks Hackathon was held at Concordia University where 2 teams from Vanier College participated. Both teams won 1st and 2nd place honors at the Hackathon. The students from the 2nd place winning team consisted of 4th semester Computer Science students, Valentin Atanasov, Anton Lisunov, Leonella Levy Martel, and Brandon Lee Felix.

Warhacks is an introductory hardware Hackathon designed specifically for CEGEP students to build their own robot from scratch. This event was in person for the first time since 2019. Four separate CEGEPS, each with two teams, participated in the hackathon, along with teams from Concordia University. Before competing to show off their robot's talents, teams had 4 hours to construct their robot. The judges, who were either professors or industry professionals, assessed how well the tasks had been completed as well as the final robot design.

This is a big win for Vanier computer science students given that were up against university teams.

Congratulations again to all the winning Vanier Computer Science students from both events, we are all proud of you!

Image of the 2nd place honors winning team from the Warhacks Concordia Hackathon 2023

Image of the 1st place winning team at the Morgan Stanley Hackathon 2022

WOMEN'SHISTORYMONTH

Abuelas de La Plaza de Mayo Sofia Marsico

Throughout history, women banded together and fought for their societies rights in countless human rights crises, like the Algerian resistance, Iranian women (Woman, Life, Freedom), Black women and the civil rights struggle in the United States, and so did women across Latin America. Early in the 1970s, crimes against humanity were committed in South America under the pretext of a "National Reorganization Process," attributable to state terrorism. A grassroots human rights organization called the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo has fought and is still fighting against the oppression and sequestration that took place in Argentina under the military dictatorship, criticizing impunity and calling for truth, remembrance, and justice.

Many civilians joined revolutionary organizations in

response, defending their freedom and democracy; they were The Mothers' children. These women, who would go on to become heroes, initially met on April 30, 1977, to recover the nation's kidnapped children. The organization estimated that more than 30,000 people became "Desaparecidos," or "the disappeared," between 1970 and 1980 (Source: Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo). The authorities did not leave any documentation of these people's arrests or evidence that they had been charged, and their names were removed from public records.

I chose to highlight this group of women because of their tenacity — they have been meeting and denouncing as they always have until the truth is revealed for more than 30 years. They led a significant social change in

South America and assisted many parents in finding their missing children, and for that, I have nothing but the utmost respect.

Moreover, to me, someone that is inspirational is someone that is selfless, someone whose core values are what drives them and fights in accordance. I could never imagine having to worry about where my child has been taken or how he is being treated on a daily basis for

years with no answers. Therefore it amazes me to see these women find such strength in their suffering.

On March 24, we remember those who have disappeared in activity and all those who have endured years of state terrorism. More importantly, though, we demand remembrance, the truth, and justice.

“Verdad, Justicia, y Memoria”

End the Violence Morgane Paquet

For as long as most of us remember the indigenous population of Canada have constantly been suppressed by the police, medical centers, educators, the general population, and all together our own government. I think we can all agree it is about time we put a stop to this outrageousness. The week of March 6th, more precisely International Women's Week, was celebrated at Vanier

College with over 15 events speaking about how we can help promote a change in our society as well as be good allies to the minorities experiencing said discrimination. The last event was called “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: How do we End the Violence?” The speaker was part of an organization called “The Iskweu Project''. The Iskweu project is meant to be

a bridge between police and indigenous families, they also accompany indigenous women to file police reports as well as escort them to the hospital to make sure they get treated fairly. The sole fact that we need to worry about the people who are there to protect us, and if they will be harming indigenous women is gut wrenching. The Iskweu project shouldnt have a reason to exist in the first place, but sadly it is a necessity in today's world.

One of, if not the biggest problem when it comes to missing and murdered indigenous women, is the lack of response gotten from the police. In most cases the families of the missing indigenous women get told to “wait more time, they will show up” or “they are probably out partying or running away”. When a white family reports a missing daughter, action is immediately taken to find her.

It is a well known fact that the 48 hours after someone has gone missing is crucial to finding them. It can easily be argued that the lack of response from police officers is a determining factor to the higher rates of missing and murdered indigenous women. For a matter of fact, Indigenous women are twelve times more likely to go missing or be murdered than any other woman in Canada.

Not only is the lack of response from police officers a problem, but the trust broken between the first nation communities and the armed forces is too. Firstly the RCMP (Police officers) were the ones who took the children away from their families to bring them to the residential schools, they also abused indigenous women in multiple instances, as well as enforcing a sedentary lifestyle on their communities by killing all of their slay dogs. You don't have to be very

empathetic to understand that these actions taken by our government will clearly have long lasting effects on the indigenous population. The government should be doing more than saying sorry and putting a bandaid on a problem much bigger than a simple scratch on the knee. Because not only has the police broken the trust between them and these communities, but the government has directly done it by putting in place multiple discriminatory laws. For starters, for many decades they have denied women their status as being indigenous for the sole fact of being women, today many are still not considered indigenous and are struggling to find a way to prove they are. Not only this but the separation of their communities to the rest of Canada by putting them in reserves, and letting the reserves stay in conditions that could be considered 3rd world. Not to mention the

obvious, the neglectful and abusive residential school that caused unthinkable trauma for the whole community, a trauma that is still being felt immensely today.

But what can we do to help?

You may be wondering. You don't have to spend money on donating to charities (although that would be helpful).You can speakout and confront people when discriminatory events happen, you can inform yourself and inform others, you can message people in power, but most importantly you should go to the vigils, see the effects this has on people in person and understand the change that is needed, not only should you attend vigils but you should attend protests whenever possible. For more information I encourage you to go check out The Iskweu Projects instagram account @iskweuproject.

Overlapping Perspectives: Looking into Amita Handa’s Hall of Shame: Lies, Masks, and Respectful Femininity Hyacinth Domingo

It is deep-rooted in mainstream media (e.g., movies, television, news, etc.) that many girls and women from different parts of the world still face discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudices. However, the problem lies in how our society immediately attributes these overlapping issues to only one absolute cause. It is not enough that our society stops at simply defining and recognizing such issues as gender-related. For instance, whenever someone tells you about blonde

stereotypes, we simply agree that they are gender-based stereotypes. When we read about freedom of bodily expression and movement or domestic and sexual violence, we immediately assume that women suffer these issues because of their gender. We never try to look beyond gender and that is what limits our ability to think further.

Amita Handa’s Hall of Shame: Lies, Masks, and Respectful Femininity explores the experiences of South Asian

girls like herself and how the intersection between cultural identity and gender forms a new context that changes how we should perceive many issues relating to girls and women. She asked to define normative feminine behaviour and most of the South Asian women she interviewed answered the question by enumerating the things that girls were not supposed to do (e.g.,

drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and dating boys), and the things that girls were supposed to do (e.g., studying hard, going to family and community gatherings, and helping with domestic duties) (p. 111). It is important to recognize that in particular cultures, feminine behaviour is strictly measured with tolerance. It seems to be placed in a cultural spectrum which has two ends that carry completely polar views and opinions (e.g., a dominant culture vs a non-dominant culture), where a woman’s experiences may be affected depending on where she is placed in the spectrum: whether in the far side of the

dominant culture, in the far side of the non-dominant culture, or in the middle. For instance, Nina, one of Amita’s interviewees, explained how restrictions on freedom of movement and bodily expression are affected by her South Asian cultural identity. She defined that being South Asian means restriction of social activities by parents (p. 112). From this, we understand that Nina’s hardships as a South Asian girl stem from her non-dominant culture’s preservation of their representation of women and their beliefs about what feminine behaviour ought to be. It is not only the fact that Nina is a girl that explains why

SOCIALJUSTICE Anti-Semitism MichaelaDadoun

In recent years, Jews around the world have experienced an eruption of antisemitism throughout their communities. Alarmingly, thereisrarelyadaythatgoes by without hearing of an incident involving either a physical assault, an antisemitic slur or even sometimes deadly attacks targeting Jews somewhere in the world In the backdrop of thisclimateofhatreddirected attheJewishpeople,howcan we as a community and as a society,helpshapethisworld to being a more accepting, safer place for people of all religions, backgrounds and beliefs?

After all, antisemitism is an irrational hatred of Jews. It’s notthatJewsdidordidn’tdo

somethingthathasledpeople to discriminate against them and to target the Jewish communitywritlarge Sowhat explains the dramatic rise in antisemitism?

Everytime I hear of another terribleincidentthathappens where Jews are targeted; I crumble inside Recently, as I started my journey in CEGEP, there have been situations that have hit closer to home whichdeeplyaffectme What I find most sad about this situation is the ignorance. People say things and act in waysthatarehurtfultoothers without even realizing it SituationssuchasKanyeWest threateningtogodeathcon3 against the Jews, NBA star Kyrie Irving sharing antisemeticfilmsonhissocial

she is experiencing restrictions on freedom of movement and freedom of bodily expression. Her restriction from movement and bodily expression are two interconnected issues that overlap with her cultural identity and her gender, which is observed in her nondominant culture’s practice of cultural preservation towards feminine behaviour.

The first step is to reformulate and ask questions differently when learning about issues that a person experiences which we know little of nor have any personal experiences to empathize with. The second step is to

integrate more than one aspect or characteristic of a person’s identity (e.g., culture, gender, family background, ethnicity, age, religion, etc.) when contextualizing their problems and experiences. These are the habits we must apply when we encounter not only issues of women but all other issues that relate to how we live and interact with one another in our communities.

Reference:

Handa, A. (2003). Lies, Masks, and Respectful Femininity. Of silk saris and mini skirts: South Asian girls walk the tightrope of culture (pp. 107-128). Women’s Press.

In recent years, Jews around media and so much more has proven to me how ignorant people in our world can be When people who have such high social positions in the world speak against the Jewish people, it gives all the people who do not know better a reason to hate us even more Now, more than ever, Jews must stand up for ourselvesanddoallwecanto educate those around us about the need to forcefully combatJewhatred.

Recently in Montreal, at a neighbouring CEGEP college, an antisemitic incident occurredagainstmyfriends.

ThispastHalloween,students showeduptoDawsonCollege dressedupinthespiritofthe day Everybody loves to have a good time and get creative with their costumes until people go overboard. As shown in videos that were circulating on social media and as I heard directly from some of my friends who were at the scene, a group of students created a path for a studentwhomarchedthrough dressed up as a German soldier. Despite the student’s claims that he was dressed in a post-World War II uniform and that he had no animus towards the Jewish people, hismarchandsalutewas

nevertheless unnerving The feeling of uncomfort and danger that filled my body when seeing this was indescribable I am not sure why this is something that anybody would find funny or appropriate to do and somethingneedstochange.

Normalization of antisemitism leadstoweaponizationofJew

hatred The same way that, rightfully so, nobody would dare walk around on Halloween mocking other races or ethnicities, it should be no different for Jews We must spread awareness, we musteducateandwemustdo ourbesttostopantisemitism

from spreading As a CEGEP student, a campus ambassador and a proud Jew, I feel the responsibility to keep working as hard as I can to ensure that Jewish students can walk around campus without any fear that something may happen tothem

WhyHolocaustAwarenessIsJustAsRelevantin2023

AlexandraMalamud

Antisemitism is defined as hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people The Holocaust was shown to be the most extreme example of antisemitism ever to occur, resulting in the persecution andmurderofsixmillionJews by Nazi Germany However, violent antisemitism and hatred did not end with Nazi Germany's defeat. Antisemitismhasbeenonthe rise, and it remains a critical issuetoday

The Holocaust was the most profound expression of antisemitism Antisemitism has endangered and continues to threaten the safety of Jewish people and communities worldwide. Like all forms of intolerance and discrimination, Jew hatred underminespeaceandhuman rightsand,mostconcerning,it has entered the mainstream. Once on the peripheries of society, antisemitism now hidesinplainsightandhas

become normalized and weaponized Therefore, it should come as no surprise that awareness of the Holocaust is crucial to counter and eliminate antisemitism Essentially, the solution to combating and eradicating antisemitism is education. Awareness is both a short-term security imperative and a long-term educationalinvestment Itwill promote human rights and global citizenship, as well as prevent future acts of violence motivated by hate andprejudice

This task of educating and creating awareness of the Holocaust is easier said than done Thus, the question is not whether that the Holocaustshouldbetaughtin schools, but rather how it should be taught to accomplish the true goal of awareness.

The Holocaust should not only be taught at the primary and secondary school levels, but at college and university as well Universities can learn from the prominent Holocaust museums in North America as to the most effective manner in which a topic as difficult as the Holocaust can be taught For example, the Montreal Holocaust Museum lists eleven recommendations for teaching about the Holocaust to middle and highschoolstudents Similar recommendations are found inthemissionstatementsof the United States Holocaust Memorial Museums and the Vancouver Holocaust Center.

As a result of education on thereasonswhyandhowthe Holocaust occurred, a generalawarenessofthe

Holocaustwillfinditswayinto society. The result will be a broader understanding of the Holocaustandthegenocideof the Jewish people by the Nazis, which will expand into discussions on related topics such as global human rights Hopefully, studying this history will create an atmosphereofdiscussion

amongst students that will lead to a consensus whereby all global citizens can enjoy fundamental human rights andrecognizehowtheJewish people were on the receiving end of avowed efforts to annihilation The goal is to prevent the elements of divisiveness which lead to societalconflict Inshort,

Holocaust awareness can be an effective tool in the preventionnotonlyoffurther acts of antisemitism, but also to prevent future atrocities throughout the world In addition, Holocaust awareness will also be an effective tool for combating Holocaust deniers and those whodistorttheHolocaust,

OICES

AStateofDysphoria

BriannaFasoli

Accordingtothedateonthis issue of the Insider the year is 2023, a time in history full of scientific innovations and supposed progressive societal change; so how is it possible that our society still manages to be so unbelievably stuck in the past? How is it that so many people derive some twistedsenseofdutyinforcing others to live according to their rules? People claim to advocate for the protection of important rights such as the freedomofself-expressionand the freedom of speech for all, but that obviously doesn’t include protecting the voices ofthosewhoseopinionsdiffer

fromtheirown Thehypocrisy of it all is absolutely disgusting, disgraceful and disheartening, even more so becausesomanyhavefought for so long and continue to fight to eliminate such corrosivemindsets

Today especially, being your true authentic self can be treated like some ailment that you must be cured of if you do not conform to society’s strict ideas People in the community are all too familiar with this sort of treatment, especially those who identify as Transgender. Recently there has been an astonishingfluxofanti-trans

and all-around homophobic legislation circulating in the law-making chambers of our lovely neighbours across the border Across the USA, the governments of many states are introducing laws that serve to undermine the very existenceandqualityoflifeof trans individuals Some of these new bills target transgenderyouths’accessto genderaffirmingcare**,some even going so far as to consider doctors administeringthissortofcare tothoseunder18tobeguilty of a felony Others prohibit transgender and non-binary people from using any bathroomotherthanonethat fitstheirbiologicalsex Other bills make it harder for trans individuals to modify ID and official documentation to indicatetheirgenderidentity Furthermore, there are bills thatpreventtrans individuals from joining sports in teams that match their gender. Other bills limit how gender identity and sexuality can be taught in the classroom and ormakeitoptionaltolearn

often for political purposes or to marginalize Jewish victimhood The only way to fightliesandmisinformation is by spreading truth Elie Wiesel's wise words correspond perfectly with this topic “Education is the key to preventing the cycle of violence and hatred that marred the 20th century from repeating itself in the 21st century” Let's help spread awareness and properly educate those misinformed.

aboutthesesubjects Better yet, other bills force teacherstorefertostudents by their biological sex and deadname* (source: CNN and Them magazine) Even worse, some bills prevent schools from disciplining students for misgendering or deadnaming other classmates, effectively encouraging discrimination against trans youth (source: CTVNews).

Proponents of these bills claim that they are being proposed for the protection of children, when in fact theyachievenothingbutthe opposite They are not supported by science or actual factual truths but on the contrary, they are merely grounded in the closed-minded opinions of some of those who hold power It is a sad and wellknown truth that trans youtharemorelikelytotake their own lives than cisgender youth, and these bills certainly do not help the matter (source: CNN) They merely serve to further

the decline of the trans community’smentalhealth In addition to the direct impact this mountain of hostile legislationwillhavewithinthe transgender community, this also provides encouragement and fuel for the circulation of transphobicviews

There is no question that limiting how subjects like sexuality and gender identity are taught in schools and providing parents with the option to opt their children out of these discussions, only further encourages ignorance and bigotry in the minds of future generations It is so important to expose children to diverse viewpoints and the experiencesofotherstoallow them to form their own opinions about the world, instead of forcing them to adheretotheirparents’views

I find it supremely ironic that critics of the 2SLGBTQIA+ claimthatthecommunityis

ALUMNI

indoctrinating their impressionable children with their“harmful”ideas,butisn’t the very definition of indoctrination teaching someonetoacceptsomething without question? Thus, by not providing their children with the opportunity to form their own opinions, they are conditioning their children to believe what they do without question Contrary to popular belief in some circles, being readtobyaDragqueendoes not mean their child will be infected by “gayness”; it merely means they’ll likely grow up to be better, more tolerant human beings than them So many people hold the irrational fear of being something other than the norm, but honestly where is the fun in that? What is the harminlivinglifetothefullest andexpressingyourselfinthe ways that fill you with the mostjoy?Whatsignificant

harm would society face if people were themselves? What is the actual harm in someone living life as the gender they feel the most fulfilled as? What is the harm inamanembracingfemininity and engaging in drag? Why must society cling to such archaic views at the expense of other people’s happiness? Whatishappeningnowwithin the world is exactly why it is so important for allies and transgender people alike to rally together and fight for their rights. With the sheer amountofbadnews,itiseasy to feel powerless and hopeless,butyoucan’tgivein Speak up, go to protests like the one that took place right here in Montreal on March 17th. Though they are certainly forces to be reckoned with, trans people cannot win this fight alone They need their allies to supportthemandactastheir

WomenAndDomesticViolence

YvonneY.F.Kelle

“You came first in my class when you were my student,” types Keller to Coco on her Huawei smartphone via WhatsApp. “You have many strengths Have confidence in yourself and be determined to improve your situation,” continues Keller To end the conversation, Keller adds, “But you are smart – you sought the help of social workers. They can helpyou.”

It has been years since Coco lastmetMrs Keller Sheusedto be the class prefect in Class 7D. Tobeaprefect,onesurelyneeds to be strong and outstanding in onewayoranother

That year was 1999, the time wheneveryglobalcitizenwas

getting ready for the new millennium and did not know whattoexpectfortheY2K That year, during the Christmas holiday, as the entire world was ponderinguponthephenomenal 2000 to come, Coco actually traveledtosnowycountrieswith her papa. Just the two of them. Whatareminiscentbliss

Bynow,twodecadeslater,it was time for Coco’s papa to reach the celestial skies, leaving her on her own, in the nomad’s land

We are not to say whether it happened for better or for worse, but, it so happened that she indeed made it in time for the funeral Coco was not expectingthis;sheactuallyflew

megaphone so their voices canbeamplifiedforeveryone to hear. Perhaps by sharing their stories and reminding everyone, especially those in power, of their shared humanity,positivechangecan occur. Though we are in a period where many steps backwards are being taken, thereisalwaysanopportunity for a change in the right direction

*a deadname refers to the original name that someone wasgivenatbirththatusually corresponds to their biologicalsex **gender affirming care, refers to care such as hormone therapies which aid trans people in feeling more comfortable within their own skin which allow for the development of traits associated with a certain gender or for the retardation of puberty (source: Association of American MedicalColleges)

back as an escape Her escape plan from an abusive lover should have been carried out years ago… She simplyandfoolishlyreasoned herself out: “I want to see a changeinhim Heistheman thatIchosetolove Thereis

Unconditional love in this world

The soul and spirit are more important than the body ecetera ”

Then,therewasone final incident twelve daysbeforethesched-

uled funeral; she lost hope in him, was determined to stand up for herself and to keep herself safe It was time to put an end to this unhealthy relationship. Her plane back hometookoffat12noonon8th March 2023 – International Women’sDay

During the flight, Coco was planning her future: what she was to do once she gets back home.Becauseshewasavictim of domestic violence and she has developed a heart to help other females who are stuck in such a vicious cycle, Coco will take up a Master’s in Counseling, and, upon graduation, she wants to work asasocialworkertohelpother

women in need. One may ask what the meaning of Women’s Day is Is it an occasion for those with the female chromosome to celebrate their genderandpromoteastronger appreciation of women in the society? Is it a time to despise men and create more jobs for their opposite sex? Alternatively,isitratheratime to really honestly and deeply reflect on the issues and difficulties that females are facingandprovidemorebetter support for single mothers, victims of physical, emotional andsexualabuse,etc?

The world is changing, especially now amidst the Russia-Ukraineconflicts, an

ENTERTAINMENT

unbelievable rise in energy costs and the COVID-19 pandemic Itisnowamonthin which women all around the world are commemorating outstanding achievements of those who are not men but you-know-who. Do take this opportunity to remember and thanktheteachersthattaught you to be righteous and to do good, to care about the minority women who need help,andtogiveyourmamaor sisterapatontheback.Abrief phonecallorjusta“Hi,Mum!” will bring a large, big smile on her face; she will know and rememberthatsheislovedby her loved ones and this warmthfromyouwillstayin

MoviestoWatchDuringWomen'sHistoryMonth SophiaPan

Here are some movies to watch during Women’s History Month or whenever you want All of these films were directed by women,exceptforGirl Marchis a month to celebrate women’s achievements and serves as a reminder of how women struggled(andarestillstruggling) against discrimination throughouthistory ForWomen’s History Month, I thought of sharing a list of movies with a diverse range of female main characters to celebrate women! And to all the men who did not wish a happy international women’s day to the women aroundthem,bigsideeye.

BendItLikeBeckham(2002)

Genre – Comedy/Romance; directedbyGurinderChadha

Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra is infatuatedwithfootballbuther parents, who are occupied with her sister’s wedding, forbid her toplay Herdreamtoplaysoccer professionallylikeherheroDavid Beckhamgoesagainsther

family’s values. Her parents eventually reveal that their intentions are more about protecting her than holding her back.

D.E.B.S.(2004)

Genre–Comedy/Action;directedby AngelaRobinson

A secret test determining aptitude for espionage is embedded in the SAT(Scholastic AptitudeTest)

her heart forever and can save lives that may be gearing towards depressive moods or suicidal tendencies

Happy Women’s History Month!

To be recruited into DEBS (Discipline,Energy,Beauty,Strength),a clandestine paramilitary academy, women need to score highly on the test This movie features four DEBS, Max, Janet, Dominique, and Amy, who are tasked by the heads of DEBS to surveil Lucy Diamond who is an infamoussupercriminal

TheFarewell(2019)

Genre – Drama/Comedy; directed byLuluWang

Aspiring Chinese-American writer Billi has a close relationship with her grandmother, Nai Nai She discovers from her parents that her grandmother has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancerandonlyhasafewmonths left to live Her family does everythingtokeepthediagnosisa secretfromNaiNaiherself

TheWomanKing(2022)

Genre–Action/Drama;directedby GinaPrince-Bythewood

This is a historical action drama film about the Agojie, the allfemalewarriorunitthatprotected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries. General Nanisca, leader of the Agojie, liberates Dahomean women who were abducted by slaversfromtheOyoEmpire

ARTS

AWoman'sWoesinaPatriarchy

MelodieJadeWendyamOpara

Likeariver,Iflowwithgrace, Throughthecurrentsofaman'sworld,Ipace, Wherethetidesofmisogyny,Ioftenface

Likeadelicateflower,Iblossomandgrow, Butmybeautyisoftenoverlookedandlow, Inaworldwhereaman'svoiceistheonlyonethatcanglow.

Iamtheearththatnurturesandgives, ButmyworthisjudgedbymycurvesandthewayIlive, Inasocietywhereawoman'svoiceisonlyheardwhenshe screamsandshivs

Iamthewind,thatcanshapeandbend, Butmypowerissilenced,myideasandthoughtstoend, InaworldthatbelievesIamheretoserve,totend

Butlikethefire,myspiritburnsbright, AndI'llfightformyrights,withallmymight, Foraworldwhereawoman'svoiceisheardwithequallight

LittleWomen(2019)

Genre – Romance/Drama; directedbyGretaGerwig

Thiscoming-of-ageperioddrama filmfeaturesJoMarchwhogoes to Mr Dashwood in hopes of getting her story published. We follow her life and the lives of hersisters,Amy,Beth,andMeg

Girl(2018)

Genre – Drama/Teen movie; directedbyLukasDhont

Lara Verghaeghen is a fifteen year old transgender girl who dreams of becoming a professional ballerina She moves to Antwerp with her father and younger brother to attend a prestigious ballet school in Belgium During this transitional time, Lara opens up to her doctors about gender dysphoria and is consistently seeingapsychiatrist.

SohereIstand,likeamountain,tallandproud, Withmyheadheldhigh,andmyvoiceloud, Inaworldwhereawoman'sworthisnolongershroud

Iamtherainthatbringslifetotheland, AndI'llmakemystand,inthispatriarchalband, Forafuturewhereawoman'svoiceisheard,incommand.

SPRING WRITING CONTEST WINNERS

SeasonisSpring VanessaM

Ibringnewlife andheraldthewarmth, buthayfever,too, isinmysource.

Autumnhascolor buttingedwithdecay. SomecallherFall. Ithinkshe'sOK.

Summer'stheone thatgetsallglory, butbrushfiresand sunburn areinthestory.

Seasonofchoice, whowillwin?

Theonewithpotential, ofcourse;it'sSpring.

WaltzofSpring HyacinthDomingo

Greenpasturestellmyfriends

Tocomeoutoftheirsmallhouse, Smellthefreshdewperfumesends, HearmeconductthewaltzofStrauss

Thecloudshaveclearedtheview

Formyfriendstoenjoythebrightspotlight

WhereIleadthewindorchestraofgreenandblue

Theyplayandswaytomydirectionwithdelight

Theflowerbudsenticedbythesymphony

Theirwhorlsgraduallyopentohearmoreofit

Everyonerisetotheclimaxofspring’sharmony

Arushofexcitement,imagesofhappinesshit

CharmsofSpring KaylaN

Reminiscentwinds serenadethemorningbreeze. Perfumescentsofrosesflow. Tinybladesofgreengrassgrow.

Mistyshowerssoaktheearth, gloriouscolorscometobirth.

Gatheringcloudscomeandgo, rain,sun,andavibrantbow.

Daintypetals,fancyflair, dancinginthewarm,sweetair

Ohsweet,lovelySpring, patientlywaitingforthecharmsyoubring

Heraldsfromtheblueskycarrygoodnews

Theyannounceblessingsandgoodwishes Thehummingbirdsreadyformysuccessivecues Thesoundofthewaltzaugmenttheaudience’s blisses

TheendoftheSpring’swaltzisalsothebeginning Butswiftierandswiftier,higherandhigher Rushofexcitement,imagesofhappinessfading Alongsplendorwholenoteafter

ADVICECOLUMN New!

Thisnewcolumnistheperfectwaytofindasolutiontoaproblemthatyoumay have.Ifyoudon'tfindanswershereyoucanalwayssubmityourquestionsonline throughagoogleformpostedonoutInstagram(@vcsainsider)

QuestionsandAnswers:

I have a crush on this person and they fit all the criteriasformytype.HoweverI’mtooscaredtotalk tothem.It’ssoontheendofthesemester,isitworth itornot?

A: Yes, it is worth talking to the person! You should definitely talktothem,letthemgettoknowyoumoreandmaybebothof youcanmakeplanstohangoutoverthesummer Itcanseem difficultatfirsttoapproachandtalktothepersonyoulike,but youshouldgiveitatry Inlife,mostpeoplearen'tabletofind peoplewhofittheircriteriasofanidealpartner,soifyouthink you have met someone who does fit all of your criteria, for a person who is your type, you should give it a shot and try talkingtothem Ifthingsdon'tworkout,thenyouhavesummer breaktofindsomeonewhoyoudolikeandwhoalsolikesyou backtoo.Butalso,ifthingsdoworkoutbetweenyouandyour crush, then you have summer break to spend time with each other

I feel like I’ve been struggling so badly since the beginningofthesemestertokeepmyselfafloatandit’s just dragging me down so bad. I can’t eat, sleep or do anythingreallyanymore.Mymentalhealthishangingon by a thread and I don’t know how to open up about it without trauma dumping on people. Is there any way I candealwithfeelinglikethisbymyselftogetoutofthis funkI’min?

A:Firstly,IamsosorrytohearthatandIhopeyouareokay When yourmentalhealthisimpactingthismuchonyourlife,youshould askforhelp.VanierStudentServicesoffermentalhealthservices: toberegisteredinthecounselingcenter,youneedtodropbyC203oremailintake@vaniercollegeqccaforatriageappointment withoneoftheintaketechnicians.IncludedinyourVCSAstudent healthinsuranceplan,youhaveaccesstoEmpowerMe/Dialogue to connect with qualified counselors online The second way is faster and it is online (through calls), which can be less intimidating For more information on how to register, you can consult this website: https://wwwvaniercollegeqcca/studentservices/counselling-centre/ . If you don’t want to seek help for whateverreason(s)andwanttoopenuptothepeoplearoundyou without trauma dumping, you can always ask beforehand if they arecomfortablewithyouventingtothem Youcanalsotrytoseek helpfromolderpeoplearoundyou;afamilymemberyoutrust,a teacher you feel comfortable opening up to or even a coworker Healthycopingmechanismsarealwayshelpful,suchasjournaling, breathing exercises or listening to music. Limiting your consumption of sad content can also be helpful (such as sad music or watching sad content; these can make you feel worse) Mental health issues can make life seem like an endless cycle of negativity, but getting better always starts with wanting to get better Andrememberthatyourfeelingsarealwaysvalidandthat youareworthyandnotalone.

Hi I am currently in the Special Care Counseling program, but I am really interested in the Nursing program. However, if I switch out of the Special Care Counseling program and go into Nursing, it would add extrasemestersformeatVanier.SoIwouldliketoask,if itisworthswitchingprograms?

A: This is entirely up to you Are you willing to switch into the NursingprogramandstudyatVanierforacouplemoresemesters ? If you are interested enough in nursing and feel like you see yourselfdoingsomethingrelatedtothatinthefuture,thengofor it Itisbettertoswitchnowthentofinishyourprogramandrealize that you would’ve preferred something else The most important thingisthatyoudosomethingyoulove

ADVICECOLUMN New!

If I am interested in two different career paths, how do I choose which one I should pursue as a future career?

A: You could look into where the two options are alike and where their differences are Seeing this should hopefully help youunderstandwhatyourpreferencesare Prosandconslists canalsobeespeciallyhelpfulinbeingabletovisualizewhatyou arethinking Butattheendoftheday,evenifyouareunsureof what you end up picking, you can always give it a shot and changepathsifyoudon'tbelieveitisforyou.

Hello, I am a girl and am madly in love with this guy. I trulyhaveneverfeltthiswayaboutanyoneandIwant tobewithhim.Idon'tthinkjusttellinghimistheright move, in other words I am trying to get him to fall for me.WhatshouldIdo?

A: Situations like this can get complicated very fast, because emotionsaren’tsomethingthatareeasytohandlewhenitcomes to love The concept of getting someone to fall in love with you hasneverbeeneasyformostpeople,whatIwouldsaythough,is tolethimgettoknowyoumore Themoreheknowsyouandthe more you let him get to know you, you guys can become really close with each other Then perhaps he would also love you the wayyoulovehim Ifitturnsoutthathedoesn'tloveyoubackfor whoyouare,youshouldmoveon Lifeistooshorttobewasted onpeoplewhodon’tappreciateyouforwhoyouare

Iwouldliketomoveoutandhavemyownplace,butI finditdifficulttofindaplacethatisclosetoVanier. Thesituationstressesmeout,whatshouldIdo?

A:Youcanalwaysfindaroommatewithwhomtoshareabigger apartmentintheareaoryoucanfindaplaceabitfurtheraway and buy a monthly STM pass Even if you have an hour or so commute, you can listen to podcasts on your way, music too, and if you will be using the metro it can be a great place to studytoo

HowdoIknowwhichuniversitytochoosethatwillbe bestforme?

A: You can start by looking for universities that offer the programsyouareinterestedin Forexample,someuniversities arebettersuitedforcertainprogramsthanothers Youshould alsothinkaboutwhetheryouwanttostudyinEnglishorFrench and if you want to study abroad. You can also look at the universitycampus,thestudentsstudyingthere,andthevalues that universities promote During the application period, you shouldapplyto2-5universitiestohavemultiplechoices Ifyou got your results and are hesitating between different universities,youshouldgowithyourinstinct Wheredoyousee yourselfstudying?Youcanalwaysaskotherpeople’sopinions, andconsulttherankings Assomeonewhoisindecisive,Iliketo use an online wheel spinner to choose for me and if I am unsatisfied with the result, then I know what decision I really wanttomake Prosandconslistscanalsohelp Goodluck!

FUN PAGE

Aries(March21–April19)

Superhero: TheHulk/GreenLantern

Taurus(April20–May20)

Superhero: Shang-Shi/Shazam

Gemini(May21–June21)

Superhero: TheFlash/IronMan

Cancer(June22–July22)

Superhero: BlackWidow/BlackCanary

Leo(July23–August22)

Superhero: Thor/WonderWoman

Sagittarius(November22–December21)

Superhero: Hawkeye/GreenArrow

Virgo(August23–September22)

Superhero: Spider-Man/Cyborg

Capricorn(December22–January19)

Superhero: DoctorStrange/Batgirl

WORD SEARCH

Libra(September23–October23)

Superhero: Superman/CaptainAmerica

Aquarius(January20–February18)

Superhero: MsMarvel/Starfire

Scorpio(October24–November21)

Superhero: Batman/Daredevil

Pisces(February19–March20)

Superhero: Aquaman/BlackPanther

HoroscopesbyVanier'sOracle

JOKES

Ifanyofthefollowingjokesmakeyoulaughevenonce, youthenoweTheInsider5$directlyincash

ThatwasaJoke!

Disclaimer:Pleasedon'tpayTheInsiderincashoranyotherformof paymentmethod.Justhaveagoodtimewiththejokessection!

Nowontothefunnystuff:

What’sthebestthingaboutSwitzerland?

Idon’tknow,buttheflagisabigplus.

Whydowetellactorsto“breakaleg?” Becauseeveryplayhasacast

Abearwalksintoabarandsays,“Givemea whiskeyand cola”

“Whythebigpause?”asksthebartender Thebear shrugged “I’mnotsure;Iwasbornwiththem”

Didyouhearabouttheactorwhofellthrough thefloorboards?

Hewasjustgoingthroughastage

Howdoyoudrownahipster?

Throwhiminthemainstream

Youdon'tneed aparachutetogoskydiving. Youneedaparachutetogoskydivingtwice

MyunclenamedhisdogsTimexandRolex. They'rehiswatchdogs.

By:Diba

Whatdidoneplatesaytotheotherplate?

Dinner'sonme.