NOVEMBER 18, 2014
H ACKED DARTS,
BROKEN HEARTS
P. 21
WHEN WE L AUGH A BOUT
SEXUAL A SSAULT
P. 16
A GOOD R ELATIONSHIP
NEEDS...
P. 5
RYSENSTEEN
R EFLECTIONS
P. 19
Table of Contents
2
Internal News
4
External News
10
Features
16
Arts & Culture
23
Sports
27
Opinion & Humour
31
Horoscopes
34
Letter from the Editors
The writer Franz Kafka said, “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” While an axe seems a little too lumberjack hipster-chic for our
tastes, and Toronto isn’t nearly cold enough yet to burden us all with a frozen sea, we hope that this issue of Graffiti incites a little bit of introspection
in each of you.
But we digress.
Welcome back to another year at North Toronto. Or, welcome to North Toronto, to the niners and new kids. There’s a certain comfort in coming back
to NT after a long summer – especially when this school has been the focal point of your life for the last three years.
We missed anxiously sprinting to class.
We missed George’s beaming smiles in the hallways, usually accompanied by words of wisdom.
We missed loving to complain about how our teachers are such hard markers.
Many old men, upon being released from a long prison term, commit crimes to get back into jail. Is that too horribly metaphoric?
Most of all, we missed Graffiti. Both of us have been involved with this paper since we were nervous and ungainly niners. It’s a pretty integral part of
who we are. We could not be more excited to return to the school this year as the Editors in Chief, and we hope that you are as ready for the wild ride
as we are. One issue down, three to go. Hopefully, writing these letters gets a bit easier.
Much of this issue deals with reflection. It asks questions. What does it mean to be a teenager addicted to cigarettes? What does it say about our culture
that a male friend was sexually assaulted, and it was laughed about? How LGBTQIA-friendly is our school? What did the Danish exchange students
really think of who we are and what our culture represents?
Amid skyrocketing stress levels at school and a global political situation that seems grimly absurd, we believe that all of us forget to ask ourselves
questions. Take the hint from Graffiti – grab this axe, if you will – and spend a little more time reflecting on yourself, and asking yourself important
questions. Find out what lies within that frozen sea. That’s how we remember who we are. And if you only take away that idea from this issue, we will
have done our jobs.
Keep the writing on the walls. All the best,
Jane and Jack
Graffiti Editorial Board
3
Editors in Chief
Jane Bradshaw
Jack Denton
SENIOR EDITORS
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL
Fayed Gaya
Tamar Kenigsberg-Bentov
Fay Asimakopoulos
Devan Wang
FEATURES
ARTS & CULTURE
SPORTS
OPINION & HUMOUR
Matthew Gerry
Harrison Cook
Benjamin Keymer
ADVISORS
Spencer “The Ombudsman” Brown
Jessica Carradine
Liat Fainman-Adelman
Caitlin Heffernan
Alyssa Joynt
Sherdil “The Wildcard” Khan
Kyle Mastarciyan
Katherine Quinn
Georgia Mahoney-Webster
Ema Ibrakovic
Madeleine Wieler
PHOTOGRAPHY HEADS
Sarah Mullin
Kienna Shaw
ILLUSTRATORS
Haya Fasheh
Lujayn Mahmoud
Charles Wu
BUSINESS MANAGER
GRAPHICS HEAD
COPY EDITORS
DIGITAL EDITOR
Quinn Robinson
Judy Al-Khalid
George Chang
Dana Goldfarb
Diksha Kumar
Jessica Li
Neetya Sarin
Joyce Park
Anfa Abukar
STAFF ADVISORS
Ms. Bulgutch
Mr. Zohar
For more Graffiti
Check out our website at ntgraffiti.com...
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Follow us on Twitter, @NTCI_Graffiti...
Follow us on Instagram @NTCIGraffiti...
Or, best yet, submit any articles you are itching to publish to [email protected] and see your name in our next issue!
4
In the Grey: Modern (NT)
Family
BY TAMAR KB
While NT may be considered Homo-friendly, it is not yet Trans-friendly. Just like the
TDSB’s 3 year-old Guidelines policy for transgender and non-conforming students and staff,
a school reforming for said students is fairly
new. The TDSB only sent out Guidelines recently, in an attempt to improve these students’
school environment and lessen the stigma with
definitions, explanations and set procedures
for multiple situations. This is new territory
for many schools and offices, and therefore a
working progress with room for improvement.
North Toronto is not yet trans-friendly, but it’s
getting there.
For a school to be truly trans-inclusive, it must
change policies and practices that exclude
trans students or place them in unsafe or uncomfortable situations.
As Mr. Gorenkoff explained, NT is open to
new ideas and change, with many of its staff
and students passionate about these issues and
wanting to help. Understanding aspects of
gender exploration - the different terms, definitions and proper pronoun use - will take time
for society, and the same goes for NT. Within
our faculties, the school does its best to accommodate barrier-free washrooms and a private
change room available upon request. In the
distant future, there’s hope of including gender
experimentation and trans-education into our
curriculums, specifically in health education.
Even if you’re not part of the GSA, research
done on schools that have Gay-StraightAlliances versus schools that do not demonstrate
the positive impact of these LGBTQ-specific
programs. Results show queer students who attended schools with GSAs, whether they were
part of the organization or not, gained mental
health benefits, a decreased suicide rate, and
other positive psychological and social benefits.
The study even showed benefits for cis-heterosexual students.
“While support isn’t outwardly talked about,
it is there, and it is amazing” says the GSA
President, Ema Ibrakovic. “The Guidance office
provides various legal and mental health-related
resources to help students cope with discrimination from others, as well as to cope with personal
identity development.” What does it mean to be
an LGBTQIA-friendly school? Is it having a resource center, or gender-neutral bathrooms and
change rooms? Is it a low-to-nonexistent rate of
discrimination against LGBTQIA students, faculty, and staff? Is it when LGBT students report
feeling they are an important and integral part
of the school culture? I think the NT community
has some of these qualities, but not all.
What does NT need to improve on?
stereotyping of looks. Obviously, these judgements can be as hurtful as direct hate speech,
but they can be solved more easily.
I recently met a student questioning their sexuality who went to the guidance office looking
for advice. The fact that they felt comfortable
enough to reach out and ask questions says a
lot about North Toronto. At NT, Guidance and
the office make an immense effort to help support and build spaces that make the school safer
and more comfortable for students who identify
along the LGBTQIA spectrum. No school is
perfect, but the programs are in place: the organizations, clubs, and antidiscrimination rules
help.
Messages for NT Staff and Students
Mr. Gorenkoff: “While we have come a long
way, and attitudes have changed, it is hard to
break out of traditional thinking. As a society,
we need to be more aware and more tolerant of
what we say and do, whether it’s online, in class,
or among friends. If we continue to talk about
these issues and be open about them, hopefully every student will realise we have to be accepting.”
GSA President Ema: “The biggest problem is
the education. It needs to be updated, and become more inclusive. Some people understand
gender and sexual experimentation, but most
people don’t. I don’t think it’s a school problem;
it’s more a problem in the TDSB, more of a societal problem. I think maybe in 100 years or in
In terms of occasional homophobia, it’s often in- 50 years, all buildings are going to start being
direct, usually in the form of latent, offhanded made with facilities like gender neutral washcomments like “that’s so gay,” or the
rooms, but I don’t think the time has come, I
The majority of issues immobilizing the
don’t think it’s been integrated yet”
school’s development are out of its jurisdiction,
since the school is a part of a bigger system
controlled by the TDSB and province. Issues of
differing values between Northern and Southern Ontario, societal and religious hurdles, and
a long history of stigma and misunderstanding
have left a tortuous path towards change.
NT is clearly filled with informed, accepting,
and educated staff and students. However, it’s
important to note that NT is not to blame for
every individual’s act of physical, emotional, or
intellectual violence born out of ignorance.
North Toronto has a Gay-Straight Alliance
(GSA). GSAs are clubs made up of students
who work to improve the school climate by
helping to eliminate homophobic attitudes
and behaviour in the NT community for all
students, regardless of sexual orientation or
gender identity/expression.
Top Ten: OCAD University
Photo by Siobhan Kidd
ZACK BRYSON
OCAD is really different in comparison to a traditional Ontario university. Just over 10 years ago, the school began to offer university degrees. In order to get
accepted you must go through an extremely intimidating interview process, but it was definitely worth it. Every course offered is incredibly self-guided and
requires a lot of time and passion to complete successfully. Researching the school is important; you must know what you want to take and how it will help
achieve your goals. If it really is the school for you, you will not be disappointed. The work I have produced in the first 2 months of school surpasses the ones I
spent 4 years assembling at NT. On top of it all, OCAD is located at the heart of Toronto, in one of the city’s trendiest neighbourhoods. The people who surround you are likely some of your biggest sources of inspiration. Here, the array of personalities is incomparable to any school in the country and opens your
world to things you didn’t know existed - especially within our home city. Knowing that there is not frosh OR residence, it shouldn’t impact your decision making, because if you are truly interested in pursuing a degree with a focus on art and/or design, you’ll know that this is the place to be.
A
Good
Needs…
5
Relationship
I love this about humans, that we can communicate so many things in a split second with nothing more than eye contact. Two other friends
share this connection. This idea that we need to
BY EVAN CHIANG
communicate our feelings in words isn’t always
The quality of any relationship is based on the the one that moves us most. I think that some
feelings of the partner who is the least happy, feelings don’t need to be said, because one partespecially in a romantic coupling. Diving into ner already knows what the other wants to say.
a relationship headfirst can be scary. However,
every relationship is different. Here are some The Little Things
things that are universally seen as a sign of atWhat makes or breaks a couple is not just the
traction and affection.
feelings involved, but the little things they do.
The way they laugh together, the way they fight
The Smile
over the dumbest things, and the sense of hapTo me, the smile is the most powerful facial piness that radiates from them. It’s the little
expression that humans can emit to the people things that make each couple special. It’s not
around them. The smile can share so many dif- just the different things they show, but it’s trust,
ferent aspects of the way we feel: happiness, patience, and connection. It’s important to have
love, amazement, joy, smugness, and attrac- trust, and it really shows character when you can
tion. Two of my friends are madly in love, and trust someone completely with the important
something that I always notice about them is parts of your life. It may not seem like somethe way they smile at each other. It’s honestly thing major, but it means the world when you
intoxicating to watch, I don’t recommend it. can share it with someone.
Even though they meet every day at school, the
way they smile at each other doesn’t change.
In the grand scheme of relationships, a smile is To be in a relationship, you need more than just
such a small simple idea, but it has such great feelings. You need to have maturity. Maturity
emotional power and effectiveness. To see that comes in the form of patience, understanding,
special someone in your life smile at you, it’s knowing, realizing, and committing. As young
the greatest thing in the world. His smile is adults we are not even close to realizing our full
saying, “you’re amazing, and I love you.” Her potential, and more importantly, we are not close
smile is saying, “Even though you smell bad, to figuring out who we are. Especially through
I still love you, but I wish you would at least adolescence, our tendencies, mannerisms, likes
and dislikes are changing constantly. I know
brush your teeth in the morning.”
from my experience with my girlfriend, we were
on the steps of the pool, not sure of where to
The Eyes
go or what we wanted. Eventually we just said,
There is one thing that can connect two people “screw it” and jumped head first People don’t
even before words are spoken, and that is when want to admit it, but I think everyone wants to
be swept off their feet just once.
people lock eyes.
Niner Thoughts
To make matters more awkward, teachers push
nonstop “ice breakers” at you until you puke. Although the icebreakers are childish, they aren’t
totally pointless as they do sort of help you meet
new people.
BY NOOR GAYA
You walk into North Toronto and you know
you’re going to have a good time. You get hit
with that feeling of belonging and community
right away. It’s definitely not as scary as CTV’s
“Degrassi” makes it out to be, and there’s certainly no one that looks like Drake.
To start off, homework is harder than your average middle school work, but it appears to be more
relevant and comes with an arsenal of resources
to help you. When those questions get really
tough and Ms. Munro’s online databases can’t
help you, you can call your friends. Your friends
are who you will be with for the next four years,
so choose well. Luckily, these kids are from so
many different schools that there is an endless
variety from which to choose. Despite endless
possibilities, you still have to go through the
awkwardness of walking up to a total stranger
and introducing yourself.
Above, Harrison and Ysabelle cuddling in class.
Below, Joyce and Michael hang out in the halls.
Photos by Alex Schnekenburger
Teachers aren’t only there to make us do awkward icebreakers; they’re there to help. They
seem scary at first but over the past few weeks,
they’ve gotten better. Of course there are times
when they get mad or when they ask to see your
homework, which can lead to scarring verbal
exchanges. Overall, teachers may seem unapproachable at first, but they’re actually happy
to help whenever you need, for whatever you
need.
I would have to say the best thing about NT is
Mr. Gorkenkoff’s encouraging words in the late
line. Just kidding, it’s the atmosphere. It’s been a
quick first two months, and I feel it’ll be an even
quicker but enjoyable four years.
Photo by Alexandra Beck
Top Ten: Concordia University
HANNAH KARPINSKI
I was right to be enchanted with Montreal and, when I received acceptances from both McGill and Concordia, choosing the latter, I knew I had made a good decision. From what my brother, a McGill graduate, describes of his university experience, McGill sounds like another four years of North Toronto: high academics and
high stress, only with much larger classes. It was easy to fall in love with Concordia. Students choose their majors right away. The school offers hundreds of interesting courses, like “History of Satan,” which I highly recommend. The classes are small. In one of my workshops, there are only sixteen students, and the classes are
intimate and thorough in the way students and professors interact. The university is relatively new and the buildings are downtown, so many windows offer panorama
views of Montreal. There is also this great thing in the Concordia Metro called “Cocobun,” a patisserie that sells enormous baked goods for something like ninety
cents.
Montreal is a fantastic place to study, but it is very difficult to compare the city’s two leading “Anglo” universities. Concordia often feels like McGill’s overlooked
cousin and, considering everything the university offers academically and socially, it definitely deserves more recognition. And while both share the perk of a low
If I Ruled NT
BY EYAL WILK
For the purpose of this article, imagine something like this happened. In the light of the recent Ebola epidemic, Mr. Gorenkoff decides to
take a humanitarian trip to West Africa to help
fight the disease. Before his departure, he makes
the surprising decision to appoint me as the ruler
of NT. Honestly, the most ridiculous part of this
hypothetical isn’t Mr. Gorenkoff going off to
fight diseases in Africa or even appointing me
as his successor. The most ridiculous part would
be Mr. Gorenkoff knowing who I am in the first
place.
Unfortunately, an overwhelming amount of time
spent in classrooms at North Toronto is not for
the purpose of learning, but for working towards the next evaluation. Since NT’s learning
environment only emphasizes doing well on the
next test or assignment, many students assess
which subjects to pursue based on their marks.
They don’t have enough opportunities to explore
their interest in a subject without worrying about
results.
Ok, so what’s the plan? My primary reforms as
the new supreme ruler would have two main
goals: first, to reform the academic values North
Toronto holds so highly and second, to create an
environment that is less bureaucratic in nature
and one where the students actually have some
sort of control over how the school is run.
Our “work hard, play hard” philosophy is one
that I’ve been hearing since my first week at
North Toronto and is simple enough to follow:
balance academics with extracurriculars. However, the way this philosophy is reflected by the
school seems to emphasize a lot of work and
very little learning. Learning does not mean absorbing an absurd amount of meaningless facts
and then dumping it on to a page during a test,
only to forget it until the next exam. By learning
I mean pursuing knowledge, actually being interested in something and enriching your mind
on that subject. You would think that an institution that has the vital role of preparing us for the
rest of our lives would prioritize the exploration
and discovery of academic interests.
Ombudsman
BY SPENCER BROWN
The role of ombudsman is a staple in many journalistic organizations. It’s a role that requires
listening. When a story is published, generating
a buzz is usually a good thing. However, sometimes that hum is filled with frustration and outrage because there is more to a story than what
was published. It’s my job to listen to the other
perspectives and try to restore balance.
Last year, the fall issue of Graffiti published a
story about Red and Grey Day drinking by Nima
Sadeghi. Ms. Rough, speaking on behalf of the
Physical Education department, understands
that Graffiti reports on school news, and if that
school news is that Red and Grey Day is only
there as a drinking fest, then so be it. But it’s not,
and there wasn’t an article about the overwhelmingly positive parts of Red and Grey Day.
Illustration by
Haya Fasheh
If I ruled North Toronto, I would attempt to
counteract this prioritization of results and encourage teaching and learning for the sole purpose of learning a new thing, with no ulterior
motive. For example, I would take the model
already in effect for NT Talks, but have seminars for each specific course offered at the school.
These could be given by teachers, guest speakers, and alumni, but they would be for the
Although the people who drink on the day are
in the minority, the article made it seem like
everyone was doing it, and getting away with
it. A concern for Ms. Rough was the number of
people that read the article. It’s not a good example when all the grade 9s and 10s in school
read an article that claims that the older grades
are all partaking in drinking on Red and Grey
Day and makes it seem like a norm. The whole
point of Red and Grey Day, for Ms. Rough, is the
spirit, not the spirits.
A spirit day is a privilege that few schools have.
Ms. Rough taught in British Columbia and going
out for games was unheard of. She doesn’t want
this fun NT privilege to have to be taken away
as its one of her favorite days and is for many
other students as well. But it could be if the day
is perceived as a drinking day.
purpose of learning something new, something
interesting that students will not be evaluated on.
Essentially, I would create a temporary learning
environment completely independent of work.
The second change I would make as the ruler of
NT regards the role of student government. Yes,
we do have a group of students who are elected
for a variety of roles in student leadership. We
have a student council, and they do a phenomenal job at what their positions allow them to do.
The issue is that most of the decisions and policies that affect students are made by administration, and the people we elect to govern aren’t
able to make any decisions without staff approval. It’s very difficult to feel any attachment to an
institution when you have very little control over
how it’s run. In addition, we then have rules and
policies that few students understand, let alone
agree with. A notorious example of this phenomenon is the late line.
If I ruled NT, I would give student leadership
some power to actually govern over the student
body that elected them. Since we are the primary stakeholders in most of the decisions being
made, our elected officials should be influential in the process. A student government could
have input for anything as trivial as when our
P.A. days are scheduled (since the TDSB decided to snake us and put them all after exams) to
everyday policies, and their influence could even
cover punishments. I’ve heard of a few schools
that, for serious violations, put students on �trial’
in front of a panel of not only staff and administration, but also leaders in the student body.
If I ruled NT, I would implement education reforms focused on learning rather than absorbing
knowledge, and eliminating the bureaucracy, or
at least impregnating it with students.
giving it your all in try-outs. Ms. Rough works
really hard to make sure that all of the sports are
in order for Red and Grey Day. It’s not easy. Ms.
Rough felt as though the article undermined all
her work to make a day fun.
I asked Ms. Rough why she continues to work so
hard if some students are putting the day in jeopardy. She told me that she loves everything that
NT has to offer and Red and Grey Day encompasses that. Students coming together to participate in many events that really show how tight
NT is as a community and that is something she
never wants to see disappear.
Everyone knows what it is like to work hard on
something and to not get the desired result. A
disappointing 60% when you thought you wrote
at least an 85%. Getting cut from a team after
Top Ten: University of Guelph
DECLAN LAWRENCE
The University of Guelph is located in Guelph, Ontario. A mere 45 minute drive from Toronto, it allows for the space you need from your family while also being
close enough to come back in the case of any emergencies. Main campus is beautiful and compact, with a walk across campus taking no longer than 15 minutes.
Classes are great and teachers seem to really care about their students. Guelph has also been voted as having the best campus food for somewhere in the vicinity of
the past 10 years. Yeah you’re right, this probably sounds like the stuff you guys all read in the brochure, and you’ve heard it before. Now to move on to some things
you may not know already. While Guelph is not on the same level as other schools in terms of partying, it can still hold its own, and part of the reason for this is because of the fact that it’s a real “bar town.” Having the largest residence in Canada (South Residence) is also something that helps you to connect to more people, and
the fact that everyone is almost unnaturally friendly helps as well. With these new friends you can explore the residence, and, if not finding any sufficiently good
res-parties, go out to some house parties, or, as mentioned previously, the exciting bars downtown.
7
Student Profile: The Keener
BY FAYED GAYA AND CASSIDY BERESKIN
Every issue, Graffiti interviews a student that they feel brings a unique and noteworthy quality to North Toronto. This issue, that student is Cassidy
Bereskin. Cassidy has exceptional grades, well rounded extra-curriculars, and a positive “if-it-can-be-done-I-can-do-it” attitude. She is the “Keener.”
To get to know the secret behind her success, Graffiti took some time to sit down and uncover the real Cassidy Bereskin.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Being asked by ______ to the semi formal. You know who you are!
Being organized.
What is your greatest fear?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting Ebola, or getting an 80. Both would make me violently ill.
Getting a 97 in Ms. Munro’s class last year.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Where would you most like to live?
My intolerable addiction to Vanilla Lattes from Starbucks.
The Big Apple.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
On what occasion do you lie?
People who don’t study and still get 100 on tests. I hate them.
I don’t. I overdosed on truth serum at a young age.
Which living person do you most admire?
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Mr. McNaughton. Is this even a question?
“Mr./Ms. ______, what was the class average?”
What is your current state of mind?
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Optimistic and �high on life’, but sleep-deprived, and full of
school-induced stress!
High achieving!
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My dog Booboo.
When and where were you happiest?
At Urban Outfitters with my Dad’s credit card.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Waiting in the shameful, deplorable, and never-ending late slip lineup.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I’ve always wanted to be able to draw like Madelaine Fisher.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Shout out to everyone in Ms. Bilmer’s grade 10 English class. You
guys are my inspiration!
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m a keener.
What do you most value in your friends?
Trustworthiness.
What is your greatest regret?
Twitter and the ensuing addiction that followed…
Photo by Alexandra Beck
8
New [Teachers] on the Block
Photos by David Shin & Alex Schnekenburger
Mr. Rubinoff
FAYED GAYA
That’s Wizard!
Mr. Rubinoff is the new Grade 12 Economics and Business Leadership teacher. At first look, he
may appear to be your everyday Business teacher, but that’s part of the illusion. Before he was a
teacher, Mr. Rubinoff was a full time magician performing mainly on resorts in the
Caribbean. His area of speciality was, and still is, card tricks and close up magic. Life as a magician involved lots of travelling, crazy hours, and enormous effort to master the difficult art form
that is magic. This lifestyle is one he remembers fondly but as time passed, he seeked a job with
greater stability and fulfillment. Mr. Rubinoff moved into teaching and instantly felt that it was
the right fit. Mr. Rubinoff chose economics as he enjoyed the politics, the theories, and even the
math. His first impression of NT is that the students are very driven in and out of the classroom.
He definitely feels that NT’s academically-focused reputation is true, but he also loved the spirit
the student body showed on Red and Grey Day. Mr. Rubinoff looks forward to a good year, and we
here at North Toronto look forward to having him as a teacher.
Ms. Bilmer
JENNY LEE
Welcome NT’s new English and Civics teacher, Ms. Bilmer. Ms. Bilmer has previously taught
in England and Tokyo. Like most teachers of English, she loves books. Her favorite author is
Japanese author Haruki Murakami. She finds him entertaining and humorous, although the
topics he writes about can be very serious. She also loves how Murakami incorporates classical music into his unique stories.
As a teacher of English, Ms. Bilmer believes that changes in the English language are inevitable due to the widespread use of shortened terms and new words. But her texts are in full
sentences with proper grammar and punctuation, and she doesn’t use text lingo. When she
was 13, she thought “LOL” meant loser; therefore, when she told a joke to her friends via text
and her friends replied with an “LOL,” she wasn’t pleased, and this, coupled with the improper
English, turned her off to text slang.
Ms. Bilmer’s tips for better English grades: always proofread your work, use proper MLA
format, don’t make a title page for your assignments, don’t use the word “nowadays”, and don’t
use grand sweeping statements or phrases. She absolutely detests them. If you take advantage
of this advice, you’re on your way to doing well in her class. Ms. Bilmer hopes that she and
her students will create many memorable moments this year.
Ms. Striftobolas
TAMAR KB
Ms. Striftobolas is NT’s new addition to the Business department. Before joining our school, she
worked at Richview Collegiate in Etobicoke. At one point, she was engaged in corporate human
resources, in charge of hiring, training, and firing employees. “It was fun,” she recalls, “but around
the time I started getting involved in HR, the economy was starting to crash and then when it was
just about to really go under, I thought it was time for a career switch.” Having always been passionate about teaching, building relationships, and training, Ms. Striftobolas decided to pursue a
new path, resulting in her teacher position. She loves her current job, as one of her favourite aspects
of her HR job was training- helping new employees become better at what they do and building
relationships in the process.
One of her favourite volunteer opportunities was being a scorekeeper and animation head at the
beach volleyball venue of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Thanks to this experience, she was
later accepted as a torch bearer during the Vancouver 2010 Games.
Ms. Striftobolas’s initial thoughts of the school are positive. Leaving Richview after 4 years, she
was sad and nervous to go, having built relationships with parents, students and staff. However, all
the students and staff here have been welcoming. She says the NT community is generally very
nice, and her students are hard-working and driven. No complaints from Striftobolas.
Some funny facts: most of her family thinks she’s either an alien or an elf because of her uniquely
shaped ears. Also, while on her basketball team in high school, Ms Striftobolas was very into
Diesel brand clothing, resulting in her nickname as Diesel.
And if you get the chance, ask her about some funny stories from her time working in HR. You
won’t be disappointed.
Top Ten: McGill University
LIZZIE HARDING
My choice to move to Montréal this year was among the best I’ve made in my life thus far. It’s everything from the seventh floor panoramic view of the entire city,
to the people I’ve met from every corner of the globe, to the amazing Chef-on-Call place that will deliver poutine at four in the morning – these are the things that
make McGill one of a kind. To be honest, it’s been a little like coming home; we freakily also coin our mentality by the phrase “work hard, play hard,” our mascot
is the Redman and we have a rivalry with Concordia which reminds me of a little Yonge and Eg squabble from back home… However, everything is amplified.
Never in my life have I been so academically challenged, but never in my life have I experienced a lifestyle like the one that exists here (cough cough, legality,
cough cough). If you’re looking for the extremities – on one hand getting a really comprehensive education and on the other going completely buck wild on the
streets of arguably the best student city ever, Montreal is the place for you.
Ms. Hoppe
9
JENNY LEE
When a student walks into Ms. Hoppe’s classroom, he or she feels the French vibe given by her
fashion sense and well put-together outfits. If Ms. Hoppe is wearing a purple top, she has to have her
eyelids scintillating with purple eye shadow. According to her principle of makeup, green eye shadow
hits the bull’s eye any season. “I definitely like very bold colours and I do like to match. So I have a
lot of eye shadow colours. The colour is very important to me. I’m also interested in art and I kind
of think of your face as a canvas where you’re able to express yourself artistically, so I like to do that
through my eye shadow I guess,” she says.
Ms. Hoppe is NT’s new French teacher, and she teaches French from Grade 9-11. She was born in Toronto and attended a French Immersion school from kindergarten and took several language courses
in university. She knows a little Spanish, Italian, and Cantonese; however, she prefers French to other
languages anytime because she feels a deeper connection between her and the French language. If
she has a chance to live another life, she pictures herself in Southern France, living a romantic life
full of colour and gentleness. Perhaps with her future husband who has a good sense of humour, responsibility, and creativity.
Ms. Hoppe’s impression of NT students is that they are actively involved in many extracurricular
activities, one of which she hopes is French Club.
Mr.Barnswell
MATTHEW GERRY
Mr. Barnswell is new to NT this year, teaching English and Careers. So far, he finds North Toronto
to be a busy place. There’s always something going on here, he says, whether it’s Red and Grey Day,
a special assembly, or some kind of extracurricular activity. He likes the students here, saying that
we are respectful and polite, and thinks the staff are great. Before Mr. Barnswell came to NT, he
was at Silverthorne Collegiate, where he taught anthropology, psychology, and sociology, as well
as family studies. He enjoyed certain aspects of his own high school experience, but back in those
days, he planned to go into science or law. Despite being told by his grade 12 English teacher that
he had a good demeanor for teaching English himself, he claims that if you’d told him as a student
that he’d be doing it one day, he’d probably have “had you committed.” Mr. Barnswell is quickly
becoming a part of the NT community, helping to coach the junior girls basketball team this year.
In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports and stand-up comedy, as well as playing video games
and going to bookstores. Welcome to North Toronto, Mr. Barnswell. We have no doubt you’ll enjoy
your time here.
Mr. Markham
FAYED GAYA
Mr. Markham is one of the new math teachers for Grades 9, 10, and 11 at North Toronto. He
previously worked in the Toronto Humane Society and as a chemical engineer before arriving at the conclusion that teaching is his passion. We welcome Mr. Markham to the school
and look forward to a great year with him.
Opinion on NT?
Great new building, but too many stairs!
Students are very friendly, outgoing, and obviously proud of their school.
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I enjoyed academics and had experience with tutoring and felt that I was good at explaining
difficult concepts.
I didn’t always want to be a teacher - I got two degrees in engineering before I figured out
that it wasn’t for me.
Funny/quirky facts you’d like your students to know?
I can mentally calculate the perfect square of 3-digit numbers.
Top Ten: Amsterdam University College
DIANA GHIDANAC
In a city where there are more bikes than people, where cheese has never tested more heavenly, and where the tear-inducing scene from the infamous “Fault In
Our Stars” movie occurred, is where I’ve decided to live for the next three years. Unlike the majority of NT, my eyes were set on studying in Europe - more
specifically: The Netherlands. I’m currently at Amsterdam University College (AUC), which is a small yet intensive Liberal Arts and Sciences Honours College
parented under the two biggest universities of Amsterdam. In the end, all graduating students receive a joint diploma from “Universiteit van Amsterdam” and the
“Vrije Universiteit” (Vrije means free). If you’re unsure of what career path you want to follow in the next few years, a liberal arts and sciences program is perfect
for you - as the majority here are absolutely clueless. However if you’re like me and have a clear vision of the direction you want to follow yet are passionate to
learn about so much more, then this is where you need to be. At AUC you are allowed to take “tracks” in the following three areas: Humanities, Social Sciences,
and Sciences. The beauty of it is that you’re allowed to combine all 3, which helps you narrow down your likes and dislikes. Did I also mention this program is
three years instead of four? I see that as a huge pro. Let’s talk partying - Amsterdam, the dance capital of the world does not disappoint. Not into the whole EDM
scene? Check out the endless options of bars this city has to offer, maybe one in the Red Light District is more of your liking. Obviously Amsterdam doesn’t just
party, it’s also filled with culture and history that I must admit Toronto is not on par with. As you’re all frantically finishing those applications and stressfully
handing in your OUAC marks, think about other options you may have. Really branch out and look beyond your typical universities because I promise you, the
experiences and insights you gain are truly going to make your college years incomparable to anything else. Good luck, NT!
10
The North Albion Stabbing,
According to a NT Student
BY FAY ASIMAKOPOLOUS
Hamid Aminzada was a nice kid who, like many
others before him, found himself in the middle
of an ugly situation. Or rather, he was found in
the middle of a puddle of blood at 12:45 p.m., by
a group of classmates, after he had tried to break
off a fight between two enraged male students.
The news of his death took the TDSB by storm,
in part because this was the first instance where
a student had been killed inside a TDSB building
in almost seven years, but also because Aminzada’s story was a touching tale of a family’s
Canadian dream gone horribly wrong.
There are more questions than answers when
it comes to Aminzada’s personal life, so trying to conjure his personal circumstances will
inevitably require leaving some aspects of his
environment open to questioning. However, we
do know that 19 year-old Hamid had emigrated
to Canada two years ago as a refugee from Pakistan and was struggling with attending a school
where English was the main language of instruction. He lived in a low-income part of Northern
Etobicoke, frequently stigmatized for its concentration of recent immigrants and refugees.
His school, North Albion Collegiate Institute,
suffers from the same issues of underfunding
and understaffing as C.W. Jefferys Secondary,
the Jane-and-Finch school where the last student
killing prior to Aminzada’s had been committed seven years ago. According to traditional
socioeconomic narratives about impoverished
neighbourhoods, higher crime rates are inevitable, as young men feel disenfranchised and disconnected from traditional means of masculine
achievement, and feel the need to reaffirm their
masculinity through acts of violence.
But would Hamid have felt unsafe going to
school? What really is it about an area’s socioeconomic status that could make it an increased
target for student violence? And how can the
TDSB begin to approach an issue as tangled and
complex as student culture?
“I honestly do not believe socioeconomics play
any major role,” says Michelle Dang, a Grade 12
student at York Memorial Collegiate Institute.
“My school is located in Weston-Mt. Dennis, a
low income area, and I feel perfectly safe going to school,” she adds, however, that she has
noticed that “compared to other schools in more
affluent neighbourhoods, there are more strict
security measures at York Memorial.” Still, she
does not see this as an accurate reflection of the
reality of her neighbourhood, but rather as a precautionary measure based on outdated predispositions about lower income areas. Michelle’s
word is true: York Memorial has never had a major security incident, while Northern, a school
located in the same geographical vicinity as NT,
has. Still, a pattern persists. If it’s not universally
true that lower-income neighbourhoods breed
higher crime rates, and that schools located in
these neighborhoods have more violent student
cultures, there must be reasons why some do.
The first step to getting a more holistic image
of the incident is to ask the people involved in
the North Albion community. Mann Parekh,
the student council president of North Albion
Collegiate Institute, seems like an obvious first
choice to interview. He has been a vocal figure
in the North Albion community after the incident, frequently posting encouraging messages,
organizing school assemblies, and even making
sporadic appearances in Toronto Star articles.
The specifics of NT’s culture do not help make
the situation feel more relatable to our student
body. Chitta Chowdhurry, a Grade 11 student
at NT, echoes a very popular opinion when she
says that she “feels perfectly safe going to school
at NT.” She has observed that “there is never
really any kind of violence. Most schools at least
have fist fights once in a while, including my old
school in Guelph, but that never happens here.”
Still, she believes that fights “mostly happen between two people who have beef,” and that she
“wouldn’t be afraid of getting stabbed at any
school in the GTA.”
“We have been trying very hard as a student
council to work with the students and teachers
affected by this horrific act of violence,” he tells
me over Facebook chat. He claims that acts of
violence are new to the North Albion community, which is characterized by its “strong Canadian values,” active student body, and “safe and
caring environment.” He points me to the “social
workers and professional mentors helping and
guiding us step by steps,” before adding that he
“personally [is] still in a great shock that something like this would have ever happened here at
North Albion.”
So what if, as Michelle and Mann seem to suggest, socioeconomic circumstances played only
a weak role in the North Albion stabbing? What
if the entire incident was really an instance of
randomized violence? When one begins to treat
students as the sole rational actors in school
stabbings, two patterns emerge: one, the need to
protect students against students who may endanger their safety, and two, the need to protect
those very students who, due to some unattributed factor or function, are engaging in illegal
behaviour. And, for all its complexity, this is a
hard balance to strike.
A popular proposal on the eve of Hamid’s death
has been pointing towards the use of metal detectors. However, when asked about the prospect of installing metal detectors within schools
with a high instance of crime, Donna Quan,
the TDSB’s Director of Education, said that the
TDSB “doesn’t want to create a situation where
our students are patted down and checked before
they enter schools.” She believes that a counselling process, like the one Mann described to me,
is more effective in rehabilitating students during and after a time of crisis. The issue is not
about weapons, after all, but about tracking students who, due to their personal background or
socioeconomic situation, are more prone to find
a certain appeal in a culture of incessant fighting and make sure that they are kept on the right
track - academically, recreationally, and psychologically.
Maybe, if Hamid Aminzada went to NT, he
never would have had to die. Though even if he
did, there is no reason to believe that another
young man would not die in a similar fashion.
And even if Aminzada’s death was merely the
result of a randomized act of violence against a
prototypal good kid, the stabbing reinforces one
of the biggest questions educators have to tackle:
the question of what kind of environmental and
personal factors make some students turn to
crime and what our schools can do to ensure that
no student ever has to die.
Top Ten: University of King’s College
TRENT ERICKSON
How would you like to go to a university that’s smaller than NT? What if it’s in Halifax? How about if it has rooms that are literally twice as big as Dalhousie’s? I
know that some of you crossed King’s off your list as soon as you read that first line. Why would I want to go to such a small school? I want to meet new people!
That’s exactly the beauty of a small school. Meeting new people is very easy because there aren’t that many people to meet. Instead of knowing the names of 200
people in a school of 30,000, you know the names of 200 people in a school of 1000. At King’s you get to know those people really well. They’re around you all
the time. In residence, in meal hall, everywhere, all the time, 24/7 they’re there whether you like it or not. We’re all in the same class. Every person on campus
takes the Foundation Year Program which means you don’t have to worry about people being loud when you’re writing an essay because everyone else is also
writing the same essay. Foundation Year bills itself as a “journey through the history of Western thought.” Starting in 2800 BCE with The Epic of Gilgamesh –
the first novel – the program shows us how the beliefs, ideas, and political systems that shape our world today originated and changed over almost 5000 years of
our recorded history. Most importantly, the meal hall serves eggs to order in the morning. Come to Kings!
Everything You’ve Ever
Wanted to Know About
ISIS But Were Too Afraid
to Ask
BY ALI SHOUSHTARI
The US, alongside other members of NATO, has
begun to take military action against an extremist military group called ISIS. Members of the
group have been using the Islamic religion –
more specifically, the concept of Sharia Law – as
justification for their brutal killings of civilians
in the Middle East. Yet, most of us at NT have
a deficient understanding of what ISIS is, how it
operates, and the impact of Western action on it.
Worry not, for I will try to explain all of this in a
series of frequently asked questions.
What is ISIS?
ISIS stands for the Islamic State in Iraq and alSham. It is also known by the name ISIL, or
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. It is an
extremist group of Sunni Jihadists who are led
by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a former member of
Al-Qaeda. ISIS formerly existed as a franchise
of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and have since taken up
one mission: to overthrow the current government and establish a caliphate, where every citizen will be forced to follow their commands
verbatim. Since then, the group had had a falling out with Al-Qaeda — including disobeying
commands of Al-Qaeda’s leaders — and this
past February, it decided to separate. Notably,
this was the first time a franchise of Al-Qaeda
had disobeyed commands and veered off in its
own direction. Abu Bakr, the leader of this subversive group, reunited members of ISIS in April
of 2014. The group is classified as a pro-Sunni
group that has begun to implement its extreme
beliefs of Islamic practices on the Iraqi-Syrian
population. Ultimately, ISIS seeks to create a
sovereign Islamic State stretching from Northern Iraq down to Syria.
The Tim Hortons Deal
BY AMY HU
How did ISIS come about?
ISIS members are mostly ex-Al-Qaeda members
who have been involved in insurgencies against
the Shiite government and the American military
since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. It must,
however, be noted that ever since a Shiite government was established in Iraq, its policymakers
have been putting considerable pressure on the
Sunni minority and treating them unfairly. During the 2011 uprisings in Syria, soon-to-be-ISIS
members crossed the border to fight alongside
other extremist groups against the Shiite Alawite
regime. In January of 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi separated himself from Al-Qaeda – as his
beliefs were more extreme than those of the AlQaeda leaders – and created ISIS. Members of
this group are mainly Sunni Iraqis who were fed
up with the Shiite government currently in power
in Iraq.
What does ISIS believe?
ISIS has been brutally killing innocent civilians,
as well as capturing territories across Iraq and
Syria, in the hope of one day establishing a unified Islamic civilization where everyone would
follow and practice its beliefs. Their beliefs seem
to differ from those in the Koran. Islam considers the act of killing the innocent a sin, yet this
group has been repeatedly slaying civilians, thus
adulterating a religion practiced by one billion
people around the world. ISIS believes in the
use of fear and brutality as tactics to enforce its
beliefs. Furthermore, the group believes that it
is cleansing the world of “devil worshippers” –
pretty much anyone who refuses convertion to
Islam – and that it is fighting on behalf of all the
Muslims around the world. Despite what ISIS
claims, most Muslims all around the world have
dissociated themselves from this group and claim
that the group’s Islamic beliefs are false.
Have Western military strikes weakened the
terrorist group?
The United States, being the first country to resort to military action against ISIS, has started a
comprehensive campaign of air strikes to
The iconic Tim Hortons on Eglinton and Broadway has always been the popular station for
breakfast and lunch pickups for NT students;
without it, we might become more concerned
about our hunger than our quest for academic
excellence. On August 26th, Burger King bought
this Canadian bakery and coffee chain for $12.5
billion, in a deal which could culminate in the
world’s third largest fast food company. Burger
King plans to transfer its Miami headquarters
across the country’s northern border, to an unnamed behemoth located in Toronto.
It is speculated that the relocation is fuelled by
a desire to escape the US corporate tax burden
– a statement that BK has denied. The Canadian
corporate tax rate is 26.5%, which is considerably lower than the 35% rate in the US However,
there’s a loophole put into the equation: BK paid
only 27% corporate tax in 2013. If the takeover
goes through, the company would be bound by
Canadian territorial tax laws. While BK is still
required to pay US tax on products sold in the
States, due to its changed “identity,” it is only
required to pay Canadian tax for products sold
overseas. About 48% of BK’s revenue comes
from outside the the US, and the Canadian move
thus seems to be of strategic importance.
11
destroy these militants. Along with the US, many
NATO members - Canada and Britain included
- have joined the cause against this extremist group. So far, the military strikes have only
caused temporary dispersion of ISIS from areas
of interest, namely the Syrian and Iraqi border,
the city of Erbil (home to the largest population of Kurds in Iraq), and Mount Sinaj, where
thousands of innocent civilians are under siege
by ISIS. President Obama also plans to deploy
ground forces alongside the airstrikes to fight
ISIS forces. Even though the air strikes have not
taken out significant numbers of ISIS members
so far, there is evidence that they have worked to
slow down their violent acts in the region.
How is ISIS funded?
ISIS is funded through a combination of private donations, often from wealthy people in
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other gulf states, and
domestically generated revenues from the territories which they control. For instance, ISIS has
taken control of oil wells across Iraq and uses
the revenues of the sales to fund its military supply. Furthermore, in June 2014, the group was
reported to have plundered a government vault
that held $425 million. The group’s net worth is
estimated at a few billion dollars.
Do Iraqis support the group?
ISIS is taking over Iraqi cities at a raging speed,
which would not be possible without the support
of local Iraqis, most of whom are Sunnis. These
Iraqis are not necessarily supporters of the violent acts perpetrated by the group; rather, they
are usually outraged by the Shia-led government of Nouri al-Maliki and want Maliki off the
throne. They see ISIS as a viable governmental
counter-proposal. The Iraqi government is to
blame for its failure to provide Sunnis with political positions with which they would be able to
express their opinions on political matters. The
government’s acts have thus aided ISIS’ success
in taking over vast amounts of land in this short
period of time.
How could this purchase impact our beloved
Tim’s? On the bright side, the takeover could
help speed up Tim’s international growth, establishing it as a globally shared service and making Tim Horton’s shops more common. Imagine
running into a Tim’s during your trip to the
Bahamas! On the other hand, 3G Capital, the
investment firm that owns Burger King, is notorious for adulterating the quality of its products. For instance, when 3G bought beer giants
InBev and Anheuser-Busch, the alcohol content
of some products was lowered as a cost-cutting
strategy. Layoffs and economic disturbances are
inevitable. The debt financing of the $12.5 billion-takeover will force Tim Hortons to dismiss
more than 700 employees. It is also suggested by
economists that 3G Capital could shuffle around
its assets in order to pay fewer taxes in Canada,
which would lead to the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars by the Canadian government
during the first few years of the deal.
The entire scheme may thus far seem to cause
Canada more harm than good. But before you
start stocking up on Timbits, know that the Canadian government hasn’t approved the deal yet,
as Burger King needs to prove that its move will
produce a “net benefit” for Canada as well.
Jian Ghomeshi and the
Dangers of Equating Public
Figures with Public Morality
BY FAY ASIMAKOPOLOUS
I, like many others, am a huge fan of Jian Ghomeshi’s show Q. His approach to interviewing feels
like a breath of fresh air in a room of stuffy CBC
programming: he boasts a distinct approach to
interviewing musicians that is intuitive, fresh,
and unflinchingly personal. Ghomeshi straddles
the boundaries of the personal and the private,
managing to integrate his own life experiences
and perspectives while revealing all the more
about the motivation behind some of the world’s
largest stars. His radio show plays like a personal
conversation with the programmer himself - one
that is so educated, subtle, and self-aware, that
one feels almost privileged to be overhearing.
Whether Jian Ghomeshi has been abusive in his
sexual undertakings is an issue for the justice
system to decide upon, after closely examining
the accounts brought forward by these women.
The public is ill equipped to fully acknowledge
all sources of information available on the case;
it is also poorly prepared to reconcile Ghomeshi’s misdemeanours with the legal action required in cases of sexual abuse.
However, the public plays a distinctly different
role - and one that can be, depending on how you
see the issue, wildly more important. As a court
of public opinion, we are tasked with deciding
how much power and influence public figures
have in our social spheres. Actions do not exist
in a cultural vacuum: Ghomeshi’s current status
as a bona fide creep is greater than the sum of the
emotional and physical damage he has incurred
on the women he may or may not have abused.
12
A common critisism of his show’s later evolution
is that the emphasis has been gradually taken
off of the interviewee and put on Ghomeshi to
- as a star would - share his own private belief
systems. In that sense, Ghomeshi’s public and
private personas can be seen as indistinguishable. If so, it makes sense that, in the same way
that one would distance one’s self from a sexual
predator personally, the public ought to do the
same with Ghomeshi as a public figure. On a
more macro level, as a public figure, Ghomeshi
carries a heavy set of responsibilities. When he
commits a crime he is no longer just accountable
to the victim and his immediate family - he has
also failed as a figure in the public eye. The Jian
Ghomeshi brand, as well as his cultural exports
- the very reason why he is in the public sphere should logically come under scrutiny.
I, like many others, first learned of the Jian
Ghomeshi scandal when a friend shared a heartfelt post written by the radio broadcaster himself
on Facebook. In it, he journaled the struggle of
his “private sex life being made public as a result
of a campaign of false allegations pursued by a
jilted ex girlfriend and a freelance writer.” He
reassured me - and the rest of his international
follower base - that he “only participate[s] in
sexual practices that are mutually agreed upon,
consensual, and exciting for both partners.”
And here’s the thing: I, like many others, initially felt for Jian Ghomeshi’s appeal for sexual acceptance. But the more I looked at his account,
the less sense it made. The echoes of a “jilted ex
girlfriend” felt subtly misogynistic - the kind of
thing a man can afford to say to invalidate the
perspective of a woman, by sheer virtue of her
gender. And for all the stigma and sensationalism that surrounds BDSM, it is also a breeding
ground for bodily and mental abuse. Ghomeshi’s
alibi felt increasingly fishy.
The turning point came soon after the first three
women who came forward with allegations
against Ghomeshi. It was a Facebook post by
Owen Pallett, a Canadian musician and friend
of Ghomeshi’s, that seemed to summarize the
issue’s central conflict most effectively. Pallett
remarked that, although Jian was a friend of his,
the issue of his abusive behaviour was no grey
area. After each of his points he repeated, in a
remarkably factual manner, that “three women
have been beaten by Jian Ghomeshi.”
His post’s closing remarks about Ghomeshi?
“How our friendship will continue remains to be
seen.”
It begs the question of where the line between
private actions and public figure can be drawn if it ever can - and how indispensable a figure’s
lifestyle is to his public work.
In short: do we prefer that Ghomeshi is publicly
shunned for his private misdemeanours? Or do
we choose to indefinitely separate the public and
the private - to appreciate the figure, and disregard any private actions as insignificant?
It’s a hard question to answer and mostly because, once again, Jian Ghomeshi straddles the
boundaries of the personal and the private. The
allegations of sexual abuse could have taken
place in the context of his work - making this an
issue directly pertinent to his employment. But
even if they hadn’t, Ghomeshi’s radio show is, in
its own way, a type of performance art. Part of
Ghomeshi’s appeal as an interviewer is due to
his ability to draw his audience in on a personal
level.
But there is also a danger attached to lending too
much value to a person’s private undertakings.
If we want the take-away message to be that
harassing and assaulting women is never okay,
and that Jian Ghomeshi is, for all his fame, not
to be emulated or accepted, it makes sense to
separate the abuser from the public figure. Such
a separation would also acknowledge that it is
perfectly acceptable to like Ghomeshi’s style of
interviewing and his projected persona, without
putting pressure on him to be a role model for
anyone in his private life.
The continuum of sexual harassment and abuse
is, in its entirety, under no circumstances acceptable - one can only hope for legal justice and
closure for any victim involved in that regard.
And Jian Ghomeshi? How our friendship - as
listener and presenter, consumer and producer,
private individual and public figure - will continue remains to be seen.
Top Ten: Loyola Marymount University
CHLOE HALL
With a campus that looks like a movie scene, to perfect weather year-round, to professors who all know your name, Loyola Marymount University is the perfect
mix of laid-back and academic. Located in Los Angeles, LMU provides a small community atmosphere within the excitement of the big city. Not only is LMU
located 10 minutes away from LAX, In-N-Out Burger, three beaches and thousands of dining options that are sure to make you question the “freshman fifteen,”
it feels like home the minute you step on to campus. With only 6000 undergraduates and 2000 grad students, you could say that LMU is a small-to-mid-sized
campus, but I can assure you, although it is small, it is mighty. There are activities on and off campus filled with culture and enrichment opportunities. Since
my arrival at LMU as a varsity athlete, my experiences have been nothing but incredible. Although the campus does not have a big time football team, all of the
sports teams are Division 1 and gain the support of all of the Lions on campus. When it comes to academics, the class sizes are similar to high school. Each one of
my classes has a maximum of 30 students making the academic atmosphere extremely personal. Being treated as a student and not a number has been one of the
most important aspects of my education. Loyola Marymount creates the perfect path for every student’s success in the present and future.
Misrepresentation in the
Land of the Free
BY MATTHEW GERRY
You know there’s a problem when your electoral
system contradicts the most basic concept of
democracy.
In the aftermath of the US mid-term elections,
many people might be wondering about how a
country can elect a House of Representatives
and a Senate that disagree with its president.
The answer is more geographical than you may
initially think.
Redistricting is the process of reorganizing
electoral counties in order to minimize population differences between different districts. In
our neighbour down south, the United States,
systems are reorganized and invisible political
boundaries are redrawn each time the census is
taken, usually every ten years or so. These district boundaries should be somewhat arbitrary,
but redistricting is necessary so that each citizen
of a democratic country can have an equally
powerful vote.
The problem occurs when these new lines are
drawn in such a way that is not arbitrary, but in
fact benefits a specific political party or demographic group, thus using this necessary democratic mechanism to effectively silence any opponents.
since the federal government gives the responsibility of redistricting to the state government,
only the state government needs to sign off on
the new boundaries in order for the changes to
be made, without approval from anyone else.
That’s how Austin, a city that used to house only
two counties, is now split up into six, with each
one extending far out of the metropolitan area;
one reaching as far as Dallas, another goes to
Houston. The government has spread out the
Democrat-voting population of Austin over a
larger number of seats in congress, decreasing
the percentage of them in each district.
“Gerrymandering is when areas
with a high concentration of
supporters for the opposition
to the governing party are split
up into several districts and
clumped together with other
areas containing supporters of
the government.”
Gerrymandering is, according to Wikipedia, a
“practice that attempts to establish a political
advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries to create partisan
advantaged districts.” In other words, areas with
a high concentration of supporters for the opposition to the governing party are split up into
several districts and clumped together with other
areas containing supporters of the government.
The outlying areas that the districts contain are
home to many more who will vote Republican,
so the Austin city-dwellers end up being the minority in each district, and Republicans win the
seats. Normally, gerrymandering is a process of
creating a few small districts that the opposition
will definitely win, finding areas with a high
concentration of their supporters, and clumping
them together into one county. This makes all
other districts more attainable for the government. But in Austin, the left-wing population is
so large and so dense that the state government
has had seemingly no choice but to split them up
into an inordinate amount of pieces in order to
maintain political control of the region.
This process dates back to 1812, when the state
of Massachusetts adopted new district boundaries, and the governor of the time, Elbridge
Gerry (no relation to this writer), approved of
some suspiciously shaped counties. In many US
states, the state government is responsible for
setting federal voting districts every ten years.
So, as long as one government is in power, they
will continue to manipulate the county lines in
order to achieve the best results for their own
party.
Such practices have played a large role in causing the excessive “Republican-ness” of the
House. It has been predicted that if gerrymandering had never occurred in the US, the Democrats could have as many as 18 more representatives in Congress. Instead, the country is stuck
with a House of Representatives that disagrees
with its president on every issue, leading to political deadlock and allowing the government of
a major global superpower to make absolutely
no progress.
A depressingly blatant example of gerrymandering at its finest can be easily observed in
Austin, Texas. Austin has a reputation for being one of the most left-wing cities in the United
States. Aside from being a city in which over
60% of inhabitants voted for the Democrat party
in the last two presidential elections, it is quite
clear that the general population of Austin just
tends not to have political views that are consistent with the rest of the typically extremely
conservative state.
It may therefore seem strange that, out of the six
congress representatives elected by the people
of Austin in the US federal election, five are
Republican. This happened because the Texas
state government, a heavily Republican one, is
allowed to do whatever it pleases in reorganizing
all of the voting districts in the state;
13
So, how is this legal? It is not. The problem is it
cannot be up to a court judge to decide whether
or not a district is gerrymandered. It’s something
that lawmakers haven’t been able to specifically
define, even though we all know it when we
see it. As a result, state governments are rarely
prosecuted for it. Both of the US’ major political
parties have benefitted from gerrymandering
at different points in history, so both are somewhat reluctant to pass any kind of legislation that
would make it less manageable.
Luckily, our systems here in Canada make
gerrymandering more difficult. Redistricting
occurs after each decennial census much like in
the United States, but in Canada an independent organization is commissioned to reorganize
the ridings (this process is also used in some
US states). Then, the changes put forth by the
organization are voted on and approved by the
Parliament. If Parliament doesn’t approve, the
changes do not go through. So with a minority
government, no redistricting will occur unless at
least two major parties agree with it, and even if
a majority is in power, the use of an independent
group tends to reduce misrepresentation.
However, some reports claim that Canada’s last
instance of redistricting in 2013 could give the
Tories a slight advantage in the upcoming federal election. So this may not be a strictly American issue.
Western democratic nations often take pride in
giving an equally powerful vote to each of their
citizens, as well as claiming to have a truly representative government. After all, the United
States of America is the self-proclaimed “land of
the free.” One nation under God, indivisible —
that is, unless partisan state governments want
to divide it up ridiculously, seeking an electoral
advantage — with liberty and justice for all—
except those who live in excessively gerrymandered districts, where their vote has deliberately
been made far less meaningful.
What’s Fappening?
BY DIKSHA KUMAR
The fear is ever present. A few days ago when
I was panicking over my lost cell phone, my
friend jokingly asked me if I had any “questionable photos” on it. Although nothing on my ancient Samsung S2 is of interest to anyone, his
comment got me thinking. Would I be protected
by law if someone gained access to my virtual
data - text messages, photos, everything - and
used it to antagonize me?
On August 31, 2014, over 500 private photos of
numerous female celebrities were released on
the online image-based bulletin 4chan. In a matter of seconds, leaked selfies and nudes reached
the social media hubs of Reddit and Tumblr, and
subsequently millions of people worldwide. The
aforementioned websites then proceeded to remove the explicit material, but only after the a
few victims claimed to be underage at the time
the photos were taken.
The invasion of privacy is not unheard of in
Hollywood; the non-existent private life of celebrities dates back to the beginnings of pesky
paparazzi in the sixties. Then came infamous
sex tapes. And now, we are in the age of online
hacking.
Suppose someone pickpockets your phone at a
concert. Or someone burglarizes your house
Young Adults Wired to Kim
Kardashian, Disconnected
From Politics
BY JILLIAN LI
You’ve just turned 18. Your mind is a wired
database of knowledge and intelligence. Your
ego is charged to 100% now that you can login
to once password-protected freedoms. You have
disconnected from your parents’ remote-control
surveillance and have plugged into newfound
independence. You are a social media maven
ready for the world.
Your fingers type at supersonic speeds in response to the ping-ping-ping of your iMessages.
You click into that article about Kim Kardashian
because her outfit always looks good. However,
your political knowledge is basic. And by basic, I
mean non-existent. Reality pops up like a trending-now notification, but it’s old news: when it
comes to politics, you are an uninformed and
uninvolved individual.
Discussions about politics and public policies
have become the deleted documents of a young
adult’s daily life; don’t know, don’t care. Why is
this the case with today’s younger generation?
How does the ubiquitous digitization of our society impact our political awareness?
The answer dates back 2.4 million years ago
when a genetic mutation caused our jaws to
weaken and subsequently, our brains to expand.
This genetic update required a surge in social
dependency. In order for humans to gather food
and fend off predators, they needed to stay connected. Today, social connection is needed beyond the scope of survival. We need it to share
our opinions, we need it to form emotional relationships, and we need it as the CPU (Central
Processing Unit) of career networking. We have
and steals your camera. All humans have classified those actions as theft, the crime of taking personal property without consent. Hacking someone’s iCloud account is what it is
- theft. Then why do the majority of people blame the
victim when her nude photos, intended for a private audience, are taken and plastered all over
the internet?
I followed internet commentary surrounding
the incident, which also goes by “The Fappening.” Most rants on Tumblr and articles on various news outlets begin with stating that “putting naked photos in a Cloud server is dumb.”
Fair enough, absolute internet security is probably closer to myth than reality. However, they
continue by claiming that a model or actress’s
“image is no different than any other valuable
commodity like gold or diamonds,” and that
they shouldn’t be surprised to have their private photos stolen. After all, they “already make
money out of exposing their bodies.”
grown dependent on social connection in all
aspects of our lives and technology is the only
resolution for such hard-wired dependency.
Technological advancements have the ability to
link people and information together in an efficient and effective manner. These advancements
are great for accessibility, but they deactivate
the relationship between young adults and the
world of politics occurring outside their social
networks.
I recently surveyed 35 students at various midtown Toronto high schools. Only 34% of those
surveyed could accurately indicate the date of
Toronto’s upcoming municipal election. Approximately the same number (40%), could,
however, correctly state Taylor Swift’s new
album release date. What is happening here?
When did Taylor Swift “shaking it off” become
more pressing than our tax cuts, employment
rates, or foreign policies?
An interview with a North Toronto student provided me with more bits and bytes of information. Similar to 80% of students surveyed, this
student ranked her level of political awareness
as below 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. She couldn’t
name two of the three front-runner candidates
campaigning to be Toronto’s future mayor and
qualifies this by saying, “I don’t really keep up
with politics. I’d rather be on my computer surfing Facebook or Buzzfeed.”
These students are embedded in a decade-long
trend. The voter turnout for the 18-24 age group
during Canadian general elections plummeted
by 20% from 1984 to 2000. Unsurprisingly,
this is the same time period when technology
and Internet usage became as important to us
as appearance and style are to a young starlet.
In 2003, 61.8% of households reported having
a computer, a mammoth surge in compared to
only 8.2% in 1984.
14
By this train of logic, people shouldn’t keep
valuables in their homes to attract a burglar.
Authors and musicians shouldn’t showcase their
talent to the world because it will definitely be
copied. If something as abstract as intellectual
property, a.k.a. that catchy Billboard 100 tune,
is protected by copyright, why isn’t our personal
virtual data?
What’s interesting is the apparent gender bias in
the media coverage of celebrity nude leaks. A
female celebrity is more likely to be scolded and
taunted for her nudes: her pose is dissected, her
integrity questioned. An actress may reconsider
sending a racy photo to her long-distance boyfriend, in case he releases it as revenge after they
break up. Her male costars, however, can afford
to be a little careless with their correspondence,
knowing there probably aren’t malicious hackers trying to guess their iCloud passwords every
moment.
“The Fappening” is more than just a scandal.
It’s an indication of society’s blurred definitions
of permission and consent, of possessions and
theft. Hiding behind a curtain of online anonymity is not an excuse to manipulate and sabotage
others. Crime is crime folks, no matter where it
takes place, or who the victim is. We’ve become
too comfortable with the notion that celebrities
are voiceless puppets to our perpetual hunger
for gossip and objectification, and it’s time to see
them as humans again.
Over time, technology has become a virus in the
standard life of a young adult. It unknowingly
infects the mind, manipulating the brain’s software, rewiring connections and forming new
pathways geared toward the inane and irrelevant.
As the virus replicates, it eradicates all memory
of a technology-free life and deletes desire for
political awareness. What’s more concerning is
that dependency on technology is capable of being transmitted from person to person, a phenomenon that has become an epidemic amongst
today’s younger generation.
Media networks only serve to spread the virus
further. Noted TV reporter and analyst Brian
Lowry states that “CBS will devote more hours
to monitoring eight people isolated in a house
for its summer soap opera, �Big Brother’, than to
covering the Democratic National Convention.”
In essence, digitization fosters more entertainment coverage, gadget dependency, and technological advancements. More access and exposure to digitization lead young adults astray
from a path of political awareness. For you, the
younger generation, Kim Kardashian’s outfit
will always spark greater interest than Olivia
Chow’s transit plan investment. The tug of war
between entertainment and political information achieves a one-sided result: entertainment
prospers while political awareness crashes.
It’s time to control technology, not to let it control you. It’s time to reboot your interest in politics. And, more importantly, it’s time to foster a
healthy link between the technological and political worlds.
Emma Watson’s Speech:
Gamechanging or
Outdated?
BY CHITTA CHOWDHURRY &
OXANA PILENKO
In the last two weeks of September, social media
outlets were filled with news of Emma Watson’s
United Nations speech. On September 20, Emma
Watson made a moving speech about fighting
gender inequality to launch the “He for She”
campaign in an effort to reach out to more men
to take part in the feminist movement. Many
claimed it was game-changing for the feminist movement, while others called it outdated
and backwards, pointing out some problematic
downsides to her speech.
Lets start with the name of the campaign: “He
for She.” It’s problematic as it excludes various
groups, such as genderqueer and agender people,
who do not fit into the traditional gender binary.
Emma Watson did mention seeing gender as a
spectrum, but she failed to put that into practice
with the title. The campaign gives men a “formal invitation” to fight against gender inequality, which implies that the reason most men
aren’t feminists is simply because they have not
been invited to participate. It’s much more likely
that many men are not feminists because they
benefit greatly from the male-dominated world
we exist in. Something that Emma emphasised
in her speech was that men suffer greatly from
the existence of the patriarchy, with unnatural
expectations to not express any kind of sensitivity and be fully human. Yet, this is just one of
the negative outcomes for male individuals. We
shouldn’t forget that the feminist movement was
first created to support women, who were faced
with issues of living in a patriarchal world.
Despite all of the problems associated with the
campaign, we have to give credit to Emma Watson for advocating for feminism when others in
similar positions are shying away from the label
in fear of being painted as “man-hating.” And
who can blame them? Our society sees feminists as hairy legged lesbians who are out to rid
the world of the evil that is men, even though
a feminist is an individual who believes in the
social, political and economic equality of the
sexes. That includes most women of every race,
sexual orientation, and class, which brings us to
the other issue - the complete lack of recognition
of intersectionality received within the speech.
Intersectionality is the idea that, within feminism, different types of oppression intersect. For
instance, women of colour face different issues
than white women, as they are additionally discriminated due to their race. Poor women face
different issues than rich women. Transgender
women face different issues than cisgendered
women and so on. The speech mainly discussed
the impact of gender stereotypes for rich, able
bodied, cisgendered white women. Watson describes in great detail the personal experiences
she’s had with gender stereotypes, from seeing
her friends stop playing sports because they
didn’t want to become “too muscly” to being
sexualized at a young age. These issues are undoubtedly important, but there are more urgent
issues that women face all around the world that
must be addressed, especially on a platform like
the United Nations.
17
We shouldn’t forget that the speech wasn’t only
presented to the public, but to world leaders as
well. The representation of this kind of white,
upper-middle-class type of feminism further
invalidates feminism in the public’s and world
leader’s eyes. Female infanticide and alarmingly
lower literacy rates for girls are also the result of
existing gender roles in our societies. She mentions getting paid less than her male counterparts, but fails to mention that race can be a significant factor that most women of colour have
to face when it comes to income. In order for
feminism to truly be successful, it needs to seek
solutions to the issues faced by all women, not
only the most privileged and vocal few.
We can pick out any sentence from that speech
and write in our blogs about the complete lack of
recognition of intersectionality and oversimplification of feminism, but the fact is that it’s the
basic, somewhat outdated feminist ideas that
many people still do not understand. The speech
was a watered down, socially acceptable version
of feminism. It must be noted that Emma Watson brought up a lot of issues to the attention of
the public and to young people in Western countries. Any representation of feminism - despite
its issues - at least brings attention to a movement so often ignored by mainstream media,
and for that, her speech must be acknowledged
as a good thing.
Even though women have a full range of rights
and freedoms in the developed world, the situation is very different in the developing world,
where many women continue to face social and
and economic disenfranchisement. Therefore,
we believe that our main focus should be on the
subject of women, who still face more hardships
than men.
The Columbia Mattress Girl
BY PARSA HOSSEIN-POUR
Some people can create beauty from despair.
This is exactly what Columbia University senior Emma Sulkowticz has done by turning her
sexual assault into a work of art. She has been
carrying her extra-long twin mattress with her
since the beginning of the school year. This is
part of her performance art piece called “Carry
that Weight,” or “Mattress Performance.” The
purpose of her peaceful protest is to have her alleged rapist expelled from Columbia University.
Sulkowtics, age 21, was raped in her dorm room
in August 2012. Her rapist was found “not responsible” by Columbia University. This same
male student has been accused of rape by two
other female students in unrelated cases and was
found not responsible both times. One of these
trials was held for a student who had already
graduated, and was thus not as thorough as it
could had been.
Sulkowtics’ performance has gathered a lot of
attention, both from the media and students of
Columbia. As they watch her carry her heavy
mattress, many offer to help her. This embodies beautifully how survivors of rape carry their
trauma with them everywhere they go, and how
even strangers can help lighten the load.
Sulkowtics is one of 23 students from Columbia and Bernard who filed a federal complaint
against their schools stating their sexual assault
cases were mishandled. The reason for most of
these botched cases is lack of evidence. Investigators have a difficult task putting together
enough evidence to convict perpetrators at any
university, and so this is not a Columbia-specific
issue. This is partly because of lack of witnesses
and the role alcohol plays in the cases.
Columbia is, however, taking some steps to
address sexual violence on campus as a result
of her protest, such as introducing a revised
“Gender-Based Misconduct Policy,” additional
rape crisis/anti-violence support centres, and a
mandatory first year training on consent and bystander information.
Her case is not unique within universities and
colleges, nor outside them. One in five Canadian
women is sexually assaulted during her pursuit
of higher education. There is an epidemic of rape
and sexual assault plaguing campuses all over
the country, and it needs to end. One important
step towards bringing down this blight is ending “victim blaming.” Victim blaming is putting
the victim at fault during cases of sexual assault.
While not every victim needs to take action as
publicly as Sulkowtics has, everyone must report
rapes - if only to make the world a safer place.
16
When We Laugh About
Sexual Assault
Illustration by Charles Wu
BY EYAL WILK
“This girl tried to force me to have sex with her
the other day.”
Wait. What?
“We didn’t have a condom, she wasn’t on the pill
and I didn’t wanna risk it but she tried to force me
anyways.”
How does that even work?
“I kept telling her no but she just kept trying to
force herself on me. To be honest it was really
weird and uncomfortable.”
That sounds kind of messed up.
“It was probably the funniest thing ever to happen
to me in a bed.”
Now, non-consensual sex isn’t a topic that is often
associated with humor or laughter. In fact, most
teenagers that I’ve spoken to find my friend’s experience humorous, especially when they learn
that the girl he had this encounter with might be
considered “hot.”
Why would people find the fact that an attractive
girl tried to force a guy to have sex with her funny?
More importantly, what’s the impact of this?
When the reality of a situation contradicts a
stereotype, a common reaction is often to view
the situation as comedic. For most straight teenage guys, the pursuit of women is a topic that
consumes a significant amount of one’s time and
thoughts. Wheeling, pulling, hooking up - these
are all things that seem to come up several times a
day in conversations with friends. Since so much
of our social life is taken up by the pursuit of the
opposite sex, the fact that a teenage boy would
not take the opportunity to have sex with a girl
that he’s attracted to completely contradicts his
peers’ expectations and seems ridiculous to a lot
of people. As a result, men often feel that they
need to be invulnerable, especially in a sexual environment, in order to maintain their masculinity.
However, it is dangerous to view these situations
as humorous. In doing so, we potentially disregard
legitimate traumas experienced by male victims
and ultimately feed this harmful cultural expectation of masculine behaviour.
These expectations also lead us to believe that an
attractive girl wanting you so badly that she would
force you to have sex with her is a good thing for
the guy and should be viewed positively by the
victim, regardless if he identifies as a victim or
not. My friend, for instance, expresses that his
experience made him feel better about himself…
“more wanted,” because this attractive girl was so
insistent.
Although my friend is obviously entitled to
react however he chooses, our community
believing that any type of nonconsensual sex
is positive is dangerous. However, this often
leads to a controversial double standard in
how many teenagers view non-consensual sex
based on the gender of the offender and how attractive she is. If the assailant was male and the
victim female, the level of attractiveness of the
male assailant would obviously be irrelevant to
the situation and to how we react to what happened. Obviously, a significant reason for this
double standard we have is the fact that it is a
lot more likely for a guy to be able to physically overpower the girl he is with, as opposed
to the alternative. However, a girl’s forceful advances, combined with society’s expectations,
can result in significant mental and social pressures that are extremely difficult to overcome.
To clarify, I’m not attempting to claim that this
experience is worse for guys, since physical
pressures could be significantly more traumatic. I am merely trying to highlight the fact that
these pressures do exist for guys and can be
powerful.
In the example of my friend’s experience, he
wasn’t necessarily traumatized by what happened because he was comfortable enough with
himself and with the girl he was with to be able
to confidently resist her advances. Although
he was uncomfortable and thought the entire
situation was very strange, he never felt overwhelmed or fearful because he was in control
the whole time, both physically and mentally.
He also, in most teenagers’ opinion, had a very
reasonable explanation as to why he did not
want to have sex at that time - a lack of protection. However, after the fact, when recounting
the story to his friends, he says that a lot of his
friends say he should have had sex with the girl
anyways, that even being unprotected wasn’t
sufficient justification not to.
Regardless, my friend is a confident individual
and isn’t significantly influenced by his friends’
opinions. He also thought he had an explanation
for his actions that was easily defended. This
combination of circumstances negates the pressures caused by his peers’ expectations and allow him to avoid doing something that he did not
want to do. My friend clearly handled himself
well in this situation and, although a lot of victims of non-consensual sex wish they could have
reacted like he did, his composure can’t be considered as expected of anyone in this situation.
A more consequential issue arises when a less
confident guy finds himself in a similar situation but where his justification for saying “no”
to an “attractive” girl is more complicated than
the lack of protection. Whoever that guy is, he
knows that he is expected, by his peers and by
the community that he is a part of, to have sex
with her since he has the opportunity to. If, after
he says no, she tries to force herself on him the
expectations from his peers add another layer of
pressure to the situation this guy is now facing.
Although the likelihood of him being physically
forced to have sex by a girl is unlikely, this added
pressure could very likely overwhelm him mentally. This could result in the girl’s forceful advances, although not physically overwhelming,
leading to him giving in and doing something
that he is not comfortable with and, ultimately,
has not consented to.
We, as a community, need to acknowledge the
pressure that we add to situations like these.
That our expectations of sexual encounters unjustly obligate our peers to have justification for
saying no. Furthermore, we, as individuals in
these situations, regardless of our gender or level
of attractiveness, need to understand that consent must be mutual and explanations are never
required to say no.
Top Ten: Wilfred Laurier University
ALEX KELLERMAN
IIt’s great to be a Laurier Golden Hawk. Despite being away at school for only two months, Laurier has already provided me with many unforgettable memories and
opportunities. I am enrolled in the Business Administration Program. Laurier’s business program prepares you for real life business experiences not just through
lectures and textbook readings. We have already completed a live case competition for Samsung Canada. The winners, to be decided, may even have their ideas
implemented by Samsung. We also take part in a yearlong project called the BDO New Venture Competition. This project entails groups to generate a new venture
idea and present their findings, with a fair amount of research to back it up. These are real world business skills that we are already learning in only the first semester
of first year. In addition to the great program, Laurier’s campus is very community-like and the facilities are fantastic. We have a newly renovated Athletic Center
and a new business building is under construction. The campus is not overwhelming in size, and you can walk almost anywhere you may need in Waterloo. In addition, uptown Kitchener is just a short bus ride away. There you can find quality establishments that serve as hangout spots for upper years. Let’s just say the options
for those individuals over 19 are not scarce. Waterloo is a great university town and Laurier is the school in Waterloo to choose. #WEAREHAWKS
15
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Franciska
What surprised me the most when meeting
Canadians was how much you guys totally
live up to your stereotypes. You are exactly as
sweet as your food! (One tip for you guys – use
more salt in your food and stop using that much
sugar! What is up with that? All the Danes
complained about the lack of salt in your food
at restaurants. I even had cinnamon spiced
French fries!...though they were really really
really good.) You are way more polite than us
Danes. I especially remember one episode,
when we, as a group of Danes, were walking
on the sidewalk and a bike was trying to pass
through. The lady on the bike just went “Excuse me? Excuse me? Could you please move?”
in a very patient voice and when people finally
reacted she said “Thank you so much” and gave
us all a big smile. She didn’t even ring her bell.
If she had been Danish, she would have called
us all idiots and given us the finger several
times before she had passed us.
Fran’s Top Three Moments in Toronto
1. When I went to High Park with a group of
three Canadians and three other Danes. We did
the things you ought to do in High Park and it
was raining and we all huddled up under this
strange sort of roof-out-of-nowhere-thingy. And
the trees were so big, and the rain so beautiful (and tasty!), and we talked about what our
Patronuses should be. Mine is a koala, Agnes’s
is a unicorn, Jack’s is a brown bear, Matt’s is a
red deer and I don’t remember the rest!
2. Visiting the First Nations at the Rama Reserve. Wow, that was so cool. I was totally in
a trance when we left. The First Nations artist
was such an enchanting person.
3. Agnes and I interviewed a really cool lady
from the Regent Park Community Food Centre
for our film project about the community gardens they have there. It was just such an awesome project, and it really inspired me. And the
sun was shining and gardens were beautiful. It
was just a very nice moment.
e
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20
NT’s Gender Ambition Gap
BY LIAT FAINMAN-ADELMAN
This career survey was the precise definition of
a bittersweet realization. It is sweet because my
hypothesis, was, in fact, supported; however, it
was bitter because it revealed a major problem
looming in our beloved school. After weeks of
research and analysis and days spent on investigating statistics, I can say one thing with complete certainty: NT’s girls are not as ambitious
as NT’s boys.
It all began in psychology class, when we were
told to create an experiment. Almost immediately I came up with the idea to test if boys are naturally drawn to higher paying careers and girls
to lower paying careers. I tested about 250 boys
and girls to see if there was even anything worth
investigating. Almost instantly I saw a huge disparity between what boys and girls were choosing. I became so invested in my experiment that,
despite the fact that I dropped ISAP (because
you know I need a spare in my life), I continued
on in hopes of publishing an article.
For those of you who haven’t done my survey
online, it went something like this: I ask for
your gender, your average, and for you to rank
the following careers from 1 (most ideal) to 10
(least ideal): investment banker, kindergarten
teacher, surgeon, graphic designer, corporate
lawyer, psychologist, software engineer, advertiser, architect and journalist; and, finally, what
appeals to you about your first choice and what
repulses you about your last choice.
After two weeks I had received about 250 responses which is approximately 1/5 of North Toronto’s total population. The first section I looked
at was top choice; what careers were girls and
boys most attracted to. Unsurprisingly, over 50%
of females chose either psychologist, graphic designer or advertiser, three of the lowest paying
career options I gave. In contrast, approximately
54% of males chose either investment banker,
engineer or surgeon as their top choice, three of
the highest paying career options. However, the
differences don’t stop there. Over 66% of males
chose either kindergarden teacher (the lowest
paid career given) or journalist as their bottom
choice, while 61% of females chose either investment banker, surgeon or software engineer
as their last choice.
Now for the most important and controversial
question: why are NT’s girls seemingly uninterested in the pursuit of the highest paid careers?
The answer is clear cut: they are too intimidated
and lack the self-esteem. In response to the survey question of what didn’t appeal about their
last choice, two in three girls said they didn’t
think they would be successful and two in five
deemed their last choice as “too hard” for them.
In comparison, only one in three boys said they
believe they wouldn’t be successful and a mere
one in ten deemed their last choice as too difficult for them. So, in other words, NT’s males
think they are competent enough to succeed in
almost every job listed, whereas NT’s females
see themselves mostly succeeding in traditional
female jobs. This is a huge problem.
NT is not the only school with this aspiration
dilemma. In fact, it is a small scale example
of a much bigger issue. The book “Lean In,”
by Sheryl Sandberg - a book that analyzes the
gender ambition gap - brings attention to the
fact that women currently make up only 4% of
Fortune 500 CEOs and still only make 77 cents
to every man’s dollar. Additionally, women are
60% less likely to consider themselves “very
qualified” to run for office and are half as likely
to aspire to an executive position. Sandberg
sums up the gender career discrepancy by stating, “girls underestimate their abilities, while
boys overestimate their abilities.” Clearly, confidence is working.
So what can we do about this problem? We can
continue to encourage and expose girls to traditionally male careers before they narrow their
interests. We can bring in male professionals in
female-dominated industries and female professionals in male-dominated industries to talk to
our student body, thus expanding our image of
different careers. I have not written this article
to discourage anyone - male or female - from
any professional path they choose. I am a firm
believer that every job acts as an integral part
of our community. That being said, I encourage
every NT student to follow their passion and interests and not to let internal or external factors
get in their way. After all, more women in executive positions and more men in nurturing ones
will ultimately result in a more well-rounded
society. To quote Vin Diesel, “career diversification ain’t a bad thing.”
Dream big NT, dream big.
Hacked Darts, Broken Hearts
21
BY JACK DENTON
“Do you regret smoking?” I ask the group standing
around me. I’m met with a unanimous and powerful “Yes.” Silence. Someone coughs. The cigarette
smoke that is knotted around us suddenly seems
very stale. “Then I think that’s it. That’s all I need,
really,” is my only reply.
Let’s take a step back.
Far fewer Canadians smoke cigarettes today than
was the case in recent memory. As of the latest
government study (done in 2012), only 11% of
people ages 15-19 are current smokers. Going
back ten years from that, in 2002, this rate was
twice as high at 22%. At North Toronto, this 11%
youth smoking rate is even lower. In a school of
around 1,200 students, we can, at most, only ever
see 15 students smoking around the grounds at
lunch. Even assuming that twice as many students
are hidden smokers, we are left hovering close to
4%. In 2011, when this year’s grade twelves were
in grade nine, the national rate of youth smoking
was 1% higher, at 12%. With 1,200 students, that
means that only four years ago, on average, there
were a dozen or so more smokers at NT.
What the government statistics, as well as our own
personal observations, tells us is that smoking has
all but disappeared among the upper middle class
of Toronto. Especially North Toronto. Gone are
the days when the sidewalks are lined with students puffing on a cigarette before, after, or even
between classes. Now are the days when a small
group of students huddles in a corner near the north
end of the school to feed their addiction. Gone are
the romantic days when the teenage smoker is a
rebel in a leather jacket. Now are the days when
smokers anxiously scrub their hands with hot soap
and water before going to class, because, as one
of them told me, “I gotta get that scent off, man!”
What does it mean to be a teenage smoker today? I
decided to find out. So, in the name of journalism,
I lit one up and headed to the Deem Corner.
Before we continue, let’s cover some colloquial
language.
Dart – a cigarette.
To hack darts – to smoke cigarettes.
Deem – cigarettes and anything related to cigarettes.
Deem Corner – a nickname for the north end of
the school, on Broadway Avenue, which is a popular smoking spot.
“I smoke between eight and twelve cigarettes a
day. Before school, between classes if I can catch
a minute. Two at lunch, maybe again in the afternoon between classes. One cigarette after school.
Then when I get home, between four and five,”
grade twelve student Devin Shaw tells me. Devin
is a regular in the Deem Corner, and is very open
about his smoking habits – the only student who
would go on-the-record with me. Another student
disagrees: “I’m the definition of a social smoker.
I’m an athlete; my lungs are fantastic. I like smoking with my friends. That’s it. I’m not smoking
enough cigarettes to do myself any serious harm.”
“Yeah, well I’m full addicted, man,” says the guy
standing to my left. His comment is followed with
a small, uncomfortable laugh. I ask, what does it
mean to be addicted? A fourth voice chimes in:
“Addiction is that bedtime dart…all by myself, out
the window, so I can sleep.”
The road to smoking is paved with regrets. Not
a single student I spoke with, despite enjoying
smoking, is content with their addiction. As one
grade twelve says, “I love smoking. I love the
taste of cigarettes. I love having a cigarette in
my hand. But, if I could go back to a year ago
and not have that cigarette – I would do it. I love
smoking. But it’s a f*****g addiction.” There’s
not a doubt in another guy’s mind that “If I could
go back to my young self, I would be like, yo,
trust me little man, don’t do it. Just don’t. I’m
where you’re going to be at, and it’s good…but
don’t do it.” At the end of the day, smoking is
supposed to be enjoyable. It is a drug, a drug
with positive side effects: a great head rush, a
wave of calm, and a feeling of having the edge
removed from all of your worries. These don’t
outweigh the negatives: a ruthless degeneration
of your cardiovascular and respiratory health, the
crippling substance dependence (the withdrawal
from which itself brings nasty side-effects), and,
in our modern society, a heavy stigma against
the behavior.
As mindful as they are of their own addiction,
the smokers of Deem Corner, the “Darts Crew,”
are incredibly mindful of keeping their addiction to themselves – and they have no qualms
that this is a very real addiction. Devin tells me:
“Occasionally, after school, I’ll get a kid come
up to me and ask me to buy him a pack of Belmonts or something. And I say: no way man. I
have no problem saying no. I know what it’s like,
I know what it’s like to be addicted and I will not
feed into your addiction. And it goes both ways.
If you’re at a party and you see someone smoking crack, you’re not going to go up to that guy
and say �hey, can I have some of your crack? I
smoke crack when I’m drunk.’ You’re talking to
an addict. I will not feed into your social addiction, and I don’t want you getting between me
and my addiction.”
Within the smoker’s community, however, this
is turned on its head. “If you have some darts,
you share your darts. Spread the love,” someone
says.
In fact, one of the people I spoke with hasn’t
bought a pack of cigarettes in two months; “I’ve
been going hobo for the last little while, bumming a smoke here and there. Luckily these guys
�lowe.” Community. In the corner, in the smoke,
is a community. While morally against spreading their addiction to the uninitiated, they each
propagate it amongst themselves.
But how does smoking make you feel? I pose
this question to the Darts Crew. “Every time I
see those pictures of those almost-dead people
on the packs, I feel bad inside,” says one of them.
“It’s that teenage mentality that you’re invincible, but, thing is, we’re not invincible,” says
another. “Well, Jack, I hope you come to our
group funeral,” quips a third.
Smoking is bad! They’re all saying it, and it is
true. We should know this; anti-smoking education from government and non-governmental
organizations alike is rampant. In 2012, the Federal Government spent $28 million on the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy, which is the movement to educate Canadians on the hazards of
smoking and monitor the spread of the smoking
industry. Hundreds of millions have been spent
in the last decades. I try to talk to the Darts Crew
about the stark contrast between how much antismoking education we are on the receiving end
of, and the fact that they continue to be smokers. Only one of the people around me responds:
“The government education has gone way over
our heads. So much money, so many messages,
it’s overkill. It’s at the point where we know the
message, but the message isn’t new enough for
us to pay attention.”
But that’s not what matters here. In the words of
one of the Darts Crew, “You come to the Deem
Corner, and it’s all love, man! That’s it.” That’s
it. Lunch is almost over now, and a few people
are leaving. People are getting a bit boisterous,
and that camaraderie shared in smokers’ pits
across the world is coming out at this point.
They are a rare breed, in a society quickly tiring
of their kind. Amid quinoa crazes and fitness
fetishes, there they stand. United in the Deem
Corner, united for the few minutes it takes to
have a smoke.
Illustration by Charles Wu
Yonge and Eg Condo Boom
to Bring Changes to NT
BY OLIVIA WILLOWS &
ELIZABETH WOLFENDEN
If you are even mildly aware of what’s going
on in and around the NT area, you are probably
no stranger to the excessive construction taking
place here. We’ve all become familiar with the
feeling of dust and smoke assaulting our lungs
and eyes as it radiates from the construction sites
along Roehampton while we try to make our
way to the subway or go out for lunch with our
friends. Most people know that this construction
is going to result in three brand new condominium buildings, but many of us are unaware of the
design plans and the changes they may bring to
NT and the surrounding community.
that they don’t have enough space to house the
potential new students, as schools in the area are
already overflowing. Eglinton Public School,
for example, had to force Spectrum, an alternative middle school that shared the building with
them, to move to Davisville P.S. due to an increase in student population and a lack of space.
You may be wondering where these new students will go if there is simply not enough room
for them in our neighborhood schools. The
Lansdowne and Davenport area recently experienced a similar issue when a new condo building brought many new families into the district.
The lack of room in their neighbourhood schools
forced students to travel to nearby districts. We
may soon see this happening in the Yonge and
Eglinton area.
The condos being built in the construction site
on the south side of Roehampton will be called
“eCondos,” courtesy of Basiz. They will soon
grow to be two buildings, 64 and 38 stories high,
overlooking the city. Basiz is also responsible
for condos being built at Yonge and Yorkville,
as well as Avenue and Bloor. Another construction site, located directly in front of the field
on Roehampton, will result in “Minto30Roe.”
There will be a wide range of units available in
both of the new buildings. Most are considerably
small, but penthouses and larger suites will be
available. Regardless, the new buildings seem
family-friendly with multi-bedroom apartments,
and will likely attract families with children.
The new condos will also bring some changes to
the student population at North Toronto. Here,
at NT, we are lucky enough to have an open optional attendance program, meaning students
who live out of district can apply to attend our
school. This allows for students from across the
city to come here, creating a more diverse school
environment. NT takes pride in its high academic rankings and esteemed music program. Those
who are passionate about what NT has to offer
have the opportunity to take advantage of this.
Unfortunately, once the condos are completed,
an increase of students living in the condos will
mean that fewer students will be able to apply
for optional attendance, and the demographics of
our student population will change.
Once the buildings are completed, the influx of
new families in the NT community will likely
cause issues regarding availability in our neighbourhood schools. Primary schools may find
So, why are condos being built in neighbourhoods that already have issues with space in
their schools? The answer is simple: the TDSB
has no say in the construction of the condos.
22
Contractors apply for a permit from the city,
and it is decided whether or not they should be
allowed to build in any given area. It seems a
little foolish that something that is so greatly affected by the outcome is completely unconsidered in the decision making process. As a result,
the TDSB is forced to adjust to changes in their
school’s populations.
The new condos will not only affect the schools
in the area, but they will also change the atmosphere of the entire community. We’ve already
experienced a big change when the building
across the street was reduced to rubble and we
lost the beloved What-A-Bagel on Yonge. The
large, modern condos will completely change the
look of the area and bring in new retail and many
more people. Thirty new buildings, including the
three near NT, are expected to emerge from the
skyline of Yonge and Eglinton in the next decade
and around 23,000 people are expected to move
into the area. The Eglinton subway station is already one of Toronto’s busiest subway stations
with over 75,000 daily riders. With all these new
residents, Eglinton station will become increasingly congested. The Eglinton LRT will help reduce congestion once it is completed, but, for the
time being, it will continue to contribute to the
construction, noise, and traffic in the area.
Yonge and Eglinton is changing drastically with
the construction of new condos. The transformation of the skyline, as well as the resulting population increase, will have a large effect on the
community and the schools in the area, including NT. However, new development is just part
of living in a booming city like Toronto. Since
there is not much we can do about it, NT will
have to adjust to the situation the best that we
can.
Photos by Danielle Gareau
Top Ten: McMaster University
RACHEL KATZ
I fell in love with McMaster for many of the same reasons I fell in love with NT. Mac and NT share the same infectious spirit and welcoming nature. (Plus both
schools were locations for the Disney movie How to Build a Better Boy.) I was initially surprised at how cool Hamilton was; I’m not going to lie. From what I had
heard, it was a one-street industrial town, and maybe this was true years ago, but that has definitely changed. McMaster is located in the middle of a neighbourhood—don’t worry, the residents love Mac students—and backs onto Cootes Paradise, a massive park with a number of trails to explore. The one downside of being
so close to Toronto is that most people go home for the weekend, so while Hamilton doesn’t roll up the sidewalks on Saturday morning, the University certainly
does. This is great if you want a quiet place to study, but unless you have plans off-campus, the University feels sleepy. Overall though, I’ve had an amazing first
two months at McMaster. There are so many clubs to join and events to attend that it immediately felt like home to me, and when I see you here next fall, I know
you’ll feel the same way.is where you want to go.
23
Fashion Embraces Feminism
BY JANE BRADSHAW
Parading down the runway at this season’s
Toronto Fashion Week were nude women – prints
of them anyway. Up-and-coming
designer Hayley Elsaesser featured simplistic
drawings of females, complete with hair where
it naturally grows, among prints of planets and
stars in her latest collection. Entitled “Heavenly
Bodies,” her Spring/Summer 2015 line aims to
empower women and “celebrate the female body
in its more natural form.”
She isn’t the only one in fashion to salute feminism this season. In September, Chanel designer
Karl Lagerfeld transformed the finale of his runway into a staged women’s march, led by supermodels like Cara Delevingne and Gisele Bundchen yelling into megaphones. Models held up
placards with “Make Fashion Not War,” “History
is Her Story” and “Ladies First” written across
them. Some may look at this as another one of
Lagerfeld’s publicity stunts; however, it has
prompted the conversation on how feminism and
fashion can overlap and coexist.
Fashion is not meant to be addressing women’s
issues; it is a cutthroat industry focused on making a profit. Lagerfeld, for one, has been
rumored to comment on women’s bodies over
the years, once describing singer Adele as “a little too fat.” So, how can he think to combine his
catwalk with picketing for women’s rights? It’s
simple. Fashion has historically been a pivotal
marker in many of the feminist movements. It
has been breaking the cultural norm and pushing
boundaries for centuries.
Girls wear pants. In the 80s, girls wore shoulder pads. As far back as the 20s, they escaped
the traditional corseted dress and wore bobs and
“masculine” shaped dresses, creating the flapper
look. Girls wear power suits, and can
Social Advice from the
Social Convener
BY DAKOTA VAN HALTEREN
Dear Social Convener,
My girlfriend just broke up with me after a sixmonth relationship. What should I do with all of
the photos posted of us together on social media?
- Painfully Posted
trade in high heels for Nike Frees, shimmy out
of their skinny jeans and grab the “boyfriend”
style, or come to school wearing their older
brother’s well-worn sweaters and still look
“cool” or “on trend.” Unknowingly, fashion has
been transforming the female persona and promoting feminism for many, many years. We just
haven’t acknowledged it.
Star. “If clothes and makeup are identified with
traditional Western femininity and then we say
adopting them is unfeminist, then we’re only
demonizing the feminine. We’re just perpetuating misogyny.”
Fashion is often criticized for being hyper-sexualized, or made for the male gaze. However,
this season, designers want young women to
know that women are not objects, and that they
should use clothes to empower themselves. That
is why Hayley Eslaesser made her collection
of smiles, a portrayal of wearable and livable
pop art to bring out the fun side of fashion lost
amidst the sea of black and leather styled outfits
seen in the past few seasons.
“The woman who wears my clothing uses fashion as a tool to project who she is,” Elsaesser said
after her show. Her goal was to combine femininity while celebrating the female body and the
magic of being a woman, mirroring that with
intergalactic elements. She wants girls to dress
Hayley Elsaesser after her show at WMCFW for themselves and not others.
Feminism is the new F word; a societal taboo
that has been regularly incorporated into our
vocabulary. In recent months, celebrities have
publicly identified as feminists, and are bringing a new light to the subject. Victoria Beckham
spoke at the UN. Emma Watson is their new
ambassador. Taylor Swift has finally identified
herself as a feminist after having Lena Dunham
explain the term for her. BeyoncГ© lit up the MTV
VMA stage with the word shining behind her on
stage after she performed a medley of her newest album. They are just a few of many who have
attempted to redefine the word and demolish the
existing stereotype of man-hating, buff females.
“Loving clothing and makeup does not make
someone a bad feminist,” Bitch Magazine blogger, Sharday Mosurinjohn, told the Toronto
The Spring/Summer trends for 2015 are much
more than the cuts, patterns and colours. For
females, it is about using clothes to empower
themselves rather than impressing others. Chanel brought back the pantsuit, long jackets, wideleg tweedy and pinstripe pants. The 1970s dominated runways including Pink Tartan, whose hit
piece was the jumpsuit, not a dress. This trend
also was featured on the runways of international
designers like Derek Lam, Karen Walker, Diane
von Furstenberg, Phillip Lim, Coach and Tommy
Hilfiger. The white working shirt is back, and
more boyish than ever. Boxy white shirts were
shown at Suno, Peter Som, Hugo Boss, Michael
Kors and Marc by Marc Jacobs. Ladies (and the
NT fellas too), if Karl Lagerfeld can jump on the
feminism bandwagon, then so can you.
#FeministeMaisFeminine
Dear Painfully Posted,
message at all?
First of all, let me suggest to you and all our
readers, that you might want to consider “saving
yourself for marriage” in the social media arena.
What I mean by this is holding out on posting
couple pictures until you know the relationship
will be significant. Actually…why even post
couple pics in the first place? Who really wants
to see that? We don’t need to see a picture of you
and your bæ. Instead, post group shots or shots
of special events or shots of you taking shots
(don’t actually do the 3rd one). Social media is
an online representation of you and your life, but
try and keep the “aren’t we so us” pics to yourselves.
Without knowing your personal details, I will
give some general advice. When a breakup occurs there can be some strong feelings. It is best
to take a step back and reflect, so you do not
make any rash decisions. A review of your social
media may even help you in sorting things out.
Remember, you can always delete tomorrow. To
start, you can go through slowly by deleting just
the photos and comments that seem ridiculous
and too personal. For instance, change your Instagram bio from: “I love Mary to the *moon
emoji* and back, and remove comments like
“I just love running my fingers through Mary’s
hair.”
But, this doesn’t really help you, as the world
has already been scarred by your PDAs. So, now
what should you do? Well, you’re going to have
to ask yourself some questions. Are you going
to stay friends? Will you get back together? Are
the pictures an ego boost for you - did you get
a lot of likes? Can you do better or is she a 10?
And finally, will deleting send the right message,
the wrong message, or no
Who you are is based on your relationships and
your experiences. There is no delete button for
your brain. Relationships good and bad will help
to make you a better person, so celebrate that.
Be slow to delete and really slow to post in the
first place.
If you have a question for Dakota forward it
to Jane and Jack.
24
Eating Around NT
BY EVAN CHAING
One of my favourite parts about North Toronto is all of the amazing food options that we have around the school. There is Messini, Chipotle, Ho Su,
the food court, Ritz, Fit for Life, and many more. The best part is that they’re all within walking distance. But, with all of these amazing options, it’s
sometimes hard to decide what I want to eat, especially on the budget of a student. This is why I decided to come up with the top 5 cheapest, best
meals in the NTCI area.
1. Messini
Just at the end of Roehampton, sitting on Yonge, and tucked in between the famous Jusil convenience store and the Sunset Grill, is a fantastic Greek restaurant. This is one of the two Messinis in
Toronto; the original is located at 445 Danforth, and is more of an actual sit down restaurant as opposed to the Messini by NT. But, the one by us still makes some bomb Greek food. For $5.50 you
can get a fantastic chicken or pork gyros, with tomatoes and onions inside a pita drizzled in tzatziki
sauce.
2. Ritz
If you have never been to Ritz, you are missing out. On the north side of Eglinton, just west of Yonge,
is one of my favourite spots in the neighbourhood. You can get your choice of barbeque, jerk, or fried
chicken on rice and beans with a salad for only $4.99 plus tax. It is a very satisfying meal and is seriously
addictive. For those of you who enjoy food on the spicy side, this is definitely the place for you.
3. Fit for Life
This is possibly the most unknown restaurant in the entire city, likely because it’s in the back of a
convenience store. On Eglinton, across the street from Harvey’s and Spring Rolls, is an outstanding restaurant. Each day they have $5 specials that include, burritos, shawarma, falafel, and wraps.
The person who turned me on to Fit for Life is Robert Gott, our big and tall NTAA male president.
At first, when Robert told me of this place, I didn’t really believe him, but he was right. They make
some mean shrimp and noodles. Another feature is its salad bar, which has a large variety of vegetables and assorted toppings.
4. Ho Su
Known by many people, but never tried, is a Japanese/Korean restaurant called Ho Su, which is right
across the street from the Shoppers on Yonge. Over the last year they have raised the prices, but certain
dishes, like chicken teriyaki on rice, are still only $6.00 plus tax. You get a large slice of boneless chicken
breast, served on a bed of rice, with carrots. It’s well-spent, because the quality of food is far better than
your average restaurant. Everything is made fresh, and in-house — you can see them prepare your food.
They have also won awards. Unfortunately, you can only get this deal with the takeout menu.
5. Hot Dog Cart
There are three hot dog carts in our neighbourhood, but my favourite by far is the one outside
Chipotle. Only $2.50 for a jumbo beef hot dog. It is not only a nice meal, but also cheap and very
fast. You can also top off the dogs with onions, hot peppers, pickles, sauerkraut, bacon bits, relish,
as well as a plethora of different sauces. You can also get Polish, German, and Italian sausages for
only $3.50, all of which are very tasty. They also provide a wide assortment of drinks, which cost a
dollar. The hotdogs are served in a recyclable Styrofoam container, which makes them easy to eat. I
often finish the hot dogs I get on the walk back to school.
It’s often so hard to choose which place to go to, but these five are my go to restaurants for three reasons: affordability, reliability, and taste.
Top Ten: University of Western Ontario
NEAL MCAULEY
Western is an academic paradise where everyone commits one hundred percent of their time and energy to work and new thought. Contrary to popular belief, no
one would even dare touch an alcoholic beverage as it would hinder their ability to participate in the dialogue of their field of study. The mantra that everyone lives
by is “work hard,” although that’s not to say that we can’t have a good time! Typical Friday night activities include themed poetry readings and hard fought games
of cribbage, followed by heading back to our dormitories due to our eight o’clock lights-out policy. Girls’ dorms and boys’ dorms are separated by the “gender
meridian line,” so all “funny business” is out of the question. In short, Western is the place to be.
...........
Are your parent’s gone? Good. People turn up hard here. I’ve learned more drinking games than I can count on both hands. In all seriousness, my short time
at Western has been nothing short of awesome. The atmosphere and social environment that inhabits this school is one of the most welcoming I have ever seen.
People come from all over the world to become passionate about things that matter while finding out who they really are, and everyone wants to take that journey
with you. University is where you really find your people, and no where have I felt more accepted than I do here. There are opportunities everywhere you go here,
and there has never been a moment where I regret my decision. See you at the party next year NT.
Rookie Turned Expert
The difference between the website and the book
is that the book is like a beautiful scrapbook, full
BY GEORGIA
of illustrations and exclusives, making the book
MAHONEY-WEBSTER
totally worth buying. It is a 350 page curation of
the best articles from the past year of the webFor the past 3 years, October has been some- site, and has beautiful photos that, let’s be honthing special, but not because of Thanksgiving, est, look so much better on paper.
or my birthday, or Nuit Blanche. It is because the
one and only “Rookie Yearbook” arrives at my Containing interviews with Mindy Kaling,
local bookstore, which means I get to curl up in Lorde & HAIM (and many more!), Tavi has
my room and read through the marvelous 350 done a good job getting the answers to questions
page book and bask in all its glory.
we all want to know from these exquisite female
For those who don’t know, the Rookie Yearbooks (one, two, and three) are the best articles,
interviews, and photo shoots from the website
rookiemag.com. Every month the website takes
on a new theme. The themes vary from escape
to consumption. Every article posted (3 per day)
loosely follows the theme of the month. The
articles also vary from “how to handle rejection
from your dream school” to controversial articles about human rights, but all are seen through
the point of view of people aged 17+, and geared
towards teenage girls. The focus is to make girls
feel empowered and comfortable in their own
skin without making them feel like they have to
be a man hater or have their opinions about virtually any subject looked down upon.
role models.
The editor Tavi Gevinson is an 18 year-old from
a Chicago suburb that started a fashion blog,
The Style Rookie, at age 13. She became well
known in the fashion industry by age 15, when
she had the opportunity to sit front row at many
New York & Paris Fashion Week shows. Also,
she was named one of the “The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014” by Time Magazine and was
featured on the Forbes “30 under 30 in Media”
list in 2012. If that’s not enough, she also ran
rookiemag.com while being a high school student. She deferred from NYU for a year, and
during her gap year was in the Broadway play
This is Our Youth, alongside Michael Cera and
Kieran Culkin.
The website is easy to use and has all the archives, so it’s nice to go on every once and a
while, but the book is the best thing to happen
to the editor in chief, Tavi Gevinson’s, blogging
history.
She is an absolute powerhouse and visionary,
and throughout her beautiful and interesting life,
has stayed grounded. I had the opportunity to
meet her at the “Rookie: Yearbook Two” launch
on Halloweekend in 2013.
Osheaga: A Weekend Filled
with Magic
gripped me and I began to float towards it. The
whole island was alive, with the six stages pumping beats into the air creating an atmosphere
filled with energy and magic. The days were
long, but it was to be expected - if you weren’t
dead-tired after the three days, you obviously
did something wrong. At times it felt as though
my skin was melting and my hair would catch
on fire due to the scorching sun and excruciating
heat, but somehow I still found myself dancing
to the music and trekking from stage to stage.
BY EMMI OJANSIVU
For a long time, going to Osheaga, a three day
music festival in Montreal, was something I
could only dream of. But this year, when I saw
the lineup with acts ranging from Outkast to
Flume, I knew I had to go. I bought my ticket,
and along with two of my friends, had the best
weekend of my entire life. I sometimes even
catch myself doubting it actually happened.
Once I entered the grounds of the Parc JeanDrapeau Island from an overly packed subway,
which already felt like a mosh, the music
Aside from being driven by the beat of the music,
food helped fuel my being. Everyone knows that
at festivals you pretty much eat whatever is the
major fad in food at the moment. At Osheaga,
the variety of foods you could choose from was
impeccable. The selection ranged from Belgian
waffles that were to die for, to vegetarian noodle
dishes, to burgers and poutine. Regardless of the
overwhelmingly amazing cuisine and the sponsor arranged art shows, music was still the main
attraction.
Outkast was a headliner for the festival, and
was one for many festivals around the world this
summer, as they were making one last comeback. Their performance was hyped up, and the
first day was all about waiting for Outkast. However, if you went in with this mentality you did
not experience the festival to its fullest potential.
I spent my first day getting to know the stages as
well as discovering a hidden stream, which became THE meeting spot. As well, I spent the day
dancing to Ryan Hemsworth, Shlohmo, Awolnation, the Sam Roberts Band, Childish Gambino,
Foster the People, the Beats of Flume, and Skrillex. Eventually, when the time came, I joined
everyone else at the main
25
At the Halloween themed launch, she and her
friend showed up suited up as Wayne and Garth
from Wayne’s World. She spent the night talking
to every single person who came, thanking them
for the support and exclaiming her love for all
her supporters, while eating cake and dancing to
Miley Cyrus. She made me happy to have been
a supporter (for the past 5 years) of someone who
truly deserves it.
The book is definitely worth checking out. Opinions of many different types of people are voiced
and addressed, and there are a handful of articles that appeal to every type of person I know.
If you don’t want to spend $35 on the book right
away, take a gander at the site. You’ll definitely
find a few articles that you will love, which will
hopefully teach you a thing or two about life as
an American youngster in the 21st century.
stage for Outkast. I was surrounded by 40,000
people all singing “I’m sorry Ms. Jackson”. It
felt like time had frozen.
I began the second day by relaxing to Serena Ryder under the trees, shying away from the midday
sun, and preparing to embrace the scorching heat
during the Local Natives. Up next was a trek for
food, lots of it, and rocking out to Phantogram.
And, soon after that, there was a run across the
island for the power trio Haim. They rocked it,
by the way. That much talent and beauty in one
family alone should not be allowed. The rest
of the day went by far too fast with Nick Cave
& the Bad Seeds, Jack White and SBTRKT. It
was a magical evening; the dark sky filled with
fireworks from another island. I couldn’t have
dreamed of a more magical ending for a night.
Unfortunately, there had to be a final day. The
heat was as persistent as ever, but so was the spirit
of the last addition to the final 135,000 Osheaga
goers. Bombay Bicycle Club and The The Kooks
were incredible, CVRCHES and Kodaline were
breathtaking, Half Moon Run, The Replacements and Lorde were amazing, and finally, the
Arctic Monkeys were out of this world. I am sad
that I missed Lykke Li who was playing at the
same time as the Arctic Monkeys, but I couldn’t
afford to miss them. Their performance was just
as breathtaking as it was last June at the Molson
Amphitheatre. Overall, the final day was extraordinary, and being housed in the front rows of
the stages made it even more memorable.
Osheaga was incredible, and after this one time
I have to say I’m addicted. It’s Osheaga’s 10th
anniversary next year and I can barely wait; it’s
going to be insane!
My Day With Ted
BY CASSIDY BERESKIN
I skipped school.
I totally blew off all of my day one classes to be
with TED. He was dreamy, tall, good looking,
and successful. As an added bonus, he was intelligent, inspirational, complex, articulate, and,
wow, could he talk. That’s what I call hot.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Relentless Pursuits,” so speakers were selected
predominantly based on their means of drive
and incentive. (Relentless pursuits are the manifestation of our grander ideas and aspirations. In
essence, they are the vehicles to our meaningful
and uncompromising experiences.)
TED, the “ideas worth spreading” organization
cultivated thirty years ago, is a foundation built
on inspiration, bringing worldwide innovation
to fruition. From topics in business and the sciences ranging from “How to Not Screw Yourself Over” to “The Puzzle of Motivation,” TED
events present diverse and engaging speakers
who deliver thought-provoking, concise presentations on their stories and perspectives. TED
unselfishly engrosses viewers, providing them
with a deeper understanding of our world.
Now, like I was saying, I blew off school. On
Thursday October 2nd, 2014 I skipped school
to attend the TEDxToronto conference. I was
there as a delegate, and had to qualify by applying online, justifying my credentials and why I
should be selected to participate. It was an intense process. They wanted to know a lot about
me. Truthfully, I felt like I was creating a profile
on match.com.
I Saw Arcade Fire and You
Should Be Jealous
BY OLIVIA WILLOWS
August 12th seemed just like any other day while
I was on vacation with my dad in Calgary. I woke
up way too early due to jetlag, sat through my
dad’s 90-minute work presentation, and ate way
too much food to compensate for my boredom.
But, something was different about August 12th
– I was going to see Arcade Fire at the Saddledome. That’s right, Arcade freaking Fire!
Arcade Fire is an indie-rock band that formed
in Montreal in 2001. They quickly rose to fame
in 2004 after the release their debut album, Funeral. Since then, they have released 3 more albums: Neon Bible, The Suburbs, and most recently, Reflektor. The six-member band has been
on a worldwide tour promoting Reflektor since
early this year. The show, which includes a fake
paper mache band, glamorous outfits, and an incredible lights show, is nothing shy of magical.
The moment I walked through the doors of the
Saddledome that summer night, it was apparent
that this concert was going to be like no other.
And, thanks to my music-loving dad, I’ve seen
a lot of concerts. Part of this was due to the
fact that the band asked concertgoers to dress
up in costume or formal attire for the show. My
dad and I, being total bummers, did not obey.
However, many others did. There were men in
full tuxedos accompanied by dates in cocktail
dresses. Equally special, there were men dressed
in tribal patterned leggings paired with denim
vests. There were even people wearing vegetable
and fruit costumes.
The show started at 10:00 sharp with Arcade
Fire’s fake paper mache band pretending to play
the band’s classic song, “Rebellion (Lies).”
At TEDxToronto, fourteen speakers took the
stage to broadcast their stories. The speakers
included an esteemed newspaper publisher, a
fifteen-year-old activist pleading for GMO labeling in Canada, a diagnostic brain-imaging
specialist, and a public, citywide contemporary
choir. The diverse array of ideas presented by
the speakers enabled me to learn extensively
The real Arcade Fire came on a minute later,
said “who the f**k are you guys?” and started
playing my personal favourite from the new record, “Normal Person.” As soon as that song was
over, they went on to play “Rebellion (Lies)” for
real. The combination of these two songs did a
fantastic job of pumping up the crowd, and definitely got everyone on his/her feet.
The amount of energy coming off the stage was
astonishing. RГ©gine, one of the lead singers,
danced around the stage all night – spinning in
circles with her arms opened wide, letting her
body move with the music, as she twisted and
turned to the rhythm of the songs. Her male
counterpart (and husband), Win Butler, played
his guitar, and would often jump along with the
heavier rock songs.
The twenty-song set list included many of the
new songs from Reflektor, as well as classics
such as “No Cars Go” from Neon Bible and
“Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)” from Funeral.
Some of the highlights included Sprawl II, as
Regine’s voice powered throughout the entire
arena and the lights were flashing blue and pink,
turning on and off at just the right times. “Here
Comes the Night Time” was amazing as well because the bass notes sent sonic booms you could
26
about a variety of topics. In fact, I now know
how it’s possible to teach computers to see, and
why disengaging from the news is something we
cannot afford.
One of these TED studs, in particular, got me.
Colin Boyd Shafer, a Canadian documentary
photographer from Kitchener, Ontario, left an
indelible mark on me. His talk highlighted the
abundance of untold stories of everyday residents, tragic and triumphant. These untold
stories led him to create a phenomenal project
called Cosmopolis Toronto, which is a collection of photographs reflecting individuals born
in every country in the world, who now call Toronto home. Participants of Cosmopolis Toronto were photographed twice: first in front of a
place in Toronto where they feel most at home,
and then holding an item or emblem connecting
them to their birthplace. Without TED, I never
would have known about this remarkable project, and that’s how I realized the true power of
these talks. TED doesn’t just provide a space to
share ideas; it also gives the general population
the chance to see a world beyond the bubbles in
which they reside.
TED, I must say that I love you. Even though
we won’t see each other again until next October, I will still be inspired by the awareness and
consciousness you have provided me with. Your
ideas really are worth spreading.
feel in your heart. After just 16 songs, the band
closed its set with “Sprawl II.” Thankfully, they
walked back on shortly after to play an encore of
4 more songs. The show ended with the classic
song, “Wake Up,” which was dedicated to Robin
Williams in light of his passing.
Although the set list was incredible and every
member of the band is undeniably talented, that
wasn’t what made the concert so enjoyable. The
one thing that really made the night was the fact
that everyone there thoroughly enjoyed himself/
herself. During the more poppy tunes, everyone
was dancing out of his/her seats. During the
slower ballads, couples were dancing and everyone else was singing along and waving phones
in the air.
I guess you really know a concert is good when
everyone is having such a great time dancing
that seat numbers don’t matter. I can’t imagine a
single person walking out of the arena that night
saying they had a bad time at the show. I had an
amazing time and would even go as far as to say
it was the best concert I’ve ever been to. If you
are a fan of Arcade Fire and have never been to
a show, I highly recommend you do so next time
they come to Toronto. And, if you are not familiar with their music, look them up on YouTube. I
promise you won’t regret it.
27
Playing to Win
BY JESSICA CARRADINE
Marks, extracurriculars, and volunteer hours...
the pressure to succeed in many different aspects throughout high school can be enough
to drive anyone crazy. But, for some students,
training, competing, and winning in a particular
sport in order to be scouted by a university that
offers athletic scholarships is another stressful
area that requires a lot of commitment and dedication. However, if and when you do earn that
scholarship, all of the hard work, long hours, and
early mornings pay off. Not only can your tuition fee be reduced, but you are also guaranteed
a spot at a university that you are scouted by.
In order to learn more about the experience of
working to earn scholarships and the impact of
going to school for athletics, I talked to North
Toronto students and alumni who went through
or are currently going through the process.
According to Chloe Hall, an NT grad who is
now playing basketball at Loyola Marymount
University in Los Angeles, the commitment
is huge, but it teaches you valuable life skills.
When asked about the challenges that come with
playing on a varsity-level team at university, she
said, “it is very time consuming and cuts into my
workload, but you learn to adapt. I am working
out usually three to four hours every morning
and then I am expected to perform in the classroom so there is a lot of pressure, but you learn
how to perfect time management.”
She also said, “Being an athlete not only impacts
you [physically] on the court but it has changed
my work ethic off the court too. Being at such a
high level has given me more focus, the ability
to take on leadership roles, and an overall drive
to compete in the classroom.” Although university athletes may not have as much time for
Dadholes
BY SPENCER BROWN
an overall drive to compete in the classroom.”
Although university athletes may not have as
much time for sleep, homework, or their social
lives, they are learning life lessons while staying
in shape and playing a sport that they love.
Maintaining balance is challenging while on a
team at a college or university, but you can take
solace in the fact that you have a secure position
at your school. Competing against hundreds of
other high school athletes across the country to
earn a scholarship is possibly even more difficult.
Tyler McDermott is a grade 12 student at North
Toronto who hopes to get scouted for swimming
and is considering offers from different schools.
He mentions that he has “had to train nine times
a week for the past four years” which has caused
him to “miss out on a lot of things [he] would’ve
liked to do.” He trains this hard in order to “post
fast enough times for coaches to gain interest
in [him]. If [he isn’t] fast enough then coaches
will have no incentive to contact [him] over any
other swimmer.” Sound stressful yet? That’s not
all. Tyler says that he has “noticed that it’s like
a big game with many of the American schools.
There are rules and regulations you have to follow in the recruitment process that make things
more difficult.” Playing to win is the competitive
mindset you need in order to be considered for
an athletic scholarship.
A typical Dadhole is boisterous, opinionated,
and ready to disagree with anything the referee
says.
To conduct my field research on Dadholes, I
spoke to some of my friends who work at the Toronto Flag Football League. What they told me
was downright hilarious.
Sport: the spirit of competition that surrounds us
in our day to day lives. From hockey to soccer
to cricket, in the media and in community rinks
and fields, sports are a part of our culture. This
is why, as kids, many of us choose to participate
in one or many sports, all of which teach us valuable lessons we can use later in life. This culture
of sport breeds drive, determination, and the will
to never give up. The world of sport for kids and
teens is a well-oiled machine, but, sometimes,
the technician gets knocked out by one particular
breed: the screaming and crazy parent, or as I
prefer to call them, “Dadholes.”
They only referee ten year-old kids, but the
things yelled at them are nonetheless ridiculous.
Screaming insults ranging anywhere from how
terrible the referees are at their job to how they
placed the ball in the wrong spot, Dadholes make
the sporting environment hostile for everyone.
An experience which personally allowed me the
great annoyance of seeing Dadholes live in action was at a North Toronto football game while I
was doing sticks (marking the distance from the
point of the ball to where a first down will be obtained). Some parents were yelling for an extra
half yard and screaming things like “4 downs,
you idiot ref!” These incredibly knowledgeable
Dadholes were seemingly oblivious to the fact
that in Canadian football there are in fact only
three downs. These same Dadholes
From a scout’s point of view, talent and coachability are the two most important traits of a
potential athlete. Everyone knows that you have
to be great at your sport if you want to earn a
scholarship, but what may be unknown to most
is that your potential to be great is just as important. According to Barbara Candlish, who
has helped scout for universities and elite Ontario Basketball leagues, the ideal player is a fast
learner, is in extremely good shape, and, most
importantly, can be “morphed and moulded” to
fill the exact position that a team needs. Athletes
who will reach their peak performance and play
their strongest during their time on a university’s
team are the kinds of athletes most coaches and
scouts are looking for.
For most people, working out for three to four
hours a morning or attending practise nine times
a week sounds like a nightmare, and being a professional athlete is only possible in a movie or in
a dream, but for some dedicated and committed
students, it could in fact be a potential career.
Scholarships are only the first step towards gold
medals and Hall-of-Fame success. You never
know who could be Canada’s next top Olympic
athlete, so make sure you pay attention to your
fellow student athletes, NT.
also sarcastically commented on my ability to
properly do my job.
I think it’s important to examine this issue outside of our local community and move past just
the close-to-home stories. Situations like the
aforementioned arise in rinks and on fields all
across Canada, but the following was especially
ludicrous. At a minor hockey league game in
Winnipeg, with players aged seven and eight,
two fathers from opposing teams got into a fist
fight. Yeah, you read that right, a fist fight. These
kids are not NHLers; they’re playing for a little
plastic trophy and some fun, not a huge contract
and an endorsement deal. Too bad they have
parents that are trying to relive their own glory
days.
Dadholes create a negative atmosphere that takes
away from the true lessons and fun in sports. I
don’t mind if someone is passionate about the
sport and is genuinely trying to support their
kids, but when it takes away the fun of the game
for an 8 year old, you’ve crossed the line.
After all this, there’s one thing I can assure you
of: Dadholes suck.
28
Fantasy Sports: Studs and Duds
BY BEN KEYMER
Stud – Tyler Seguin
Dud – Clayton Kershaw
Stud – Ahmad Bradshaw
After the Boston Bruins selected Tyler Seguin
2nd overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, they
were certain they had their franchise centre
man for the next fifteen years. However, after
just three short years in Boston, Seguin was
traded to the Dallas Stars as Bruin’s management feared that Seguin’s night life was beginning to affect his play. Since being traded, Seguin has rapidly developed into one of the best
centres in the NHL, averaging over a point a
game, and being half of what is arguably the
most exciting offensive duo in the league. Jamie Benn, captain of the Stars and the second
part of the dynamic duo has clearly helped Seguin, both on and off the ice. Tyler Seguin has
always been your girlfriend’s favourite player,
but he’s proven that he deserves to be yours
too.
The best pitcher in baseball was Clayton Kershaw.
He posted an unthinkably low ERA at just 1.77
and lost just three of his 27 starts in the 2014 regular season. Keywords: regular season. Kershaw
followed his record breaking 2014 season with a
brutal playoff performance in which he went 0-2
with a 7.82 ERA. Even Ricky Romero could do
better than that. What’s more, Kershaw’s postseason struggles weren’t just a one time thing. In his
career, he has won just 16.7% of his playoff games,
posting a combined ERA of 5.12. With players
such as Madison Bumgarner and Adam Wainwright pitching extremely well in both the regular
season and in playoffs, Kershaw is no longer the
undisputed best pitcher in the big leagues. Kershaw
isn’t clutch; he can’t get it done when everything is
on the line, and, for that, the Los Angeles Dodgers
ace is a dud.
Ahmad Bradshaw used to just be an average
NFL player. Seven professional years of mediocrity. He showed improvement in 2010, but then
retracted back to his average self, struggling with
injuries and consistency. But now, Ahmad Bradshaw is no longer just an average player. In fact,
Bradshaw has quickly become one of the most
reliable running backs in the NFL. Through nine
weeks of the 2014-15 season, he has eight touchdowns, for a combined 714 yards. What really
makes him so useful is his ability to run and receive the ball. While most 5’9” running backs
are vulnerable when catching the ball, Bradshaw
uses his experience and quick feet to be an effective receiving back, especially in the red zone.
Ahmad Bradshaw, for the first time in his career,
truly is a stud.
as the best hockey player in the world, scoring
over 100 points every season, Ovechkin only
scores around 80 points and is a defensive liability.
Finally, we need to consider Evgeni Malkin.
“Geno” has won two Art Ross trophies (as many
as Crosby) and, when healthy, scores at about the
same rate as Crosby. When the Penguins won
the Stanley Cup in 2009, Malkin was named the
best player of the playoffs, over even Crosby.
However, Malkin has had some consistency
problems and has never been able to produce
more than one 100 point season in a row.
Sidney Crosby vs. Who?
BY STAVROS GREER
After the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Alexander
Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, two of the most
hyped prospects since Gretzky and Lemieux,
were both playing their rookie seasons. Ovechkin, the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL
draft, and Sidney Crosby, the first overall pick
in the 2005 NHL draft, were on a warpath to
see who would become the best hockey player
in the world. Both instantly started to win major
awards and put up incredible numbers. Wayne
Gretzky said that Crosby was the one who might
break his scoring records, while Ovechkin was
the most amazing player he had ever seen. For
the first five years of their NHL careers, Ovechkin and Crosby were neck and neck on the scoring table.
On January 1, 2011, when Crosby’s Pittsburgh
Penguins and Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals
were playing in the Winter Classic, Crosby
sustained a major concussion causing him to
miss almost a whole season and a half. Ironically, while Crosby was injured, Ovechkin’s scoring numbers fell and he has since struggled to
match his aforementioned production. Ovechkin
still has the goal-scoring touch, but he struggles
mightily in the defensive zone and has difficulty
setting up his teammates with scoring opportunities. These days, while Crosby is widely viewed
The question now: who is Crosby’s main rival
for the title of best player in the world? Several
possibilities come to mind, but three players lead
the way: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven
Stamkos, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan
Toews, and Crosby’s teammate, Evgeni Malkin. In the end, Crosby remains the best player in the
world because of his excellent point production
Steven Stamkos, when healthy, can score goals and ability to dominate the play whenever he is
like no one else in the league, having scored 60 on the ice. That said, the only player in the NHL
in one season already once in his young career. right now that can challenge Sidney Crosby is
At the beginning of the 2013-14 season, Stamkos Steven Stamkos thanks to his lethally powerful
demonstrated that he could score points at the and accurate shot.
same rate as Crosby, until he broke his leg causing him to miss much of the season. If Stamkos stays healthy, he may be able to challenge
Crosby for the Art Ross trophy and move into
the running for best player in the world.
Let’s not forget Jonathan Toews. “Captain Serious” doesn’t score as many points as Crosby, but
he is a defensive zone expert, an excellent leader,
and has led the Blackhawks to two Stanley Cups
in the last four years. Many would argue that
Toews is NHL’s best all-around player, but it is
imperative that his scoring numbers improve in
order for him to be the best player in the league.
29
Photo by Jojo Yin
Brotherhood
BY MATTHEW STRAPP
At the beginning of the school year, most students are focused on their social relationships
and academics: either looking forward to or
dreading the amount of work that they know is
about to come their way.
While Justin Shin, a student entering his fourth
and final year of high school, wasn’t putting his
academics aside, it certainly wasn’t his main
focus. Instead, like a handful of other senior
boys, Justin was looking forward to the upcoming school year because it meant that, soon, he
would be playing football.
When the bell rang at 11:40am on a day two and
Justin began to walk down the staircase leading
to the gym for the football meeting, he couldn’t
help but notice that a lot of guys who had played
on the team over the past few years were coming
up the other way.
university? Is it because they had outside jobs
that were taking priority over football? Is it because of the number of practices and the weather
conditions that they’d have to suffer through?
According to Leo Katz, starting wide receiver
who’s playing for the first time in his four years
at North Toronto, “It’s like a brotherhood; you’re
with the same guys every day after school for
two hours straight, and then you go and battle
“I wasn’t going to play because of the import- with them in games every week.” He adds, “I
ance of this final year,” said team captain and couldn’t go through all four years of high school
starting defensive end, Mark Stephens. “I had to loving football and not playing for the team.”
weigh my options because I really didn’t know
what it was like to be a student athlete.”
Team captain Stephens reconsidered his stance
because he knew that he had to play with his
“I didn’t want to sign up because I was fazed by friends. “I ultimately decided to play because I
the time commitment and worried that I might knew that I couldn’t watch any minute with my
not be able fit my studies in,” said Kirk Baylis, brothers out there without me. I couldn’t let it
starting defensive end.
go.”
However, both Stephens and Baylis, as well as
many other seniors, later reversed their beliefs
that they couldn’t get good grades while playing
for the team. They ultimately decided to put on
their cleats and get out onto the gridiron.
The Norseman also realized that they could balance football with their academics:
“I learned how to manage school and sports,”
said Stephens.
The same grade 12’s who originally had no “I always thought of football as too big of a
wishes of playing on the team are now starters commitment, but then I realized that because I
“Are you coming for the football meeting?” Jusand making contributions across the board.
don’t start doing homework until after 5:30pm
tin asked them.
and practice normally ends around that time, it
Why the sudden change? What made them wouldn’t affect my schedule too much,” Katz
To his dismay, almost all of them replied that
change their minds about not playing?
said.
they were not.
There was a disappointing turnout and an evident number of absentees at the meeting.
Only twenty people signed up for the team; a
steep drop from the 35 or more who were on the
team the previous year. Mr. Hood declared that
he would need a substantial increase in the number of players or it would be impossible to field
a team.
It’s important to take into account that the seniors who came into the school year looking forward to playing football had gone out and spent
money on cleats, gloves, and other accessories
- some spending upwards of $100. If there was
no football season, then they would have wasted
their money, so it really was in their best interests to try to recruit as many players as possible.
Led by running back Mitch Malinsky, the playThis meant that for a very short period of time,
ers were frenzied in recruiting enough players to
the North Toronto Norseman Football Team of
field a team. They created Facebook pages and
2014 didn’t even exist.
confronted fellow students in the halls, trying to
sell them on the idea that they’d be a part of the
Why did so few people sign up? Is it because
Norseman “brotherhood.”
homework was taking precedence since everyone is trying to get into their first choice of
And, sure enough, it worked.
With a revamped offense, featuring an open
quarterback competition between Dylan Levy
and Jake Peltier, and a star-studded defense that
only allowed one touchdown through the first
four games of the season, the Norseman were
looking set to compete for a Division 2 championship.
Unfortunately, the Norseman took a team exhausted by injury to Bendale-Churchill and lost
a heartbreaking double-overtime playoff game
that marked an end to their season. With a number of players banged up and sidelined, the team
just didn’t have enough in the tank to overcome
their losses.
The Boys of Fall
BY BEN KEYMER
At around 11am last Thursday, November 13th,
the North Toronto Junior Norsemen kicked off
the biggest game of their lives. It was the City
Championships, and it was against their arch
rival, the Northern Red Knights. Snow was falling for the late fall affair at Esther Shiner Stadium which was packed with boisterous Northern students who had paid $5 to skip school for
the day to watch the marquee matchup. The
game was played on a neutral field, but before
the game had even started, Northern had the
clear upper hand.
The Red Knights got off to a furious start, scoring back-to-back touchdowns to go up 14-0 early
in the 1st quarter, but the Norseman came right
back and grabbed a touchdown of their own.
The Norsemen then fooled the Northern players
with a successful onside kick, and scored once
again. They missed conversions on both touchdowns, making the score 14-12 late in the first.
From then on, it was tough sledding for NT. The
Red Knights used their size to their advantage
on offense and on defence, constantly breaking tackles and pressuring the quarterback.
Northern continued to put points on the board
throughout the game, while they stifled North
Toronto’s offense.
Although the game was not in question for
much of the fourth quarter, the Norsemen
showed why they deserved to be in the city
finals with a few incredibly gutsy and impressive plays called by Coaches Gardner, Hopkins, and Russell.
The first of those gutsy plays was a fake punt
that was executed to perfection. Starting
quarterback Jonas Hatcher faked the punt, before throwing a perfectly placed pass to Matthew Ing who was rocked as he caught the ball,
but managed to hold on for the completion. The
second play was called “The Lonesome Norseman” according to Coach Russell, a play that
Senior Norsemen defensive captain Mark Stephens described as “a North Toronto legend.”
The whole team lined up on the left side of
the field excluding the centre, one receiver and
the quarterback. The ball was snapped and the
Northern defence assumed the ball was going
to the left, but with their focus on the muddle of
players near the sideline, receiver Liam Woods
was able to break free and make a tremendous
catch in the middle of the field.
In the end, the North Toronto Norsemen lost
41-12 to the Northern Red Knights, a score line
that doesn’t accurately reflect the intensity and
quality of the game played by both sides.
Coach Russell was disappointed that the boys
lost, but also looked at the positives after the
game. “The kids played hard,” he said, “they
left everything they had out there.” He was
also quick to praise starting quarterback Jonas
Hatcher: “I think he’s got the ability to take it to
the next level, play university football,” he continued, “he’s the best quarterback we’ve had
here since the 80’s.” Coach Russell also talked
about Hatcher’s maturity as a quarterback. “He
was calling audibles at the line of scrimmage;
I don’t normally get to that in junior football.”
The future is bright for the Norsemen with
Jonas Hatcher under centre. He will be competing with Dylan Levy for the starting job on
the senior team next year. Along with Hatcher,
many other junior team graduates will look to
help the senior team compete for a Division
Two title.
However, for now, the junior players will take
a few days to let the tough loss sink in. As difficult as it may be for them to see now, they had
a hell of a season, they are a hell of a team, and
they made North Toronto proud.
Photos by Harrison Cook
31
Adventures in Food Service
BY EMA IBRAKOVIC
decided the best course of action was to call the
restaurant and yell at me, the cashier, about his
vegetable vendetta. After scolding me for ruining his eggplant experience (even though I didn’t
even make his sandwich... I was a cashier and
barista), he proceeded to inform me that he was
very close to Jerry, the original owner of the
establishment, and that he was going to tell Jerry
about my failure to satisfy his eggplant craving.
Jerry has been dead for several years, but good
strategy, eggplant man.
If you think people are inherently good, I suggest you get a part-time job in food service.
You’ll quickly realize how wrong you are. I’m
not going to mention the name of my employer
because I’m too young to have a lawsuit on my
hands, but my experiences dealing with customers, co-workers, and bosses have collectively
caused me to pray for humanity. If you like eating fast food, or are searching for a part time job
in the industry, I suggest you stop reading now. Foam woman provides a prime example of petty
customers. My coworker was on break, leaving
Where I worked, there were two possible shifts me to take care of the dinner rush, the cleaning,
during the day: an eight-hour morning shift, or and all of the coffee orders while she was gone.
a seven-hour night shift, and there’s nothing Usually, this is no problem, but foam woman
more effective at reminding you that you have managed to turn that around. Amidst taking
five hours left on shift like a difficult customer. tens of orders, foam woman asked me for a capThere must be some sort of undiscovered law puccino. I should add that I love coffee, and that
of the universe that states that 90% of what a handling cappuccino and latte orders is what I
customer complains about must be something would consider my area of expertise. I poured
my heart and soul into this cappuccino, only to
totally out of your control.
be told that “the foam on this cappuccino isn’t
The most common complaint is about prices. If rich enough.” Alright, that’s fine. S**t happens.
you’ve ever been enraged at how much your fries So I remade her cappuccino. Apparently this
cost, it is important to remember two things: time the bubbles in the foam were too small.
one, that the cashier almost definitely has little to That’s when my coworker came back, took the
no control over the price of your food, and two, cappuccino to the kitchen, put more cinnamon
that you can fully exercise your right to either on it, and then brought it back out. This “third”
not order something expensive or to simply go cappuccino pleased foamwoman. That is, until
somewhere else. I can guarantee that yelling at she drank half of it, and then tried to return it for
a 15 year-old minimum wage slave about paying three dollars for fries will get you nowhere.
Photo by Julia Holland
Additionally, complaining about our debit card
machine being broken will not magically nurse
it back to health. But nice try.
an Iced Cappucino, and asked if she could have
Timbits as compensation for her troubles. This
was not Tim Horton’s.
There is a special place in heaven (and my heart)
for the good customers: the ones who ask you
how your shift is going, throw out their garbage,
and occasionally drop a quarter or two into the
tip jar. People like this are the rainbows of the
food industry; they brighten your day when you
see them, but they rarely appear. As a food service employee, you deal with a lot of unnecessary crap, but people like this make it almost
worth it. If you’re the kind of person that likes to
brighten someone’s shift with a compliment or
some nice chit chat, I think I love you. You are a
shrine-worthy, model human being.
In the end, I got paid, so let bygones be bygones.
I quit a few months ago for reasons unrelated to
unpleasant customers, but I’d say the experience
was totally worth it. I learned not only how to
make tasty coffee and how to use a cash register,
but also how to deal with not-so-pleased people.
Learning how to keep my calm while being
yelled at by angry old people is a skill that is
difficult to develop, and I have my employer to
thank for that. I now have a newfound respect for
fast food employees, and always try to make my
orders as uncomplicated as possible. Although I
no longer receive a paycheck from the industry,
I’ll always have stories to tell about eggplants
and foam.
Out of all the complaining customers I have ever
encountered, two stand out: eggplant man and
foam woman. Eggplant man, as the name suggests, was complaining about his eggplant topping. This man was displeased with the ratio of
eggplant to pepper in his sandwich, and
Potty Poetry
“Here is to the Shitters,
The ones who regret getting extra beans in their burritos
The painful ones, the smooth ones, and the photo п¬Ѓnishes
The people who go to the bathroom to get to the 8th level
Of the game.
Here is to you,
And it will all be good.”
- Unknown
Brief History of Shipping
BY AJANTHA NADESALINGAM &
CAITLIN HEFFERNAN
No, it has nothing to do with shipping in its conventional form (i.e. packing things up in boxes
and sending them places). Rather, Urban Dictionary defines “shipping” as “to endorse a romantic relationship.” The actual derivative of
the word shipping is “relationship” or “friendship.” Or, another theory that I’ve come up with
is that it could also be derived from the word
“worship.” The intensity with which people will
stand behind their ships should not be underestimated.
I am not joking about this. The Harry Potter and
anime fandoms are two good examples of fans
passionately backing up their pairings, complete
with copious amounts of fanfiction and fanart. Among Potterheads, a much-debated and
drama-triggering topic is “who should Harry
have ended up with?” He has been paired with
a startling variety of characters, ranging from
Hermione to a threesome with Snape and Draco
Malfoy. I don’t know much about anime, but the
sheer volume of fanart I still manage to come
across is staggering.
If the whole “shipping” thing is a new concept to
you, you may be wondering why people become
so emotionally involved with other people’s love
lives. Shipping is comparable to cheering for a
sports team. If your favourite team wins, you
will feel happy, even proud, for them (despite
the fact that you did nothing to cause the team
to win, and the win does nothing to benefit you).
You still feel a sense of accomplishment and
pride. Even when it seems a ship is extremely
unlikely to become real, that doesn’t stop people
(*cough cough* Leafs fans).
32
Along with the term “shipping,” there is a slew
of other related words which you will probably
want to understand. A ship is the actual relationship which you are endorsing. An OTP (One
True Pair/Pairing) is your favourite ship or the
one that you ship the most. Furthermore, many
variations of OTP exist. A NOTP is a relationship that you do not want to be real. A BroTP
is when you ship a bromance (a relationship between friends). Finally, an OT3 is when you ship
more than two people in a polyamorous relationship. If a ship “goes canon,” it means that the
relationship now really exists.
It appears that shipping originated on
sites such as Tumblr. In the beginning,
shipping applied mostly to fictional
characters. However, it has now moved
beyond that and into the everyday lives
of any individual. It can involve anyone
from those two kids in your English
class who just need to fall in love already to your favourite band members.
Shipping real people rather than fictional characters can be much more satisfying, or even more of a heart wrenching
let down when they just won’t confess
their love for one another.
However, it’s important not to get all
caught up in wanting your OTP to become real. If your happiness is dependent on other people’s relationships, then
perhaps it’s time to reconsider your
priorities. Now, you may be thinking,
“don’t be ridiculous, it will never get to
that point,” but you’d be surprised how
emotionally invested you can become
once you start
shipping.
If My Backpack’s Open,
Keep Your Mouth Shut
me. If you see me walking anywhere, and my
backpack is open, don’t tell me. Yes, you probably would like to help. But please, no, don’t tell
me.
Here’s something you should never do if you’d
like to be my friend: never, ever, tell me that
my backpack is open. If I’m walking between
classes, and my bag is gaping wide, don’t tell
In all honestly, I find it so passive-aggressive
when people let me know that my backpack is
open. I feel that if I don’t zip it up, I’ll come off
as rude, or worse, completely misunderstanding
of your �help.’ And God forbid, this could cause
you to repeat, once again, that my backpack isn’t
closed, extending the contact time between you
and me. This brings me that much closer to a
hissy fit directed at you, which is bound to occur
if I hear another person tell me that my backpack
is open. Furthermore, if you tell me that my bag
is agape, I feel obliged to zip it shut. It isn’t fair
for you to put that sort of
pressure on me.
BY AJANTHA NADESALINGAM
Additionally, an open backpack isn’t a big deal.
My backpack usually consists of just a few
things: two binders, a textbook (or two), and
maybe, at the bottom of my bag, my wallet. My
binders are two very large objects which occupy
the majority of the room in there. If something
happened which ultimately resulted in them being removed from my bag, there is no way that I
wouldn’t realize. My textbooks do not generally
take up a lot of the space, but they do constitute
a large portion of the weight of my bag. If one of
my textbooks fell, or was taken out, I would a)
hear a loud noise as it hit the ground, or b) notice
the change in weight that my back is
Photo by Jane Bradshaw. Editing by Ribbit
You should probably forget everything I’ve told
you about in this article. It’s for you own good.
Forget everything and never look back. You’ll
start with a single ship but you’ll end up with
an entire fleet. It will escalate until your entire
life has been consumed by your OTPs. Don’t let
yourself fall victim to this vicious cycle.This has
been a PSA. You have been warned.
bearing. Besides, who even aspires to take a binder or textbook out of somebody else’s backpack?
What could one possibly accomplish from that?
All that would happen is that I would possibly
be prevented from completing my homework.
All that would happen is that I would possibly be
prevented from completing my homework (I’m
not complaining, though). Finally, my wallet. For
your information, my wallet is generally stored
at the bottom of my backpack. You’d have to be
very inconspicuous, as well as able to take out
my binders and textbooks, to reach it. And once
you reach it, you’d realize that it’s really the nonexistent pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The reason? I am almost eternally broke, and
this potential thief would probably gain 5 cents
from taking my wallet. The thief would also gain
3 years of student cards, which show my not-sograceful transition through puberty. I wouldn’t
be too heartbroken to part with those either, honestly.
Finally, did you ever consider that I don’t close
it for a reason? Maybe I don’t want to live in
conformity with the unwritten rules of society.
Although my backpack comes with zippers, and
the majority of the population tends to zip up
their backpacks, that doesn’t mean that I have
to. I don’t believe that a closed backpack provides any significant advantage over an open
one. Though a large portion of the world seems
to think it’s unacceptable to leave your backpack
open, maybe it’s time to question that belief.
Photo courtesy of Devin Shaw
Private Credits
BY KATHERINE QUINN
Blyth: we’ve all heard about it. The school that
takes kids across the globe to foreign countries
to get their senior level English courses. The
school that saves us from the hell we know
we will inevitably suffer through in grade 12
at NT. The school that miraculously turns a
mid-70s student into a high-90s one.
Blyth isn’t the only way to get credits outside
of traditional school hours; there is also night
school and summer school though the TDSB,
as well as various other private institutions
similar to Blyth. While many people choose
to get an English credit, you can get just about
any credit, in any subject area, through alternative methods. Why would one choose to
go to a private institution like Blyth, where
credits can cost thousands of dollars, over a
free TDSB summer or night school credit?
The answer is obvious.
No matter where you go there is the expectation that you will get a higher mark than you
would if you take the course at NT. Even if the
best teachers under the sun taught the courses, it’s highly unlikely that they would turn
every average student into exceptional ones in
a few short weeks. There are a lot of
different factors that might cause this discrepancy. Sure, students can focus on one subject
rather than eight, standards are lower, and there
are fewer opportunities to for get homework, but
sometimes, the $10,000 mummy and daddy paid
also bought you five or ten percentage points.
No one takes a six-week trip to Europe because
they want to have the most rigorously academic
education possible. They go because it’s an easy
way to get a credit and have a great time partying in foreign countries. How much actual work
can you get done while taking selfies in front of
every popular tourist destination?
The issue comes when students who buy their
marks from credit mills get accepted to programs that they wouldn’t be accepted to otherwise. If you “earn” a 95% in English during
a six-week trip to the UK, and a hardworking
student earns an 83% at North Toronto, do you
really deserve to get into a school that they aren’t
accepted to because of their lower marks? Does
earning a high mark with a questionable reputation violate academic integrity? In this way,
getting your credits from private institutions is
a form of cheating, and schools are beginning to
catch on.
During the University of Toronto visit at North
Toronto, a student asked about the university’s
take on private credits. The speaker said, to paraphrase, “You shouldn’t be doing that. There’s
33
no reason to do that if you can get the credits
from your school. We have a blacklist of
institutions that have been known for inflating
grades.” You may be able to get away with your
private credits now, but not for long. I have to
admit that my computer has managed to end up
on the Blyth website a few times this year, and
somehow I started scrolling through all the elearning courses they offer. The thought of an
extra spare, one more hour of sleep, is incredibly tempting. However, there has always been
something stopping me from following through
with signing up. Not my parents nor the threat
of being a part time student; it’s something else.
I think the real reason is that I know I would
get the mark I want but I wouldn’t be getting
the preparation I need to be successful in university. That’s my inner keener coming out, but
I know that if I struggle now, I’ll struggle less
when it really counts. It is possible to succeed in
compulsory credits at NT, but it requires a little
more coffee and a little less sleep.
I’m not saying that all those people who took
some kind of credit outside of school are all
doomed in their future, but it’s obvious that we
are going to be prepared very differently for our
first university paper. Even if you’re attending
your first-choice school, and I’m at my back-up.
Top Ten: University of Toronto
LAUREN D’ANGELO
If you go to U of T, you pretty much go to Hogwarts. Seriously though. The Victoria College dining hall is actually modeled after Alnwick Castle, a.k.a. Hogwarts,
from the architecture to the massive chandeliers, from the long wooden tables right down to the never-ending food. And damn, those Burwash cookies are good.
Cookies aside though, U of T is pretty awesome. The buildings are stunning, the green space is plentiful, and you’re never far away from a good ramen place. If
you’re a commuter, the community is unbeatable, with entire facilities just for you (and free pancake breakfasts every Tuesday!). Though you’ll have that one class
with fifteen hundred people in it, you’ll also have at least one class with only fifty other kids in it, and no, the profs don’t all hate you, in fact they quite like their students.
If you’re worried about being close to home, fret not. You may think you know Toronto, but when you go to U of T, you’ll inevitably discover parts of Toronto you
didn’t even know existed. Until you’ve lived within walking distance of Queen Street, a million museums, and endless ramen, you just haven’t experienced Toronto.
Disregard Western and Queens’s propaganda about U of T parties, by the way. Who needs shot glasses when you have frosh mugs?
U of T may be the number one university in Canada, but in reality it’s so much more than that: it’s the group of students who actually want to learn, the faculty who
really do care about you, your health, and your interests, and the culture of the Toronto you only wish you knew. In fact, the ramen alone will prove to you that this
is where you want to go.
Written by: Jane Bradshaw & Jessica Carradine
Art by: Laura Newcombe
Aries: March 21-A April 19
Libra: September 23- October 22
Mars moved into Capricorn this month, and so
your professional career (or lack thereof) will be
soaring to new heights. Yep, that’s right; you’re
in for some serious cash flow. Just don’t drop it all
on holiday gifts for your family, and buy yourself
something nice. Like the new Alexander Wang
X H&M collection. You can be fashionable and
money smart. YOU GO GLEN COCO.
This month, a new moon will arrive in
Sagittarius 0 degrees. Know what that
means? Me neither. But something tells
me you may find yourself taking an important trip. Wherever you are headed,
your energy will be magnetic at this
time of year and people will be fighting
to come along with you. WORK IT.
Taurus: April 20-May 20
Scorpio: October 23 – November 22
Yo, Scorpio. The unreal amount of drama
in your life is getting over the top. We
all love some rumours and gossip – just
as long as it’s not about us. Here’s how
to handle it. Lie to the next person you
see in the hall and passive aggressively
subtweet that B*tch who wore the same
costume as you on Halloween. There can
only be one black cat.
There was a solar new moon eclipse in your house
of marriage lately, making you a HOT TICKET.
That cutie you spotted across the dance floor at
semi? Go for it, ride this wave of confidence.
Make sure you ask the important questions: big
spoon, or little spoon?
Gemini: May 21-June 20
Sagittarius: November 22- December 21
In early December, Mars is moving into Aquarius, so a tide of expenses are coming your way.
AKA you’re going to be broke this holiday season. Maybe make your loved ones some homemade gifts, wrapped with the million of exam review sheets you’re going to have. It’s the thought
that count...right?
This season is looking promising. Like
Beyonce, everyone is waiting for your
next move. Will it be a new 4-disc album?
A collaboration with Jay-Z? A BOMBass collection for Topshop? The possibilities are endless. We all know that you
wake up flawless. Do a good deed and
share your secrets. It’s a giving time of
year. #BOWDOWN
No.
Cancer: June 21-July 22
Capricorn: December 22-January 19
You’ve been in a limbo since Saturn has been
lingering in your section of relationships. But
it’s leaving!! Throw a party because you have
some serious social life success sailing your way.
While you’re at it, toss us an invite. Exam Jam
minus the studying? We’re down to get turnt.
So maybe you haven’t been getting the
greatest marks this past month. Don’t
freak out yet, Mercury was in retrograde last month but this month it’s back
on track and you will be too. Your lowest marks are going to go up as long as
you work hard and stay focused. Only 32
more days til Christmas Break – hang in
there!
Leo: July 23- August 22
Aquarius: January 20 - February 19
You’re schooling is on FIRE! There is a full
moon in your career house, so keep downing
those cups of Dark Roast coffee for Timmy’s and
firing out stellar assignments. You’ll be the most
popular study buddy. Use your fame wisely, my
friend, you are in the position to swim in NYE
invites if you play this out right.
Mars is now touring the most private part
of your chart. Do you know what that
means?? Time to get PERSONAL. Get
those emotions out there and tell someone exactly how you’re feeling. If you’re
not crying, then you’re probably not oversharing enough.
Virgo: August 23-September 22
Pisces: February 20 – March 20
You know when your mom texts you to ask if
that mountain of clothes on your bedroom floor
is laundry? Yeaaahhhh… it’s time to tackle that.
Your hygiene could use some help, so clean your
windows, set your bed and make your work
space look brand spanking new. You never know
who might be coming over ;) ;)
The new moon will bring new acquaintances. Are your current friends boring,
and subtly trying to social climb? Fess
up – we’re all guilty of it. This is your
chance to gain a brand new BFF. Don’t
worry about how much they like you or
hate you, because they’re probably just as
desperate. What a way to bond!!
35
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