TRENT’S ALTERNATIVE PRESS
absynthe 13.3
November/ December 2011
$4.00 CA
But only if you want
T
he end is nigh! The end of the semester that is. I don't know about anyone else, but I am breathing a sigh of relief to be getting closer to Christmas break. I'm also relieved that we've finally acquired some new staff! We're welcoming all new Staff Writers, a new Secretary and a new Ads Manager. I do have one end of the semester complaint, though. It has been four months since we have been in school, and as far as I can tell people still have not figured out bus etiquette. In the last four months you should have realized that if all of the seats are taken, and you are standing, that you need to move to the back of the bus. Don't stop when you hit the steps- I know they can be scary- but really it will not kill you to walk up those two little steps. If people do not figure this out before January there will be lost limbs, of that I am sure. Frost bite is a bitch. So, please, if you read this and realize you are guilty of it...don't be that guy. No one likes a nearly empty bus driving by them when it's -40 degrees. Trust me. And a final word of advice: contribute to Absynthe in the coming year! You will not regret it. Caitlin Jones Editor-in-Chief
The mandate of Absynthe Magazine is to encourage constructive dialogue and critical thinking within the Trent community. As an on-campus publication, Absynthe shall strive to represent as many people of the community as possible by presenting varying views on all matters that are of importance to the community and especially the student body. In the spirit of free and independent press, Absynthe shall strive for the highest degree of journalistic integrity and excellence while providing a medium for creative and alternative expression. It will actively stimulate and concourage discussion through itself or any other means available to members of the Trent community.
Hey, you! Yeah, you!! You look like you’ve got some talent in you, kid. Submit your work to Absynthe Magazine!
Submission Guidelines Absynthe is a submissions-based magazine. Any Trent student who wishes to be published can send their work to us at trentabsynthe@gmail.com. Submissions can be any length, and can be written in any style. Submissions will be subject to editing for spelling and grammar as well as verified for appropriate content. Please include your name for publication. Photos and images are encouraged, but are required to have a minimum resolution of 300dpi. Articles may be held for publication at a later date.
It may be too early to see the af-
fects of the many protests that have taken place around the world, but it seems that 2011 could be a year of change. This year is shaping up to be the year of global movements; the year where globalization is no longer solely associated with greed, wealth, and the destruction of limited natural resources. Instead the internet, globalization, and mass media have made it possible for social movements across the globe to take off. While the stories reported by the mass media may not always be truthful the development of cameras in phones, iPads, and relatively inexpensive video devices, the population is no longer solely reliant on the presentation of news by corporations largely owned by the same conglomerates. Last year, here on the Trent campus, while students were fighting for one of the last vibrant portions of the college system, ISW, one administrator said that he did not understand this generation of student. His reasoning was that in Paris in 1968 they were fighting for real issues and Trent’s impassioned students were fighting for a few extra days of fun. (It’s ironic that he left his previous position to come to the school with the highest tuition in Canada, where his son undoubtedly matriculates for free.) What he did not understand is that they
Caitlin Jones were not fighting simply for fun, but for a university that would not abandon a college system because they blamed it for the dismal retention rate. His understanding of the things that modern young people would fight for are, unfortunately, shared with many commenters across Canadian (and American) news outlet message boards. Many believe that the problems these protestors have are not symptoms of a failing governing system, but rather their inability to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Though because this is a movement without a leader, there may be many reasons why the protestors have taken to the streets. In many of the comments on the CBC website commenters seem to have no idea why these protests are taking place, but instead are asking questions like this: “Most of society is greedy and think only of themselves and what they think they deserve to have. What exactly is wrong with having what you need and being happy with that?” The rest of the commenters have chosen to simply insult the protestors. It is strange to see the backlash against grassroots movements, when the majority of the commentors are from a generation where a high school diploma would get them a job that would lead a lifetime of security. However, in the current climate gradutes
with Master’s degrees are hardpressed to find jobs in retail. As each generation is studied over the last 100 years is studied, the current generation of 20-somethings (dubbed the Millenials, the Echo Boom, The Worst Generation) is given the lowest amount of credit for the accomplishments of their lives. They are labelled as lazy, it’s said that they expect too much for too little work. “They don’t have work ethic like people who came before them.” Unfortunately, they do not recognize that it’s more a case of living costs skyrocketing, education costs constantly on the rise, and the rate of pay stagnating. 20 years ago citizens had the possibility of getting jobs without degrees, and now, having a BA is like getting a high school diploma. As it stands there are many flaws in the failing North American system that is not just based on capital; degree inflation is making it even more difficult for people who have done what they were told- followed through with their education- after racking up anywhere between $40 000 and $200 000 in debt. However, it still remains to be seen whether these movements will end up being anything more than a media sensation muddled up by so many problems that no one is sure of what to fight. ■
Relics of the 1700’s Joel Vaughan
Richard
Steele was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1672 where he lived until departing for Charterhouse School, completely paid for by his uncle. Charterhouse was known for having notable alumni, so it might not be surprising that this is where Steele first met Joseph Addison from Wiltshire, Enland, who was two years older than Steele at the time. Despite this age difference, the two knew each other well enough to foster an intellectual connection that would blossom in years to come. Both attended Oxford upon graduation, but whereas Addison completed a Masters of Arts, Steele dropped out early to join the armed forces. Before leaving the army at the rank of captain, Steele had already written The Christian Hero, and The Conscious Lovers, the latter being a great success. During this time, Addison was travelling the continent, funded by donations of powerful politicians who deemed him a young scholar with a great deal of potential. Upon his return, he became reacquainted with Steele when he joined the “Kit-Kat Club”, a group of very notable literary and political figures from the time. This unlikely circumstance
would spawn both The Tatler and, more importantly, The Spectator, both of which would have a huge effect upon English society in a relatively short period of time. The Tatler began in 1709, where it related the everyday opinions of Isaac Bickerstaff, a fictional character supposed to represent the typical grumpy old Englishman. This periodical was singularly the creation of Richard Steele, but with it being published three times a week, he often encouraged his intellectual contemporaries to write for the publication. Joseph Addison ended up writing 40 of the 271 total issues. The periodical focused on social commentary and instruction towards a rising middle class who were often looked down upon for their lack of manners or class. Though the style may be considered “preachy” by today’s standards, its moral confrontation was a popular style of writing at the time, and the fact that The Tatler was both accessible to the general public and entertaining to read made it a success among its literary competition. It was not nearly as influential as its successor, however. When Steele concluded The Tatler in 1711, he approached Addison with the proposal to work
as partners. The resulting periodical became known as The Spectator, which took a similar stance as The Tatler, but refrained from political bias in order to broaden the potential audience. The Spectator was published every day of the week but Sunday, and was more successful than any other periodical of its time. Enjoyed by the layman and the intellectual alike, it distributed 14 000 copies a day at the height of its success. Many have speculated as to why The Spectator received the acclaim that it did, and scholars have generally agreed upon a few solid conclusions. The writing style of both Steele and Addison was superb, and has been praised by such influential figures as Benjamin Franklin all the way to English professors. Addison and Steele were also some of the first authors to regard women in their periodical directly. Referred to as “the fair sex”, there was often just as much advice for women in The Spectator as there was for men, which was a breath of fresh air for half the population. The Spectator was known for its ability to summarize the complicated theories of intellectuals into words that everyone could understand. Not only this, but their publication fell directly upon a boom in the publishing industry, where
the middle class was rushing to read as much as was available. This publication was perfect for a society who was dying to learn. Though both The Tatler and The Spectator were acclaimed by all classes in their respective century, neither has withstood the test of time. Joseph Addison was especially praised, with David Hume predicting his works to outlast those of John Locke, and Alexander Pope comparing him to Vir-
gil. Neither Addison nor Steele have come close to surpassing the study and popularity of either Locke or Virgil in our modern world, and the only real pop-culture incarnation of these periodicals is “Tatler Magazine”, which calls itself a spiritual sequel to Richard Steele’s original publication. This gossip magazine reports the lives of the rich and famous for the middle class citizens who are interested enough to read. The magazine takes its
history very seriously, going as far as to celebrate its 300th birthday in 2009. Though there are very obvious differences in the magazines style and presentation, not to mention its aim, it certainly begs the question: is the modern equivalent of The Tatler and The Spectator a gossip magazine? If so, perhaps to some degree we can attribute the current Justin Bieber craze to Addison and Steele, men said to surpass Locke and Virgil. Thanks, guys. ■
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Submitted by: UNICEF Trent
It certainly was a sight to see as
large boxes were worn by profs for Halloween to support UNICEF Trent. It was a moment of fun, laughter and embarrassment. UNICEF Trent is a newly formed campus club, started by Rachael Chin-You (Nursing), Tiffany Benjamin (Biology), Emily Hebert (History) and Patreka Roach (Forensics). UNICEF Trent is a member of UNICEF Canada’s national UNICEF on Campus program, which is a unique student leadership program. It provides college and university students the opportunity not only to learn about global development issues, particularly the needs of the world’s most vulnerable
children, but also empowers them to help make a difference in their lives through fundraising and advocacy on campus. With a mission to help the children of the world by educating, advocating, and fundraising, UNICEF Trent has several fundraising events planned throughout the year such as the “Prof-in-Box” Challenge, the “Paper-Icon” campaign and many more. Money raised will go towards UNICEF core programs which help children around the world suffering from issues such as lack of clean water, lack of education and no accessible healthcare.
UNICEF Trent Exec Members
October’s Challenges During the month of October, UNICEF Trent had two challenges to raise money for the Schools for Africa Program and other core UNICEF Programs. The first challenge was “Prof-inBox”. If the class raised 100% of the size of their class, their professor had to wear a large UNICEF box. Prof. Matthew Thompson’s (Chemistry) class had a goal of $400. With a class of 400 students, the class raised $271.46. Nevertheless, Dr. Matthew Thompson matched what the class raised, making the total amount raised by his Chem class $542.92. As promised, Dr. Thompson lectured in the UNI-
Photo’s supplied by UNICEF Trent
Professor Christopher Kyle lectures while wearing a UNICEF Box
Professor Matthew Thompson matched his students donations in support of UNICEF CEF box making it a memorable lecture for his students. “Dare-to-Wear” was the second challenge for October. This challenge had the same concept as “Prof-in-Box”. However, instead of lecturing in a box, profs would lecture in a costume. Dr. Alana Hermiston (Sociology) participated in this challenge and raised $84 with her class. Other professors that participated in UNICEF Trent’s October
Professor Ann Macleod also joined the fun
challenges were Ann Macleod (Nursing) and Christopher Kyle (Forensics). Dr. Ann Macleod’s class raised $245 with help from the Nursing Department. Christopher Kyle’s class and the Forensics faculty raised $105. In total with four profs and approximately 650 students, a total of $975 was raised. Making a Difference UNICEF is supported entire-
ly by voluntary donations and helps all children, regardless of race, religion or politics. Volunteer contributions will further UNICEF Trent’s cause of supporting UNICEF’s innovative programs and advocacy work to secure the rights of vulnerable children in virtually every country. If students are interested in volunteering they may contact uniceftrent@gmail.com or check out UNICEF Trent’s facebook page ■.
Giving advice on love, work, happiness and everything in between with his Phd in Psychomology and a broken keyboard. Dear Dr. Dings, I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost a year now. During this time we’ve been having no problems but lately he has been not been paying as much attention to me like he normally does. He doesn’t come over that often and he seems disinterested whenever we talk on the phone or online. I’ve also noticed that he’s getting more texts from other girls and he’s becoming friends with more girls on Facebook. I’m starting to suspect that he’s either cheating on me or wants to break up with me. What should I do? Is he cheating on me? Should I break up with him? Help me doc! Jessica K. Dear Jessica, This problem is common in relationships, especially when one or both of the partners are in university/college. All you need to know is that relationships are built on trust and respect for one another. Perhaps he’s preoccupied with his studies or his work and maybe that’s why he hasn’t been paying much attention to you as he normally does. As well, no relationship is ever perfect. All you need to is engage in a open and frank conversation with your boyfriend about this issue and tell him how you truly feel. He may not even be aware that there was a problem in the first place. But remember that if you do find out for certain that he’s having an affair, the best solution is to leave him so you can improve your mental health for the long-term. I hope this advice was helpful for you.
Dr. Dings -----------Dear Dr. Dings, What is the meaning of life? Thanks in advance for your advice! You’re totally rad doc! Steve B. Dear Steve B., The meaning of life is simple. The meaning of life is to eat porkschop sandwiches all day and all night. Damn that stuff is good. I don’t know how I would have gotten through med school without it! Hope that
clarifies
Dr. Dings
things.
Nora Grant-Young
You don’t have to be an Eng-
lish major to be annoyed when people use words improperly. Whether it be the person in your seminar who shoots off their mouth because their personal opinion is earth shattering, or a common mistake such as people referring to multiple personalities as schizophrenia. But there’s a line, and I don’t think that line is visible anymore. Sure, we’re human. We throw words around we don’t mean. And sometimes it’s just a joke. And it’s not your fault that the person who reacts badly doesn’t have a sense of humour. You’re hilarious; your bros tell you so. We’re all supposed to laugh it off, clench your jaw if you have to. Just don’t let the wheels moving in your brain show, or the weight it has left in your chest. Honestly, any topic could be applied to this framework. Racism, misogyny, homophobia. But there’s one “joke” that particularly drives me too far up the wall: rape. An uninvited, forced sexual encounter leaving a person emotionally scarred, physically brutalized and psychologically imbalanced. But it’s hilarious.
Once you pick yourself or your friend up off the ground, clean up the blood, the tears and sew up whatever has torn both physically and emotionally, you’ll see the humour. You have no right to see what happened to you as a crime or a tragedy, it’s actually very funny. And now you can laugh along with your tongue in your cheek so it doesn’t dare make a remark that will put down your friends. Rape is not thought of as an issue at Trent. You hear about what happens at York University, and you can’t help but ignore it. It’s York, that’s an unsafe part of Toronto. Yet, rape still happens, and the talk can almost be held at the same level of the act itself. It shames me that even sitting in the cafeteria, one cannot escape these jokes. That something so horrific can be taken lightly or discussed while eating. Furthermore, I cannot escape the shame I feel when girls make these jokes. Yes, ladies, I am calling you out. You are the major victims of this horrible crime, and you’re laughing. Why are you laughing? Is it because you have never been raped? Because any girl who has been raped, is not laughing. And neither should you be.
Men are an even more difficult category to understand. It’s almost like being kicked in the stomach when your teddy bear guy friend tells a rape joke, or just throws around the word. Guys, if you consider yourselves to be so much funnier than the girls, why are you wasting your time and material on rape jokes? And if you’re the good guy with the big heart, how can you not feel for that issue? Well, boys and girls. It’s time to go back to kindergarten and learn respect, empathy and kindness. The word rape no longer has meaning in the English language. It doesn’t shock, offend or stir any reaction within some people. And that is a huge problem. If you can still shudder at the thought of nails on a chalkboard, or feel sick by the word moist, how can rape just pass through your mind like any other word? Sometimes it leaves me wondering how much laughter is genuine, and how much is uncomfortable. Does it make you feel uncomfortable? Because it should. ■
Jen Freele We’ve all been there. 9AM or 3PM - no matter - any time of the day can prove to be optimal nap time for the average university student. How unfortunate it is then, when something like class interferes with a much-needed sleep break. I’ll be the first to admit it – falling asleep in class is difficult to avoid, but hugely embarrassing when it happens. You get the awkward head bob, your notes become an illegible mess, you shift uncomfortably to avoid the professor’s gaze, you drool and (hopefully not) snore, and you miss valuable class material. So, how best to avoid this inevitable reality?
Get Sleep at Night: As basic as this sounds, it is something that gets overlooked in the majority of
university students’ lives. We need sleep – always have, always will. So do try and get your 6-8 hours at night. You will be more productive in the long run, and it will help curb your habit of nodding off in class.
Caffeine?: Again, an obvious one, but a fac-
tor that needs to be considered in your search of lecture-long consciousness. Whatever your poison – coffee; tea; pop; frothy, creamy, decorative Starbucks things – be sure to allot time in your schedule before class to pick up your brew. Don’t drink caffeine? Awesome – all the more power to you. Be sure to bring a bottle of water or some other munchies to help keep your mouth (and tummy) moving and alert. It will help keep the rest of your body the same way.
Sit Up Front: If proper sleep or a caffeine kick won’t help you avoid
dozing off, perhaps your (hopefully) innate sense of guilt and respect will. Try sitting front and centre in class; that way, the teacher will appear to be more vivid and interactive to you, perhaps enticing you to remain awake.
But also, having the prof right in front of you will subconsciously make your body perk up and fight to be more attentive. This tip is a tricky one though, so if you arrive to class feeling depleted, then it’s best to stay in the back. I don’t want you to PTFO and the professor make a front-row mockery of you.
Designate a Poke Buddy: Hopefully you have a friend or someone you at least know marginally
well in your class. Sit next to them. Inform them at the beginning of a class when you sense that you may not be able to retain your consciousness. Ask them to watch you out of the corner of their eye and to poke you when you start to show the tell-tale signs of nodding off. A swift and unexpected poke to the ribs should do the trick, but if after a while your body starts getting habituated to the poking sensation, ask your bud to step it up. A stomp on the foot, a Charlie horse, a twist of the wrist...Personally, my buddy has progressed to the subtle slap at the back of the head. It’s happy times for all: you will wake up suddenly and be able to focus (at least for a few more minutes), and your friend will get ample joy from their designated position as poker.
Take a Break: Most thoughtful and reasonable profs will give their students a break midway through
their 2 hour plus lecture so as to allow for bathroom breaks, coffee runs, or simply to let the material sink in. If your teacher is quite rude and does not fully comprehend the usefulness of breaks, or if one break just can’t abate your heavy eyes, then take breaks of your own. Just getting out of the classroom and doing a tour around the halls will help wake you up. Take your own break to grab some caffeine, splash some water on your face, or get some fresh air, all things that will help you feel more alive, awake and alert.
Get Physical: Closely related to tip number 5, this suggestion is centered on the idea that engaging in
some kind of physical activity will help to wake up your body and your mind. Since it doesn’t exactly make sense to make a gym break mid-way through class, you can try and find other venues near to your classroom where you can fit in some cardio to get your heart pumping and your eyes open. A vacant stairwell (there’s a swell one that I use next to the CC lecture hall), a straight run of a hallway (behind the OC seminar rooms, for example), some good levels to do step-ups, all are great options for you to get a quick mini work-out in, preferably when not a lot of people are around. Your elevated heart rate and your mind’s renewed focus will translate into a more alert presence in the classroom once you return to your seat. ■
23 - Nov 21) With the cancellation of Soap OpScorpio(Oct eras your sign has gone the way of Robert Scor-
pio. Irrelevant.
(Dec 22 - Jan 19) Your best 22 - Dec 21) You Sagittarius(Nov thought your mom was Capricorn friend recently crafted a
going to buy you the new iPad for your birthday, but the best you can expect is a wet sock, and being disinherited. Should have looked before you Facebooked, friend.
wig out of your mom’s chest hair. You should really investigate what that means for their relationship...but it sounds kinky.
Jan 20 - Feb 18) Next (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Remember Aquarius (month you will make your Pisces that episode of Dawson’s Creek
debut as the Little Orphan Annie. You will be wonderful. There’s just one thing...keep in mind, a little wax will go a long way
where Joey leaves with Pacey on a sailboat? Expect that to happen to you...but with you in Dawson’s position. Alone. On a dock. Ugly crying.
You’ve always wanted to become a William Shatner Aries impersonator...and after that last mid-term you will finally have (Mar 21 - Apr 19)
your chance! Nothing says “night-club job” like 11%. Good luck and “remember, you can’t beam through the forcefield...” Apr 20 - May 20) Look before you leap, or before you get off the bus. Not that you Taurus(should be afraid, or anything, but getting hit by a car doesn’t seem particularly pain-
less.
(May 21 - Jun 21) I see a wonderful Lionel Richie perm in your future! Don’t
Geminiworry about the stares, perms are coming back. That I can assure you. Jun 22 - Jul 22) YouTube killed the video store, and you should expect that frost Cancer(bite will kill your foot. On the upside, you can put the process on YouTube, and
this will all come full circle!
(Aug 22 - Sep 22) Single looks (Jul 23 - Aug 22) It seems like you’re learning Leo a lot, and that your Professors have given you Virgo good on you. Even better than that a lot to think about, but when it ends you’ll have to won-
der if they’ve helped you discover the meaning of life.
GIANT piece of spinach you had stuck in your teeth on your last date.
(Sep 23 - Oct 22) Next week you will walk around an entire day with food in your mous-
Libratache. I’d suggest avoiding spaghetti for the next few weeks. Trust me. No one will date someone with a noodle in their mo.
I’m having a really hard time adjusting to university life. We’re almost at the end of the semester but I still feel out of sorts. What should I do? - In Limbo Dear In Limbo You’ve got to put the booty tooch into everything you do! Trust me, it’s the key to feeling like a Queen! Tyra! Help! I’ve been trying to get a job but I don’t think I look professional enough. What would you suggest? Jobless and sad Dear Jobless and Sad Maybe its time for a MAKEOVER! I always suggest shaving your head, it will put the focus up to your face. Show off those killer cheekbones! Want advice from Ty-Ty?! Send your questions in and she would love to respond. Email: trentabsynthe@gmail.com We at Absynthe feel that you should check out this amazing youtube video. Also, be sure to check out this area of the magazine every month, ‘cause chances are, one of the staff members has stumbled across another video gem that should be shared with the world... Okay, so just Trent’s population that reads the mag...anyways...
Because who doesn’t love a J-Biebs and Ozzy Osbourne commercial.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS9sUm5Y0sg
of course it was too late Frank Trebbne Reid
November eleventh. A date that
for our nation marks a significant achievement. But, as I found out November eleventh of 2011, it wasn't the end of the 1st world war but more the release of Bethesda's latest installment of the popular Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim. As I checked my social media network (aka Facebook) I saw numerous status updates or comments revolving around this game. Most were along the lines of “SKYRIM COMES OUT TODAY OMFG”, or were at least related to the game in some way. I hardly saw any statuses focusing on Remembrance Day, which, if you haven't figured out by now, is what I'm getting at. “This is hardly surprising,” I thought to myself as I pursued the various updates, “This game has been generating hype ever since it was announced.” But then something caught my eye, made me stop and become very confused. It was a single update by a friend of mine saying “Remembering.” “Remembering what?” I asked myself. And that’s when I realized, with a wave of understanding and guilt, that I had completely forgotten that November eleventh was Remembrance Day. What followed then was a quick status update about how I Remembered in an attempt to ease the shame of for-
getting this historical triumph. that now updates are all we focus on. Sure, when we go on FaceThis isn't a humorous article book we might like our friend’s about how I spent the rest of the status, but want we really want to day attempting to raise aware- see is if they liked ours, or better ness of the day that I forgot. No, yet, if they’ve commented on it. this article is rather an analysis Unless it has some direct relation of why I, along with many oth- to us or our lives, we as a culture ers, seemed to have let this one are likely to forget about it, or not day, this one gravely important even notice it at all. Another exday, slip by unnoticed. The an- ample, and perhaps one that is a swer is because of our culture. little more easily understandable (for those who are archaic enough Generation Y, the Echo Boom, to exist without suckling on the or Millennials. Call us what you addictive teat that is Facebook) will, we are the cohort of the is our education. To expand, if late 20th and early 21th century. you've ever asked a friend what Our culture is marked by such program they are going into, or advancements as the aforemen- what they are in university for tioned Facebook and other so- and found their response interestcial media networks which keep ing, try to remember if you purus connected to our various in- sued that fleeting bit of interest. terest all day, every day. Smart My guess is probably not. Why? phones all contribute to this idea Because, unless it was the same of “instant communication” upon course/profession/class that you which most of our lives centre. were/are taking, you couldn't be Most of us can't go through a sin- bothered researching something gle day without texting someone, you will never need to know checking our messages (obses- about. A student in Nursing won't sively), or updating our statuses be likely to study up on an acting about some trivial event. In fact, career because it has nothing to it is the advent of this “instant do with what they are doing for communication” which began a career choice. The notion of the what I'm calling our detachment detachment from the other can from the other. To me, detach- be seen in almost every facet of ment from the other means we've our lives, and it makes sense. We become so dependant on having worry/care most about that which all the latest information about concerns us. So why is it that our our interests whenever we want it, nation's history isn't a concern for
us? Many of us are Canadian citizens, and we probably wouldn't be where we are today if the First World War had continued on after November 11, 1918. To answer this, I need to examine the second, and final way in which our culture has helped in shaping us. Think back to when you were nine or ten. Try to remember what was the biggest thing, the coolest toy that everyone had to fit in with the rest of the majority. For me, I can remember two things. The first was a card game called YuGi-Oh, which I'm sure most, if not all, of you have at least heard of. It was big, and when I say big, I mean huge. The kids who had the best cards were idolized and followed like deities while the ones without anything “valuable” were shunned, not even given a second thought. Next, after YuGi-Oh had died down, came Beyblade: a line of spinning “combat tops”, each having their own name, theme and stats which determined their strengths. Both of these examples are what we call fads - any form of behaviour that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm for some period, generally as a result of the behavior's being perceived as novel in some way. What I'm getting at here is not that forgetting Remembrance Day for the year of 2011 was this year's fad but that it was our culture's mindset that was responsible for advent of forgetting Remembrance Day. I'm going coin another term to help explain my thoughts: “the now/
future mindset.” Can you recall any advertisements you saw from last month? Can you remember what you were interested in a year ago? Unless those ads are still around and unless you kept the same interests, my guess is no. “The now/future mindset” is what I'm using to describe the cultural phenomenon of only having the greatest interest in what is going on now, or what will happen in the near future, ie: fads or what may/likely become fads. Take, for example the game I mentioned earlier, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. As I previously mentioned, from the time this game was announced, everyone and anyone who had an interest became fixated on it. Even when I would be talking with my friends, if the subject of Skyrim came up, the conversation immediately turned to the soon-to-arrive technological miracle that would bring us salvation, or at least a solid month of entertainment. If you are perplexed, no, the video game Skyrim will not be bringing salvation with its arrival, but that exaggeration was not too far from the actual sentiments we experienced. And it’s not just the latest or upcoming video games, but the latest or upcoming anything that our culture's attention is always on. This “now/future mindset” can be seen as evolving from the explosion of instant communication technologies, which made it drastically easier for the masses to learn about, stay informed about, and follow fanatically that which interested them. Unless it’s part of the now
or the soon to be, our culture pays little attention to it. This is in part the detachment from the other effect I describe earlier, because we as a people are detached from that which does not concern us, which is most often that which isn't relevant (not now) or what has already occurred (not future). Even events such as the death of Osama bin Laden a few months back has already faded out of the realm of our interest. To return to my original topic, most of us were oblivious to the fact that it was Remembrance Day because it is a) a past event and b) holds very little importance to our present and future interests. I’m sure we can all remember attending at least one Remembrance Day ceremony during our childhood, and, at least for me, can remember telling ourselves “God, what a terrible thing World War One was, I'll never forget about it.” Sadly, as it appears we can, and have. But this is not some unaided occurrence. The culture we have developed, and what it continually retells us to value and believe, has created an unconscious behaviour and mindset which directs our lives and may be responsible for leading us here, to a time when we’ve forget the event which helped solidify and increase our nation's independence. As one who caught himself forgetting, I say to you, be aware of your yourself, for if we have allowed such important parts of our history to slip through our minds, who knows what else could follow. ■
Juliana Johnson
It’s right around this time of
year when the school “crunch” is on, that caffeine and highlighters accompany me like old friends to Bata until exams are over and I can finally breathe again. Lacking sleep and nutritional meals (who has the time to grocery shop?), I fall into a funk where all I focus on is school. Actually, my personal blend of perfectionist and procrastinator makes the last minute the prime time for me to write an essay, as I use the logic that now I am older than I was two weeks ago, and therefore wiser. In keeping with my previous university habits, it is now that I become a hermit— restricting myself to my room, Bata, the occasional coffee shop—and I forget to do things that brighten my day, things that make me feel alive or, at least, lighten the load of stress I’m feeling. In my fourth year here at Trent, I am realizing that these last weeks before exams don’t have to be spent in a zombie-student state. Sure, it’s easy to say that powering through the next month on little sleep and poor hygiene while trying to cram a semester’s worth of knowledge into your brain will work,
because that’s what we all do, don’t we? I want to challenge that, however, and say that you will actually benefit more from balanced living these next few weeks. Do you know what all of this stress does to your body? Stress is said to be the cause of more than 60% of all human illness and disease (The American Medical Association). It is the root cause of things like migraines, increased heart rate and risk of heart disease and stroke, diabetes, weight gain, decreased sex drive, panic disorders, anxiety, depression and many more things, leading into substance abuse and other harmful behaviours. So what do I suggest? Try balanced living. Balanced living— the student way—means chunking your workload down into small, do-able portion sizes. Do a bit each day, rather than cramming for 8 hours one day and than having to take the whole weekend to un-fry your brain. So here is my guide to the process of balanced student living during the pre-exam period, paired down for you into wee little baby steps: 1. Write it down: Make a goal, list or a spreadsheet (depend-
ing on your intensity), in which you write down the details of the project/essay/lab you have to do. Include when it’s due, how many words/pages it needs to be—any and all specifics outlined by your professor. Then, think about how long it will take you and be reasonable. 2. Schedule it: Write in small blocks of time on your schedule each day for different projects. The time scheduled will depend upon when it’s due and how long you think it will take to complete it. Try your best to stick to the schedule. 3. Take it one day at a time: breathe in and out. Remember there are only twenty-four hours in a day, and you are only one person. That being said, stop watching daytime television and do some readings! 4. Sleep & Eat (& shower please): You’ve heard it said over and over again that you will succeed more at school if you sleep a solid 8-9 hours and eat properly. It’s repeated to you for a reason—it’s true. So catch enough Zzz’s, eat something other than take-out, and please-god-I’m-begging-you stop putting your hygiene on the back burner. If you are too
overwhelmed to take the time to have a shower, something is out of whack. Remind yourself that school is just school, and while you should try to do your best, it should never be at the expense of your health (or at the expense of those of us who have to squish next to you on the bus). 5. Do something non-school related everyday: Yes, this will help your schoolwork. By taking a break to do something fun or something you enjoy every single day, you will be more motivated to continue working on that assignment than if you had turned down the chance to have some enjoyment. Take a walk by the river with a hot chocolate, have a spontaneous dance party with your housemates, create a piece of artwork, paint your nails, go to the gym, play your guitar…whatever it is that makes you a bit more you, and
a bit more happy, take the time to do it. Just as you should know your limits for work, and that it’s time to take a break, be sure to remember your limits for your breaks.
time Christmas comes around. Try it this way this year, instead of the workaholic-hermit thing you tried last year. I hope that if you just do this, you will feel better in this stress-filled, crappy month than you ever thought 6. Remind yourself: that school possible while you get your work is temporary, even though it’s done. I’m a university student difficult. That you are a person, too, so I know how difficult this not a grade or a student number. will be, but I’m going to do it— That you are so much more than and in my final year, when the just another student; that you are stakes are high and my degree is kind and compassionate, curious closer than it’s ever been, though and friendly, artistic or sporty it still feels light years away. or funny or have great taste in Remember that you are not music or can bake a mean choco- alone, that I believe you can late cake, play air hockey like a make it through this, that everypro…whatever it is that you are one is swamped and stressed, besides school, remind yourself some just hide it better than oththat there is more to you. So ers. But I’m learning something much more. and I hope you will understand: it’s just school, and while it’s imThis is just a guideline, just a portant, it’s not everything. This method that I’m experimenting is still your life, and the only one with, in the hopes of finding a you have. Make it count. ■ way to not feel so battered by the
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Words/symbols:
communicative devices through which humans have the ability to pass on adaptive knowledge and to clearly articulate our innermost desires and frustrations, both of which scenarios of information sharing are capable of optimizing the lives of the individuals, have they the mindfulness and will to employ them. Language provides a means for us to introspect and explore our own and others' unique set of psychological intricacies through our very own thoughts. Somewhere among the iridescent snapshots of experience we discover new ways of understanding, which in turn links to the ever-expanding and interlocking chain of available information, all of which is blessed upon us thanks to cultural evolution. I remember hearing as a child that Einstein said we only use 10% of our brains. Einstein was wrong. If you haven't viewed any fMRI studies, I recommend it; the brain is quite fascinating and undoubtedly active at all times. While certain regions particularly light up during certain activities, there is diffused activity going on at all times. Words and symbols compliment alternate physiological experiences- from the engulfing rush of pheromones to
Poppy Valentine the many wonders of sense perception- that enable deeper penetration into the layers of one's own and others' psyches. If our thoughts consist of words, then is it not words that play a grand role in our understanding of the universe? Language provides humans a voice through which to express our will to other members of our species (and I suppose animals in training or an ol' feastin' coon that gets shooed away from a garden, etc). It is often through this means (language) that the purest happiness can be achieved. Words enable humans with the tools to specify their innermost preferences for modes of being. Through words lovers may improve their relationship satisfaction by openly articulating what can be done to improve their relational benefits to costs ratio. In words poets find a channel of expression through which they can share their perspicacious insights with their fellow species. Through words international intelligence is accumulated andthis part is crucial- expanded upon. Ideas spread through words and symbols like wildfire, with the potential to enlighten the populace with each fruit the grand tree of wisdom has to bare. Yes, it is splendid, the potential life improvement that words
and symbols have to offer. To this yang there is a yin, the dark side (please don't be welcomed by it) that manifests when words are used improperly or perniciously. Much confusion, negativity or disillusionment can arise in situations wherein a word is either A) misused B) misunderstood or C) derogatory. Adjectives, by their very nature, are judgmental. Descriptive words of perception. Adjectives provide speakers with labels that in turn frame the content of their vocal endeavours. "Green"- an adjective. Harmless. I am not arguing that adjectives are without value- merely that, some adjectives, often those with pejorative undertones- can be used (how else?) destructively when imposed upon another individual. Let me walk you through a framing effect. Imagine that you have never taken a course with the lecturer Professor X. Well, you have heard from a couple peers that he/she is a "terrible professor", heck, the person - oh dear here it comes- was at a loss for words one unfortunate day, not just once, but THREE TIMES in a lecture. This negative slurring possibly skews your views of the professor, all before the professor had the opportunity to represent himself and for you to have the
freedom to make up your own first (and thereafter) impressions of him or her. Now imagine signing up for a course under this socalled Professor X and on that first day of class the professor makes a trifling mistake. Let's make it a word jumble for visualization- see it in your mind, this is one form of mediation (visualizing things). With an intact negative schema already in place from prior gossip, one may be more inclined to hastily jump to the conclusion that "Ugh, yeah, this professor is real sub-par, I should not have taken this class, maybe I should just drop it, but, oh, I don't know...." Perhaps on the day the professor was at a loss for words he/she was thinking about how just before lecture his/her partner got into an accident, called and said that she/he was "doing alright I hope, I'm just on the way over to the hospital. Don't be late for class, I love you." Beep. And maybe on the first day of class that the professor stumbled he/she was a bit nervous to be meeting a brand new auditorium full of students and was anxious about creating a positive impression. Too bad your false schemas may have clouded your vision, making you second guess an incredible intellectual. For shame. Linguistic and visual languagelike nature herself- have a fundamental give and take quality. As quickly as one of these two can make relationships, they so too have the power to break them. Derogatory words can end a relationship if the receiver hasn't the
strength or will to forgive. I place visuals in with language because they are communicative. I can tell you from personal experience that after certain files were left open on a computer monitor once and I saw that this close person in my life was into watching an assortment of videos that were degradingly sexually violent towards women. I couldn't exactly look at that person the same again. Believe me that I wanted to, I just keep seeing the images.
structure and choice of our phrases are congruous with our goals. I strongly believe that if we take more time (3 second rule? I wouldn't mind waiting for others to take more time in speaking if that meant they would speak truly in tune with their consciousness and will... everyone's in such a hurry these days it feels. Pffft + for shame) we would experience less slip-ups, run-of-tongues, and other mistakes associated with the dark side. I believe that it is a choice to be trigger-friendlyhasty with our language or to thoroughly think things through. The skill of being mindful, like every other one, develops with practice and can be applied to speaking to improve our effectiveness. We do learn a lot from our mistakes after the fact, but we could learn to be more mindful in general at the present and drastically reduce our mistakes. Is mindfulness the same as chi? (Just wondered that as I was typing so I thought I'd share, couldn't really hurt and I did enjoy writing it, like the rest of this... mmm, positive energy...)
Language, once brought to life through expression, cannot be fully retracted. Like a stimulus ready for response or Pandora's open box, when language is communicated to others it is open to whatever interpretation the mind's eye of the perceiver chooses to conjure. This is why I, like many before me believe that the quality of being articulate is an honourable virtue. Personally I would love to eradicate relative words if such thing were possible. In a book I once read called The Four Agreements, being impeccable with one's word was one of the major pieces of advice communicated. Influences I concur with the author and ad- All of the books (especially you vise for all to become so also. dictionary, c'est mon preferĂŠ- my bad if I got that wrong, my french What is true in politics is true is a bit dusty, I WILL get on the with words: with great power French Rosetta Stone when I comes great responsibility. By complete the Russian one) and being prudent practitioners of people that have taught me these language, taking a moment to words with which to communireflect upon our thoughts (ques- cate with you. tion everything- kids do, it plays The Four Agreements... Don a gargantuan role in their learn- Miguel Ruiz ing!) before expressing them Free Time. â– through words, ensuring that the