Here’s a look back
APRIL 2019 | VOL. 8 NO. 8
WHAT A YEAR, WINTERS!
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ARTICHOKE
CONTRIBUTORS
Editor-In-Chief
Lamia Abozaid
Assistant Editor
Katherine Collier
Writers
Martika McLean Elizabeth Santos Madfish Fisher Brooke Dalton Kelly Estomo Bianca Mazziotti
Design Editor
Sarah Wong
Designers
Bri Coggans Zhen Li Joel Louzado Samneet Mann Mars Quave Mirabelle Wang Livia Widjaja Michelle Young
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WINTERS
IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURE
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Freedom Lamia Abozaid
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The Final Chapter MadFish Fisher
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Keep Summer School Fresh Brooke Dalton
CREATIVE
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kid of the universe Kelly Estomo
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Winter’s Graduation Bianca Mazziotti
LIFESTYLE
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Spring Cleaning Martika McLean
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Audit Elizabeth Santos
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ARTICHOKE
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
WINTERS
DEAREST WINTERS, You have been a time and a half - but one phenomenal time and a half. Wow, where did the time go and who allowed this year to end? I have enjoyed every single moment of leading this team and being part of this college. If you told little froshie Lamia that she would reach this position, she would probably weep or tell you what a nice joke you just shared with her. (Oh my God that was four years ago, how?) I would not have been able to do this without a lot of people, however, let me start off by talking about how thankful I am for all the feedback I got from our regular readers - you are all so great! Next comes our former Editor in Chief (2017-2018), Safa Gangat. Safa hired me as the Assistant Editor because she liked my energy and passion towards this position back in the day. However, mine and Safa’s friendship did not start then, it actually started in my first year when I met her at frosh in 2015 and I was a little worried about a bunch of things that had to do with my degree checklist. She assisted me as we were both Communication Studies majors - remember that Saf? We both did not get along at the beginning when we started working together but ended up being great friends and things ran so smooth after some time. Thank you Safa for putting up with my ideas and my very late texts when an idea would pop. I love and miss you so dearly Safyy! This friendship then brings me to the amazing Assistant Editor, Katerina Collier. When I interviewed Katie, I just knew that she was the person I want to work with for the upcoming year. During our transition meeting, Katie and I set ground rules which were that there will be no filters between us. I am pretty sure that was actually the best decision we took - right Katie? :P Our arguments were not arguments and our disagreements were not disagreements - Yep, actual siblings. We spoke almost everyday whether it is via
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text, phone, or physically meeting. Forever grateful for you. I love and appreciate you so much. Now, I shine light on our fantastic Design Editor, Sarah Wong! Oh boy, she is so talented and patient, I wonder how you do it. Thank you for a great two years, Sarah! I enjoyed every moment with you. I appreciate all your hard work and commitment towards the Artichoke. I am so excited to see where you go in life with your artistic brain and love for your work. The Artichoke’s year 2018-2019 would have of course not happened without our talented writers, designers, and photographers! Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you! I have enjoyed reading, editing, and artistically directing your work so much. It takes a village to make things run so smoothly. This year would have definitely not been as great without this fantastic team, 2018-2019 WCC! These people are unbelievable. They are funny, smart, driven, and so loving. I appreciate each and every single one of you so much - Y’all are the real MVPs. Last but not least, Madfish Fisher. Oh MadFish, where do I begin with you?! So three years ago when I first joined council, MadFish made sure I was well and happy - literally all the time. She would always check on me and try to get me outside of my comfort zone by encouraging me to try new things and I am forever thankful for you. Not to mention that MadFish has been a constant writer for a while now despite her crazy schedule. Thank you for your constant love and devotion, Maddy, you little bunny! Gosh I did not know how much I will miss this council and team. I am so thrilled to see where life takes us. ALL THE LOVE, LAMIA ABOZAID XO 2018-2019 EDITOR IN CHIEF
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WINTERS!
ARTICHOKE
A LETTER FROM THE ASSISTANT EDITOR
My loves. Thank you for this wonderful year. Having been a part of the Artichoke team for the past four years has been an honour. To all those I have met along the way, to the new friends I have made, thank you. This year as your assistant editor has been a dream and a half. I hope to be able to work with all of you in the future. Being a part of the Winters community and Winters Council this year has given me a chance to meet so many people and become an even larger part of this wonderful place I like to call home. As this year winds to a close, I feel bittersweet. This year has been a rollercoaster, as my final year of my music major and my first year on council. You’re not getting rid of my so easily though. Next year I will be back and better than ever, as I hope everyone else will be too. To those graduating with me this year, congratulations, you’ve made it through! To those of you coming back, you’re almost there, but make sure you take some breaks along the way and enjoy your younger years while you have them. Thank you Winters, from the bottom of my heart. KATHERINE COLLIER 2018-2019 ASSISTANT EDITOR
WINTERS
FROM THE DESIGN EDITOR
THAT’S A WRAP!
Two years and twelve issues later, this marks my final issue as Design Editor for Artichoke. It has been such a wonderful journey as I have learned so much watching this publication evolve and seeing all the content created for this magazine these past two years. A special thanks to my past and current team of designers. I really appreciate all of of your hard work, commitment, and creativity. Thank you Lamia and Katherine for being great partners this past year. You two are both such talented writers and I enjoyed working alongside both of you. I sincerely wish you all the best. Thank you all for tuning in! SARAH WONG 2018-2019 DESIGN EDITOR
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ARTICHOKE
FREEDOM INDIVIDUALITY
OPPORTUNITY
FEARLESS
PASSION
CHANCE
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FEATURE
BY LAMIA ABOZAID PHOTOGRAPHY BY FIONA VANDERMYDEN
STRENGTH
CHARACTER
CONFIDENT
POWER
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ARTICHOKE
THE FINAL CHAPTER
BY MADFISH FISHER
This poem is dedicated to the existential crisis. The crisis of closing the final chapter. This is my goodbye to Winters.
FEATURE
FINAL YEAR. Final position. Final memory. Final touch. Final spirit. Final text. Final equaling the end. Final reaching the stretch. Final becoming the break down again and again. Final love. Final lust. Final life. Final chapter coming to a close. Final losing my mind. Final last chance. This is my last dance. This is my last glance. This is my last trance.
What is my legacy? Has it been all fake to me? What is my legacy? MadFish can’t be fake to me. Last event. Last meeting. Last speech. Will you remember me? I hope I remember me. Final year. Final position. Final memory. Thank you Winters. Y’all have been real to me. Love, MadFish xoxo P.S. best 5 years of my life.
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ARTICHOKE
BY BROOKE DALTON
FEATURE
SPRING IS IN the air and thank goodness. The promise of a semester ending and a mental break is so enticing that it is hard to stay focused on some days. But what about summer school? What if you want to get ahead in your degree or try and finish early, or avoid a heavier year next year? How do you balance being a full time student in the summer, or taking a class and working full-time? How do you avoid burnout? I think the main thing to do to avoid burnout is really making sure you get a rest. Between the last exam you write and the start of classes it’s important to take a break. Even if you’re working, allow yourself to become a lil’potato on the couch for a day if that is what you need to do to decompress. Or see some friends, or get outside! I know when I get outside my mood immediately lifts. No matter what the activity, make sure it is something refreshing for you! Once classes start again I think the best way to avoid burnout, especially with classes happening so quickly, is organization. I know this may sound like a clichéd anecdote given by every professor or teacher ever, but it is true. Actually scheduling time to get work done can be extremely helpful especially when balancing work and school. Then you can also allow yourself time to relax because
you have given yourself time to get your work done. Give yourself a break. It is not going to do anyone any good (but mostly you) if you do not allow yourself to have any fun this summer. Sometimes you just need to lay in the sun, or go out for drinks on a patio, and do not let the guilt get to you. You know what kind of guilt I am talking about? The kind felt by a “good student” when they decide to “take a night off” or have fun when they have work to do. Listen, tell that guilt to go away! You need to take breaks. If you really are a good student, you will have already scheduled time to get everything done. Obsessing and obsessing will only wear you down. So let yourself be human, not a student robot. Work hard and play hard, well maybe not, but work hard, and let yourself enjoy life too, because burnout is not going to help you now or in the fall when you are going back to school or looking for work. Don’t let summer burn you out! And if all else fails my absolute best trick for coming back from feeling burned out is watching How to Train Your Dragon. Grab your shades and notebooks, summer school is in.
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ARTICHOKE
kid of the universe BY KELLY ESTOMO
CREATIVE
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YOU WANNA STAY? then stay. you wanna leave? WELL, sit in bathtubs of your own water, familiar grime and all of the day’s sweat encapsulating you like a liquid universe, like you are the biggest and brightest star in your Fisher-Price galaxy. you see? you have your own universe here. you hold it all in your tiny hands. so stay. but you wanna leave, I hear you say. you wanna go out and change! change what? the world, or something? yourself? do you need distance to grow? oh no, you need roots! and to cut away unnecessary branches, because that view from the trunk is a sunset you’ve seen before. but, sweetie, you wanna change. you wanna leave. honey, I can’t let you do that, so leave. but only for a while. come back when I need warmth. it will get so cold and empty here without you. we’ll water you with plastic bottles and you’ll grow too tall and I’ll forget the calm of your sleepy eyes,
and I’ll forget how the lights flicker back on when you smile, but I don’t even know who you are anymore. you are the sky. so blue - maybe sad, even - but I am raining, I am pouring, and all you do is grow, and all you do is leave, and I’m afraid there will be no trace of you here anymore! { RESIST the urge to pluck me out of the ground. this is not your property. do not fret, we will all decay, and we will settle back into the earth, where, little did you know, we have always belonged. } when we planted you, you were ours. but that is wrong. because maybe, you belong to the universe. and here, bunny, you will forever stay. so you can leave.
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ARTICHOKE
Winter’s Graduation
CREATIVE
BY BIANCA MAZZIOTTI
THE SNOW SLOWLY melts around me The clouds open up and the sun shines down The end is almost here Everything is getting ready for a new beginning Just like me Rebuilding from the storm Little blossoms struggling to open up Against the cool air that persists Spring is peering its beautiful head again Welcoming the songbirds and the toads Life is in motion As I put on my cap and gown The four years of memories flash before me A long exhale finalizes the moment And a baby deer takes its first steps
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ARTICHOKE
LIFESTYLE
BY MARTIKA MCLEAN
AS I AIR out my dirty laundry, I watch the shit that once hurt me, fly away into the wind, like dust. The sight eases my boiling blood. Why does my blood boil? Why does my heart ache? Why does my brain feels like it is being fried in filthy oil? There are moments in my life that have me bloody mad (key point: those moments are in the
past). What I need to be focusing on is my sunny present and my beautiful future. The dirty laundry has got to go. Simply put, when life throws you lemons say “bye bitch, you are not bothering me today”, or my favourite... “in the name of Jesus, be gone!” Spring cleaning time has arrived... come what may...I am ready!
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ARTICHOKE
AUDIT BY ELIZABETH SANTOS
OCTOBER GOD IS IN my mind And you brought me to my knees Craving the sugar you spoon fed me Mouth watering love Rejoicing in that tune you sing It goes like “I love you” Supplicate Forever grateful I can see the horizon Waiting for the end of our earth because you called it I hope that when it dies I do not go with it Christ have mercy Apocalyptic and obsessed with the senses It was over before it began The Creation Story embedded on my heart It goes like “I love you” Said the snake Devour me because you asked for it Anger the God that made you with such passion In the Name of the Father I am bowing The Son Keep taking and the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning compared to now would be Hell God is in my mind Your eyes roll back to see what I see How does it feel to be enlightened? Amen
LIFESTYLE
MAY I am an industrial masterpiece With every gust of wind, I creak He has since built me up from ash Sculpted my bones and assembled My ego Hammered in nails and filed down sharp edges Now I stand with my hands in my pockets Trying to find what I forgot to bring I seem to have left myself on the kitchen counter by the front door I really do not know where I came from I can feel my hair and I can crack my back but between the knots and tangles somehow I know that I am blind
AUGUST I am dry leaves Crunching and snapping Piles of dust See I am as heavy as the weight on your shoulders But smoke billows out of me like the clouds before it rains Volcano erupting Every time I see beauty I cry Because you deserve her And that is something I cannot give you All I have is my heart And all I have is my soul Molten lava fills my silver lining
Solidifies my crust and Reflection returns to rust
SEPTEMBER Old tin man How does it feel to be empty? Do you ever miss the sound of drums? Large steel vibration Do you miss me when it thunders? Baby bird chest Puffed up and proud Filled taut with air and silence Not yet figured out how to call you Leave me a message after the tone Hollow tree Preen my feathers Tell me you love me I still long to feel the wind between my ankles I’ve always wanted to fly
JANUARY You have got hands of concrete And I have got soles of oak Step on your cracks, Pavement benches surround me Guilty My branches creak with the wind My hair is falling
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