Lucky by Artichoke Magazine

A W I N T E R S F R E E P R E S S P U B L I C AT I O N

LUCK Y

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This Is Us Kaila Gallacher

Hunter Weaymouth

Kaela Cordero Nicole Moos Pyper Johnston Reann Bast Megan Desousa Inna Gordeyeva Joshua Cea Melissa Nicole Amelia Calo Megha Rethinasamy Shamus Quinn Nima Salimi

Nicole Williamson Laura Bourbonnais Siddharth Koyal Kamesha Ramnarine Erin Dagenais John Doyle Caroline Febbraro Miske Ahmed Serena Lam Thanh Dang

Jena Angra Meaghan Gonsalves Ha-Yun Holly Yoon Sharyl Man Victoria Collins Thanh Dang

Khadija Bari Zornitsa Stoimenova Bailey Paniszczyn Daniel Fong Maria Guna Abigail Wiley

Laur Brewin Daye Oh Matteo De Sanctis Maria Elizabeth Muia Rita Zhan Dylan Ateba

Thanh Dang Sarah Shahab Eliza Szymak

Yuhan Shi Hashneet Choudhary John Sanchez

Victoria Venpin Melanie Gazvoda Roshni Nayar Carly Balestreri Marvin Darkwa Julia Usher Cassie Weir Avery-Rose Hamilton Teodora Vilotijevic Victoria Ann Kaila Gallacher Eduardo Guerra

Kalli Jones

Amelia Calo

III

A Peek Inside

Letters from Editors SoCul Events Captured at YU Spotlight Wall of Positivity

IV 06 08 10

Streets Towards Spring Spring-Summer Musings She Metamorphosis Feminine Matter The women in my life Breathe A Drop of the Sun Celebrations of Life

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March Finals 2022 DIYs and the Scalping Nightmare Odd and Unusual Rarities of the Toronto Book Scene Burnout--Recognize the signs and prevent it in your life An Iphone Note Burnout and Pessimism, Living with Constraint Thoughts On New York Fashion Week

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FROM ARTICHOKE EXEC TEAM

DEAR READERS, WE HAVE COME of the Artichoke and the end of the school year: how are you feeling? Personally, I am feeling many different things all at once and every feeling seems to contradict another in some way. Yet, this seems to be a common reality. This year has been a whirlwind, yet there were times when it felt painfully slow. As the semester ends, I look back on the work I’ve done, my own personal growth both as an individual and within my program, and I feel it as bitter-sweet. On one hand, I feel like I did not have the ability to fully take advantage of all my courses—maybe I should have stayed longer, or after class, and asked more questions; on the other hand, I know I did everything I could this year in terms of getting to class, dealing with chronic pain and persistent burn out, and many more personal challenges and changes. I am thrilled with what we at the Artichoke have accomplished and created this year, but I do wish we could have done more. This, it seems to me, is what it is to be human. You do as much as you can in any given moment and no matter how much you accomplish, you are going to wish you could have done more.

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This feeling is one that is particularly relevant and widespread given the fact that we have spent so much of our lives over the past few years in a pandemic and witnessed so much that will be recorded in history books. In light of all this, what I encourage everyone to do, above all else right now, for the sake of your own mental health—is give yourselves a round of massive applause. Take a moment to deeply appreciate and recognize all you have been through these last few years and accept that even if this school year does not feel “perfect” to you, you did the best you can with what you had, in the middle of a pandemic, during numerous personal, professional, and possibly familial challenges that felt impossible to overcome. You did it. Be proud of yourself either treat yourself to something special (your favorite coffee perhaps) or do something just for yourself (have a homespa day or go to your favorite bookstore). In this edition of The Artichoke, you are going to get some advice from students on Creative Challenge “Burn Out”. You will be

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whisked away into dizzying worlds of many poems and stories; so many of which are written in anticipation of spring which is coming alive around us. You will also get to read about Captured@YorkU and read an interview with a student who has brought some beauty and positivity to campus. I hope you enjoy these beautiful creative pieces and take time to appreciate the stunning and artistic designs and the team that created them. One thing the pandemic, continuous lockdowns, and isolation has again demonstrated to me is that in hardship, beauty is still everywhere, you just have with so much beauty and growth. Being Editor-in-Chief of The Artichoke has been an honor. I hope you have a wonderful spring and summer, and don’t forget, do something kind for yourself. Kaila Gallacher (she/her) Editor-in-Chief

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HI WINTERS! CAN YOU BELIEVE it’s already April? It feels like September was just yesterday, and now the seasons slowly beginning to change, this issue of the Artichoke is here to cover all things spring, as well as March and April highlights like International Women’s Day, April Fools Day, and more! Working for the Artichoke has been a dream come true and I am so proud of every issue we’ve published this year. I want to give a huge shout-out to Kaila, Kalli, and Amelia, who are truly the best of the best. It has been an absolute pleasure to witness their dedication and creativity this year! Thank you to all the writers and designers who have contributed to each issue of the Artichoke this year as well, we couldn’t have done it without you. I know that this is one of the most stressful times of the school year, so I hope that this issue brings you a bit of joy and gives you the beauty of spring and the warmth of summer to look forward to! Take care, Hunter Weaymouth (he/him) Assistant Editor

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HELLO WINTERS! WE HAVE MADE it to our last issue. What acknowledge what a joy it has been to be on this team this year as well as see all the talent that has been represented within all writers, designers, and photographers have spent so much time and effort making sure each issue was better than the last. They have so much to be proud of! Though we are at such a busy point in our semester, I hope everyone is well and

down and enjoy our March/April issue and you can take something you love from this collection of artwork, writing, and photography. Congratulations to all the team members at the Artichoke for contributing to this issue, it came out amazing! And to all the readers, I hope you enjoy it! Amelia Calo (she/her) Social Media Coordinator

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HEY WINTERS! THIS ISSUE HAS been a long time coming, We hope you’ve had a wild right with us these past issues, and we are so sad to be parting ways. Our writers and designers hope you love reading it as much as we loved creating it. I am so thankful to be able to work with such an amazing team, Artichoke could not be the same without issue incorporates themes covering the past two months, from St Patricks, to April Fools, to end of year festivities. We are grateful that you can all take the time out of this busy season to sit back and enjoy Issue 6’s content. Hope you enjoy! Kalli Jones (she/her) Design Editor

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SOCUL

events MARCH 28 Word Night APRIL 1 Lounge Night APRIL 10 Classes End APRIL 30 SOCUL Formal

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CAPTURED@YORKU BY TINA WONG

JANUARY WENT BY For a while, York University was lacking a medium for students Anjali Rajput in 2020 with the goal of creating a common space for photographers to connect, develop new skills and share constructive ideas. In just a year’s time, the

Captured@YorkU aims to provide a safe and learning space for our photographers through our various workshops, photographic contests and volunteer events. All individuals are welcomed at any skill level, whether it is a hobby or advanced career and open participation is encouraged. Our main goal is to promote creativity within the club as we strive to provide many more opportunities in the future. In 2021, the club introduced videography in light of a new genre. Now, students

YorkU, we believe that anyone has the ability to share a powerful story through their lens. Therefore, we are grateful to be providing the opportunity to our beloved

Although the club is still relatively new, we have accomplished so much within the grown as a community and will continue to grow. We will continue to do our best in providing photographers with a creative community to spread their love for photography.

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BRINGING POSITIVITY TO CAMPUS: INTERVIEW WITH PEER MENTOR ZAHRA QUADRI

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ZAHRA IS THE CREATOR BEHIND THE WALL OF POSITIVITY, LOCATED IN THE CENTER FOR FINE ARTS LOBBY.

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BY ZAHRA QUADRI

COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? “I’m a 4th-year Visual Arts student. The peer mentor role was something I stumbled upon while looking for summer jobs during COVID in 2020. I’m deeply passionate about all

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH HOW YOUR PROJECT HAS BEEN GOING SO FAR? “I’m honestly so thrilled! It grew organically, voluntarily and spontaneously. I’m surprised at the response it received and we want to see it grow until the end of the term!”

languages and I’m obsessed with trying different coffees.”

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO BUILD THIS WALL? “The wall is in the lobby of the CFA (Centre for Fine Arts), you’ll see a collection of doodles on colourful papers stuck around the TV. As a part of Mental Health Week, the student mentoring team of Winters College decided to come up with a couple of events. Seeing how everyone is drained from Zoom calls and virtual events, I wanted to do something

de-stressing activity that students could do between their class breaks. “The wall sort of symbolizes unity and a shared understanding of the importance of the student body of the arts faculties to inspire and support each other through kind, funny and encouraging words and doodles.”

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THIS FANTASTIC ART AND MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT BRINGS TO THE YORKU COMMUNITY? “A sense of solidarity and support after everything students have gone through during COVID. Sometimes it’s good to feel like you can relate to someone else or that they’ve been in your shoes before. A lot of on campus and interacting with people, each individual feels like they’re being put on stage with a spotlight on them, this wall is meant to comfort them.”

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CREATIVE

STR E ET S TOWA R DS S PR I NG - ST. PATRICK’S DAY BY BEN O’CONNOR IT ALL BEGAN Wrapped up in woolen wear but still struck by chills Where the sun rarely reaches past the gloomy clouds, And here he stood all alone far from crying crowds. Yet to celebrate we need not seek such solitude We take to streets where the storm brewed dressed all in green Flowing through the towns, an emerald stream. Pushing past people in the middle of parade, sometimes watching, sometimes walking Calling out, all of us together on this day, to the boy in the hills who was in the gray.

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spring-summer musings BY LAURA BOURBONNAIS

SUNLIGHT STREAKS IN through my window as an offering, stroking my face with solace. from winter’s harshness, my stem and spirit, still chilled.

in my ever-growing garden, which I now tend to on my own, mom’s wisdom warning me that spring is a trickster, and frost can permeate whenever it so chooses, grandma silently scorning me for leaving my raincoat at home. But I’ll take the April rain over February greys, the mud puddles over the slush, the uncertainty over the monotonous routines, change over stagnance, loneliness over facades for friendship, despite discomfort.

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For now, I pack up my room, again, and plan for the rainy fall, somewhere new, looking forward to the sunscreen days of summer,

the refreshing feel of cold water on your goosebumped skin, the sharp sensation of that rock synonymous for our diving board against my back, the tickle of grassy patches of shade under century-old trees, and the smell of thrift store-bought books, the inevitable paper cuts and

speechless, the sunlight reassures, promising me growth, and newness.

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SHE BY HUNTER WEAYMOUTH

CREATIVE

She is not the warm summer’s eve, nor the majestic winter snowfall. She is a cool autumn day or rainy spring morning. She is a girl, afraid to be a woman. She wants a boy named Liam and a girl named Jade, but they’ll have to wait

She collects tattoos

She loves the sunrise, but hates to get up in the morning. She sometimes eats too much, and often talks too much, but she always wishes she could sleep too much.

She needs someone to need her, so she can need them too. She used to think there was no such thing as love. Now she’s not so sure. She doesn’t want to grow up, but she’s scared to stay young. She doesn’t believe in god, but she’d never admit it. Her kids will go to church because she loves Christmas. She is almost a woman, but always a girl.

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METAMORPHOSIS

MELANIE GAZVODA

CREATIVE

BY MELANIE GAZVODA

I SEE DERANGED layers of hate. Skeletal swarms, That whisper gossip in hushed tones,

Sometimes, I speak to my body in a larva language. Words fall between the slits in my sheathing, and my stomach becomes a cocoon of anguish. You have to make yourself

Does it hurt caterpillars to change? Beauty models say that being fragile is in. When will the kaleidoscope of bodies be bountiful enough to see that maybe caterpillars do not become chrysalis until they have had it? Why don’t we hunger for life?

eye. So, what if they spoke a secret language too? Whispering words infused with kindness More dulcet than how we talk to ourselves. How do we bloom? Encase in an assemblage Of silk people and come out okay. until they pump their wings full of love.

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A Feminine Matter BY SYDNEY MALLIA

WITH THE WHOLE WORLD IN HER HEAD, she heard the voices of her sisters. From a past long forgotten of women from the earth. Who knew better than she to question the fragility of fate. But the weight of hardship crushes the weakest. For she was anything but weak. A warrior in disguise.

***

She is the girl with the pearl earring looking back at you against the black, in luminous light, beckoning you to stay. A reverie of Athenian strength and wisdom, she cowers for no man. For she contains more courage in her heart than any creature on earth. A Frida Kahlo in a world of misjudgment. She is authentic and feminine, unapologetic of the natural and real. She is in every rush of summer wind. Every falling autumn leaf. Every winter sheet of ice. And every hope of warm spring. Made of matter from which we can only dream. She is woman, she is man, she is everything.

She is everything. She is everything.

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***

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w o m e en h t

in my li fe BY LAURA BOURBONNAIS

reminders she’s been thinking of me, one grandmother calls sporadically, asking for news, the other prays for my success daily, rosary in hand. my aunts shoulder each other’s pain, step in as second mothers when mine turns into a stranger, when the years start etching themselves onto their faces and yanking at their womanhood, becoming best friends with their stepchildren, my cousins’ ever-present cheerleaders. my cousins are the big sisters I never had, always ready to tell a story or travel, to ask me how I’m doing, really, looking after me from a distance. my grandmothers, caretakers, look after their partners long after they’ve gone, supportive, stepping in as second parents to us all as needed, bragging about us to their friends and family.

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they share their stories and anecdotes as life lessons, poking fun at me and how alike we are, opening their homes to all who matter to us, forgiving tenderly, even when they don’t understand our choices. my friends share meals and treats, and lend an ear, offering advice and laughs, they’re my home away from home, my late night conversations over tea, my binge buddies, my work-study partners, my anytime FaceTime, my mental health walk, my new favourite Spotify playlist. the women in my life work relentlessly, nurture and nourish, love and learn, don’t let anyone step on their feet, brave and bold and sometimes brash, never backing down from a challenge, encouraging me to do the same,

I’m so grateful to them.

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Breath

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BY KAILA GALLACHER

OPEN AIR cold skin we climb hiking is meditation on everything in the midst

thickets of unimaginable trees and impassable breadth beckon as you take a step and the forest comes alive with life refracting, living dying in the barest whisper of a word sunlight glimmers on green leaves

a solemn glare that pauses thought.

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DROP

OF THE SUN

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BY JULIA USHER

IF ONLY I had a drop of the sun, then I would shine brighter. They would notice me, and for a moment, but I would continue to glow. They would not know my name, only the golden hue shimmering down my spine and dilating my eyes, metaphorical and mesmerizing like a line of poetry. Poetry is the sun, the dark abyss, and everything in between. It can make you forget to breathe Poetry cannot be caged; it will always be free. Poetry is a cleanse of the mind and soul, it says goodbye while I say hello. It changes my perception and guides me in the right direction; poetry can never be wrong,

Caught in a thunderstorm of my raging thoughts, I watch them pour. The sun then pierces the unrelenting gray

as the words shine bright before my eyes,

Poetry has the power to make billions stop and listen, blinding the world by making us see. It is what we need in times of darkness and celebration alike. Poetry is in all of us, a drop of the sun just waiting to be released.

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CELEBRATIONS CELEBRATIONSOF OFLIFE LIFE BY LAURA BOURBONNAIS

ON THE FIRST sunny day of spring, dad was on the phone with mom. She was in Montreal, feeding grand-papa yogurt, changing his sheets, and echoing the palliative nurse’s words: Anytime now.

looked like he’d just run circles around the carpet in his socks. Seconds later, Henri was nudging me out of the way to grab his boots. He purposely stepped on my sneakers’ heels while gelling his wet hair back and I elbowed him. He checked his braces were clean in the mirror before swinging his school bag over his shoulder. “See ya, loser!” He opened the door, his bus driver honking. I cleared my throat, “Told you you’d forget.” He turned around, embarrassed, “Happy Birthday, papa.”

“We should do something for him before my sleepover,” I suggested. “You won’t have a party,” he retorted.

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I crossed my arms, “It’s already planned.” Henri scoffed before heading outside, running down the driveway. I checked my watch. Another hour. I wandered outside, around the side of the house towards my arts and crafts table. I card. I was swirling blues and greens and yellows. “Ève!”

dropped the card onto the table and headed inside to the sunroom.

gotten them under control this year. I stood still for a second too long. He was already back with a bucket and towels. “Again?” I managed. Dad bit back a sigh, waving me away. “Can you check?” I went into the basement. My ankles were submerged before I reached the sun pump.

CELEBRATIONS CELEBRATIONSOF OFLIFE LIFE

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CELEBRATIONS CELEBRATIONSOF OFLIFE LIFE

“Dad!” Days later, at grand-maman’s, I swerved past wrinkled faces trading stories about grand-papa’s heart condition, the irony of him passing on April 1 at 1:11 PM in room though the thought eased their grief. The moth ball stench was stronger than ever as

“Take this.” Grand-maman repeated to everyone she passed by, plopping clothes into their arms. I was quietly inching towards the bathroom when I heard grand-maman once more, her hands temporarily empty. “10 AM. April 4th.” My head snapped up. When I found mom, I tugged on her arm. “My sleepover party. I can’t miss it,” I told her. Mom waved me away, “Your friends will understand.”

Mom pulled me into a corner.

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I nodded, looking down, feeling stupid and whiny. “But it’s my tenth birthday,” I muttered, my voice small. I headed back towards the bathroom before catching mom checking over her calendar on her cellphone. I smiled. Two days later, I was giggling over popcorn and Nancy Drew, the opened gifts strewn around my bedroom when mom knocked, ushering me over. We’re leaving early tomorrow. Lights off,” she warned. Mom crossed her arms before I could complain. I turned off the lights, minutes later, shushing my chatty friends. At sunrise, mom’s friend Jeanne came in to make breakfast and distribute goodie bags while we snuck out, black dresses hidden behind colourful spring coats. “They’ll wake up and I won’t be there. And they don’t know her. It’s weird.” I was embarrassed. Mom squeezed my hand. “I told their parents,” she reassured me.

CELEBRATIONS CELEBRATIONSOF OFLIFE LIFE

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CELEBRATIONS CELEBRATIONSOF OFLIFE LIFE

Mom had lost her dad, yet I could only think about how I was missing my own party. After the funeral, stranger after stranger stuck their hand out, glancing over our name tags to identify who we were to grand-papa. I repeated “granddaughter” in French and English so many times, it lost its meaning. Twenty minutes in, a shiny grey-haired lady shook my hand. “My condolences,” she told me. The words hung between us, dissipating before I could claim them. Henri elbowed me, whispering, “Aunt Danielle. She didn’t talk to grandpa anymore.” I repeated her words back to her, and she smiled shakily before bursting into tears. Unconsciously, I clasped her sweaty hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back.

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Henri took over and I snuck towards the refreshment table, scanning the strange black-clad bodies bustling around, bonding over the loss of someone I barely knew. A stranger. Dad joined me, squeezing my shoulder. “Happy Birthday,” he told me. Mom and I locked eyes from across the room, her face red and puffy from crying. My eyes watered.

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FINAL EXAMS LOOMING, HO YOU KEEP YO MOTIVATED?

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S ARE OW DO OURSELF ? BY PAULINO GARDEL

AS THE END of the school-year-term is approaching, you are probably beginning to feel the stress already. If you have done

yourself, but if you did not do so well, you are probably beginning to doubt yourself, perhaps you are even feeling a bit hopeless. Do not worry, we know how you feel which is why we want to share some tips and tricks to staying motivated until the end.

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far, or not, you still have to work hard until succeed in this semester. Just because you have kept good grades up till now, does not mean you are not in danger of tripping and falling down what feels like the cliff lower-grades. Keep in mind because it will carry all the materials you’ve seen so far, which means you have to review it all. So, what can you do to do to cope, stay focused, and stay motivated toward the

to maintain a certain level of GPA in order to graduate or to continue in their program. So, you need to think “what impact will it have on your academic goals”, if you suddenly fail a course, or if Note that a healthy GPA will guarantee assistance. But, if you fail, even if you simply do poorly in a course, it could assistance. Once your GPA drops down, the desired level. Second, do not procrastinate.

First, and most importantly, look at your GPA. You need to consider your GPA as the most precious incentive to motivate yourself. Why? Because for most programs, students are required

The biggest mistake that students do, is to postpone their reading for tomorrow. Then, what happens if you have an

studying as you had planned. This is a fact, sudden events can come out of

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nowhere, and the consequences for you can be devastating. Furthermore, procrastination can have a negative psychological effect on your mentality, so, avoiding it, will keep you motivated because you will be able to concentrate.

points that are being offered to you.

which is essential for your success in the course. Your goal is grabbing the biggest number possible, so, avoid simple things like passing the deadline for online work

deduct points accordingly. To prevent this, many students will work all night long last chance to make up for lost marks. Starting ahead of the deadline is the way to ensure this does not happen to

you. Keep in mind also that professors appreciate students who turn in their work on time. This can work in your favour.

be arduous for students. So, how do you self-care throughout it all without suffering burnout? This is where time management skills come into play. Time management is a great approach that allows you to ration your time sensibly to your daily activities. An inability to properly manage time will create a shortage of time in your schedule. Being mindful that a scarcity of time will push you to work harder, but that it may trigger symptoms of burnout; which is something you want to avoid at all costs. Your brain needs to be fresh on your

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DIYs AN SCAL NIGHT

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ND THE LPING TMARE BY JOSHUA CEA

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PERSONAL PROJECTS HAVE been a great way of spending time during the lockdowns. From investing to home repair projects, people have had more time to focus on what But, not all DIYs are the same, and since the pandemic started, there has been scarce supplies and a rise of product scalping by

as weight plates and dumbbells have been

driven up by retailers and scalpers in order to take advantage of the shortages and the rising demand for such items. Recently, I’ve been searching to build a PC, but as it turns out, this hobby has been one of many that have been hit. Scarce components have been an issue due to a strained supply chain and the A couple of years ago, building a PC was more convenient and economical than spending on gaming consoles during their whole seems more out of reach for people like myself wanting to get into PC building. After doing some research, graphic card manufacturers such as Nvidia have had their latest GPU scalped, and electronic stores such as Best Buy have implemented a long waiting list for those eager to purchase these items. Similarly, the Playstation 5, which was released in November of 2020, has been

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its regular sales price. Yet, as I dug in further in my research, I found out to my surprise that Cryptocurrency has played a big part in the GPU shortage. In essence, “Crypto-Mining” is a way to validate transactions of the anonymous users who use cryptocurrency. As bitcoin is decentralized, it relies on the use of individuals who with enough GPUs can in essence help bitcoin create “hashes” (passing data through currencies anonymous. This has essentially transformed the initial purpose of what GPUs were meant to do, as crypto mining has GPUs. On eBay alone, used GPUs that came out in 2018 are marked up more than what they were initially purchased for even though its obsolete tech. It’s no secret that PC gaming was seen in the gaming community as elite, but now with the current shortages, modern gaming has seen a surge of shortages in supply and demand. Prices have been in disarray, currently long waits for simple purchases have been an issue that has been dragging on since 2020. Building a PC as a hobby now GPUs ranging well above 1k, it has prevented newcomers like myself from entering the time. While the shortage would seem like a

GPU manufacturers, it has been quite the opposite. Given the vast demand and scarcity of such items, Nvidia stated that in 2020 they had seen a 50% rise in demand since the previous year, generating more money for both the company and their shareholders. While looking and doing my research before any attempt to purchase any parts in such a scarce market, I essentially came to realize that I have been outpriced by both the scalpers and the GPU companies. Pre-ordering online has been a complete nightmare, as anyone who has ever tried to place an order can tell you, “computer” bots will always out gun you even before you even lay down your credit card information. dedicating time on the things you enjoy, but for others such as myself, it seems like a way to become more frustrated by being simply out priced out and out matched by your average scalper.

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ODD AND UNUSUAL RARITIES OF

THE TORONTO BOOK SCENE

LIFESTYLE BY KAILA GALLACHER ONE OF THE many, many things I have missed during lockdowns has been my weekend ritual of grabbing a frothy oat latte and going Book-Adopting. By that, I mean that I have missed going to used and rare bookstores, looking through the stacks and shelves, and whittling away Saturday afternoons in one or more of my favourite Toronto Rare and Used bookstores. Keeping in mind the reopening of many places of business, here are three rare Toronto Bookstores you are going to want to check out.

“

There is nothing quite like spending at least part of your weekend in a bookstore.

The Monkey’s Paw 1067 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H 1M5 “The Monkey’s Paw is a Toronto antiquarian shop specializing in uncommon books and paper artifacts from the age of print. The Monkey’s Paw stocks a diverse variety of 20th-century printed matter, with special emphasis on visual culture; obsolete opinions and technologies; book you didn’t know you were looking for.”

the book you didn’t know you were looking for, and probably a few others, just like their website says. Another fantastic thing about this bookshop is that it is home to the Biblio-Mat—the world’s

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Balfour Books 468 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1A1 “Appealing, Antique, Eclectic, Artistic, and Toronto’s best choice for used books in like-new condition, now at a new location!” Two things you need to know about Balfour Books right off the bat: you will most wandering through the various aisles, led through each by the narrow aisles. Whenever you walk into this book you immediately feel cozy as books almost overpopulate the shelves around you. The only drawback to this store, from what I remember, is that due to the narrow aisles, it isn’t the most accessible.

“

The prices here are great and they have an amazing—dazzling really—selection of books.

“

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The Scribe Bookstore 375 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1P1 “The store opened in the beginning of March 2021, gathering a surprising amount of attention in the

perfect collectible read!” The Scribe Bookstore is one of Toronto’s newest antique bookstores and it is on a mission to change the way people see antique books. It aims to inspire a new generation of antique book collectors and share with people the joy of collecting rare books. The selection they carry is fantastic—if you any need further evidence

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BURNOUT: RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS AND PREVENT IT IN YOUR LIFE

BY PAULINO GARDEL

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of Maria is interesting. She had just lost her job where she worked for 10 years. But Maria was very optimistic about her future and enrolled in four courses. She knew it was a lot, but being a hardworking person, took the chance. Maria immediately

joy would not last for long. Soon, she began to have strange feelings of discomfort. What does it mean to you? I asked Maria

tiredness, restlessness, and sleeplessness which prevented me from keeping up with my studying,” she said. Keep in mind, there are various symptoms to watch for. However, if you are having these kinds of feelings, which are signs of burnout, you are going to be almost function-less. It means you have overworked your body and/or your mind. Perhaps you are working or going to university, on top of that, you have family matters. In Maria’s case, she did not know what was going on with her, but it was a terrifying feeling. What do you do to recover? First, you have When your body is not happy, it tells you that. “In

one evening after I had read four chapters…I thought I was going to have a brain stroke,” Maria misdiagnose, but if ignored, they can have longer devastating effects. Luckily, that afternoon Maria made a good

TODAY, WE ARE of burnout. What is it? If we are talking about a machine, it would mean the machine’s motor stopped working as a result of a failure of one of its components. Similarly, if we are talking about a human being, it would mean that a vital element inside the body is hurt, which will take you to a state in which your physical or mental capacity weakens. Therefore, you feel emotionally sick. This

abandon my studies, so I stopped right away. That’s days I felt refreshed, then, I knew that it was my brain that was almost screaming at me, but I spoke to my doctor anyway,” she said. What Maria did was great; she listened to her body. If you encounter burnout when you are working or studying, stop whatever you are doing, take a day off, and talk to your doctor. Some people will ignore a headache, but your health matters, and you will feel better after chatting with your health professional. How can you avoid it? I asked Maria how to

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"WHAT DO YOU D FIRST, YOU HAVE LISTEN TO YOUR PROACTIVE. WHE NOT HAPPY, IT TE avoid the signs of burnout, and she said, “You have to do something yourself, I found out that there was a workshop called ‘time management’ offered by my university, I took it and put it in practice. I learned to manage my time, preventing burnout.” If you are enough time for yourself, time management is an important strategy that helps reduce stress. It involves taking serious considerations about your daily activities and managing them astutely. If you are suffering from have to take drastic actions to prevent it from becoming an ongoing problem in your life because the longer it

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DO TO RECOVER? E TO LEARN TO BODY. NEXT, BE EN YOUR BODY IS ELLS YOU THAT "

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AN IPHONE NOTE FROM A FRIDAY IN NOVEMBER BY THANH THONG DANG

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Notes Notes Notes TO YOU: AND

i see you seeing other people and idk, i just feel numb. i do now, so i suppose it didn’t hit as hard. Like i said, i should’ve ended it much sooner. i wanted love, you didn’t. When one is too blindly seeking love, they can’t accept the fact that the love they were looking for wasn’t love. That’s my lesson for the day. It’s all for the best right? It is. i want it to be. fragileness of your soul and only then can you learn to be stronger. i hope we can both feel happy the way i once was with you for that short period of time. i was too childish, and i wish i was more mature. i cant tell what that means just yet. But for now, that means moving forward with clarity. i do not wish to be friends with you for the time being because i want to get over you. And i will. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference , and that takes time to acquire. i don’t want to be friends not because i hate you but because i can’t let that spark ignite again. Not when there’s still ember burning in my heart. The coziness of your warmth made it easy to forget the piercing sensation of solitude. That’s why it was so hard for me to accept. But i have to. Because i want to be happy again. Be happy. That’s for you and for me. With sincere love,

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BURNOUT AND PESSIMISM, BY JOSHUA CEA

OUR CHALLENGE WITH burnout is not something new, for a matter of fact I would even suggest that we are prepared from a young age to deal with it. In high school we are rigorously tested at the end of every semester, enduring nerveseemed never ending. At some point, for most of us, this meant having the summer off or being stuck in school for two more months. Yet high school also is “a make-or-break scenario” as I personally knew a couple of classmates that dropped out and never looked back. So understandably, by the time you reach university and college it becomes normal four years studying, researching, and preparing for midterms. But that was the archaic past, as the world has drastically changed in the wake of the pandemic. With online schooling becoming from in-class to a strictly hybrid environment. Now with social media and the advent of online education, we might as well now be the last generation growing up as children. Now burdened with stress and social burned out by a drastically changed environment. Less high school students are enrolling into higher education and would rather opt out all together. In the

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LIVING WITH CONSTRAINTS face of urban decay of our city streets, high rates of depression, low quality of life, and unemployment, there is little to no incentive for those in high school to pursue a degree when there is little to no opportunities offered during these unprecedented times. Burnout has encompassed and transcended into more than just a feeling, it has become a general staple of our times.

sentiments and thoughts in the crisis we are living through. When meeting new people boils down to an app on a phone,

job is essentially work-from-home, what kind of lives are we truly living? What younger generation of children if we live precariously glued to a screen with no ambition or pursuits. People feel more constrained socially, morally, and economically. The price of living has gone up, yet the minimum wage has stagnated. When people are out-priced from buying a house, when just the sheer rent payment

barely living the modest lifestyle we were promised since grade school. Burnout and disillusionment have been the daily routine of many of our lives as we struggle to adapt and overcome a general pessimism that prevails and ultimately dominates our current reality.

THOUGHTS ON NEW YORK FASHION WEEK AND CLAIMING FASHION AS YOUR OWN BY KATHLEEN NEWTON

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Fashion is an industry that has always had glaring issues barriers to participating at all are so high that often it feels like we are left out of the conversation entirely. And to be clear, I’m not saying that if you love fashion but feel like your body barrs AS I WRITE I am juggling the all too familiar stress of too many projects and too little time to complete them. But my daily routine of chasing emails, frantic essay writing, and production meetings are accompanied by the background symphony of shitty EDM fashion show music, celebrity interviews, and travel vlogs by youtubers whose personalities won them tickets to some of the Fashion Week, baby! Fashion, especially High Fashion, is one of those things I’ve always felt a bit silly for loving as much as I do. We can blame internalised misogyny, that certainly plays a role, but as I watch model after model march down the runway I realise that my internalised fat phobia has more of a role to play in my complicated emotions around this event than anything else. The irony is that we are living in an age where diversity in the modelling industry is better than it ever has been, yet in diversity of size the majority of labels are still woefully a standard of size that society deems acceptable. And this

to sew in a crazy but determined effort to reclaim the freedom

make my own clothes has taught me surprising lessons about my body, trend culture, and consumerism. Firstly, that there are no wrong bodies. Only wrong clothes. Maybe this is too obvious a platitude, but when I tell you that

I had been fearful of wearing so many things for so long occurred to me that the clothes were the problem and not me. body types than others is a damaging lie that well-meaning people tell you. Throughout history it was the norm for clothes to be cut and shaped in ways that would give the wearer the illusion of

size-bias against bodies has far reaching consequences. If, like me, you grew up outside the scale of straight sized crying in changing rooms, constantly negotiating between and realising at almost 24 that you never developed a sense of personal style because the options available to you were so limited.

huge shift towards casual wear and suddenly the attention shifted from clothes to the bodies that were wearing them. Simply put; if you hate the way an article of clothing looks on you it is not because your body is wrong for it. It’s because the designer did a bad job.

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Secondly, trend culture creates a myth of scarcity and the fear of missing out in our videos on Tik Tok, and celebrity instagrams basically being marketing pages for designers, all contribute to the sense that everyone is in on a trend that the rest of us are missing out on.

Finally, fashion is terrible for the environment.

Then, by the time you’re watching them on your screen, and incorporating a trend into your wardrobe, the trendy crowd has already moved onto something else. In reality, there are maybe twelve ways to cut and sew together fabric to create a unique silhouette on the human body. Everything else is decoration.

tell you is that learning to make my own clothing has taught me the value of labour and the value of resources.

I know, you’re shocked. I won’t bore you with the consequences of over consuming clothing or regale you with descriptions of

Every article of clothing I make represents the water and land printed the fabrics, not to mention dozens of hours of work put

This is the reason that it is nearly impossible for designers to copyright their designs - because clothing is universal and As long as we live in a society that discourages public nudity, repetitive. everyone needs to wear clothes. And those clothes should be accessible, take it from the person feverishly sewing buttonups in between zoom lectures, but the desire and demand for cheap clothing only feeds the system of mass over-production Far from disappointing me, this realisation felt liberating. logically, but now I have the hours (and the pin stab-wounds) My goal moving forward is to wear the clothes I already to prove it. own until I wear them out, and slowly replace them with a wardrobe of handmade things in classic silhouettes, informed by trends, that feels mindfully curated and more myself than any trend could make me feel.

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Fashion is beautiful. It’s a form of art. But most people don’t actively think about the implications of the trends and stereotypes for marginalised bodies. Luckily, I think this is changing and more and more people are empowered to them. In time, I hope that one day I can watch a New York fashion show and not feel saddened by the lack of body diversity represented on the runway. It hasn’t happened yet, but collectively we’re getting closer to that being a reality. Happy spring fashion season Winters!