Feb. 4 – Feb. 19, 2014
George Brown seeks increase for Enhanced Technology fee P.2
Student Association to renovate Casa Loma student centre P.4
LOVE & Sex positions for the adventurous P.6 I never thought it would happen to me P.9 Too drunk to fuck P.8 GBC Student Newspaper • Founded 1982
NEWS February 4 –19, 2014
George Brown seeks increase for Enhanced Technology fee TINA TODARO STAFF REPORTER
George Brown College (GBC) students may be seeing an increase in the enhanced technology fee come September 2014. Speaking at the Student Association (SA) board meeting on Dec. 21, John Hardy, director of educational resources for academic services & student affairs said, “our objective is to create a multi-year strategy that keeps you current with the emerging friends of technology in a learning environment, that reflects your voice and responsibility in creating a student computing environment.” Currently sitting at $110 for two semesters since 2003, according to a presentation by the college shown at the SA board meeting, GBC currently charges the third lowest fees in Ontario slightly above Boreal and Confederation who charge $100 a year. The current average technology fee for a college in the GTA is $189 according to Hardy.
According to Hardy, the college is proposing that the fee increase by 20 per cent per year for the next three years until GBC’s fee is at the median annual technology fee for a college in the GTA. According to the presentation by Hardy students would see the following fee increases: • Year one: an increase of $11 per semester or $132 for two semesters. • Year two: an increase of $13 per semester or $158 for two semesters. • Year three: an increase of $16 per semes ter or $189 for two semesters. After that Hardy says fees would be set at, “a maximum cap set at cost-of-living plus five per cent until the median is achieved and maintained.” This proposal would apply to all fulltime students but has been tabled by the SA for more research. Funded by the enhanced technology fee, the college’s presentation outlined their hopes of creating mobile-friendly campuses,
THE DIALOG IS... Managing Editor Mick Sweetman News Editor Preeteesh Peetabh Singh Art Director/Illustrator Samantha Bullis Multimedia Reporter Danilo Barba Staff Reporters Alena Khabibullina Tina Todaro Contributors Jason Miller Halley Requena-Silva Follow us on Social Media! Facebook.com/thedialogonline Twitter: @thedialogonline
The cost of producing a monthly newspaper is in part defrayed by advertising revenue and largely subsidized by the Student Association. Occasionally, some advertisers, products and services do not reflect the policies of the Student Association. Opinions expressed in The Dialog are not necessarily those of The Dialog Collective, the Student Association of George Brown College, or its editorial staff. The Dialog will not publish any material that attempts to incite violence or hatred against individuals or groups, particularly based on race, national origin, ethnicity, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. Contributions to T he Dialog are always welcome. We request that articles be submitted as digital copies in plain-text (TXT) or richtext (RTF) format. Letters to the editor can be sent in an email message to dialog@georgebrown.ca. Images should be in EPS format as vector images or TIF format (Mac or PC).
Drop by or contact The Dialog at: Room E122 - Casa Loma 142 Kendal Avenue Toronto, ON M5R 1M3 www.dialog.studentassociation.ca Tel: 416-415-5000 ext. 2764 Fax: 416-415-2491 dialog@georgebrown.ca The Dialog newspaper is published by The Dialog Collective under the auspices of the Student Association of George Brown College. The collective is responsible for the overall vision and direction of The Dialog newspaper, as it coincides with the larger vision of mission of the Student Association.
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The Dialog is published by the Student Association of George Brown College
The Dialog is a member of CUP, the Canadian University Press
providing students with an additional 1,000 workstations – local printers and scanners, improve wireless connections across all campuses, and expanding technology-supported collaborative learning facilities in the Library Learning Commons (LLC). “The first week of April is when the student computing strategy proposal will be presented to the board of governors,” said Mohammad Ali Aumeer, director of Education and Equity for the SA. “Although, before it gets to the board of governors, it must be approved by the SA.” Extending the hours of the library, which now closes no later than 10 p.m. at the major campuses and earlier at the smaller ones, is on the list of changes along with fixing the Wi-Fi across Casa Loma, St. James and Waterfront campuses. “Changes would also need to be made to security and safewalk hours,” said Niko Dilawri, the SA’s business representative. “A committee has been formed which will
address these issues as currently the college would currently be held responsible if something were to happen to a student after leaving the college during late or early hours.” Pending approval from the SA, the college will have to wait for a verdict.
Ringing in the Lunar New Year at GBC TINA TODARO STAFF REPORTER
The lion dance washed out the old year, and brought a new one as people celebrated the Lunar New Year’s at George Brown College (GBC) on Jan. 30. Ian Chow, a Chinese cultural dancer at Northern Legs Southern Fists said, “the lion dance, in the Chinese culture, symbolizes prosperity. So as the lion is dancing, he is scaring away evil spirits and bringing us all good luck for the upcoming year. Traditionally the lion dances at the New Year, but in this day and age the lion dances all-year round.” “The difference between the dragon and the lion is that the dragon is a guardian or protector so he has a little bit more power and strength with an aggressive fighting spirit,” said Chow. “The lion is a more friendly character, and in the Chinese culture he unites all people.” The Student Association (SA) inter-tribal club showcased their cultures to students with food, fun and information. Set up in the career centre, this was a chance for all students to learn something new. Taking part in the showcase were students representing the Chinese, Aboriginal, and Latin cultures.
“The Aboriginal culture is one of the important and historical cultures in Canada, so I would like to let our international and domestic students know/remind that SA of GBC has inter-tribal club, and we support every club too,” said Jean Yen Han, International Student representative. “I wish we can see more diversity events in GBC.” Yen Han, says she wants all students to embrace other cultures, while feeling comfortable and enjoying the college experience. Student Association’s aboriginal constituency rep, Coty Zachariah said, “This is the Chinese lunar event, but I am very much in support of the international constituency at George Brown College.” As GBC is currently home to students from over 100 countries, this event helped international students to raise awareness of different cultures in the college. “The international student centre is putting on the event, but it’s a good chance for other clubs or services to showcase their services, it’s also good for outreach,” said Zachariah. Striving to provide students with more cultural awareness, the inter-tribal student club will be holding a general information meeting on Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. in the Sahkitcheway Student Centre, room 562D.
Correction: In our Jan. 21 article,“OSAP break for Pan Am Games volunteering ‘a little bit ridiculous’”, CFS-O Chairperson Alastair Woods identified MCTU Deputy Minister Deborah Newman as being at the recent CFS-O meeting. It was, in fact, Assistant Deputy Minister Nancy Naylor who was questioned by students from northern Ontario. The Dialog regrets the error.
DAILY CHECK UP February 4 –19, 2014
February 4 –19, 2014 MONDAY
TUESDAY 4
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Winterlicious Jan. 31–Feb. 13, various times Various locations. See toronto.ca/ winterlicious for details.
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Olympic Bash 7–11 p.m. Advance tickets for GBC students $15, $25 at the door. The Ballroom Bowl, 145 John St.
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Pridehouse Toronto Winter Games Lounge Feb 8–13, 4–10 p.m. daily Free outdoor viewing of the Sochi Olympics for you and your LGBTQ+ friends at Ryerson U, Victoria and Gould. pridehouseto.ca.
Bees, Pollinators and Insect Wonders 6:30 p.m. OCAD U, 230 Richmond W. Free lecture.
Last day to withdraw from a course or from an entire program (Winter 2014 Term)
Don't hate the media, become the media. -Jello Biafra
PLAR submission deadline for Spring 2014 term
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Rock Her World 7:30–9:30 p.m. $35. Workshop for all genders. Come As You Are, 493 Queen W.
A Night on the Boardwalk 7–10 p.m. Fundraiser at Revival Bar, 783 College St. $20 students, $25 others
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CBC Connects Wednesdays, 12–1 p.m. CBC Broadcasting Atrium, 250 Front St. W. Free.
FRIDAY 7
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GBC Board of Governors Meeting 5:30 p.m. Waterfront Boardroom, Room 721
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Spotlight On Israeli Culture Various times, prices, and venues between Feb 1 and March 31 spotlightonisraeliculture.com
THURSDAY 6
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Family Day at TIFF TIFF Bell Lightbox, 50 King W.
WEDNESDAY
Les Femmes Fatales Valentine Burlesque Show 9 p.m. Feb 13 and 14 $13 sliding scale. Unit 2, 163 Sterling
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Ladies Night: Kings Lounge 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Kings Lounge, St. James. Come to the Kings Lounge for a fully pamper ed experience with themed drinks and free manicures
Toronto Swing Dance Society 8 p.m. Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor W.
Make your voice heard and see your work published in print and online in The Dialog! We are looking for both paid staff and volunteers to fill the following roles: • • • • • •
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Staff Reporter Sports Reporter News Contributors Arts & Life Contributors Opinion & Humour Contributors Photo & Video Contributors Have another idea? Pitch it to us!
For more information on these opportunities and more about how you can get involved with The Dialog, check out dialog.studentassociation.ca.
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NEWS February 4 –19, 2014
GBC grad Avish Sood spins passion for sports into dream career ALENA KHABIBULLINA STAFF REPORTER
No need to blame the current economy for the high unemployment rate. Apparently only those who can market themselves survive! The story of a recent George Brown College (GBC) graduate Avish Sood, 23, speaks for itself. “Recently, I’ve been receiving a lot of success while in the sport and event marketing program. I have been chosen as one of the top 10 sports business student professionals in North America by the University of Michigan. Would love to chat about it.” This was the message I got in my inbox from Sood. This self-promoting email didn’t leave bad feelings; on the contrary I was dying to meet this guy who seemed to have more initiative than his peers. With the confidently relaxed energy of success Sood met my expectations at his new workplace at the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. After completing his bachelor in commerce degree from University of Toronto (UofT), Sood got his postgrad at GBC and is currently taking an online course from the University of Virginia while participating in numerous North American sport conferences and other sport-related events. As a young and rising professional in sports business Sood already obtained multiple honours and awards on his shelf: Big Initiative Award from University of Michi-
gan (Oct. 2013), Eigth Annual Ivy Sports Symposium of Harvard University handbook participant (Nov. 2013), and an award from sportsnetworker.com. Growing up playing basketball, Sood discovered different sides of his favorite game while arranging his first sports industry conference at UofT, which is the largest students’ run sports conference in Canada. It had about 260 students attend last year. “Growing up I always saw ads of Samsung, Panasonic or whatever company it
Make yourself an expert in one area, rather than being a jack of all trades. was, and I wondered why they were paying so much money to be involved with NBA or NHL?” said Sood. “While I was in university I started a sports marketing conference with the couple of friends. And we pretty much made all the brand development, all the marketing efforts, all the sponsorship.” “We started it from scratch with zero money. I enjoyed what I was doing as I got to deal with different kinds of professionals, not only in sports but also in all facets of marketing, business and finance,” said Sood. Tying his interest in sports to business,
Sood worked as a junior accountant at Rogers Sportsnet (previously Score Television Network) and later on did a prolonged coop at the Toronto Blue Jays. “I decided to use my financial background as a strength when applying for jobs in marketing,” said Sood. “So rather than a typical four months co-op I did eight and half months because of the length of baseball season. I worked at the sponsorship side of the business, making sales presentations for directors, for new pitches, for recaps. I decided to stay there full-time. Once I graduated from GBC, I got the current job.” Being given lots of responsibilities at his young age Sood believes that he is in right place at the right time. “My first day I was doing a presentation and my boss wants to see how I go on the fly,” he said. “I really like the fact that it’s the largest scale event that Toronto has ever seen, it’s the biggest multi-sport event ever held in Canada. I want to take this experience to learn the sponsorship side, how it is to handle such a big event, go to the client side and see what their expectations are.” Keeping an eye on technology and staying tech savvy, a month ago Sood and his friend Darryn Renaud launched an online resource, The Sponsorship Space, dedicated to sports sponsorship trends in North America. The project is doing great as in short time it has already got about 40 CEO’s regularly following it around the world. “The way I see it: if you want to go to a
certain field, you want to go there full-heartedly,” said Sood. “You want to make sure that all your background is in one aspect of the business. Make yourself an expert in one area, rather than being a jack of all trades. So when opportunity comes up, it’s yours.” Below: Avish Sood shows off his Big Initiative Award from the University of Michigan in Oct. 2013.
PHOTO: MICHIGAN SPORT BUSINESS CONFERENCE
Student Association to renovate Casa Loma student centre TINA TODARO STAFF REPORTER
The Student Association (SA) of George Brown College (GBC) is planning renova-
tions of the Casa Loma Student Centre. “The Student Association is open to striking a balance of as many recommendations and desires as possible,” said Ali Shahid, the SA director of public rela-
The Casa Loma student centre currently has tables and chairs bolted to the ground which makes it difficult to use the space for events.
PHOTO: PREETEESH PEETABH SINGH/THE DIALOG
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tions. “We want the best for our students with what we can afford.” After previous consultations with architects from Architecture Counsel Inc. (ACI) and Educational Consulting Services (ECS), the need for a functional space was proposed by construction and engineering education centre rep. Thomas Hadwen at the SA board of directors meeting on Dec. 3. The proposals approved by the SA board authorized $36,300 for the technical work by ACI while the consultations by ECS are $23,000 plus HST. The Master Space Agreement between the SA and GBC outlines the college’s requirement that it be consulted about future renovation plans. It also states that, “In exchange for this contribution, the college agrees to absorb the outstanding claims that it has put forward to the SA resulting from change orders for the constructions of the existing Casa Loma Student Centre initiated by the Student Association in the amount of approximately $300,000.”
Currently the Student Centre maintains its original appearance from the previous construction, and now the SA is looking into renovating to provide a more functional and transactional space. The World Cafe will be held on Feb. 5 and 6 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Casa Loma Student Centre in room E114. To register, go to studentassociation.ca under the SA spaces section. The focus groups with students are intended to determine what they want to see at Casa Loma, obtain student feedback, ideas and concerns about the renovations. Consisting of no more than 40 people in groups of eight, “the World Cafe will have students from all programs and courses,” said Casa Loma campus director Nicolas Kiriakou. The intent is to help the architects create a design using the students’ ideas and opinions on what they believe their campus should look like.
SPORTS February 4 –19, 2014
GBC dodgeball team takes second place, dragon boat team warns others to ‘watch out’ ALENA KHABIBULLINA STAFF REPORTER
George Brown College (GBC) students showed decent results in the less talked about sports like dodgeball and dragon boat racing. GBC’s dodgeball team came in second place at a dodgeball tournament held at the St. James gym on Jan. 23, losing 4-2, to the Humber Lakeshore team in the finals. “Humber has a very solid, almost professional-like dodgeball team; they are highly skilled and technical,” said athletics and recreation co-ordinator, Courtney Warren. Despite some hiccups the team rallied together, strategized accordingly and came out with some big wins along the way. Due to conflicting academic and work schedules, it was impossible for the team to practice together at one time. So practices were
sporadic with low intensity. “The GBC team performed impressively,” said Warren. “Considering how little the team practiced together, they came together and gelled as a team beautifully. In true GBC style as the team was open to letting a few new players participate to have some fun and be involved.” While GBC’s dodgeball team was trying to hit opposing players with rubber balls, other students competed with paddles. Members of newly created dragon boat club showed great promise in the second annual Ontario University Indoor Dragon Boat championship held on Jan. 18, which had over 100 participants from eight university teams. Hosted by Ryerson University and P3 Paddle Zone inside the Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens), the event was a preview as to how other teams
were training during the off-season. Based on individual time and physical training the paddlers were competing on ergometers – machines which provide a unique realistic simulation of paddling on water, demonstrating the distance while racing. “I am extremely pleased with their rankings,” said Lisa Tai, club supervisor and coach. “I wanted my paddlers to compete so I have an idea what their current dragon boat paddling skill level is. We still have three more months of off-season training. This showing definitely will boost our motivation to compete better. Other university dragon boat teams need to watch out,” said Tai. GBC fitness and health promotion program students, Keith Wan and Rachelle Alcide-Dionne proved their motivation to win during the summer season, getting a better time in 200 meters distance.
Sports Score Updates
Women’s Basketball George Brown 64 Loyalist 42 George Brown 78 Fleming 15 Men’s Basketball George Brown 91 Loyalist 67 George Brown 87 St. Lawrence 69 George Brown 96 Fleming 62 Women’s Volleyball Durham 3 George Brown 0 Algonquin 3 George Brown 0 Men’s Volleyball Durham 3 George Brown 0 Algonquin 3 George Brown 1 Women’s Indoor Soccer Annual Conestoga Condor Alumni Tournament George Brown 3 Centennial 1 Alumni 3 George Brown 2 George Brown 7 Canadore 0 Semi Final: George Brown 1 Laurier 0 Final: Sheridan 2 George Brown 0 Men’s Indoor Soccer Annual Conestoga Condor Alumni Tournament Centennial 3 George Brown 2 Alumni 2 George Brown 0 George Brown 4 Canadore 1
Follow us online for access to expanded content, breaking news, contests, & more. TWEET @thedialogonline GBC Huskies dodgeball players huddle and psych themselves up before a game.
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PHOTO: ALENA KHABIBULLINA/THE DIALOG
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Ten spine-crunching, back-breaking, muscle-pulling, hair-raising, strain-causing, femur-twisting, k
SEX POSITIONS FOR
THE PROPELLER Ready for a helicopter ride of pleasure? Propel into action with winding and grinding hips, an unusual position sure to keep you stimulated.
THE WATERFALL If you’re interested in a new perspective, try this! While your partner sits on a chair ready to go, take a seat on top and lean back towards the floor: now you’re good to go!
THE LUSTFUL LEG How high can you lift your leg? If you’re a dancer this may not be so hard, but for those of you who aren’t flexible, this may be a challenge.
THE CLASP Clasp your partner’s hips and keep the pleasure coming with this thrusting challenge. You’re in control when you have your partner wrapped around you. Do you have the strength?
THE BRIDGE Take a ride on this bridge w ibility-testing, back-crackin while, as you probably don
THE SUSPENDED SCISS Suspended scissors—wha are that’s half the battle. hand while your legs are l
knee-straining, body-contorting, mind-blowing, arm-bending, endurance-challenging, will-testing
R THE ADVENTUROUS
while your partner tries this flexng position. But only for a short n’t want your partner passing out.
SORS at? If you know what scissors . Now, try balancing on one lifted up.
THE STANDING WHEELBARROW Hold your partner’s legs up like you’re lifting a wheelbarrow and go to town. Caution: may trigger laughter.
THE SQUAT BALANCE Try squatting on a bed or chair for this one while your partner holds you up. Trigger stimulation while toning your butt: an excellent combination.
STANDING 69 How do you like oral sex? Get away from the horizontal 69 and try something new and exciting with this position. It’s your turn to have blood rush to your head.
THE SEDUCTION Flexibility is key with this ready-for-action position. Your ability to remain still will test your partners thrusting abilities. This ‘come and get me’ move will be sure to have your partner ready to please.
ILLUSTRATIONS: SAMANTHA BULLIS, TEXT: TINA TODARO, INFORMATION FROM: WEWOMEN.CA, COSMOPOLITAN.COM
OPINION February 4 –19, 2014
TOO DRUNK TO FUCK PHOTO: PREETEESH PEETABH SINGH/THE DIALOG
PREETEESH PEETABH SINGH You get up in the morning with no clothes on, at a place which you don’t call home, on a bed which is not yours. Whatever happened last night is blurry at the moment. You feel dizzy, but you slowly realize that you spent the night between the sheets with your friend under the influence of alcohol. You finally gather some courage to confront your friend who is in the kitchen making 8
coffee for you. After a long conversation you figure out that you did not actually consent for sex, but you didn’t even say ‘no’ when they started making out with you. Nor did you protest while having sex sometime later. You feel terrible, disgusted, and regretful. You feel you have been raped. Are you to blame yourself, your friend, or the alcohol? According to Developing a Response to Sexual Violence: A Resource Guide For Ontario’s Colleges and Universities by the Ontario Women’s Directorate, consent means giving permission through words or actions, for something to happen. Just because you didn’t say “no”, that doesn’t mean that you said “yes”. If you couldn’t consent because you were drunk or high,
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the assault is still a crime; if the person who assaulted you was drunk or high, it is still wrong and a crime. Canadian law defines that no consent is obtained when the complainant is incapable of consenting to the activity, or if they express by words or conduct, a lack of agreement to engage in the activity. Incapability to consent or lack of capacity can be inferred by the court if there is direct evidence that the complainant was extremely intoxicated; asleep or unconscious when the sexual touching commenced or during all of the sexual touching. You can still consent if you’ve been drinking, but not if you’re so drunk you’re incapacitated. But not all cases get reported. According to Toronto Police, Sex Crimes
Unit’s statistics, it is estimated that 80 per cent of women who are sexually assaulted do not report due to humiliation or fear of re-victimization in the legal process. It also states that date rape has the lowest reporting rate of all forms of sexual assault. It is estimated that only one per cent of all date rapes are reported to police. The belief which is prevalent in society today, that sexual assault is expected when alcohol is involved is bogus. It encourages victim blaming. There is a line between consenting to love-making and just taking advantage of someone else’s inebriated state of mind to fulfill your lustful desires. Alcohol cannot be an excuse for sexual violence. Period.
LOVE & SEX FEATURE February 4 –19, 2014
Valentine’s day should celebrate all types of love
Relationship abuse: I thought it couldn’t happen to me TINA TODARO STAFF REPORTER
ILLUSTRATION: SAMANTHA BULLIS/THE DIALOG
KATELYN CULLUM THE CORD
WATERLOO (CUP) — These days, Valentine’s Day has a more negative meaning than a positive one. It seems like more and more people dislike this holiday, complaining about the obscene amount of red and pink that shows up and dismiss the fact that it is no longer a day of love, but a day where men spend too much money on women. You’re depressed if you don’t have a valentine, and the consumer world uses it to their advantage. But when it comes down to it, it is a day about love, regardless of the kind of love it is. Yes, stores make obscene amounts of money from other people’s desire to please their partner. Women get too worked up about what their boyfriends should buy for them and if you’re single, you automatically become a pathetic person with no one to share the day with. However, it shouldn’t be about money, products or whether or not you’re in a relationship. It should be about what the day represents.
It’s the one day of the year where any type of wild action or bold declaration of love is acceptable. It’s the one day of the year where you can tell that girl in your math class that you’ve had a crush on her forever, or you can tell your ex-boyfriend that you still love him. It’s a day about courage. If you’ve seen the movie We Bought a Zoo, you not only made a good decision to watch a handsome Matt Damon and a hot Scarlett Johansson on the big screen, but you got the perfection definition of courage. Damon’s character advises his son on the importance of expressing the truth, on telling the girl he likes how he feels. He says, “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery and I promise you, something great will come of it.” This is what Valentine’s Day is about. It’s about mustering up 20 seconds of courage you can’t find in yourself on any other day, and telling someone you like them, you love them, you think they’re pretty — or whatever it is you’re feeling. It shouldn’t be about gifts or where you go for dinner. It shouldn’t be about roses and
chocolate. It should be about love. It doesn’t even have to be about romantic love. If you are single, it’s not because you’re pathetic. For whatever reason, the universe has decided that it’s your time to be alone, or you have decided that for yourself. So call your mom or dad or siblings and declare your love for them. Platonic love is just as important as romantic love. While there are obviously different ways of showing it — and for the sake of your sanity, don’t mix these ways up — it all comes back to the four letter word. So, on this Valentine’s Day, forget about the heart balloons in the mall and the overstocked shelves of cheesy two dollar valentines in Walmart. Forget about the expensive roses that are just going to die soon and about the Belgian chocolate you spent an entire pay check on. Get back to the roots of the holiday, back to hand written cards and the fact that this day originated from a saint named Valentine who was imprisoned for marrying soldiers that were forbidden to wed. This Valentine’s Day, remember to celebrate love.
Love has a funny way of consuming your existence. Sometimes it makes you feel things and do things that you don’t want. It’s hard to get out of an abusive relationship – I’ll tell you that firsthand. “When I think of love, I think of natural protection, kindness, best friends and trust,” says my best friend, a 22 year-old model, who has requested to remain anonymous. For the longest time I also thought like that, painting a picture of a perfect relationship in my head. It’s hard to imagine yourself being constantly confronted by sadness, being so consumed by it, but you still stay. I remember the day my ex-boyfriend came into my life, the look on his face, and his smile. That charm presented itself through the tone of his voice and the spell he had me under. I experienced something I never thought I would, and now I refuse to think that it could never happen to me. “The last time he hurt me physically, I called the police,” said my friend about her only way out. “After that he wasn’t legally allowed to go near me.” As for me, I had reached a point in my relationship where I would’ve done anything, as my kindness was mistaken for weakness. I had reached my limit as far as caring was concerned before I realized it was time to leave. What is it that holds you back when you’re trying to leave, when the situation seems endless? My friend said, “I realized that I had to have more self-worth, I had to not be so naive with situations. I realized that when you see the first sign that something must be wrong, you need to trust your instincts.” Isn’t it strange how one simple mistake can impact the rest of your life and how that one mistake can impact your relationships with your friends and family? Nothing is more powerful than knowledge. Whether good or bad; it’s the choices you make with this knowledge that tests the inner strength that shapes who you are. Now thinking of my ex has become the struggle, and our time together seems like decades ago. Though he continues to fade into the past, the mark he left lingers.
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ARTS & LIFE February 4 –19, 2014
TINA TODARO
Multilingual comedian Sugar Sammy also speaks the international language of laughter
STAFF REPORTER
George Brown College (GBC) students always bring their A-game at events, and they certainly didn’t stop for star comedian Sugar Sammy, whose improv skills were tested, but definitely not defeated, by the scores of students at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts on Jan. 24. “I live for that, I like crowd work, I love improvisation, so whenever you get a crowd like this it makes it more fun,” said Sugar Sammy on the active audience. “It makes the show different, but creating new stuff on the fly is one of the most fun things for me.” Sugar Sammy, being able to speak not only French and English but also Hindi and Punjabi, has performed ‘over 1,000 shows in over 30 countries, selling 190,000 tickets to his shows in Canada and India, including 77,000 for his ground-breaking English-French bilingual show, according to his official website. “You build your own fan bases, and you work hard to keep them happy,” says Sammy about the comedic competition. “Being able to perform in four languages gives me more to work with.” Sammy, along with comedians Trixx and Dave Merheje, have performed at comedy shows by the Student Association before. “They asked me, all they had to do was ask, and they’ve always treated me really well. As long as they keep being very welcoming, I’m back,” said Being one of the hottest comedians nationally and internationally, “for me I just think about getting up there and working,” said Sammy. “I don’t really believe my own hype ever, but at the same time it’s good to hear things, but I try not to let it get to my head.” Straight out of Quebec, Sammy weighs in on the issues surrounding language by repeating something he sometimes hears, “En français s’il vous plait,” during his act. “You figure out, the more you travel to the province, that you can’t put everyone in one category,” said Sammy. “Most of the people in Quebec are very decent, and unfortunately the minority is so loud, that they make all the other people look bad.” Sammy says there’s nothing he wants to do more than comedy, and that each time he gets on stage he performs like it’s his last time. “I am very lucky to be where I am,” says a humble Sammy.
I don’t really believe my own hype ever, but at the same time it’s good to hear things. But I try not to let it get to my head. PHOTO: HALLEY REQUENA-SILVA
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PUZZLES & FUN February 4 –19, 2014
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SPEAK UP ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOU: THE ACADEMIC ADVOCACY PROGRAM IS HERE TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE COLLEGE’S POLICIES AND PROCESSES, AND TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR ACADEMIC RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITES. THE ACADEMIC ADVOCACY PROGRAM WANTS TO CONNECT YOU TO THE SERVICES YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS AT GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE. CONTACT US: STUDENT ASSOCIATION ACADEMIC ADVOCACY PROGRAM – HELPING YOU HELP YOURSELF Room E130 @ Casa Loma • Room 147 @ St. James • Room 033 @ Waterfront Hotline 416-415-5000 ext. 6320
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Don't hate the media, become the media. -Jello Biafra
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Make your voice heard and see your work published in print and online in The Dialog!
Arts & Life Contributors
For more information on these opportunities and on how you can get involved, click on “Work for The Dialog� at dialog.studentassociation.ca or send us an email at dialog@georgebrown.ca
Opinion & Humour Contributors
Photo & Video Contributors
News Contributors