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NEWS + CONTRIBS
TMSU byelection sees Nikole Dan take presidency Team Vibe & Thrive sweeps most positions excluding president and VP student life By Anastasia Blosser, Dexter LeRuez and Gabriela Silva Ponte The Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) released the fall byelection unofficial results on Nov. 24. The Empire Team candidate Nikole Dan has been elected president of the students’ union, according to the TMSU’s election page. Dan takes the presidency by one leading vote over presidential candidate Nathan Sugunalan. Jordan Howarth came in third, Trevohn Baker came in fourth and Success Daka came in fifth place for the presidency. The voting report shows less than five per cent turnout, with only 1,906 of the 39,510 eligible voters participating. The Board of Directors (BoD) will remain in these roles until April 30, according to section 4.3.1 of the TMSU’s bylaws. The Faculty of Community Services, The Creative School and the Ted Rogers School of Management candidate slots remain vacant, as previously reported by The Eyeopener. Several director candidates were acclaimed, meaning they ran unopposed and were automatically elected, according to section 9.2.3 of
SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER
Editor-in-Chief Negin “Miranda” Khodayari News Gabriela “Allegedly” Silva Ponte Dexter “Delulu” LeRuez Anastasia “Malala” Blosser Photo Brithi “Please” Sehra Jerry “Eat And” Zhang Sammy “Sleep” Kogan Online Madeline “Caren King” Liao Shaki “BaSLAYage” Sutharsan Features Kinza “Layout G” Zafar Arts and Culture Danielle “Somber Fairwell” Reid Business and Technology Jake “Host W/ Most” MacAndrew
the Elections Procedures Code. The executive committee must post vacancies occurring on or after Aug. 1, according to section 4.17.2 of the TMSU’s bylaws. The vacancies must be posted for 14 days or longer, after which an interview process will take place. No less than two candidates can be sent to the current BoD for the election and ratification of the new BoD.
The byelection began on Oct. 30 and was held after the spring election was deemed “invalid,” due to bylaw violations and a misconduct investigation, as previously reported by The Eye. A summer interim BoD was announced at the end of April and served from May 1 to Nov. 3 of this year. Byelection results were calculated
by a third-party election manager, Simply Voting, as shown in the voting report. “The following election results are certified by Simply Voting to have been securely processed and accurately tabulated by our independently managed service,” the report reads. Here is your 2023-24 BoD: President Nikole Dan Vice president operations Aleksander Strazisar
RUN
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TO THE
THEATRE STUDENTS! DON’T MISS OUT
Limited $10 tickets to live theatre experiences in T.O., only $5 until December 31!
ages 14-29 with valid student I.D.
hiptix.ca
Vice president education Hetu Patel Vice president equity Patricia Doan Vice president student life Nadir Janjua 2023-24 BoD Faculty Representatives: Faculty of Arts (Two seats) Andrew Ciddio Jason Ramsay Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (Two seats) Hasan Tahir Ariana Zuniga Faculty of Science (Two seats) Aneesh Katyara Lincoln Alexander School of Law (Two seats) Fatima Sheikh Victor Ufot International (One Seat) Mohammad Khan To read more about election coverage, visit theeyeopener.com
Communities Bana “I’m Shy” Yirgalem Sports Ilyas “Shall Looketh” Hussein Daniella “Streetlamp” Lopez Fun and Satire Joshua “Alliteration Agent” Chang Media Konnor “Hennessy” Killoran Vanessa “Corn Dawg” Kauk Web Nishil “Code!” Kapadia Sam “010101” Chowdhury General Manager Liane “HBD Valois!” McLarty Design Director J.D. “Last Issue of ‘23” Mowat The Interns! Contributors Adriana “Sports Rookie” Fallico Matthew “T-TIME“ Lin Mat “VOD Review” Sheridan Alanette “#23” Gueco Sam “Mr. Reliable” Beaudoin Harsh “Banff Vacay” Kumar Felipe “Jack of Most Trades” Karmel Special Issue Contributors Luis “O-Town” Ramirez-Liberato Khushy “Triple Threat” Vashisht Valeria “Duke and I” Aldana Tina “Nova” Makuto Lynette “Kaz Brekker” George Noora “Blair Waldorf” Sobhani Melanie “TPL Hunter” Nava Urribarri Michelle “Illustrator Queenie” Menezes Berry “Berry Good” Shi LeBron “Pineapple” Pryce Leah “Lost At Sea” Mascarenhas Vaughan Caelan “ARRRGH” Monkman
PRINT & P.E.I. By Danielle Reid In June, a friend and I took a weekend girls’ trip to an unexpected location. It felt like we had been dreaming for years about travelling to Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) and finally, after some planning and securing a pair of too-cheap-to-passup plane tickets, those dreams were about to be realized. We landed in Charlottetown around 9 p.m. and took a 30-minute cab ride through a series of pitch-black back roads. I was surprised the driver could see anything. We told him we were spending the weekend in Cavendish, P.E.I., a town we later realized was quite rural and didn’t have much else to do in the spring other than eat fish and chips and be in bed by 8 p.m. The cab driver laughed and asked why on earth we decided to stay all the way out there. The answer? A plucky redheaded girl with pigtails and a straw hat made us do it. Anne of Green Gables is a novel written by Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908 that chronicles the life of a whimsical and high-spirited orphan named Anne Shirley. We follow her story as she’s mistakenly sent to live with middle-aged siblings, the Cuthberts, who had initially requested a strong boy to help work their farm. The book takes place in the scenic landscape of Avonlea, P.E.I., a fictional town that’s based on the author’s real home of— you guessed it—Cavendish, P.E.I. The book is about Anne’s love of reading, her wild imagination and the adventures that imagination takes her on. Needless to say, it holds a special place in my heart. Since its release, the book has inspired a number of movies and TV show adaptations as well, making the story accessible to so many more generations. As a kid, it was the first chapter book I had ever read. This was huge because, before the fifth grade, you couldn’t pay me to read anything. My mom bought the book from Chapters and every night we would curl up in my parents’ bed and read a chapter or two of the book together. Even though I was pretty young and don’t remember much of what we read, I consider those nights, digging into Anne’s adventures with my mother, to be a core memory. From my childhood on, it’s felt like Anne has been a constant figure in my life. When the TV adaptation came out in 2017, my high
EDITORIAL
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school friends got into it as well. Anne became kind of a celebrity in our lives. So much of a celebrity that my friend and I, two girls in their 20s, would fly to another province to experience her town. We wanted to go to P.E.I. to visit the town where the book took place. Despite it being outside the city, we chose to stay in Cavendish, instead of the capital, Charlottetown, because it meant our inn would be within walking distance from the Anne of Green Gables Museum. When we began exploring the city, it was kind of comical how obsessed everyone seemed with Anne. We jokingly wondered, “What would we do tonight?” Anne of Green Gables–The Musical? Maybe after dinner, a quick dessert at the Anne of Green Gables chocolate factory? But now that I think about it, it’s kind of incredible how one character from a book written over 100 years ago has made such a profound impact on an entire province and its people. Nearly every street you turn on has a reference to Anne and her adventures laced throughout it. In every corner, within every detail–there she was. Books and stories have the power to bring people together. Of course, movies and television can do this too, but there’s something extra remarkable about being able to hold the physical thing in your hands. You can’t dog-ear the pages of a movie to hold your place in a story like you can a book. You can’t highlight and annotate in the margins of a television screen. Print is special. So special that I keep a perfume box at the top of my closet that holds all of my cherished printed mementoes like confetti from New Year’s Eve, handwritten letters and tickets from my favourite movies. When struggling to come up with a theme for this year’s Arts and Culture special issue, one of the previous arts editors, Madeline Liao, told me, “Just choose something you love.” So, that’s what I did. Welcome to The Print Issue—a love letter to the tactile, tangible, physical medium of print. Some say that as technology becomes even more convenient and accessible, print is dead. But you, holding a copy of this newspaper in your hands, are real and hopeful proof that it is not. The Print Issue will explore the stories of students and alumni who are keeping print alive and using it as a way to share their art, connect with their communities or just as a way to add joy to their lives. Whether it’s pen to paper or the ink drying on a freshly printed photograph—print means a lot to students at Toronto Metropolitan University. This issue
JOURNAL PROMPT BINGO 16 prompts to help you fall in love with writing Words and visual by Kinza Zafar Have you ever confidently flipped to a blank page of your journal, prepared to document some piping hot tea or a few insightful revelations only to be stunted by a concrete wall that is writer’s block? Whether writing ideas to fill your pages seem hard to come by or you’ve never even given journaling a shot, this journal prompt bingo can help get your mind thinking and words flowing. Let each of these 16 prompts spark the cathartic joy that comes from diarykeeping. Make sure to cross ‘em off as you go!
JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER
is meant to celebrate that. The stories inside will involve photography, magazines, books, written family recipes, posters and more. I hope reading these deeply personal stories, written by students who love printed things as much as I do, sparks or reignites a love for all things reading and writing within you. These stories warm my heart and we can’t wait to share them with you. Happy reading!
Danielle Reid (But can also write)
Recall the last time you celebrated something
Describe a dream you had recently
Write about how your zodiac sign fits or doesnʼt fit you
Describe the personalities of each season
List three fears you want to overcome
“If money didnʼt exist, I would…”
Describe which “era” youʼre in
Write some of your favourite song lyrics
Describe your earliest childhood memory
List five things you like most about yourself
Write a letter to a kind friend and mail it to them
List four things that bring you comfort
Write a silly poem about adventure
Describe your current environment
List five things you want to do more of
Describe your dream house
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THE PRINT ISSUE
BRITHI SEHRA/THE EYEOPENER
THE STORIES THAT STUCK The lessons from our favourite childhood stories are far-reaching, even well into adulthood By Shaki Sutharsan
a constant and selfless presence throughout his life.
Some of my earliest and most precious memories are hidden between the pages of children’s stories I read as a kid. Curled up in my father’s lap, holding a pop-up book upside down and reading it aloud. Fighting with my little sister for who got to dial into the Toronto Public Library’s bedtime story hotline every night. Walking around the community library, hand-in-hand with my mother, my neck craned up at the towering shelves full of books waiting to be cracked open for the thousandth time. Whether you’re eight, 22 or even 40 years old, the stories of our childhoods undoubtedly continue to impact us well into our adult lives. Here are some lessons that I’ve carried into adulthood from the following stories.
The Lesson: The full circle moment at the end reminded me to never take the kindness of others for granted. Material things will not last forever—they will break, they will grow out of fashion and you might even find yourself being unable to use them like you used to. But love, in any and all forms, will last you a lifetime.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein This is a story with only two characters—a boy and a tree. In the beginning, the boy loved to climb up the tree’s trunk, eat its apples and sleep beneath its shade. But as time passes, and the boy gets older, his visits are few and far between—leaving the tree sad and alone. When he does come, the boy would rather make money to buy things or is too busy trying to build a family to climb the tree like he used to. The tree first offers him its apples to sell so he can make money, its branches for him to build a house and finally, its trunk for him to build a boat. In the end, only a stump is left. When the boy returns to the stump one last time, he is now an old man and the tree tells him that it has nothing more left to offer him. But the boy says that he only needs a place to rest. So, the tree offers up the only thing it has left, its stump, for him to sit and rest against. Upon rereading it for the first time since I was a child, the story left me feeling heavy. But I realized why this story ultimately stuck with me for so long. It’s not the ambiguously sad ending or what the relationship between the boy and the tree could possibly allude to in the real world. Instead, it’s the fact that the tree gave everything it had until it had nothing left to give, just for a chance to spend some time with him. Though it’s left unsaid, I felt that the boy finally realized just how much the tree had meant to him when it was too late for him to do anything about it. He was so focused on the material aspects of his life that he lost sight of who was there for him as
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott With its cozy atmosphere and beloved characters that remain relatable over a century after its time, Little Women is a book that can be appreciated by readers of all ages. Largely based on the author’s own life with her sisters, the story follows Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy in their wild childhood together during the American Civil War. The novel depicts the great plays they put on at home together, the inevitable love-hate relationship that all sisters seem to share and how each of their personalities grow and flourish into adulthood. Little Women made me reflect on the value of family—bloodrelated or otherwise—and how life’s battles are more easily fought with the support of loved ones surrounding you. Sisters can often be both your fiercest enemies and also your greatest friends but always appreciate the time you spend living with them because those years won’t last forever. Underlined throughout the novel is the lesson that giving to people who are in need will always bring more joy than receiving gifts or wealth for yourself. The Lesson: Appreciate your loved ones—especially your siblings! Whenever you can, help others in need—even the smallest acts of kindness can mean the world to someone else. There is nothing more rewarding than giving back to our communities. Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt This one never failed to give me a good cackle when I read it as a child, but now, it hits a little differently. The story follows a squirrel—Scaredy Squirrel—who spends his days holed up in his tree, eating the same nuts and looking out at the same view. He never dares to venture farther from his tree because of “the unknown” that lies beyond it. He’s terrified of many things that reside in “the unknown,” including but not limited to green
martians, killer bees, germs and poison ivy. However, Scaredy Squirrel is prepared for any disaster, keeping close hold of an emergency kit containing items ranging from calamine lotion to a parachute. But one day, something unexpected happens, and he’s forced to brave “the unknown”…without the help of his emergency kit. As someone who’s also struggled with various forms of anxiety for most of my life, Scaredy Squirrel feels like a kindred spirit. When I was younger, I preferred hiding away in my room where everything was familiar and safe to me rather than venturing out into the world and doing the things that scared me. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that there’s no real living in that. The Lesson: Life is made up of the moments when you decide to brave the unknowns of your world. Venturing past the limits of your comfort zone will allow you to experience the world around you to its fullest. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes When I first read this story as a child, it resonated with me very deeply. The story follows a mouse named Chrysanthemum who loves her unique name…until she starts going to school. The other kids start teasing her for sharing a name with a flower. Chrysanthemum, who has always loved her special name, starts to wish she had a different one. As someone who also has an uncommon name, it was hard for me to feel like I fit in with everyone else when I first started school. I was always proud of my name and I loved that it made me unique, but there were also days where I ducked my head in embarrassment when the substitute teacher pronounced my name wrong and I was too shy to correct them. I thought of what my life would’ve been like if I were named something else, like Anna or Rachel. But Chrysanthemum made me realize that my name is what makes me who I am. I’ve learned to embrace my differences rather than force myself to fit in with the status quo because my differences are what make me, me. The Lesson: Always appreciate your individuality and never wish to change yourself to fit into what society deems to be “conventional.” Your differences are your greatest asset and your most valuable tools.
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THE PRINT ISSUE
WINTER FASHION FORECAST
Words by Noora Sobhani
Using archival magazines to predict fashion trends for the upcoming season
Visuals by Brithi Sehra and Jerry Zhang
kitten heels and chunky headbands. Vogue’s infamous September 2008 issue featured the bright red tights seen on lead character Blair Waldorf. Thus, the trademark preppy style of Gossip Girl began its rule over the fashion industry. Today, with Zendaya sporting the bright-coloured tights for the cover of Vogue March 2020, it’s clear the out-there accessory has not ceased to rule the fashion industry all these years later. The vivid opaque tights, paired with Blair Waldorf’s signature red, are everywhere this season, reminding us Miss Waldorf still holds our fashion choices in her palm. The iconic tights are seen paired with—you guessed it—a bold headband and delicate heels. Current fashion icons such as Linda Sza and Anne Hathaway sport a similar look, including the vivid tights and heels combo.
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ince the first fashion magazine’s publication in 1672, print has dictated what we wear by covering designers’ seasonal collections and deciding whose creations will shake up the industry. Magazines have been the ultimate source for all things fashion, setting the monthly guidelines for what’s hot and what’s not. Let’s face it—we fashionistas are always ready for the new rules in this ever-changing industry. Flipping through the pages of a brand-new issue of Vogue is an inimitable feeling. I myself have a Vogue subscription and am always prepared for the latest trend rulebook to land on my doorstep. Below are this winter’s coolest trend predictions pulled from past magazine archives with a chilling twist as we delve into their print origins. From Pirouettes to Motorcycles As the ‘90s fashion trend and the original “It girls” of the decade resurface, the moto-boot is expected to kick ballet flats to the side as a more practical candidate for the upcoming winter season. Fashion icon Kate Moss’s past fashion looks overwhelm social media today. With that, her numerous magazine photoshoots, including ELLE France November 1992, have influenced 2023’s fashion trends majorly. The moto boot is directly associated with the “supermodel rockstar” look and is often worn by Moss in her signature grunge-chic style. Designers like Celine are remaking the ‘90s shoe as the fashion trend picks up. In contrast, Scandinavian designer Ganni has created a ballerina flat-biker boot hybrid using patented leather and many edgy buckles. As the weather gets colder, we’re looking for fresh ways to style this chic boot. It might be the perfect soulmate to the circle skirt of the fall or even a friend to some sheer black tights and an oversized cable-knit sweater for a more festive option. When Will Gossip Girl Let Us Go? Or more like, when will we let go of Gossip Girl? It seems we will never see the end of bright-coloured tights, thanks to the 2007 show. When the teenage drama debuted, magazines such as ELLE and Teen Vogue could not get enough of the preppy Upper East Side style—and we can’t either! The fashion industry was in a chokehold by the show’s bold style, full of bubble hems and colourful tights paired with
The Equestrian Walks into an Opera House You might not expect it, but an all-too-familiar sight in a ‘90s fashion magazine were horses. Whether it be a classic Marlboro cigarette ad featuring visuals of cowboy hats and saddles or a Polo Sport ad involving a variety of colourful leather goods, equestrian-inspired fashion has been around since the beginning of time. One common denominator among centuries of equestrian-inspired fashion are leather gloves—a must-have this winter. Leather gloves are reimagined in different lengths, shapes and sizes every few years as an unavoidable winter staple. Vogue’s November 1997 and 1998 issues feature thick brown leather gloves lined with shearling, worn with a cream-palette outfit. November 1998, the gloves are seen with a more playful and posh twist, in a long length and light green colour. December 2014 features Blake Lively in a mountainside setting—horses in the frame— wearing a dark polished slim leather glove, paired with a dark fur coat and dusty neutrals. This year, long leather gloves are being reimagined once again—but opera-style. Owned by Queen Elizabeth I of England, the long gloves were indicative of status and were worn to extravagant events such as operas and balls. Now, the elbow-length gloves are seen on red carpets, flaunted by K-pop star, Blackpink’s Jennie and Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence. All Scarlet, Everything While red is commonly associated with the approaching holidays, this year, it’s seen as the colour of the entire season. Red has been seen everywhere, from bags, leather trench coats, tights and even lips and nails. However, this is not red’s first takeover of the fashion industry. The colour has been appearing in fashionistas’ closets for a while, as we can see from Vogue’s June 1994 issue, which announced the “return of vivid colour.” The six-page photoshoot displays supermodel Kate Moss wearing many different tomato-red garments from sheer blouses to risqué slip dresses. Now, red is making a comeback once again in its most original, classy, natural, bright form: scarlet. This winter’s fashion trends prove that Justin Timberlake’s wise words were nothing short of reality. What goes around indeed does come back around—especially regarding fashion trends. Now we’re left with one question: which issue from the Vogue archives will be the origins of next season’s fashion trend?
WARNING: THIS CONTENT IS
BANNED Some stories aren’t just lost to history, they’re erased
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n a dark storage locked away or in a cupboard untouched by day, dust-covered books sit on a dark shelf. The ghosts of countless silenced voices echo in the wind, unable to slip through the cracks of their confinement. There are over 50 titles—narratives of the heart—experiencing this treatment. The treatment of a banned book. Yet, curious eyes find these books challenged and out of reach. Daring hands pick these titles up, read their contents and think, “Why? Why have these stories been hidden?” “That’s not fair,” said Hirni Trivedi, a second-year arts and contemporary studies student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). “[These books] talk about some very important topics. Like The Handmaid’s Tale,...these writers are basing their pieces of fiction on something present in society...I think people should be allowed to read it.” Early this year, the Toronto Public Library (TPL) published a list of challenged and banned books in hopes of taking a stance on the disputed titles, with initiatives starting soon after to protect banned books. This has made TMU students like Trivedi question the reasons behind the censorship. Some favourite stories and impactful perspectives are found on that list, such as The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, 1984 by George Orwell and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The list doesn’t end there, impacting not just public libraries, but school libraries and curriculums as well. According to Dr. Arne Kislenko, a professor at the Department of History at TMU, book banning is “as old as
Words by Melanie Nava Urribarri Visuals by Brithi Sehra & Jerry Zhang humankind in so many different ways.” “It’s been a time-honoured practice pretty much everywhere in the world for well [over] 2,000 plus years,” he said. He explains that the first evidence we have of book banning goes back to the ancient Chinese empire of the third century BC, where Confucian scholars—followers of the Chinese Confucius philosophy—were sometimes buried alive by Chinese emperors because of the things they wrote. Kislenko adds that in ancient Rome, The Odyssey by Homer was banned by Caligula for being thought of as “dangerous.” He also explains that in Medieval Europe, books such as the Christian Bible were banned, along with some of the works of Shakespeare over different centuries and movements. On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin was banned for teaching evolution in the United Kingdom and the United States. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo was also banned on different occasions by the Catholic Church. And the list over time goes on. Now, in present-day Canada, a wave of discomfort wafts over TMU students as they learn about the banned titles. “I myself read To Kill a Mockingbird [by Harper Lee] in high school. It was such an eye-opener for me on the history
of racism. It does the job really well…I think [it] should definitely remain a part of the school curriculum,” said Trivedi.
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he reality of book banning feels surreal when experienced in a country where freedom of expression is a right. According to section two of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, everyone has the fundamental right of “freedom of expression.” But, history is known to repeat itself—events of societies looping like a merry-go-round with highs and lows. The issue of censorship has risen again with a greater force in its loop with tensions rising within it. In an in-person interview, anxiety is heard in the voice of third-year biology student Fabian Ramirez. His eyes visibly narrow in consideration of the questions and his mouth twists in worry as the conversation about banned pieces of literature continues. Ramirez says he feels the population is being “lulled into complacency” and that “by deeming these books controversial, [those in power] have control over the narrative.” He highlights in his points that he thinks it isn’t about the books being controversial, but rather that they send a message. The books we read are a reflection of the world and its stories. “When it comes to books like 1984 [by George Orwell]
THE PRINT ISSUE “[In school libraries], I felt [it] was my role to support the teacher and what they were doing in their classroom. Some content is just considered to not be appropriate for children,” says Tindall. This level of control, however, can still be wrongfully biased. Hand in hand with her daughter and husband, the murmuring sounds of voices in the public library surrounding them along with the old smell of books, Tindall says that she had been looking forward to picking out children’s books—including same-sex relationships as a way to introduce her daughter to these topics. Tindall recalls they picked out a book about two kings getting married. “It had big warnings [plastered] all over this book …[saying] ‘adult content warning’ like we were taking out pornography,” says Tindall, then explaining that it was nothing but an innocent children’s book about two male characters falling in love—much like a classic fairy tale. “It was sad that this library looked at it as being this terrible literature that only adults should be looking at. It made me so upset,” adds Tindall. Such is the power of libraries and those who control them.
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and Brave New World [by Aldous Huxley]...I remember thinking how this is such an accurate representation of how the world was, how the world is and I feel like how the world would continue to be, lest we heed the advice from those books,” says Ramirez. There is an belief among some TMU students that these challenged books are necessary to understand crucial topics. Hidden behind their messages are conversations around the universal and societal issues that persist today. “I always have made it a point to read the books that they ban because I’m concerned that if the school board blocks these books from our accessibility and doesn’t let teachers give these books to students, we’re not able to fully understand the world that we live in,” adds Ramirez. He isn’t the only student with these thoughts.
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hird-year kinesiology student Daniela Arabit reflects similar sentiments. “[Banning these books] can affect education because then they’re just limiting the kind of books that [students] can read. I think reading a bunch of different genres like fictional or nonfictional … [is] good [in order] to have a broad perspective on everything. Even if it’s fiction, you can learn so much,” says Arabit. Book censorship, especially within schools, has been a long-discussed topic. Canadian librarian Cordelia Tindall, with experience in both elementary school and public libraries, says censorship in libraries can be more nuanced. “We think about censorship [as] taking away books that are not appropriate, but as a librarian, you’re always making those judgement calls when you’re making purchases for your library,” she says. From library to library, the opinion of the community will be widely reflected in the content offered. Sometimes, there is the issue of funding for these institutions, making them pickier about what should and shouldn’t go on shelves.
n a statement by the TPL, city librarian Vickery Bowels says, “It’s never been more important to stand up and speak out for intellectual freedom and to ensure voices, especially those of marginalized and equity-deserving communities, are not shut down.” So how far can censorship go? In the history of censorship, book banning hasn’t just been restricting access to books but has also been seen, for example, in the form of book burning. Perhaps most infamously, in 1933 Nazi Germany, there were “massive wildfires at universities, no less banning books by Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, Eric Remarque, Stalin, Trotsky, Thomas Mann, an endless list of people that the Nazis thought was disturbing,” said Kislenko. Book burning has become one of the most recognizable and offensive acts from the perspective of academics in particular, according to Kislenko. “It’s an attempt to destroy ideas and the currency of history everywhere. The currency of all people is in ideas,” says Kislenko, who explains that these measures have historically been the beginning of a long decline as regimes are threatened. He continued to say that book banning—and its extreme version of book burning—has usually been the hallmark of leaders who do not value democratic ideas and other similar principles. It becomes a complex route to a more authoritarian government, which has historically left negative impacts on society. People ban books because they don’t like the ideas written in them, often under the guise of threatening their children or the purity of their culture. As such, there is an integral relationship between the book and those who wish to ban it. Kislenko notes that “we pay a lot more attention to it today because many people see it as a fundamental wrong in terms of dealing with pretty much any topic.” What hasn’t changed is that banning books, then and now, is dangerous because books can transform ideas and offer new outlooks. From the perspective of the historian, banning books is equal to trying to ban ideas. While controversy can happen, it’s the role of educators and historians to be on the vanguard of trying to talk about why books are banned. “Everybody should have an opportunity to convey their idea, even if we don’t like it, even if we find it offensive at some point in time. It’s that rigidity that I think is probably most disturbing,” adds Kislenko. He talks about how while the closed-minded rigidity is not necessarily solved by education, in theory, educational spaces— universities in particular—are supposed to be where students hash out these ideas. This is where they can hold objective discussions about issues, freedom of speech, the need to protect people and pretty much every part of a book and its content. “That is, I think, the front lines of this debate,” says Kislenko. At TMU, the threat of censorship in literature and even media has become a very real topic. Students increasingly show concern as people begin to pay more attention.
7 Toronto is an incredibly diverse city filled with stories and ideas of people around the world. In a 2021 census from the City of Toronto, only around 47 per cent of residents were born in Canada. This makes diversity in curriculums and libraries crucial. According to a report published in 2021 by the American Library Association—an institution largely affected by the banning of books—books by diverse authors make up only 15 per cent of the literature available to students in America. Many of these challenged stories tell the historical tales of marginalized communities. Saskia Wodarczak, a second-year English literature student at TMU, agrees that some communities suffer the consequences of having their stories banned. “It’s those stories that really say to their audience, ‘Hey, you know what, this did happen. And this is my account of it’... If you’ve survived a big event, such as the Holocaust, your opinion and your experiences are a lot more valuable because you actually lived it,” says Wodarczak. Wodarczak was especially surprised to see the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman was banned. The story is about the experience of the author’s father during the Holocaust. “In a world that is so about inclusivity and spreading marginalized voices, it’s very hypocritical for them to start taking these types of books off the list,” adds Wodarczak, continuing with, “It’s not great for the next generation...as a student, it’s kind of sad.” On policies of censorship and freedom of speech, TMU has a statement on their website stating that, “[TMU] has long been committed to freedom of expression, including free speech.” As a vital and dynamic university, TMU welcomes the opportunity to talk freely and openly. It is an incredibly valuable attribute that controversial subjects are not shielded, but rather discussed publicly, that attitudes are challenged and that alternatives are suggested and considered. Everyone who is part of the university, as well as guests and visitors, has a role to play in this shared enterprise.” “It is very difficult to ban without compromising further values and ideas in a society,” says Kislenko.
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THE PRINT ISSUE
SERVED WITH LOVE: Preservation through family recipes Words by Khushy Vashisht Visuals by Michelle Menezes
her family for as long as she can remember. She described it as a “batter-fried dish” that’s often served during breakfast in her house. The light brown cover jacket of my mother’s Naraine’s family recipes are recorded in loosecookbook protects the generational trea- leafs of paper rather than a traditional book, sures inside. It’s soft to the touch and simul- tucked away with either her mother or her mataneously rough around the edges. Its suede ternal grandmother—she isn’t quite certain. Yet, material has slowly but surely become worn. the steps to prepare each meal are completely Undoubtedly, from the dozens of times I’ve ingrained in the hearts of her loved ones. followed along to the secrets it holds and the “It brings [the family] together. It’s like that years my mom has used it before me. Sunday morning, get-together breakfast, which When she first immigrated to Canada in is rare sometimes [because] you don’t always get 2001, my mother brought a family recipe to see them,” Naraine began to explain. “When book with her filled with traditional Indian you do, you know you’re having [fried] Bake.” meals. She hoped it would help her to stay She equated the “warm and fluffy” nature in touch with her roots as she moved to a of the dish with her family, representing whole new world with only my father and their “welcoming, inviting and loving [napass it down to her future children. Andrea Moraes, assistant professor of the “It keeps us connected to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) our past and the history and School of Nutrition, said that in itself, food is ultimately a social construct—something [previous] generations” explored in her class titled FND 401: Social and Cultural Dimensions of Food. “Food is central to identity; not only [to] ture] towards each other.” individual identity, but social identity. Our Naraine said that food is a prominent part cuisines are socially constructed,” said Moraes. of her connection to her family as the young“Which means they are constructed through er generation, including her sibling and interactions with people. Our families, our cousins, aren’t as involved in other aspects of colleagues, our institutions as well, not only their background—something exacerbated with people but our environments [as well].” due to being born in Canada. In my house, my mother and I make Kheer on “It keeps us connected to our past and the any auspicious occasion. From birthday parties history and [previous] generations of Guyto Diwali, the Indian dessert and family staple, ana,” said Naraine. “My cousins, brother and which translates to ‘rice pudding,’ in English, is I are not super religious [or] super cultural, bound to be present. Recently, I have taken the but it’s the food that keeps us [connected].” initiative to learn how to make the treat myself Moraes said many researchers and anthroand often reference my mother’s handwriting pologists refer to cuisines as being simultanein her 20-something-year-old book. ously normative and expressive. Normative That is a tradition known all too well by fam- describes the set of rules children are brought ilies, communities and cultures across the globe. up with including “how to eat, what to eat, Alana Naraine, a Guyanese third-year what is a taboo food,” and more. Meanwhile, English student, shared that the recipe for expressive speaks to building both individual the Caribbean dish, Fried Bake, has been in and collective identity through food.
“Creating culture is very human,” said Moraes. “We create systems of representations, of meanings…it’s emotional for a lot of people.” Nazha Syriani, a half-Palestinian and halfCanadian third-year fashion student, enjoys a diverse range of written family recipes from each side of her heritage. From her mother’s Newfoundland—or as Syriani liked to put it, “Newfie,”—background, Partridgeberry Pudding is a classic dish made in her household, first documented by her maternal grandmother. Syriani showed the multiple rips and crinkles of the page containing the pudding recipe—all signs of the family’s love for the meal and for the page that is sometimes “thrown around the house,” she cheekily added. From her father’s Palestinian side, Syriani loves to eat Koussa Warak—a savoury dish also popular in Lebanon, consisting of stuffed zucchini and grape leaves. Roughly around the time of the Nakba in 1948, which saw a mass amount of Palestinians displaced from their homes, Syriani’s paternal grandparents emigrated to Lebanon, where they stayed in a refugee camp before moving to Kuwait and then back to Lebanon. Many of the Palestinian and Arabic dishes go unwritten in Syriani’s household as she shared that recipes are taught by family members cooking together. However, on Syriani’s maternal side, her mother often pulls recipes from a yellow cookbook adorned with flowers and a blue edge on the spine. In it, there are several recipes from Newfoundlanders, to which Syriani’s mother adapts from and also adds in her own ideas. Syriani finds documenting recipes important in both a practical and sentimental way. “Culturally, I think it’s just something that will always stay with you and you’ll know it’s something you grew up with, something that has been passed down generations,” said Syriani. “And then it’s also like, I tend to be forgetful.” “I love my cultural food. Even though I can’t
go back to [Palestine] or experience being there for myself, in a way, it brings me closer to there. ” Many cultures and families, however, do not keep physical records of family recipes and pass down these customs orally. This is the way things are in the home of Victor Ola-Matthew’s, third-year international student from Nigeria studying medical physics. Ola-Matthew explained that Nigeria consists of hundreds of tribes and his father belongs to the Yoruba tribe while his mother is a part of the Edo tribe. One of his favourite dishes, passed down over generations through words and physically cooking together, is Palm Oil Beans—usually honey or brown beans cooked in palm oil. Moraes spoke on the translation of oral to written teachings using Indigenous populations as an example. She referenced the way colonialism and forceful assimilation—particularly in residential schools—resulted in many that “lost their own knowledge [and] their culture of food,” and several “successful initiatives of Indigenous cookbooks” that exist today. However, she also said both the oral and written passing downs of customs—including recipes— work together; one is not superior to the other. “One form does not deny the other, I think they complement the other,” said Moraes. Although his family recipes have never been written down, Ola-Matthew considers maybe it is time to change that—especially now that he’s living on the other side of the world. He said that writing recipes is a “good way of preserving the memories of people.” “Being that I’m no longer home, it makes more sense to write it down,” said Ola-Matthew. “It’s like a sense of connection.” Later in the interview, after some reflection, Ola-Matthew changed his mind, “I think I’m going to make my mom write it, that’s more sentimental. A soft smile adorned his face as he repeated himself saying, “That’s more sentimental.”
THE PRINT ISSUE
MY JOURNAL AND ME By Tina Makuto What does your journal say about you? What a question—but one that’s quintessential to understanding and loving yourself. Understanding your journal is important to understanding yourself because it serves as a mirror by capturing our thoughts, emotions, experiences and growth over time. Providing insights into our inner world, while holding space for self-awareness and personal development. I look at the journals I’ve collected and worked on over the course of my life so far—they sit in front of me as I type this article out. I’m sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor, gazing at five journals from the past—give or take—ten years of my life spread across the room. The black leather of my earliest diary holds whispered secrets of adolescent dreams and insecurities. Its pages are a mosaic of scribbled angst and feverish hopes. Another catches my eye—a softpink fabricc o v e r e d journal— reflecting my journey through relationships and moments of joy. As I leaf through these tangible remnants of my past, I’m overcome with a wave of nostalgia taking in the striking evolution of my soul encapsulated within their pages. A journal says a lot about a person. My journals say a lot about me. This is me defining their worth. My favorite part of journaling is expanding and working on my self-talk. As a girl who is aware of her anxious thoughts
and patterns, journaling is required work —trademark pending). I flip the pages of letters sent to me, from me, on being kind to myself. Letters on extending grace to myself through my highs as much as I can for my lows. Of riding the tides of life and living, not drowning, in an ocean of despair and critique. I see handwritten lists about myself, the people I’m around and the situations I encounter. These lists encompass my likes and dislikes, things I’ve said and things I didn’t. I hold the space that I need for every version of myself. Versions of myself that were cringey or that took a chance when all odds were against me. I appreciate this. I love this. A journal holds its own energy and commands its own bubble of time with thought and care. Whether we’re aware of this upon first engagement is irrelevant. We’re always aware of the permanence of it all. The perceived silliness of selfwork. In moments of reflection like this, I understand why it all matters and why improving on and taking space in ourselves for how we speak to ourselves when no one is watching is pivotal to selfimprovement and love. I’m doing it for me and that’s all that matters, really. The sweet, the silly, the delusional Everyone I know is saying that “delulu is the solulu,” and where better to encapsulate that than in your journal? I recognize the “delulu” in me as I go through my journals. I love her. She’s whimsical and optimistic and a go-getter. I recognize the motivation and courage that exists in its pages. I believe to
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A journey through the hopes, dreams and goals hidden within the pages of my journal
BRITHI SEHRA/THE EYEOPENER exist in the world today is to persist. It’s to take chances and to try, try, try. It’s to set goals and follow through on them, no matter how or what they look like. It’s embracing the “delulu” in you and going forth with solutions and actions to your dreams and goals. I flip through my pages and see wishes and yearning. I find myself thinking of Sylvia Plath’s fig tree metaphor and about the fear that comes with limitless options in this life: “I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose.” I am reminded, when visiting past journals, that how I feel is how a lot of people feel. I am reminded—in doing this—that
everything I want wants me. I am reminded that as long as I believe in what I want and more importantly, myself, I’m halfway there. There’s so much inside of my journals. I’d give a complete and raw look into every entry written, but we’d be here forever. There’s so much to say, and honestly, as long as you never stop holding space for your feelings and inner world, they matter. Over my life, I’ve learned how to allow my journal to be a shiny mirror of a million broken pieces that come back together, again and again. I hope you can also allow your journal(s) to harbour your secrets, dreams and goals to allow yourself to be your jumping block to what you want. That’s my journal and me.
WRITINGS ON THE WALL:
How the posters on our walls reflect who we are By Madeline Liao I open my newly arrived package with careful, gentle hands—taking the utmost care not to damage the contents inside. As I take out the delicate paper, I stare in awe at the newest addition to the collage that is my bedroom wall. As I try to piece together the poster puzzle on my white wall, taking down and putting back up what’s already there, I try to find the perfect spot for my newest treasure. It’s a vibrant print from artist Shinsyl of a cozy, sunlit room that I wish to transport myself into. After going through this exact process over a dozen times, the walls that were once barren just two years ago have become a space that brings me instant joy every time I look around my room. Posters and prints have the power to breathe life into a room. Whether it be art
prints, photographs, posters of your favourite K-pop group or even ripped-out pages from a magazine—these simple pieces of paper brighten up many Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students’ walls, including myself. For Karin Petrosian, a first-year RTA media production student, putting up posters is her way of showing off her interests. Petrosian, who is a fan of the K-pop groups ENHYPEN, Seventeen and BTS, has various posters and postcards up in her desk space. “I could put anything up. I can put art or pictures of me and my family, my friends, but I chose K-pop posters, just because it’s something that I really enjoy,” she said. “If I’m having a bad day, [it] just makes me a little happier.” Fourth-year nursing student Em Vu echoes that sentiment. She said the process of arranging posters and seeing them on display
is “really therapeutic.” She recently moved rooms and hasn’t had the time to put up posters, but her old room had a combination of K-pop posters, art prints and Polaroids of her friends. She said she’s planning on putting up some of these decorations again once she’s settled in. “It was like a creative outlet for me because I really liked figuring out where to put everything,” Vu said. “It’s kind of like a mini art gallery.” Her favourite moments were when the morning light shone through her window, creating the perfect lighting for her gallery. While some people may have mixed reactions to seeing a wall full of posters, it doesn’t stop collectors from showing off their prized possessions. “People are like, ‘[why do you] have pictures of random men on your wall?’ but it’s what makes me happy,” Petrosian said. “And they’ll
have movie posters that [are] the same thing with different execution.” Vu said she’s garnered some questions from people who’ve seen the mosaic of posters in her room. “It’s really overstimulating if you go in for the first time,” she said. But she still recommends everybody put posters up if they have access to any. “It’s good to show off your personality and make your space like your own.” Poster-collecting is not a new concept. The appeal of putting things on your wall is something many people like Vu and Petrosian remember indulging in as a child. From teen magazine posters to printing out photos of boy bands, the extra bit of serotonin one gets from seeing their favourite celebrities, places or artwork on display is a special type of feeling. I, for one, hold my silly little papers near and dear to my heart. And who are people to judge?
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THE PRINT ISSUE
IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE: Don’t judge the book By Valeria Aldana As someone who learned how to read at three years old, I’ve read my fair share of books. From the Dear Dumb Diary series by Jim Benton to every book ever released by John Green, I’ve always had an open mind when it came to reading. I never judge a book by its cover. As long as it had a great description, I was going to read it. However, over recent years, this has changed. Now a 21-yearold university student, I’ve grown self-conscious about the books I’m reading. I can name a handful of books I refuse to be seen reading in public. At the top of that list is any romance novel with a cheesy or provocative cover. I refuse to even purchase these books out of fear of being perceived. I know what you’re thinking, “It’s never that serious,” but this is a very real thing. These are real thoughts in my head as I think about my next subway ride. If you still can’t picture it, let me set the scene for you. It’s a chilly day in Toronto. I’m getting ready for my morning lecture and before I head out the door, I double-check that I have everything I’m going to need for the extremely long day that awaits me. Keys? Check. Presto card? Check. Will to live? None. (Don’t worry, I’m kidding). Book? Now that, I don’t have. I go over to my bookcase
BRITHI SEHRA & JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER and graze over the option. Suddenly, My eyes lock on an unread copy of The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, the first book in the Bridgerton series. I purchased it back in 2020 when the TV show first released. I have this thing where I cannot watch a series or movie based on a book before I actually read it. I don’t know when or why I started this habit but I’ve convinced myself that it adds to the overall experience. It’s two years later and I have still not read the book nor watched the show. I thought to myself, “What better time than now?” I only knew three things about the TV show: it was a period romance, the costume
design was on point and that one quote Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings says about Daphne Bridgerton: “To meet a beautiful woman is one thing but to meet your best friend in the most beautiful of women is something entirely apart.” Yes, I do have this quote memorized. Nevertheless, I decided to take this book along with me on my day. I went to school, then work and everything seemed to be normal. Until I pulled out the book on my break and my coworker gave me an odd look. “I didn’t think you were that type of girl,” she said I looked at her—obviously confused—and I asked her what she
meant. She then proceeded to tell me that the show is more than just an “innocent little period-drama romance.” If you know, you know. I sat with myself after that, thinking about how I carried this book on full display during my commute to school and breaks between classes. Surely someone saw me reading it. A book with a popular show that millions of people have watched and know is a bit sexually explicit. Surely they’ve perceived me as “one of those girls.” The type of girl who read fan-fiction growing up—which, of course, I did. However, I read it in the privacy of my own home, not in public. The
thought of people paying attention to me and watching what I’m reading was concerning, mostly because I would hate to be judged by others before they knew me. Maybe that’s me overthinking. One thing I know for sure is that I’m a nosy girl—if I see someone reading in public I immediately Google the title to see what it is. So why wouldn’t they do the same to me? Needless to say, I put The Duke and I back in my bookcase when I got home and I vowed to never take out a book in public without first asking myself, “What would a stranger think of this?” Honourable mentions of the books I refuse to read in public: The Harry Potter series—the fact I own the entire book series in my Hogwarts house colours, black and yellow for Hufflepuff and know my type of wand is embarrassing enough. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging—the title itself is jarring and I can’t be seen reading a book with the word ‘thongs’ in the title. Anything with a terrible cover— The Love Hypothesis has to be the best book with the worst cover art. Any cheesy self-help books— my Snapchat private story already knows why I need the book, I don’t need strangers knowing it too. Finally, The Twilight Saga—“Bella… where the hell have you been loca?” and “Hold on tight, spider monkey” is enough explanation.
BEYOND THE FRAME: Artspace TMU’s 2023 BIPOC Artist Fund The fundraiser addresses the financial hurdles faced by some photographers at TMU and a really great experience.” Fourth-year photography media arts student Mamoundu Mardis-Chatwin touched on the expenses of creating art. “It’s a lot of money. It’s not cheap [being] an art photographer,” she said. In her experience, she found that film development options were generally limited in the city. Consequently, she said artists often resort to paying someone else for film development. COURTESY OF ARTSPACE TMU ARTISTS, SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER By Luis Ramirez-Liberato
back in 2020—provides financial support for BIPOC artists to execute ambitious projects and cover costs like printing and framing, according to Artspace TMU’s website. All of the funds go directly to emerging artists and curators.
Artspace Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), the university’s student-led art gallery, presents its fourth annual fundraiser to support its Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) Artist Fund. “It’s not cheap [being] According to their website, the fundraiser features five an art photographer” prints for purchase by current and recent TMU students and Artspace TMU exhibition three special edition prints by coordinator and fourth-year School of Image Arts alumni. photography media arts student This artist fund—which started Rahim Perez-Anderson highlighted
some monetary challenges artists face—including the costs of bringing artistic visions to life. “It was a really great experience when I [was] reached out [to] to take part and sell the print of mine for the first time,” said Perez-Anderson. “[The funding] got put back into my production and printing costs that I used for an assignment later that year.” She added, “Being able to have your work both speak to a great initiative, as well as help and benefit yourself as an artist was really beneficial
“A paper can easily cost $2 to $3 [each]”
require a significant investment. In total, Mardis-Chatwin said she can spend around $100 per roll. This financial commitment underscores the challenges for emerging artists engaging in analog photography projects. She explained that, when buying film, “You’re thinking of spending money to produce maybe 24 images, [all the while] hoping that the final product [comes out] clear.” But these are just the costs for developing a roll of film. Printing costs are another financial hurdle artists face. “I sometimes do darkroom printing and a paper can easily cost like $2 to $3 [each],” said Mardis-Chatwin. When considering the high cost of traditional art, this kind of expensive funding provided by Artspace TMU can have a significant impact on artists. Prints are available for pre-order now and will be available for pick up between Dec. 6 and Dec. 9 at Artspace located at 401 Richmond St. W. The prints are available for purchase at prices ranging from $100 to $250.
According to Lens Lurker, a database that provides information on film development, the cost is currently escalating, reaching up to $20 with tax for one black and white roll of film in particular. This involves a prolonged process that can take up to 24 hours. Starting from scratch, the required batteries for film cameras can have a heavy cost at around $40 for a two-year lifespan. Additionally, opting for higher-quality film, priced at approximately $20 to $25 per roll, contributes to the overall Read more at cost that makes the entire process theprintissue.theeyeopener.com
THE PRINT ISSUE
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A DATE NIGHT WITH A BOOK: MY READING ROUTINE
SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER By Joshua Chang It’s 5 p.m. I burst through the front door, shake the loose rain off my windbreaker and wriggle out of my backpack straps. My bag falls to the ground with a slightly concerning thud, but I leave it lying in the foyer as I stumble into the warmth of my home. Oh, the weather outside is frightful…not in a scary thunder way but in an unnecessarily cold-without-the-pretty-snow way. I take out my earbuds, which have been booming Out Of The Woods (Taylor’s Version) since I ran out from underneath the subway station shelter—right before I slid on a patch of ice directly into a tree. Although I’m home, I don’t dare take off my flannel underneath just yet… I need the warmth to soak in. I frown as I peer out the window, rain peppering the glass and sliding down to the brick windowsill where a mound of ice has begun to form. In my humble opinion, ice anywhere during November indicates a major problem,
especially when there was a projected “clear forecast” about two hours ago. Nevertheless, I found myself running—or might I say skating—all the way home from the subway over black ice and slush puddles, attempting to escape the miserable weather. I pull out my phone, which has already started firing off with notifications as it connects to my home Wi-Fi. Clearly, I’m too popular to be left alone for even a moment. One email from my professor reads: “Josh, when are you handing in your final feature draft? It was due last week.” Another alert warns: “Based on your headphone usage over the last seven days, the volume has been turned down to protect your hearing.” “We miss you! Come back and play!” says a Subway Surfers push notification. I sigh and set my phone face down on the kitchen table, knowing it’ll be a while before I resolve any of those “pressing” updates. I finally decide to shuck off my itchy flannel and re-
place it with a cozy pullover. It’s reading time. After filling up and turning on my kettle, I open the pantry to see if there are any munchies I can snack on without staining or soiling the pages while I read. As a broke university student, my options are some dried apricots, a single granola bar and a half-full bag of dairyfree croutons. I gather them all up in my arms and head over to my room to find a book. There’s a list of several I can choose from today, seeing as I’ve started about five but have yet to finish any of them. One of the worst things about November is that schoolwork and exam season get in the way of all my hobbies, such as reading or spending hours panicking about finding an internship for next semester. I open my closet and get a good look at the colourful array of book titles on the shelf before me. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green seems like a good option. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is timely too, seeing as the movie has just come out. After some deliberation, I eventually settle on Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens because it has the prettiest cover and the pages have the crispest paper smell. I have dozens of other great reads on my Kindle, but I desperately need to flip the physical pages of a book while sitting cross-legged under my grandmother’s hand-woven blanket and thus, living my main character moment. After typing up articles on my computer all morning and staring mindlessly at a professor’s three-hour presentation all afternoon, I think my eyes might melt out of their sockets if I stare at a screen any longer. The fact that I’ve been watching episodes of Bob’s Burgers on repeat every night until 2 a.m. probably
doesn’t help either. My kettle comes to a boil and I pour the steaming water over a “Just Peachy” tea bag inside of my sister’s Dunder Mifflin mug. There’s no time to waste as I squeeze in some honey—probably more than I should—and hurry over to the living room where I know a fluffy couch awaits me. I normally do most of my reading in my room, but I would never wear my outside clothes in bed. Not with bed bugs on the loose. I jump onto the couch almost too forcefully—nearly falling over the edge—but I’m settled in after thrashing around for a moment. There’s a mug in my left hand, a crouton in my right and a book in my lap. I gaze out the window again to see that the rain has only gotten worse, slightly rattling the window frame and making me question its structural integrity. Luckily, it’s warm inside and so am I. I need everything to be perfect. My tea is steaming, a blanket is wrapped around my waist and my book is in front of me. Do I light the Bergamot Waters candle on the coffee table, or is that too much? Nah. It’s a date night after all. With myself. Or is that kind of sad? But I shake my head. Now is no time to get into my feels. The only emotions I should be feeling right now are for Kya, a young girl braving the marshlands of North Carolina, so that’s where I’ll be focusing all of my attention until further notice. I smile as I flip open to where my Batman bookmark is neatly tucked inside the book, protecting where I last left off. I’m back for you my dear, four months later. It’s just you and I. The rotted legs of the old abandoned fire tower ...
PLOT TWIST: THE BOOKS DID IT BETTER A bookworm’s desperate plea to the film industry about book-to-movie adaptations By Lynette George Dear film industry, Books have been everything to me since I was a little girl. I am a product of all the words I’ve read over the years and all the worlds I’ve envisioned while reading them. I was the kid on the school bus who scared the living daylights out of everyone by randomly gasping aloud at unexpected plot twists. Do you remember the kid in your gym class who always had a book in their hand for some reason? Yes, that was also me. Being an international student in Canada may be difficult, but leaving all my books behind might’ve been the hardest part. You get the point—I love books. In particular, I loved the Percy Jackson & the Olympians books as if they were my children. That was the first series that got me hooked on fiction. So, I can recall my naive excitement when I heard about the movies. Of course, that excitement was short-lived once the life-altering sense of disappointment set into my bones right after I watched them. That’s what I deserve for having expectations from two nauseating films meant to encapsulate five books’ worth of plots and storylines. I think it’s understandable when I say that if I need to watch another mediocre movie adaptation of a phenomenal book, I might combust
into a ball of pure, unfiltered rage. Oh, wait—I already did. A quick question for that first set of Percy Jackson movies, the Shadow and Bone show and anything remotely connected to the Divergent series: Why do you exist? I understand contractual limitations, financial difficulties and economic priorities taking precedence, but, truly: Why did you waste my time? I didn’t know I was getting a one-way ticket to “Plot Hole Central” when I started watching the Divergent films almost a decade ago. Yet, that is where I ended up. So, film industry, if you’re planning on rewriting the whole plot of the book anyway, I would recommend calling it something else. Dangling that carrot of false hope is a desperate cash grab at best. Be better. Additionally, combining two totally separate series by the same author into one big blurry mess, makes it exactly that—a big blurry mess. Are you wondering why characters from the Six of Crows duology ended up in Netflix’s adaptation of Shadow and Bone, even though the Shadow and Bone trilogy is an independent series? Well, I’ve yelled that question into the void multiple times myself. All I heard back was resounding silence. Honestly, same. Film industry, all of this just begs the question—did you even read the book? Did you sit under a cozy blanket on a cold, rainy
JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER night and take the time to do what I did? Did you see the light, hope and joy that I saw on those pages, or did you get transported to the grey world you brought to my screen? I’m watching what you made and I feel like you didn’t. What else could justify this disrespectful corruption of plotlines? I ask you one thing: Please stop. You aren’t very good at translating the beauty of novels onto our screens, so maybe—and hear me out here—don’t. I understand that your mouth starts salivating at the thought of how fiscally rewarding turning books into films can be. I get that all you see when you
enter a library are mines, filled with shiny, juicy diamonds shaped like novels, waiting for you to grab onto. But please, keep your grubby hands off good books. Nothing makes for better reviews than an audience with zero expectations, so write your own stories. All you’re doing by ruining our favourite books is volunteering yourself as tribute to get ripped to shreds by stans on the internet. Spare us. Save yourself. Leave the books. Sincerely, A Bookworm