FRESHMEN VS. SENIORS by MacMedia Magazine

August 2016

n e m h s e Fr . S V s r o i n Se BECOMING A UNIVERSITY STUDENT MY FIRST STEPS FIRST AND LAST TIMES AUGUST 2016 | 1

Freshmen Vs. Seniors AUGUST 2016 Vol.22 , Issue #01 www.macmediamagazine.com 004c MaLaughlin College, York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 416-736-2100 ext. 60555

Executives Editor-in-chief Web Manager

Tabitha Peters Tatiana Prisiajny

Editors Arts Humour Sports & Health

Vanessa Butera Juan Lopez Tyler Drummond

Staff Writers James Zhan Mustapha Safadieh

A Message From MacMedia’s Own Editor

4 Comments Aspiring Artists Are Sick of Hearing

Quick Tips From A Fourth-Year Student

Becoming A University Student

Freshmen VS. Seniors

First Year Isn’t Set In Stone

My First Steps

First And Last Times

The Criminology Society at York University

A Message From The President

Art and Design Mary Anne Cruz

Designer

@MacMediaMag

MacMedia Magazine

MacMedia is a proud member of The Canadian University Press, a national organization of Canadian student newspapers.

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MacMedia is the official student monthly of McLaughlin College but does not speak on behalf of McLaughlin College – unless specifically specified by the Big Kahauna upstairs (in which case there’ll be a note). The opinions expressed herein are also not necessarily held by MacMedia or its staff (unless they’re really smart and dastardly written) but are a reflection of the current social outlook. Out goal is to act as an objective forum for constructive conceptual synthesis and intellectual thought – not as a community censor. Therefore, our content is only as strong as your contribution. Every month we publish a wide variety of student-written news, opinions, art, poetry, humour, fiction, photography, and everything in-between. Please feel free to contact us for any reason, including publishing dates, advertising, world domination, iguana preservation, puddle-pants, the whereabouts of Godzilla, or any other “topics of interest.“

A Message from

MacMedia’s own editor

Hey freshmen and returning students, We are MacMedia, Mclaughlin College’s own editorial. Our magazine offers down to earth, raw, insightful articles that keep readers like you entertained and well-updated. A lot of our articles are based off of personal experience, but more importantly, it’s relatable to almost all students on campus. Everyone on our team speaks their mind, and has an opinion. We don’t kick around the bush when telling information, we tell it how it is. We have a great team so far, but we are looking to add more writers, editors, and designers to complete our family here at MacMedia. You don’t need to be a writing or English major to write for us, we accept anyone who has a passion for writing and is willing to get their hands a little dirty if you know what I mean. Just kidding, that’s not until our famous Sex issue in February. But seriously, if you have a secret passion for writing, editing, or even designing, our team could use someone like you. We are always open to hearing what you have to say, even if you want to contribute articles once in a while or have ideas for our next issues. We are here to keep you smiling and laughing with what we have to say. Give me a shout at macmedia.eic@gmail.ca if you are interested. Yours truly, Tabitha Peters Editor in Chief

Please send all submissions and inquiries to macmedia.eic@gmail.com

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Quick Tips 4 Comments Aspiring Artists Are Sick of Hearing

Mustapha Safadieh | Staff Writer

Vanessa Butera | Arts editor

They say ‘the creative adult is the child who survived’. Whether you are a musician, actor, dancer, visual artist, or writer, you are considered an artist. If you have chosen to pursue your artistic passion after high school, I salute you. Pursuing the arts is certainly not easy, but you are incredibly brave for taking the path that best suits you. Yet, not everyone can see your passion behind the surface. Some non- artists have a way of dismissing the hours, hard work, and sweat you put into your craft. Even those who are close to you, such as friends and family, will convince you to pursue a career that fits their idea of ‘safe’ or ‘successful’. And there is always the on-the-spot “can you draw for me/sing for me?” Here are the comments all aspiring artists are sick of hearing. “SO, DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A TEACHER?” For those of you who are pursuing drama, dance, music, English, visual arts, etc. your field/major could easily become a teachable. So this question is valid, to a certain extent. However, to assume that you only want to teach is a little closed minded. This response dismisses the possibility that you actually want to do something less mainstream and more “WHERE WILL THAT TAKE YOU IN LIFE?” This question is rather degrading to say the least. Anyone who asks you this has such a narrow idea of what it means to be successful, no matter how curious or well-meaning they are. If you have found the desire within yourself to make a career out of the arts, you know you have what it takes to be successful. No one else’s standards or definitions of success matter in your pursuit. Your endless dedication to your craft will take you everywhere!

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from a Fourth-Year Student

“MY _____ TOOK ________ IN UNIVERSITY TOO. NOW THEY ARE WORKING AS A ________ (SOME CAREER THAT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR INITIAL FIELD)” No artists actually likes hearing stories about people who wanted to become a professional writer/dancer/actor/musician/ painter but did not make it or changed their mind. If you find yourself hearing these comments, please don’t worry. You are an artist, you want to live your life as one. Therefore, you will become one. Now carry on! “CAN YOU SING FOR ME/DRAW ME/WRITE A POEM ABOUT ME/DANCE FOR ME?” Uh, no.

First off, a piece of brotherly advice: if you have questions, ask. Always ask, never be afraid to ask. There’s nothing worse than walking in the wrong direction for longer than you need to… especially with the amount of money we’re paying for these degrees. There is walk-in advising on campus (right by the Scott Library), or you can call your respective departments and set up an appointment. Ask your professors, ask your TA’s, hell, ask the man making your lunch. Speaking of lunch, there are a lot of places to eat on Campus. Best bet is walking in York Lanes and the Student Centre if you want a food court-styled venture. Otherwise, there are three Hot Dog vendors for a cheap between-class snack (One in the Seneca Courtyard, one by the bus stops just north of the Student Centre, and one right in front of the TEL/Victor Phillip Dandaleh Building.) Low on funds? Falafel Hut in York Lanes has a daily pita offer for under $5. Tim Hortons is always a valid snacking option, and there are four of them. One just by the library, one in the William Small Centre, one in TEL and one in Seneca @ York. The William Small Centre and Seneca locations have Tim Hortons Breakfasts as well, so a bagel and coffee before an early class is always an option as well. My preferred breakfast at York, however, would be the Breakfast combo at Treats, in the Student Centre. Under $6, comes with the coffee of your choice (out of a total of six different blends) and a bagel with egg, cheese, and bacon or ham or sausage (turkey too, if you ask for it.) The Great Canadian Bagel is where I go when I have a tiny bit more money to spend, for specialty

bagels. Their coffee is decent as well. Of course, good food and lots of coffee causes its own set of problems and unfortunately, not all the bathrooms at York are great. Anything in the larger buildings will always be packed and will always smell like, well, what you’d expect a public washroom to smell like. If you’re anything like me and need to be in a secluded environment to get about your business, look no further. Three years of experimentation and I discovered the bathrooms in TEL. Clean, Equipped, and usually deserted. If you can’t hold it long enough to get to TEL, there’s another quiet place that’s closer to Vari Hall and the Student Centre. Follow the walkway from the student centre to Vari until you have to turn the corner on the left, and you’ll notice a set of two doors on your right. Follow them into the building and walk three meters straight. Almost always empty. You’re welcome. The last bit of fourth-year knowledge I have to share concerns TTC commuters. In the fall/winter terms, the lines to the 196 buses are usually longer, meaning you have to stand out in the cold for no reason. If you’re willing to walk to The Pond Road, you can take the bus from that stop while it’s empty, and ride it back to York. It’ll stop for a few minutes as it loads more passengers and then be on its way. Try and make sure you have a seat on the way home as well.

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Becoming a University Student James Zhan | Staff writer

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You usually wake up from your alarm, but this morning, you feel a surge of excitement inside you. Why? Because you know today is the last exam of high school, and in a matter of two months, you will be a university student. As you are dwelling on that thought, you suddenly feel the anxiety emerging since you will have a lot more responsibilities as a university student. You’ll have to take care of your OSAP, student loans, and possibly prepare to move out of your house. Undergraduate studies are supposed to be much more difficult than high school. That being said, your anxiety grows. “You should expect a 20% grade drop,” is what your teachers have been telling you. Now, you’re trying to calculate what you will get according to your current grades— around 60%. You feel more anxious, but your train of thoughts are interrupted by your brother banging your door saying, “you’re going to be late for school if you keep sleeping in.” Your brother is doing his Master’s Degree and you think if my stupid brother can do it, why can’t I? You chuckle, feel a bit better and get up. You wake up from your alarm, but you are a bit confused because the ceiling you see isn’t yours—then you realize that you have just moved to the Village at York University. You look around the small room, trying to take in the fact that you are probably going to dwell in here for quite a while. Your housemate starts blasting music really loudly. You are slightly annoyed and hope that he won’t do that when it’s time to study. It’s the first day of Frosh Week and you head out feeling both anticipant and nervous. It feels like starting all over again—your usual high school best buddies have all gone to different schools, and you haven’t had to try to make friends or worry about making friends until now. You think to yourself—will I meet my significant other in Frosh, or in university at all? Some famous couples from the YouTube channels met in university, so maybe that will happen to you. In the first few days of Frosh, you talk to a few people, trying to find if they’re in your program. They are all very nice, but most of them don’t stick around, so you have to keep talking to new faces, hoping to find people who have more in common with you. You again wake up from your alarm, but the ceiling is no longer new to you. You don’t feel rested because yesterday was the last day of Frosh and you had a lot of fun—a little bit too much fun—whereas today is your first day of class. Somehow you don’t want to get up. But it’s the first day of university, you tell yourself. Finally you get up, go to your laptop and check where your classes

are. You are confronted with confusing building acronyms and even after looking at the campus map, you have no idea where they are. You know your class is in Curtis Lecture Hall, but you just can’t find it. Your class starts at 12:30 p.m. and it’s already 12:27. Shit! You are frustrated because you don’t want to be late on your first university lecture. After several minutes of awkwardly asking people and running around, you finally find the room— who knows there is a second floor in this ugly looking maze? You are several minutes late. You open the door and is shocked by how big the lecture hall is. The professor is already talking, and now you are awkwardly walking down the aisle—feeling hundreds of pairs of eyes on you as you try and find a vacant seat. And of course, the vacant seat has to be in the middle of one of the front row. You have no choice but to murmur “excuse me” and “sorry” again and again as you make your way through the row, disturbing everyone near you. You take a quite glance around, and all you see are strange faces—your Frosh friends aren’t there. Again, you wake up from your alarm as, but now you spring up from your bed, because you are excited to see your new friends. You guys planned to meet up before class to study for the upcoming mid-term exam. You met them in a tutorial, where you guys were assigned as a group to carry out some discussions. Naturally, no constructive discussion was made, but one of them saw the Sign of Deathly Hallows tattoo on your hand and exclaimed with excitement. That was when the other friend in your group showed off his Harry Potter tattoo as well. Instant friendship was established. You go to school and greet your friends, but instead of studying, you all just sit under a tree and chitchat with laughter. With the geese wandering around, cute squirrels sprinting, and the sun caress the grass, you feel happy about the university life. You find that friends with the same program interest are different than your other friends who you just hang out with. You can not only hang out with your university friends, but you also study with them, and complain about professors, TAs and assignments with them. You wake up from your alarm as usual; you feel content because your life is on track and you are ready to tackle any obstacles that come in your way.

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freshmen

VS.

SENIORS Tabitha Peters | Editor in Chief So, it comes to show that the years really do slip by. I can look back to yesterday and still think I had just started university. Where did all that time go? Not going to lie, I was very nervous on my first day of university, I had my mom drop me, and then picked me up. I gloated highly about an awesome professor that I had, and then said I cannot wait for the rest of the week. Now, I drive myself to campus while struggling to find a parking spot in a lot that I am paying for. As soon as I get to class, I just hope the time flies (depending on the course). As a first year student, you will want to be prepared, because in your mind set, that is exactly what you are going to do. You all stress about things not going smoothly, and are afraid of asking

Tyler Drummond | Sports Editor stupid questions. Here’s a tip, ask those questions you think are stupid because everyone else is probably wondering the same thing. I can’t believe I’m a senior this year, it amazes me that I am now in the graduate category of next year. When you’re having fun, time flies, and York has been stressful on my part, but I did have a blast with my classes and friends while year 2013 became 2016. Starting first year may be nerve-wracking, but finishing your last year is the same thing; not knowing where or what to do afterwards can sometimes be scarier. You freshmen are lucky, you’re just starting out, so take it nice and slow, and just have fun.

Guide of Our Thoughts: freshmen

Seniors

“Oh shit I’m late” Runs to class

“I’m already 10 minutes late” Walks, and grabs a coffee on the way

“I didn’t hear what the professor said while taking notes” Panics, and annoyingly asks person next to them “I don’t want to ask that; everyone will think I’m stupid” Lowers hand “Excuse me! Can you tell me where this building is please?” Looks confused for hours and ends up going to the wrong one

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First Year Isn’t Set in Stone

“Whatever, it’ll be on Moodle” “Fuck it, I want to know if I’m right or not” Raises hand

16 years of age, and you’re navigating the treacherous waters of high school. You finally finish grade 10 and your teachers remind you that you have to soon decide what you want to study in University. It’s important, because when picking those high school classes, you may need certain credits to get into a particular program in post-secondary. Of course this major will lead into a promising career right out of university… you’ll get a job, get married, maybe have kids, pay off your student loans, buy a big house and live happily ever after! Right! Right? Or, first year comes and goes and you’ll realize you absolutely hate your program with a passion. You’re disinterested in every course, skipping class more in a month than you did your entire four years of high school and the very thought of another slideshow lecture will make you want to poke your eyeballs out. Now, for some, they breeze through their program with no issues whatsoever, but for others, not so much. High school sucks. The reason it sucks is because it’s supposed to prepare you for university, but it doesn’t. High school treats you like a baby, along with trying to force a bunch of hormonal teenagers to figure out the rest of their lives when they’re still trying to figure out who they are themselves. It’s an asinine idea that we have to figure out our entire life path and stick to it at the age of 15 or 16. University in a vacuum is no different. University is about finding yourself, and First Year especially is one big experiment. The choices you make are not set in stone, it’s only one year and if you find out that you hate law with a passion and love to write and tell stories instead, then switch from Law and Society to Professional Writing

and graduate in 5 years instead of 4. Or take summer classes, go study abroad, and try something new. You are never fully bound by your program to where you can’t branch out and experiment. There is no ticking time clock that says you have to graduate in exactly 4 years. If you’re living at home, enjoy the time you have left with your parent(s) because soon they’ll be gone and you’ll wish they were there. If you’re living in a dorm, enjoy that experience that you’ll never get back once you’re done. If you’re living with your best friend(s), enjoy it. Your first year in university is like the first page of a fresh new notebook and you’re writing in pencil, not pen. If you don’t like something, erase it. A faint mark will be left, and the experience stays with you, but you’re free to write something new over it again and forge a new path. So, have fun in first year and live. Taste your first real glimpses of freedom and begin to find you. The rest will work itself out.

“Hey! Where is this building” Still ends up looking confused because we still don’t know the buildings here at York

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My First Steps Anastasiya Ivanova

| Contributor

The old, grey plastic chairs lazily creaked every time one of my new undergraduate colleagues shuffled in the seats. Some of us rested a pen and paper on the black tables, connected into a large rectangle at the centre of the basement room at McLaughlin College at York University. All ten of us (or there about) thirstily listened to Shakila’s stories about her experiences as an undergraduate student. Shakila was our assigned mentor during this Orientation Day for incoming undergraduate students, accepted in the programs supported by McLaughlin College; these programs include Global Political Studies, Law and Society, Sociology, Criminology (which was my major) and others. She sat at the top of one of the tables, leaning forward on her forearms. Like a veteran, she held her head high and kept her body relaxed. Her eyes complimented her voice as she spoke confidently, sincerely and with that odd nonchalance born from her experience and knowledge in the academia. “Forget about straight As,” stated Shakila. “In university, you have to be a genius to have straight As. If you want to do good, also forget about social life.” We protested. Some of us had entry scholarships and we knew we had to upkeep the excellent grade reports so we can keep them. Shakila had lost her scholarship after her first year. “The course material is too dense, the expectations are too high and the pressure is too much,” she reasoned. She hammered that academia is not easy to handle, let alone excel in this environment. For her, undergrads were truly only capable of trying

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their best to move along through the years like serving a prison sentence, but for which you pay from your own pocket. Indeed, academia does imprison the human mind and body in a way freshmen have never experienced. The biggest example is the new acquired freedom undergraduates are given when they begin their first post-secondary year. I remember first year (and every following year) class leaders kept telling us that we are adults and we can choose to attend or participate in classes. This freedom was so strange to some of my first-year colleagues that they finally stopped asking our tutorial leaders for permission to use the bathroom. Others relaxed into this freedom instantly, but like Shakila, many felt tricked and trapped. The academia as an institution requires certain discipline as a prerequisite of success. Professors and teaching assistants grade students on attendance and participation, and this grade makes up between 10% and 15% of undergraduates’ final grade. This grade is often the difference between a good report card and an excellent one. So, “adulthood” often left my colleagues confused, which added to their distaste towards academic expectations. This distaste stressed many of them even more, leaving them hopeless. They carried this feeling into their upper years. But for others and for me these new expectations and freedoms liberated us. I made a lot of choices in my first year of university. The first one was to remain open-minded and curious about the academia. I explored the freedoms it offered me; I selected only courses that interested me. I managed new challenges, such as staying on top

of my participation, attendance and assignments in these classes. I examined the genius ability of humans to put their souls into words and narratives in my English Literature course. I studied the human psyche and behaviour in my Introduction to Psychology class. I followed how societies evolved as humans perfected mathematics and astronomy in my NATS course, History of Mathematics. I challenged the myths and reality of the mafia as we know it (and the page-limit of academic research essays) in my Introduction to Criminology class. In these classes and all of my interactions with colleagues from different year levels in varying disciplines I challenged myself to remain open minded and humble. I didn’t feel tricked or trapped. I learned and learned. I learned that the only trap is the one I set for myself. First year was one of the most life-defining years in my life. Yours will be as equally defining. Make it yours.

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First and Last Times Juan Lopez

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| Homour Editor

For some of you, this is going to be the first time you’ll pick up an issue of MacMedia and read about our back-to-school articles, about all the fantastic things you’ll learn about York and everything you and your friends can do here. But for some of you, including myself, this is (probably) going to be the last time you’re going to read about a frosh issue or a back-to-school issue. I know, so depressing, but put away your tissues because it’s not all that bad. I mean it’s pretty bad, but we don’t have much of a choice so let’s try and make it through the year one last time. Yeah, final year. It’s scary as shit. You got to get your act together, and if you haven’t found it then you got to step up, big time. It’s time to go and get out into the real world. No more messing around, no more homework, no more skipping class. But that’s part of growing up and becoming an adult; you got your own responsibilities now and there’s going to be a lot more heading your way. But enough of this depressing shit, I’m not your father, let’s look at things in a brighter light, shall we? It’s the last time you’re ever going to have to see that person you hate or that ex that you cheated on. Probably. It’s the last time you’re ever going to have to sit through those boring ass lectures or skip class to watch Netflix in Scott. It’s the last time you will ever have to sit through a class where that one person asks every conceivable question and doesn’t shut up. Yeah, we all know who

you are. But it’s also the last time you’re going to see your friends, favourite teachers, classmates, sports team members, and that person that you always talk to but you have no idea what their name is. So this article is for those of you who are in your last year, those of you who don’t have your lives together or you don’t know what you’re going to do or even what you’re going to have for breakfast tomorrow. Don’t sweat it. You got this. Your time here at York was great, and this last year is only going to solidify that. You’ve been doing great these last few years, now here’s the home stretch. Graduation is only months away, but it’s going to sneak up on you faster than you think. So yeah, your time here might be coming to an end, but make it a hell of an end. Chances are you’re not going to be coming back to York after this, so make your last year here memorable. For those of you just starting, make it a hell of a first year too. You have no idea how fast time flies. Live a little, go out, party hard, drink a lot, get those A’s, fall in love, make new friends, do whatever you want. We can all appreciate the time we spent in school, so whether you’re just starting your York journey or whether it’s coming to a close, have an awesome time and make it your year.

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The Criminology Society at York University (CSY) is an undergraduate, studentrun organization that functions as a liaison between students and faculty at York. Although the CSY is a programspecific organization, our events and assistance are available to students of any discipline. We aim to encourage and enable students to achieve their personal, professional and academic goals while also connecting them to their professors, professionals in the field, volunteer opportunities as well as to other students and student organizations at York. We strive to enhance student engagement and identification with the academic community by seeking out educational opportunities beyond the classroom, with hopes that this will cultivate a foundation of critical skills and knowledge for our fellow colleagues. Additionally, we work with the Criminology Program, as well as external organizations, to provide students with a network of professional relationships that would continue to support them long after graduation. It is our very mandate to enhance the undergraduate experience of our constituents, and to equip them for life after graduation.

Currently, we have two fantastic events coming up in the month of September: • AGM and Professor Meet & Greet: September 21st 6:00pm-7:00pm in the Chancellor’s Room at the Underground *food and drinks will be available • LA&PS-wide Volunteer Fair: September 27th 10:00am-2:00pm in the upper and lower Bear Pit (by central square)

Please contact us to learn more about our membership and events.

Email: csyorku@outlook.com Facebook www.facebook.com/csyorku

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Or drop in at our office: 003 McLaughlin College 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3

A Message from the President Hey Y’all! Congrats to all of you on your acceptance and to those returning welcome back! My name is Daniel Bharat and I am your McLaughlin College President for the 2016/2017 year. A little bit about myself, I am in my 5th year studying Social Science. My interests include driving, cooking, and long walks on the beach! I, alongside with the rest of the McLaughlin College Council are super excited for the upcoming year. Working along with us include McLaughlin’s Sport and Recreation Council and our very own editorial, MacMedia! To every incoming student, I hope you are ready to start university and take your first steps in this new chapter in your life. What is McLaughlin College Council you may ask? We are your student government selected to plan and execute a plethora of both social and academic events throughout the year! We host many events throughout the year which include our trademark #MACdoesMontreal event as well as a very LIT end of year formal! We also host monthly coffee houses, a Halloween haunt event, and different outreach campaigns all year. The McLaughlin Sport and Recreation Council works all year to help facilitate and plan intramurals year round. This includes different sports such as; water polo, basketball, flag football, cricket, softball, etc. The list goes on and on! We work aimlessly all year to give and create different opportunities for all of you to get involved, so please come out

to our events! We also have 15 affiliated clubs that range from program specific to charity-based and they all host their own events. There is more to this university that meets the eye! Essentially, what I am getting at is for all of you to have some fun here while you are learning and growing! If you ever want to get involved or just hang out in between classes, visit our office in Mclaughlin, room 143, or our student lounge, room 016. I can’t wait to meet everyone! Daniel Bharat President mccpresident@gmail.com

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@MacMediaMag @officialmacmedia MacMedia Magazine www.macmediamagazine.com 16 | MACMEDIA