Kaleidoscope Nº—2

Page 1

KALEIDOSCOPE No—2


KALEIDOSCOPE www.rukaleidoscope.com rukaleidoscope@gmail.com @rukaleidoscope All stories, words, photos, videos, books, poems and other remaining content are copyright of their respective creators as indicated herein, and are reproduced here with permission. Copyright information can be found on the same page as and next to each submission featured in the anthology. Printed in Toronto, ON by Flash Reproductions


from the team. The following pages show just some of the diverse work created by the students of Ryerson University’s Faculty of Communication and Design.

This book represents hundreds of hours of work, not just by the Kaleidoscope team, but by the many talented students who submitted their pieces and made this anthology possible. It was the diversity and creativity of Ryerson’s Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD) that inspired the idea for Kaleidoscope three years ago. Our mandate is to bring together the faculty’s nine diverse schools and to create a place of collaboration for students. We are thrilled to present you with the second annual issue of the Kaleidoscope anthology. Throughout the curation process, we saw a wide variety of work made by students within FCAD. But they all have something in common: creativity and ingenuity. Whether it is taking a class assignment and expanding it, developing a passion project or just making something for fun, each submission in this book shows how students in this faculty take their passion and run with it. Kaleidoscope was created and nurtured within the FCAD community. Now it is our hope that the anthology will return the favour and help FCAD grow and reach new audiences. Please enjoy the 2017/2018 issue. Here is Kaleidoscope N°— 2 It has been a pleasure to work with you all. Sincerely the leads, Katie, Japnaam, Kasi, Saghi and Chelsea


FCAD talent for the creative era

Faculty of Communication & Design


from the dean. Congratulations to all the students showcasing their work in this issue of Kaleidoscope. FCAD is filled with talent for the creative era and this anthology shows a culmination of work from students across our nine schools.

As always, I am thrilled to see, read and learn about the wonderful projects and ideas coming from the future leaders of the creative industries. This student-produced publication is a true representation of the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature that makes FCAD unique. It is within these pages that you can see the creative leadership and excellence we are fostering and sending out into the cultural sector upon graduation. I wish to extend my congratulations to the team behind Kaleidoscope. Your endless hours of work and dedication are visible on every page. It has been a pleasure working with you, to offer the FCAD Best of Kaleidoscope Award and I look forward to announcing this year’s winner alongside your team. Sincerely, Charles Falzon Dean Faculty of Communication and Design


TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

VARANASI: A HOLY CITY JOHNATHAN MICAY

6

THUMBS EMMETT CHARUK

8

MICHEL GHANEM | FASHION

12

DABA TREKKING CABIN HUSSEINA KAKAL, IRENE LIU, JENNY YANG

14

TO THE INDIGENOUS WOMEN I KNOW EMMA COOPER

15

POLLUTED BEAUTY GLENDON MCGOWAN DIVINITY KASSY GASCHO

16

THIS ISN’T REAL RAIZEL HARJOSUBROTO, KYLE JARENCIO

17

STABLE KARIN KAZAKEVICH, COLIN CAMERON, SIMOON MOSHI, VANESSA FAIENZA, MINJUNG KIM, STEPHANIE MACAS

20

ENVISION

22

SARAH JENKINS | RTA

26

SARHĀ

CORISSA MACLELLAN

SARAH MITCHELL, DAVID FRANCO, NICOLE CARUSI, OLIVIA DESROCHES, YING CHEN 30

ANAPHYLAXIS & FOOD ALLERGIES KYLE CHAUDHRY, CALLAN ROLFE-HUGES, SARA XURE, JUN HO, DORIAN CARIAS, KIERA HOWARTH

32

CAPTAIN CANADA JUAN MORALES, JULIA LE CLAIR, CARLEN OLIVERIA, MAVERICK SLEEP, DANIEL COLANGELO, BRADEN GIBSON

33

YESTERDAY CARL SOLIS, RONNY TAM, JADE ESPEJO, SEFI SLOMAN, MALACHI ROWSWELL, MATT COLLINS, JOSHUA DESOUZA, CHAELYNN BAILEY, ADINA VLASOV

36

MEANWHILE CARL SOLIS, KIERAN LYNCH


38

EMILY ALLAN | INTERIOR DESIGN

42

SAD BOY GRAPHICS MAGDALENA KINCAID

44

NOTHING IN RETURN SCOTT ZHANG, JONATHAN MATTA, CARL SOLIS, CAROLYN CAMPBELL

46

MEN’S AMBIVALENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS FASHION NINA KIRKEGAARD

49

FILM ON MY MIND BENJAMIN FIESCHI-ROSE

52

ALVIRA ESTEPA | GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

56

THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT SOUND DESIGN OSHAN STARREVELD

57

ANTI-FACIST RALLY ON GOULD NICOLE BRUMLEY

58

UNTITLED FIONA KENNEY

59

67

INTERIOR DESIGN WOOD SERIES. FLOW

HONEY DIPPER

KYLE WONG

POONEH KHALEGHI

ROCK

UTENSIL DESIGN

KELLY WALCROFT

NEGAR VALIMOHAMMAD

MEDIAN

SMALL BOWLS

KATHLEEN MCCANN

RAJESHTA JULATUM

SUPERCUT KYLE JARENCIO, CHARA HO

68

UNTITLED HOLLY CHANG

70

MATTHEW KNARR | IMAGE ARTS

74

DEATHLINE DAVID FAN, MICHAEL ITALIANO

76

THINK ABOUT IT KELLY KITAGAWA, SIERRA NUTKEVITCH, SHULI GROSMAN-GRAY, JESSIKA MCLAURIN, AISHA AFZAL & CREATIVE TEAM

78

AFTER PARTY NAOMI KWOK, HOEY LEUNG


80

NOISE AND COLOUR JENNIFER DOAN

81

IN UNDERTOW KELSEY MYLER LIFE IN THE ARTS MAXIM LUCA BORTNOWSKI

82

#HAPPYBIRTHDAY SAMANTHA JACKSON SPILL THE BEANS SABRINA CALANDRA SDWNG SYDNEY WONG

83

RECOGNITION VALENTINA CABALLERO

86 90

ANDREA PESTANA | PERFORMANCE LA BOÃŽTE-EN-VALISE MAHSHID ZEINALI

92

WALL HOOK MAHSHID ZEINALI

94

IRONPATCH LAKESAN SIVANATHAN, JANE SOURALAYSACK

96

SKYN MICHEIL ROTHWELL

98

HIDDEN HILLS AZMINA SYED

100

NICK WAPACHEE | JOURNALISM

104

TWINFINITY RONI CANTOR, JESSIE LEE, MAISEY SUTHERLAND, DAKOTA LWIN

105

FOXY ELLIS POLEYKO, EMMANUEL ER-CHUA, TRISTA SUKE, MELINDA TSE, VIVIAN KONG

108

ECONOMIC ELDERLY ABUSE IN TORONTO ADAM CHEN

111

THE FASHION PORTFOLIO KATIE BARTLEY


112

ROSETTE NICOLE YOUNG

114

EDISON DIETRICH | CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

118

SKETCHBOOK SERIES CLAIRE MCCULLOCH

120

INTO THE WOODS RYERSON MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANY

121

FIGHT LIKE A GIRL ALYSIA MYETTE

122

NEAR & FAR PROJECTS RACHEL FACCHINI, TAVIA CHRISTINA

124

WILD THINK MATTHEW MASSEY

126

COLLABORATION VICTORIA PORTEOUS

128

SILVER LININGS SORAYA SACHEDINA

130

MEAGHAN HUTCHISON | PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

134

OF THESE PEACH WALLS KAREN SELINA

136

BODY 365 MIKAEL M. MELO, JUSTINE ERDELYI, JILLIAN MANIQUIS, HUNG LE ANDY WONG, MICHAELA MILLIGAN, GWEN SWINARTON, CHARA HO



KALEIDOSCOPE

VARANASI: A HOLY CITY Jonathan Micay

1


KALEIDOSCOPE

2


KALEIDOSCOPE

Varanasi is series of photographs Jonathan Micay took while interning on a documentary about Buddhism in India. Micay used his free time between shooting to explore the city of Varanasi and captured it through its inhabitants. The warm tones of his photos are expressive of the people within them. “My goal was to truly capture the colour, energy and culture of this unique, lively and religious city,” Micay said. Projects like Varanasi have allowed Micay to develop his confidence, both in approaching strangers and making them feel comfortable. He said photography’s real power is as a social tool - it’s a way for strangers to connect. “The world is filled with kind people that would love any opportunity to smile with you, or in the case of a photographer, for you,” he said. “Taking the photograph is easy, creating the moment is the challenge.”

3


KALEIDOSCOPE

Jonathan Micay Third-year media production Varanasi: A Holy City Photography 2017

4


KALEIDOSCOPE

5


KALEIDOSCOPE

THUMBS

Emmett Charuk

6


KALEIDOSCOPE

Emmett Charuk Fifth-year photography Thumbs Photography 2017

Inspired to explore the idea of individual identity, Emmett Charuk created Thumbs for his third-year production class. Thumbprints were used because they are genetically specific to an individual, which Charuk said is a “true representation of one’s self that cannot change.”

7

The thumbprints of each model were collected, scanned and then digitally projected onto the subject’s body before being photographed. Through this collection of photographs, Charuk aims to appeal to a wide demographic, especially those who are struggling with their individual identity.


FEATURE | FASHION

KALEIDOSCOPE

8


WORDS SUKAINA JAMIL

KALEIDOSCOPE

PHOTOS ALEX LA

MICHEL GHANEM In his third year at the University of Victoria, Michel Ghanem faced a situation feared by all students. He sat facing his computer and could hear his teacher making her way towards him, pausing only to point out the mistakes she could see on his peers’ screens. Holding his breath in a mixture of anxiety and fear, he finally felt her presence looming behind him. He was ready for the onslaught of constructive criticism. Then came the words that ultimately caused him to identify with a title that was unknown to him. “This is great, you’re a very good writer. I’m impressed.” And so, Ghanem learned to claim a term he did not previously believe he had a right to.

His research focuses on how lead female characters’ mental states are portrayed through their appearance. He has interviewed the costume designers of TV shows like Crazy ExGirlfriend and How to Get Away with Murder. “The way that ‘crazy’ is depicted through a woman’s appearance is always something that’s interesting to keep in mind,” he said. Ghanem said this topic lacks representation in academia. The only scholar who has linked these themes is Helen Warner, who published a book on the connections between fashion and television. Her work made Ghanem wonder if he could take it further, expanding beyond just TV shows that are considered fashion-forward.

The second-year fashion master’s student is a research assistant at Ryerson. This adds “student” and “researcher” to his identity as a writer; Ghanem acknowledged this with a smile as he talked about the importance of intersectionality.

“Fashion is important on any show,” he said.

“Different layers of identity cause us to be able to offer and search for diverse perspectives in our work,” he said. “The way that people have used intersectionality to describe all of these different layers of identity and privilege, I think is super important in discussing the way that we live.”

Mental health has always been important to Ghanem. When he was 13, his family uprooted their life in Ottawa and moved to Redmond, Wash. - a city just outside of Seattle. He described his high school as stereotypically American. There, he found himself to be the only queer student in sight. The move strongly affected his mentality and shaped his selfidentity and confidence.

Ghanem’s interest in intersectionality also led to the topic of his major research paper. He scraped his initial idea about Prada and Italian communism to focus on something that he could relate to instead. Ghanem’s thesis is on how mental health is represented through fashion in television.

9

He hopes to use his final paper to discuss how costumes can convey mental health without stigmatizing it.

A teacher once told Ghanem’s class that everyone shifts from solely being able to absorb information, to one day, having the ability to analyzing it.


KALEIDOSCOPE

During his first few teenage years in the small American city - home to some of the first people he came out to - he slowly began to understand just what she meant. “Those years were especially formative to my work ethic and the way I think about things,” he said, laughing at how confused he was when his teacher first said that. “Now I look back on it, those four years I was in that high school, those were the years I developed these really important analytical skills I took to university.” These skills were applied and further developed through his work as a research assistant for Ryerson’s Centre for Fashion Diversity and Social Change (FDSC). There, he works alongside professor Ben Barry, maintaining their social media accounts, managing the website and being the centre’s main research assistant. Ghanam shares the FDSC’s perspective on including diversity in discussions on social change. “The centre encourages a lot of collaborative projects to bring in as many voices as you can to the table,” he said. “We need to be able to cover as much as we can and be as specific as we can and make sure that people aren’t being left out or misrepresented.” Studying fashion at Ryerson as a master’s student has allowed Ghanem to “understand fashion as a tool for social change.” He said it is a whole different experience to study this idea than to experience the effects of it yourself. “I am always trying to take risks,” he said over lunch, poised with a fish taco in one hand and a stack of napkins in the other. “I wore a skirt for the first time in August when I was in New York and it was such a new experience to see the way that people interacted with me.” His research allowed him to explore theories about how fashion and gendered clothing are evolving - more so for women who wear

menswear than vice versa. This gave him a new perspective about the experiences he had this summer during a music festival. “The security guard was very confused about what to do because they don’t pat down women,” he shared. “But I was a male wearing a skirt and he was pretty stunned.” Ghanem said Ryerson and the Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD) gave him the resources he needed for his work. “It’s nice to know that FCAD cares about fashion,” he said. “Historically, fashion has not been seen as important in terms of scholarly work. So to have a master’s program which is very scholarly on fashion, is in itself an awesome opportunity.” His road to Ryerson was a long one though. Ghanem went to two different high schools before attending Carleton University for journalism. After not making the cut into the second year of the program, Ghanem transferred to the University of Victoria where he graduated with a degree in art history and a minor in journalism. He decided to pursue a master’s degree in fashion, but was torn between Ryerson and the Parsons School of Design in New York City. In the end, he went with the only university in Canada that has a fashion master’s program. “I feel like Ryerson has given me space to really discover what I want to focus on and what is important to me,” he said. “Who knows if I would have had that space elsewhere.” His many layers of identity are not at a crossroads when it comes to whether he wants to pursue writing or fashion. Rather, Ghanem believes he resides in “a sweet spot in the middle.” “I don’t want to be a fashion writer,” he said. “I am a writer, influenced strongly by fashion.”

10


KALEIDOSCOPE

11


KALEIDOSCOPE

DABA TREKKING CABINS Daba Trekking Cabins is a series by Husseina Kakal, Irene Liu and Jenny Yang based on real trekking cabins located on the Amber Road hiking trail in Latvia. The cabins’ design allows hikers to continue experiencing the natural beauty of the surrounding environment, even while inside. The structures of the cabins were inspired by what Kakal refers to as the “vernacular gable roofs of Latvian architecture,” and contain only the most necessary aspects of a shelter: a roof, walls and a platform to sit and sleep. This is the first design project created by Kakal, Liu and Yang outside of school, which they made for the Bee Breeders’ Amber Road Trekking Cabins architecture competition. The group said the project was inspired by their passion for design, which they believe is important for everyone to experience in their daily lives. By adhering to traditional Latvian architecture, the designers were able to encapsulate the culture and heritage of Latvia through the cabins.

12


KALEIDOSCOPE

Hu sse

ina

Kak

al, Fou Irene L rthy iu, J DA ear int enny Y BA ang Tr erior Dig ekking design ital C Ren abins deri n 201 g 7

13


KALEIDOSCOPE

TO THE INDIGENOUS WOMEN I KNOW I love the way you throw your hand out the window when you drive; Careless and free, feeling the rush of wind pass through the space between your fingers, the earth’s breath kissing your knuckles. Emma Cooper Third-year creative industries To The Indigenous Women I Know Poetry 2017

I love the way you go barefoot when we walk through the woods. People passing by throw strange glances your way, and you tell them they’d understand, if only they took their shoes off too. They do not know the softness of pine needles under bare toes. They have no connection with the ground under their feet, it does not speak to them how it does to you. I love the way you sing with your eyes closed, focused on the sound of the drums, the sound of that ancient heartbeat. The language sliding off your tongue a victorious cry that we are still here, and we haven’t forgotten. They may have tried to pry it from our lips, but songs fly up from your lungs, like sparks from a fire that is still burning strong. I love the way you laugh, throwing your head back, letting loose your joy into the air, pollinating the space nearby with your hard-earned light. The world may be a dark place, but you cast that brilliance wherever you can, and it gets a little brighter.

14


KALEIDOSCOPE

Glendon McGowan Second-year photography Polluted Beauty 35-mm Film Photography 2017

Kassy Gascho Second-year media production Divinity 35-mm Film Photography 2017

15


KALEIDOSCOPE

THIS ISN’T REAL Raizel Harjosubroto, Kyle Jarencio “This isn’t real” is a series of images photographed by RTA student Kyle Jarencio and manipulated by journalism student Raizel Harjosubroto. The original photos were taken in 2016 by Jarencio while he was in high school and were inspired by what Jarencio called, the “natural urges to capture something.” Manipulating images is something Harjosubroto said she rarely sees other journalism students doing - as it goes against the ethics of the field. This inspired her to try something new and go against the conventions of facts and reality. “This isn’t real” aims to provide an altered version of reality through Harjosubroto’s love of art. .

original images by Kyle Jarencio

Raizel Harjosubroto, Kyle Jarencio Second-year journalism, second-year media production “This Isn’t Real” Adobe Photoshop 2017

16


KALEIDOSCOPE

STABLE KARIN KAZAKEVICH, COLIN CAMERON, SIMOON MOSHI VANESSA FAIENZA, MINJUNG KIM, STEPHANIE MACAS STABLE is a fourth-year practicum project by Karin Kazakevich, Colin Cameron, Simoon Moshi, Vanessa Faienza, Minjung Kim and Stephanie Macas. The group’s shared love of Canadian history and desire to make psychological trauma visible was the inspiration for the film. Set during the Second World War, the film explores post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through a discharged soldier, Thomas Miller. STABLE follows Miller as he tries to readjusts to life, while he works to complete his first project as a propaganda artist on the Canadian home-front. Miller has returned to his stable, but his life is anything but; he’s still fighting his own battles at home. The film jumps from the saccharine, brightly lit world of the propaganda war Thomas finds himself in, to brief flashes of the nightmarish reality he faced overseas. The team took a multifaceted approach to bringing the film’s historical setting to life, from transforming an old barn and home, to using vintage lenses to film. A point of pride for STABLE’s creators is the nuanced way they addressed their subject matter and how they challenged the typical wartime hero narrative. Kazakevich said the team hopes their work inspires other students to pursue their passions. “We took on the challenge of producing STABLE despite our fears and limitations as students,” she said.“We hope it will inspire students to collaborate and work together to pursue their creative visions even in the face of difficulty.” 17


KALEIDOSCOPE

18


KALEIDOSCOPE

Karin Kazakevich, Colin Cameron, Simoon Moshi, Vanessa Faienza, Minjung Kim, Stephanie Macas Fourth-year media production STABLE Short Film 2017

19


KALEIDOSCOPE

envision

The idea for Envision came from Corissa MacLellan’s need to organize her clothes the night before - saving her time the next morning when she was getting ready. The only problem was that the clothing had to be laid out separately, taking up space. As a multifunctional hanger Envision saves people from this hassle, with a rod for each element of a person’s outfit. MacLellan said the versatility of her piece enables it to reach a large demographic. “Whether it’s a suit for the next day of work or an outfit for the day at the beach. You can envision the infinite possibilities,” she said. MacLellan said FCAD has allowed her to shape her identity as a designer by presenting her with opportunities to solve problems through her creations. This project allowed her to be a part of a design challenge collaboration between her class, Selected Topics in Interior Design, and the Umbra décor company. She was the 2016 first-place winner, receiving $500 in cash and a $500 Umbra gift card. Envision is MacLellan’s way of showing students that they can find solutions for everyday issues, through their own creativity and skills.

20

Corissa MacLellan Fourth-year interior design Envision Product Design 2016


photographed by Nicola Irvin

KALEIDOSCOPE

21


FEATURE | RTA

KALEIDOSCOPE

22


WORDS AMANDA SHORT

KALEIDOSCOPE

PHOTOS ROSANNA LE

SARAH JENKINS Sarah Jenkins never keeps her bible out of reach.

Wild, Jenkins’s coach was frustrated with the team’s lack of passion for the game.

As she’s hard at work in the common area of the Allan Slaight Radio Institute, sheets of paper are strewn on the table circling the notebook like a halo, granting it a beatific air.

“He really wanted us to work with the novices, little girls who, with their whole hockey career ahead of them, really wanted to learn more,” Jenkins said. “It was the best decision our coach ever made, making us go with these little girls. They gave you the passion back.”

“This is our production bible,” Jenkins said. “It’s got every single aspect of our project - it’s like, if I were to die, someone could pick it up and keep going.” The book is deceptively thin for all it contains. Aside from project-specific typography, funding breakdowns and stylish portraits of the eight-person production team, there are the collected narratives of three journeys of immense courage. It’s difficult to take direction in the wake of loss; but Jenkins has mobilized her own in her final year of Sport Media at the RTA School of Media, as the executive producer of Two Three Productions. The team’s thesis project, Power Never Quits, is a documentary series and fundraising gala with the benefits going to SickKids hospital. The series tells the stories of three people with osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that manifests in bones, and how sports have impacted their lives. It’s also a celebration of the little girl who once pulled Jenkins back onto the ice. In her final year of girls’ hockey with the West Northumberland

23

Eight-year-old Grace Bowen never wanted to leave the ice. After a year and a half of being her buddy, Jenkins didn’t either - the two were inseparable. “I was actually on the ice with her the last time she skated,” Jenkins said. They both moved to Toronto in 2014, Jenkins to attend Ryerson and Grace to begin treatment at SickKids for the osteosarcoma that had manifested in her right knee. Jenkins visited Grace in her room whenever she was up for it. “She’s always been a constant in my life,” Jenkins said, raising her left wrist to reveal a white rubber bracelet with the text “Fighting 4 Grace.” The Bowens distributed them to the community - Jenkins’s came from Grace herself. “I’ve been wearing this bracelet on my wrist since before she passed away.” Everyone around Grace seemed to have channeled their grief. Her parents started the Grace Bowen Tribute Fund in support of osteosarcoma research shortly after her passing.


KALEIDOSCOPE A few months later, Jenkins started her second year at Ryerson and wanted to do something for her buddy too. “It was kind of far-fetched with practicum being so far away,” she recalled. “I ended up putting it on the backburner.” Having previously written about the Bowen family’s foundation, she was also concerned about being seen as repeating a project. Hayley Graham, her friend and later coexecutive, dispelled any doubt about whether or not this was a project worth putting her heart into. “[Graham] said, ‘There’s no way you can’t do this project,’” explained Jenkins. “She put it in the best way, saying, ‘We’re fourth-year university students. This is our last chance to use our resources to be able to help other people. Once we’re in the real world, we’ll be caught up with jobs and we won’t really have time to do a passion project.’” With Jenkins in charge of management and Graham at the creative helm, Two Three Productions was born. Both the name of the company and its projects are inspired by Grace; 23 was her hockey number and ‘power never quits’ was her mantra through cancer treatment. Jenkins sits on the floor, perhaps in reverence for the bible on the table and the maelstrom of notes around it. There’s a lot of work to be done for the gala and documentary premiere. Jenkins has been all over the province for Two Three Productions and filmed portions of the project in St. Catherines, Ont. Despite having split the team into two groups to divide and conquer, there’s a lot of overlap. “You wouldn’t be able to do a project like this at any other school,” she said. “Having a network of people who care as much as you do and want to see you succeed is really incredible. Our faculty advisor for this project, Joe Recupero, is totally on board. He used to work for camp Ooch, which is for children with cancer, so he’s just as passionate as we are.” Jenkins said that Ryerson has helped provide the assets, from the Sony FS7 cameras the team filmed on, to the Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens) where the gala is being held - all have helped push their work

to the next level. “This is a huge project but we’re using every network and every asset we have. We had the opportunity over the past few years to network with people,” Jenkins said. “Now those connections and those guest speakers that came in, are helping support our project and giving us feedback.” Among the papers on the table is a page taken from Grace’s book: power never quits. “Her dedication to the sport, her courage and her determination, she transferred that over into her treatment when she was at SickKids,” Jenkins said. “Power never quits really means that who you are as a person, everything that you encompass in your attributes, will transfer over to anything that you do in life.” Beyond giving Jenkins a newfound love for hockey, Grace also imbued in her a passion that carries over into everything she does. The 'power never quits’ mindset lives on through Jenkins. Jenkins is animated as she talks about Grace, gesturing with her hands. The white bracelet whizzes through the air – Grace is never far from reach. 24


KALEIDOSCOPE

25


KALEIDOSCOPE

sarhā

Sarhā is a menswear collection created by fashion design students, Sarah Mitchell, David Franco, Nicole Carusi, Olivia Desroches and Ying Chen for a group project in their third-year fashion design class. The class was based on apparel design and construction, with a focus on menswear. The name sarhā is derived from the Arabic word for desert, which links to the collection’s inspiration. Mitchell said the small town of Shibam in Yemen was chosen as the primary inspiration for the collection due to it being an interesting and diverse city, especially in terms of landscape and architecture. The contrasting dusty, brick-coloured buildings, sharp angles and hints of lush greenery inspired the team in both materials and colours. The group used male models from a range of ethnicities and mixed with the collection’s unique inspiration, sarhā aims to shed a new light on diversity and hopes that the collection can be inclusive to all members of society.

26


KALEIDOSCOPE

27


KALEIDOSCOPE

Sarah Mitchell, David Franco Nicole Carusi, Olivia Desroches, Ying Chen Fourth-year fashion design sarhÄ Collection 2017

28


KALEIDOSCOPE

29


KALEIDOSCOPE

ANAPHYLAXIS & FOOD ALLERGIES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Kyle Chaudhry, Callan Rolfe-Huges, Sara Xure, Jun Ho, Dorian Carias, Kiera Howarth Third-year professional communications Anaphylaxis and Food Allergies in the Elementary School Environment Risk Communications Plan 2017

30


KALEIDOSCOPE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Our Mission

Our mission is to raise awareness and inform TDSB stakeholders about anaphylaxis and its preventative measures, emergency procedures and dangers, while simultaneously ensuring effective practices.

Risk Communication Strategies

The multi-faceted communication plan includes three media deliverables designed to properly educate all constituents. The media deliverables are as follows: 1. Website: the TDSB website will contain all information regarding food allergies, anaphylaxis and procedures if a food allergy occurs.

2. Posters: posters will indicate all food allergies within each specific classroom. • Student friendly posters: utilizing kid-friendly graphics • Faculty friendly posters: chart listing all students’ allergies - colours and symbols correspond with severity of allergies. 3. Worksheet: targeted to students and parents to better understand allergies, anaphylaxis and what to do if someone is suffering from an allergic reaction.

Evaluation Strategies

Allergy quizzes will be available throughout the year and must be completed at least once in order to successfully complete an academic school year. These quizzes and surveys will evaluate the strategies used and any changes that need to be made for the upcoming academic school year. 1. Parent surveys and quizzes: used to gain insight on how parents perceive the effectiveness of the new protocols on allergies in school. 2. Student surveys and quizzes: students will be quizzed on their knowledge of anaphylaxis and food allergies in the elementary school environment.

3. Faculty surveys and quizzes: used to monitor how the program is progressing and its effect on faculty.

Objective

Through the implementation of these media deliverables and evaluation strategies, the Toronto District School Board will be able to provide a safer and more educated environment regarding allergies and anaphylaxis. TDSB will also be able to gain insight into which strategies were successful and make adjustments to the risk plan as needed.

31


KALEIDOSCOPE

CAPTAIN CANADA Director Juan Morales’s Captain Canada showcases the story of Canadian Paralympian Greg Westlake, as the men’s sledge hockey team captain prepares for the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang. Westlake had both his legs amputated when he was 18 months old due to a congenital defect and made the men’s national sledge hockey team in 2003. But Morales’s relationship with Westlake started when Morales was a high school co-op student in the same facility where the Paralympic team was training. When some of the Paralympians were out of town and the team was short-handed, Morales, a former goalie, was asked to step in and train with the team. The experience of being on the ice with these athletes left an impression on him and when it came time to choose a story for Morales’s second-year multi-camera class project, he chose to showcase Westlake and the team. Captain Canada was a group project made under the mentorship of FCAD professor Joe Recupero. Morales worked with fellow RTA Sport Media students: Julia Le Clair, Carlen Oliveria, Maverick Sleep, Daniel Colangelo and Braden Gibson. The video features an interview with Westlake, intercutting it with on-ice footage of him. The team filmed with two GoPro cameras - one on the sledge itself and the other on Westlake’s helmet. Juan Morales, Julia Le Clair, Carlen Oliveria, Maverick Sleep, Daniel Colangelo, Braden Gibson Second-year sports media Captain Canada Documentary 2017 32


KALEIDOSCOPE

CARL SOLIS

33


KALEIDOSCOPE

Carl Solis, Ronny Tam, Jade Espejo Sefi Sloman, Malachi Rowswell Matt Collins, Joshua Desouza, Adina Vlasov, Chaelynn Bailey (Humber College) Yesterday Short film 2017

34


KALEIDOSCOPE

YESTERDAY CARL SOLIS, RONNY TAM, JADE ESPEJO, SEFI SLOMAN, MALACHI ROWSWELL, MATT COLLINS, JOSHUA DESOUZA, CHAELYNN BAILEY, ADINA VLASOV

When writing his short film, Yesterday, director Carl Solis was having a hard time. His father was ill and Solis was going through a breakup. His best friend had also just moved away and Solis felt that he wasn’t living up to his artistic expectations. “I was a nervous wreck and didn’t feel I had any agency over my life anymore,” he said. “In a way, the project finally helped me open up to people again,” said Solis about Yesterday. “It was such an intensely personal piece for everyone who worked on it because we’ve all felt alone and afraid at some point in our lives – and being able to work on a project about reconnecting helped us get a grip on our relationships again.” The project was shot in the summer of 2017 and Solis was helped by other RTA students, including Ronny Tam, Jade Espejo, Sefi Sloman, Malachi Rowswell, Matt Collins, Joshua DeSouza and Adina Vlasov. Drawing on his FCAD experience of editing and post-production, the film relied on dolly and slide shots to provide a feeling of slow movement in its cinematic environment. The film centres on two people who have grown apart. A birthday phone call reconnects them, as scenes of their shared history play out while they reminisce. Skateboarding, guitar playing and polaroid photos; the two had once shared their passions with each other. The film concludes with one inviting the other to meet again and the audience is left wondering if they reconnect.

35


KALEIDOSCOPE

Carl Solis, Kieran Lynch Third-year media production Meanwhile Music Video 2017

36


KALEIDOSCOPE

MEANWHILE CARL SOLIS, KIERAN LYNCH

The music video for Matlock Expressway’s pop-punk song, Meanwhile, follows the songwriter’s reflections on a breakup. The video was inspired by the song’s lyrics; specifically the line, “I always took solace in the fact that something seemed wrong in every picture we took,” which was written by the band’s lead singer. Footage of the band is intercut with shots of the couple taking pictures in happier times, before revealing that one of them has moved on to a new relationship, while the other is left looking at a photo album. Solis spent a year determining the logistics, drawing heavily on his experience in FCAD. Along with the band’s drummer and fellow RTA classmate, Kieran Lynch, they used their knowledge of marketing media, audio production and post production to compensate for the lack of a large crew. Solis describes his style as “very run and gun.” He spent most of the production shooting on his feet and used some of the techniques he had learned from making home music videos when he was younger. “It felt like a true professional experience that I would have otherwise not been able to handle without the confidence of a FCAD education,” Solis said

37


FEATURE | INTERIOR DESIGN

KALEIDOSCOPE

38


KALEIDOSCOPE WORDS SUKAINA JAMIL

PHOTOS CALEIGH ERIN

EMILY ALLAN The School of Interior Design building at Ryerson is secluded from the rest of the campus. Although it is close to other major buildings, the entrance feels like its own separate bubble. Once through the glass doors, the sounds of bustling students and construction all but disappears and the foyer is cloaked with an aura of calmness. When Emily Allan enters the building she calls her second home, she moves at an elegant pace, gesturing towards her favourite spots. Allan’s work ethic follows a similar style, as she pushes herself to constantly move through projects. She manages to do so with a skill and style that has been well-received over the years. Her work has been featured on the Ryerson Design Fabrication Zone website and praised by the Ted Rogers School of Management. Although her journey to interior design was not easy, now in her third year, Allan has no regrets about her decision. “I get motivated by people limiting me,” she said. “I’ve been trying to distinguish my identity and myself through my work. I’m glad I didn’t go into any of the other programs. I would’ve dropped out for sure.” Her commitment to proving herself after the internal struggle she faced to get here, has transferred into the projects she has been producing over the past year and a half. Allan’s first major piece was called PNEU,

39


KALEIDOSCOPE

an experiment in pneumatic structure, more commonly known as inflatable forms. It got the ball rolling in terms of digital and hands-on fabrication projects for her. She worked on it with architecture students and two of her peers from interior design during her second year. The team worked for four months, planning the design and building the structure for its single-night showcase at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto. “It was one of those moments I felt proudest about my work and I want to feel that again about something else,” she said. In the beginning of her third year, Allan buried herself into the field that she has grown so passionate about. She got a teaching assistant position for a second-year interior design class and was mentored at Gensler, an architecture firm in Toronto. The Gensler position allowed her to receive guidance on her ideas and career path from industry professionals. “Ryerson has really opened a lot of doors for me,” she said. “With the program here, you get a more intimate sense of space and what it

means to design on a human scale and that’s what interior design is. The opportunities we get here are endless.” Allan’s next big project was housed on the eighth floor of the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) building. Designed for Ryerson’s retail management program, it consisted of custom furniture for the TRSM retail pop-up pilot which doubled as a student lounge and work space. “I get really into my projects because I see them as a creative extension of myself,” said Allan. “I like to do weird stuff, so I like how they’ve turned out so far.” Allan is also working on a design build project for the 2018 interior design show. The show hosts different vendors with their displays designed by interior design students. Allan’s project is in partnership with Designboom, a publication platform for designers. Her notebook is full of rough sketches for the display, ranging from shapes of possible fabrics to the look of physical elements.

40


KALEIDOSCOPE

“My process always starts out with these crazy, really bad, messy sketches,” she said. “I just start drawing whatever comes to mind really fast and never care about if it looks good or realistic.” “It’s a fun project because it’s so quick, you can do something kind of surreal to alter typical shopping experience.” To visualize what her future projects will look like, Allan uses the Faculty of Communication and Design’s (FCAD) fabrication lab located on the first floor of the interior design building. The “fab lab” has 3D printing and modelling software. Allan uses it to see how her ideas would translate to real life. As a self-titled “digital ideator,” she finds these resources very useful. “The ‘fab lab’ also has open shop hours where students from across FCAD and even other faculties can use its resources,” she explained. “It’s kind of cool to see because usually we’re this weird isolated hub, but during open shop hours you can interact with other students and see what kind of stuff they’re working on.” As Allan continues to discuss her projects over coffee, she pauses for the fifth or sixth time to apologize for how much she was talking. “Sorry, every time I talk about this it turns into a ramble,” she said, with a chuckle. “I know I come off as a bit scatterbrained, which makes me forget a lot of things - like handing in assignments - but I feel like I’m still emotionally in it and I think that is what’s important.” Although competition is heavy in the small interior design program, Allan feels that this actually motivates her and her peers. She said the program is frequently seen as less reputable than architecture, which drives students to work harder and create projects that leave a lasting impression. “Sometimes I feel like it’s based off gender, since interior design has a majority female student body and architecture is mostly dudes,” Allan speculated. “I just try my best, if there is that tone, I’ll try to prove them wrong. Maybe that’s just me being stubborn but I think it’s important to care about what you do and not let people try and belittle it.” 41


KALEIDOSCOPE

Sad Boy Graphics MAGDALENA KINCAID Magdalena Kincaid took on Sad Boy Graphics as a sort of alter ego where she could create digital illustrations of friends, fashion icons and celebrities. Currently featured on her Instagram account @Sadboygraphics, her graphic design has helped her find a healthy outlet to deal with her mental health. “I’ve put in nearly 500 hours into these graphics over the past year and that’s been 500 hours spent doing something I truly love. 500 hours of having fun and 500 hours of slowly but surely finding my way and pursuing something that is actually important to me,” said Kincaid. Her unique design style has recently focused on the concept of gender bending, along with the influences of drag queens, transgender individuals and other gender creative icons in the fashion industry. Kincaid’s work has so far been acknowledged through likes and comments on Instagram by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, designer Marc Jacobs, trans activist and runway model Teddy Quinlivan, drag queen Milk and entrepreneur and icon Aureta.

42


NELLY

KALEIDOSCOPE

Magdalena Kincaid Fourth-year fashion communication Sad Boy Graphics Graphic Design 2017 43


KALEIDOSCOPE

NOTHING IN RETURN

44


KALEIDOSCOPE

Scott Zhang, Jonathan Matta Carl Solis, Carolyn Campbell Second-year media production Nothing in Return Music Video 2017

Writer-director Scott Zhang wanted to experiment with layering samples from different sources when he created the main music loop for Nothing in Return in 2016. Zhang then developed the lyrics a couple months later for what he thought could become a video. “I was feeling really inspired by Brockhampton’s prolific output of no-budget music videos and wanted to follow suit,” said Zhang, talking about the 12-person American boyband, which started on the internet. After creating the loop, Zhang sat down with assistant producer and editor Jonathan Matta to come up with the video’s design. They gathered assistant producer Carolyn Campbell and DP Carl Solis with some other friends to make it all happen. Zhang said the video depicts the absurd, cyclical nature of the song’s story: waiting for a love interest to reciprocate feelings. The video mirrors a one-take shot, with the camera imitating the turning of a spinning wheel. They filmed on a playground’s merry-go-round and had different people appear in and out of the shot. The production team hopes to inspire viewers, through the simplicity and whimsicality of the video, to see how easy it is to pick up a camera and make a music video. Their experiences in RTA have taught them to take advantage of the tools at their disposal, which is something they applied to making Nothing in Return. 45


KALEIDOSCOPE

Excerpts from:

MEN’S AMBIVALENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS FASHION Nina Kirkegaard

Nina Kirkegaard examined men’s relationships with fashion in an essay for her Fashion Concepts and Theory Class. She interviewed friend and classmate Antoine Plenderleith and did a physical analysis, or a “close reading,” of his wardrobe. Kirkegaard wanted to demonstrate how “men appreciate the fashion industry and want to participate, all the while highlighting the complexities of their participation.”

46


KALEIDOSCOPE

Nina Kirkegaard Second-year professional communications Men’s Ambivalent Attitudes Towards Fashion Research Paper (interview) 2017

47


KALEIDOSCOPE

shopping. The Renoir shirt is a happy medium; it was thrifted and shows off his personality, but does so in a muted manner, adhering to the rest of the wardrobe.

INTRODUCTION

The wardrobe in question consists of a variety of T-shirts, classic pieces such as turtlenecks and sweaters, a few dress shirts and pants for different occasions. It includes some unique items, but otherwise follows a theme of classic menswear pieces. Garments are acquired from stores such as H&M, Zara and Simons, along with some thrifted items.

INTERVIEW

I learned that the interviewee pays attention to how clothes fit. He pointed out certain items that he does not like wearing due to how they portray his body. For example, some shirts made his shoulders look “too skinny” which caused him to stray away from them. Denise Nicole Green and Susan B. Kaiser’s 2008 study points out how men attribute masculinity to clothing:

Antoine emphasizes that while he appreciates fashion, he wants to show that his outfits are casually thrown together; he doesn’t care too much about clothes. This ambivalent attitude appears to be directly related to masculinity.

“Just over 10 per cent of survey participants explicitly discussed how ‘the most masculine fashion’ emphasized desirable muscles and a large, strong physique […] Clearly these men felt masculinity was attributed to physique and clothing was a vehicle to display masculine body ideals” (Green, D.N. & Kaiser, S.B.).

CLOSE READING

The garment selected for the close reading is a polyester button down shirt that features subjects from paintings by impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It was acquired from Ragtime Vintage Clothing in Ottawa. OBSERVATION

CONCLUSION

From afar, the shapes are hard to discern. The warm colour palette of yellows, pinks and oranges blends together cohesively. A closer look reveals a pattern of Renoir paintings, notably Luncheon of the Boating Party, Alfred Sisley and His Wife, The Swing and In the Meadow. None of the composition labels are available, but the fabric feels like polyester. A prominent feature of the garment is the collar – it is long and pointed, much more than collars on other button-down shirts. Using the slow looking method, I noticed that the shirt is slightly fitted at the waist and that the sleeves hit past the wrists. This method also revealed where the pattern of the paintings repeats.

Men are now more interested in fashion, but since participation in the fashion industry is deemed un-masculine, men are still unsure how they should voice their interest. Ambivalence surrounds most of the interviewee’s attitude towards fashion, but this is subconscious and rooted in gender norms imposed by society. The item chosen for the close reading, being the thrifted Renoir button-down shirt, represents the theme of men seeking to express their interest in fashion while remaining in the constraints of modern masculinity and its implications. The shirt addresses themes found in the interview, such as using fashion as a creative outlet and context. The button-down is a classic menswear garment that represents masculinity in a professional setting. The shirt incorporates both the creative and traditional masculine aspects that concern men and their fashion.

For context, I researched similarly printed button-down shirts. I found modern versions by Moschino and Versace, but neither had a print as interesting as the Renoir paintings. INTERPRETATION

While the chosen garment stands out from the wardrobe, it also conforms with it. The Renoir shirt is unique, yet its classic cut matches other items in the wardrobe. Antoine wears classic menswear pieces, but also enjoys thrift

48


KALEIDOSCOPE

film on my mind

BENJAMIN FIESCHI-ROSE

49


KALEIDOSCOPE

Benjamin Fieschi-Rose First-year film Film on my Mind Illustration in Xylene, Watercolour, Ink 2017

50


KALEIDOSCOPE

51


FEATURE | GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

KALEIDOSCOPE

52


KALEIDOSCOPE WORDS JULIA MASTROIANNI

PHOTOS ALEX LA

ALVIRA ESTEPA The face of a not-quite-animal, not-quitehuman creature is plastered all over the room and screens. The study room’s whiteboard walls are filled with notes, schedules and sketches. Every couple of minutes, Alvira Estepa stands up to erase something and replace it with something new. The table too, is covered: laptops, sketchbooks and papers, barely leaving room for a cup of coffee. This is the mobile workplace of Estepa and her friend Danielle Diores’s personal project, Subconscious Creatures, but when Diores can’t make the trip down from Oakville, Ont., all the sketches and schedules get stored somewhere else - in Estepa’s head. Her friends point out that she’s the kind of person everyone relies on to keep them on track; three of them refer to her always-present, never-messy bullet journals as something they first noticed about Estepa. This description of her organization falls in line with how Estepa describes herself. “I’m the kind of person where I want to be certain - I want to be on time and in control.” Subconscious Creatures is a collection of mental health themed graphics, made up of keychains, prints and stickers. Estepa and Diores hand make each item after coming up with the concept together. The need to be sure is what held Estepa, a second-year graphic communications management (GCM) student, back from applying to her program at first. “When I first 53

considered applying to GCM, my parents were kind of skeptical with the whole artsy portfolio and they weren’t on board, so I wasn’t sure,” she said. It was the business aspect of GCM that convinced her parents and Estepa too. “I don’t want to work under somebody and the business and management parts of the program would make sure I would be able to move up in my career instead of just sticking with the first job I land,” she said. So far, the program has surprised Estepa because she feels like everyone really cares. “The program is small, so professors take the time to come up to you in the hallways and ask how you are and even remember your name,” she said. Estepa has used her time in GCM to join clubs, including the Ryerson Campus Lions Club and a fourth-year RTA production group. “They always say at the beginning of university to join as many clubs as you can because you’ll never get the chance to do them again,” she said. “I’m also always thinking, ‘What will I be doing in the future?’ And then finding the stuff that will teach me those skills.” Estepa also notes the program has been more hands-on than she expected, combining business with graphics, from the sketchbook to the printer.


KALEIDOSCOPE

“Everything is very technical - it’s not really a graphics course in the end,” said Estepa. “You learn everything from start to finish, from the theory all the way to using the actual printer.” printers.” This is what Estepa brings to Subconscious Creatures: an eye for design, a dedication to organization and a working knowledge of how to bring online graphic creations to life. The project landed in Estepa’s lap and for her, it is the true definition of a labour of love. Diores, who has dealt with depression and anxiety for years, turned to Estepa one night to share what she was feeling and how she was trying to cope. “As a friend, not as a business partner or an artist, but as a friend, I said that we should do some artwork that exemplifies what she’s dealing with,” said Estepa. Shortly after the original discussion, Estepa was working a shift at Starbucks, when she mentioned the idea to a customer. That customer ended up being the manager of Shopkeepers, a small, artsy vintage shop in the area and offered up some space on his wall to display the pair’s artwork. Estepa told Diores immediately and the two started creating. The plan, Diores explained, was to emulate the idea that mental illness isn’t easy, but it is a part of her identity that she has learned to embrace. The two came up with an animal-like creature with big eyes to represent Diores’s experience with mental illness. “It’s kind of like a cute monster,” Diores said. “Because it’s scary but it’s a part of you!” Estepa and Diores created keychain and poster concepts centred around the creature. “Ultimately, we just wanted to send a message out there. It’s hard to open up because you’re not sure if people will understand or not,” Diores said, glancing at Estepa and smiling. “Thankfully, I chose the right people.” Diores looks to Estepa a lot while they talk and though they’re both soft-spoken, Estepa is often the one to encourage Diores to speak. When Diores tries to explain the process of keychain-

cutting, Estepa suggests Diores pulls up her Instagram page for examples and she whispers little words of encouragement every so often to Diores. Estepa and Diores agreed they wouldn’t have wanted to do Subconcious Creatures with anyone else. “We know how we work, so it was really comfortable starting this project together,” Estepa said. Estepa’s friends may have noticed her bullet journals first, but like Diores, they said her kindness is what really stuck with them. “The fact that she’s doing this project, it just goes to show the kind of person she is,” said Aayushi Nema, a GCM student and Estepa’s friend. “She’s just one of the most caring and loyal people on this planet.” Estepa’s has big aspirations, including a fiveyear plan to be a junior production assistant or graphic designer, or maybe even something in coding. Her 10-year plan? “Maybe a creative director at a bank, to help build their brand.” Wherever she is, Estepa knows it has to be something she can really commit to. “I have a lot to give,” she said. She’s grateful to have practiced her graphic design skills, but Estepa said the plan was always to work on something that focused on Diores. “I wanted her to be able to look back on it and say, ‘This was a part of me. This was something that I did.’” Subconscious Creatures was on display for the month of November and after making some sales, Estepa said this will be the end of this project for now. “Like our prints say, the idea was to show that your story isn’t over yet, just to give people a place to begin.”

54


KALEIDOSCOPE

55


KALEIDOSCOPE

THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT Oshan Starreveld Oshan Starreveld, Diego Varela Dean Gabourie Third-year performance production The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Sound Design 2017

Despite the play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot lacking a stable setting, sound designer Oshan Starreveld worked to create a surreal, immersive environment: a soundscape. The play shifts between Iscariot’s trial in purgatory, his memories and the characters’ thoughts - the ominous, discordant bass captures the tension of the scenes. Shifting bass lines and waves piqued with familiar sounds evoke the sense of travelling through memory.

“I used the spontaneity of this subway sound by mimicking it and playing with it, hoping to make the viewer confused about what they were hearing,” Starreveld said. “I let the TTC orchestrate; it was different every night.”

“Basically, I tried to create what I think my personal purgatory would sound like,” Starreveld said. “It in a way represents my struggle, just like Judas’s, to find my place in the world and figure out where I belong.”

The ability to play with uncertainty is something Starreveld has thrived upon at Ryerson as she works to celebrate the power of her craft. “Sound design is underrated for the simple reason that is not tangible, it really is just a feeling.”

Ryerson’s School of Performance produced the play and Starreveld worked with head of audio Diego Varela and director Dean Gabourie, to design the sounds and speaker system. They intended to use audio to project discomfort onto the audience, playing with their expectations to meld the play with reality. Toronto’s subway, slightly audible in the School of Performance’s theatre, helped create a sense of unease.

56


KALEIDOSCOPE

NICOLE BRUMLEY

Students and community members gather in solidarity at the Anti-Facist Rally on August 22, 2017 at Ryerson University on Gould Street, to speak out against racism, hate speech and transphobia.

Nicole Brumley Third-year journalism Anti-facist rally on Gould 2017

57


KALEIDOSCOPE

Boston Common, Boston, Mass.

Fiona Kenney Fiona Kenney Fourth-year creative industries Untitled Illustration 2017

Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Mass.

Fiona Kenney’s Untitled is based on simple architectural drawings created throughout the year in order to complement her academic portfolio. While these sketches were not intended for printing, Kenney also makes greeting cards, prints and other paper products with each one being completely different. The drawings are rough and what Kenney describes as “inherently, very imperfect,” which she believes is something all creative people can relate to, due to the insecurity of being a creator with no professional training.

Place du Portage, Ottawa

58


KALEIDOSCOPE

INTERIOR DESIGN wood series. 59


KALEIDOSCOPE

Kyle Wong ideation 2

Kyle Wong Fourth-year interior design Flow Ash Wood 2017

All Benches Photographed By: Rajeshta Julatum

60


KALEIDOSCOPE

Strengths: - curvilinear forms are interesting

Weaknesses: - seat height should not be 20�, it is too high - legs do not match the curvilinear form - legs may require stronger stretcher or corner brace

61


KALEIDOSCOPE

Kelly Walcroft

Kelly Walcroft Third-year interior design Rock Ash Wood 2017

38”

13” 1”

36”

1”

17” 16”

22 ¹/₂ ” front elevation

side elevation

62


KALEIDOSCOPE

Kathleen McCann Third-year interior design Median Wood 2017

Kathleen McCann 63


KALEIDOSCOPE

Pooneh Khalaghi

Pooneh Khaleghi Fourth-year interior design Object De Cuisine — Honey Dipper. Wood 2014

64


KALEIDOSCOPE

Negar Valimohammad Third-year interior design Utensil Design Pine Wood 2015

Negar Valimohammad

65


KALEIDOSCOPE

Rajeshta Julatum

Rajeshta Julatum Fourth-year interior design Small Bowls Ash Wood 2014

66


KALEIDOSCOPE

SUPERCUT

Kyle Jarencio & Chara Ho Kyle Jarencio, Chara Ho Second-year media production Supercut Radio Show 2017

Supercut is a live, weekly online radio show hosted by Kyle Jarencio and Chara Ho. The show invites listeners to settle down and share an intimate moment with the hosts through music. Supercut was inspired through conversations: What does high school sound like? What does heartbreak sound like? The show explores these thoughts and provides what Jarencio described as “that slice of life that deserves a soundtrack.� The show is produced by SpiritLive and distributed through the Allan Slaight Radio Institute, providing a campus radio show for FCAD and beyond. By broadcasting on both SpiritLive.ca and Facebook Live, Supercut is able to provide a friendly, interactive atmosphere with their listeners and includes audience participation through contests and their personal music recommendations.

67


KALEIDOSCOPE

Holly Chang Fourth-year creative industries Untitled Photography 2017

68


KALEIDOSCOPE

UNTITLED

Holly Chang

69


FEATURE | IMAGE ARTS

KALEIDOSCOPE

70


WORDS AMANDA SHORT

KALEIDOSCOPE

PHOTOS ROSANNA LE

MATTHEW KNARR Despite how tightly packed the train was, Matthew Knarr craved intimacy. A few weeks into moving to Toronto, the silence and strangeness of the subway was something he continued to grapple with. As a recent transplant from the 7,000-strong town of Stratford, Ont., where in true small town fashion, residents were akin to players on a dramatic stage, Knarr was accustomed to knowing everyone and their business. Without those familiar points of reference, he felt as if the world had gone out of focus. “It was a weird experience for me to not have an understanding of what everyone’s life and role in society was,” Knarr said. He made a game out of trying to figure people out based on their posture, their mannerisms or their clothes as a temporary fix, but what he really wanted to do was talk to them. He’s been exploring that nagging curiosity and the power of assumptions ever since.

“I still don’t know what happened on set, if that makes sense. I was just sitting there looking at myself and I never had an experience with body dysmorphia or gender dysmorphia like that,” Knarr said. “But there was something in that moment looking at myself that I was like, ‘OK, I understand the story that I’m telling.’” One way Knarr’s body of work draws on the concept of perception is through gender. “I think it was [philosopher] Judith Butler that said, ‘gender doesn’t exist without words, it doesn’t exist without communication,’ and that stuck with me for a long time,” Knarr recalled. “That idea of gender only being what we present and what is presented to us is so weird. I have never thought about myself like that.”

Now in his third year in film studies at Ryerson, Knarr’s work as a filmmaker is steeped in the theme of perception. It has also been a journey filled with self-reflection.

His development as a filmmaker brought him full circle to those first shaky trips on the subway as he found his bearings. On the train, in the vacuum of intimacy that took shape while the car barrelled through space, Knarr had once been resigned to only staring at people - with his 2016 film Last Train, he finally made contact. Starting conversations with strangers, he interviewed riders about their relationships with the train, the city and each other.

In the short film Knarr included in his entrance portfolio, Alone at Home, the main character portrayed by Knarr - sits in front of a mirror in a shoulder-length brunette wig. The character’s smile slips from her face as she stares intensely at her reflection. Alone at Home gives the viewer a glimpse into the world of a young closeted trans woman using a moment of solitude to express herself in secret.

“[On the subway], no one is even walking to give you a sense of who they are. You just have the visuals of what they’re wearing and what they look like and you draw so many assumptions just from that,” Knarr said. “I wanted to sort of explore those assumptions and how often they’re correct. How good we are at perceiving who someone is just based off that.”

71


KALEIDOSCOPE

Last Train picks up on the intriguing details: the careful hands of a young woman trying to embody her late grandmother through knitting, the suitcases of a couple who had once used a train ride as an impromptu date and then Knarr pushes further until the riders reveal the stories behind their journey. Knarr said the process replicates the game of perception he played on the subway, making people the sum of their minuet parts. “We shot all of the interviews with just the one shot at first and then right before we knew they had to get off the train, we grabbed one little detail of what was around them,” he said. “We sort of just ended up getting lucky in that when it all came together through editing, what they were doing told the story of who they are.” Ryerson became a place for Knarr to break through the urban isolation. Developing his craft as a filmmaker has allowed him to understand himself better as well, especially when surrounded by peers exploring similar subject matter and challenging societal norms through their work. “The more time I spend at Ryerson, the more I immersed in this community of people who allow themselves to think freely, to question what they’ve

been told before - especially in that they make queer art,” Knarr said. “That’s been super helpful to sort of break down the ideas I’ve had about myself and about other people so quickly.” Knarr’s development at Ryerson in filmmaking and gender identity came together while working on a classmate’s project about consent in drag culture. “Because it was for a school project and we had access to the sound stage, all the lights and camera supplies, we were able to really tell their stories in a fun way and in a very draggy way, with the coloured lighting and extravagant camera moves,” Knarr said. “It’s definitely something I couldn’t see myself doing without Ryerson. To have not only the technical knowledge but also the safety net. Having that safe space to fail has been so helpful.” Being in control of the camera has allowed him to put everything back into focus. “The more I break down ideas about myself and other people, the more I surround myself with people who question those ideas, the happier I get. So yeah, I can’t imagine myself ever leaving that sort of space. I just want to keep making that stuff and keep getting happier that way.”

72


KALEIDOSCOPE

Matthew Knarr, William Snyder Third-year film Last Train Short Film 2016

73


KALEIDOSCOPE

DEATHLINE

David Fan, Michael Italiano

There is an eerie calm to DeathLine, the data visualization project from David Fan and Michael Italiano. It details the immense number of drone strikes enacted by the United States’ government in the Middle East, from November 2002 to March 2017. The projects maps the location of the strikes and demonstrates their frequency and impact through a time lapse set to instrumental music; a sound effect is timed for each drone strike, creating a horrifying symphony. Applying coding and data skills learned in their new media program, the pair wanted the project to illuminate what happens on the other side of war utilizing the visualization to expose the sheer number of deaths that result from these attacks.

TURK EY

TAJIKIS TAN

TURKMENIST AN

SYRIA LEBANO N

AFGHANIS TAN

JORDAN CAIRO

IRAQ

IRAN

ISRAEL KUWAIT

PAKISTAN NEPAL BAHRAI N

EGYP T

LIBY A

DUBA I

QATAR SAUDI ARABI A

BANGL ADES H

UNITED ARA B EMIR ATES

INDI A

OMAN

CHAD

SUDAN

YEME N

ERITRE A

DJIBOUTI

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

SOUTH SUDA N

ETHOP IA

SRI LANKA

SOMALI A UGAND A

DEMOCR ATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONG O

KENY A RWANDA BURUNDI TANZANIA

David Fan, Michael Italiano Third-year new media DeathLine Data Visualization 2017

74


KALEIDOSCOPE //Deathline: A Timeline of Drone Strikes on the Middle East (Nov. 2002-Mar 2017)

cities over populations of 1M float lon = row.getFloat(“lng”); float lat = row.getFloat(“lat”); float x = map(lon, 0, 90, 0, width); float y = map(lat, 45, -20, 0, height); stroke(0,30); strokeWeight(5); point(x, y); fill(255,30); textAlign(CENTER); textSize(10); text(row.getString(“city”), x, y+10); } } } void drawCountries() { Table countries = loadTable(“countries. csv”, “header, csv”); for (TableRow row : countries.rows() ) { float lon = row.getFloat(“lon”); float lat = row.getFloat(“lat”); float x = map(lon, 0, 90, 0, width); float y = map(lat, 45, -20, 0, height); fill(255); textAlign(CENTER); textSize(10); text(row.getString(“country”), x, y-10) } } void drawGUI(int year, int month, int day) {

import processing.sound.*; SoundFile sample; int currentRow = 0; // row counter Table data; // import data TableRow row; int lon; int lat; float x; float y; float octave; void setup() { size (1100, 700); data = loadTable(“drones.csv”, “header,csv”); background (41, 128, 185);

}

row = data.getRow(currentRow); lon = row.getInt (“lon”); lat = row.getInt (“lat”); x = map(lon, 0, 90, 0, width); y = map(lat, 45, -20, 0, height); octave = row.getInt(“max_killed”);

void draw() { //Opacity of square fades out the strikes over time fill(41, 128, 185, 50); rect(0, 0, width, height);

//TITLE strokeWeight(1); stroke(255); fill (192, 57, 43); rect (0, 0, 835, 50); textAlign(LEFT, TOP); textSize(20); fill(0); text(“Deathline: A Timeline of Strikes on the Middle East (Nov. 2017)”, 22, 14); fill(255); text(“Deathline: A Timeline of Strikes on the Middle East (Nov. 2017)”, 20, 12);

drawGrid(); drawMap(); drawCountries(); drawCities(); //Obtain attack data row = data.getRow(currentRow); lon = row.getInt (“lon”); lat = row.getInt (“lat”); x = map(lon, 0, 90, 0, width); y = map(lat, 45, -20, 0, height); octave = row.getInt(“max_killed”); //Draw Attack noStroke(; fill(255, 0, 0, 95); ellipse (x, y, octave, octave); //Sound of Attack sample = new SoundFile(this, “bomb.mp3”); sample.play(octave, octave, octave, octave); // .play(rate, pos, amp, add, cue) (“year”);

Drone 2002-Mar. Drone 2002-Mar.

//DATE //Date Background strokeWeight(1); fill (52, 73, 94); rect (659, 500, 564, 264); // Date Text textSize(30); textAlign(RIGHT); fill(0); text(“Current Date:”, width-120, height-133); fill(255); text(“Current Date:”, width-122, height-135);

int year = row.getInt

textSize(50); textAlign(RIGHT); fill(0); text (nfs(month, 2) + “/” + nfs(day, 2) + “/” + year, width-58, height-53); fill(255); text (nfs(month, 2) + “/” + nfs(day, 2) + “/” + year, width-60, height-55); } void drawGrid() { stroke(236, 240, 241); for (int i=0; i<10; i++) { int x = int(map(i, 0, 10, 0, width)); line(x, 0, x, height); } for (int i=0; i<7; i++) { int y=int(map(i, 0, 7, 0, height)); line(0, y, width, y); } } void drawMap() { stroke(189, 195, 199); strokeWeight(3);

int month = row.getInt (“month”); int day = row.getInt (“day”); drawGUI(year, month, day);

//Start from the beginning if the end of the data has been reached if (currentRow == data.getRowCount()) { currentRow = 1; delay(100); } else { //Move on to the next row currentRow++; delay(100); } } void drawCities() { Table cities = loadTable(“cities.csv”, “header, csv”); for (TableRow row : cities.rows() ) { if (row.getFloat(“pop”)>2500000) { // Maps names of 75


KALEIDOSCOPE

With their small executive team, Think About It was an “underdog” project from the start. But as one of the only approved practicum projects pitched by people of colour, the team said they have surpassed expectations. It is a late night comedy show that focuses on giving a spotlight to women of colour and has featured appearances by YouTubers Stevie Boebi and Franchesca Leigh. The show is broadcasted live on Facebook and YouTube. “It’s like if Last the Magic School Bus said director-producer

Week Tonight and had a love child,” Kelly Kitagawa.

The group has achieved success with an all-women cast, crew and executive team. Collaboration between FCAD schools was essential to the production of Think About It, especially for their writing team. “It’s built on the idea that young people are smart, critical and do their research, and so having a journalism student in the writers’ room made the world of difference,” said Kitagawa. Humour was an important tool for them to tackle topics like racial politics in America or the nuances in the LGBTQ+ community - as Kitagawa said, “Like, sure not everyone wants to talk politics, but everyone loves a good poop joke.” The team worked from January 2017 to October 2017 and produced 90 minutes of content - which was previously unheard of in their thesis roduction class.

76


KALEIDOSCOPE

Sierra Nutkevitch, Shuli Grosman-Gray, Kelly Kitagawa, Jessika McLaurin, Aisha Afzal, Connie Wang, Ana Moreno, Arani Muthucumarasamy, Allie Cox, Amreen Kullar, Kelsey Giesbrecht, Abby McEachran, Sarah Krichel, Rachel Rose Chevalier Gordon, Jenny Aquino, Leah Gugliotta, Caroline Biedka, Mikayla Fasullo, Marie-Pier Surprenant, Jillian Manquis Think About It Online Series 2017

77


KALEIDOSCOPE

AFTER PARTY 78

Often people feel euphoric after attending a major concert or party, but in After Party, art director Naomi Kwok and photographer Hoey Leung explore the feelings of emptiness and depression that can arise following a night on the town. The collection was originally an assignment for a course on art direction in photography. After Party follows a young woman as she ponders life and seeks an eternal high while wandering the city. Kathy Lam did the makeup, Cherry Kwok styled the model’s hair and Jeffrey Ho and Claire Li acted as assistants.


KALEIDOSCOPE

Naomi Kwok, Hoey Leung Third-year fashion communication Fourth-year photography After Party Fashion Photography 2017

79


KALEIDOSCOPE

NOISE & COLOUR

Jennifer Doan Fourth-year creative industries Noise & Colour Graphic Design 2017

80


KALEIDOSCOPE

Kelsey Myler First-year photography In Undertow Photography 2017

Maxim Luca Bortnowski Third-year performance production Life in the Arts Photography 2017

81


KALEIDOSCOPE

Samantha Jackson First-year photography #HappyBirthday Photography 2017

Sabrina Calandra Third-year photography Spill the Beans Photography 2017

Sydney Wong Fourth-year profession communications sdwng Digital Media 2017

82


KALEIDOSCOPE

RECOGNITION Valentina Caballero

Recognized for her powerful poetry and essays dealing with issues of racism, homophobia and sexism, Lorde established a voice for marginalized black woman especially those within the LGBTQ+ community - during the 20th century.

Poet, Essayist, Civil Rights Activist, Feminist

83


KALEIDOSCOPE

“I am a woman and I am a Latina. Those are things that make my writing distinctive. Those are things that give my writing power.” - Sandra Cinsernos

Author, Activist, Costume Designer After dedicating close to a decade researching the internment of JapaneseAmericans during the Second World War, Weglyn published the critically acclaimed Years of Infamy. With evidence gathered from the National Archives, the New York City Library and the Franklin Roosevelt Library, Weglan’s book helped prove to the U.S government that the incarceration of Japanese-Americans was truly an act of racial prejudice, rather “military necessity.”

Valentina Caballero First-year media production RECOGNITION Ink Illustrations, Adobe Photoshop 2017 84


KALEIDOSCOPE

Poet, Novelist, Activist, Feminist Mainly recognized for her highly acclaimed coming-of-age novel, The House on Mango Street, Cinernos uses poetry, short stories, art and novels to highlight the experiences faced by Latin Americans in the United States. As the creator of the Macondo Foundation, She helped expand the Latino literary community by encouraging authors to develop their voices on political and artistic levels.

Politition, Social Worker, Civil Rights Activist Brown was the first African-Canadian woman to serve as a member of a provincial legislature and to run for the leadership of a federal political party. During her 14 years as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. She was a key player in developing laws which prohibited discrimination towards sex or marital status in B.C.’s educational material.

85


FEATURE | PERFORMANCE

KALEIDOSCOPE

86


KALEIDOSCOPE WORDS SHAYNA SUJANANI

PHOTOS ROSANNA LE

ANDREA PESTANA Andrea Pestana sat cross-legged on top of a single, wobbly desk in a Ryerson classroom. Her eyes flicked between the script in her lap and the actors in front of her, listening to their every word. “Wait, hold on, can you slouch a bit - like this?” Pestana said, interrupting the male actor in the middle of his line. She hopped off the desk to demonstrate the movement. The third-year performance production student is the director of the first production for Ghost Light Players, a new FCAD theatre company launched by Pestana and other upperyear performance production students. It’s fall 2017, their first show is months away and they still have a lot of work to do. As the rehearsal continued, it’s obvious why Pestana is so passionate about theatre. She leans forward, nodding attentively and begins to smile as her directorial comments are brought to life by the actors. Yet, the Ryerson School of Performance student didn’t always see this as her calling. “Initially I was applying to a lot of schools for film,” Pestana said. After taking a gap year, which was filled with producing various film projects, Pestana applied to several colleges and universities for film production. Theatre was her backup. “I think the culture of theatre is far more suited to me,” she said. “There is a lot more emphasis

87

on doing things together and doing things as a community.” Collaborating with others and building a sense of community are key values in her work, as well as in Ghost Light Players. The production company launched with the intention of providing opportunities not only for those in the performance program, but also those in other faculties and even outside of Ryerson. Pestana said inclusion, mentorship and learning are some of the core values that Ghost Light Players holds. Although they’re a fairly new company and are still establishing themselves, Ghost Light Players has a lot of future goals. These plans include: providing quality theatre experiences for students and professionals in training, as well as being able to develop and perform a play each year. By developing a production every year, Pestana said that she’d be able to show her passion and love for theatre and hopes that others outside of the Ryerson community will express their desire to join the company. Sharing feelings and ideas about the world of theatre is what Ghost Light Players is built on, said Pestana. “The process of being able to be apart of a large production, from the initial stages of development to seeing pictures of it afterwards, is incredibly rewarding,” Pestana said. Even though she primarily set out to do film,


KALEIDOSCOPE

Pestana’s interest in directing started when she worked backstage in Grade 9, for a studentwritten musical. “I remember thinking, ‘This is the worst show I’ve ever seen, this is awful, there’s so many things I’d do differently,’” Pestana said. “I thought, ‘When I’m in Grade 12, when I’m in the school play, it’s going to be so much better than this.’” Performance production students at Ryerson have the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of theatre, such as audio production or lighting. Pestana has chosen to focus on technical theatre and directing. This means she learns skills in stage management, lighting and even wardrobe. However, in terms of directing, Pestana said there’s not a lot of opportunity to put theory into practice and to be able to present a piece of work.

“The Ryerson Community Theatre group only does one-act plays or student-written work,” she said. “While that is great and deserves a platform in the community, it’s not what I wanted to do.” For Pestana, it’s another reason why she decided to found Ghost Light Players: to be able to provide hands-on experiences for students in the theatre program, which they may not have in the classroom. Even though her main responsibility as a director is to lead the action, she gives the actors freedom to make creative choices. When a female actor asked Pestana if she can re-do the line with a different emotion, Pestana encourages her with enthusiasm. “I believe in cross-collaboration and giving everyone an opportunity to participate and contribute,” she said.

88


KALEIDOSCOPE

“Even though film is absolutely collaborative, theoretically, you can do a film by yourself. But theatre doesn’t necessarily allow for that as much.” While the theatre enthusiast received college and university offers from both film and the dramatic arts, Pestana explained that she finally chose the Ryerson School of Performance because they are the best at technical theatre and management. “I know people in my program who get hired just because they’re currently in the theatre school,” Pestana said. “The [Ryerson School of Performance] name really carries a lot of clout out there in the Toronto theatre scene.” Pestana emphasized that what makes FCAD amazing is that they give students the opportunity to grow beyond classroom learning. “To be able to even do projects like ghost light that are funded by the faculty and to be so supported is fantastic,” she said. “I’m proud to be apart of FCAD!” Comprised of 36 cast members and 18 crew members, Ghost Light Players are working hard towards their first production as a company: Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening. The play focuses on four teenagers living in Germany during the early 1900s, as they struggle to make the transition into adulthood. The company holds two rehearsals a week, but Pestana said the rehearsals will increase closer to the show date. The play runs in February 2018 at University of Toronto’s George Ignatieff Theatre. The Spring Awakening director hopes that by the end of production, the cast and crew will have gained an eye-opening experience on how collaborative theatre can be. “To see everything working at the same time and to see all those hours and dollars culminate into a two-and-a-half hour show . . . that’s magic,” Pestana said. “It moves your soul, it’s something to be proud of.”

89


KALEIDOSCOPE

Mahshid Zeinali

90


KALEIDOSCOPE

La BoĂŽte-en-Valise was created by Zeinali for her fourth-year studio course. The two boxes combine modern and traditional design through its subject matter and materials. Zeinali uses the boxes to explore the use of space in A Capriccio of Roman Ruins with the Arch of Constantine, a 16th-century painting by Italian artist and architect Giovanni Paolo Panini. The first box, reminiscent of gothic boxwood miniatures, deconstructs the painting by adding a new dimension and releasing some of its figures from the frame. The second, utilizing church-like arches and translucent plastic, pulls the painting out of the frame completely and into a modern context.

Mahshid Zeinali Fifth-year interior design La BoĂŽte-en-Valise Laser Cut Wood, 3D Printing 2017

91


KALEIDOSCOPE

Mahshid Zeinali created Wall Hook because she saw an issue with the fact that functional hooks could rarely double as wall art. Wall Hook is for a school project in which students were asked to build a dÊcor piece for the company Umbra. Zeinali believes that it is important to try and find solutions for issues that may exist in one’s daily life, even if it is something seemingly small, like the aesthetics of wall hooks. Zeinali said FCAD has made her see the world differently; it has allowed her to recognize things in her life that she wants to change and take action accordingly.

92


KALEIDOSCOPE

Mahshid Zeinali Fifth-year interior design Wall Hook 3D Printing 2017

93


KALEIDOSCOPE

IRONPATCH

Lakesan Sivanathan & Jane Souralaysack

94


KALEIDOSCOPE

Lakesan Sivanathan, Jane Souralaysack Fourth-year graphic communications management, IronPatch Wearable Art 2017 When Lakesan Sivanathan and Jane Souralaysack were faced with finding a summer internship for their program, they realized they’d rather work for themselves than work for free. What resulted was Iron Patch, a company that creates wearable ironon art patches using Adobe Illustrator. With Sivanathan and Souralaysack’s knowledge from GCM, they are able to hand-package and print their products from home. “Our city’s diversity and character has allowed us to create culturally iconic figures that we have seen on the streets since childhood, such as our Maneki-Neko and Ganesh patch,” Sivanathan said. The patches also imitate the style of tattoo flash art found in many tattoo shops downtown. Since their business launched in September 2017, they’ve sold over 200 patches and will be vending at the CNE in the summer of 2018. Their Etsy and Instagram ads have reached the largest audiences and attracted creatives, DIY lovers and several popular instagramers to their brand.

95


SKYN

KALEIDOSCOPE

Micheil Rothwell

Micheil Rothwell is the lead content developer at Simple. Underwear, an organization founded in 2015 by Ryerson graduate Aidan Heintzman. The company sells their own underwear designs and for each pair sold, Simple. Underwear will donate a pair to a homeless shelter. According to their website, “underwear is the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters.” That fact inspired their business model. Skyn by Simple. was the first campaign that Rothwell was in charge of at the company. He said that being involved with a smaller startup allowed him to play around with the creative process, resulting in an end product that meant a lot to him and helped him develop as a photographer. He got a group of diverse models together and did his best to not over-edit the final shots in order to maintain his ethical belief in authenticity. “Usually when marketing underwear, sex is heavily relied on,” he said. “However, for the brand we didn’t want to have to rely on sex to sell our product. Instead we focused on a clean, minimalistic look to showcase our product and the models.”

96


KALEIDOSCOPE

Micheil Rothwell Fourth-year professional communications Skyn by Simple. Product Photography 2017

97


HIDDEN HILLS

KALEIDOSCOPE

98


KALEIDOSCOPE

Azmina Syed First-year fashion design Hidden Hills Photography 2017

99


FEATURE | JOURNALISM

KALEIDOSCOPE

100


KALEIDOSCOPE WORDS SCOTT MCLEAN

PHOTOS CALEIGH ERIN

NICK WAPACHEE There is a hint of exhaustion on Nick Wapachee’s face as he sits at a coffee shop outside Ryerson University, scouring Facebook to find his next lead. The social media platform has served him well as a writer. The third-year journalism student discovered his latest story about two Indigenous men who were in Las Vegas during the Mandalay Bay shooting, through the networking site. Now, the prospect of his next feature is nearly within his grasp. Although he started on the radio in his home community of Nemaska, Que., Wapachee hadn’t considered studying journalism until CBC producer Melissa Saganash, happened to be in his community, heard him on the air and approached him. “She said, ‘I think you’re really inspiring, you’re fun, you sound exciting on the radio and you should either pursue your education or come to CBC and we can train you,’” he said, smiling. “When I heard her say that, it gave me confidence, it made me feel more comfortable and I felt like I should do more. I took it seriously.” Growing up in the remote Cree Nation in northern Quebec, Wapachee was thrust onto the radio at 17, but the seeds for telling stories were planted at an even earlier age. As one of

101

seven children in his household, Wapachee spent many hours entertaining himself. After he discovered his neighbour’s karaoke machine could record audio, the pair started taping mock radio shows to entertain each other. Near the end of high school, Wapachee landed his first radio job when he approached one of the community's radio hosts on the street. He was hired at Champ FM without an interview. “They just gave me a call and said, ‘You’re hired,’ and then the first day they just gave me a piece of paper, threw me on a chair, put a mic in front of me and said, ‘Read it,’” said Wapachee, lightly chuckling to himself. “I was stumbling with my words as I read what they gave me. I was sweating, moving back and forth in my chair, my voice was going from low to high - it was a total mess. I don’t think they intentionally did that to me, but I looked at it from the perspective that nothing worse could possibly happen and it didn’t.” Once Wapachee graduated from high school, the job evolved from being solely an on-air position to handling administrative work, technical responsibilities and research. After two years at the station, Wapachee applied to a number of colleges and universities but wasn’t accepted. He elected to improve his English by studying for a year at a college in


KALEIDOSCOPE

Val-d’Or, Que., before working with a youth organization in Toronto.

that’s really good, I think it’s for you,’ and I saw the website and thought this is for me,” he said.

“I lived in Oakville, Ont. and Mississauga, just to understand what it’s like to live [in Toronto],” he said. “In my community, it’s such a different cultural mindset. Everything is laid back and you just have this notion of whatever happens, happens. Here it’s so fast paced, it’s a totally different lifestyle.”

“I didn’t expect to get in. I decided to try anyway and when I got a call back that said I was admitted to the program, I thought I’ll take it and went in right away.”

Wapachee’s time in Toronto was short lived and he returned home to broadcast on the James Bay Cree Communications Society network. But after his interaction with the CBC producer, he decided to apply to Ryerson for fall 2015. “I knew I wanted something media related, but honestly I didn’t really know journalism existed. I had a person come up to me and say, ‘You know there is a journalism program in Toronto

Initially overwhelmed at the prospect of being a mature student on campus, Wapachee regularly had doubts about achieving success in the program until one of his professors took him aside. “Lisa Taylor said to me, ‘There is room for you here, you can do this, you have your experience and you can find your own voice.’ It kind of inspired me and I thought I’m here for a reason and I reflected on that experience,” said Wapachee.

102


KALEIDOSCOPE

“I think about what I do every day and try to go through the program realizing I have a voice, that I have a place in the journalism industry. The things they said help inspire me to work hard and not to be afraid to take opportunities as they come.” Even with his initial doubts, Wapachee has found job opportunities. This past summer he worked for CBC's Daybreak Montreal and CBC North's Cree focused unit in Montreal, before joining the Nation - which covers Cree and James Bay-related content in northern Quebec and Ontario. Covering Indigenous issues has been a personal focus for him and one story, about the suicide epidemic in Indigenous communities, left a lasting impression long after the piece aired. “Even when I think about it right now I get emotional. Every single person I interviewed opened up to me. ‘This is my life,’ ‘This is why I’m this way,’ or ‘This is why this happens.’ These were traumatic experiences and it’s difficult and emotional to hear,” said Wapachee, his speech slows to a crawl as his voice lowers. “It’s so important to write about Indigenous issues even if it’s painful, even if the issues are unbearable, because they need to be heard.” Telling Indigenous stories has been Wapachee’s focus long before starting at Ryerson and is an area where he wants to keep his attention as he moves throughout his career. “I feel being an Indigenous journalist, I’m living in two different worlds. One world is already exposed, that’s Canada and then there is this other world that people don’t really know about. I feel I want to show that,” he said. “Canadians need to know that [Indigenous people] are still here and there is an obligation for Canada and its citizens to create this relationship that we were supposed to have from day one. There is a reconciliation happening, I don’t know what it looks like, but it’s a work in progress and I hope it continues.”

103


KALEIDOSCOPE

Twinfinity Displayed in a sunny corner of the Ontario Science Centre, Roni Cantor’s Twinfinity is frequently covered by children playing with its interactive display. “I always worry that they’re going to break it,” Cantor said. But the piece is designed to encourage playing and its DIY aesthetic is intended to inspire kids to make their own STEM projects. Twinfinity was made for Cantor’s Advanced New Media Topics class in partnership with the science centre. It uses four strips of LED lights, sandwiched between two mirrors, and computer coding allows users to create designs with different colours and patterns in the lights, using a joystick. The light bounces off of the mirrors, creating the illusion that it goes on forever. “I’m really proud of how its done,” Cantor said. “It’s constantly being attacked by kids every day and it’s held up really well.” Between the programing, wiring and carpentry, the piece took Cantor about three months to complete and has been on display since December 2017. Classmates Jessie Lee, Maisey Sutherland and Dakota Lwin helped with the concept design and Lee helped with construction.

Roni Cantor, Jessie Lee, Maisey Sutherland, Dakota Lwin Third-year new media Twinfinity Interactive Infinity Mirror 2017

104


KALEIDOSCOPE

FOXY Vanessa Oryema, Ellis Poleyko, Emmanuel Er-Chua, Trista Suke, Melinda Tse, Vivian Kong

105


KALEIDOSCOPE

“I CAN’T WAIT TO TELL YOU MY STORY” FOXY was created by Vanessa Oryema, Trista Suke, Ellis Poleyko, Emmanuel Er-Chua, Melinda Tse and Vivian Kong, in order to raise awareness about alopecia. The group was inspired to make FOXY, when Trista Suke removed her wig and told them about her alopecia. Suke lost all of her hair at the age of 10 and spent years trying to conceal it with wigs and makeup. Although the film started as a final thesis project for the students, Oryema said that it “is more than just a movie about alopecia, it is a movement of acceptance of differences.” The trailer for the short film opens with several shots of various people who have alopecia, as a narrator introduces them and tells their story. They stand both poised and with a hint of awkwardness in front of plain pastel backgrounds, as they face the camera and smile. Slowly, as their stories are told, they pull off their wigs and beam as they stand in acceptance of their natural, beautiful selves. The narrator is then revealed to be Suke, as she tells viewers that she can’t wait to tell them her story. FOXY is set to premiere on April 6, 2018. “I think that FOXY can and will encourage viewers to strip away some of their barriers and celebrate whatever makes them weird,” said Suke. Vanessa Oryema, Ellis Poleyko, Emmanuel Er-Chua, Trista Suke, Melinda Tse, Vivian Kong Fourth-year media production Foxy Film 2017

106


KALEIDOSCOPE

107


KALEIDOSCOPE

Economic Elderly Abuse in Toronto

ADAM CHEN

108


KALEIDOSCOPE First-year journalism master’s student Adam Chen chose to write about the economic abuse of the elderly for his Research Methods for Journalists class, after a police officer tipped him off to this prevalent and underreported issue.

the video of his mother’s statement. He said, it was her willingness to admit her son’s wrongdoings, despite knowing that her name would be out in public and her actions could put her own child in jail.

Before 91-year-old Torontonian Royale Klimitz passed away in 2014, she went on camera to give police a statement about the disappearance of her life’s savings.

“She definitely didn’t want her name out there  -  she’s old school,” said Ron, explaining that her generation was taught to “keep your own dirt in your own closet.”

“The money from the GIC  -  I don’t know what happened to it,” she said during the video, speaking about the $600,000 missing from her account. David Klimitz, her eldest son, was named her power of attorney and put in charge of managing her finances after her husband died in 2007.

Royale passed away halfway through the investigation. The doctors said she died of old age, but Ron said it was “due to a broken heart.”

David, who had a history of gambling and three prior fraud convictions, had spent the subsequent three years channelling money from his mother’s TD bank account into his own business account and making personal purchases. Receipts were found showing several thousand dollars spent at stores like Toys’R’Us and Lulu Lemon.

The investigation affected Ron too. He left his job of 28 years as a project manager and started taking antidepressants. He hasn’t been able to hold down a full-time job since. “It’s thinking about something 24 hours a day,” he said, elaborating that the most difficult part was explaining the court proceedings to his mother. He didn’t know how to explain to Royale that David was “using every trick in the book to stall court proceedings.”

In 2016, he was tried and convicted of fraud and theft. He was sentenced to three years in jail  - equivalent to the time someone gets for robbing a bank.

Some consider this case a success  : a rare and highly publicized conviction related to the widespread and underrepresented issue of financial elder abuse.

“It makes me very sad, but he has to pay the consequences,” Royale said in the video. Without a hint of resentment in her voice, she implicated her son as the perpetrator of the crime.

According to a 2015 Canadian federal report, the majority of elder abuse incidents occur in the home and the main perpetrators are “adult children, grandchildren and other relatives.” Financial abuse or exploitation is the most prevalent form.

When asked about what led to this conviction, her youngest son, Ron Klimitz said that it helped that his late mother kept meticulous notes. He said she had impeccable financial records as evidence for her modest spending - weekly costs like going out for an occasional meal or getting a haircut. Ron’s persistence played a big role as well. He kept detailed records of his actions in a word document, outlining every step of his personal investigation. He went to the police four times over the course of several months before he could find a detective willing to take on the case. By the time the police took over, he was able to hand over a box with more than 1,000 pages of his brother’s business financial documents. He input those numbers into a spreadsheet to find the spending patterns. Another important piece of evidence was David’s reward card that the police subpoenaed from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. It was a record of every penny David spent at the casino and proof that his gambling addiction was still alive and well. But the key piece of the puzzle, according to Ron, was

The report outlines a variety of ways this abuse can take shape. Some examples include: taking or borrowing money and not repaying it, denying services or medical care to save money and signing or cashing pension checks without permission. In more severe cases, it can include forcing or manipulating an elderly person to sign over property or give away signing authority on bank accounts. Although the report said 4.5 per cent of seniors experience some form of abuse from the age of 65 years onwards, Toronto Police Service vulnerable persons coordinator Jason Peddle said the number in Toronto is closer to 10 per cent. This means that up to 42,000 Torontonian seniors are victims of abuse, of which 80 per cent may be recurrent. As a result, Peddle estimates that each police division can be looking at up to 2,000 unreported cases of seniors living with ongoing abuse.

He said Canada lacks the resources to adequately deal with this issue. There is no section in the criminal code for “elder abuse.” In the case of financial elder abuse, it’s simply fraud and theft. This creates a difficult situation for seniors like Royale Klimitz, who must be willing to

109


KALEIDOSCOPE

charge their perpetrator  - often a child, spouse, or other relative. This issue is further complicated by the victims’ vulnerabilities  -   they are often dependent on their abusers. Reporting and prosecuting them could have a profound impact on their lives.

Canada’s population is aging rapidly. According to Statistics Canada, 2015 saw the first time senior citizens outnumbered children. In 2011, baby-boomers  -  those born between 1946 and 1965  - started turning 65. By the time the youngest baby boomers become seniors, Statistics Canada projects that close to one-in-four Canadians will be a senior.

“They are going to choose the devil they know,” Peddle said. “They’ve lived in the same place for most of their lives. If their daughter gets arrested and released with the condition they can’t live together anymore  -  Thursday they are in the nursing home.” There’s only one shelter space in the entire GTA designated for seniors, according to Peddle.

Peddle said that one course of action would be to create elder abuse laws. Several American states, including Arizona, California and New York, have criminal legislation where elder abuse can be prosecuted. They would be similar to domestic abuse laws in Toronto  -  if the abuse is reported, it’s taken under investigation and dealt with swiftly.

“Estimates show that one-in-44 victims of elderly abuse report it,” said Peddle. “The seniors are left to suffer in silence.”

“If police have evidence of a domestic assault, the wording in the criminal code says that the officer “shall” arrest,” said Peddle. “This leaves very little room for an officer’s discretion. If you see someone hit their 90-yearold mom , we’d have a legal obligation to report them.”

When they do report it, the police aren’t usually equipped with the knowledge of how to deal with the issue. Due to its prevalence among family members, Peddle said that officers and victims often mistake this as a civil matter and not a criminal act. Peddle said other cities in Canada are doing a better job with this. Durham region has an elder response team with one police officer and one social worker working together. “Calgary’s unit is even more robust, with teams including cops, social workers, nurses and lawyers,” said Peddle, who is putting together a proposal to get an elderly abuse investigative unit formed in Toronto. He’s not optimistic about his chances of getting it. “Resource allocation is dependent on data,  which we don’t have,” Peddle said. “Units are closing and officers are being sent back onto the front lines. How can I get six officers when there are people being shot and stabbed every night?” The situation may worsen given the widespread financial insecurity faced by the next generation tasked with supporting seniors: millennials. A recent survey commissioned by TD bank showed nearly half of millennials aren’t earning a steady paycheque. This leads to higher levels of stress and inadequate money for groceries and other bills, the report said. Ron Klimitz sees this as a disaster waiting to happen. “The older generation will have all the money  - they all bought houses for $5,000 that are now worth a million. Their kids will be dying to get their hands on it,” he said.

Ron Klimitz said he thinks elder abuse laws are a part of the solution and believes his brother’s conviction can serve a greater purpose - as a cautionary tale for those who might be tempted to do the same thing. There are those, such as Monita Persaud, the GTA consultant and multicultural coordinator for Elder Abuse Ontario, who think elder abuse laws may do more harm than good. Instead, she said we need a system of intervention based on harm reduction and case management, especially since some cultures would consider it a family matter and not a legal one. Persaud said that social workers, not police officers, are better equipped to recognize and evaluate family dynamics. “They need to be able to consider that the elder wants the relationship to continue in a way that’s healthy and mutually respectful,” said Persaud, who said a common concern of the elderly victim is causing irreparable damage to the family. This happened to the Klimitz family, Ron and David haven’t spoken a word to each other since the trail ended. At the very end of her video statement against her son, Royale Klimitz added a final note. “I don’t know if I should say this or not, but I want you to know that no matter what has happened, I still love him.”

110


KALEIDOSCOPE

THE FASHION PORTFOLIO

Katie Bartley

Katie Bartley Fourth-year photography The Fashion Portfolio Photography 2017

111


KALEIDOSCOPE

ROSETTE

Nicole Young

112


KALEIDOSCOPE

Rosette is Nicole Young’s individual portion of a group research project on wood. The laser cut designs take inspiration from rose windows in European Roman Gothic churches. Despite its symmetry, the project is made up of a series of contrasts; Young combined old techniques with new technology to create delicate, intricate designs that have broad practical purpose.

Nicole Young Second-year interior design Rosette Wood 2017

113


FEATURE | CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

KALEIDOSCOPE

114


WORDS JULIA MASTROIANNI

KALEIDOSCOPE

PHOTOS ALEX LA

EDISON DIETRICH It’s a poorly lit nightclub like any other in Etobicoke and the crowd is small. Edison Dietrich and the other members of the band, Low Kites, don’t recognize many faces in the audience, but they’re here to perform well regardless. That is until they hear it, from way at the back of the crowd. “Boo, get off the stage!” The hecklers are a group of old biker dudes, big beards, road choppers, like something out of an old Hell’s Angels film. They’re staring the the band down, clearly waiting for the Pink Floyd cover band they’re opening for to take over. All four members of Low Kites look at each other, unsure what to do or say. They finish their set anyway and the night ends up being a success - Low Kites gained their first organic fan in that crowd. Though it was jarring in the moment, Dietrich looks back on it now and laughs. “I was so happy, because we got haters! And you can’t have fans without haters.” A drummer by trade, Dietrich is no stranger to the pull of movement and rhythm. The second-year creative industries student is currently the drummer in the indie band Low Kites and music is one of his focuses in his program. Though music is a large part of Dietrich’s life, it was only when he was 17 that he realized he wanted it to be a career. “It was literally the day my creative industries application was due, actually. I was going to apply to engineering but I said to myself, ‘Fuck it, I don’t want to be miserable.’” A testament to the constant presence of music in his life, Dietrich said he sees science as more of hobby and music as more of a career. “That’s the thing about creative industries; I want to be an artist but I also want to make money. I don’t have to go to school for music to be a musician, so that’s why I skipped to this - I know it’s practical,” Dietrich said. 115


KALEIDOSCOPE

The practicality of a music career is something Dietrich said he thinks about every single day. “But I like risk, so music gives me the ability to take that risk. And because it makes me happy, I don’t really care.” That doesn’t mean Dietrich would abandon school completely at the chance. When fellow creative industries student and bandmate, Julian Alvarado mentioned the dream of going on tour, Dietrich suggested taking a semester off instead of dropping out of the program completely. Dietrich said that just a year and a half into the program, creative industries has taught him practical skills that he’s already used to help with Low Kites’ EP release. “We learned a lot of little things in class that we wouldn’t have known otherwise and it really helped us organize the release. We got the venue, we made the posters, so the program has already helped us in starting out,” he said. The band only took one weekend to write their EP, staying up straight through the night in Dietrich’s basement. It is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Bandcamp and in physical copies - their CDs are sold at each of their concerts. Dietrich said the creative industries program also means the “opportunity to do anything.” He distinctly remembers one of his firstsemester professors telling his class that creative industries is the new business and he has held onto that. “I don’t want to have the same job for five years, so this program gives me the ability to change. If my artist career doesn’t last long, I can say, ‘Well, I’m going to be an agent now!’” For now though, Low Kites is Dietrich’s main focus. They’ve only been together for a couple of months, but plan on releasing a full album soon. Dietrich attributes this to the way they’ve clicked as a band. He met his other bandmates Cris Zamora and Antonio Guerra through a mutual friend. The two invited him to join their band and then promptly replaced their guitarist with Alvarado, when Dietrich mentioned he’d be interested too.

Dietritch said Zamora and Guerra had gone through “at least 15” other band members before landing on him and Alvarado - and so far, they seem to stick. Though Low Kites is Dietrich’s first real band gig, he’s been a musician of almost every kind for much longer. “In the Vietnamese community, kids are kind of forced into music and performance at a really young age,” he said. “So I started out as a singer.” By the time he was seven, it was time for something different. “My mom said I needed to learn an instrument but I could choose what to go into,” he said, “and I said drums. My rationality was, I like to hit things, therefore I should do that.” Dietrich is animated when he shares stories about the horrors of practicing as a kid. “My mom used to sit down and watch me practice as she ate her dinner right in front of me,” Dietrich said. At 14, he was already teaching drumming in a Vietnamese marching band, as a drum major in cadets and at the Kollari Institute of Music. A lot has changed since then, but one thing hasn’t, his fanbase. “My mom actually went to two of our shows,” he said, with a laugh. Dietrich’s mom comes up in a lot of his stories about his path to music. He said she just wants him to give her something to be proud of. He doesn’t know exactly what he wants to do once he’s graduated from Ryerson, but Dietrich has a lot of ideas. “When I first applied to creative industries, I had the idea of making my own production company, so that I could be a producer and work with a team to develop artists.” Now, his end goal is a lot simpler. “I know that when I do anything from now on, I don’t care what I do as long as it involves music.”

116


KALEIDOSCOPE

117


KALEIDOSCOPE

SKETCHBOOK SERIES Claire McCulloch

118


KALEIDOSCOPE

Claire McCulloch Second-year creative industries Sketchbook Series Mixed Media 2017

119


RM T C Into the Woods KALEIDOSCOPE

Ryerson Musical Theatre Company’s 2018 production of Into the Woods had a cast and crew of 113 students from across Ryerson. The company was founded in 2014 by creative industries student Robyn Hoja and has been bringing musical theatre to Ryerson since 2016. Into the Woods was their third annual show and featured an innovative set, complete with wires to “fly” set pieces through the air during scenes.

Photo by Cindy Long

Photo by Monique Timlick

Photo by Cindy Long 120


KALEIDOSCOPE

Photos by Ketzia Kobrah

121

ALYSIA MYETTE

Alysia Myette First-year master’s fashion Fight Like a Girl Screen Print 2017


KALEIDOSCOPE

near & far projects TAVIA CHRISTINA

R AC HE L FACC H I NI

After seven years of being friends and years of performing, Rachel Facchini and Tavia Christina realized their contrasting styles and personalities could work together to create a fresh approach to performance art. The two created Near&Far Projects, an independent dance company to cultivate and create content they love. Faccini and Christina are inspired by the human body and its natural state. They look for dance performances which combine both of their artistic interests and aesthetic expressions. “When we create together we build this hybrid of each other and create something new, which I think is fascinating in itself,� said Christina. Both creators said FCAD has inspired them to create opportunities for themselves while still in school. The company finds and creates content, archiving all the live performances online.

122


KALEIDOSCOPE

Rachel Facchini, Tavia Christina Third-year performance dance NEAR & FAR Projects Dance Company 2016

123


KALEIDOSCOPE

WILD THINK

Matthew Massey

Matthew Massey wanted to work within a space’s original architecture to create something new. This was the inspiration for Wild Think, an office design that he created for a class in which students were taught how to use space to engage users’ needs. Wild Think is the first full-scale piece that Massey has made and he believes that it showcases his passion for working within an existing space when designing. He said he hopes for viewers to see that using all new items and techniques is not necessarily the best way to create spaces and that old-fashioned looks are still visually appealing. Massey’s design is based on the Wild Think advertising agency, a scenario client for the project. He said the unique space allows the office to stand out and maintain an original brand identity, when compared to other workspaces. Massey used a software called Revit - a common tool used in the industry - for the majority of his modeling. “I enjoy pushing the software into different areas such as the design of the furniture because it is not as popular for that,” he said. “In post-production I move plans, sections and renderings into Photoshop in order to tweak colour and add people for scale.”

124


KALEIDOSCOPE

Matthew Massey Fourth-year interior design Wild Think Office Design, Digital Rendering 2016

125


KALEIDOSCOPE

VICTORIA PORTEOUS

When Victoria Porteous’s great aunt passed away in 2006, she thought she had lost the chance to collaborate with her. But that changed this summer. While taking photos on her late great aunt’s 35-mm camera, Porteous created the photo series Collaboration, using accidental double exposure. When Porteous found the camera, she used it to shoot her photos but didn’t realize her aunt had already used the roll of film in it. What resulted is what Porteous calls an accidental collaboration after death - an overlapping of meaningful times in each of their lives captured on the same camera. Collaboration combines photos from Porteous’s summer and a christening her great aunt attended in 1966 in England. “When I first saw the photos I was a little sad that I had ‘ruined’ a roll of film that even my aunt had never seen the pictures from,” said Porteous. “After looking at them more, I realized that they were beautiful.” Porteous said GCM has taught her the value of collaboration. Her photo series has brought together two generations, even after death, in a beautiful way through image.

126


KALEIDOSCOPE

Victoria Porteous Second-year graphic communications management Collaboration Photography 2017

127


KALEIDOSCOPE

Soraya Sachedina First-year film Silver Linings Photography 2017

128


KALEIDOSCOPE

SILVER LININGS

Soraya Sachedina

129


FEATURE | PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

KALEIDOSCOPE

130


KALEIDOSCOPE WORDS SCOTT MCLEAN

PHOTOS CALEIGH ERIN

MEAGHAN HUTCHISON Meaghan Hutchison looks across the bustling workspace of the ProCom Practicum Centre trying to find a place to sit. Locked away only one room over, in a special box, sits her biggest responsibility for the year. Hutchison is a research assistant for professor Frauke Zeller, whose team at Ryerson University along with a group from McMaster University has ventured into the futuristic world of social robotics and artificial intelligence with the help of Pepper; a humanoid robot that can interact with people, read emotions, learn, move and adapt to its environment. When Hutchison talks about her work with Pepper, it’s almost as if she is describing her own child. “Pepper is adorable, there are so many possibilities for what it can do,” said a beaming Hutchison. The robot is the centrepiece of a research project that has the potential to create breakthroughs in clinical health care, but at this stage of its application it’s mostly engaging in basic threeword conversations. “When you facilitate conversations with the robot it’s very interesting to see people’s communications styles. Some people talk to it very conversationally, some people very direct,

131

some people get annoyed when it doesn’t understand them and some people think it’s cute,” she said. “You get to realize that even though we might all be speaking English, we are not always speaking the same language and understanding the same things. I think that’s the essence of professional communications.” Hutchison came by the research position with Zeller rather fortuitously. The two met during her first year at Ryerson, when Zeller was her professor. “It was like straight out of a fairy tale,” Hutchinson said, explaining that she went to Zeller’s office for clarification on a major assignment and was offered a job. “She said, ‘You’re very bright’ and ‘Would you like to come and be a research assistant for me?’ I thought this never happens, so the lesson was learned: be engaged in class and engaged with the material and get to know your professors because they might have opportunities for you,” Hutchison said. Her interest in communications started at Westmount Charter School in Calgary. There, she enjoyed writing in English class, as well as exploring photography, desktop publishing and video editing software during a communications


KALEIDOSCOPE

and technology course. Hutchison said she decided to apply to Ryerson because professional communications offered the best balance between the practical and theoretical. “It’s very interesting how many facets there are in professional communications and how many different angles you can take with it,” said Hutchison. “I’ve really enjoyed visual communications [which is the use of images, graphs and charts to convey information] and I’m currently in a technical communications class on translating knowledge from researchers to non-researchers, which connects to my current work,” she said, referring to her work with Pepper. Earlier this year, Hutchison branched into the realm of corporate communications as well, taking a summer job with Devon Canada Corporation. She settled on the energy company - based in her hometown of Calgary - after applying to over 60 different positions. The communications department for the heavyoil producer appeared to be the most current, according to Hutchinson. They quickly gave her

significant responsibility over multiple projects, including strategic communications plans, producing articles and event planning. Critiques of the oil industry aren’t lost on the Alberta native, but Hutchison has taken in stride any criticism of working in the energy sector. “Coming from Calgary basically everybody knows at least somebody who works in the energy sector, that’s where your mind goes when you are looking for jobs, even lately with the unfortunate economic circumstances it’s still one of the places, if you live out there, that are hiring,” Hutchison said. “I think the wrong response for someone in the energy industry - to negative perceptions of the industry - is to get defensive about it. My response is to try and dispel some of the myths that people have,” said Hutchinson, explaining that some popular conceptions are true and some are false. “It’s never black and white and the best thing you can do is not be an asshole.”

132


KALEIDOSCOPE

Handling difficult questions is one aspect of professional communications that’s par for the course, but the sheer volume of research required on her current project was unexpected for Hutchison. On top of the time commitment, it also requires an ability to judge what information is ready for public consumption and what is too sensitive to reveal. When discussing some of the challenges that Pepper is having during the initial research phase, Hutchison stops herself and has to think about what she’s allowed to discuss. “From our initial observations, we found that [Pepper] had hiccups with room noise and being able to hear people and that’s something we have to work on,” Hutchison said after a moment. “The coolest thing about the robot is that it has the potential to have a more natural conversational way of interacting with people based on their choice of language, but it still needs a lot of work to get it to a functional state.” While the position involves significant responsibility over data mining and data visualization, along with other skills, Hutchison said the most rewarding part of her experience is the relationship she has forged with her supervisor. “Frauke [Zeller] is fantastic, she is constantly pushing me and all her research assistants to explore their passions and get more involved in research and educational opportunities,” Hutchison said. “When I took this on I had no idea what I was getting into, I just thought I’m half decent at writing and visual communications, I’ll do something that involves them. I had no idea that thing would be with robots, but I’m very glad it took the turn that it has.”

133


KALEIDOSCOPE

OF THESE PEACH WALLS

ON THESE PEACH WALLS you face your vulnerability expect to embody oneself the bathroom is daunting with insecuritues and competition or it’s of womanhood it’s of kinship and connection where others feel like you do in these peach walls there is a sister

134


KALEIDOSCOPE

Karen Selina Third-year media production Of These Peach Walls Poem and Photography 2017

135


KALEIDOSCOPE

Body 365 MIKAEL M. MELO, JUSTINE ERDELYI JILLIAN MANIQUIS, HUNG LE ANDY WONG, MICHAELA MILLIGAN GWEN SWINARTON, CHARA HO

The photography of Body 365 is raw. The body positivity campaign showcases its subjects in black and white, shooting with a plain white backdrop in the RCC studios and without using Photoshop to doctor the images. The effect pulls the viewer’s focus but also generates an authenticity for the campaign, which founder Mikael Melo developed by drawing on his own personal issues with body insecurity. He wanted to create a reminder that every body is supposed to be different and can be celebrated in its own way. The desire of Body 365 is to change the way bodies are represented in the media. Showcasing their photos on Facebook and Instagram, the project originally started with images of the Body 365 team, before blossoming to over 130 subjects. Largely drawing from the Ryerson community, the project has taken steps to ensure that people from all races, genders, faiths, sexual orientations, disabled, or marginalized members of society are represented.

136


KALEIDOSCOPE

137


KALEIDOSCOPE Mikael M. Melo, Justine Erdelyi Jillian Maniquis, Hung Le Andy Wong, Chara Ho Gwen Swinarton, Michaela Milligan Body 365 Campaign 2018

138


KALEIDOSCOPE

139


KALEIDOSCOPE

CO- CREATIVE LEADS Japnaam Kaur Kasi Boddy-McAuley

MARKETING LEAD Saghi Malekanian

EDITORIAL LEAD Katie Swyers

FINANCIAL LEAD Chelsea Attong

PHOTOGRAPHERS Caleigh Erin Alex La Rosanna Le

MARKETING ASSOCIATES Usman Khurram Andrea Vahrusev

LAYOUT ARTISTS Camille Duncan Vanessa Sako Danielle van Werkhoven Anna Wong

EVENT MANAGERS Alexandra Anisman Marly Bromstein DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Jenna Peddle

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Zoe Arseneau Pegah Peivandi

140

COPY EDITOR Victoria McMurchy WRITERS Sukaina Jamil Julia Mastroianni Scott McLean Amanda Short Shayna Sujanani


KALEIDOSCOPE

141


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.