The Plant April 2022 Vol. 56 No. 3

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2 THE PLANT

Letter from the Editor Dear reader, April showers bring May flowers! If you’re going through a bumpy patch, just know that your break is coming soon. I commented on the rain the other day to someone at work, and they said to me, “Well, at least the greenery is happy.” And you know what, they’re right! Maybe it’s looking a little grey and dreary right now, but something else is flourishing. I cannot wait for the tulips to pop up, for trees to bud, for the grass to grow. My instagram story will be poppin’ with colour, that’s for sure.

Alright, that was my bit of wisdom for the month.

I’ve had a lot on my mind recently. (The Moon is in Virgo–I had to check.)

I’m not sure if it’s because of the fast-approaching finality of the end of the semester, or perhaps the general state of the world. Conversations are heavy, these days. But it is good to speak and share thoughts. Maybe you’re feeling it as well, and that thought makes me feel a little less alone.

In any case, I encourage you all to push through, just as the buds are blossoming on the trees. We, too, shall flourish.

This April issue brings you an abundance of thoughts and topics–as local as our beloved Atwater metro, to a classic game of Quidditch. Take care while reading; our staff, your peers, have written some excellent things once again.

See you in the next and final issue of the semester, Toodle loo, PIPA JONES Editor-in-Chief

Index NEWS ARTS & CULTURE PLAYLIST VISUAL ARTS VOICES CREATIVE WRITING SPORTS SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT CURIOSITIES

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The Plant is an editorially autonomous student paper. All opinions expressed in The Plant do not necessarily belong to The Plant, but are those of individuals. All content submitted to The Plant or its staff belongs to the paper. We reserve the right to reject or edit all submissions for brevity, taste and legality. The Plant welcomes typed and signed letters to the editor under 400 words.

Copyright 2022

NEWS 3 3

Dawson Students on the Rise of Gas Prices A new source of anxiety for already stressed-out students ALICE MARTIN Managing Editor

If every driver’s wallet in Quebec has been taking a hard hit for the past months at the gas pump, it’s easily arguable that Montreal students are among the ones gasping the loudest when filling up their tanks. When gas reached its highest point on the island last month, according to CAA Quebec, Montrealers could expect to pay 60% more than at its lowest point in the past year. “At gas station pumps, you can see how much the last person paid, and it’s not uncommon to see over 100 dollars on the screens right now”, says Matthew Saad, a General Social Science student at Dawson.

Gas prices popping up in Montreal are primarily the result of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. Russia is one of the world’s largest oil producers in the world but, as part of sanctions for their inhumane invasion of Ukraine, Canada has cut Russian oil imports, a decision made to impact Russia’s economy. As of April 7th, The US has also followed Canada’s footsteps, and other European countries are thinking about doing the same. Factors like inflation and the growing oil supply shortages can also be considered. Furthermore, Montreal pays a higher gas tax than the rest of

Quebec—and all of Canada—creating a perfect storm for oil prices to soar.

Students are immensely impacted by the rise of gas prices as they are already stuck between a housing crisis, rising inflation rates and cost of living, as well as high tuition costs. Luckily, many Dawson students are already taking public transit as the school is blessed with its own entry from the Atwater metro, but it has still changed the way they live.

Sammy Péladeau, a Modern Languages student at Dawson, explains, “As a young student, driving was one of the ways for me to feel free, to have no limits. I’m from a small town far away, and my friends and boyfriend still live there. The fact that gas prices are this high doesn’t allow me to see them. […] Lately, it’s choosing between eating or seeing my friends.”

Other than the social context, it’s also a source of stress for other students. Alessio Guzzo, a Graphic Design student at Dawson, says, “As a student, I work part-time and barely make enough to pay for school supplies, so the added expense of extra cost for gas is a struggle.” Matthew Saad also noted that when public transport isn’t readily available where a student lives–or if it’s simply not an option–it can add a lot of anxiety to said student’s wallet.

Photo VIA JEAN-CLAUDE TALIANA/RADIO-CANADA

This is the case for Qassam Azara, an Internet and Robotics student at St-Laurent Cegep in Montreal. “I thought about using public transportation more, but there are a lot of drawbacks. COVID is one of my main problems because the buses and subways are always crowded, and I wouldn’t want to risk catching it and infecting my family. I would also have to get up earlier and take public transportation for a total of 3 hours each way and also if the buses don’t show up or are late, some teachers aren’t very reasonable with delays to their classes,” he explains. Azara continues, “As a full-time student and worker, it is very hard to see prices going up so quickly while keeping the same salary.

I have to spend more and more of my paycheck just to get to work or school.

It has definitely caused more anxiety and stress seeing that I have to calculate how I will spend my earnings on gas, food, bills, and other things.”

For now, students who wish to relieve some stress because of gas prices can benefit from services like GasBuddy and Gasoline Watch from CAA Quebec. The former is a website that lets you compare prices from all the gas stations in your area to see which one offers the lowest price. All the prices come from users who update the website themselves, but you can see when the price was last updated.

As for Gasoline Watch, this useful service tells you whether it’s worth it to gas up on a certain day by comparing the realistic price to the average pump price.

To ease the burden on Quebecers, the Legault government thought about suspending the gas tax. However, that idea has been ruled out on grounds that it would profit gas companies instead of consumers. Fortunately, anything that goes up suddenly is bound to fall, and gas prices seem to be following that pattern, although they’ve stalled for now.

In a month, prices dropped about 0.10$ on average. p p

4 THE PLANT

French Implementation in CEGEP: Is Grade 12 a Better Option?

JACQUELINE LISBONA News Editor

On Thursday, March 24, Bernard Tremblay, President of the Fédération des CÉGEPS, announced that the Quebec government was planning to force thousands of students in English CEGEPs to take three of their core courses in French to receive their DEC. The CEGEP federation includes five anglophone colleges.

The amendment is scheduled to be included in the government’s legislation overhauling the Charter of the French language, Bill 96. Labeled as an act “representing French as the official and common language of Quebec”, Bill 96 has caused upheavals amongst Montrealers.

In an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Tremblay shared his views on the government’s involvement: “It’s not possible for students who have not picked up enough French in 11 years of schooling to pick it up overnight!” he exclaimed.

Tremblay further explained that the CEGEP federation has performed an examination on the level of French proficiency among first year students attending English CEGEPS. The results indicated that more than 35% of 29,000 students enrolled are not sufficiently fluent in French to pass the courses.

This new requirement will undoubtedly affect students’ R scores, a score used by Quebec university admissions offices to compare and rank CEGEP students. A lower R score, even by the tiniest percentage, could result in a student being accepted or rejected from a Quebec university.

Vaughn Vanslet, second year social science student at Dawson, shared his frustration with the new law: “At this point, I don’t think there is a reason to stay in Quebec and continue my education here. I would have so many opportunities if I left given the program I am in. Also, I would say I am a good French speaker, but I would feel overwhelmed taking three classes in a language I am not exactly fluent in. I feel like I should have a say in the language I choose to learn in.”

Echoing Vanslet’s sentiments, second year social science student Jillian Goldenberg stated: “I think that this puts English speakers at a huge disadvantage in terms of getting into university. To be admitted in competitive programs at English universities, a high R score is required. If a student does not receive a high R score because they are taking three forced French classes, that is not fair, and it lowers their chances of getting into a university. By implementing this new law in English schools, it will lower anglophone students’ R scores and therefore make them less competitive candidates for Quebec universities, making their only option to move out of province for their University diploma. I personally believe that this is just another tactic to get rid of anglophones without saying ‘let’s get rid of anglophones’.”

Dawson CEGEP professor Sara Beer acknowledged that while in principle, there is ideological value and importance to this new change, she does not believe that the language bill should apply to CEGEP. She maintains that since CEGEP is post-secondary, students should have the right to learn in the language of their choice.

She stated: “If we were to move forward with the imposition, I think what would happen is that there would be loopholes. For example, our French implementation could be a 5-minute oral presentation and that would be it for the course. Some of us just wouldn’t

Photo VIA TAV COLLEGE WEBSITE

be qualified to grade at a college level unless it was a real French teacher.”

The loopholes are already here with additional pre-university options popping up.

Lower Canada College (LCC) offers a Grade 12 Pre-University option.

Mandatory core courses in French are not required. With an enriched curriculum and personalized academic counseling, LCC receives an influx of applicants each year despite an estimated cost of $25,000 per year.

Additionally, TAV College has launched a new Grade 12 school opportunity called “Grade 12 study option”. At a cost of approximately $1400, this one-year program allows students to obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). This diploma follows the admission requirements for universities in Quebec, Canada, the USA, and abroad.

According to Eli Meroz, TAV’s Director of Studies, TAV’s Grade 12 program will be taught in English, and it will allow all students to achieve their academic goals one year earlier.

This option will also bypass the implementation of Bill 96 in other CEGEPS. The three profiles available in this Grade 12 study option are: Sciences, General Social Science, or Commerce. TAV will be accepting applications for admission to this program for the Fall semester until August 15th, 2022. p

NEWS 5 5

Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Social Media War EMILY MCQUEEN Staff Writer

Rusia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. Most of us got the news– not from a newspaper, radio, or television– but from Instagram, Tiktok, or Snapchat.

I recall seeing videos of Russian soldiers marching toward the Ukrainian border on my For You page before the War had officially begun. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine is being documented and shared on social media on a grander scale than any previous or current global conflict. In one way, it has spread further than WWI and WWII, considering that anyone who has access to a phone (about half the global population) or a computer can watch the violence, comment on it, and offer financial support, no matter where they are on the planet (excluding state-censored regimes).

This article will provide an overview of the history of wartime media and will investigate how social media has affected this one.

The first “media war”, the 1898 Spanish-American War, was the first to be precipitated by the media, mostly by newspaper articles or correspondences. WWI was photographed and filmed, and by WW2 almost every North American and Western European home had a radio, the cheapest and most popular media outlet. Technology was thus used for wartime propaganda, the diffusion of information, and calls to the population to join wartime efforts.

In 1955, the Vietnam war broke out, which would grow to have immense TV coverage by 1965. According to Forbes magazine, in the year 1968, 600 accredited journalists were covering the war for U.S. wire services, radio, and television networks. Every day at 5 pm, there would be daily briefings on the war put on by the Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office. In 2011, the Arab Spring was somewhat discussed on social media as many other wars to come; However, because social media platforms have now grown larger (in 2022, Face-

book has tripledthribbled its average use) this war’s social media scope is larger than any other’s. Unlike ever before, audiences and civilians can now participate in news coverage instead of it being reserved solely for professional reporters, especially in the West. This has also come with a normalization of using social media as a political tool.

It’s going to be even more important that people document and share their direct experiences of the war and that concerned audiences don’t look away.

For peace activists and those wanting to expose the horrors of war to the world, social media is the most useful weapon at their disposal.

A peace activist in the Ukrainian city of Lviv posted a photograph of 109 baby strollers in a square surrounded by rubble to commemorate the children killed by Russian soldiers.

The image quickly spread to millions.

Other viral videos showcase a little girl singing in a shelter and a cellist performing on a street full of debris and damaged buildings. In the New York Times article ‘Like a Weapon’: Ukraine’s Use of Social Media To Stir Resistance, Anastasiya Magerramova, the 27-year-old press secretary for the Okhmatdyt Ppediatric Hhospital in Kyiv, discusses her experience sleeping in the ward and working exhausting hours while constantly photographing and filming the sufferings of civilians. Because parts of some Ukrainian territory are inaccessible or hardly accessible to journalists, Magerramova believes “It’s going to be even more important that people document and share their direct experiences of the war and that concerned audiences don’t look away.”

We cannot ignore the downsides of social media use as war-time

media, seeing as information can be misleading, polarizing, or even completely false. Misinformation can be unintentional, sometimes in the form of memes, tales, or urban legends individuals find interesting. While these are not particularly harmful, I would still add a disclaimer or check factual sources before reposting.

There is also intentional misinformation, which is propelled by both government and non-government users. This form of propaganda can be harmful and cause further hatred between populations. Putin’s promise to ‘de-Nazify Ukraine’, a country that elected a Jewish president, or any claims that ‘Ukraine has a high number of Nazis’, would be an example of intentional misinformation to dissuade support for the country.

Deepfake videos of both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been appearing on the internet at frequent rates. These would also fall under intentional misinformation. Compared to the 2014 invasion of the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine, Russia has engaged in media warfare to a smaller extent, because Moscow attempts to completely deny the extent of the war instead of putting out propaganda in support of it, although some accounts do put verified Ukrainian civilian accounts into question.

To avoid misinformation, I would recommend further researching the information you are exposed to on your feed by comparing it to reputable news sources that factcheck and confirm stories before circulating them.

Social media holds much more power than older, more traditional forms of media, as it allows civilians to document their own lives and allows anybody, professional or not, to immediately engage with and spread information. But when any platform holds the power to sway a war, we must account for the danger of false news, which is curated to cause outrage and fear. p

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=NEWS

Why Is Everyone Suddenly Interested in NFTs? …and how long can the hype last?

PATRICIA CHIRU Contributor

The pandemic has brought on iconic moments, such as Lizzo’s 2020 Grammys’ performance, the ice coffee trend, the BLM movement, Taylor Swift’s latest albums, and NFTs. The emergence of NFTs has led to a lot of excitement among young investors who are searching for untraditional investment methods. However, the question remains: are NFT’s worth the hype?

The acronym NFT stands for “non-fungible token” and these unique “tokens” are a unit of digital data.

NFTs are currently used as digital art, and they are traded on the Ethereum blockchain, although other similar platforms support them. The first NFT was created on May 3, 2014 by Kevin McCoy. According to Alternative Press, he created a hypnotic octagon which was later sold for over $1.4 million in November of last year.

From 2015-2016, NFTs switched to the Ethereum blockchain from the Counterparty platform. The next year, “CryptoKitties”, another type of NFT, exploded on social media. However, the defining factor in their rise to trendiness was when other blockchains like Solana and Flow began to implement their own NFTs in 2021.

Anyone can create their own NFT and sell it. The buyer purchases the original work, but anyone can download a copy of it. The creator also

Photo VIA INSIDER

receives royalties and a percentage of each transaction even after they are not the seller anymore. Buyers profit from selling their NFTs for more than they originally paid for as a financial investment.

Most of the hype surrounding NFTs comes from the influx of celebrities who sell or buy them. Melania Trump’s interest in NFTs incited her to launch a “POTUS NFT Collection” which will feature about 10,000 of these tokens. According to Forbes, each token highlights “iconic moments from the former [US] president’s administration.” Logan Paul, a YouTube influencer, is another celebrity selling his own NFTs. He created a Pokémon card of himself which sold for about $17,000. On the theme of trading cards, the Canadian actor William Shatner sold NFTs that contained an X-ray of his teeth. Even Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter, jumped on the trend and sold his first tweet as an NFT for roughly $3 million. Non-fungible tokens are slowly following the same popularity path as cryptocurrencies did. In November of last year, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, announced his plans for a “Bitcoin city” at the foot of the Conchagua volcano.

In a BBC article covering the news, the president said that everything in the city will be dedicated to Bitcoin. Businesses will have to accept the cryptocurrency as payment, all for the purpose of generating revenue for the city.

When asked if something similar might happen with NFTs on a smaller or bigger level, Kayrod Niamir, business and marketing professor at Dawson College, said that NFTs are too volatile and will sooner or later go out of trend. This will ultimately lead to many structural problems and too much instability. Although M. Niamir concedes that some investors will make money out of these tokens, basing a whole economy or organization on such volatility can only lead to difficult organizational problems.

A major problem NFTs are currently facing are environmental issues.

Despite these cryptocurrency tokens being relatively new and having little expert-reviewed data about their greenhouse emissions, some digital artists such as Memo Atken have put out estimates. According to an article published by The Verge, Atken estimated that the famous “Space Cat” NFT (see picture) leaves a carbon footprint “equivalent to an EU resident’s electricity usage for two months”. Additionally, blockchains like Ethereum “[use] about as much electricity as the entire country of Libya”. The entire planet is facing global warming and many believe that an increased interest in cryptocurrencies and digital art like NFTs will only accelerate the problem. However, others argue that NFTs do not occupy that much space on a blockchain, making their emissions not drastically harmful. The safest bet would be to keep an eye on them to prevent a rapid pollution problem arising from NFTs (and cryptocurrencies).

Non-fungible tokens are definitely an interesting emerging market.

Their popularity, accentuated by celebrity contributions, are driving prices up. However, their threat to the planet’s health should act as a forewarning for sellers and buyers alike that NFTs’ longevity is questionable.

As always when dealing with financial investments, please do your research and/or consult a professional before investing. This article is informative and does not provide any legal financial advice. p p

=ARTS & CULTURE 7 7 7

Analogue Photography Looking at film cameras through a new lens DARIO DE FELICE Contributor

Crouching down while looking through his lens, 18-year-old Robert Lang-Sabourin attempts to capture the unique architecture of Dawson College’s downtown campus on his impressive Nikon FM2 film camera.

Robert is part of a trend that could be seen pretty much everywhere these days as many young Montrealers re-discovering the concept of film photography and its distinction from modern digital cameras and their smartphones.

“When I shoot film, I can’t take 1000 pictures like on an iPhone. It forces me to be more precise and put more effort into every shot and has ultimately led me to be a better photographer,” explained Robert while positioning himself to take another photo.

The rise of tech companies, including the addition of high-quality digital cameras on the majority of their smartphones, led people away from film photography. This caused the largest photographic film producer, Kodak, to declare bankruptcy in 2012. However, today, we are seeing teens dig out their parents’ old film cameras to reclaim analogue photography and get a feeling of the good old days. “Taking pictures with a digital camera is just too generic in 2022. Using film makes it feel like a real picture,” said Tyler Di Melo, film enthusiast and student at John Abbott College.

According to a 2021 article from DW media, major film manufacturers like Kodak and Fujifilm are noting this trend. Kodak has seen an increase in demand for film products, allowing the company to emerge from bankruptcy. They note that surveys show that about one-third of film consumers are now younger than 35.

Young people are known to share everything on social media, and that doesn’t stop with film. To share photos taken with analogue cameras on social media, teens scan their pho-

Photo VIA DARIO DE FELICE

tographs and post them. The hashtag #filmisnotdead has been used over 20 million times on Instagram.

Located in Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood, Studio Argentique is a vintage camera store that specializes in film. “A lot of our customers are young people who are interested in the aesthetic and craft that film cameras provide,” said Grant, an employee at the store.

“In the last 2 years especially we’ve seen an increase of people interested in film. During the pandemic with everything going online, people appreciated being able to have moments they could save physically rather than just as a picture on their phone.”

In addition, Studio Argentique explains that the cost of getting into film photography is a lot lower compared to digital photography. “With a cheap analogue camera and a couple rolls of fitting film, you can obtain comparable results to those of an expensive digital camera,” said Grant.

This makes it the perfect option for students who are on a budget and want to explore photography.

Looking forward, many believe the world of film will witness the same resurgence that has been seen with vinyl records and Polaroid cameras. Last year, Fujifilm sold over 10 million of their Polaroid cameras and saw a similar poppin’ uptick with film. “If you grew up in a digital world, instant or photo film is new,” explained Andy Ross of Fujifilm.

During the pandemic with everything going online, people appreciated being able to have moments they could save physically rather than just as a picture on their phone.

This may be the beginning of a movement that will see the continuous revival of obsolete technology becoming popular again. Perhaps we will see fax machines and VHS tapes make a comeback in the future; only time will tell. p p

8 THE PLANT

PLAYLIST

Collaborative Playlist by The Plant Team Visual Arts by DANAÉE DESCAILLOT Visual Arts Editor

Artwork by Charles Lesenko-Oliveros @PHOTO.CELO

VISUAL ARTS 9

Artwork by Danaée Descaillot

Artwork by Robert Lang-Sabourin @RLANG19

10 THE PLANT

Eurovision Song Contest Do you know where your favourite songs come from?

DARIA BOCICOVA Arts & Culture Editor

I’ve spent all of the love I saved We were always a losing game Small-town boy in a big arcade I got addicted to a losing game.

If the music in your head hasn’t started playing upon reading that, you’ve clearly been living under a rock for the past two years. Arcade by Duncan Lorens, Euphoria

by Lareen, Fairytale by Alexander Rybak, Toy by Netta, the list can honestly go on forever, for it is but the tip of the Iceberg that is the Eurovision Song Contest. Speaking of Icebergs, Celine Dion competed for Switzerland in Eurovision 1988 and won with her song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi. Not impressed yet? Well, what if I told you that ABBA became as popular as it is now due to Eurovision 1974 and the win they brought Sweden with their song Waterloo, which turned the eyes of the world towards them the very next morning. Another winner that made it to your FYP is an Italian band, Måneskin, who brought their home country its third win since the creation of the contest with their song Zitti e Buoni in 2021. Although you are probably more familiar with their relatively recent, I Wanna Be Your Slave. I feel like now I definitely got your attention, and I’m going to use this momentum for a little walk down history lane.

ORIGINS In 1950, in an effort to unite European countries following the second world war through cross-border television, The European Broadcasting Union or EBU, was created.

Five years later, an idea for a pan-European singing contest was conceived at a conference of the European Broadcasting Union in Monaco in 1955, inspired by the Italian Sanremo Festival. It was determined that the very first ever Eurovision Song Contest would be held in the Swiss resort of Lugano the next year. Although several cameras were recording the contest for the very few Europeans who had a telly set at the time, the 1956 Eurovision Song Contest was predominantly a radio programme.

It was determined that the very first ever Eurovision Song Contest would be held in the Swiss resort of Lugano the next year.

VOTING Over the years, the voting systems utilised in the competition have evolved. While everything started in 1956 with only two judges from each participating country taking

part in a secret vote, the current system has been in place since 1975. Each country has to assemble a panel of national judges who then award songs from other countries with points ranging from 1 to 8, then 10 and eventually 12 — with the favourite receiving the now-famous douze points. Traditionally, only an internal jury chose a coun-

You can listen to all of them if you look up the Eurovision 2022 playlist on the contest’s official Spotify account. try’s set of votes, but in 1997, five nations experimented with televoting, allowing members of the general public in those countries to vote en masse for their favourite songs. The trial was a success, and all nations were invited to employ televoting if feasible beginning in 1998. Today, while the judges still attribute their points, the public is invited to cast theirs as the hosts communicate with the presenters through broadcasted video calls. When all the juries announce their decisions, the voting stops, and after the final recap, the winner is announced, ranging from least votes acquired to most.

STRUCTURE While initially, Eurovision was a one-day event, the contest has now been separated into three parts. The conclusion of the Cold War in the early 1990s resulted in a surge in participation, with many former Eastern Bloc countries popping up at line up for the first time to participate.

This process is still going on, with additional countries entering every day. As a result, the EBU developed the Semi-Final format in 2004, which was expanded to two Semi-Finals for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008. To qualify for the Final, all countries except the ‘Big Five’ — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom – and the host country must be in the top-10 of a Semi-Final. In turn, the contestant or the contestants who will be fighting for the chance to represent their country are chosen months prior, usually through a more minor song contest within each country.

While there is still a month to go until Eurovision, I am already playing some of this year’s songs on repeat.

Yes, you read that right. The entries are by no means a mystery, and even their official music videos are already at your disposal online. You can listen to all of them if you look up the Eurovision 2022 playlist on the contest’s official Spotify account.

Now, I’m gonna go play Give That Wolf a Banana by Subwoolfer a few more times, but you should really take a look at the running orders for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 Semi-Finals taking place on Tuesday the 10th and Thursday the 12th of May, respectively:

=ARTS & CULTURE 11

First Semi-Final: Tuesday the 10th of May Albania: Ronela Hajati – Sekret Latvia: Citi Zeni – Eat Your Salad Lithuania: Monika Liu – Sentimentai Switzerland: Marius Bear – Boys Do Cry Slovenia: LPS – Disko Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra – Stefania Bulgaria: Intelligent Music Project – Intention Netherlands: S10 – De Diepte Moldova: Zdob si Zdub & Fratii Advahov – Trenuletul Portugal: MARO – Saudade, Saudade Croatia: Mia DimšiC – Guilty Pleasure Denmark: REDDI – The Show Austria: LUM!X feat. Pia Maria – Halo Iceland: Systur – Með Hækkandi Sól Greece: Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord – Die Together Norway: Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf A Banana Armenia: Rosa Linn – Snap Voting in First Semi-Final: France: Alvan & Ahez – Fulenn Italy: Mahmood & Blanco – Brividi Second Semi-Final: Thursday the 12th of May Finland: The Rasmus – Jezebel Israel: Michael Ben David – I.M Serbia: Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano Azerbaijan: Nadir Rustamli – Fade To Black Georgia: Circus Mircus – Lock Me In Malta: Emma Muscat – I Am What I Am

Photo VIA EUROVISIONARY.COM

San Marino: Achille Lauro – StripperAustralia: Sheldon Riley – Not The Same Cyprus: Andromache – Ela Ireland: Brooke – That’s Rich North Macedonia: Andrea – Circles Estonia: Stefan – Hope Romania: WRS – Llámame Poland: Ochman – River Montenegro: Vladana – Breathe Belgium: Jérémie Makiese – Miss You Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs – Hold Me Closer Czech Republic: We Are Domi – Lights Off Voting in Second Semi-Final: Germany: Malik Harris – RockstarsSpain: Chanel – SloMo United Kingdom: Sam Ryder – SPACE MAN p

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12 THE PLANT

PLAYLIS ARTS & CULTURE

Movie Theatres Return with Vengeance Nothing better than being back in front of the big screen!

SAMANTHA RAINONE Contributor

Stepping into Cineplex on Friday, March 4th, 2022, the night of the Batman release is as chaotic as imaginable. People of various ages, teenagers raving to see Robert Pattinson’s imitation of the iconic Batman character or millennials excited to see their favourite story portrayed on the big screen again, all gathered around to experience DC’s newest masterpiece. Everyone circled the building, confirmed their vaccine passports, and picked up popcorn bags (with extra butter), all led to the same theatre to watch the 8 o’clock showing of The Batman.

“This is the most traffic we have gotten in almost two years; I feel a bit overwhelmed,” says Kayleigh Slater, an employee at Cineplex for nearly 4 years now.

Watching movies at the cinema has been an everyday activity for over a century now. Something that was a regular pastime for the general public was rapidly taken away from them for some time. Nevertheless, as Covid restrictions loosen up, movie theatres start receiving and showing the blockbusters that have spent the last two years waiting in the editing

Photo VIA CINEPLEX

room. Whether it’s because many of these films are starring Hollywood’s finest or because people are excited to watch movies anywhere but their own living room, there is no denying the poppin’ incline in movie theatre guests for the first time in a long time.

Though cases have been seeing lessened numbers these days, some people, including Dawson College’s Cinema Styles professor Cheryl Simon, are still more anxious about sitting next to strangers for prolonged periods of time.

“Honestly, I think the reason I haven’t gone back is not so interesting, but I just don’t like crowds. I’m still quite terrified,” says professor Simon as she takes a sip of her coffee and continues, “There was one movie I did see though around October, The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson.

Great Film.”

Conditioned by months of lockdown and attracted by the flexibility of on-demand viewing, many consumers have grown even more accustomed to streaming movies from the comfort of their own homes. But even so, a big screen can certainly elevate a big film in a manner that streaming at home cannot. With your attention and the hundreds of other audience

members all concentrating on the same screen, you become a community of individuals attempting to engage with the same tale at the same time. It is an experience you cannot get in a living room.

There is something refreshing about the same chairs, concession stands, and inadequate soundproofing that do not represent the ways in which we have all evolved over the last year and a half.

But even so, a big screen can certainly elevate a big film in a manner that streaming at home cannot.

The theatres felt like a place for film lovers to get together in their communities and enjoy something altogether. Now that the likes of Dune, The Power of the Dog and Spencer have finally had their big break by hitting the big screens, it truly feels like the community has been restored.

When Naeva Hernandez-Souki, Dawson College cinema student and self-proclaimed cinephile, was asked about going back to watching movies in theatres, she claimed: “It feels really nice to go to the theatres with my friends again and enjoy the experience like we used to”.

The numbers honestly say it all, with The Batman already rounding up to 600 million USD in earnings after sitting in theatres for a month, claiming it to be the second highest-grossing film (following Spider-Man No Way Home) since the beginning of the pandemic according to ABC News.

There is no avoiding the simple fact that the Covid-19 pandemic tarnished the cinema experience for many moviegoers. The future trajectory for the theatre industry suggests that people will keep going to the movies, but they must be given a reason to do so. p p

PLAYLIS VOICES 13 13 13

When Life Gives You Cancer, Milk It ISABELLA BLU PTITO-ECHEVERRIA Copy Editor

I used to frown upon those who took ‘mental health breaks’ from school. I figured the line between self-care and self-indulgence would inevitably blur upon dropping out. “Just an excuse to get stoned, wallow in self-pity and do nothing with your time,” I judged.

This criticism was the excuse I used to keep myself from tending to my own mental health issues. The constant helplessness I felt grew engorged like a cancerous tumour. Getting out of bed was difficult. I regularly had dissociative spells of face-picking, and I often bit my nails down to the quick. I seldom did my homework, even though I’d been keeping track of due dates and deadlines throughout the semester.

“I will never be a drop-out over this shit,” I’d tell myself as I ached with disinterest during lectures. I ached with disinterest as I hung out with friends, which was more like watching my friends hang out as I watched them through the window of a house I could never leave. I viewed my melancholy as a whiny, belligerent teenager that needed to shut the fuck up so that we could do what needed to be done in the pursuit of our goals, whatever those were. I never let myself view the sadness, anxiety and disinterest I felt as a disease that interfered with my life. I trivialized and white-knuckled my way through it. I was its willing, belittling host, and I let it grow. It eventually grew so big it nearly killed me. That is, I nearly took my own life over it Hospitalized, I was sent in for a CT scan to assess the damage of my attempt. Coincidentally, that scan uncovered that this near-constant ball in my throat, which I assumed was just anxiety, just teenage melodrama, just psychosomatic-- was literally a cancerous tumour. Thyroid cancer; a papillary thyroid carcinoma, 2.3 centimetres. A tumour the size of an eyeball had been growing in the right side of my neck for who knows how long, and I’d had no idea.

Upon hearing the news, my brother, a cynical sigma male nicknamed ‘the Optimizer’, the most adamant about me rushing to finish CEGEP, called me. To my surprise, he asked, “Are you

going to take a leave from school?”

I’m allowed to do that? was my first thought.

I’d wanted to take this semester off since it began, but I’d always frowned upon the idea. I was sure my family would think less of me for wanting to take a break from school over something as trivial as ‘mental health struggles’. But now I could take that leave under the guise of it being because of cancer.

Even though I’d already stopped attending classes, I suddenly didn’t feel guilty over it. I MIO’d my teachers about my diagnosis. I finally felt like I had a legitimate excuse to be out of school; It felt pathetic to say I was too anxious and depressed to come to class, even though that was also the truth.

When my disease became physical, I took it seriously. But why only then?

I attribute it to a longtime struggle I’ve had with self-respect. I’ve spent a long time under the impression that I’m only valuable if I’m spending my time productively, be it by making art, furthering my academic career, or self-improving. For a while, my inner voice sounded like a factory owner mercilessly ripping on their worker: “You better keep working, Isabella! I don’t give a shit if you’re ‘anxious’ or ‘depressed’!”

Physical hindrance is the only excuse to stop working, that is, if you

view people as machinery. If the struggles are invisible, as mental health issues are, does it mean they’re infinitely endurable? No one gets called weak when cancer prevents them from working, even though both cancer and mental health issues fester, grow, and obstruct, like tumours. That got me thinking– the pressure put on young adults these days, to always strive to be the most optimal versions of themselves– is rather cancerous. As Edward Abbey puts it, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell”.

Nowadays, I’m learning to enjoy doing nothing. I spend most of my time seeing my friends, going to shows, and watching TV. While that may look pathetic to you, it’s serving me damn well. I’m coming to terms with the fact that both my mind and body need the break. Human beings are not machines created to optimize and produce for all eternity. I am allowed to enjoy my life, even if it isn’t always yielding something tangible.

It isn’t self-indulgent to take breaks. Enduring suffering for long periods of time in hopes of achieving something will slowly drive a wedge– one with the potential to grow cancerous– between you and it. From now on, take your suffering seriously; Don’t wait until you have a literal tumour poppin’ out of your neck to do so. p p

Photo VIA @OFFERMOORD // DEVIANTART

14 THE PLANT

Volodymyr Zelensky: From Pretend President to Wartime Hero CASEY KISS Voices Editor

Modern-day politics require modern-day politicians. On that note, it seems more and more that our elected officials are coming from A-list backgrounds.

Nowadays, you can’t scroll through your news feed without seeing something about the Russia-Ukraine conflict or about the presidents of both countries respectively. While I won’t delve into any specifics of the conflict as it’s a constantly developing story, there is something that has been occupying my thoughts: A new history-making political figure has emerged from this war, and that is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He is being praised for his handling of the conflict and his impeccable ability to rally both his own people and the leaders of Western countries, prompting them to send aid. Even corporations like McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Nike have suspended any and all business in Russia. I had to wonder– how is it that a newly-elected, freshfaced politician is capable of doing so?

Zelensky was elected in Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election, but what I find fascinating is that shortly before this, he had a successful career in entertainment. Zelensky was a wellknown comedian in Ukraine, acting in films, television and sketch comedy shows. This is not unlike former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who was also heavily praised for his masterful

Photo VIA BBC

skills in public speaking after a career in entertainment. Before making it to the Oval Office, Reagan starred in several major film productions and served as a different kind of president, being named president of the Screen Actors Guild for a number of years according to the Reagan Foundation. How is it though, that celebrity presidents are so effective in capturing their nations’ attention and minds?

Zelensky and Reagan are the main examples of celebrity leaders that I think of, though I can’t overlook former U.S president Donald Trump.

Despite being extremely (extremely is barely a strong enough word) controversial, you can’t deny that his speeches captivated his audience. Coming from the mainstream success of both The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice, the TV personality’s speeches were so compelling that he both prompted, and ended, the infamous insurrection on Capitol Hill on January 6th 2021.

So, is coming from an entertainment background an asset in politics?

Looking at Zelensky, he makes the answer clear; absolutely. Facing the global superpower that is Russia, Zelensky has made us look beyond our regular feeds and actually care about a country that (without any connection to it) we normally wouldn’t give a second glance to.

Zelensky’s entertainment career even holds one piece of delicious irony I have to mention. Zelensky starred in the tv show Servant of the People, in which he played a high school history

teacher who, guess what? Gets elected President of Ukraine. I’ve seen a few episodes (with subtitles) since it was recently added to Netflix, and let me tell you the show is poppin’.

Just like Reagan and Trump, he demonstrates a prowess in public-speaking. His speeches are moving, and according to the BBC, are written fully by Zelensky himself, with the help only of close aide Dmytro Litvin. You could take almost any line from one of his speeches and imagine an action hero like Tom Cruise saying it in an action thriller at the box office. That’s where his power as a politician lies.

An actor or comedian’s success is based on their ability to connect with their audience and manipulate their emotions through speech. Zelensky masterfully pulls on viewers’ heartstrings. Recently at the 64th Grammy Awards, Zelensky prepared a short video with a speech to introduce a performance dedicated to Ukraine, which would be followed by a link to a charity for Ukrainian refugees. In this speech he reminds us, who tuned in to see celebrities in fancy outfits win tiny gold trophies, how privileged we are to be able to absent-mindedly enjoy these events because currently, the people of Ukraine can’t. A hard-hitting standout line being “What’s more opposite to music?...The silence of ruined cities and killed people”.

With every speech, he employs the skills he developed as an actor and comedian, with famous quotes like “I need ammunition, not a ride” in response to President Biden’s offer for evacuation, and “We will come first.

You will come second” warning that letting Russia win here will only fuel them further.

It seems that coming from an entertainment background is an incredibly valuable asset in politics. Possessing that kind of mastery in connecting with your audience is a very powerful tool that Zelesnky has made good use of. It seems to be the best way to get people to do what you want them to.

Looks like I’ll be taking a few acting classes for the next time I ask a teacher for an extension. p p

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While You Were Busy Being Neurotypical, I Was Busy Learning How to Kick Ass BEE BERGERON Contributor

When I was four, two occupational therapists came to my kindergarten class to evaluate a little girl in my group. While they were there, they noticed that I seemed to stay on the outskirts of where the other kids would play. I interacted more with my teacher than with my classmates, and my speech was more advanced than is usual in a four-year-old. They concluded that something a little funky was probably going on with me. They reached out to my mother to offer an evaluation.

My mom accepted. They told her I was probably autistic, and they were right! But the way they presented autism to her forever changed her perception of me and what autism is.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests itself through difficulties in communication with neurotypicals (recent studies have shown that autistic people usually understand each other just fine). It also includes having special interests and making repetitive movements like rocking or flapping your hands.

It’s a common misconception that autistic people are more likely to have an intellectual disability. The reality is that there is no link between autism and intellectual disability. Non-autistic people are just as likely as autistics to have an intellectual impairment.

Photo VIA PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY

So, this is where I have an issue with how those two health professionals introduced autism to my mom. There’s a reason we say autism is a spectrum; We’re an incredibly diverse bunch. Like everyone else, we’re each very good at some things and very bad at others. The two occupational therapists told my mom that I would probably never learn how to read and that she could kiss any hopes of normalcy for me goodbye. ‘‘It’s hard for a mother’s heart to be told by a health professional that our ‘perfect’ child is ‘defectuous’’’ my mom told me.

By introducing autism to my mom as a defect, a barrier to success, they did me more disservice than being autistic has ever done. When my mom saw me thrive in school, she decided that it meant I couldn’t be autistic; My mother had been told that being autistic would keep me from achieving typical milestones.

She may have also thought that since I was predetermined to fail, there was no use in pushing me to succeed, was there? Even though I was way ahead in the language department, those two occupational therapists were already telling her about the different schools for developmentally challenged kids she could sign me up to.

If someone gave me the choice, I wouldn’t choose to stop being autistic. I have no interest in being neurotypical. I think your brains are

weird and you communicate weirdly.

I like my autistic qualities and traits.

I think they make me a very driven andloyal individual. I can’t do everything a neurotypical can, but the opposite is true too.

I hope I don’t come across as vindictive towards those two occupational therapists. I’m not angry at them. I’m angry at the system, who either sees my success and dismisses my disability because of it, or sees my disability and assumes I’ll fail.

By introducing autism to my mom as a defect, a barrier to success, they did me more disservice than being autistic has ever done.

I was accepted to McGill in psychology last Tuesday. My mom sent me flowers and made a post about it on Facebook. I’m a big reader, but I suck at math. I’m very creative and passionate, like many of my autistic friends. I don’t think anyone can see the future of a four-year-old with absolute certainty.

During Autism Acceptance/ Awareness Month, I celebrate myself, my community, and our love and support for each other. We rock y’all. p p

16 THE PLANT

The Alluring Disarray of the Atwater Metro

Photo VIA STAYHOMESEARCH TYLER FRANKEL Contributor

Atwater Metro, which connects the Alexis Nihon mall and Dawson College, lies beneath Montreal’s bustling downtown core. For the past eight years on many occasions, I have traveled downtown to enjoy the action, and over that span, developed a meaningful connection with the Atwater Metro.

The Atwater Metro has its downsides. Upon walking into the metro, it’s impossible to ignore the powerful odour of urine and cigarettes. With the unpleasant and sad combination of the sleeping homeless and urine puddles in the corners, one can almost taste the offensive smell. Senses tend to go on overdrive, witnessing people moving around quickly, loud voices chattering, the roaring sounds of trains. There are times where you can catch wind of a conversation and listen to the interesting dialogue between students dreading going to school, or the morning argument someone had with their mother. In short, the Atwater Metro is a boisterous place!

Despite the smell, homeless people using the space as a bedroom, and silly conversations, the Atwater Metro oddly feels “homey”.

This doesn’t mean I’m going to gather my family in the metro to eat dinner or hang out there with my friends. That being said, the surrounding chaos feels normal for the world we live in and I am comfortable in it. Life can be overwhelming, and at times, presents challenging obstacles. Ironically, every step I take into the chaotic station calms me and my senses. Being in the moment actually makes me feel as if the craziness of the real world is toned down, and it comforts me.

I have been taking the Atwater Metro route since I was ten years old. When visiting for the first time, it’s easy to be taken aback by the surface-level disorganisation. For close to ten years, very little has changed.

Although I was too young to understand where the smells were coming from and why everyone in the metro was wearing a backpack, I was still observant and processing.

The population found at the Atwater metro is very diverse. There are privileged students that can often be heard saying things like, “I can’t believe I have to walk through this gross metro to get to school.”

In parallel, I often hear the homeless asking people to “go to the ATM machine and take out money for me.” In a 30-meter radius, there are students

complaining about trivial details while other people only have survival and satisfying their hunger in mind.

This doesn’t mean I’m going to gather my family in the metro to eat dinner or hang out there with my friends.

As the years go by, I continue to be adventurous and travel around the city. I can’t help but notice the same crowds wearing backpacks, long-bearded men, and the same pungent smells. For me, the sights and smells haven’t changed, but my perception has. How we see the world changes as we grow up. We gain insight and a greater understanding of the game of life. As a result, we may draw different conclusions from the exact same scenario. For me, the Atwater Metro is representative of how my own perspective has changed. I have empathy for the homeless and their predicaments, and a low tolerance for entitled students. Furthermore, experiencing the sights and sounds at the Atwater Metro helps me feel grateful for all that I have in my life. It serves to motivate me to achieve my goals. p p

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​​ Seen in the Hallways: As Dawson Confessions Confesses JOSEPHINE ROSS Staff Writer

Last November, the Dawson Confessions Instagram account started poppin’ off. Through it, we were introduced to a plethora of secrets, gossip, and revelations. Feeding off the thrill of anonymity exclusive to the internet, confession pages allow students of a particular academic establishment to confess their embarrassing moments, sins, and shameful secrets freely, without accountability. The account’s popularity proves the strength of the natural morbid curiosity surrounding gossip, secrets, and taboo topics. I’ve been thinking about the ethics of such a platform, so to sate my curiosity on the matter, I interviewed the Dawson Confessions account manager.

What made you want to start your account?

It started off as a joke entirely. The idea was to do something like Gossip Girl and then it evolved from there.

A big part of the mystique surrounding your account is your anonymity.

Are you scared of being “caught”, or your identity being found out?

Being caught is not a big concern. I think it’s easier to confess to a page or unknown entity instead of to a specific student. We didn’t tell anyone, it’s just me. I’ve been keeping it secret since it’s important to the account, but not that much to me.

You gained 3,500 followers in under five months, surpassing every other Dawson-related account. To what do you attribute this success?

The success was insane and [unexpected]; It’s exactly what [comes to mind] when you think of school, gossip, sharing secrets to your friends on a bigger scale. The posts help students disconnect from school and connect with their peers.

What kind of precautions did you take to avoid getting into trouble with the administration? How do you filter out confessions?

From the start, I established boundar-

ies to what we would post or not, we filter out posts that do not fit within the mindset of the account. If they attack anyone, or talk about a sensitive topic, [the confession won’t be posted]. If a post is problematic, it is removed instantly.

There has been quite a bit of debate and controversy surrounding these confession accounts. Do you think those judgements are justified?

That judgment is completely justified.

These types of accounts [are prone to partake in or be associated with] cyberbullying, which is why we have strict rules in place.

Following this interview, I continued my investigation by interviewing two anonymous Dawson students, whom we’ll call Andrew and Leo. The consensus was that DC, though entertaining at first, has become irrelevant.

The hype that rapidly accumulated in the first weeks of posting died down just as quickly. It appears most of the posts are rooted in falsehood. Students estimated that 70 to 90% of the “confessions” are rooted in falsehood. “How many people can possibly be hooking up on the eighth floor?” said Andrew.

Accountability is a topic that arose repeatedly. “Anonymity is exciting to people,” said Andrew. “[DC provides a platform] for unfiltered opinions that aren’t necessarily profound or true.

[The absence of accountability] allows bullying and sexual harassment to fly under the radar”.

Leo, on the other hand, says that “there shouldn’t be shame in talking about things that you’re not necessarily proud of, not everyone has those safe places, but there are limits”.

Andrew recalled a confession related to “Atwater Metro Lady”, referring to a well-known character amongst Dawson students, a homeless woman who busks near the metro entry. “The confession was essentially humiliating her, saying ‘she has a phone and a car, why is she asking for money?’” When people commented, calling out DC for the elitist nature of the confession, the owner replied that the post did not represent their point of view. “YouTube,

for example, censors certain types of content, and whether we agree with it or not, the company holds a responsibility. They’re providing a platform for people to [vocalize questionable and damaging opinions]. I think it’s an excuse for them to be openly hateful without taking responsibility.” When I told Andrew about DC’s method of “filtering out” problematic posts, he replied “I guess that only applies to people who aren’t homeless.

How many people can possibly be hooking up on the eighth floor?

The harm of unchecked “free speech” surpasses the DC account.

Words have power and when an individual gets a hateful confession off their chest, “there’s a benefit for that one person, but many disadvantages for the people who are affected by [such a post],” said Leo. “If DC didn’t curate their posts and [someone spread homophobic ideas], a person who’s waiting to come out of the closet will read that comment and be pushed right back in.”

I do want to acknowledge an Instagram story that DC posted Wednesday April 6th.

Essentially, DC demonstrated their concern about confessions they’ve received regarding mental health issues. They said that they cannot post these, but encourage followers to “check in on your friends and loved ones, or reach out for professional help.

A simple ‘hi’ or ‘how are you’ is more than enough and may do more than you think.” DC appears to have a good understanding of the possible dangers of their platform.

I doubt that this is the last time a platform for anonymous confessions will arise. Therefore, it’s important to have a discussion surrounding the ethics of this before the absence of accountability, probability of cyberbullying, and problematic unchecked “free speech” lead to greater risks in the future. Be kind, Dawson. p p

18 THE PLANT

Ask The Plant TÉA BARRETT Staff Writer

Dear Plant, What are false memories and how important is it to know whether my memories are real or not?

A Spiraling Philosophy Student Memories are curious things.

They present themselves as thoughts, feelings, or images that can be brought forth by some unknown will of the subconscious, or perhaps enticed from the back store of your mind by one of the senses. They can appear quite meaningless, like in the vague familiarity of déja-vu, or they can hoard our attention, such as when our minds replay the most embarrassing things to ever happen to us while we are desperately trying to sleep.

False memories are a psychological phenomenon that can occur through misinformation, or misattribution to the source of the memory. Sometimes, I’ll have such a vivid and realistic dream that it sticks in my mind until so much time has passed that the memory of that dream evolves into a memory of a false reality I’ve created (real freaky stuff, if you think about your memories and what forms of solid truth you can attach to them).

False memories can also be created by the influence of existing knowledge or other memories, in effect muddling the accuracy of any new ones you create. Otherwise, psychological disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder can heavily affect, not only the accuracy of an individual’s memories, but even the foundational trust in one’s awareness and capability to trust anything they remember.

One of the scariest situations involving false memories I’d heard of were the Reykjavik confessions, two missing person’s cases from Iceland that resulted in 6 different false confessions. The police had a bad habit of throwing their suspects into solitary confinement, one of them being a 20-year-old woman called Erla Bolladottir, who had an 11-week-old baby at home. They convinced Erla that she witnessed her boyfriend commit a murder and that her mind forced her to bury the memory of it. They even went as far as to write her confession for her because her attempts to ‘remember’ it were too contradictory. She spent a total of 241 days in solitary confinement, and she wasn’t even the one who was put there the longest (her boyfriend, Saevar Ciesielski, spent 741 in solitary confinement).

While intense trauma is known to disorient a person’s memories, it might be even eerier to learn about mass delusions, because it’s such a universal phenomenon.

I’m sure almost every one can agree with me that Darth Vader says, “Luke, I am your father”; Curious George has a tail; the Monopoly Man wears a monocle; and obviously it’s spelt ‘Febreeze’. Nope. None of that is true.

Sorry for poppin’ your bubble, but all of those ‘memories’ you have are from something called the Mandela Effect. It’s a phenomenon in which an individual or, more commonly, large groups of people, have a false or distorted collective memory. Some may say it’s proof of alternate realities, but it can probably be attributed to the frailty of the human mind.

VOICES 19 19

The concept of false memories was pioneered by Pierre Janet and, more famously, Sigmund Freud. As someone with lots of… interesting theories (Try Googling ‘Oedipus Complex’ or ‘Penis Envy’), I was intrigued to know what Freud thought of memory.

The opening line of Chapter 7 in The Psychopathology of Everyday Life reads: “If anyone should feel inclined to overestimate the state of our present knowledge of mental life, a reminder of the function of memory is all that would be needed to force him to be more modest” (Freud, 1901). In other words, Freud believed that memories serve as a limiting ‘screening’ from the self, protecting our consciousness from experiencing a type of destabilizing or uncanny knowledge about goals, desires, or purposes. He first encountered this insight with hysterical patients, where he claimed symptoms of hysteria were the representations of deeply repressed memories that were too overwhelming to be brought into consciousness.

So, it seems that memories are quite limited by human awareness. Yet, without our memories, we would have no way of constructing individualistic versions of the self, the infinite mass of things that make us uniquely us, because we wouldn’t have any knowledge or remembrance about our past self, thus eliminating the possibility for a self to exist. Despite this instability of knowing who we are and what makes us who we are, or whether our memories are real or something our minds falsified, I think the most important part of feeling grounded in your awareness of being is to enjoy living in the moment.

To be in a constant state of liminality between past and future is to fully absorb every experience of the present as it occurs. For instance, when someone is speaking to you, what do you notice aside from the words they speak? If you’re eating something for the first time, do you immediately try to compare the taste to something of a past experience, or let it become a new one? Do you strive to know exactly what kind of person you are, or do you just let yourself be?

The Plant

Photo VIA MEGAMORWORKS/ ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

20 THE PLANT

VOICES

Exodus of the Poor: A Modern Tale of Montreal KIANA LALAVI Staff Writer

The Valerie Plante administration is currently going through a Pinocchio fiasco. Among other lies, the administration tries hard to sell a progressive, poppin’ image of itself through sham sustainable social justice programs.

They try to sell themselves as super green and progressive. However, under the pretense of having more socially fair sustainable planning, they have entered Parc-Extension, causing eco-gentrification and contributing to the displacement and impoverishment of residents in one of Canada’s poorest neighborhoods.

To “answer” the large disparity in tree canopy and its significant impacts on citizens’ health and quality of life, the Plante administration has put in place the “Vert le Nord” initiative.

The initiative aims to reduce the effects of heat waves in Montreal’s hot spots and was kickstarted in Parc-Ex, the neighborhood with the lowest canopy cover in all of Montreal.

Although with the seemingly good intentions of reducing social inequality and contributing to sustainable development, the initiative has had terrible consequences due to a lack of actual care about residents, and the lack of consideration regarding the neighborhood’s already precarious situation.

Even before the Vert le Nord project was initiated, there was already much concern about gentrification within Parc-Ex because of the new UdeM MIL campus. The campus brings a sudden influx of demand for the neighborhood’s “cheap” affordable houses on the behalf of rich and middle-class students. The arrival of these students causes illegally high increases in rents by morally twisted landlords who, taking advantage of their tenants’ lack of knowledge regarding their rights, force long-term residents to either pay up or pack up.

As a resident expresses, within a month’s time, the owner of his home asked for 100$ more in monthly fees without any valid reason, represent-

ing an increase of 13.33% in his rent over a single month. For reference, the Tribunal Administratif du Logement’s recommended rent increase ranges between 1.28% to 3.73% for 2022, so this huge spike is 5 times above the legal rate.

Sadly, this pre-existing dumpster fire is only made worse by the greening project, which has contributed to the fanning of the flames, causing a significant increase to Parc Ex’s gentrification, and resulting in one of the first cases of eco-gentrification worldwide.

By greening, revitalizing, and marketing Parc-Ex as a more high-end place to live, the administration is pushing out the poor, instead welcoming more “respectable” middle-class students and families.

Undoubtedly, the impacts of eco-gentrification are hard at work in Parc-Ex, but they are hard to account for due to the subtle way in which they work. Simply put, eco-gentrification increases property value, changing the character of a neighborhood by attracting wealthy residents and displacing low-income, long-term residents. Looking at the timeline of events, it is safe to assume that the Vert le Nord initiative, along with the inauguration of MIL, has contributed to skyrocketing rents by 25% over the past 3 years, an increase 6 to 20 times over the TAL’s legal guidelines. This greening project is also most probably at the root of a rather big increase in municipal taxes, which has gone up by close to 1.5% in P-E, in 2022.

Through greening projects like these, the municipality aims to reduce intense heat waves and give better lung health and quality of life to the residents of Parc-Ex. However potentially good for the environment, their

actions have many negative social impacts. By greening, revitalizing, and marketing Parc-Ex as a more highend place to live, the administration is pushing out the poor, instead welcoming more “respectable” middle-class students and families. Thus, a question arises: How can the Plante administration possibly claim to have the best interest of the poor and marginalized residents at heart when the very project created for them is forcing them out of their homes?

Worst of all, residents are supposed to be grateful for all these marvelous measures making Parc-Ex more beautiful, green, and sustainable– but for whom?!

Obviously, this is yet another example of a wish left unfulfilled and Montrealers let down by their representative.

Perhaps you now feel discouraged or saddened, or maybe you just don’t care, but regardless of what you may or may not feel, I want to offer some easy actions which we can all take to help Parc-Ex residents. First and foremost, we can raise awareness about the gentrification in Parc-Ex and discourage fellow students from moving there. Furthermore, we can join protests to demand the creation of more social housing in Parc-Ex and surrounding areas. We can volunteer with local legal aid groups to inform residents of their rights so they may resist illegal rent increases. Finally, we can make sure that future green efforts actually respond to locals’ needs, rather than being elitist and top-down. Together, let’s ensure that Montreal truly fulfills its promise of sustainability, fairness, and equality. p p

CREATIVE WRITING 21 21 21

Hello dear bipeds, Welcome to the April selection of creative writing. I offer these poems and stories as refuge from your studies. Seriously, procrastinate.

These are way more interesting, anyway.

Your Creative Writing Editor, LAURY CHARLAND

Let’s Just Talk ADRIAN DARWENT Contributor Okay. I’m listening Two hearts beating An autumn flutter Wings powdered together Sticky like your gloves At the end of a long day Picking flowers For a paycheck Okay. I’m listening Two gloves hit the tin Sides of a garbage can And slap me in the face Stinging like your touch At the end of your parade Picking someone else up Outside my apartment Okay. I’m listening.

To an excuse you’ve made So easy to love Just shut up and Listen, okay?

We need to talk I need you to listen Are you listening?

I’m listening, okay?

Then look at me when my eyes roll back into your head and when my lungs beat at your chest to seize in the open wind and when my embalmed cheeks siphon air from your wound and when my throat has never worked so hard to breathe and when you kiss me after you’ve buried me I’m listening.

22 THE PLANT

Creative Writing by LAURY CHARLAND Creative Writing Editor Doodles by ALESSA ORSINI Graphic Designer

In and out, an Explosion TANYA LEMIEUX Contributor An avalanche hiding behind The mist of a crushing crowd.

“Is it better to speak or die?”[1] If only I could move my lips.

A golf ball in my throat, A mind faster than lightning.

Have you no notion of power?

Or have you become a knight?

A supernova for a heart, A black hole for a mind.

But will my fingers synchronize, Will I ever learn your tune?

Or will I drown into the ocean, Only to get swallowed by the sand.

[1] Call Me by Your Name, André Aciman (page 63)

To Fomalhaut VICTORIA VOLPATO

Contributor

The constellations smiled at each other.

They winked and flirted and danced and floated; Gemini held — arm in arm — his brother, Pisces swam in waters too eroded.

But when I plucked one ripe out of the sky, To carry with me wherever I pleased, They ceased their revel and watched as I cried About the nothings and no ones I dreamed.

They were taken — my intentions so pure, I simply needed more, more than myself And the creature of my mind who would lure Me into pleasure then take for itself.

My darkness, too severe, would take the light But the stars gave all they had, all their might.

CREATIVE WRITING 23

Roots LAURY CHARLAND Creative Writing Editor She watched the desert stretch on, a vast wasteland of nothingness and memories she’d rather forget. Her steps dragged on, uneasy and exhausted. Her throat was raw and parched and the weight of her whole life slowed her down. Or perhaps it was the dead who haunted her, clawing and grasping at her ankles. At her hands. At her hair, when they too had the strength to get up. She didn’t think about them much anymore, but they followed her still.

There was her dad, buried in a landfill somewhere even the dogs hadn’t been able to find.

There was her sister, buried in bits and pieces across Arizona. She’d always loved puzzles when she was little.

There was her next-door neighbor’s dog, grilled to perfection and fed to the unsuspecting parents attending little Debbie’s 7th birthday party.

There was her uncle, who she’d left hung and castrated in his living room in Maine.

And now there was her daughter, buried in a shallow grave 30 miles south of route 79, the sand cracked and dry and hard and nothing to mark her grave but the tiny skull of a mouse she’d found dying as they walked together towards the perfect spot. It was better, she thought, that her four-year old never really knew her mom. And as she stumbled and scratched her knees against the scorching ground, she couldn’t help but wonder who would bury her in turn.

Untitled CEDRIC BOUDREAU Contributor It spends its leisure reading old books made of leather rotting green brown The damp book, heavy with mold, flops on the table with a wet sound Its gaze meets yours and you see its eyes shooting to every point of your body The chair it sits on is old and rusted The floorboards cry out from the weight its cheese-like stumps carries, Clad with an overworn long skirt, fungus thriving on unwashed fabrics It clasps the metal bars “The youth should be in my place!”

Wiping its mouth of drool, it looks away “I wasn’t always like this ya know, When I was like you… fresh…

I learnt the right way to be!

The right way, which made me like this…

But it must be!

One must suffer to achieve greatness.”

It looks back at you, a pustule bursts open The green yolk oozes and spills onto the floor The creature bends down and coats its finger in the viscous fluid The wall is painted in the yellow green substance A shape, a letter, a name on the wall Grenouille Renaissance “This is my name!”

It laughs, it snorts, it coughs for a moment stretched in forever Silence fills the room A drop of water falls from the damp cobble ceiling The creature looks back and inspects you like before Sheer panic fills its face “You don’t understand this?!

It’s from the…”

The rest you don’t remember, the door closes, a shriek is heard, and learning is lost.

24 THE PLANT

Queer, Quaffle, Quidditch Everything you need to know about the not-so-magical sport EMMY RUBIN Sports Editor

When we hear “Quidditch”, most of us think of a popular sport played by witches and wizards in books and movies that are as far away from reality as one can get. A fact known to a select few is that Quidditch is as real as it gets and has no connection to the Harry Potter franchise aside from its origin. If anything, Quidditch is exactly the kind of shakedown our sports culture needs, as it is not only novel and creative, but it’s also making great strides in giving a safe and nurturing place for members of every orientation and ethnicity to partake in competitive sport.

To give some background on how Quidditch actually works, here are the basics, although, in Quidditch there is no such thing as basic: Each team is made up of seven players: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper, and one seeker. The chasers are the ones who try to score points through any of three large hoops on the opponent’s side of the field with a ball called the quaffle while the keeper is basically the goalie of their teams’ hoops. The beaters’ goal, one that seems downright uncivil, is to shoot balls called bludgers at the keepers so that, when hit, the players will have to take their brooms out from between their legs (there are brooms, but not ones you fly on), and go back to their team’s hoops and reenter the game from there. Perhaps the most famous of positions is that of the seeker whose sole job is to try to catch the snitch. Since we do not live in a world where golden balls have wings and torment their beloved seekers, the game has been adapted so that the snitch is now an impartial figure with a tennis ball in a sock-like contraption hanging from their shorts.

We are just humans playing sports…at the end of the day we’re all wearing the same jersey.

When asked why it is so difficult to catch the snitch given that it is not a tiny bewitched ball, a representative from the quidditch team at the University of Ottawa said, “In a way it’s just like the books where the snitch actively avoids you, but in real life, it’s a person with what is essentially a football flag on the back of their shorts… seekers aren’t allowed to physically contact the snitch, but the snitch can do whatever they want, from holding their shoulders to keep them back to grabbing their broom and throwing it away!”

Given the amount of rules, positions, and overall chaos contained in merely one sport, one might come to the conclusion that the reason that Quidditch isn’t as well known or popular as even ultimate frisbee or curling is because of how complicated it is. According to bona fide Quidditch players, however, the complicated nature of the game is what makes it worth playing: “…the unique nature of Quidditch is that up to four people could do something fantastic at the same time (a chaser scoring, two beaters beating and a seeker catching the snitch) whereas in other sports there’s only ever one ball-carrier at a time,” stated the games coordinator of the Manchester Quidditch team.

Although there are many characteristics of the sport that make it different from other sports, what makes Quidditch truly a unique sport is its unmatched welcoming community. Not only does the Quidditch community enable the creation of long lasting friendships, relationships, and memories, but it also fosters an inclusion that reaches beyond the typical to the members of society who have perhaps felt that playing sports was impossible for them given their identity.

Quidditch is a co-ed sport that allows a maximum of four members of the same gender on the same team at a given time and is one of the first sports to recognize non-binary status and not disciminate against gender identity for the sake of regulations. Instead of counting them as male or female, non-binary persons are counted just as they are - non-binary. This is only one of the ways in which Quidditch as a sport is embracing everyone as humans instead of by appearances or labels, as well as making great efforts to spread their anti-racism and anti-oppression of minorities. “We are just humans playing sports…at the end of the day we’re all wearing the same jersey,” said the president of the Montreal Flamingos Quidditch team.

An important step in ensuring that this level of inclusion is maintained is distancing the sport from its creator, J. K. Rowling, and her infamous transphobic views which are in direct contrast with the progressivene and inclusive nature of the Quidditch community. In an effort to distance themselves from their creator, the major Quidditch leagues in the U. S. are looking for alternative names for the sport, all the suggested options retaining the first letter, Q, it being the staple of the name. Suggested names include Quidstrike, Quadraball, Quickball, and Quicker.

With the U. S. being the largest influencer in these sorts of matters, it is only logical that once they decide on a suitable replacement the rest of the world will follow suit and adopt the new name.

The only problem with this plan, according to actual players of the sport, is that all of the suggested replacement names sound silly and unattractive. Along with the

SPORTS 25 25

fact that people already see Quidditch as a frivolous activity given its affiliation with the Harry Potter franchise, if the actual name becomes taunt-worthy then the entire future of the sport will be jeopardized, and Quidditch will never gain the recognition and dignity that it has always been deserving of. However, since it is paramount that the name should be changed in order to emancipate itself from J. K. Rowling, the Quidditch community is ready to put in all the time and effort needed in order to see that the task gets done.

Harry Potter is not the defining quality of Quidditch and neither is its mother, J. K.. In this case, the apple fell far from the tree, an entire Quidditch pitch away you might say (55m by 33m), and is only planning on go-

Photo VIA PATRICK GIARDINO

ing farther for the sake of the progressive inclusivity for which it is celebrated. It is a crime, indeed, that more people do not consider Quidditch on their top lists of sports, attend games, or even participate! Quidditch might be a sport that doesn’t get talked about enough, but that is easily rectified as we can all do our part and spread the word (the word being Quidditch) because this is a sport that definitely needs all the love it can get given how hard it’s been trying to love every person that walks onto its pitch and sticks a broom between their legs. Hopefully, one day, we might heighten the name of Quidditch to the point where we will all be able to attend a Quidditch world cup as an alternative to the superbowl because let’s be honest: it sounds a hell of a lot more fun. p p

26 THE PLANT

Now or Never ROBIN STEEDMAN-BRAUN Science and Environment Editor

“The time for action is now”, reads the headline of the IPCC’s website.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, commonly known as the IPCC, is the United Nations body that evaluates the science of climate change. Every six years, dozens of scientists from around the world publish a mass document which is essentially an analysis and summary of all major scientific studies that have taken place in those years. However, with the climate crisis becoming more and more dire, the reports have become more frequent as they try to keep up with our overheating planet. In 2913 pages of dense data, the IPCC has conveyed the immediate need for global greenhouse gas concentrations to lower, stressing the transition to green energy and the independence from fossil fuels.

Nonetheless, the most recent report is the most alarming yet. In a way, it’s a fire alarm for Earth, as we will most likely have burned through our carbon budget by the time the IPCC publishes its next report six years from

Photo VIA NASA

now. This is precisely what the document is trying to tell us- we only have three years left to completely shift our way of life, in hopes of avoiding detrimental consequences to humanity.

The IPCC raises potential solutions to our climate crisis, but starts off its report with dire news: greenhouse gas emissions need to peak by 2025, only two and a half years away, to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as targeted by the Paris Agreement signed in 2015. However there are ways of avoiding further global temperature elevation. Indeed, according to the IPCC, “having the right policies, infrastructure and technology in place to enable changes to our lifestyles” can assure a reduction of 40 to 70% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

For the first time ever, the report has gone beyond the realm of scientific facts and statistics to focus on humans themselves, including a chapter that explores the social aspects of “climate mitigation”. In simple terms, climate mitigation is reducing the emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to avoid global heating. In their report, the IPCC dis-

cusses examples of how we can reduce our society’s energy consumption and production of carbon emissions, such as developing public transport, building energy-efficient homes, switching to renewable energy sources, just to name a few. The report also explores the effect of climate action on human well-being and happiness. Indeed, the planet’s health and ours go hand in hand. For example, designing cities that are pedestrian and cyclist friendly encourage citizens to be more active, while also reducing their carbon footprint.

Within its pages, the report has also introduced the idea of a new type of energy, stemming from “clean” hydrogen (H2) gas. The element could provide long-term electricity storage and power vehicles, and even replace fossil fuels in the shipping and aviation industries, both heavy polluters.

While alarm bells sound worldwide for the health of our planet, we can and must turn to solutions provided by the IPCC before it really is too late. Now or never is unfortunately not just a clever title. p p

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT 27 27 27

The Grass Should be Greener Preserving Montreal’s green spaces LILY MASSÉ Contributor

Greenspace is a pillar of environmental wellbeing in Montreal while also being an essential part of mental and physical health for citizens. Parks are a tiny oasis amidst the chaos of our big city, a place where locals can exercise and get fresh air, sit in the grass, and read a good book or connect with friends and family.

The trouble is, these areas are limited and shrinking rapidly. A 2019 CBC article revealed that the 2.4 hectares of green space per 1000 Montrealers are inadequate and shockingly low compared to other cities in the country.

The development and destruction of the island’s green spaces are pressing concerns.

Greenspace preservation is a passion for environment enthusiast Dan Boulerice, a proud team member at Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook. The organization has been fighting against the development of the area since 1989, and Boulerice has been involved for over 20 years. He was drawn to the group when he attended a city meeting regarding the green space, which happened to be one of his favourite jogging and golfing spots.

Meadowbrook is a peaceful 57 hectare 18-hole golf course located on the border of Montreal West. The land originally belonged to Canadian Pacific Railway, which built the golf course for its workers in the 1930s. It later sold for $6 million, but the new (and current) owners found the golf course was not profitable enough to justify not developing the area.

That’s where Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook comes in. The team consists of about 20 members with hundreds of dedicated supporters who appear at council meetings, make frequent visits to City Hall to protest, preserve briefs during rezoning, write for local newspapers, and more.

Though the members are somewhat divided, some wishing for the land to remain a golf course and others pushing for it to become a park, they all agree on one thing: Meadowbrook

must be protected from development.

“In the eyes of a lot of people, it [the green space] doesn’t do much,” says Boulerice. But many groups are devoted to proving that green spaces are way more important than people might think.

Lisa Mintz, bird specialist, award-winning environmental activist, and founding member of four preservation groups is co-director of Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook. Since the 1970s, North America has lost 50% of migrating birds, explains Mintz. “Green spaces are fragmented, and we are losing species all the time,” she says, making it crucial for citizens to push for change.

Having run politically twice, Mintz has seen it from both perspectives. “Politicians can’t make changes unless there is a public voice asking or demanding it,” she says. Mintz also shared a 10 point guide with ways for people to contribute! It includes writing a petition, attending city council meetings, and getting support from local groups such as her own. These are things we can all do as individuals, and she is adamant they can impact our city for the better.

“If no one says anything, then the developers win. We have way more power than we think!” says Mintz.

Another Meadowbrook partner, Nature Québec, has been dedicated to conserving natural ecosystems in our province since 1981. Like Mintz, they feel strongly about the necessity to protect the area. Marie-Audrey Nadeau Fortin, a member of the organization, says that saving urban green spaces is equally vital as preserving large-scale natural land. She explains that simply protecting them is a “natural climate solution” because natural environments trap CO 2 . This strategy could potentially represent up to 37% of global climate efforts by the end of the decade, but not without preserving our parks!

The fight for Meadowbrook has not been easy, explains Boulerice. One of Les Amis’ notable achievements was having the green space rezoned to recreation. However, this sparked a legal case. Calling it expropriation, the landowner sued the city. Today, the court

cases continue and have slowed down the group’s efforts.

The ongoing process has taken a toll on Boulerice and the other members. “For the people who want to develop, it’s their job,” he says, “but the members of Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook don’t get paid, we have other jobs and interests, we have limited time and energy.” Maintaining motivation has been a challenge for the group.

Most members have been contributing for decades. “It’s mostly boomers like me,” says Boulerice, laughing.“When it’s a long battle after a while people care less,” he says.

Now estimated at $60 million, Meadowbrook’s fate lies in the hands of the court hearing. Like many other beloved green spaces in Montreal, it faces the growing concern of development.

So go out and get some signatures, talk to a local councilor, or simply spread the news on your platforms! Every little bit counts. p p Interested in getting involved?

Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook: http://lesamisdemeadowbrook.org Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook - partners: Mintz’s organization, Urbanature Éducation: https://www.urbanature.org/home-1 Nature Québec : https://naturequebec.org/en/

28 THE PLANT

HOROSCOPES

Happy birthday to anyone and everyone born in April!

Lucky for all of you, it is finally nice enough outside to get some people together. Get out there and make the most of it!

ARIES (mar. 20 - apr. 18): There is a bud in your heart waiting to bloom. While you may want to skip to the end, it takes time and care for such a flower to blossom. Get some sunlight, stay hydrated, and take care of yourself. When you put in real work, you get real gifts in return.

TAURUS (apr. 19 - may 20): Recently, you may have struggled to find support from others. It’s tempting to blame them or judge them, but this isn’t the right way to act. Remember that other people are likely dealing with the same issues you are. Take this month to show extra compassion toward your peers.

Although you might not see it, they’re right there in the dirt with you.

GEMINI (may 21 - june 20): You are patiently awaiting an answer from a source close to you. As important as it is, don’t allow it to take up too much of your attention. You’re the one in control, not them. Keep living your best life, and their response will be here before you know it!

CANCER (june 21 - july 22): In the past few weeks, you have likely felt trapped in a rut.

Take advantage of the warming weather this month and spend some extra time outside. Lie in the new grass and listen to the returning birds. With a clear head, the path forward will reveal itself.

LIBRA (sept.23 - oct. 22): When you’re overwhelmed, it can be especially difficult to figure out what you need to thrive. This month, make some time to reflect on what you love and what motivates you. Your problems will be much easier to solve with a clear target in mind.

SCORPIO (oct. 23 - nov. 21): You have recently spent apart from others so you can obsess over every detail in a project. While your heart is in the right place, only accepting absolute perfection can cause a lot of anxiety. Let the little things go this month and put yourself back out into the world.

SAGITTARIUS (nov. 22 - dec. 21) : You can sense instability in your surroundings. In the coming month, you will receive a call to keep things peaceful. Tread carefully and follow your heart. At the other side of this challenge lies true rest and relaxation.

CAPRICORN (dec.22 - jan. 19): Happy surprises are brewing in your surroundings. You’ll be amazed at how gold there is to find if you go looking.

Be observant this month, Capricorn. Take the opportunities that the universe presents to you.

LEO (july 23 - aug. 22): This month, you’re transitioning into the spring and summer. Look to capitalize on this time and make some changes: rearrange your room, travel, or pick up some new skills. Change is scary but you can do incredible things if you make the most of it.

AQUARIUS (jan. 20 - feb. 18): You will learn something this month that might be hard to hear. It will come from the outside world, but it will tell you even more about who you are. Don’t be afraid to listen. Sometimes the greatest words are written between the lines.

VIRGO (aug. 23 - sept. 22): Push yourself this month to start new conversations.

Be curious about new people and new information.

Arguments about the little things might push you back, but don’t let it discourage you. Take it as an opportunity to improve your environment.

PISCES (feb. 19 - mar. 19) : Now is a better time than ever to believe in yourself. Take the instincts you know are true and put them to use in your everyday life. Conversely, be careful you don’t come on too strong. Success lies at the intersection between confidence and kindness.

CURIOSITIES 29 29 29

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1. What’s the strongest sea animal?

5. Said a bad word 9. What are the smartest insects?

13. Spinning toy 14. Price for entry 15. Denial 16. Festive 19. What do you call a 5-foot psychic who’s escaped from prison?

24. Walk through the woods 25. Partner, abbrv.

26. Remained still 27. Where do you learn to make ice cream?

30. Sorrow 31. Message to the masses 32. Alternative to “FR” 33. What do you call a man who shaves 20 times a day?

You might notice a few clues phrased differently than the others (1, 9, 19, 27, and 33 Across, and 14 Down). Remember to think outside the box, and try not to groan too hard when you find the right answers!

DOWN 1. Atomic unit 2. theplantnews.com, for example (shameless plug!)

3. French river 4. First home for a chick 5. Often said to a mumbler 6. You and I 7. Start of a lunar month 8. One who drives above the limit 9. Trailer trucks 10. Points in a network 11. Age 12. Game, ___, match!

13. Toss 14. What do you call a fish with no eyes?

17. Ice Bucket Challenge cause 18. Body ink, for short 20. Part of a camera 21. CEO’s degree 22. “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” singer 23. Slime 28. Hip-hop dance turned meme

29. Listening organ

30 THE PLANT

PUZZLES

COME BACK NEXT ISSUE FOR THE ANSWERS!

A Poppin’ Prank As an extra April Fool’s joke, we’ve hidden the word poppin’ (or popping) all throughout this month’s issue. Flip through the pages and count them up, then send your best guess to us on Instagram @theplantnews. If you’re the first to answer correctly, or the closest by next issue release, you win a free plant tote bag!

ANSWERS FOR THE MARCH ISSUE

Curiosities by

BENJAMIN BISAILLON Curiosities Editor

CURIOSITIES 31 31 31

CAPTION CONTEST

March’s Image

Add a hilarious caption to this image for a chance to be featured in next month’s paper! Send them to us on instagram @theplantnews and we’ll put the best ones in the May issue.

Winner: This is our newborn baby [REDACTED], isn’t she just the cutest?”

The baby: By @marius_bertrand01

This month’s image: Send your funniest caption to us!

Runner-up: Submitting my portfolio to university By @meghetyxo

Photo VIA GETTY IMAGES

Pictured: “EULOGY”

BY PATRICIA PICCININI

CONNECTIONS Are you a musician looking for band members?

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Are you a niche type of person looking for equally niche friends?

Post an ad in the CONNECTIONS section of the Plant and find who you’re looking for.

It’s FREE, FAST, and a way of STRENGTHENING the DAWSON COMMUNITY! In under 100 words, include what you’re advertising and/or who you’re looking for as well as a means of being contacted, and the right Plant reader will reach out to you upon our next issue’s release.

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TAP DANCE CLASSES 514-817-3877 www.klaxson.com ISABELLA BLU PTITO-ECHEVERRIA Copy Editor

32 THE PLANT

MASTHEAD

CONTRIBUTORS

Pipa Jones Editor-in-Chief

Alyssa Scotti Cover Artist

Alice Martin Managing Editor

Emily Zahirovic Social Media Manager

Isabella Blu Ptito-Echeverria Copy Editor

Josephine Ross Staff Writer

Alessa Orsini Graphic Designer

Emily McQueen Staff Writer

Jacqueline Lisbona News Editor

Téa Barrett Staff Writer

Daria Bocicova Arts & Culture Editor

Kiana Lavali Staff Writer

Patricia Chiru Dario De Felice Charles Lesenko-Oliveros Robert Lang-Sabourin Samantha Rainone Bee Bergeron Tyler Frankel Adrian Darwent Tanya Lemieux Victoria Volpato Cedric Boudreau Lily Massé

Casey Kiss Voices Editor Robin Steedman-Braun Sciences Editor Emmy Rubin Sports Editor Laury Charland Creative Writing Editor Danaée Descaillot Visual Arts Editor Benjamin Bisaillon Curiosities Editor

CONTACT The Plant Newspaper Dawson College 3040 Rue Sherbrooke O Montréal, QC H3Z 1A4 2C.15 theplantnews.com theplantnewspaper@gmail.com @theplantnews