Letter from the
We’re so back! A new year at Dawson has begun! If you’ve read The Plant before, thank you for your loyalty. If this is your first time, welcome back! We’re Dawson’s 100% independent student newspaper, renown for our diverse topics, biting coverage of geopolitics, upsetting the school administration, and most of all the crossword! I hope we make a good first impression.
As much as Dawson Confessions likes to make it look like first years are the devil incarnate, I think September can be a crazy time for everyone, as Returning can be just as terrifying as Arriving. For every aspect of this yellow-bricked maze of experience you’re already familiar with, there’s an infernal CÉGEP demon that’s already expecting something of you. It’s my 5th semester here, my 3rd at The Plant, and never have I felt more like a small blind mole desperately clawing for the hole where their family is waiting for them to bring back the worms they believed I could capture but now it’s suddenly occurring to me that since moles are blind I don’t even know what my mole family looks like so how am I supposed to recognize them, let alone a small dirt hole in this 30 acre cornfield how can i ever….
So here’s my advice for you.
Trust yourself.
In high school, I felt like I could never trust anything. High school, like most untrustworthy things, is something that feels like it happens to you. Everything was crazy, everything was weird, it was impossible to tell when someone was being a weirdo or if I was the weirdo for thinking that. The halloween dance, online school, Emma’s pool parties and Mr. Nitram’s science class, and God don’t get me started on the men’s locker room (eek! I still haven’t resolved my gender problems. But they were the weirdos in that context, for sure…) If at Dawson I’m a mole, then at Beaconsfield High School I was a mole perpetually strapped to a rollercoaster for 5 years non-stop as mandated by law. It pulled me through Secondary at alarming speed. Careening through 6 classes every day, an exhilarating pull coming from every which way. The best days were ones when I could make myself fall into the pulls that made my stomach flutter, and resist the ones that made my spine thrash & pinch against the hard plastic seat. Dodging, weaving, resisting, indulging, pushing & pulling in my freak mole body.
It’s impossible to trust a place that expects that of you, ripping and rocking you around. Maybe it’s exhilarating, maybe it’s traumatic, but it withholds any time to just exist and smell the soil. High school was about dodging the bad impulses and indulging in the okay ones, until you’ve made it to prom and you can walk home drunk at 5am and finally take a nap.
CÉGEP is different. You’re not trapped on the rollercoaster. You can pick your classes, make your schedule, join clubs, make clubs, and drop classes! It doesn’t matter whether or not you can trust Dawson, because it’s basically up to you how you experience it. So don’t trust Dawson, trust yourself.
Listening to even my favourite professors hasn’t provided me half the education I got from listening to my body. Not just when I was hungry, or tired, but truly listening. Do I actually like these people? Do I feel happy when I worry about this class so much? Do I feel good when I listen to this prof’s mediocre feedback? Will I feel better if I only take 4 classes? How does it make me feel? Empowered, euphoric, exhausted, stressed, dissatisfied, at home? Probably a combination.
Listen to yourself, because the better you can do that the better choices you can make. Then it gets easier to have the CÉGEP experience you want, and easier to grow and learn more, and easier to trust that you’ll have a great time because you can always trust yourself. Often, it might be shitty, and stressful, and unfair, and maybe you made a mistake or the people around you are just evil. But you can trust that you’ll come out of it with a dramatically expanded knowledge of where to find worms to sustain your mole-family and the surrounding rodent community, allowing you and it to grow and bloom together in a way never possible in the capitalist system because it’s inaccessible to moles, who are blind and that’s okay. If things aren’t working you can always turn back, and change your mole mind at any moment. That’s okay, exciting, and that’s how you become even more beautiful than you already are now.
The crossword’s on the last page, but it might be cool if you read what’s in between here and there.
Love you!
MIRREN BODANIS, Editor-in-Chief
Unresolved Tragedy at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital
SARAH BENSETITI Secretary
Disclaimer: This article contains graphic content related to sexual assault, workplace violence, and self-harm.
On August 9, 2024, RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, India, became the grim locus of an appalling tragedy. Students discovered the lifeless body of a 31-year-old postgraduate student in a third-floor lecture hall, creating a scene of unspeakable horror. The deceased was found partially unclothed, with her legs grotesquely contorted backward, and blood profusely seeping from her orifices, eyes, and mouth. Notwithstanding the evident brutality, the hospital administration and local authorities promptly classified the incident as a suicide, attributing the death to an alleged psychotic episode. This conclusion emerged despite overwhelming and unambiguous evidence of foul play, corroborated by forensic experts. How could the authorities so precipitously leap to this conclusion and dismiss the evident signs of violence?
According to reports from the Times of India, the victim had been engaged in an arduous 36-hour on-call shift immediately preceding her death. At approximately 2 AM, the victim took a break to dine with fellow junior colleagues. By 3 AM, she sought a place to rest. The absence of designated rest areas or dormitories at RG Kar Medical College necessitated the victim to utilise the third floor unoccupied lecture hall - a decision that tragically came to be her last.
The subsequent morning, at around 9:30 AM, the victim’s body was discovered by students, and the assistant superintendent promptly informed her family, attributing the incident to suicide. It was not until 10 AM that law enforcement arrived to commence an investigation.
The postmortem report, as detailed by ABC News, indicated that the cause of death was asphyxiation resulting from smothering and throttling. Her nose and mouth had been
forcibly obstructed and the strangulation was so severe that it fractured her thyroid cartilage. Furthermore, the assailant had inflicted a savage blow to her head against a wall with such force that her eyeglasses shattered, causing the fragments to penetrate her eyeballs. Her genitals were mutilated with hair clips, accentuating the grotesque nature of the attack.
But who could possibly be behind such a heinous crime? Police discovered a Bluetooth pair of headphones lying near
“How could the authorities so precipitously leap to this conclusion and dismiss the evident signs of violence?”
the victim’s body, which was traced to an individual named Sanjay Roy. Surveillance footage revealed Roy entering and exiting the hospital between 4 AM and 4:40 AM and blood found under the victim’s fingernails was identified as his. This evidence ultimately culminated in his arrest. At last, there was a semblance of justice for the victim.
However, even if one might expect that the case would reach a swift resolution with Roy’s apprehension, his arrest proved to be merely the beginning of a complex investigation. Indeed, according to The Hindu, the postmortem report revealed a staggering 150 grams of semen extracted from the victim’s body. Given that the average volume of semen per ejaculation is approximately 5 grams, this suggests the involvement of multiple perpetrators. Further, the extent of the inflicted injuries necessitates considerable physical strength, underscoring the probability of a collective assault. Roy’s arrest, while significant, is seen as an overly limited resolution to an extraordinarily complex case, a sentiment echoed by netizens.
Yet, despite the compelling evidence linking the crime to at least eight assailants, significant deficiencies persist in the police’s efforts to identify and apprehend additional perpetrators. This shortfall has sparked widespread allegations of systemic corruption, with public discourse increasingly suggesting that the investigation may be compromised. Indeed, there is a growing belief that the entire incident was meticulously staged, as evidenced by the strategic relocation of patients who were staying near the thirdfloor lecture hall…
Adding to the suspicions, BBC News reports that several doctors were hastily moved abroad shortly after the discovery of the victim’s body. This swift exodus has fueled allegations that some of the perpetrators may hold high-profile positions with connections to influential political figures, which would explain why the police are pretending Roy is the only assailant. These revelations have led netizens to suspect that the true extent of the crime involves far more than a straightforward case of violence, hinting at a deeply entrenched conspiracy that demands thorough scrutiny. In response to escalating public outcry and fears of a cover-up, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intervened. The scandal has galvanised a substantial response from the medical community, with hundreds of doctors protesting on the streets, holding placards that read “No Justice, No Duty”. Despite over 20 arrests, the investigation remains ongoing and unresolved.
The most disconcerting aspect of this horrific incident is not solely the brutal violence inflicted but the disturbing possibility that it was premeditated and subsequently covered up by the very entities entrusted with safeguarding the hospital staff. The tragic irony lies in the fact that the women who devote their lives to saving others were rendered unsafe even during brief periods of repose amidst their gruelling shifts. This egregious breach of trust underscores the urgent question: Can we ever trust the systems meant to protect us?
“These revelations have led netizens to suspect that the true extent of the crime involves far more than a straightforward case of violence, hinting at a deeply entrenched conspiracy that demands thorough scrutiny.”
Israeli Policies “tantamount to apartheid” says International Court of Justice President
The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territory and what it means for Canada
SANAD HAMDOUNA
Visual Arts Editor Co-E.i.C.
On July 19th, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in Palestinian Territory to be unlawful. The Court found Israel to be in violation of several conventions on occupation and systematic racial discrimination, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which also condemns apartheid. Additionally, the Court’s president, President Salam, stated in his declaration that Israel’s discriminatory policies and practices are “tantamount to apartheid”. (The full declaration and other relevant documents can be found in full on the court’s website: icj-cij.org .)
It is important to mention that this ruling was not related to nor included evidence from the events of October 7th or any developments thereafter. Rather, it was a response to questions raised by the United Nations General Assembly on the 30th of December 2022, when they voted to request an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s prolonged occupation of Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip, and its violations against the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Put simply, an advisory opinion is legal advice provided to the party who issued the request, in this case, the UN General Assembly. Advisory opinions are nonbinding, but that does not mean they are meaningless. In fact, according to the ICJ’s website, advisory opinions “carry great legal weight and moral authority”. They also “contribute to the clarification and development of international law”, meaning the court’s legal advice cannot simply be ignored and could very well affect the outcome of future court cases.
The Court’s findings included a series of obligations for both the State of Israel and all other states, including Canada. The responsibility to ensure these obligations are respected lies not only with individual states, but also with the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. The court stated that the General Assembly and Security Council especially should consider what further action may be required to “bring to an end as rapidly as possible the unlawful presence of the
State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
As for Israel’s obligations, the Court declared that the State of Israel is under the obligation to end its “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible” including the Gaza Strip, to “cease immediately all new settlement activities”, and to “evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. Additionally, the Court stated that Israel must make reparations and issue compensation for the damage caused to “all the natural or legal persons concerned in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
Israel has thus far refused to comply with
further action may be required to “bring to an end as rapidly as possible the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
international law, demarcating itself as a rogue state and emphasising the importance of the ICJ’s ruling and that all other states meet their obligations and implement the court’s advice, in addition to putting serious pressure on Israel in the form of sanctions.
Among the Court mandated obligations of all States is the obligation to not recognize Israel’s presence in Occupied Palestinian Territory as legal and “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation”. This means that all states are obliged to cease all economic, cultural, and political relations with Israel which may aid or normalise Israel’s illegal occupation and settlement projects.
For Canada, this obligation would include—among other actions —blocking imports from companies that operate in, profit from, or support illegal settlements and blocking exports of goods that may be sold in illegal settlements or to the Israeli army. It would include
preventing the transfer of any military aid or supplies to Israel, lethal or not, since there is a high likelihood that they will be used to maintain the occupation.
Additionally, Professor Michael Lynk—a Canadian legal academic, associate professor at the University of Western Ontario, and former UN Special Rapporteur—said in an interview with CJPME that these settlements are considered a war crime under both domestic Canadian law and international law, making their support akin to complicity with a crime. He also spoke about “organisations in Canada which have a charitable status” sending tax-deductible Canadian dollars to Israel, which is then used to the benefit of these illegal settlements.
One such organisation is the Jewish National Fund (JNF), which recently lost its charitable status. The Canada Revenue Agency did not publicly disclose the reason for their decision to revoke the JNF’s status, but many have pointed to activism by groups such as Independent Jewish Voices Canada who have consistently called-out the JNF for their financial support towards illegal settlements and the Israeli military.
Still, according to Professor Lynk, this is not enough for Canada to meet its obligations under international and domestic law. “Not only should that money not be going to Israel through charitable status, [it] shouldn’t be going there, period.”
To truly abide by both international and domestic law, Canada will have to take serious steps to block these money transfers as well as pull out of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, which allows illegal settlement products to flow into Canadian markets tariff-free and labelled as simple products of Israel.
VIA REMKO DE WAAL ON GETTY IMAGES
Discophobia: The Product of Racism and Homophobia in the 70s
CHARLOTTE RENAUD Arts & Culture Editor
On the summer evening of July 12th 1979, a Major League Baseball (MLB) radio promotional event erupted into an antidisco riot. The disguised attempt silenced the black and queer communities and sent shockwaves throughout the entire nation. This catalytic incident is referred to as Disco Demolition Night.
Steve Dahl, a radio personality for Chicago’s WDAI (a rock radio station) was fired from his job when the station adopted a disco format like many others at the time. Even after having found work at another radio station, Dahl’s bitterness towards disco as a genre was still very much present. He launched a “Disco Sucks” campaign and hosted “Death to Disco” rallies which appealed to his growing number of listeners, most of which aligned with his white macho character. It is in collaboration with White Sox promotions director, Mike Veeck, that they organised Disco Demolition Night. On the night of July 12th, the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers were scheduled to play a doubleheader. The game took place in the white working-class neighbourhood of Chicago’s Bridgeport Comiskey Park, which already had an antidisco culture. The admission was 98 cents (a quarter of the regular price of a ticket) and free for those who brought a disco record with the intention of destroying it. Consequently, attendance at the event exceeded expectations, gathering over 50,000 people.
The crowd was filled with banners conveying slogans such as “Disco Sucks.” During intermission, fans threw records,
It calls to question that the hatred towards disco, also known as discophobia, wasn’t inherently the dislike of a music genre, but rather; it was about incentivizing anti-gay and anti-black prejudices by trying to remove these minorities from popular culture.
firecrackers, and liquor bottles, some of which were even aimed at the players. The climax of the night took place at around 8:40 PM when Dahl, dressed in military attire, made his appearance on the field to personally set a crate filled with over fifty thousand disco records on fire with fireworks: an explosion that would be felt by the disco community throughout the nation. According to Gillian Frank, a historian who received his Ph.D. from the Department of American Studies at Brown University, events of the same sort arose that same year. In Seattle, hundreds of rock fans gathered and attacked dance floors, while anti-disco clubs grew in popularity in Detroit and in Chicago.
The negative effects of that night were felt immediately – disco radio stations switched back to rock, gigs for disco artists were harder to come by, and the Grammy awards even cancelled their new best-discorecording category.
Vince Lawrence was a part-time usher at the baseball stadium during Disco Demolition Night and according to Alexis Petridis, a writer at The Guardian, the black teenager realised that people weren’t just bringing disco records, “but anything made by a black artist.” It calls to question that the hatred towards disco, also known as discophobia, wasn’t inherently the dislike of a music genre, but rather; it was about incentivizing anti-gay and anti-black prejudices by trying to remove these minorities from popular culture. Disco originated in gay dance clubs in the early 70s and was predominantly created and enjoyed by the Black, Latino, and gay
communities. It offered these groups an outlet where they could express themselves and relate to something during a time where the dominant culture forbade that. Popular songs like Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and the Pointer Sisters’ “Yes We Can” became symbols of reaffirming gay pride. Consequently, it allowed members of these minorities who owned discotheques or who created music of their own to gain respect within the industry. Disco then grew into a popular genre that appealed to the mainstream especially after the release of the movie “Saturday Night Fever” featuring John Travolta, as well as the opening of Studio 54 in Manhattan (a liberating atmosphere for sexual expression and drugs).
Not only was disco a vessel for celebration, but most importantly it was encouraging political change. Disco became a platform that increased the visibility of minorities in mainstream culture, which further encouraged gay political activism and the fight for civil rights in America. Disco Demolition Night is the culmination of the backlash and resistance to that movement which reflects the prominent racism and homophobia of the late 1970s much more than the dislike of disco as a genre.
To this day, the spirit of disco continues to live via house and electronic music, which derived from the disco genre and ironically originated in Chicago. Artists continue to pay homage to disco by incorporating it into their work. For example, LF SYSTEM sampled the 70s funk group Silk’s “I Can’t Stop (Turning You On)” for their house genre dance song “Afraid To Feel.” The music video for the song showcases people of the LGBTQ+ community and people of colour freely embracing their sexual and racial identities on the dance floor. Disco may not take on the same form as it did, but its liberating ideas ring louder than ever.
PHOTO VIA PBS
Pimple Patches: More than just a trend?
WINIE COULANGES Managing Editor
A typical acne commercial usually follows one of two tropes. The first being a gorgeous model with little to no acne, passionately splashing water on her face and smiling. The second one will be a teenager looking sad or disillusioned at the state of their face until they discover the perfect cream to magically make their acne go away. These commercials position acne as something ugly and something to get rid of despite it being natural and not harmful. In fact, the Canadian Dermatology Association reports that 20% of Canadians have acne, yet, perfectly clear skin remains the beauty standard. The popularity of decorative pimple patches and the use of them in public has somewhat diminished the cultural shame around acne and has emerged as a new trend amongst Gen Z.
One must also not forget the importance of where the patch was placed. German professor of Social Sciences at the University of Barcelona, Peter Wagner explains these social codes:
“Women who wanted to create the impression of impishness stuck them near the corner of the mouth; those who wanted to flirt chose the cheek; those in love put a beauty spot beside the eye; a spot on the chin indicated roguishness or playfulness,
When Ju Rhyu founded Hero Cosmetics, she was inspired by her brief time as a South Korean expat.In an interview with Fortune she revealed: “Korea is really known in the beauty industry to be very ahead of the curve in terms of beauty, innovation, and adoption. Back in 2012, people were already wearing them out in public. I would see people wearing them at the office, and I asked them what they were for and was
Reminiscent of the sleepwear as outerwear trend of the 2010s, patches tow the line between what we find to be acceptable and unacceptable.
a patch on the nose cheekiness; the lip was preferred by the coquettish lady, and the forehead was reserved for the proud.”
One of the first iterations of pimple patches as we know them today were made using black velvet or silk with mastic (a form of resin) or saliva as an adhesive. Collectors Weekly reported that they were used by war veterans of the 18th century, people seeking to cover up marks left by syphilis or smallpox and they were very popular among the aristocratic women in France. They loved how it accentuated their beautiful clothes and the contrast it offered to their pale face makeup. Since they were inexpensive to purchase, women of lower classes could participate in the trend as well, though there was a strict social code to follow, since these stickers could say a lot about a person. Wearing too many patches could come off as desperate while wearing too few was simply unfashionable.
The modern iteration of the pimple patch actually has healing properties because they are made with hydrocolloid, which the New York Times describes as “ an absorbent, gel-forming material that medical professionals have used for decades as a wound dressing.” More sophisticated brands like Mighty Patch or Cosrx will add acne-fighting ingredients such benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to their patches, but either way the overall goal remains the same: protecting the blemish from bacteria.
It’s important to note that in between patches being class signifiers in the 16th century and them appearing on Paris Fashion week runways in 2024, there was a period of time when the best thing a pimple patch could be was invisible.
told that they were for breakouts.” Hero Cosmetics launched in 2017 on Amazon with invisible, discrete patches that quickly sold out.
If Hero Cosmetics gained their success by blending in, then Starface got it by standing out. Founded by Julie Schott and Brian Bordainick in 2019, Starface had a mission of making acne “fun”. Kara Brothers, the CEO of the brand said in an interview with Vogue Business : “ … the beauty industry was quite different than it is today, especially for acne.[...]How can we transform this conversation around acne and make it something you want to celebrate?” With cute collectible cases, a range of colours and shapes, celebrity endorsements, strategic collaborations with other brands like Sesame Street, Hello Kitty, and Glossier, and a strong social media following they’ve accomplished exactly that.
In a fast-paced world, pimple patches are contrary to what most acne treatments promise. They don’t offer immediate results; instead, you have to wear them for a couple hours for them to take effect. Reminiscent of the sleepwear as outerwear trend of the 2010s, patches tow the line between what we find to be acceptable and unacceptable. By refusing to succumb to the idea that acne is shameful and should be hidden, decorative pimple patches encourage us to take an unexpected pimple in stride and simply use it as an excuse to accessorise! As self-expression and authenticity become fundamental values in what we search for when shopping, embracing our so-called flaws might be the next beauty trend.
VIA TEEN VOGUE
“Tara Yummy is a Mindset”: The Rise of the Trashy Girl Aesthetic
MEGAN SHEEL Contributor
As a daily doom-scroller, I’ve seen many different aesthetics rise and fall in popularity. Recently, the new popular aesthetic on the internet is influenced by Tara Yummy, who has recently gained popularity on social media for her excessive talking, quick-witted remarks, and, most importantly, her style. She is mostly known for her new take on early 2000s fashion, which resembles that of the pop sensation Ke$ha, or reality T.V. star Snooki. However, Tara also takes inspiration from alternative fashion. Her influence has sparked a new style amongst her Gen Z followers, known as the “trashy girl aesthetic.”
Dawson College students report hearing about this trend. Julia Ellis, a health science student, associates the trashy girl aesthetic with “Ke$ha, 2008, silver glitter, dark smokey eyes, miniskirts, high heels,
However, the aesthetic’s start in the 2000s with Ke$ha, its resurgence around 2010 with influencer Tana Mongeau, and its popularity amongst the Gen Z audience in the 2020s showcases that this trend can stand the test of time.
cheetah print tops, juicy couture, sleeping in mascara, eating unhealthy foods, and being chronically online.” Her description of the style also paints an accurate picture of the type of girl taking part in this trend.
The clothes have a similar colour palette as dark alternative fashion. However, the style also draws influence from classic 2000s style, reminiscent of the party girl phase many icons of that era went through. The style leans away from the “emo” label because its fashion choices pursue a retro look, as opposed to a gothic one. Thus, the trashy girl aesthetic appeals to a broader public instead of solely the goth community.
‘Trashy girl’ clothing also differs in the sense that it is not mainstream and is consequently often found at thrift stores, whereas clean girls can style themselves at popular stores, such as Brandy Melville and Garage.
“When I think trashy girl, I think messy. Kind of like Snooki,” says Audrey Bélanger, a nursing student at Champlain College. The rise of the trashy girl aesthetic raises quite a bit of interest because it completely contradicts the clean girl aesthetic that was popular for the past several years. Instead of being limited to light and natural makeup, the trashy girl aesthetic encourages makeup that is dark and loud. ‘Trashy girl’ clothing also differs in the sense that it is not mainstream and is consequently often found at thrift stores, whereas clean girls can style themselves at popular stores, such as Brandy Melville and Garage.
The Gen Z population is known for being harsh critics of new trends emerging on the internet. Something can be in one day and out the next. After I conducted a survey of 66 Gen Z women, the results showcase that 54% of them are drawn to Tara Yummy’s trashy girl aesthetic, as opposed to the 46% that are drawn to the clean girl aesthetic of Alix Earle.
Julia Ellis explains that she is “more drawn to Tara because she seems to have fun, her outfits and makeup are cute, and her overall vibes seem more ‘real.’” However, the preference for Tara Yummy’s style doesn’t mean her aesthetic reigns supreme. My survey also reveals that 80% of Gen Z women who took part in it agree that the clean girl aesthetic is still maintaining its popularity despite Tara’s rise to fame. “I think the clean girl aesthetic maintains its popularity because it’s not something everyone can be,” explains Laura Sheel, a student at Heritage Regional High School, “not everyone can pull it off and you always want what you can’t have.”
The trashy girl aesthetic provides women an opportunity to get away from the poised and perfect image of the clean girl, which has been indoctrinated into Gen Z culture for the past several years. Influencer Tana Mongeau has expressed on Tik Tok that it’s “hard being a Ke$ha girl in a Hailey Bieber world,” which perfectly depicts the pressure that Gen
Z women face to portray an ideal online image. It’s noticeable that the trashy girls of social media are much more visible than those seen in real life; 83% of Gen Z girls who were part of my survey agree. Oftentimes, the aesthetic is used solely for “going out.” Léa Godin, a general studies student at Édouard-Montpetit College, suggests that the reason why the aesthetic differs between online and reality is that “the people online are doing all that for attention and you’re never going to see that in real life.” “Maintaining an aesthetic is difficult for anyone who isn’t an influencer or doesn’t have the money to spend,” explains Dawson student Julia Ellis. However, the aesthetic’s start in the 2000s with Ke$ha, its resurgence around 2010 with influencer Tana Mongeau, and its popularity amongst the Gen Z audience in the 2020s showcases that this trend can stand the test of time.
CURATED BY SANAD HAMDOUNA Visual Arts Editor
Visual Visual Visual Arts Arts
AFSHA AKHTAR
MIRREN BODANIS @eyesofmirren
SAYA HIDAKA-MASSICOTTE @4a4k4a
Visual Visual Visual Arts Arts
EMMA WANG @cheriibun
SANAD HAMDOUNA @swordhymn_
Intellectualism: Redefining the Intellectual in the Technological Age
JULIA AZZOUZ Copy Editor
When you think of an “intellectual,” what comes to mind? Stacks of papers, a grand office, suits and ties, a framed diploma? This image of the ideal scholar often seems distant and exclusive, leaving many with a sense of disconnect from the rational world of ideas. History, television, film, literature, and mass media have often divided people into two categories: intellectuals and everyone else. The surge of information on social media, parallel to the excessive production of goods under our capitalist system, has democratised access to knowledge, but it has also led to a lack of critical media literacy, a disdain for professionals, and a retreat from active, individual-focused learning. As ordinary people, we have the opportunity and responsibility to challenge the systems that have long excluded us from intellectual pursuits and reclaim the title of “intellectual” that has, in the past, been so narrowly defined.
In order to understand why our contemporary society seems increasingly “anti-intellectual” (oriented away from reason), we must first unravel the social consequences of our current economic structure. One could argue that capitalism breeds innovation, but it also breeds a toxic culture of productivity and efficiency. According to Statistics Canada, about 27% of working-age Canadians feel high to extreme stress levels daily, with another 2023 study reporting that 28% have experienced burnout. Overwhelmed by external circumstances, we resort to the easiest available solutions, those which satisfy our needs and desires rapidly and do not require exhaustive contemplation. We live between two extremes: pain and pleasure, production and consumption. Fast fashion, fast food, and “fast info” are the result of as well as the remedy for excessive production. These quick fixes offer pleasure temporarily, but not long-term fulfilment. In fact, it is much simpler to look toward the near future than it is to look beyond it, especially when the world’s chaos seems to impede our personal paths. We dismiss sustainability for effectiveness, sacrificing our individual growth for the growth of multi-billion-dollar industries.
In our contemporary business-oriented culture, there is an emphasis on action and tangible results over introspection and theoretical exploration. This cultural bias often leads to the undervaluation of scholars, who are frequently perceived as detached
Overwhelmed by external circumstances, we resort to the easiest available solutions, those which satisfy our needs and desires rapidly and do not require exhaustive contemplation. We live between two extremes: pain and pleasure, production and consumption.
from the practical realities of commerce and trade. Intellectuals are sometimes viewed as frivolous or idealistic, as if their focus on theory and reflection is irrelevant to the immediate demands of the market. While scholars and researchers are occasionally praised when their work leads to concrete advancements or practical applications that benefit society, their fundamental efforts in critical analysis and error correction often go unappreciated.
For instance, the rigorous process of refining theories, eliminating incorrect results, and challenging existing knowledge is frequently dismissed as inconsequential. The value of intellectual work is therefore judged primarily by its utility rather than its role in advancing knowledge. Similarly, a person’s productivity is valuable for commerce, not for the sake of grander societal improvement. Institutions of power objectify humanity as a resource, and we bitterly begin to internalise this degradation.
To escape it, we seek pleasure as it is regulated by our socio-economic structure. As Hong Kong University professor Jiwei Ci puts it, this kind of hedonism is “an affirmation of instinctual life coupled with the realisation that the instincts need to be limited by prudential considerations of social coexistence.” The pursuit of satisfaction and the related avoidance of pain are thus dictated by external factors and anchored in realism. Capitalism thrives off our search for instant gratification, from our consumerism. It actively encourages our hedonistic tendencies for the sake of profit. However, can we truly find peace if we are blindly following a formula? Everyone has their own distinct goals, which may not benefit from the system put in place. To dishonour these goals is to unconsciously reduce oneself to a number. We become a human statistic, a means to a monetary end. Combatting this set of rules to establish your own is no easy task, but it
VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES
begins with self-education.
In an age where information and misinformation are more accessible than ever, there is a growing scepticism toward qualified scholars and popular rejection of traditional media. Quotidianly bombarded with an endless stream of news, advice, and facts, it becomes increasingly tedious to critically analyse our sources. There are simply too many to sift through. Naturally, we resort to what we already know: our own opinions and feelings, which only seem to be affirmed by our tailored algorithms. This leads to a confirmation bias where we dismiss information that does not align with our existing values. In this case, it is not learning, but a form of that aforementioned hedonism born from the stress of abundant information. Guided by instinct and emotion, we begin to lack
knowledge exponentially. In that way, ideas are the most valuable and potent tool for the self and the community. Knowledge is power: our current systems exploit this fact. Think of the business hierarchies we are familiar with, those with regular employees at the bottom led by managers led by directors, etcetera. The higher up one is placed, the more influence one has, and the more expertise one possesses. As ordinary people, thanks to the democratisation of education with the aid of technology, we have unprecedented access to information, and thus unprecedented access to power. In the past, it has always been the rich and affluent who could obtain education, whether that was books as a precious limited resource, or first-class institutions such as universities. Our perception of “intellectuals” as a patronising, elitist
As ordinary people, thanks to the democratisation of education with the aid of technology, we have unprecedented access to information, and thus unprecedented access to power.
the skills required to discern between true and false information. Our distrust extends from TikTok gurus to experts, but we don’t usually delve further than that essential first step: scepticism.
Indeed, doubt is the predecessor of thorough critical thinking. With doubt at the root of our inquiries, we may identify the motives, arguments, and rhetorical devices at the basis of any statement. The problem is that the analysis stops at distrust, sometimes at the expense of genuinely valuable discoveries and hypotheses. To begin a meaningful process of self-education, it is not necessary to dismiss the internet or dedicate oneself to books, but it is necessary to be mindful of why and how we consume information.
When digesting information, individuals are encouraged to be passive observers rather than active participants. This paradoxically opposes the action-driven culture dominant in entrepreneurship and commerce. Whereas material goods come and go, knowledge is wholly abstract, existing beyond printed pages in the collective consciousness. Ideas, once understood by the mind, cannot be stolen or extracted and are malleable by the individual. We can control and expand our
minority is not rooted in a distaste for knowledge, but in an amalgamation of historical factors and contemporary observations. Women and racialized people have long been excluded from intellectual circles and professional establishments, resulting in a modern academia rampant with misogyny and racism. The Church and the state have, for centuries, repressed the education of the masses for fear of criticism, because they knew that intellect could be sharpened into a weapon and used against them. Censorship in totalitarian states operates in the same way, with information deliberately withheld to maintain power, to preserve a dynamic of absolute rule and submission. It is only natural to scorn and be wary of a regime that has harmed and belittled people for ages. Our distrust is not unreasonable, but it should not deter us from seeking answers, especially when we have the means to use them to our advantage. The ramifications of academic exclusion have left many people feeling intimidated or belittled by scholars. This historically imposed sense of inferiority has bred resentment and defensiveness, leading to a dismissal of intellectuals as out of touch or pretentious, with neither of these qualities being desirable in an intellectual.
With academia so closely tied to privilege, many do in fact study for the sake of a title, rather than for the sake of societal progress. Misusing their credibility and voice, they give a bad rep to the everyday intellectual who wishes to make sense of everyday reality through reasoning and observation. As a result, well-intentioned advice can be tainted by the aura of superiority that surrounds it. Even our own parents’ and teachers’ suggestions to “read more books” or “stay off the internet” come across as haughty or patronising. It is difficult to extrapolate their intent from the condescension we immediately perceive. Though it may seem more efficient to overview a topic with a quick Google search, there is a reason we are made to engage with comprehensive lectures and texts rather than two-minute TikTok videos or Instagram slides. With traditional learning methods and media requiring extended focus, our brains digest the information better, more thoroughly comprehending the complexities that make up a subject. They improve our attention span rather than diminishing it, making us more likely to retain the details surrounding a particular topic.
Although productivity culture, hedonistic consumerism, and algorithmic loops seem to enable anti-intellectualism, they can also provide us with valuable resources that encourage active learning. Historical context may explain our instinctual disdain for scholarly pursuits, but we now have the resources to educate ourselves in a highly personalised manner. This begins with scepticism as the first step to critical thinking and mindful media consumption. Intellectuals are not “elites” anymore considering that the average person in the Western world can now access knowledge that was previously exclusive and rigidly controlled. We can redefine what intellectualism means to include the general population and extra-academic education. Our role is to apprehend our circumstances, critically examine the produced information, and intentionally extract meaningful reflection as well as personal profit from the flood of information available at our fingertips. We have power and we must make use of it.
Can You Eat the Rich with a Fork and a Knife?
EMMA CASPI Voices Editor
Discovering ways to control the public by analysing efficient modes of persuasion is nothing new. Aristotle analysed the modes of rhetoric most efficient in persuading the opposing party of his ideals, and Niccolò Machiavelli controlled other groups and maintained power through ideological instruments.
Many believe discreet methods of manipulation such as these were and still are used within the media, inciting fear among the public about the information they consume. In 1988, Edward S. Herman, an American economist, and Noam Chomsky, an American theoretical linguist, wrote Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media in an attempt to clarify the inner workings and operations of mainstream U.S. media.
36 years ago, Manufacturing Consent presented an unprecedented way of understanding the U.S. news media. Herman and Chomsky attempted to reveal the behaviour and performance of mainstream American media through the propaganda model.
Going against the Liberal and Conservative mainstream explanations, the propaganda model proposes that the dominant media is embedded in a decentralised and non-conspiratorial market system. Herman thinks the news “restricts assumptions,” depends heavily and uncritically “on elite information sources,” and participates in “propaganda campaigns helpful to elite interests.” The elite, though an ambiguous term, references profitseeking businesses, advertisers, major business firms, etc.
Like a ventilation system, Herman classifies “ownership, advertising, sourcing, flak, and anticommunist ideology” as the 5 stages that information must pass through to reach the public. Herman and Chomsky observed that journalism has depreciated to sell more goods as an example of ‘postprocessed’ news.
Through this lens, advertisement-ridden news is strategically chosen content that predicts the most virality. Max Frankel, a former New York Times editor, reveals that “sex, sports, violence and comedy” often trump “news of foreign wars or welfare reforms.” Similarly, Transnational corporate empires allegedly cut budgets and discourage investigative journalism, reducing ‘substantial’ news that threatens their hierarchical reign over the media.
The propaganda model also includes the idea that the relations industry monopolises journalistic conventions to serve corporate clients; more public industry individuals are manipulating the news than journalists are writing it.
Herman and Chomsky further accuse the elite of weakening the public sphere, making it difficult to debate and attain information crucial to engage in intellectual conversation by encouraging the market and capitalism’s grip on the media. Thus, the logic follows that If audiences are small, cause controversy, and if the public sphere rejects advertisements, then no one profits and the rich cannot become richer. Kevin Robins, a British Sociologist, consequently believes a “depoliticized consumer culture” has displaced the “political public sphere.”
The idea that the elite keeps people informatively in the dark to facilitate efficient media control is eerily redolent of Plato’s cave allegory: individuals with knowledge based solely on the manipulated shadows reflected on the cave walls will be ignorant of the truth above ground. However, what makes the world outside the cave truthful?
Chomsky’s explanation. “It’s an ageold problem ever since there have been newspapers,” he says, “it is the profit motive versus the public interest motive. You might think that those two things are opposite, but it’s messy.”
Professor Redekopp validates the extensive research Herman and Chomsky collected to reify the propaganda model, yet thinks the theory is a “fundamentally abstract argument.” Both authors provide a cause-and-effect method of analysis to prove journalism’s corruption, but where and what exactly is it?
Posing this question incites further moral inquiry: what is ‘good’ journalism? What is the perfect ratio between profit motive and public interest motive? What makes journalism corrupt? What is the limit before we consider journalism as vitiated and a misrepresentation of the truth? All of these questions will yield substantially different answers since they have no inherent truth value, hence why there are no legitimate and logical answers.
To fully understand the propaganda model as a step towards ‘good’ journalism, we need to have the same objective outlook as Herman and Chomsky on what ‘good’ journalism is. Is it simply removing all that is harmful? What is harmful? Can information be objectively detrimental? As you can see, dismantling the system proposed by the propaganda model is harder than it appears.
Professor Brian Redekopp, Profile Coordinator of Society & Technology at Dawson College, believes the propaganda model is more complex than Herman and
Ultimately, we cannot successfully ‘eat the rich’ and dismantle industries that manipulate the media if we cannot universally classify the merits and demerits of journalism. We know undoubtedly that all journalism is orchestrated in one way or another to perform various functions, but when and if that guidance becomes exploitation is unverifiable. heritage.”
Although Hollywood may be progressing visually, it is worth questioning whether these films are “saving” cinema, or if they’re just a new way of selling us what we had before in an artsier package. Instead of turning to the same old white men to save Hollywood, or women-lead movies that sell toys for white men - every year, thousands of unique, smaller budget, innovative films -the kind we supposedly want to see more of- are released. So maybe it’s not Hollywood that needs to be saved to save cinema, but, rather, it must be destroyed, and we need to stop expecting hyper-capitalist billionaires to be the ones to show us who we can be.
An Interview with the Dawson Student Union (DSU)
ABIGAIL OYEWOLE Staff Writer
A.O: Introduction
K.C.O: Hello fellow students! My name is Kenneth Clarence Oledan and I am the president of the Dawson Student Union for Fall 2024 to Winter 2025. I was formerly a student councillor for the social science, business and technologies sector.
A.O: Tell us about your role as president of the DSU.
K.C.O: As president, I oversee all the offices and VPs (Finance, Academic Affairs & Advocacy, Operations & Services, External Affairs, Internal Affairs & Communications, Sustainability & Equity). I act as the main spokesperson of the union and ensure the smooth running of day-today operations.
A.O: What are the services offered by the DSU?
K.C.O: There are many services offered by the DSU. The student health and dental insurance plan improves the well-being of students. Dawson Dining provides free meals for students and takes place every Wednesday at Conrod’s. The DSU Hive is a Gender Advocacy Center with a coordinator on-site to act as a resource for students for various information surrounding sexual and mental health, sexuality, and gender. The Hive also provides menstrual products, contraceptives etc. Another service offered by the DSU is the Special Project Funding. If students have a project or initiative they need funding for, they can apply for the SPF and be approved if it meets all the necessary criteria. Every year part of the budget of the DSU goes to the SPF. This year the total amount is $15,000.
A.O: How can students be more involved with the DSU?
K.C.O: Students can pass by our office to ask about volunteering opportunities. They can also apply to become student representatives who will sit on different committees through the VP Academics and Advocacy. Student representatives have an impact on the day-to-day life of students and are an important role with lots of opportunities to learn and grow. They can also volunteer with the Blue Ring Society to help with events and tasks all over the school.
A.O: Can you talk about the petition for the exemption of Indigenous students against law-14?
K.C.O: The petition is to fully exempt Indigenous students from the provisions of Law 14. It is an initiative that is spearheaded by the DSU. It is sponsored at the national assembly level by Jennifer Maccarone, a member of the National Assembly or MNA for the Westmount Saint Louis riding. We hope to garner as many signatures as we can for this petition as it is a very important cause. The deadline to sign the petition is September 30th.
AO: Can you talk about the student health and dental insurance plan?
KCO: In Winter 2021, a referendum was passed to students to decide if they want a student health plan and they voted to have insurance. After many years of back and forth with the college, we are finally able to implement medical and dental health insurance for students. For more information, I will hand over the interview to our student care representative.
S.C: My name is Shenoa, I work at student care. The health insurance plan has a lot of benefits for the students. It includes vision, travel, virtual healthcare, mental health and wellness, gender affirmation care and lastly, legal care. What most students ask us about is prescription drugs. In this case, oral contraceptives and antidepressants are covered so the only thing that they have to do is go to the pharmacy and present their MQ, group number and the certificate number that they have to retrieve from thestudentcare. ca website. From the website, they can retrieve their student care ID. It will activate their coverage and give them the certificate number that they’re going to need to either change the coverage or make any claims.
Another thing students ask us a lot about is the health practitioners. Students have coverage for chiropractors, physiotherapist massage, speech therapist and audiologist. All that is a payable amount of $40 per visit and up to $400.00 for all of these health practitioners during the coverage year which follows the academic year so it starts on September 1st, 2024 and ends on August 31st, 2025 as long as they’re still eligible during the winter period. The insurance also includes prostheses like mobility aids, vaccines and hospitalisation amongst other things are also covered by the health plan. They can have health medical coverage for any medical gender-affirming care component up to $5000 per procedure and we have a list of the eligible procedures also that is provided by Greenshield. Students have access to legal assistance for gender affirmation care and any other questions that they may have in that they need to reach out to a lawyer.
A.O: Do you have any advice for new students?
K.C.O: Join a club, sleep well and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun.
There are many services offered by the DSU. The student health and dental insurance plan improves the well-being of students. Dawson Dining provides free meals for students and takes place every Wednesday at Conrod’s. The DSU Hive is a Gender Advocacy Center with a coordinator on-site to act as a resource for students for various information surrounding sexual and mental health, sexuality, and gender.
THE PLANT RECOMMENDS: The Best Cheap
Eats around Dawson
BY THE PLANT STAFF
If there’s one thing that all Dawsoners can agree on, it’s that the cafeteria prices are bullshit. They have no business charging 2 hours of labour for 10 pieces of the most mid sushi you’ve ever had and a greasy cookie that tastes like plastic wrap. But fear not, for at The Plant our bank accounts and bowels have reached their limits too, so we scoured
Séoul 73 is a hidden gem that everyone must visit during their long breaks at school. At the food court of Alexis Nihon, Séoul 73 is a cute and convenient restaurant with various options that cater to on-the-go students. Their unique ramen station is what they are mostly known for with a starting price of $7.99, the station allows customers to customize their ramen with a variety of toppings and cook it on the spot. For those of you who aren’t a big fan of ramen, Séoul 73 also offers a selection of kimbap flavours ranging between $4.95$5.95. Finally, my personal favourite, the CupBap, a delightful twist on the classic kimbap, served in a bowl. Although this dish is a little pricier, costing up to $11.99, this is a must-try! Whether you’re a fan of ramen, kimbap, or looking to try something new like CupBap, Séoul 73 is the place for you!
The Plant Recommends $ $
Marché Bazaar, an Iranian cuisine supermarket located on the corner of Wood Av and Saint-Catherine St W, has some of the finest prepped Iranian food in Montreal. Snacks like lavashak (all-natural fruit roll-ups) can start at $1. Or if you’d like prepared meals, well-sized saffron rice plates with soup and kebabs start at $13, which yes may seem a little pricey, but for the portion you’re getting, it’s worth it. Another Iranian delicacy that they offer is saffron ice cream wafers which are– I’m not kidding–life-changing. Not only that, but Marché Bazaar has a variety of drinks and sodas that only Iranian places sell. However, here, they sell it for cheaper! So, if you have a long break and are hungry for snacks or a meal you’ve maybe never tried before, I would strongly recommend taking a 3-minute walk to Marché Bazaar!!
Even if you hate bagels, I guarantee there’s something more for you. An incredible counter-order classic, Bagels on Greene has everything, from soups, to salads, a hot bar of cuisines from around the globe, ready made smoothies, and a grocery market with everything you could ever need. Everything is local and handmade; it really feels like actual humans poured love into everything on the menu. Nothing’s processed, and it’s cheap! The most delectable, 4 inch tall smoked meat sandwich in a sesame bagel still hot from the oven with onions, lettuce, and mustard tastes even better than it sounds when it’s only 10$! There’s PLENTY of vegan and veggie options too! And the best part? You can access it from Dawson while barely going outside! Simply take the Westmount Square tunnel from Atwater, walk straight across the mall, go up the stairs and turn left when you hit the street. It’s right there :)
BAGELS ON GREENE
“ÉPICERIE
CORÉENNE & JAPONAISE” MARCHÉ ORIENTAL JANG TEU
Plant Recommends $ $
Although far from the healthiest option, the Alexis Nihon Cocobun is a Dawson student staple for a reason: it’s cheap as hell and convenient. Connected to the lower atrium through the tunnel and Atwater metro station, you can easily walk in and pick up a savoury pastry and a canned coffee for as low as 5$, a couple of sweet pastries to snack on for a couple of extra dollars, and even boba for slightly less than the average market price. The pastries’ quality isn’t bad either, they taste great and they’re filling, just make sure you eat a few vegetables at some point too.
Located on St-Catherine, just a block away from the Forum, this small Asian supermarket is a bit of a one stop shop for everything you’d need to make and eat great Asian food at home. But they also have a wide selection of imported snacks and drinks at relatively cheap prices. On top of that, their small “ready to eat” corner near the door offers various delicious options for lunch, including onigiri/samgak kimbap with various fillings for around $4.
VIA YELP
VIA MICHAEL M ON GOOGLE MAPS
COCOBUN
The Brat-ification of Kamala Harris and Its Impact on Younger Voters
MAYA JABBARI Staff Writer
We’ve all heard about, or had, a “Brat summer”. And yes, we can all embrace the coolness of “Brat” and continue to enjoy pointing at lime green things and calling them “Brat”, but we should dive deeper into not only the impact of the album itself, but what it has been doing for the democratic party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris.
Kamala Harris’ campaign has received an unexpected rush of support because of the British pop star Charli xcx’s album Brat. This mix of pop culture and politics has created a unique momentum for Harris’s campaign that we’ve never seen
organisations have warned for months that Biden had a problem with young voters, pleading with the president to work more closely with them to refocus on the issues most important to younger generations or risk losing their votes. With Biden out of the race, many of these young leaders are now hoping Harris can overcome his faltering support among Gen Z and harness a new explosion of energy among young voters.” Traditional methods of outreach like rallies, ads, posters, etc. often fall flat, leaving candidates struggling to bridge the generational gap. At the very beginning, Harris’ campaign initially faced similar hurdles, with concerns about relatability and appeal to the youth demographic. However, Harris’ social media presence
before in other U.S. presidential candidates, specifically because of its impact among younger voters. This phenomenon raises intriguing questions about the intersection of entertainment and political engagement in the digital age.
The problem facing many political campaigns is the challenge of connecting with younger voters and generating genuine enthusiasm. An article written by PBS News writer, Christine Fernando, writes, “Youth-led progressive
began to find its footing when Brat gained popularity and people started to connect the two, making her campaign find unexpected support across platforms.
Charli xcx’s album Brat, released in June 2024, quickly became a cultural touchstone, particularly among some Gen Z. The album’s themes of authenticity, vulnerability, and unapologetic selfexpression have resonated strongly with its audience. When Charli xcx tweeted “kamala IS brat,” it sparked a
“Youth-led progressive organisations have warned for months that Biden had a problem with young voters, pleading with the president to work more closely with them to refocus on the issues most important to younger generations or risk losing their votes. With Biden out of the race, many of these young leaders are now hoping Harris can overcome his faltering support among Gen Z and harness a new explosion of energy among young voters.”
viral movement on social media. Brat’s distinctive lime-green aesthetic and blurred Arial font was swiftly reappropriated by Harris’ team who capitalised on this momentum. This rapid embrace of the trend demonstrated an agility and cultural awareness that many young voters not only found refreshing, but one that resonated with them in a political campaign.
Social media platforms have been flooded with Brat-inspired Harris memes, remixes, and edits, often set to tracks from the album. This user-generated content has created a grassroots digital movement, amplifying Harris’s message and personality in ways traditional campaigning could not achieve. The memes have highlighted Harris’ sillier moments, showing her laughter and memorable quotes like: “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” This
“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”
presents her in a limelight that appeals to younger voters since Harris is now adding more fun, relatability, and authenticity to the campaign, countering the often formal nature of political discourse.
In a nutshell, the unexpected Brat-ification of Kamala Harris marks a special moment in political history. This link people have created demonstrates the power of pop culture in influencing political engagement and cultural relevance in modern campaigning. While the long-term impact of this phenomenon remains to be seen until all the votes are in, it has undeniably given a breath of fresh air to political campaigning itself, and redefined creating conversations about political participation among younger voters.
How the History of Pride Reveals Why the Montréal Queer Community is Trying to Return to its Radical Roots
MIRREN BODANIS Editor-in-Chief
The Wikipedia entry for “Pinkwashing” describes it as “the promotion of the gay-friendliness of a corporate or political entity in an attempt to downplay or soften aspects of it considered negative.”
Pride celebrations are a relatively recent phenomenon. To find their origins, we have to go back less than 70 years. In the 1960s, homosexuality was still generally criminalised across the globe. Decriminalisation on a national level in Canada only happened in 1969, while in the States it remained illegal throughout the 60s in every state except Illinois. CrashCourse summarises that, in 1960s America, there was “a massive effort [against queer people] by the US government and law enforcement agencies like the FBI which resulted in arrests, harassment, and sometimes the threat of public exposure.” In New York, the state refused to give licences to bars that served the queer community, and then the police would use the lack of state liquor licences as an excuse to frequently conduct brutal raids on queer bars.
It’s absolutely absurd to have them [in pride], to have banks that are funding multiple genocides, it’s just not what pride is.”
Journalist Eric Markus, creator of the show “Making Gay History,” explains in an episode of NPR’s Throughline that “[In the 50s and 60s] the people who challenged police oppression were those who had the least to lose and those were often street kids. Those were teenagers thrown out of their homes who were making their living on the street as best they could. They were people who would call themselves today gender nonconforming who also had no place in the world.”
In New York City, this all culminated in the Stonewall Riots. On June 28th, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular queer bar; again, with the liquor licence excuse. Employees and customers alike were searched, assaulted, and dragged out of the bar by police, but both those in the bar and in the surrounding queer community fought back. The resulting protests lasted for 6 days as a series of marches and clashes with the police throughout Greenwich Village. The NYPD attempted to suppress the activists
using tear gas, water hoses, beatings, and arrests, while the activists fought back with bricks and bottles in response to the police’s brutality.
One of the activists at the centre of the movement was Marsha P. Johnson, a black and trans drag queen who entered the NYC queer community as an unhoused sex worker. Among others, she founded a coalition of several radical queer liberation groups known as the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) immediately after the Stonewall Riots. GLF helped organise Christopher Street Liberation Day, a march attended by thousands on the 1-year anniversary of the Riots. The event triggered a movement of similar protests held in June around the globe, eventually becoming the pride we’ve come to know today.
Presently, Montréal’s Pride parade is organised by Fierté Montréal, who states their mission as being to “[amplify] the voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to assure their representation, their inclusion
and the recognition of their rights in society.” Fierté allows for-profit corporations to register with them as “Allied Members.” Amongst these is McKinsey & Company, a global management firm who generated over 15 billion dollars in revenue in 2021, and is often said to have heavily contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. The Royal Bank of Canada, who, according to CBC is the largest financier of fossil fuels, also holds an Allied Membership along with IBM, an IT multinational who provides (among other products) “National Security and Defense Solutions.” Another main sponsor of Fierté Montréal includes TD Bank, who, according to The Globe and Mail, holds an 1.8 million dollar investment in Elbit Systems and 16 million dollars invested in General Dynamics, both of which are arms suppliers for Israel - where they have been used to commit genocide on Palestinians, including, of course, queer Palestinians, as reported by UN Human Rights experts. In response to this corporate infiltration, Montréal’s Pride parade was blocked by what CBC described as “pro-Palestinian” protestors. According to an article posted on CBC.ca “the protesters wrapped themselves in an orange banner that read ‘no justice no peace’ and chanted ‘free Palestine!,’” as well as “pride is a protest!” while surrounded by police officers. The CBC article recounts how the protests took the moment of silence as an opportunity to “blast the sound of fighter planes through loudspeakers and lie on the ground, some with red paint on their chests.”
These activists who took part in this demonstration are more than just “pro-Palestinian” protestors; they comprised mainly of two groups: the P!nk Bloc, a “Queer Revolutionary collective” who states their mission to be a “revolutionary organising force against all forms of oppression and domination.” and F.A.G.S. (a french backronym which, translated, stands for “United Anti-Genocide Faction”).
The night before Fierté Montréal’s pride parade, P!nk Bloc and F.A.G.S. served as main organisers for a “Rad Pride” held in Montréal’s gay village. An invitation to the event posted on the P!nk Bloc’s instagram reads “Let’s show that the Fierté festival doesn’t have a monopoly on our pride and our communities, let’s show that we can come together without the institutions that are complicit in genocide and exploitation.”
A correspondent from The Plant attended the event, recording that the march began at the Papineau metro station and followed
a course down St. Catherine through the Gay Village. Attendees wore festive costumes and makeup, and danced to music while chanting slogans such as “No Pride in Genocide!,” “Fuck your wealth, Fuck your Pinkwashing money,” “Le Village est à nous” (the Village belongs to us!) and “Bottoms, tops, we all hate cops!”
At around 9pm, before the march even began, approximately a dozen SPVM police officers surrounded the meeting point at the Papineau metro station on foot, with bikes, and in cruisers. As the march began, several dozen police officers in riot gear with shields, rifles, and gas canister launchers flanked the march. At one point a protester with a hammer struck the window of a TD Bank office, causing the riot police to immediately begin forming a line to block the entire protest by kettling with shields across St Catherine street. As the protest diverged up a street around Beaudry metro station, more police officers formed lines blocking the way, pushing the march back towards St Catherine, where riot police began launching tear gas into the crowd. The police’s escalation led to an atmosphere of panic and fear, the crowd chaos leading to damage to restaurant terraces that extended out onto the street. Although some activists attempted to resist the police’s attempts to stop the protest, by 11pm most of the crowd had fled. The very next day, SPVM officers marched alongside floats in the Fierté parade, and had their own booth at Fierté’s community day.
These more radical incarnations of pride have garnered criticism from more centrist bodies of the queer community. Fugues, a french-language queer publication in Montréal, published an article about Rad Pride, who’s translated title reads “Radicalised Fringe Group Violently Breaks Windows on St. Catherine street,” echoing the tone of the articles in the first paragraph. The article claims that only “a few tens of protestors” attended the march, when photos of the event and The Plant’s correspondent attest that at least a few hundred were there. On the protest that blocked the Fierté parade, cbc.ca quotes a drag queen who participated in the parade saying “No matter how they think, what they want to do with the politics, we’ll still be there and they cannot erase us,” while The Gazette began their coverage by writing that the parade-protestors “halted” “a joyous event on a Sunday afternoon.”
In the weeks after Pride, The Plant spoke with “B,” a Dawson student and queer activist of 5 years who attended Rad Pride and the Fierté parade-protest and has worked with the P!nk Bloc and F.A.G.S, to hear their perspective on why they felt the need to contribute towards a more radical pride: “I was seeing how a lot of liberals were like, ‘oh, well, everything’s good now. People are getting represented, there’s rainbows everywhere and Netflix shows about queer romance. They equate that with things being okay. [...] I feel like a lot of people don’t see these corporations and these big systems like the police. [...] It’s absolutely absurd to have them [in pride], to have banks that are funding multiple genocides, it’s just not what pride is.” They stressed the desperation with which they feel this pinkwashing needs to be fought. “We have to show them that we’re willing to take action. Nobody dies from windows being broken, but there’s bombs in Gaza killing people every day, and there’s police brutality against queer and unhoused people.” “And I understand where there’s the concern of families with queer parents who want to bring their kids to pride or queer youth that want to go to pride. [...] they tend to misconstrue it as ‘oh, well, they don’t want pride at all’.They just want to block it, They just want to break things in the gay village. People would say that the protesters were homophobic, which is actually the opposite. Pride is a protest and we need it now more than ever with the rollback of everyone’s rights that we’re seeing and the rise of the far right.”
Demonstrations against Pride Parades this summer weren’t exclusive to Montréal. In Toronto, the parade was stopped an hour early by the Coalition Against Pinkwashing, who decided to interrupt the parade after Toronto Pride refused to meet to discuss demands to divest from corporations with ties to Israel. Similar disruptions occurred during Halifax and Victoria pride as well.
As genocide-complicit corporations capture pride and queer rights are being rolled back accross the country, Montréal’s queer community is re-examining how their rights were won in the first place.
An Eulogy to Traxide: a Flawed Experiment With a Hopeful Future
EZRA BUCUR Creative Writing Editor
Summertime in Montreal brings forth a wave of different activities, from outdoor booths to conventions and, most importantly, music festivals. However, for the Montreal alternative scene, shows go yearround, often featuring local bands in small bars and venues. However, one particular venue stood out amongst all the others, one that is only known through word of mouth from punk to punk. This venue is none other than The Traxide, a community-owned space which rings a bell to the ears of every alternative person in Montreal, even if they have never attended a show there.
Death House, which was one of the many buildings making up The Traxide, was an underground music venue that operated for about thirty years in Montreal. It was a place where otherwise lesser known punk bands would perform, and where many people involved in the scene would gather to attend these shows. Its exact address was undisclosed to the general public, meaning one would have had to be involved with the
order to raise the funds necessary in order to keep Death House going. The main purpose of this fundraising endeavour was to pay the rent for the month of August, as every show that month had been cancelled. Unfortunately, whilst the Death House team had amassed the funds required for the monthly rent payment, their efforts were in vain. A few weeks later, the team announced that the project to restart Death House would no longer be in effect. According to the statement they released on Instagram, the former owner had ransacked the building,
As long as the alternative scene is alive and thriving, the experiment of The Traxide and what it represented will keep on existing, hopefully with each iteration improving on its safety and community-oriented attitude.
community to be able to attend. The venue was indoors, and ran year round, meaning there would always be an active space for the local punk venue in Montreal. However, due to its less-than-legal status as a business, many illegal and unfortunate incidents have been alleged to have occurred there. Individuals who have attended shows at Death House claimed to have witnessed sexual misconduct, harsh drug use, and the foundations of the building itself were deemed to be unsafe. Additionally, carding was not a common practice until a change in management in 2021, meaning minors would often attend shows meant for adult crowds, and commit illicit acts in Death House.
On July 26th, 2024, The Traxide team announced on Instagram that they were no longer associated with the current manager, citing misconduct and abuse. They were committed to rebuild Death House as a community-based space, that would no longer involve the current manager. A few days later, the team created a Gofundme page in
looting and damaging it beyond repair. For this reason, Death House was never going to return, and all the money made from donations was to be refunded.
The Plant has interviewed a member of a Montreal punk band which has performed at The Traxide in Fall 2023. They cite the importance of the community in this space, mentioning that crowds would vary depending on who would perform at Death House that evening. In its earlier days, it was a space that could have been described as being for “old white men metalheads,” but that, later on, the audience became comprised of queer people, women, and people of colour as well. Additionally, carding helped in dissuading minors from attending these shows or abusing substances, which helped with the safety of the space. As for their experience performing there, they said that, whilst the sound quality was decent, the indoor smoking made the vocal performance difficult. They describe the energy at The Traxide to be unlike any other in Montreal, and that, whilst other bars and venues
might have had better quality sound or more restrictions on smoking, the freedom was what set The Traxide apart from other places to perform in Montreal.
Despite the countless allegations of abuse and misconduct in the crowd, as well as its lack of safety precautions, Death House was a staple of the punk community. It represented a true experiment of grassroots community building. This meant that, whilst many people came for the music and to put themselves in the local scene, there were many unfortunate cases of predators taking advantage of this freedom to harm others, thus making it an unsafe space for many young people, especially young women. The cooperative running The Traxide put their community-oriented values above all else: when a manager would reveal themselves to be problematic, they would be expelled from the Montreal scene. Additionally, due to their anti-police sentiment, they did not reach out to law enforcement in order to prosecute those who had looted and vandalised Death House The Traxide and all its inner moving parts reflect the ups and downs of community-oriented endeavours, even if it was mainly constituted of the Montreal alternative scene. While this freedom meant that many people would finally find their place and purpose, it also came at the cost of predatory people taking advantage of the situation in order to harm others. However, whilst there are currently no other places quite like The Traxide in Montreal, it does not mean that there won’t be in the future. As long as the alternative scene is alive and thriving, the experiment of The Traxide and what it represented will keep on existing, hopefully with each iteration improving on its safety and community-oriented attitude. While it is impossible to ignore all the flaws of Death House, there is also always a way forward, and its core tenets must live on.
PHOTO CREDIT: ALEX (@THE_PURPLE_LINE)
Welllcomeeeee to Dawson, whether it is your first semester or you are coming back for another round! Fall semester is upon us, bringing with it pumpkin spice and escalator etiquette PSAs (first years, stay on the right if you aren’t walking up, and only use the stairs to go down, you’ll thank me later). As crunchy leaves begin to carpet our streets, and teachers gear up to send a wild storm of assignments our way, make sure to take a step back, sip your latte, enjoy the last few days of summer 2024, and read the beautiful poems your peers have submitted for this month!!
EZRA BUCUR
Creative Writing Editor
UN DERNIER POÈME
BENJAMIN DAOUST
Contributor
This story starts as a night of bodily love, Becomes a wee web of first times and thrill, Then homes on kisses, passion, and “we will,”
But ends as a hoodie left cowardly at a door.
“No more poem ‘bout me,” you asked, When you were my muse, my everything, Yet my nothing to the “what’s wrong?”
My art, my heart, my fuss, my must My lust, my… cost.
Now I drive, think, and scroll aimlessly, Looking for your car in the neighborhood, Looking for a daydream that arouses memories, Looking for our matching initials in stupid reels.
And I think, and ponder, and reflect, contemplate:
Why would I be infatuated with such futility ?
This story has abused my love and forbearance, Become a great web of “sorry” and hesitancy, Then stifled my emotions, shaping impassivity, Before ending with the belief no one’s loved me.
AND IT FELT LIKE...
CHRISTOPHER JAMES DIMITRIADIS Contributor
The stars were whispering, Their secrets woven in the night’s cool breath, A tale of dreams and endless wandering, Of love that lingers long after death.
And it felt like the wind was singing low, A melody lost to the ebbing tide, A song of places where only shadows go, And hearts that once upon a time had cried
And it felt like the earth was holding still, Each moment stretched into eternity’s frame, A silent prayer on a moonlit hill, For things that change but stay the same
And it felt like time had softly paused, A heartbeat held in the hush of dawn,
As if the world, in gentle awe, had caused The night to linger, not yet gone.
MERMAID
SIMIN DADRAS Contributor
A mermaid is a mermaid
Only if she swims
She needs the water to heal her beautiful fins
The scales; they glitter, they shimmer
She sings
To the sailors
Who don’t cherish her heart
All they want is to win, they don’t care for her love.
When she lets you enter the sea she calls home:
Touch her, Kiss her, Don’t leave her alone.
With two long braids
She pulls you in close, And says,
“I see you.”
I know you hide from the moon and the tides. I know about the lies you keep inside.
I know my truth would set you free, If only you let me.
She tells you,
“It’s better to look than to touch.”
That water drowns and fire burns
But fire births and water holds it doesn’t have to hurt.
Pain and Love
They are one Speak the language Of my heart.
DEFACED
JULIA AZZOUZ Copy Editor
In the child’s mouth, my favorite spoon silvers. Where the metal meets the mass, the tongue touches that true temptation, the phantom trace of starvation. Under plates of flesh lie plates of metal, Mirrors personified as placid static.
The amputated mind plants a feast, a poncy aegis for a placated beast. Am I a mother or a rival to the slight babe carving the meat? The meal begun where it ended Where there is nothing for me to eat.
CREATIVE WRITING
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A GHOST COLLECTOR
FINN MACDONALD Contributor
Yes I killed the albatross
And yes I feared what was to come
So I dug him up
And lightning struck
But his Christian soul was missing
Yes I killed the albatross
but I’m asking for forgiveness
Pick any man’s footsteps on any man’s path
You’ll find Death in crushed bugs
And worn earth
You’ll find Death in all my footsteps
You’ll find Life too
Standing in the tombs
Yes I am my mother’s keeper
More the keeper of her son
We stand together on the sea
Between the painted ship
And setting sun
We hole together in the closet
Mind the pounding on the door
The knocking on the wood and the knocking on the head
Then what is it all for
What can you offer me instead
I’d say nothing is without consequence
So there’s nothing else to do
But give up your well of Everlasting Love:
That glaze of organic honey
Let loose from a pitcher in the sky,
Your horseshoes too ‘long with your saddle
Yes all that’d be left is the Sun
With no cattle.
You know I’ll keep what I got
My mystical powers
When controlled or when not
For the albatross came with good fortune
And like an astronaut
Left with a twisted spine
And an arrow in the neck
And I was made a vessel
Not unlike a sailor’s ship
I take spirits to distant shores
For shelter and food
Nothing more
That is my tale
My supernatural epic
With no skeleton
No beginning, middle, or end
PINK, ORANGE, YELLOW
TOKA SIYAM
Contributor
You remind me of a summer sunset, with all its wonderful colours, The feeling I get when I look at the sky, pink, orange, yellow, the unbeatable feeling of beauty, of gratitude for being alive to experience such moments, that’s the way loving you feels.
EXCERPT OF A NOTE
EZRA BUCUR
Creative Writing Editor
You stain my name with every whisper of it vomiting out your mouth. The ink flowing from your loose lips forms into well crafted mistruths and inaccuracies, drowning me no matter how much I tried to swim away. Each day that would pass and there would always be something more you need from me, your favorite topic of conversation. To others you spit black venom on my name, the white lines no longer read between. My pages of nuances are washed over by the darkness of your heart, as you can never seem to get enough. But I have had enough. I will let your ink dry, bleach the stains away, start anew. Away from you. I am what you desperately need me not to be, and in anger you will rip apart the story you have created, as I paint over the spillage you’ve caused. The stains will always be there, but ultimately, you won’t.
IMPUNITY
DORJI
DHATSENPA
Contributor
Slim Aarons is my shrink he visits my bungalow in exchange for meager paid head and satisfying wishy-washy condolences the rapture is coming and la dolce vita is going to do me in
my integrity is holding me hostage in this quid pro quo i count constellations on my left hand i count causes and consequences on the other: the stench of maple bacon and chemicalized genetics splintered hardwood floors and moldy untruths a bipartite shrine of Rupaul and Jeffrey Dahmer.
pity only works when you’re above the rule of God. he was a mosaic of America and i am stuck revering the chemtrails over Salvation Army
The Shame Game
JADE GAGNÉ Sports Editor
Ever since the 2024 Summer Olympics happened, Imane Khelif has been in the spotlight for all of us. From winning her first Olympic fight only 46 seconds after it started, the boxer is now building a lawsuit for all the cyber harassment she endured while in Paris. This sparked reactions from all over the world.
On April 1st, 2024, the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won her first-ever Olympic boxing match against Angela Carini, not even a minute after it started. Just a few punches were sent, but it was enough for Carini to give up and sink to her knees while saying how unfair it was. She left the ring without shaking Imane’s hand.
This reaction brought back Imane Khelif’s old issues from the World Boxing Championship 2023, where she got disqualified by the IBA (International Boxing Association) after the claims that she failed the gender eligibility testing. Imane, born on May 2nd, 1999, in Ain Sidi Ali, Laghoutat, Algeria, is a female. She reportedly had a difference in sexual development, also known as DSD, which means that her reproductive or sexual anatomy doesn’t fit the typical definition of male or female. In Imane’s case, she has an elevated level of testosterone, more than the usual woman, which was enough to disqualify her from the Championship. Following the ban, the president of the IBA, Umar Kremley, stated that this failed result only proved that Imane carried male chromosomes. Therefore she cannot “fit” in the female category.
Nonetheless, the Algerian woman has competed before, she competed in the African and Mediterranean Championship in 2022 where she secured the victory. She also won a silver medal in the World Championship in Istanbul in 2022.
“Personally, I think that what happened during the Olympics was very disrespectful towards Imane, because we don’t know her life and her story. You cannot confirm someone’s sexual identity and say that she is a man when Imane is a born female. Not only that, but Angela Carini has competed against Imane before. Was the whole thing that she did only for views? Was it all fake? All I know is this situation can bring so many negative impacts on anyone, and that’s not okay.” explained Dassi Koulougli, a young Algerian man.
According to ESPN, the International Boxing Association was banned from the 2024
“The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, spent her life as a female, boxed as a female, and has a female passport. This is not a transgender case, [...] there has been some confusion that somehow it’s a man fighting a woman, this is just not the case scientifically.”
Olympics due to questions about corruption and judging issues. The IBA has since been replaced by the IOC (International Olympic Committee). During a press conference, an IOC spokesperson said: “The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, spent her life as a female, boxed as a female, and has a female passport. This is not a transgender case, [...] there has been some confusion that somehow it’s a man fighting a woman, this is just not the case scientifically.”
Because of Angela Carini’s outburst, other celebrities gave their reactions online, including Elon Musk, Donald Trump, JK Rowling, and even Logan Paul. JK Rowling wrote on X “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better The smirk of a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered,” while sharing a picture of a crying Carini and Khelif trying to comfort her.
Logan Paul also shared in a since-deleted post on X “This is the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes. A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fight-
ing for her deceased father. This delusion must end.” He then retracted his message, apologized for spreading misinformation, and tried to create a better end by explaining how no one should agree on men boxing against women. Paul has only done a few boxing matches in his life, but still feels like he has the right to speak about official professional athletes.
Following all those comments, French prosecutors opened an investigation into online harassment complaints made by Imane Khelif. Her lawyer, Nabil Boudi, filed a legal complaint with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor’s office that combats online hate speech. Boudi said that Imane was targeted by a “misogynist, racist, and sexist campaign” following her win in the women’s welterweight divisions.
“I did not watch all the Olympics but I watched her, and I am proud of what she did but I am even prouder that she brought a gold medal to our country,” concluded D. Koulougli.
Imane Khelif is now a gold medalist and a hero for her country, but most importantly she is a woman who proved that she can do it. To everyone who hated her, I hope you like her medal.
The Deep Sea Contains Valuable Minerals. Should We Mine Them?
KARINA HESSELBO Contributor
With crushing pressure and no light, it’s easy to imagine that the deep sea doesn’t hold much life. However, life doesn’t just exist down there, it thrives. There are thousands of species in the deep sea, ranging from giant, deep red jellyfish to tripod fish that “stand” on the seafloor using their fins, and from corals that range from the tropics to the Antarctic, to many more species we have yet to discover. However, while it’s easy to imagine that the deep sea is safe from human disturbance, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The Washington Post and The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition report that animals within the mariana trench, the deepest place in the entire ocean, have been contaminated with pollutants. Moreover, many deep sea fish, like the orange roughy, are threatened by overfishing. As with most biomes, even in the deep sea, we are at great risk of losing species before we even know they exist. One of the most pressing threats to the deep sea is deep sea mining. Deep sea mining is exactly what it sounds like. This will be done using vehicles that sweep the seabed for minerals and send the collected material to ships. Any unwanted sediments will be sent back into the ocean. Right now, deep sea mining is not yet taking place, though research on it is underway. Countries like Canada and Sweden
have called for a halt on deep sea mining, while Norway has opened its waters to it. Why are we mining the deep sea? Because we need minerals, like cobalt and manganese, that are used to create batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels. According to the World Resources Institute, these minerals are vital for renewable energy transition, and the deep sea contains loads of them deposited all over the seabed. For example,
we are at great risk of losing species before we even know they exist.
in the Clarion Clipperton zone, a targeted area, there are an estimated 21 billion tons of nodules there. But… could its ecosystems handle this mining? Probably not. Though deep sea mining has not begun, researchers are already concerned about its impacts. When these minerals are extracted, they release a plume of sediment that could stretch over many kilometres. When these sediments settle, they might harm filter-feeding shellfish and suffocate animals on the seafloor.
What’s more, deep-sea ecosystems are incredibly fragile. They run on a clock that’s much slower than other ecosystems’, with the species moving more slowly and maturing later. For example, while pacific bluefin tuna, a pelagic fish, can reach maturity in five years, the aforementioned
orange roughy takes roughly 23 years to reach maturity. This slow-developing nature means that if a deep sea ecosystem is badly damaged, it could take many years to recover, or it may never recover at all. Another problem is that we know very little about this region, so we have little idea of how exactly deep sea mining will affect its ecosystems.
So, what can be done? Rather than mine the seabed for minerals, we could try recycling metals and improving batteries instead. In a report by the U.S. PIRG, the world threw away 62 million metric tonnes of e-waste in 2022, waste which–if recycled–could be given a second life. If we managed to reduce the amount of minerals that we throw away and increase their recycling, then we could achieve a circular economy where the demand for new materials is reduced. However, if we cannot obtain the metals necessary to provide a renewable energy transition through other means, then deep-sea mining must take place under strict rules to prevent ecological damage. The deep sea is a remote world, but one bustling with life, and it shouldn’t have to choke to death in our quest for minerals.
Ask the Plant!
In our monthly advice column, we invite students to ask all their burning questions and receive answers in next month’s issue. Scan the QR Code to ask a question:
How would you distance yourself from someone you know but don’t click with when they are in all of your classes? (Without hurting them and looking like a bitch)- Scared to be mean
Dear Scared to be mean,
Finding yourself in that situation can be tough but it’s important you navigate it with grace and to treat someone like how you would want to be treated. You’re going to want to be cordial but not necessarily friendly.Next, you’ll want to gradually spend less time with them. For example, lingering with someone after class can give the impression that you like spending time with them, hence that you’d like to be their friend. Similarly, if you happen to be engaged in conversation with them, remain within the bounds of school i.e don’t start discussing your personal life as this will also seem friendly. Another tip is to avoid sitting next to them in class but also change where you sit in class frequently enough so that it doesn’t come off as personal.
How do you get yourself to actually follow through the homework you planned and scheduled for the week when you just can’t?Procrastinating lazy girl
Dear Procrastinating lazy girl,
Your question touches a lot of different spheres like motivation, school success and self-discipline, what stands out to me from your question is the “just can’t”. First thing you have to do is figure out what’s stopping you from achieving what you have planned. Could it be that you’re unmotivated? Could it be that you’re simply too stressed? Are you going through something in your personal life that’s making it hard to focus? Once you figure out what’s getting you down, I advise that you lead with compassion. Being compassionate to yourself even when you’re not reaching your own expectations is so important. You’re more likely to accomplish what you want to accomplish when you feel good about yourself rather than when you’re beating yourself up. When we are over-critical of ourselves we tend to enter a loop of shame and dissatisfaction which is hard to escape. Within that cycle, it’s hard to gain motivation to do better once we’ve convinced ourselves that we’re not good enough. Moving forward, try to try to do things that make you feel good so that you are well enough to achieve your goals. For example, if you’re too stressed to focus, try going on a walk before sitting down to do your homework.
Hi Plant Writers & Editors I need advice on how to reconnect with my parents’ culture. I used to live in their country when I was young but when we moved to Canada, they prioritized my learning of English and integrating with my school, so they didn’t talk to me in our native language anymore. Now I can’t read, write, or speak it , and my ability to even understand the language is getting worse. I’m so ashamed of this, that when they try to encourage me to speak the language, I refuse to do it. I took for granted how amazing it was to have a whole other language, culture, and country, and now I don’t have it anymore. How do I reconnect with my parents and their country? I’m too scared to tell them that I feel this way. - The only Monolingual at School
Dear the only Monolingual at School, Immigration doesn’t make us disconnect from our country or culture, it simply changes that connection. While language is an important aspect of culture, there’s still so much more that makes you belong. For example, food, traditions, music, beliefs and values are other important aspects, try to remember all the other things you’ve learned from your culture aside language. Navigating your identity as an immigrant is complex, especially if you had to assimilate. In your question, it’s clear that you feel ashamed and embarrassed when trying to speak this language. I encourage you to ask yourself why? If people can learn languages that they have no cultural ties to, why can’t you learn a language you have a special relationship to? What’s wrong with that? (spoiler: there’s nothing wrong with it) Another thing to note is that you have parents that are encouraging you *now* to learn it, don’t take that for granted! I’m sure they’d be delighted to help you on your journey. Practice makes perfect and you’ll never get better if you don’t try. You’ll make mistakes here and there but once you get the hang of it you’ll be so happy you made the effort. Plus living in a diverse city like Montreal it’s easier to find a diaspora community . You could visit some community centres, join clubs at school or elsewhere and eat at restaurants pertaining to your culture.
Dear Plant, Is it scummy/weird for a guy to try to date a girl (seriously) if he’s extremely broke and has no job? I’m lonely, but I also don’t want to seem like I’m offering nothing to the relationship… Please help- Lonely Broke Guy
Dear Lonely Broke Guy,
To ease your fears, no it’s not. If you can’t bring anything financially to the table that doesn’t mean you can’t bring your best self! If you’re lacking in funds then this is the time to let your creativity shine. Offer to cook dinner or organise a picnic while the
weather is still nice. Put your foraging skills to use by looking on Facebook events for free things to do! Visit the Fine Arts museum since it’s free for people under 25 years old. Montreal is such a vibrant city with so many fun, free things to do if you know where to look. Ideally, you’d also date someone who understands that your financial situation isn’t what you’d like it to be but remember you also won’t be broke forever! Whoever you date will feel flattered that you took the time to plan and find something to please them while respecting your budget. On this note,I leave you with lyrics from Jennifer Lopez’s hit song “ Love don’t cost a thing “ to inspire you : All that matters is/That you treat me right.Give me all the things I need/That money can’t buy yeah [...] Even if you were broke/My love don’t cost a thing”
How do I make friends as a first year?? - Freshman
Dear Freshman,
Entering your first year of CEGEP is a pivotal moment in your life. Long gone are the strict regimes of high school and welcome to the new independence of higher education. You’ll make friends in this new environment by being openminded and putting yourself out there! My first tip is to remember that everyone is as nervous as you are and as eager to make new friends as you are. If you’re shy, core classes are a good place to start new friendships since you know that you already have interests in common. Try to start a conversation with those sitting near you in class and actually listen to what they have to say. Remembering little details from your previous conversations will make people feel like you care! If you’re a bit more extroverted, student life at Dawson is bountiful, so don’t be afraid to join the plethora of clubs available or volunteer at school.
How do I end the cycle of falling for emotionally unavailable people? - Garfield Lover
Dear Garfield Lover,
We usually end up in cycles where we feel comfortable. If you’re finding yourself constantly falling for people who are emotionally unavailable it’s probably because you yourself are emotionally unavailable as well. Now that we’ve established that being your comfort zone, let’s dig deeper. There’s most likely a small part of you that is afraid to be vulnerable but you still desire romance so the go-to solution for your brain is to be involved with those who can satisfy your romance craving but won’t challenge your fear of vulnerability. To break the cycle, I suggest you talk to a mental health professional or discuss with trusted friends
CROSSWORD
Across
3. “I couldn’t possibly, this is your moment– I’m coming.”
6. a movie about a matchmaking agency saving imaginary friends
7. “Get in, loser. We’re going shopping.” remake
9. a princess turned dragon slayer
11. a family undercover because of their dad’s cockroach enemy
12. a con about a film of the backup landing of the moon with a flaming side romance
14. the most anticipated tennis threesome
16. a budding romance between a goofy movie star and his self-centred assistance’s mom
17. inspired by a book based on a Harry Style fanfic
18. the original lion king
Down
1. who made a special comeback from the dead in Deadpool
2. where a marine son-in-law killed 15 people in one go
4. Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment & Envy
5. “I’m a computer program named Smith.”
8. a movie about domestic violence hidden behind rom-com press
10. Space colonizers VS 8 legged goey creatures
13. a crossover between Ken and Kitty (Summer 2023)
15. a heist pulled off by a master thief and his team for his ex girlfriend
SUDOKU
ZINE CONTRIBUTION BY ELIZABETH TOURSAL
What are your cups of joy? :)
Curiosities by TASNIA ALAM Curiosities Editor
HOROSCOPES
Welcome back to school, everybody! Here are your first horoscopes for this time around.
ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19)
You’re being consistent this start of semester. Keep it up! Consistency is what you need to ace it!
TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)
I hope your relaxation is going well, don’t forget to stay on track with your studies as well. You don’t want to fall behind…
GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)
Socialize with your friends, and come up for fresh air every so often from your studying sessions that you’re so committed to. Find a small balance.
CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)
Don’t downplay your own emotions this time around. Talk to a friend, or even journal.
LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)
Don’t be overconfident with your homework load or grades. It may disappoint you. Be just confident enough.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22)
Happy Birthday, Virgos! Make a wish. As for your horoscope, continue being your perfectionist self, and most importantly follow through with your plans. And if you haven’t started planning your weeks yet, what are you waiting for?!
LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)
Your gossip well has been dry this beginning of semester, so maybe this is your sign that you should focus a bit more on school. But, something is coming. Oh, and I hope you like your schedule now after multiple changes.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)
Have you ever considered a singing career instead of what you’re in now? Maybe you should give it a try…
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)
Keep up the good school work, and continue spreading your joy around. The people around you are soaking it in.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)
Your hardwork is going to pay off. However, maybe do some of that hard work with friends instead of doing it all alone.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)
Are you stocked up this semester with new back to school supplies? Let your aesthetic pens and highlighters be your motivation for whenever you don’t feel like doing homework. Pretty notes are worth the hassle of school.
PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20):
You are probably very overwhelmed with school, even if it’s just started. Just take a deep breath and relax. COMIC BY SAYA HIDAKA-MASSICOTTE
HELP PROTECT THE EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS STUDENTS!
The provincial government’s Law 14 imposes provisions that are harmful and discriminatory towards Indigenous students in Quebec. Law 14’s implementation will act as a deterrent for indigenous students wishing to pursue higher education in Quebec and cause some Indigenous students to be unable to graduate from the CÉGEP of their choice or be able to attend CÉGEP at all. By continually putting the French language above all other considerations, the provincial government has again contributed to the systemic erasure of Indigenous culture.
Scan the lefthand code below to sign the petition to exempt Indigenous students from Law 14, which closes on September 30th 2024 (Orange Shirt Day). Scan the right hand code to view our video on the subject.
ANSWER TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD
MASTHEAD
Mirren Bodanis Editor-in-Chief
Sanad Hamdouna Editor-in-Chief
Winie Coulanges Managing Editor
Saima Mazumder
Digital Managing Editor
Julia Azzouz Copy Editor
Juhaina Rauph Copy Editor
Thalia Ruiz Ramirez News Editor
Emma Caspi Voices Editor
Charlotte Renaud
Arts & Culture Editor
Mirren Bodanis
Science & Environment Editor
Jade Gangé
Sports Editor
Tasnia Alam Curiosities Editor
Ezra Bucur Creative Writing Editor
Sanad Hamdouna Visual Arts Editor
Maya Jabbari Staff Writer
Abigail Oyewole Staff Writer
Afsha Akhtar Social Media Manager
Tennesy Braun Video Content Writer
Eliot Fleming
Video Content Writer
Naiomi Daoust
Video Content Producer
Lorina Kutan-Boghosian
Video Content Producer
Yassine Benouahmane
Graphic Designer
Towa Di Profio Cover Artist
Saya Hidaka-Massicotte Cartoonist
CONTRIBUTORS
Megan Sheel
Emma Wang
Benjamin Daoust
Christopher James Dimitriadis
Simin Dadras
Toka Siyam
Finn MacDonald
Dorji Dhatsenpa
CONTACT
The Plant Newspaper Dawson College 3040 Rue Sherbrooke O Montréal, QC H3Z 1A4 2C.12
theplantnews.com theplantnewspaper@gmail.com @theplantdawson
