The Plant September 2022 Vol. 57 No. 1

Letter from the Editor

A few weeks ago, my friend Mike said something along the lines of “I’m not gonna lie. You- failed. But...you just gotta keep going. Y’know those Jap anese bowls, when they break you paint the little gold flakes in the cracks, and you keep going.” For some reason that really snapped me out of that day’s shittiness.

I felt like a total failure that day; I’d been talking big around campus for the past few weeks about how I’d “CHANGE THE PLANT NEWSPAPER and MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN”. Meanwhile, I hadn’t been checking the Plant’s emails, I wasn’t organising meetings with new staff, I hadn’t gotten ourselves a fucking club table, and I found out we’d lose our budget to print this news paper if we didn’t get an issue out every month. Furthermore, I’d spent the last 3 months without any structure whatsoever - every day was partying until I couldn’t keep my eyes open; the sun was optional. Then all at once I took on the responsibility of being editor-in-chief of this newspaper, taking 4 project-heavy courses, a new job at porn theatre Cinéma L’Amour (who insist on doing all of their accounting by hand), all whilst dealing with the psychological and physical aftermath of thyroid cancer as well as the tapered tummy cramps of a break-up. But hey… this paper will be my cracked Japanese pottery. I may have failed, but there is a certain beauty to be extracted from human failure. Thank you, Mike.

Fun fact: the term for filling pottery’s cracks with gold is Kintsugi.

To keep this paper going and to dip our toes into the potential creative boundaries it beholds, I present to you the product of one scrambled September. Thank you to everyone who submitted, saw our posters, and scanned those teeny Easter egg QR codes that lead to our Instagram (@theplantnews). You made this paper possible.

I want this paper to be an artifact of what students in the year 2022 think and write about. Don’t be stifled by the need to sound smart and academic; we want your actual voice.

When in doubt, submit your writing piece to us. Help us build this time capsule.

Send your works to theplantnewspaper@gmail.com, 800 words or less, unless you think your piece is extremely worthy of having a spread.

I’ve learned this month that running a newspaper is a lot harder than it looks. Josephine (our beautiful, effervescent managing editor) and I cranked this paper out on nothing more than a dream and klugey time-management skills. The biggest help, however, was the brilliant, passionate and diverse team we curated for this semester. They have worked tirelessly, sorting through con tributions, writing articles, coming up with ideas, copy editing, and the works... I’d like to thank each and every one of you. Jo and I chose you because we believe in you. I have no regrets.

Now, without further adieu, I invite you dear readers to flip through our newspaper.

Wishing you all minimal stress and abundant opportunities for kinky sex,

ISABELLA BLU PTITO-ECHEVERRIA Editor-in-Chief, Fall 2022

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

Quebec and the Queen: A Complicated Web of Emotions

SOPHIE ANABELLE SOMÉ Staff Writer

On September 8, Queen Elizabeth II passed away after 70 years on the throne. Her death has generated dif ferent emotions and reactions all over the world and people are grieving the late monarch in their unique ways. Memorials, moments of silence, and condolences are sent to the royal fam ily in the glooming grief of Queen Elizabeth II. While some people found her presence unnecessary and figurative, the Queen’s role in the United Kingdom had been to pose as a symbol of unity and national identity.

The symbol of power that the monarchy represents goes far back in time where the United Kingdom possessed dozens of colonies all over the world. Those colonies were ex ploited by the British empire to build a healthy nation and expand their ter ritories all over the world. Barbados, Jamaica, Nigeria, New Zealand, and Canada are only a few of the 57 colo nies that the British empire possessed. Today, Barbados, Jamaica, Nigeria and New Zealand have gained their total independence from Britain. Can ada is one the few remaining coun tries that is still overseen by the Brit ish crown and people are questioning the importance of the monarchy in our political system. In a general sense, doesn’t it constitute a permanent re minder of the massacres and abuses committed by the British empire in its own colonies? More specifically, in

Canada, how is the population feeling about the presence of the monarchy in their constitution? And how much space in society should be allotted to the monarchy and to the late queen Elizabeth II?

In Quebec, the answers are com plicated. In the province the monar chy has ups and downs in the eyes of the population and its growing nation alist wave. The Queen can be seen as a threat to democracy in a wave and attempt to make the province an in dependent nation. The monarchy is a reminder of the Conquest and the takeover of the New France, a franco phone nation, by the British kingdom. For instance, in October 1974, the Queen’s visit in Quebec City was ac companied by booing separatists and pro-independence protesters. On the other hand, when the Queen made her stop in Charlottetown, she was greet ed with a much warmer welcome. The police’s use of force contributed to naming this event “Truncheon Satur day” or “Le Samedi de la Matraque” in French.

According to Global News, cur rent premier François Legault issued a statement regarding the Queen’s passing: “Queen Elizabeth marked history for 70 years. She had a sense of duty to the public.” Reported on Cult MTL, Montreal’s mayor, Valerie Plante issued a similar statement say ing: “Elizabeth II dedicated her life to public service and showed a great sense of duty during her reign”.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, the

leader of the Parti Québécois, took a different side in a Global News in terview on September 8: “Legault should not treat the Queen of England as a head of state in Quebec, nor give credibility to an illegitimate colonial regime in Quebec”. According to M. Plamondon, the Queen’s position as a head of state shouldn’t be acknowl edged nor approved in the province.

As we move outside of Quebec, reactions can differ largely. Reported in the CBC newspaper, Prime Min ister Justin Trudeau said in an emo tional and personal speech following the Queen’s death: “In a complicated world, her steady grace and resolve brought comfort and strength to us all”. On September 13, M. Trudeau announced a national holiday for the funeral of the Queen. As reported by the Global News, while provinces are left with the choice to declare a hol iday on September 19, M. Legault declared that it will be a “day of com memoration, but not a holiday in the province”. Reasons for his choice in clude his considerations for students and parents that would have to put off work for their children.

Now a death remains a tragic and saddening event, but in the case of the Queen, her passing will revive nation al and individual questions about the place of the monarchy. Whether one will mourn or celebrate the passing of the Queen, many agree that she was an influential figure in society.

Today, Barbados, Jamaica, Nigeria and New Zealand have gained their total independence from Britain. Canada is one the few remaining countries that is still overseen by the British crown and people are questioning the importance of the monarchy in our political system.

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The 2022 Provincial Elections: What is Each Party’s Platform?

MATHEW ANANIA News Editor

Author’s Note: This article contains mentions of racism, sexual assault, Is lamaphobia and systemic racism, which may be upsetting to some readers.

In just under two weeks, it will mark four years since the Coalition Avenir Québec formed a majority gov ernment and gathered seventy-four seats in the 2018 provincial election. Consequently, the National Assembly was dissolved just over three weeks ago, and each party’s platform has been released just in time for a fast-ap proaching election.

Polls are indicating that François Legault and his party, the Coalition Avenir Québec, will likely “Continuons” The party responsible for the proposals of Bills 2, 21, 40 and 96 can anticipate a landslide victory, demonstrates a poll conducted by CTV News Montreal.

As coordinator of the Law, Soci ety and Justice profile and political sci ence professor, Dr. Dónal Gill puts it, “Polls are showing that the CAQ will win the election. What is up for debate however, is what happens between the rest of the parties, and how the division of the seats will play out. A major re alignment of Québec politics is a genu ine possibility.”

The CAQ government maintains a center-right platform, and continuously projects sovereigntist values, yet they do not plan on cutting ties with the fed eral government. Recently, Legault’s campaign has associated the terms “extremism” and “violence” with rea sons to limit the flow of immigration in the province. Legault has also denied the presence of systemic racism in the wake of Joyce Echaquan’s death, an Indigenous woman who died of a treat able condition, yet was mocked and belittled by her on-duty caregivers. Le gault has apologized for his impulsive and insensitive comments yet, where does one draw the line?

The party has revealed the Blue Fund, an environmentally-focused plan to sustainably manage the waters of Québec. The $650M plan will be funded through the collection of roy alties of those who use the resource. Legault is also increasing the anti-infla

tionary cheque; Quebecers who make under $50,000 will receive $600, while those who make between $50,000 and $100,000, will receive $400. Finally, the party plans to recruit more medical professionals and create two private healthcare centers.

Dominique Anglade will lead the Parti Libéral du Québec in the upcom ing election, and wants Quebecers to “Votez vrai”. Anglade, a former pres ident of the CAQ, left after she no longer identified with the party’s atti tudes towards identity and the flow of immigration in Québec. She won the riding of Saint-Henri Sainte-Anne in a by-election and slowly made her way up to running as the leader of the party. Anglade and her party faced criticism with the way in which they handled matters relating to Bill 96. The conse quences were reflected through a poll conducted by CTV News Montreal, which represented the gradual loss of the PLQ’s Anglophone stronghold in historically Liberal ridings.

Most notably, the PLQ have un veiled an economical and ecological plan titled the ECO project which would invest $100B into reaching car bon neutrality and using cleaner sourc es of energy over the following thirty years. Furthermore, they’re proposing income tax cuts for the middle-class, tax increases for the upper-class as well as removing the QST from electricity, basic necessities, and over-the-counter medication. The PLQ plan on eliminat ing the Welcome Tax which requires buyers to pay an extra tax to their respective municipality, and are also promising the construction of affordable housing. They’ve put forward a $6B plan to open 4,000 new beds and are plan ning to collaborate with private clinics to squeeze more patients through the sys tem. Anglade, who is adamant about pro tecting the French language alternatively, promised to remove the notwithstanding clauses on Bills 21 and 96. Ultimate ly, this means that provisions of the bill that derogate from Charter rights would no longer be protected. Although the PLQ has identified itself as a center-left platform, the privatization of healthcare and economic liberalism, which are ide ologies found in the PLQ’s platform, are synonymous with a right wing platform.

Co-spokespeople of Québec Solidaire, Manon Massé and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, wish to “Changer d’ère” with their environmentally-fo cused and far-left platform. The party has released Vision 2030, an ambitious and credible plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55%, by 2030, and ultimately reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Québec solidaire supports Bill 96 but has been vocal about the adverse effects it will unleash on the Indige nous community. Moreover, they’ve promised to dismantle discriminatory provisions of Bill 21, but have refused to remove sections which ban individ uals from keeping their faces covered while delivering public services.

The party plans to combat the increased cost of living by raising the minimum hourly wage to $18 per hour, temporarily providing tax cuts on goods, and halting the rising electricity prices. Notably, the team has planned the construction of 50,000 social and affordable housing units to combat the housing crisis. They are advocating for an increased presence of long-term healthcare facilities, increased funding in the public healthcare system, and universal dental care. The party is also proposing increased accessibility to childcare services, free education at the entry-level, and promises to welcome sixty thousand to eighty thousand im migrants yearly.

The QS have committed to Qué bec sovereignty by promising a refer endum during their first mandate which they believe will facilitate reconcilia tion as well as economic, ecological, and cultural prosperity.

The Parti Quebécois, led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has put their fight for sovereignty at the forefront of their campaign, citing, “Le Québec qui s’assume. Pour vrai.” As opposed to the CAQ’s results, the PQ are showing a significant decrease in the popular vote, and are expected to win one seat in the riding of Matane-Matapedia. Nonetheless, the party is carrying on with their campaign.

The PQ, a center-left party, have been adopting normalized plans for the environment, economy and healthcare, struggling to firmly plant themselves in their campaign for sovereignty,

posits political science professor, Va leire-Anne Maheo. The party has taken a strong stance against federalism and believes that sovereignty is the catchall for the protection of the French lan guage and culture.

They are also promising purchas ing power allowances of $1,200 for those earning under $50,000 and $750 for those earning between $50,000 and $80,000. The PQ is proposing the ab olition of the private daycare system and will open up an additional 15,000 spots, culminating in a grand total of 150,000 new daycares. Moreover, they plan to invest $3B into at-home senior care and plan to slowly remove longterm healthcare facilities. Additionally, they have released an ecologically-in clined plan costing $21B in spending over a period of seven years in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030.

Erstwhile Radio X host, Éric Duhaime, is leading the far-right Parti Conservateur du Québec and is advo cating for the freedom to choose, citing “Libres chez nous”. The slogan skill fully represents the party’s nationalist values and puts a play on the slogan from the Quiet Revolution, “Maîtres chez nous”. Jean Lesage, the trailblaz er of the movement, is credited with guiding Québec into a period of eco nomic, social, political prosperity and nationalism.

Éric Duhaime was a radio person ality for several far-right radio stations, where he made an array of racist, Is

lamaphonic comments, in addition to insensitive remarks about sexual as ssault; he compared sexual assault to car theft, dismissed Islamophobic hate crimes, denied the existence of system ic racism, and said the Black communi ty has “few Heroes it can be proud of”. Éric Duhaime fully supports Bill 21 but believes that there are other ways to protect the language in response to his disapproval for Bill 96. Further more, Duhaime has vowed to abolish the Minister responsible for the Status of Women and replace them with a Min ister responsible for Equality.

The PCQ’s plan for the economy includes proposing tax cuts on income and gasoline. They are also planning to increase the tax exemption bracket to twenty thousand dollars. In addition to supporting the abolition of the Federal Carbon Tax, the party is in support of a project entailing the construction of a seven hundred and fifty kilometer pipe line to transport liquified natural gas, ti tled the “LNG project”. More notably, they are proposing a hybrid healthcare system model as part of their call for reform of the Public Healthcare Act and are increasing accessibility of the childcare system. The party has shown a large increase in the polls, and is slowly starting to become a serious contender in the race.

Québecers can choose from other parties, which include but are not limited to, the Parti vert du Québec, the Canadian Party of Québec and Bloc Montréal.

Gill proposes an alternative to basing your vote off the dominant par ty in your electoral riding according to polls: “You’re better off doing your homework by reading the policies and platforms of parties and rewarding the party that best represents your values and offers credible and feasible solu tions to the problems that Québec will face in the future.”

Furthermore, he mentions that vot ing for the party of your choice will al ways be a tactical and strategic decision since “party funding by the government is largely on the basis of the percentage of the popular vote, you can help the party by recuperating more of their elec toral funds for the next election.”

Regardless of where you may stand on the political spectrum, your vote matters. As cliché as it might sound, if you are a citizen over the age of eighteen, it is your duty to ex ercise your democratic right to vote. If you’re not eligible to vote, make sure to take note of the promises the parties are making and hold them accountable during their next campaign. Before October 3rd, make sure you are regis tered to vote on electionsquebec.qc.ca. On Election Day, get out the vote and choose the party you best identify with.

Photo VIA GLOBAL NEWS

Pictured (left to right): Anglade, Du haime, Legault, Nadeau-Dubois and St-Pierre Plamondon.

The Reason Behind Slow Ambulances

AYA HAFEDA Staff Writer

On Friday the second, an incident near Dawson College occurred. An elderly woman of 79 years was leav ing the metro to cross Atwater Avenue when losing balance with her cane, she fell face first on the burning con crete. More than a dozen people from across the street, sitting on the nearby picnic tables, or walking to the forum center rushed over. The woman sat all bloody with her missing two front teeth on the ground. Blood rushing out of both her nose and mouth, ev eryone was in dismay. Phones were pulled out and three people called an ambulance describing the scene in panicked voices. Over 45 minutes lat er, only four people were left to assist the elderly woman. All 5 were sitting baking on the street, hoping to see the familiar ambulance car or to hear a si ren soon, but no one came. Two more calls were made complaining, “We have been here for almost an hour; this isn’t normal.”

calls. The elderly woman of 91 years waited 7 hours with her family for an ambulance. When the paramedics made it to her home, it was far too late and she had died.

A similar case took place in Montreal on May 14th, 2022. 65 year old Myron Cybriwski called the am bulance informing them he had in jured his head about a week ago and was still in pain. According to his daughter, there were no questions concerning his living situation, only ones asking whether he was bleeding or had caught covid. Although they informed him an ambulance might take up to 7 hours to get to his home, the man waited another 13 minutes before composing a second call and 2 hours for a third one. The ambulance had taken 11 hours to reach Myron Cy briwski and by then they were too late.

As infuriating as the situation is, they are certainly not to blame for these incidents. As passionate as the paramedics in Montreal and Laval may be to complete their duties, their capacities are limited due to the lack of workers in the paramedic field.

According to CBC news, the de mand for paramedics is high but the number of employees is only getting lower. Although the official site of Quebec classifies the job prospects for the years of 2021-2025 as “very good”, there are still 6000 jobs left unfilled in the province of Quebec and 600 in the island of Montreal. Out of the approximate 891 paramedics in Montreal, 84% of them work full time but that number is not large enough to

cover incidents in the area. On June 25, 2022, CTV News Montreal stated that there were 26 ambulances not in use in Montreal and Laval due to staff shortage.

This histogram demonstrates the salaries for paramedics across Cana da, with Yukon on top with 77,074$ per year and Quebec at the shortest interval with an annual salary of 57, 476$ with a starting salary of around 23$ an hour. The job demands for the territories are undetermined, never theless, second on the list is the prov ince of Ontario with a yearly salary of 74 675$, whose job prospect is much lower than Quebec’s. When facing a high demand, changes need to be done. In order for there to be more paramedics in the province of Que bec, wages need to increase.

The Fédération de la Santé et des Services sociaux, an organization representing over 3000 paramedics, had come to an agreement with the government of Quebec last May. Ac cording to the government, this ac cord will work on “an improvement in the remuneration and work conditions of the most important group of am bulance workers in Quebec, but also improve accessibility to front-line services for the population”

There have not been any major changes with regards to the issues paramedics in Montreal and Laval face; however, with the acknowledge ment of the government, it is a major step forward and hopefully the situa tion will improve.

According to Emergency.Net, Urgences-santé Ambulance Service possesses 138 ambulances vehicles that cover both the island of Montreal and Laval which is about an area of 744 square kilometers. In both terri tories combined, there is a population of 2.3 million people. The area of Montreal has a number of 19 hospitals while Laval has only 2.

Issues with slow ambulances have occurred before in Montreal and Laval. On July 11th, 2022, a woman named Thérèse Pardiac fell on her leg and suffered a hip injury. When her family called the ambulance, her inju ry was classified as level 4, therefore it took no precedence over the other

As passionate as the paramedics in Montreal and Laval may be to complete their duties, their capacities are limited due to the lack of workers in the paramedic field.

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EVENTS

MEET ME

An innovative, immersive theatre experience

MATURE CONTENT WARNING—

AGES 18+.

– Thurs. Sept. 29 to Sat. Oct 8 at 7 pm (no show on Sun. Oct. 2)

– Playing at McGill Campus- TNC Theatre, 3485 McTavish (Morrice Hall)

Audiences will be travelling on foot between 3 different locations, 3-4 minutes apart.

In Meet Me, the characters along side the audience must navigate the multiplicity of pathways towards resolution. This interactive pro duction explores sexual dynamics, cancel culture and consent in the post #metoo era in a small audience set ting. Each audience member is given a specially programmed smartphone to use during the show; experiencing the characters’ own smartphones and social media in real-time, including receiving text messages, social media posts and music integral to the sto rytelling. At key points, the audience collectively decides how the play unfolds and then watch as their input is transformed into action.

Tickets: $20-$30; 20% off if seeing the show a 2nd time

VERY limited seating; wheelchair accessible

For information: (514) 848-0238 or www.teesriduniyatheatre.com

HEALTHY STEPS TO A SAFE SPACE!

Mental health event for youth, by youth (ages 16-25)

– Saturday, October 15th, 11am-3:30pm

– Centre Greene (1090 Av. Grenne Westmount QC H3Z 1Z9 Canada) 15-minute walk from Dawson.

Different booths (animal therapy, clothing swap, etc.), different orgs and ressources (mental health, sexual health, LGBTQ+ support, etc.) Get your mental wellness on!

CHERRY DOCS

MATURE CONTENT WARNING—

AGES 16+.

– Wednesday September 28, 8pm–Opening night.

– Show runs from Wednesday-Sun day* 8pm, *Sun. Oct. 9 is at 2pm

– 3997 St. Laurent Blvd. – Acts to Grind Theatre at MainLine Theatre

In Cherry Docs, a Jewish legal aid lawyer is assigned to defend a neo-Nazi skinhead accused of the heinous, racially motivated murder of a South Asian immigrant. An intense and fiery relationship develops between the two men as they explore their emotional and intellectual differences. The work probes the explosive effect that blind hate has on society and the hurdles needed to confront it in order to eradicate it.

Tickets: $20-$28, (514) 849-3378

MY ISLAND, MY HEART - LES 7 DOIGTS SHOW

– Begins on September 10, 2022 until October 16, 2022, from 2:00pm - 8:00pm

– Studio-Cabaret at Espace St-Denis Montreal, QC

An Emotional journey through the heart is presented in English and French, telling the story of a Montre al lover. Les 7 Doigts is partnering with Le festival de Montréal to create an immersive circus experience filled with dance, multimedia, and acrobatic features.

Tickets: Prices start at 53,81$ + a 9,50$. You get a student discount with Ticketpro

BILIMINAL + ÉTAT SIX AT SAT

– 2 audiovisual projections in SAT’s satosphere

– From September 6th to October 7th at 7pm.

– Location: Société des arts tech nologiques (SAT) - 1201 Saint-Lau rent Blvd, Montreal, QC H2X 2S6

The first projection offers an immer sive experience through undulating and vaporous atmospheres, both palpable and elusive, creating scen eries alternating between meditative visuals and chaotic explosions. The second piece of immersive visual work is constructed around the different states of consciousness we achieve while sleeping and dream ing: a mesmerizing travel into this unknown 6th state.

Tickets: Cost: 19$/ticket with taxes (for students)

Artwork by Dawson Avatars

@DAWSON.AVATARS

Artwork by Ana Sofia Castano @EYEZIART

Artwork by Alice Martin

@MIINIIMALIICE

Visual Arts by ALICE BOULIANNE Visual Arts Editor

EVENTS

SWEET FLOOD, BRAINDOWN AND BUBBLEGAM AT BLUEDOG MOTEL

MATURE CONTENT WARNING— AGES 18+.

– Friday, September 30th, Doors at 8:00, Show at 8:30

– 3958 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Grunge/Death Metal/Punk Show, local & up-and-coming bands

Tickets: 5$ sold at the door.

Follow @sweetflood on Instagram for more shows and updates!

Photo VIA RYAN BEISSWANGER – SWEET FLOOD

Using LGBTQ+ and Nonconformist Artists as Punching Bags: Mainstream Media’s Forté

SIMONE BÉLANGER Arts & Culture Editor

The media is a hell of a scary place for queer people. From casual harmful jokes to death threats, few are spared. It is even scarier that prominent reporters and columnists fill the media with bare ly hidden hate. Although not all media engage in such discourse, some do on a recurrent basis while appealing to a large audience.

Such articles propagate at a high speed and often target the same per sonalities, manufacturing them into “suitable punching bags”. The artist themselves are mere paraphernalia for such articles, as what remains at their core is an excessive effort and relent lessness to scorn queerness and anyone who dares to tackle gender norms. Why is this manifestation of bigotry taking over? It makes a “buzz”, and an ex tremely harmful one.

Media such as Quebec’s top newspaper (most read in 2022), “Le Journal de Montréal,” thrives on giv ing shocking titles to chronicles, end lessly targeting a few artists who are already villainized by the masses, and weaponizing terms known to polarize (such as using the expression “woke” to turn issues into blatant mockery).

This topic can’t be addressed without evoking some of our iconic nonconformist artists and what the me dia put them through. Hubert Lenoir, a singer and songwriter born in Quebec City, blew up in 2018 after releasing the album Darlene, which earned 4 different awards at l’ADISQ gala. He is known for his vibrant androgyny, in cendiary personality, and desire to stay authentic, but also for the frightening amount of animosity received from the media both in Quebec and France.

Clémentine Goldszal, a respected music critic writes in La Dispute: “Three years ago he was in a folk band, and now he convinced himself that wearing lip stick was actually cool […] This kind of pre-chewed provocation, it annoys me.” Here, Goldszal’s issue with Lenoir is completely unrelated to his music. It is about makeup. Quite alarming how art ists who diverge from gender norms ar en’t judged on their actual art but on how they present themselves instead.

One of her collaborators, Pas caline Potdevin, even qualified Lenoir as “having obsessive themes”. Know ing some of the major topics addressed in his work are alienation, gender fluid ity, sexual identity, and gender identity, this criticism comes off as highly dis turbing. Because how exactly is fight ing the existing oppressive gender norms obsessive? I simply can’t tell. Sounds more like poorly concealed bigotry to me.

It is also worth mentioning that in Le Journal de Montréal’s 2018 list of Quebec’s personalities who impacted the year negatively, Hubert Lenoir was ranked 8th. Right after Gilbert Rozon, Éric Salvail, Couillard, Trudeau, Alex andre Bissonnette: an exquisite assort ment of rapists, corrupted or distaste ful politicians, and a killer. An artist shocked people by his lack of care for gender and societal norms to the point his name stands right after some of the province’s most sickening individuals. How is this even real?

Another queer artist who suf fered from constant mediatic criticism, hate, and threats is Safia Nolin. Born in Limoilou (title of her first album in 2015), Safia gathered multiple awards and even more nominations throughout the years. Yet, her success is far from being unanimous.

Last February, Sophie Durocher (Le Journal de Montréal) was public ly asked by Bonsound, Safia’s label, to stop writing about their client. This request is the result of multiple articles published in a very short span which downright bully Nolin, minimizing her sexual allegations, defending her

aggressor (Maripier Morin) and mock ing her appearance. No wonder vulgar hateful messages surfaced downtown following this kind of vicious criticism; she received several insults and threats, such as “fat cow”, “bitch” or “ugly,” and many internet users accused her of sabotaging Morin’s career. I think we can all agree on this; the only person responsible for the fall of Maripier Mo rin is Maripier Morin herself.

It also illustrates how sexual al legations in the LGBTQ+ community are not treated with the serious hetero sexual ones are granted, and carry a minor weight in public opinion. Less than two years after Safia Nolin spoke up, Maripier Morin had already made her comeback in the film industry. No lin reacted with: “It is difficult enough to see that two years later, my mental health, my safety, and my career are still awfully affected, added to the fact I now see her face everywhere.”

The other issue is that there are rarely debates around her ideas or tal ent; her body, clothes and sexual orien tation are the main targets of criticism. To such hypocritical and sensationalist journalistic practices, we must say farewell.

Throughout the decades, LGBTQ+ and nonconformist personalities were never spared by the media, and a crip pling homophobia still lurks in our society. But the mouths of the mar ginalized artists will never be shut. No one should justify themselves “in the face of conservative, imbecile and ho mophobic people.” To all the fools, Hu bert Lenoir replied with a quite direct: “Fuck you all.”

Photo VIA HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT

Punk Rock, Anarchy, and How They Relate to Each Other

A sub-cultural history paper

SANAD HAMDOUNA Staff Writer

A lot of people have heard the word “punk” or “punk rock” but not many are familiar with the subculture, or its origins.

Punk is a musical, politically charged, grassroots movement that emerged in the mid-1970s. According to Jon Savage, a scholar of the Punk movement, Punk mainly originated in the UK and North-East America as a partially cultural response to the hap py-go-lucky attitude of mainstream and hippie culture in comparison to the political and social issues of the time. The movement was additionally said to rekindle the teenage rebellion rock and roll culture of the 50’s.

The Cambridge dictionary defines Punk in a more mainstream way: “a culture popular among young people, especially in the late 1970s, involv ing opposition to authority expressed through shocking behaviour, clothes, and hair, and fast loud music”.

Although punk rock was born from garage bands in New York’s trash culture and underground rock move ment, the popularization of this cultur al phenomenon was initiated in the UK by one of the best known punk bands, the Sex Pistols.

The Sex Pistols were loud, violent, crass, and in their own words “nasty lit tle bastards”, something unheard of for bands in the UK at the time. Their crass and “in your face” lyrics expressed an archist themes such as anti-consumer ism and anti-establishment. In the short time they were active, they became a source of inspiration for many alterna tive rock musicians and had a signifi cant influence on the development of punk aesthetics. The rock music scene was never the same after their shocking appearances.

Anarchy (in both the literal and political sense) has always been an important theme in punk music and culture. Anyone even a little bit famil iar with the subculture knows that the symbol of the circled A is inescapable. But what this letter really represents can be unclear since Anarchism is

ever-evolving and unfortunately often misrepresented.

A very general and to the point definition of Anarchism supplied by Dr. Andreas Wittel, a professor at Notting ham Trent University, is that it is a po litical ideology and school of thought that bases itself in the belief in a hor izontal organization of society. This means that it opposes any long-stand ing and/or unjustified hierarchies. It’s an organization of society that has been ever-present during the course of hu man history but has become a minority belief and adapted to our modern times as a practice of resistance within the system.

ment with all of these values. Oppo sition to strict social principles is ex pressed most strikingly through fashion and attitude while opposition to main stream politics and economics is clear in the upholding of far left beliefs and values. Similarly, opposition to con sumerism is seen through alternative supply chains and the strong DIY (do it yourself) ethic.

Punk music tends to have very explicitly political lyrics, the following well known punk songs are only two of many that portray this quite clearly.

There are 8 main types of an archism but the one that seems to be most present in punk is Insurrectionary Anarchism. According to Anarchy 101, this form of Anarchism opposes any formal organizing (such as NGOs and political parties) and instead supports small, group based, and informal or ganization. Insurrectionary Anarchism completely refuses to negotiate with class enemies and instead goes straight for the attack. This is the strain of an archism that’s the most obvious within punk, even though there are many sub sets of the punk subculture that align better with different strains. Two things that all anarchist schools of thought have in common are anti-establishment and anti-consumerism values.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines these concepts as the following. To hold anti-establishment values is to be opposed to the established beliefs of society when it comes to things such as social principles, politics, and econom ics. To hold anti-consumerist values, is to be opposed to the constant purchas ing and consuming of material goods by our society.

Punk culture shows clear align

This first song is called “1312” by an American-Mexican punk band called The Casualties. The name of the song itself is already very political and an ti-establishment since “1312” stands for “ACAB”, meaning “All Cops Are Bas tards”. To drill this message in harder, the song starts with a chant of ten “1312, ACAB”, immediately followed up by lines about corruption and police brutal ity related to racism. The chorus is more “1312, ACAB”, and the verses after that are as anarchist and insurrectionary as it gets, with a barely concealed call to violence against the police in:

“We’ve had enough Let’s get together

Let’s show them what’s up.”

The song continues with similar messaging, including 4 Spanish vers es, and ends with ten more chants of “1312, ACAB” with a loud “1312” at the very end to deeply emphasize the anti-establishment values.

This next song is called “No, your product” (or “know your prod uct” depending on where you look), by an Australian punk band called The Saints. The song starts in quite a mel low way, with the first few verses being the singer telling a story about listening to an advertisement for cigarettes on the radio.

The chorus comes on as a reply to the advertisement, “cheap advertis ing, you’re lying”, a direct criticism of the dishonest advertising culture and a big part of consumerism in general. The chorus then continues, and the third verse of the chorus begins “I said, smooth talking, brainwashing” this verse clearly refers to the crushing hold

It is a political ideology and school of thought that bases itself in the belief in a horizontal organization of society.

that consumerist culture has on most people, quite explicitly calling out peo ple who buy into that brainwashing (no pun intended). That line is also very anti-capitalist in the way it suggests that advertisement (“smooth talking”) is capitalist propaganda (“brainwash ing”) meant to convince people to buy endlessly.

accepted in local scenes, some of them even broke out of the local scene and performed all over their country. Big backing just wasn’t needed –nor want ed– in punk. Even the sound itself was DIY, far from professional and far from the mainstream. It was directly anti-es tablishment and anti-consumerist.

within their own younger and ever-de veloping subculture.

A common alternative to buying endlessly is the concept of DIY or “do it yourself”. It’s something that’s always been a core aspect of the punk subcul ture, sometimes as a form of protest against consumerism, and sometimes just out of sheer necessity.

Because of the very explicit and anarchist lyrics that punk bands used in their music, no big record labels (and very few record labels in general) were willing to sign them, which led to the need to create their own DIY record labels, and soon enough it became frowned upon to work with mainstream record labels at all. Making punk mu sic was also very accessible in itself, and by lack of a better term, DIYable. It didn’t take much for a group of mu sically inclined teens to pick up a few instruments at a pawn shop and get into the music genre, almost anyone could do it as long as they had the drive. Small garage bands like that started popping up more and more, and were

The stereotypical punk look was also quite far from the mainstream, so unless someone had easy access to money and the one punk clothing shop in London (called Sex), a lot of things had to be done by hand, i.e. DIY. It didn’t help that consumerism with in the subculture, even from that one shop, was extremely frowned upon.

This attitude was even kept up by the Goth subculture, Punk’s gloomier baby which was developed in the ear ly 80s with genres such as Post-Punk, Gothic Rock, and Deathrock, all of which originally kept much of Punk’s culture and politics.

In the early 90s, gothic style start ed being widely appropriated and com mercialized. People who consumed it and called themselves goth were shamed and rejected by the wider subculture. It was seen as a rejection of the DIY and anti-consumerism parts of the subculture, two things very important to its origins.

Subsequently, the now reclaimed term “mall goth” came into being as a pejorative term for those people, along with being called “posers” and “spooky kids”. In other words, a complete rejec tion of those who participated in the commercialisation of goth and main stream consumerist culture by those who upheld the core principles of punk

In conclusion, anarchism has a huge influence on punk as a whole. From explicitly political song lyrics to general culture and fashion, anti-es tablishment and anti-consumerism are constants, even remaining in other subcultures that eventually grew out of punk. These anarchist values gave birth to the very thing that let punk become as big and accessible as it did; DIY cul ture and the principle that anyone can do it themselves, outside the system.

Sources:

Robb, John, and Oliver Craske. Punk Rock: An Oral History. Oakland, CA : Independent Publishers Group, 2012, pp. 1-100. eBook Academic Col lection (EBSCOhost)

Martin, Eryk. “The Blurred Boundaries of Anarchism and Punk in Vancouver.” Labour/Le Travail, vol. 75, Spring 2015, pp. 9-41. Academic Search Premier Dale, Pete. “It was easy, it was cheap, so what?: Reconsidering the DIY principle of punk and indie mu sic.” Popular Music History, vol. 3, no. 2, Aug. 2008, pp. 171-93. Academic Search Premier

Matrix, Dot, editor. Anarchy 101. Ardent Press, 2012, pp. 1-158. Anar chist bookstore of Montreal Savage, Jon. England’s Dream ing: The Sex Pistols and Punk Rock. Illustrated Edition ed. Faber & Faber, 1991.

Wittel, Andreas. “What is anar chism all about?” The Conversation, 10 Nov. 2015. pp

Punk music tends to have very explicitly political lyrics.

Photo VIA DAVID CHADWICK

1970-1980 Manchester punk night scene

When Breaking the Rules Is Vital to Solving the Holes Found In Our Educational System: A New Creative Approach

ROKHAYA RODRIGUEZ

Voices Editor

Last Sunday, I was in bed and decided to watch a movie in search of relief from my overwhelming life. The film “En corps” beautifully portrayed the impact of societal pressure and ex pectations on the good functioning of human beings. Reflection upon this issue sparked an idea in my mind. Creativity was the solution for the main character of “En Corps”; why couldn’t it be the solution for the ed ucational system? We study for many years, hoping to enter the workforce with a livable wage. School is a “cap italist workplace.” Students are not paid for their work but work to get paid in the future. Does that make sense? Students are like actors in a well-written play directed by people with the most power. It is problematic since “recent studies show that mental health issues are growing due to the pressure and result-oriented mentality of the educational system.” Perhaps, the educational system should rethink its goals. I would argue that schools should first and foremost empower in dividuals instead of counting them as numbers on an economic scale. How does the broken educational system concern Dawson students? Well, what

kind of school experience do you want to have?

As a current second-year Daw son student, most of my classes have adopted the traditional teaching style: Lecturing. Honestly, this approach lacks imagination and cannot be used in all contexts. The pandemic demon strated how attention span is hard to maintain during lectures. Shout out to the few teachers I know who have tried to make learning stimulating and about exploration. However, the tradi tional activities, in my opinion, rein force the idea that the educational sys tem isn’t ready to make compromises and change its structure. So, creativity for me is not just about learning activ ities that leave space for diversity but about how the whole system can adhere to new learning and teaching methods.

I have often found myself a “vic tim” of this system since students are subjected to unrealistic standards. In the past and even currently, I some times feel like there is no room for mistakes. The path we need to follow seems straight, leading to “success,” but it is the opposite.

Our grading system is an exam ple of a dysfunctional system. I nev er understood why we were graded compared to each other rather than based on our own previous individual

performances. Do we want to create machines that make money or indi viduals capable of revolutionizing the world?

In “En Corps,” the main char acter, a female ballet dancer, started contemporary dance and found a new world that offered her more than her previous one. What if we changed our values to improve the school environment? To achieve more in novation, which society often raves about, don’t we have to teach children to respect one another, see each oth er as an equal, and work with each other? Team group assignments are not enough since they can go in one of two ways; a person is stuck doing all the work, or the whole team works together but only for a reward (a good grade). What if we had a big round ta ble where everyone seated could see their classmates? Would a student be as inclined to laugh at another? Would a student be as willing to exclude an other? There are many more solutions to rethinking the educational system, and they require students’ attention.

I won’t pretend to have all the solutions. It takes guts to admit that you feel like a small piece in a game where more prominent players are winning. I want students to win as well. I may be idealistic but using more creative approaches in the edu cational system seems vital.

Sources:

Hyman, Peter. “Our School Sys tem Is Broken. Let’s Grab this Chance To Remake Them”. The Guardian. 5 Jul. 2020, www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2020/jul/05/ourschool-systems-are-broken-lets-gr ab-this-chance-to-remake-them. Ac cessed 13 Sep. 2022.

Buckley, Michael F. “The World Needs More Outspoken Creatives.” The Startup. https://medium.com/ swlh/the-world-needs-more-creativejerks-38e5cc358191. Accessed 13 Sept. 2022. pp

Photo VIA KATHLEEN M. G. HOWLETT

Artwork by Sebastian Jimenez

Artwork by Alessa Orsini

@ALESSAORSINI

Artwork by Alice Boulianne @ALIEBOULIANNE

Playlist by ALICE BOULIANNE Visual Arts Editor

The Hooded World of Female Masturbation

JOSEPHINE ROSS Managing Editor

Author’s Note: This article refers to masturbation in cisgender women. Masturbation in transgender and non binary individuals is a complex and nuanced topic; different though equally important.

I bet you internally recoiled when you read that title, didn’t you? Even if you possess a female repro ductive system, the topic of female masturbation might set off alarm bells in your head. It’s not your fault, that’s the social conditioning ringing. We’ve come far in the fight for female liberation, but female masturbation remains relatively un charted in comparison to other, less taboo topics. The idea that women can and should pleasure themselves is more widely accepted than in the past. However, despite the fact that most women engage in masturba tion, it remains a cultural taboo. This taboo is as present in real life as it is in the various forms of media available today, reflected in the bla tant deprivation of references to the act of female masturbation in either context. We are poorly equipped for dialogue on female masturbation. I attribute this to the lack of exposure to female masturbation in pop cul ture and porn. This lack of informa tion and representation reinforces the secrecy, shame, and cultural taboos surrounding the topic, strengthening the intentional, yet indirect, form of patriarchal control over female bod ies and what their owners should do with them.

I don’t think I knew about, much less accurately understood, the power of my own sex organ, and the pleasure I could derive from fiddling around down there, until I was 14. I didn’t know the first thing about fe male masturbation, vibrators, dildos, where I could find porn that catered to female fantasies, or even the pre cise location of the clitoris until I was well into my mid-teens. Even once well-versed in the topic, I didn’t dare speak of it to anyone, even with my closest friends, until quite recent ly. Nowadays, male masturbation is widely regarded as “natural and healthy”, while women who openly

speak about their masturbation habits continue to be characterized as “nym phos” or “sluts”. We steer clear of the topic to avoid being associated with these terms and implications. When I spoke to my Editor-In-Chief and dear friend, Isabella Blu Ptito-Echeverria about this article, she said; “It’s still so taboo, even between women! I’ll bring up masturbation in a group of women and their reaction is like ‘Oh, you’re going there?’” This sentiment accurately captures the discomfort and shame women feel surrounding the topic of their own sexuality, espe cially when it exists in the absence of a partner. We may be comfortable in bed, accompanied by our vibrators, but step out of this bubble and the ease melts away.

Masturbating women are portrayed in a way that either directly caters to a male fantasy of the act or depicts the act grotesquely. Even in porn, a theoretical “safe haven” for female masturbators and their desires, there is an overt lack of content targeted towards women. Most of the vid eos in Porn Hub’s specially curated “Porn for Women” section still cater to male fantasies and revolve around the male sex organ. We see males receiving oral far more often than the reverse. This is the case even in lesbian porn, where dildos and strap-ons make appearances in most videos. The male sex organ weasels itself into any form of porn, whether a male is present or not. Men have infinite occasions to identify with sex-positive characters and recog nize their own masturbation habits on-screen. Meanwhile, women are deprived of this opportunity and must go searching for information, reassurance, and validation on their own sexual habits elsewhere. While grown women are able to execute this type of research on their own, young er women may be too embarrassed or scared to do the same. With the per sistent problem of misinformation on the internet, we must ensure that younger women have safe access to correct information regarding their own bodies. More women healthi ly pleasuring themselves on-screen could assure that women of all ages are informed about and may identify with the act of female masturbation.

Discounting the occasional Cosmopolitan article or Sex and The City episode, there is an undeniable absence of exposure to female mas turbation in pop culture. On the other hand, there is ample imagery of, ref erences to, and conversations about male masturbation in just about ev ery TV show aired in the last two decades. When it comes to female masturbation, the level of exposure ranges from little to none. Even on the rare occasions when women pleasuring themselves are portrayed on-screen, these instances are usual ly heavily filtered by the male gaze and do not accurately reflect the masturbation habits of real women.

We can attribute the vast differ ence in exposure of male masturba tion versus female masturbation to another patriarchal-driven quest for control over the female body. The lack of research, exposure, and dia logue surrounding female masturba tion is just another facet of misogyny. By censoring and omitting the rang ing realities of female masturbation, we discourage women not only from engaging in the act, but also from speaking about it. Keeping this act secretive and maintaining the air of shame that surrounds it is another way the patriarchy continues to implicitly, yet decisively, control female bodies and enforce social codes that encour age women to refrain from experienc ing shameless pleasure.

Keeping this act secretive and maintaining the air of shame that surrounds it is another way the patriarchy continues to implicitly, yet decisively, control female bodies and enforce social codes that encourage women to refrain from experiencing shameless pleasure.

In the advent of mass media and the internet, pop culture has helped normalize formerly socially unacceptable behaviours, identities, and realities. Positive representations of women discussing and engaging in healthy masturbation in these mi lieus would significantly transform our cultural perception of the matter. Seeing sex-positive female mastur bators on screen could provide a safe space for young women to inform themselves on the topic as well as come to terms with and be more ac cepting of their own bodies, sexual ities, and natural urges. People who don’t have a female sex organ could benefit from learning more about its functions as well as about what healthy female masturbation could resemble. Additionally, this would enable parents to open a conversa tion with their kids about the subject. The “bird and the bees” talk should be the only one of its kind. Added

exposure about female masturbation would significantly de-stigmatize and normalize the act, making wom en feel more comfortable in their own sexuality.

The creation of porn sites specifi cally made for women as well as an uptick in alternative porn types, like audio porn, have made it easier for women to have a healthy relationship with their “solo-sexuality”. There is still much work to be done to open the floor for candid discussions about female masturbation in real life and on social media, but I am confident that this will improve with time and an increase in exposure to the subject.

Despite the lack of progress in this aspect of the female liberation movement, we finally seem to be getting on the right track. Netflix’s Sex Education (2019) broke bound aries and set a new precedent for how issues like masturbation could be represented and discussed on-screen.

We may be comfortable in bed, accompanied by our vibrators, but step out of this bubble and the ease melts away.

Photo

How exposure to positive representations could eliminate the taboos, shame, and secrecy that surrounds “solo-sexual” pleasure in women

Candid Conversations About ADHD Medication

What came first? The Zombie or the Ritalin?

ISABELLA BLU PTITO-ECHEVERRIA Editor-in-Chief

As someone with ADHD, I live my sober life in an impulsive haze. I have the habit of committing to more than I can handle (be it socially or academ ically). I then lack the time-manage ment and organizational skills to fol low through with those commitments which often leads to me feel like an incompetent piece of shit. For that reason, my morning 30 milligram dose of methylphenidate, also known as biphentin or timed-release Ritalin, is my saving grace. On Ritalin, the jumbled puppy-like excitement in my head suddenly becomes one directed voice that gives me the clarity I need to complete tasks.

That being said, there is a com mon claim among those afflicted with a Ritalin prescription– that Ritalin ‘turns you into a zombie’. I’ve been on Ritalin since the age of 16, and it doesn’t make me feel like a zombie. If anything, it stops me from feeling like one.

Interested in comparing and contrasting the experiences of people treated for ADHD, I sought the per spective of my friend Achilles. As I wrote this, my friend Mae interjected with valuable insight which I’ve in cluded. The following quotes are tran scriptions of informal conversations about our experiences with ADHD treatment.

Achilles is quite vocal about his contempt for ADHD medication. Having cycled through a vast selec tion of ADHD medications like Con certa and Vyvanse, his journey began at the ripe age of 8.

Achilles: My parents were notic ing my grades weren’t doing good or something, and I was like ‘Yeah, it’s hard to focus in class.’ I was like ‘I don’t like school, school sucks’ and I still don’t like school, school sucks. [chuckles] So it’s just the way I am.

I love school, but the way my brain works makes it difficult for me to suc ceed without a ‘boost’. Comparatively, Achilles hasn’t ever liked academic environments, so it doesn’t make much sense for someone like him to manipu late their biology into doing something they never wanted to in the first place.

While editing this article, Mae, who was prescribed Adderall at 7 years old, added:

I don’t think medication for an 8-year-old is necessarily any kind of problem-solving technique. I feel like medication as a high school student, when you actually have responsibil ities, and you actually have assign ments that you have to get in on time, that is a reason to be medicated [...] But when your projects and your home work is puzzles and filling in the blanks, I don’t feel like that amount of harsh drugs should be pushed onto a child.

She goes on to note that being put on Ritalin at a young age “makes our brains develop into the habit of being on medication. [...] We’d gone through puberty and the biggest growing phases of our lives on this mind-altering drug.” Prior to my con versation with Mae, I hadn’t considered the difference between being prescribed Ritalin after puberty versus prior to it.

Achilles’ experience coincides with Mae’s idea that developing psy chologically under the influence of Ritalin can be problematic, addiction being a potential consequence. At 16, Achilles’ doctor swapped a prescrip tion from extended-release Ritalin (which takes a diluted effect over the course of 8-12 hours) to instant-release.

Me: Why’d the doctor do that?

Achilles: Because I was having a crash at the end of the day. […] At the time, I didn’t realise it was a horrible idea, and I guess my parents didn’t either, because [they] didn’t realise ‘Oh, it’s a drug.’ They thought ‘It’s just medication!’ […] That’s when I stopped [taking ADHD medication]-after Ritalin. Because I noticed I was getting super addicted. I was having a lot of cravings for it.

Me: You were craving it?

Achilles: Yeah, it was really bad. I was supposed to be taking like one a day and I started taking way more, like four a day.

Me: Like at once?

Achilles: No. Not at once, but like throughout the day so I could keep going and not feel like shit. And it got really, really bad, to the point where I wasn’t sleeping, I was just doing Ritalin, I wasn’t fucking eat ing. And when I would crash, I would

just pass the fuck out in class. Like, I could barely walk out of the class… So that’s why I stopped. It was a le gitimate problem. The hallways were, like, spinning [...] I think that was a mix of the sleep deprivation and then the crash of Ritalin.

Unlike specialists of other or gans, psychiatrists’ approach to treating the brain swaps scans and bloodwork for questionnaires and paperwork. Using such an inaccurate diagnostic tool, taking a measure as drastic as prescribing speed to a child should be a last resort treatment for ADHD– not a default game of trial and error. Doctors who don’t special ize in the brain are even more discon nected from the wide reach ADHD has on our lives.

Me: What do you wish you’d had at that time instead [of medication]?

Mae: Well, um… I was always seen as lazy. I was always told I was lazy. I would always want to take the easy way out of things, right? The bare minimum. [...] Obviously I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing wrong. [...] Because I wasn’t writing as much as the other students were– because that’s not the way my brain worked, and that’s not the attention span I had– I was just labeled as these super demeaning and hurtful things. And no body tried to understand. Even when I told them and my parents told my school in grade six like, ‘Hey, our kid has ADHD’ they were like, ‘Oh. That sounds like a her problem.’ [...] I think the one thing I wish I had was more em pathetic people in my educational career.

Elementary school staff, at least during the times Mae and Achilles were kids, didn’t seem to receive any guidance on educating neurodivergent children. An ADHD brain will strug

Ritalin may help you sit down and get an essay done, but it won’t cure the inescapable dysfunction of our brains’ motivation and reward systems.

gle to feel rewarded by a task if the gratification isn’t instant. This means that long tasks requiring sustained at tention– like sitting still and listening to a lecture for an hour straight– are much harder to complete without breaks or encouragement in between. On a passionate roll, Mae continues: I don’t think people realize that ADD or ADHD isn’t just academic difficulties. It’s difficulties with ad diction; It’s difficulties with self-es teem; It’s difficulties with mental health. ADHD is often super comor bid with BPD, bipolar, anxiety, and

chronic depression, and relationship issues. [...] You’re super invested and hyper focused, and then you put your whole soul and being into this one thing or person or activity [...] and then it takes too long and you reach a point where you’re tired of this and you completely give up.

The vast majority of neurotypi cal people don’t understand how de bilitating ADHD can be. The trauma of being overmedicated, repeatedly labeled as ‘lazy’, being forced into an environment where you know you don’t belong, during crucial

moments of our brain development, can’t possibly be a form of ‘treat ment’. It’s malpractice on medical and educational fronts! I’m realizing now how lucky I was to have only been medicated after puberty, when I had adult responsibilities that re quired Ritalin to manage.

In short, while Ritalin may help you sit down and get an essay done, it won’t cure the inescapable dys function of our brains’ motivation and reward systems.

Photo VIA JOREN CULL

Start of the Semester Expectations vs. Reality

ASPEN CRICK Staff Writer

The start of a new semester always marks the beginning of an interest ing time. Some students are tired and worn out, while others are beacons of hope with a quench for learning. Whether you classify yourself as a newbie or an oldie, the school’s lay out can be confusing. As a third-year student at Dawson College, a real warrior, let me tell you how I still struggle to find certain rooms. If you don’t believe me, ask the students I tried to help during the welcome tour. We went around in circles, only for me to feel discouraged and have to come up with some pathetic apology smile. As the new students went their own way, I merely shook my head in disbelief at the awkward moment I had just experienced. Starting the semester with such confidence in my guiding role was a mistake.

If anyone from the Dawson staff reads my article, can we start a peti tion to renumber the Dawson class rooms? A room with the number 10 should not come after the number 12.

It is somewhat common knowl edge that the P wing is in the Mon treal Forum. Why is that so? I often think it is merely a plot to further baffle new students. They are already anxious about starting a new school

year, and now they also have to fig ure out where the P wing is. On top of that, college students are known to be easily distracted from their stud ies by anything, which is why I feel perplexed by classrooms being in the same building as a movie theater. Blaming the location of classes in the P wing seems like the perfect excuse to skip class and watch the latest big screen release. I can already hear all the students bursting with joy at the prospect of missing a lecture. Addi tionally, the college is connected to the Alexis Nihon Mall which makes it tempting to derive from school ex pectations but can also be convenient at times.

some people have to suffer through terrible schedules while others can somewhat sit back and relax.

“I picked a social science pro gram because I know, especially for like pure and applied, or any scientif ic program, that their specific cours es can get kinda ridiculous,” said Benjamin-Taylor Sauvé, a first-year student in North-South Studies inter viewed about his feelings regarding his course schedule.

Overall, some things that are es sential when it comes to being a cegep student include learning to be your individual self since teachers expect you to read the course outline, making new friends merely to steal their class notes because it’s a vital tool, and try ing new things like that bar you’ve been dying to go to and, finally, get a Dawson social life (which is a syn onym of scoping free food on campus because being well fed is essential).

My deepest apologies to the stu dents dying in a technical program from 8 am to 6 pm, five days a week, and those who have 5-hour classes with poorly timed and sometimes forgotten breaks. It’s ridiculous how

Even if this article has been a bore for you, try to remember these few basics: Stand on the RIGHT side of the escalators as the left side is used for the people that want to walk up it, and let people in the metro get off BEFORE you get on. For the love of God, don’t laugh at us, veterans, if we can’t help you find a classroom. Look at that; we’ve reached the end. You can now relate to a few more students on campus.

Stand on the RIGHT side of the escalators as the left side is used for the people that want to walk up it, and let people in the metro get off BEFORE you get on.

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Creative Writing by EMMA MAJAURY Creative Writing Editor

It’s that time of year when the temperature can’t make up its mind between summer and fall. For many, the start of this year represents the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new one; either starting at Dawson, start ing a new program or making a change in your personal life. For others, this may be the last September that they roam these halls. September is a time to celebrate new endeavours, but also to recognize the loss of the seeming ly endless carefree summertime. These poems are a nod to familiarity in new places and acknowledging the loss of what was once cherished.

I see a Bittersweet Memory in you

VANESSA MIA LOZZA Contributor

I see your hair, it shines like the sun I look at you and feel like I’m worshipping a shrine In your eyes there is hope A reminder of who I once was Perhaps that’s the reason why you intrigue me I see within you a long lost memory

Again is Gone

SARAH-ROSE MESTEL-GROINIG Contributor

I haven’t written a poem in a while, So I will write one for you.

It happened again.

I didn’t mean for it to, please trust me. It was a mistake, an accident.

One day I looked up and there you were. And life made sense again. Even though it even really had. And all the answers were no longer sought out. For all the questions had been asked. And you were the answer To the question I forgot to ask.

I haven’t written a poem in awhile. My guess is That is because you will never read this.

To A Loved One

EDEN DANIEL Contributor

Like you, I can have a hard time remembering I live in your house now Vacuum the same corners where you taught me chess I take care of your books as best I can And find receipts lined in their pages To me, they are fossils from a different time A hint or a clue

When I’ve cleaned all my glasses I drink first out of my favourite mug Because I like to think that it was your favourite too I read Shelley and Shaw and Shakespeare for you

Bullocks

JAMIE LEE LAMOTHE Contributor

bullocks, the mug melted the smell is putrid, and I am petrified.

bullocks, the mug melted into this pound of brown, heavy frown created by the fragrant ought, yet my mind onto the idea of you is deadlocked.

easy peasy fly off your tongue like honey on myself I should go easy, then why are you not going easy on me?

bullocks, the mug melted, not microwave safe it was labelled, wish my eyes were in their socks so better i could have read.

talk talk talk, put your eyes back in their sock read my buttock and hear me belt: warning warning, my heart, oh please don’t make it melt.

bullocks, in the midst of don’t fall for me, I’d fell bad.

have you ever wondered that it could be, you that made me ever so sad.

oh and in the hawkish freezing wind, feels like misery what sounded like luck, I feel my heart getting skinned, by the words that could have been. feels like misery what sounded like luck, but like you said, all of it is just bullocks.

Doodles by EMMA MAJAURY Creative Writing Editor

Is Whaling Over in Iceland?

KARINA Contributor

On June 22, the first fin whale of this year’s Icelandic whaling season was killed. It wasthe first whale to be hunted in years because the pandem ic halted Icelandic whaling between 2019 and 2021. During this time only one minke whale was killed.

The resumption of Icelandic whaling has brought on worldwide criticism and disapproval from a sur prising source, Iceland itself.

366,000, that’s just 73,000 people. Indeed, among the Icelandic people, whale meat is considered a ‘poor man’s food’, making it a dish that isn’t sought out.

So, where does the whale meat go? Well, before 2019, the vast major ity of the whale meat was either sold to Japan or eaten by tourists. Howev er, when Japan resumed commercial whaling, it began rejecting Icelandic meat, and the majority of whale meat is now consumed by tourists. Many of the 2 million people visiting Iceland each year believe that it is important to the country’s culture, and therefore want to try it.

However, this all changed with the ‘Meet us, don’t eat us’ campaign. ‘Meet us, don’t eat us’ was a cam paign started by IFAW and Icewhale. It aimed to curb the number of tourists who ate whale meat by using several methods which included launching a petition stating that the petitioners would not eat whale meat. In addi tion, it promoted whale watching and whale-friendly restaurants.

Even though Iceland has been hunting whales since the 8th centu ry, whale meat is not considered to be a traditional dish. Only 2% of the population regularly eats it. With Ice land having a population of around

All of this has proven to be a success.

The campaign managed to re duce the number of tourists who ate whale meat. Now, only a quarter of tourists eat whale meat, thus slash ing the main consumers of this dy

ing industry.

Not only does this spark hope, but there is now a clear demand for whale watching in Iceland. Around 1 in 5 tourists go whale watching there. Since Iceland is an island where tourism is a major contributor to the economy, whale watching is very im portant. The resumption of whaling has been criticized by whale watching companies, who say that it will dam age the reputation of the nation and reduce the number of tourists who visit each year.

However, despite the “Meet us, don’t eat us” campaign, whaling could resume. The last whaling com pany has a permit valid until 2023, af ter which it will be up to the Icelandic government to determine whether or not the country will pursue whaling.

The Icelandic government will most likely make its decision based on its population’s view on whaling and the number of tourists who consume whale meat. As such, it is strongly recommended to not eat whale meat.

As the sun rises over the whal ing summer months and sets in 2023, it will be up to the Icelandic govern ment, the tourists who visit Iceland, along with the Icelanders themselves, to decide whether Iceland will remain a whaling nation, or if it will hang up its harpoons forever. pp

Photo VIA ALESSA ORSINI

Photo VIA ARNE FEUHER

The resumption of whaling has been criticized by whale watching companies, who say that it will damage the reputation of the nation and reduce the number of tourists who visit each year.

Fly food for cows?

NATASHA MURMU Science and Environment Editor

What if we fed our cattle with flies and our flies with cattle? This is an idea that was recently brought to life by a team of two students and one graduate from the University of Laval. As it turns out, it’s a pretty good way to tackle waste in the meat processing industry.

can achieve this by using comestible insects to their full potential.

The company raises black soldier fly larvae that feed on animal remains. After two weeks, these edible grubs are turned into food for livestock. When these animals die, they will serve as more food for the larvae, thus continu ing the cycle.

Mariève Dallaire Lamontagne, a master’s student in animal science, to gether with Jean Michel Allard, a stu dent in agronomy, and Jérémy Lavoie, a graduate from the University of Laval created the startup Inscott. Their goal with this initiative is to improve the way animal waste is handled in Qué bec and in Canada. They believe they

This circular economy project is a promising means to reduce the animal processing industry’s environmental impact. Slaughterhouses generate a lot of waste that is difficult to dispose of, such as organs, carcasses, and feces. Ordinarily, the animal remains are di rectly processed and turned into animal food. However, this process requires heating up the biomass, which con sumes a lot of energy. Feeding the re mains to larvae reduces the amount of waste that has to be processed and turns the insects into a valuable, protein-rich source of food. This feed can be fed not only to livestock like pigs and chick ens, but also to domestic animals like dogs and cats.

Worldwide, 70% of all agricul tural land, or 30% of the land surface of the Earth, is used to grow food for livestock. In addition, livestock-related activities are responsible for over 18%

of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions. Mariève Dallaire-Lamon tagne explains that animal feed made from comestible insects is a more sus tainable source of food than “conven tional sources of protein, such as soy or fishmeal, for example, which are asso ciated with ecological issues.” Indeed, in comparison, its production requires fewer resources, less space, and little energy.

Lamontagne, Allard, and Lavoie had submitted their proposal for the Commission for Environmental Coop eration’s Youth Innovation Challenge. This contest invited North Americans aged 18 to 30 years old to come up with tangible and creative solutions to help their communities recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as “to identify the intersection between hu man health and the environment.” This June, in Mexico, in the presence of the minister of Environment, Steven Guil bault, the trio was awarded for their innovative proposal by the CEC. They received a bursary of 15 000 $ CAN as well as a one-year mentorship to help take their company to the next level. “The next step for them,” says Minister Guilbeault, “is to see if they can do this on a commercial basis.” pp

Photo

Feeding the remains to larvae reduces the amount of waste that has to be processed and turns the insects into a valuable, protein-rich source of food.

HOROSCOPES

ARIES (mar. 20 - apr. 18):

Build self-care into your routine this semester. School is exhausting and being an Aries means you probably signed up for too many classes and activities for a sustainable and healthy semester.

TAURUS (apr. 19 - may 20):

On behalf of everyone that surrounds you: Stop being so damn stubborn. You’re a young and developing adult, not Gandhi. We do appreciate your insightful contributions to class discussions but only because it is never the appro priate time in day to talk about a reading nobody else did. (aside from you, ofc)

GEMINI (may 21 - june 20):

I feel that the Gemini population of Dawson mainly con sists of the people who throw their cigarette butts on the floor while ashtrays and garbage cans are within a two-foot distance of them. Stop doing that :)

CANCER (june 21 - july 22):

I get it. You’re the “mom friend”, the “group therapist”. You listen to everyone’s problems and hold your friend’s hair back when they’re taking a nap on the toilet seat. Your job is vital in every good friend group but in September you need to get in the habit of taking care of yourself too!

LEO (july 23 - aug. 22):

To all my Leo’s reading this; Fall 2022 is the time to get into good habits! You’ve been getting good grades thus far without opening a single book but let’s dial back the “bullshitting my essay’s” skills and develop some actual sustainable study skills so that rush doesn’t kick your ass this time.

VIRGO (aug. 23 - sept. 22):

Caffeine is not a food group - stop treating it as such. If you had an accountant, they would burst into tears hysterically over the ridiculous amounts of money you spend on coffee and red bull. With this said, the world appreciates your en thusiasm on the most random topics.

LIBRA (sept. 23 - oct. 22):

You are also the therapist friend but you’re blunt about it. Your ability to express your thoughts with absolutely no filter makes it easy to be around you and your friends will always come to you for the most genuine of opinions.

SCORPIO (oct. 23 - nov. 21):

As a Scorpio, mental health should not be your last pri ority... Ever. School is generally needy and demands a lot from your physical and mental energy but for Scorpios it hits even harder. ALSO start drinking water. You literally need it to live.

SAGITTARIUS (nov. 22 - dec. 21):

Please be careful. Not with anything in particular but you are generally clumsy. The corners of tables and legs of chairs will thank you for it. Seriously though; the adventur ous risk-taker in you should chill out. Take a rock-climbing gym class maybe!

CAPRICORN (dec. 22 - jan. 19):

The agenda keepers of our community. Thank you for being on top of your shit constantly and without fail. Capricorns are the outgoing friends who will ask the pro fessor any question you are too shy to ask yourself, and they will always explain the overly complicated assign ment guidelines to you at any time of night.

AQUARIUS (jan. 20 - feb. 18):

Although your birthday is during the most freezing and unpleasant months of our Quebec winter, you provide a warm quality to the atmosphere of those around you. As an Aquarius, you constantly carry a mental rolodex of up lifting quotes to provide to your friends in a time of need. Most of the time these quirky anecdotes hold no genuine meaning and they’re often super cliché but that’s what makes them special.

PISCES (feb. 19 - mar. 19):

As a Pisces you are always comfortable in your surround ings no matter how dim, dull or downright horrible. You’ve learnt to adapt to all possible environments and find your own unique space. The only downside to this trait is that you often realize which classes you should drop past the deadline.

PUZZLES

ACROSS

1. A form of writing which includes speech bubbles and animation

3. Who we are

5. A streaming platform you can find our playlist on!

6. Our work ethic (the opposite of orderly)

7. The decade we were founded in

9. The name of the cafeteria our room is across the hall from!

11. The newspaper section you’re filling out right now

DOWN

1. Something we need from you to thrive!

2. How often you can expect newspapers

4. A refreshing beverage vital to Dawson students

8. The social media platform we’re on where you can find the answers to all your questions

10. A column of our newspaper you can look forward to every issue (think birthdays!)

COME BACK NEXT ISSUE FOR THE ANSWERS!

PUZZLES DAWSON SPEAKS

“What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen at Dawson After hours?”

And you responded with...

“Last year I walked into the girl’s bathroom and in one of the stalls there was shit on the floor” @_glassy.sky_

“The guy that dresses like spider man” @dj.hodgem

“People doin’ it in the library” @justbrainnocells

“A guy with his ass out Cuz his pants were coming apart at the seams, but he was homeless” @taiogenlias

“Ryan Gosling lurking in the hallway” @crispy_rice04

“People being there” @bogdanvalox

“Someone dropping a whole watermelon from the 5th floor down to the metro level floor” @marana21

“Blood splatters everywhere, someone cut themselves with an xacto and it was pretty bad. She’s fine now! An ambulance came and janitors cleaned up” @pogomilk

“Somebody climbed on top of the metro entrance” @zack.acciari

“Tide pod bakery sales back in 2018” @daviddb98

“Students fucking on the 8th floor” @Joryszirt

“Saw someone crying while eating lasagna” @moodywinemom

“A rat.” @dysfuncnoodle

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Curiosities by KARA FUSARO

Editor

Photos Courtesy of Isabella Blu Ptito-Echeverria