The Plant February 2023 Vol.59 No.5

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

Through the many beginnings that come from taking upon the role of Editor-in-Chief, I have come to know the existential terror of first impressions.

Although perhaps not to the same degree as its sister in September, the start of our semester brings with it a chance for new beginnings and self-reinvention. At the start of each new class, I find myself feeling stripped bare. Unlike the end of the semester, there’s not the comfort of knowing that with every interaction, my classmates bring the baggage of trust from 40 preceding hours of knowing myself.

Perhaps I lack self-certainty, but introducing myself over and over again during the first week of classes is not only a challenge of connecting others to me, but connecting myself to who I am. Did I feel I had a good break? Do I think my schedule is good? How do I feel about this teacher? As an anxious person with at times very little social battery, the interpersonal performance demanded by daily classes of 40+ people can become stressfully self-alienating.

And also it is exciting. I’ve learned that first impressions are a radical act, a moment of deep stakes and high freedom, an expression, nay, affirmation not only of who I am, but of my ability to choose. It is one of the few moments of a relationship where my back, my tongue is unburdened of baggage to inform and question my words and presence. The distress of the undetermined brings the eustress of demanded creative opportunity, and in this finite moment solely I choose what to be, uncompromised.

So now I will try and not break down and cry as I say:

Hello! My name is Mirren Bodanis (they/he), and I am the new Editor-in-Chief of The Plant Newspaper! I’ve been on the team as a Voices Editor since last semester, and at Dawson as a Cinema|Communications student since last year. I’m driven, passionate, terrified, and fucking excited to promise you all another 4 issues of uncompromised, uncensored, and unique student expression.

The Plant is a publication of strength. Strong perspectives, strong criticism, an unweakening joy for journalism. Unlike any place I’ve been to at Dawson, the team at The Plant is unyielding, both in our belief in each other’s work and in our own self-improvement. This is what we are, and I will always fight to protect it as much as I fight to embody it. If you are a returning reader, I love you in the form of a promise: this fight will never stop, and The Plant will always be strong for us. If you are a new reader, I welcome you, and thank you in the form of this issue: we put in hundreds of hours of combined passion because it’s what you deserve, monthly.

The best way to support The Plant is to contribute. Your beauty, in article, in art, in photograph, in poem, in story or in doodle can be sent to theplantnewspaper@gmail.com and our editors will work hard to do it justice. The best way to criticize The Plant is to contribute. (IMO) We consider every contribution, each is read, discussed. As we evaluate each submission for publication, we equally evaluate ourselves. This is another promise. My only ask of those who are uncomfortable with the content is that they communicate it. Letters to the editor are always, always welcome.

My plan as Editor-in-Chief is to continue building upon our foundation of strength, and channel it into building out our publication. We will be exploring ways to expand the reach of The Plant and improve its visibility, as well as ways we can bring more value to the Journalism department itself by working closer with its students and teachers. We also are making TikToks now, which I personally am very excited for. :)

Okay, phew, breakdown averted for now. On behalf of all of us at The Plant, I close off with this: Know that the pages of our publication, the very inky sheets that presently are staining your fingers, are a 2-way silvered mirror. We wish that through the pages, you feel seen, heard, both by us and by your fellow readers. And we wish that you see us, that all our gazes unite into a reality affirmed by words between us.

What I’m trying to say is, as the opportunities for first introduction arise, know that just like with journalism, it is my belief that it’s best to not the place to be quiet.

Forever in beautiful conversation,

MIRREN BODANIS, Editor-in-Chief

Copyright 2024

What is Going On in Sudan?

MARYAM H ASGHAR Staff Writer

As of February 9th, 2023, Sudan marks 300 days of its ongoing war between two rival military factions while civilians undergo the consequences of the conflict. Every day, civilians in Sudan are being killed and displaced as the conflict continues to rage, as noted by Amnesty International. But what lies behind the curtains of this crisis that needs to be shed light on?

If there were a date to pinpoint as the “beginning” of the war in Sudan, April 15th, 2023 quickly comes to mind. However, the political struggle between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) did not escalate overnight. In December 2018, civilians began revolting against the former president of Sudan Omar Al-Bashir’s decades-long military regime, calling for the establishment of a democracy within the country. A few months later, in 2019, SAF leaders, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF leader Mohamed

‘If the war continues like this,’ says Elsadig Elnour, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Sudan, ‘I fear that the whole country will collapse (Islamic Relief)’

Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti) joined forces to successfully overthrow Bashir. They later accepted a power-sharing agreement as part of a civilian-led transitional council towards a democracy the protestors in Sudan longed for. Unfortunately, Burhan and Hemeti, once friends and allies, turned their backs on one another. They disagreed on the merging of a portion of the RSF with the SAF which would limit Hemeti’s political influence. This power struggle led to Burhan and Hemeti releasing armed men from the SAF and the RSF all across Sudan, initiating the ongoing war on April 15th.

Amidst the political havoc, civilians are being greatly impacted by the political crisis as they are losing hope for a democratic Sudan. Sudan’s population is facing a humanitarian crisis that is worrying emergency aid workers. ‘If the war continues like this,’ says Elsadig Elnour, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Sudan, ‘I fear that the whole country will collapse (Islamic Relief)’ Indeed, the Sudanese population is facing mass displacement and high rates of violence. An increase of 500% in cases of killing, sexual violence, and recruitment has been observed in comparison to last year according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The RSF have also been reported to be ethnically targeting and killing civilians en masse in West Darfur. Furthermore, Sudan’s population is also encountering the deadliest form of malnutrition. UNICEF reports that 700,00 children are likely to suffer from wasting and, if the situation does not improve, it will only be able to treat

about 42.86% of the total number of children suffering. Moreover, the healthcare systems are being destroyed as a result of the war, depriving two-thirds of the population of access to healthcare and possibly heading towards a collapse of the healthcare system.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 24.8 million people in Sudan need assistance and 14.7 million people are targeted by the OCHA for assistance in 2024. Moreover, 6.14 million people have been internally displaced and 1.61 million people have crossed the Sudanese border since April 15th, 2023. The OCHA estimates that 2.7 billion dollars in funding are required for the crisis in Sudan, but it has only reached 4% of its goal with only 94.5 million dollars in funding received. There is yet a long way to go to help Sudan with 2.606 billion dollars to raise in funding.

Regrettably, without adequate emergency aid, the civilians will continue to face the brutal consequences of the war. Although the Sudan crisis is known as a war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, innocent civilians caught in the turmoil bear the disastrous crisis. “Amid so many children overlooked, it’s important to remember what families and communities are doing: most health workers in Sudan haven’t been paid a penny since the war started,” according to UNICEF. Communities in Sudan are supporting one another through these hardships while the media and news outlets have turned a blind eye to the issue.

PHOTO VIA UN NEWS

Escalating Conflict: US and UK Strikes Yemen Amid Rising Tensions with Houthi Rebels

DEFNE ALIEFENDIOGLU Managing Editor

On January 11th, the United States of America, in coordination with the United Kingdom, initiated a series of air and naval strikes targeting Yemen. The strikes continued throughout January, marking it as the country’s deadliest month since 2018, as reported bySave the Children and the United Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

leader, Abdul-Malik Badruldeen al-Houthi, warned the United States of America, stating that if they were to intervene in the war, the Houthis would begin to take military action. On October 31st, announced solidarity with Gaza. As the United States expressed its support for Israel, the Houthis started taking military action. On November 19th, the rebel group hijacked the Galaxy Leader cargo vessel as it was passing through the Red Sea. By the end of January, at least 33 ships had been attacked.

These air strikes on Yemen were not authorized by Congress. The Constitution is clear that Congress is the only authority that allows military intervention in foreign conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and request military authorization, regardless of which party he belongs to.

The strikes happened in response to the attacks on Israeli-owned, flagged, or operated ships as well as ones linked to the United States of America and the United Kingdom by Houthi rebels in solidarity with Gaza. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah (Supporters of Allah), are an Iranian-backed group that emerged in the 1990s as opposition to Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president of Yemen at the time. The Houthi insurgency was led by Hussein al-Houthi, a religious, political, and military leader who was also a member of the Yemeni parliament of the Party of Truth between 1993 and 1997.

On October 10th, three days after the events of October 7th, the current Houthi

As a consequence of these attacks, major shipping companies such as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have suspended operations in the Red Sea. On January 3rd, the secretarygeneral of the International Maritime Association, Arsenio Dominguez, informed the United Nations Security Council that at least 18 shipping companies had halted their voyages through the Red Sea and are instead rerouting around the African continent, elongating their journeys. Consequently, there has been an increase in shipping and insurance costs.

On January 11, the United States and British militaries, along with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the

Netherlands, conducted targeted strikes on 60 Houthi installations across 16 sites. Despite this, the Houthis vowed to continue their operations in the Red Sea until a ceasefire is called upon. Abdul-Malik Badruldeen alHouthi voiced: “Do the American, British, and Zionists expect that any aggressive act against Yemen will distract us from defending Gaza? We swear, even if we turned into atoms scattered in the air, we will not leave Gaza. We will continue to target Zionist ships and those going to the Zionist entity. We will confront America, make it kneel, burn its warships, all its bases, and anyone who cooperates with it.”

Quickly after the strikes on Yemen, members of the U.S. Congress called out Joe Biden for launching an attack without congressional approval. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution states that only Congress is authorized to declare war. The President may only proceed to direct the military after the Congressional declaration. U.S. Representative Cori Bush made an announcement affirming: “Biden can’t launch airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. This is illegal and violates Article I of the Constitution. The people do not want more of our taxpayer dollars going to endless war and the killing of civilians. Stop the bombing and do better by us.”

Another representative, Rashida Tlaib, made an announcement following that of Cori Bush, stating: “Biden is violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. The American people are tired of endless war.”

Another statement came from a democratic member from the U.S. House of Representatives, Valerie Anne Hoyle, saying:These air strikes on Yemen were not authorized by Congress. The Constitution is clear that Congress is the only authority that allows military intervention in foreign conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and request military authorization, regardless of which party he belongs to.

On January 12, thousands of Yemenis flooded the streets of the giant Sanaa Square in the historic city center to demonstrate their solidarity with the Houthis and with Gaza.

Abdel Azim Ali, a protester at the scene expressed: “If America and its allies decide to declare open war on us, we’re ready for it and we won’t have any choice but to bring victory or fall as martyrs.” While another stated: “We’re not scared of the American or British air force. We’ve been bombed for nine years and another attack is nothing new for us.”

PHOTO VIA THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE

AI pornography: an issue that transcends Taylor Swift

EZRA BUCUR Creative Writing Editor

In January 2024, “Taylor Swift” became trending on X, formerly known as Twitter. However, this was not due to any music announcement, enjoyable tour moment, or another controversial private jet trip. As it turns out, inappropriate sexual images of the pop star had surfaced on the platform and were shared by thousands of people. One of the posts gained 45 million views and thousands of reposts and likes in the 17 hours that it lasted before being deleted. Many people were drawn to the controversy, and as a result, even more fake images were generated. The original AI-generated images were first spread on Telegram, as well as on 4chan, where they began to spread as early as January 6th. The images on 4chan were created as part of a “challenge” to make inappropriate images of popular female singers.

The uproar was felt globally. While many were participating in the humiliating spread of the pornographic material, others were outraged. Taylor Swift’s fanbase, nicknamed the “Swifties”,urged platforms to remove the images. Graphika, a research firm specializing in disinformation, began to study the origins of the image and eventually traced them back to the 4chan message boards. Social media platform X blocked any searches of Taylor Swift in an attempt to minimize the damage caused by those images. The White House got involved shortly after and sought to pass legislation preventing the creation of AI pornography. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, stated that social media

companies had the responsibility to enforce their rules on nonconsensual sexual content. However, she also added that Congress would need to pass legislation and highlighted that it was women who were the primary target of this new type of revenge porn.

“AI art” and “AI artists” have been subject of controversy for just over a year, with many artists worried that major video game and film companies would opt to use artificial

It was mainly due to her large platform that she was able to garner this much support, yet many other victims of this sexual violence did not receive the same attention.

intelligence programs over human artists who require payment. Over the summer of 2023, the SAG-AFTRA union, which represents many Hollywood actors, went on strike. This was, amongst many reasons, due to production companies seeking to use AI to scan deceased performers without the consent of either their estate or the union. This would make it so that actors would not even own their own image, nor have control over its

usage, decades following their passing. This is not an entirely new concept: the creation of a deepfake,which began to gain notoriety in 2017. These deepfakes are created with AI technology, and aim to replicate the physical appearance and voice of a person in order to make them say -or do- anything they’d want. According to Deeptrace Labs, by the year 2019, around 14 678 deepfake videos were circulating online. 96% of them were pornographic, and all of them featured women. With the power of deepfakes, people can remove or add clothes onto a person without their consent, or make them commit obscene acts they have never committed.

As stated by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the research by Deeptrace Labs, women seem to be the main victim of this sextorsion. In fact, while these algorithms can manipulate the image of men as well, they are primarily trained using pictures of women. It appears that AI is just another way for women’s image to be controlled by men. Despite it being a new tool, the idea is as old as time itself. For example, the idea of adding clothes onto pictures of women takes away their agency to decide what parts of themselves they choose to show, leaving it up for the men to deliberate women’s “purity.”. Even worse, taking away women’s clothing violates their right to intimate privacy, a concept which refers to personal information such as health or sexuality. This form of “revenge porn” is extremely detrimental to the woman’s self esteem or perception of self and is an incredibly triggering experience.

Despite this problem being endemic to our society, unfortunately, Taylor Swift, a wealthy white woman, became the catalyst for governments and online platforms to truly pursue any form of action. It was mainly due to her large platform that she was able to garner this much support, yet many other victims of this sexual violence did not receive the same attention. For example, 14-yearold Mia Janin, a schoolgirl from London, committed suicide after boys in her grade edited photos of her atop a nude body.

Taylor Swift’s situation, as terrible as it was, helped sound the alarm on one of the biggest problems of the digital age, and hopefully as a result of this awareness, less and less women will fall victim to this exploitation.

PHOTO VIA AXELLE/BAUERGRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC

ARTM and CDPQ Infra: Overturning Montréal’s Crimes Against Urbanity

THOMAS FRENETTE Arts & Culture Editor

In recent decades, cities like Amsterdam and Singapore prioritized public modes of transportation in urban structuring, ranging from traditional public transit — metro and bus — to alternative modes of transportation — driverless shuttle, car sharing, cycling — First advocated by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, the 15-minute city design philosophy that promotes access to work, shopping, education, healthcare, and leisure within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transit ride from any point in the city. This ideal human-scale environment aims to reduce car dependency, promote healthy and sustainable living, and improve mobility for low-income communities.

Montréal’s urban design, renown for its spacious and numerous parks, cycling infrastructures, and walkable streets, confirms the city’s pioneering efforts to rise among the first 15-minute cities in North America. Transportation infrastructure, the cornerstone of accessible, efficient, and sustainable urban design, is the key to creating a human-scale city prioritizing wellbeing.

In the 1960s, tramways were removed and multi-laned roads and highways were plastered across Montreal, isolating peripheral boroughs and necessitating private vehicle use. Car culture increased the perennial problems of rising vehicle fleets, gridlock traffic, air pollution, and the division of the inner and outer-city areas.

Fortunately, the Autorité Générale de Transport Métropolitain (ARTM) and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ Infra) have deployed structural transit solutions to implement sustainable urban restructuring. Public transit services like tramways, subways and trains are tried and true solutions for decentralizing the city, limiting private car use, and creating open urban spaces for fluid mobility, thus enhancing city dwellers’ quality of life.

Montreal’s most famous and promising innovation in public infrastructure is undoubtedly the large-scale installation of

light-rail networks. The first five Réseau express métropolitain (REM) stations inaugurated last summer connect Bonaventure station to Brossard, offering a 20-minute commute end-to-end. Plans from 2016 promise a 67-kilometer system connecting Deux-Montagnes, Anse-à-l’Orme, and the YUL airport.

However, modernizing the Mount Royal Tunnel, a critical artery of the REM railway, encountered major issues. Explosives left behind from a hundred years ago unexpectedly detonated during the excavation of the platforms of the future Édouard-Montpetit station. Much slower remote-controlled operations were then imposed to ensure the workers’ safety. The work pace was further slowed by the long term effects of de-icing salt corrosion on columns and steel beams of the walls and arches under McGill College Avenue and pandemic-related challenges, namely supply chain issues, labor shortages and public health measures.

In 2020, CDPQ Infra announced an initiative to create a 32-kilometer light-rail system in the east end, reaching Cégep Marie-Victorin and Pointe-aux-Trembles from Robert-Bourassa. This means that more than 800,000 people would now live within a 3-kilometer radius of a train station. However, angry locals—known as NIMBYs (not in my backyard) in urbanist circles—objected to the elevated sections proposal, citing concerns for noise and visual clutter in residential and industrial neighborhoods. The CDPQ Infra suggested burying the system, but expensive and time-consuming tunneling infrastructure and social acceptability issues ultimately convinced provincial and city governments to relinquish the project.

The ARTM then rechristened the project to Projet Structurant de l’Est (PSE) and released a revised report for the REM infrastructure which rose to over three times the initial price for a total of $36 billion. Though extending the system to Rivière-des-Prairies and l’Assomption in Lanaudière, this proposed phase severed its connection to downtown via Robert-Bourassa.

The fate of the PSE is quintessential of how

people hold public transit projects to a much higher standard than car infrastructure. Roads despite being eyesores, public safety risks, polluting, and barriers across neighborhoods, are often overlooked, unlike public transit projects, which are subject to intense scrutiny despite their benefits. It is absurd that we should view periodic train passings with greater hostility than the unbroken whir of cars.

Roads despite being eyesores, public safety risks, polluting, and barriers across neighborhoods, are often overlooked, unlike public transit projects, which are subject to intense scrutiny despite their benefits.

Slow, expensive, but effective projects often face hurdles. The standing REM network was built swiftly to avoid protests by the loudest — and often wealthiest — citizens who object against massive roadworks and automated drivers. Because the REM compromised time over quality, consecutive breakdowns reported in the last month sparked a lot of outrage. Yet this compromise warranted its existence, unlike the five new stations of the Blue Line promised to appear by 2030. Although first drawn in the 1980s, the project conversely suffered setbacks because tunnel-digging processes are timeconsuming and the project is estimated to cost $6.9 million — the same amount as the entire westward REM network.

Despite challenges, Montréal is slowly but surely conceding the consequences of massive road building in the 1960s. Investing in light-rail networks similar to the REM fosters reliable automated travel at low operating costs, frequent and flexible service, and contributes to designing a 15-minute city. The REM represents a learning opportunity from the past crimes against urbanity and heal the scars of nightmarish car-scale cities.

PHOTO VIA CTV NEWS MONTREAL

The Ongoing ICJ Gaza Genocide Case

A summary of the ICJ’s Preliminary Hearings a Month After the Ruling

SANAD HAMDOUNA Cover Artist & Co-Editor-in-Chief

On December 29th 2023, South Africa initiated proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging that Israel was in violation of its obligations to prevent and punish the crime of Genocide in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Specifically, South Africa accuses Israel of intentionally killing Palestinians in Gaza, inflicting serious bodily and mental harm upon them, and imposing on them conditions of life calculated to bring about their destruction as a substantial part of the Palestinian racial, national, and ethnic group. These are all acts outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention as being genocidal when paired with intent, whether explicit or implicit.

South Africa’s 84-page application can be found for free on the ICJ’s website, providing extensive detail on the allegations. It details the historical and political context of Gaza as well as the recent ongoing series of massacres and abuses perpetrated by Israel, backed by ample UN-verified evidence.

The ICJ believes it is possible that Israel is committing Genocide against Palestinians in Gaza

In addition to their allegations, South Africa requested the indication of urgent provisional measures to halt any potentially genocidal actions against Palestinians in Gaza and protect them from immediate danger during the trial period, which could go on for years.

The first hearing in this case was held on January 11th, at The Hague, where South Africa presented their arguments in favour of implementing provisional measures to protect Palestinians. They argued that Israel’s acts in Gaza since October 7th “form a calculated pattern of conduct by Israel, indicating a genocidal intent” and went on to list examples of Israeli conduct in the Gaza Strip which consist of crimes under international law, such as: “targeted sniping of civilians”, “designating safe zones for Palestinians to seek refuge and then bombing these”, and “the destruction of the health infrastructure”.

As further demonstration of intent, South Africa highlights genocidal rhetoric by high ranking Israeli officials, including the deputy speaker of the Israeli parliament’s call “for the erasure of the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth.” They also emphasize the urgency of implementing immediate provisional measures, stating:

“Every day there is mounting irreparable loss of life, property, dignity, and humanity for the Palestinian people. […] Without an indication of provisional measures, the atrocities will continue; with the Israeli defense force indicating that it intends pursuing this course of action for at least a year.”

Israel had the opportunity to present a defense the next day. Its lawyers argued that Israel had a right to defend itself and highlighted alleged crimes committed by Hamas on October 7th. They then stated that “none of these atrocities absolve Israel of its obligations under the law,” effectively dismantling their own argument. Still, Hamas’ actions remained one of Israel’s only arguments against the implementation of provisional measures, causing the court to note that “Israel did not challenge the standing of South Africa in the present proceedings”.

These paragraphs provide summaries and snippets of the hearings; it is recommended that the reader watch both sessions for a detailed understanding of the situation.

The ICJ announced its ruling on South Africa’s request for provisional measures on the 26th of January 2024. The court ruled in South Africa’s favour, stating: “In the Court’s view, at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa to have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the Convention.” This means the ICJ believes it is possible that Israel is committing Genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and that they can proceed with a full court case judging Israel at the ICJ.

The court also granted South Africa nearly all its requests for provisional measures, with the exception of an immediate ceasefire. However, it appears a ceasefire would still be necessary to fulfill the court’s orders, such as Israel taking “all measures within its power to prevent […] killing members of the group”.

As of February 17th, Israel has reportedly not complied with any of the ICJ’s orders and has, according to Euromed Monitor, killed over 3300 additional Palestinians since the ICJ’s ruling. Putting the rising death toll at 36,671 as of February 13th. A grim yet unsurprising development considering that even before the ICJ issued its ruling, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated: “No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anyone else.”

It then becomes imperative that the entire international community take decisive action, isolating Israel, punishing complicity in genocide, and forcefully bringing an end to the bloodshed.

PHOTO VIA NEWSCENTRAL.AFRICA

CURATED BY MIA GUELI Visual Arts Editor

DARIO MANCINI @dar_mancini

MIA GUELI @miag.draws

KERVEN-LAURENT CASIMIR @yatsukki

AURÉLIE

KAMYAR GHANEAN @ghaneon

ALEGRIA BISHOP

MOUTIEN @aurrreelie

Snowless seasons : Redefining the White Christmas in a Warming world.

AJENEZA BANA AMANDA Science & Environment Editor

The phrase “a white Christmas” has deep cultural and literary significance. It evokes the nostalgia of a time with no care in the world; one spent just idly playing outside during the holiday season with our loved ones, and then coming back in for snuggles to heat each other. Various cultural influences, including literature, music and art, reinforce the idealized image of a white Christmas as a symbol of purity, innocence and holiday magic. Notably, the release of Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol solidified this association, and propelled the phrase into mainstream literature, illustrating Christmas with a coat of snow draped snuggly over the horizon. The novella revolves around the transformation of the temperament of a greedy businessman named Ebenezer Scrooge, exploring community and loneliness while painting an image of a productive and money-focused society. However, the prevalence of snow during Christmas has not been consistent over time and across regions; it is scary watching the numbers go down.

Did you know that the iconic image of a white Christmas is partly associated with the release of Charles Dickens’s The Christmas Carol? Its definition is a Christmas with snow involved, either on the ground or in the sky.

As our planet undergoes significant environmental changes, we are forced to reevaluate our traditional notion of a white Christmas, particularly in regions where snowfall has historically been common. With rising temperatures, it is becoming less and less common to have the ideal holiday. The same Christmas that was almost stolen by a green, furry, pot-bellied, pear-shaped, snub-nosed humanoid creature, the very Christmas seen in Coca-Cola commercials; the Christmas some grew up with.

This winter, in particular, has been marked by exceptionally warm and snowless conditions. With predictions of a white Christmas having been half and half, and no storm in sight for 30 days, you

The iconic image of a white Christmas is partly associated with the release of Charles Dickens’s The Christmas Carol? Its definition is a Christmas with snow involved, either on the ground or in the sky.

would think it is good news for drivers and pedestrians. However, that truly means forcing communities to halt any snow-related traditions for the winter and spring. So, halt the skiing or skating, and no more maple taffy!

In the face of global warming, communities world-wide are grappling with the need to adapt their winter traditions and consumption rituals to better fit the changing climate. While some regions continue to have habitual weather, others are confronted to live the holidays in entirely new ways, with unusual weather events such as decreasing water supply from rain or unseasonably warm temperatures. With the thermometer being 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than a century and a half ago, it is of great concern that our children may never experience the joy of snow days. The scope of this experience underscores the interconnectedness of our planet’s climate systems and the consequent need for collective action to, at the very least, shift the course of our climate future. As we prepare to celebrate the greatness of a new year, let us draw inspiration from sustainable organizations to experience with good conscience.

Did you also know that with or without snow on December 24-25, communities inside and outside Canada embrace celebrations around the winter months? Businesses often acknowledge those special occasions to include consumers who may not take part in traditional Christmas festivities. That recognition can have a profound impact

on making those lesser-known holidays a part of their peer’s common knowledge and lives.

Melting Away :

As we settle into life with climate change, let us remember that the spirit of Christmas lay not in the presence of snow but in the warmth and connection we shared with our loved ones on those frigid days. By reimagining our traditions and exploring new ones to embrace sustainability, we can reinforce the spirit of community, honour our past, celebrate our present, and hope for a good future. In doing so, we embody a white Christmas— one of purity and minimalism to preserve our planet for generations to come.

PHOTO VIA BALDWIN PUBLIC LIBRARY PNGS

With or without snow on December 24-25, communities inside and outside Canada embrace celebrations around the winter months?

Businesses often acknowledge those special occasions to include consumers who may not take part in traditional Christmas festivities. That recognition can have a profound impact on making those lesserknown holidays a part of their peer’s common knowledge and lives.

Why Our Trends Are Holding Us Back From Going Green

SABINA BELLISARIO-GIGLIO News Editor

The popularity of short-form content has facilitated the process of promoting content, spreading news, and creating trends. It’s no surprise that in our capitalist society, companies have begun greenwashing to benefit from our efforts to save our planet. However, some products are created in hopes of actually having a lasting impact, such as weaning the public off single-use plastic bags with the rise of tote bags or reducing our use of plastic bottles by replacing them with reusable drinkware. But are our efforts to make positive environmental impacts overshadowed by our lust for aesthetics? The recent mass consumption of the infamous Stanley Cup may prove that our desire for consumerism trumps our true goal of environmental sustainability.

While many videos have gone viral in recent weeks as packs of consumers tackle and shove to buy the latest release of Stanley’s, there’s one video in particular that sparked media coverage of the internet’s new obsession. A video uploaded to TikTok by user @danimarielettering showed the moment the creator, Danielle, returned to her car after it had caught on fire, only to find her Stanley Cup in the cupholder, still intact, with ice still inside it. The video has garnered over 9 million likes and caught the attention of media outlets such as Business Insider, USA Today and The New York Post. Thanks to the viral video and Stanley’s savvy social media team, it wasn’t long before these reusable cups went from store shelves into the hands of consumers.

History tends to find strange ways to repeat itself — evidently, the Stanley Cup is not the first of its kind. Before the rise of these famous thirst quenchers came the Hydro Flask, marking its viral moment in history

in association with the VSCO girl aesthetic. Hydro Flask reported in its 2020 fourth quarter fiscal report that its net sales revenue increased to $442.4 million. It seems Stanley is following in their footsteps, amassing a whopping $750 million in annual sales according to CNBC Make It. While the spikes in revenue could be the product of more consumers wanting to go green, it would seem this is yet another problem we face while tackling environmental sustainability: overconsumption

The recent mass consumption of the infamous Stanley Cup may prove that our desire for consumerism trumps our true goal of environmental sustainability.

Stanley continues to utilize the marketing strategy of false scarcity in order to generate more revenue. Their launches of “limited edition” tumblers, selling for around $40 to $50 attract resellers to buy these products, placing them for 2 or 3 times their original value online. Many videos surface online of customers hoarding these reusable cups at stores like Target, which resulted in employees placing limits on how many a customer can buy. Maurie Cohen, a professor of sustainability studies at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, expressed his concerns with how consumption habits

actively inhibit our efforts to help the planet with The 19th. “Now, like often, is the case, somebody recognizes that [the reusable water bottle] represents a market opportunity and we are off to the races. Rather than having one durable reusable bottle now you have to have six,” he said. Unfortunately, these habits will continue to foster through trends, as Global WebIndex reported that 54% of social browsers that actively engage with social media use these platforms to research products. In the age of influencers, short, easyto-browse content, it’s no surprise that those with purchasing power have made such an impact.

However, the product’s materials are also raising questions about how sustainable these reusable bottles truly are. The New York Times published an article in 2009 stating how “producing [a] 300-gram stainless steel bottle requires seven times as much fossil fuel [and] releases 14 times more greenhouse gases than making a 32-gram plastic bottle.” Stanley’s marketing of durability and longevity has largely come from their use of stainless steel materials for their bottles, however, according to their website, they commit to “making at least 50% of our stainless steel products from recycled materials by 2025.” The company also recently went under scrutiny after users found traces of lead on their tumblers using at-home testing kits. Stanley didn’t deny the claims but assured that refunds would be issued if the seal at the base cap were to somehow be removed, exposing the contents of the bottle with lead.

Stanley uses consumerist ideas in order to fuel their must-have marketing, with trendy videos telling you what you need to buy, or selling you the same cup with a different design on it under the guise of promoting a sustainable alternative to your drinking habits. Ultimately, we’re influenced by companies every day in order to buy, or not buy, certain products, and greenwashing is a new strategy to trick environmentally conscious buyers into feeding into the practices they actively try to avoid. However, Stanley’s issue raises an important question readers should ask themselves: If we’re a society built on consumption and capitalist ideals, are we even capable of practicing sustainability, or are we simply just buying into the next trend until our planet is beyond saving?

Your Mark, Get Set, Change the world: The Story of Wilma Rudolph

JADE GAGNÉ Sports Editor

“I always say an athlete isn’t just what we see on the field or the court. What creates them is their story. You can judge an athlete on their performance, but not on their stories.” -J. G

Meet the unstoppable woman who sprinted past racial barriers to create new world records. This civil rights pioneer did not only leave behind a legacy, but she also left a dream.

My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces.

–

Wilma Rudolph

Who is Wilma Rudolph?

Born prematurely on June 23rd, 1940, in St Bethlehem, Tennessee, Wilma developed medical issues very early in her life. She suffered from pneumonia twice and from scarlet fever, and at the age of five, she contracted infantile paralysis (caused by the poliovirus). She recovered from it, but ended up losing strength in her left leg and foot. Since then, she had to walk around with a metal leg brace.

From that day, Wilma only wanted one thing: to be able to run. The doctors had no hope; they told her she might never walk again, but Wilma and her family never gave up.

At age nine, after all the efforts and all the medical treatment, she was finally walking freely.

“My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces.” – Wilma Rudolph

First love

Wilma’s first love happened to be basketball. She started playing at age eleven with her brothers, but just for fun & giggles. Her relationship with this sport became serious once she attended Clarksville High School. She got recruited into the High School’s team and she even received the nickname ‘Skeeter” from her high school coach C. C. Gray, because she was “as fast as a mosquito”.

During her basketball years, she was nominated as an All-American, and she was an All-State player- let’s just say that Wilma Rudolph was an extraordinary athlete from the start.

Start of a new environment

At the age of sixteen, Wilma started a new chapter. She was introduced to the Track and field world.

While still a senior, she was discovered by the Tennessee State University Track & Field coach, Ed Temple, during one of her basketball games. Her rapidity was once again so incredible that the college track & field team recruited her.

Remember when I called her an unstoppable woman? Well, in that same year (1956), she not only played basketball in her High School’s team, while also competing at the college level of Track and field, but she participated in the Olympics.

The first Olympics

Wilma had her first Olympic experience in 1956. She went to the Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, and won the bronze medal in the 4x100m relay with the USA team. She never saw it as a loss - it was just the start.

Two years later, she had a baby and just

a few weeks after the birth, she enrolled in Tennessee State University and started her professional career. Nothing could stop her.

The fastest woman on this earth

At twenty years old, four years after her first ever Olympics, Wilma came and changed history. She went to the September 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and her dominance was very much present. Wilma became the first American woman to ever win three track-and-field gold medals and to break three world records. She completed the 100m in 11 seconds, the 200m in 24 seconds, and the 4x100m in 44.5 seconds.

On this day, she became a legend, but, most importantly, she became a hero.

Time to go home

After the Olympics, Wilma refused to attend her homecoming parade in Clarksville, since the event was only welcoming white communities - she refused to go if the people she was representing couldn’t be a part of it. On October 4, 1960, Clarksville welcomed the first ever fully integrated event, in honor of Wilma Rudolph.

Leaving a mark

In 1962, Wilma retired from the sport and decided to finish her degree in elementary education. She had a bachelor’s degree and worked in several community services.

In 1981, Wilma created the Wilma Rudolph Foundation, based in Indiana. The goal of her foundation is to promote community-based, youth-oriented athletics and to promote academic programs.

Saying goodbye

On November 12, 1994, Wilma Rudolph suffered from brain cancer and sadly passed away, leaving behind her four kids.

Two years after her death, the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award was created. It’s still being given to this day.

She might’ve left us, but her name will always remain in the track-and-field Hall of Fame and, mostly, in our hearts.

Wilma’s story built who she was. She won against all odds, fought for her rights, and showed us what’s possible.

She’s a hero, and on Black History Month, she deserves to be our hero.

PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Gender and Identity of Football: A Conversation with Matthieu Proulx

MIRREN BODANIS Editor-in-Chief

Portions of interview translated from French

In the subculture of queer sports fans, the Super Bowl is an event that is as homoerotic as it is American. In the words of queer, exhigh school football player Gordon Bowness in his groundbreaking 1993 article Repression Can Be Lots of Fun, “The terminology is ridiculous. The predictable offense penetrates deep into enemy territory with ball control, splits the defenses, finds the hole, punches it through and shoves it up their ass; [...] But I’m talking about more than just the obvious, more than bum-patting, locker-room cocktalk or showers.” A study by the University of Ohio found that while 60% of heterosexual men identify as “passionate sports fans,” 40% of gay women and 30% of gay men also share this identification.

But despite the obvious (to some) tension within the sport, the NFL remains an extremely outwardly heterosexual institution. Carl Nassib remains the only player who has publicly come out while being an active player in the history of the NFL, while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.

So how does this all add up? How are football players typecast as the typical straight “jocks’’ while communally showering nude and chasing balls? Matthieux Proulx is a father of 2, current sports analyst at RDS and has played for the Montréal Alouettes for 6 seasons. In an interview with The Plant, he explores the many intersections between football, sports fans, sports culture, and his own identity.

The culture of football is still vivid in his memory. “Always in football, you have to be tough, physically and mentally,” he says. “You always are sore, having injuries, [...] good games, bad games, somebody wants your job, public pressure, [...] a good athlete is one that makes good decisions and does the right thing in situations of immense pressure, so we are constantly cultivating that.”

Despite sounding intimidating, he made it clear how important and universal this culture was to him. “Can it overlap into something negative? Probably. But essentially, I think it’s very positive. It got me to be able to face different situations and be able to say ‘this is tough, but I can do it.’” He continues: “For me it was very rewarding [...] I never thought about it as a challenge to my manhood. [...] I think I’m a pretty calm, cool, collected guy, but I found that environment was conducive to bringing out the best in me.” “

Statistically, it’s impossible that I’ve never played with gay players, but I couldn’t name you one. I played football for 13 years, with over 800 people, but they kept it for themselves.

Despite his positive experience, he made it clear that, while he never consciously associated his athleticism with his sexuality, the language that would do so was always present. “I think sports greatly influenced me, both how I am and how I behave with people.”

“For someone who isn’t good at football, we would say ‘you’re soft,’ ‘you’re a f*ggot’; in French we would say ‘t’est tapette’. [...] With the vocabulary we used, being tough made you a man, and to be soft or less capable made you less of a man.”

Interestingly, Matthieux also explained how this disconnect between his inner experience and the attitude of the culture also mirrored itself in the relationship between fans and players. “In North America, after talking with people for the first time, we always ask ‘what do you do in life?’ We identify people as what they do, not as who they are.” He further elaborates: “Fans don’t realize that sports are just what I do, not what I am. [...] It’s contradictory to our era, where we want to know everything about everyone. We follow athletes on our phones, so we can go ‘oh, they ate at this restaurant, oh here’s their girlfriend’. Sports fans want to know everything about athletes, but at the same time when they’re on the field, they respect them less than ever. [...] I’m a father, a husband, a friend, a son, I have weaknesses, difficult moments, depressions, [...] but the fans, they don’t care. They just want me to be a football player who wins. It can become toxic, the relationship with fans.”

Finally, turning back to our inciting topic, Mattieux reflected how all these forces shape the complex culture of male intimacy in football. “Statistically, it’s impossible that I’ve never played with gay players, but I couldn’t name you one. I played football for 13 years, with over 800 people, but they kept it for themselves. It’s sad to think about. [...] But at the same time, the closeness [between players], funnily enough, as a heterosexual, felt good. It’s fun, I like to feel close with the other men. Embracing, hitting each other’s rears, each other’s helmets, it felt good for me to have that human contact. But there’s this kind of limit in the locker room that you don’t cross. [It’s like] ‘just be tough, hit each other, but don’t like it, touch each other, but don’t like it.’ I can see that thinking in a part of the population, but I think it’s very close minded.”

Small Events

COLORED: THE UNKNOWN LIFE OF CLAUDETTE COLVIN EXHIBIT

Where: Phi Centre

When: From February 7th to March 10th

Price: 28-30$

Colored: The Unknown Life of Claudette Colvin is an augmented-reality experience that uses the HoloLens 2 augmented-reality headset to bring to life the regrettably overlooked story of U.S. Black civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin. In 1955, she refused to give her seat to a white passenger and, after being thrown in jail, sued the city and pleaded not guilty.

THE DARK EIGHTIES

Where: Cabaret Berlin

When: 2 March 21:30

Price: 13.20$

New wave and post-punk movements of the late 1970s gave way to dark wave compositions, largely based on a particular fascination for sorrowful and introspective lyrics and have been interpreted as gloomy, bleak, and melancholy. Lurk in the stark atmosphere of goth, synth pop and more 80s dark cult classics in the club.

ILLO SHOWCASE

Where: 4510 Cartier street

When: 5 March 17:00-20:00

Price: Free

Illo is a local illustration, visual art, and graphic design event happening every 3 months. Students, emerging artists, and professionals all gather to discuss the field and showcase their art. March 5th will be the first illo of the year, where a whopping 10 artists will be speaking about and showcasing their work. The event will be bilingual with a lean towards French. Find out more on their instagram page: @illomontreal.

DUSTER CONCERT

Where: L’Olympia

When: 31 March 20:00

Price: 77$

The classic slowcore band is finally making its way to Montréal! Among the most iconic space rock revival acts from the 1990s, Duster is renown for its interstellar fascination and melancholic insight to create slow, fuzzy, and dense soundscapes. Releasing the seminal Stratosphere album at the brink of the 21st century, Duster revived in 2018 and released three new LPs since. Clay Parton, one of the two original members, comments “I know people say, ‘Oh Duster music is so sad, we’ve even said it ourselves before, but it’s a lot more like absurdism than nihilism.”

PHOTO VIA PHI NGUYEN

PHOTO VIA PHI CENTRE

PHOTO VIA EVENTBRITE

PHOTO VIA MEDIUM

The Revival of Traditional Inuit Tattoos

IIMA ARNGAQ Contributor

Little girls gather around, markers in hand, decorating their foreheads with tattoos and contemplating their work with pride. As more girls join them, they take turns drawing tattoos on each other’s skins and argue about the best ones until the old markers are emptied of their ink.

As a result of colonization, we have lost our ability to practice our culture. However, the Inuit youth’s curiosity about our identity and wanting to practice it has begun its revival, starting with the practice of our traditional Inuit tattoos.

Tattoos are very significant in Inuit culture, as the markings indicate who a person is — what they love, their achievements, their talents, and their destination in the spirit world. Today, as the practice has resurfaced, the Inuit tap into its meanings by creating their own designs. Mary Arngaq, an Inuk director at Pingualuit Park, explains, as she showcases the beautiful markings on her arm: “On my right arm, I have lines of my family: Luke, myself, my son, my daughter and my grandchildren,” and, gesturing to more tattoos: “Another line is about my dreams, another line is of my talent for music and another line is about my passion for ice fishing.”

The tattoos are also significant because of the ritualistic process by which the tattoos were given. Evie Mark, an Inuk professor at John Abbott and Montmorency College, explains: “When the young woman was getting her tattoo, she was isolated with the seam-

PHOTO VIA MARY ARNGAQ

stress — who is either an elder or somebody really good at sewing — and they would be isolated for about two months, which is two periods, because the young girl who started her period would get her first markings, her womanhood markings. And so, because it is a painful procedure, she really needed to have privacy with the woman.”

Tattoos are very significant in Inuit culture, as the markings indicate who a person is — what they love, their achievements, their talents, and their destination in the spirit world

However, the hardships involved in the process of the acquisition of traditional tattoos were especially unsanitary and painful. In the past, only certain materials were available to fabricate tattooing tools, and so “they used very thick bone needles, sinew, from either a Caribou or whale’s sinew, and [...] sot from the qulliq or ink from blueberry juice, to ink themselves,” Evie explains passionately. As a result of no alternative tools, Evie states that “it was painful, brutal to get traditional tattooing. Imagine using a very thick bone to stitch your skin.” In addition to the pain, tools were rarely sterile, leading to some incidents in which people died from tattoo-related infections.

Fortunately, as sanitized tattooing equipment has become widely available, the fear of partaking in the practice has greatly diminished and our traditional tattoos have grown in popularity among the new generation of Inuit. Ellie, an Inuk student at Concordia, has had numerous people come up to her in praise of her tattoos, and thought out loud that “ a lot of people are doing it now, runnasilirsaulirivunga (now I’m more able to do it)”.

With the rise in popularity of the practice also rises negative opinions regarding it, mostly coming from those who have not yet broken out of the colonizer mindset. Ellie has overheard an Inuktitut teacher say: “I find Inuit people who look [more] white look better

with traditional tattoos compared to those who look Inuk.” To this colonial mindset, Ellie retorts: “Whatever, internalized colonialism much?” Evie recounts negative comments towards her tattoos by other Inuit with colonized mindsets. “‘They’re disgusting’ or ‘they’re the mark of the devil,’ ‘you’re trying too hard to be Inuk.’ I think those are just very ignorant comments,” explains Evie. “We must better educate our people and help decolonize the minds of our own people.”

Nevertheless, the culture of traditional Inuit tattoos continues to thrive and grow day by day. Though the fear of forgetfulness and colonial mindsets persists, there is hope that “it [might become] a norm in Inuit culture again. It’s not the end of the world if we don’t get them, but it may be the end of our culture,” says Ellie, expressing her worries. As challenges rise, there is no choice but to stick to our culture. Staying courageous is the key to conquering fear; and, according to her: “I think that there will always be judgment and discomfort. It hurt so much to lose our culture, there was so much pain when we lost these cultural practices, and I think there will also be pain to revitalize them,” Ellie concludes.

Playlist by MIA GUELI Visual Arts Editor

A Conversation With Keza Gahisha-Morin

GLORIA BADIBANGA Staff Writer

Keza is a black Burundian visual artist currently studying at Concordia University. Their passion for visual arts began at the age of 14, being influenced from starting to explore the internet, joining sub-communities of their interests and making fan art. However, prior to this, growing up, they’ve dabbled in other forms of arts including playing musical instruments and taking part in artistic sports such as synchronized swimming and figure skating.

Of course, this is in terms of the high-art world; galleries and museums, which have always been inaccessible and the epitome of institutionalized systemic oppression. This realm, like many institutions, was built on the pain and cultural appropriation of marginalized communities. Hence, I think we need to step away from viewing this as the marker for success as an artist - especially an artist of colour.

PHOTOS VIA @K3ZART

How would you define/describe the kind of art that you make?

“For the past two years, my art has been going through a bit of a transition, both stylistically and materially. I am now predominantly an oil painter, but I try to explore materiality and fragmentation through the surfaces I paint on. Combining textile work by sewing together canvas and burlap scraps, as well as using unstretched canvas and fabric, I attempt to step away from the conventions of traditional oil painting, which has dominated the art historical canon.”

Is there any black or POC artist who inspired/inspires you artistically?

“As with many people, my first exposure to black representation in the visual arts was with Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose transformation of cultural narratives to images inspired my willingness to illustrate my cultural experience through symbolic imagery and text, having grown up in predominantly non-black environments. Kerry James Marshall was my main inspiration for my late adolescence: his use of the black body, used as a surface of inscription of meaning by the Western art canon, and its transformation as a means of cultural survival implanted many thoughts and questions on how I’m perceived by those unlike me. His colours and scenes of black joy and mysticism were crucial in understanding the radical act of simply existing in a post-colonial white-centred world as a person of colour. Finally, Salman Toor, a contemporary queer Pakistani painter, has, in recent years, played a big role in my treatment of paint as a material, as well as [acting as] a starting point in my exploration of queerness and blackness as experiences lived, but also experiences imposed.”

Do you think your culture has had any influence on your art?

“Art gives me the opportunity to express pride in my culture when I feel unsafe to do so out loud. Art is a very personal practice, and even when actively trying to avoid it, culture will shine through the hand of the artist. I think any marginalized or oppressed person, when given the chance to express themselves creatively, will, in one way or another, showcase their culture and personal experiences (by virtue of their voices being silenced elsewhere).

As a Burundian who has seen and heard of the violence and discrimination that has permeated the country since colonization, my artwork has a strong tie to anti-imperial and anti-colonial ideals that I have the privilege to express, when my ancestors did not.”

As a black artist, do you sometimes feel restricted in the kind of art that you make?

“I find that there are certain expectations imposed on black art, stemming from the Western tendency to categorize it as “other”; on the outskirts of white art. This categorization leads to an expectation of the performance of our identity as a spectacle for the non-black viewer, giving them insight into a mode of living and thinking inaccessible to them. Being in university, and making art that is to be validated by my predominantly white peers and professors, has definitely made me think twice about who will be viewing my art and the power of their gaze on the contextualization of my art. I have found that white professors will feel more strongly and are more likely to refrain from giving (necessary) constructive feedback when my work is based on traumatic experiences regarding my race. While this has not stopped me from creating art that mirrors my experiences, I find myself censoring myself in discussions and critiques that may result in me having to validate someone’s white guilt or apologize for someone’s unfair discomfort. It’s frustrating when I need to stop myself from expressing the reality of my experiences, but I’ve come to understand it as [being] a means of self-preservation.”

Do you feel like there is an underrepresentation of black artists or POC in the field of art, precisely in visual art?

“Definitely - African and black art has been a “genre” that exists on the periphery of ‘legitimate’ art history as a means to propagate otherness for years. Of course, this is in terms of the high-art world; galleries and museums, which have always been inaccessible and the epitome of institutionalized systemic oppression. This realm, like many institutions, was built on the pain and cultural appropriation of marginalized communities. Hence, I think we need to step away from viewing this as the marker for success as an artist - especially an artist of colour. There are now more options offering the right kind of representation for black and POC artists that focus on de-colonizing and removing capitalistic incentives from the equation. Artist-run centres, artist collectives, and independent POC-owned publications can offer fulfilling representation, that doesn’t force POC to participate in systems that exist to oppress them. Unfortunately, it is a larger societal issue that both inhibits and discourages black voices from being heard.”

Ideally, would you want your art to lead you to a career, or would you want to keep it more of a hobby?

“I struggle to imagine a situation in the current economic climate that would allow me to sustain myself fully on my art while still having complete creative control of materials and subject matter. This comes from a devaluation of the traditional arts in late-stage capitalism and the general commercialization of art that has made the industry incredibly inaccessible, as I’ve said before. I think my generation generally has a bleak outlook on the future job market, and art is an unsteady field that necessitates a certain amount of privilege to be stable in. Social media has been a remedy for a lot of the inaccessibility in making a living with art. However, personally, I’m not too keen on using it, especially when one painting can take months or years to complete, and keeping an online platform requires a lot of quick output that I’m unable to produce and would not be happy making. Ideally, I will stay in the creative field to look for a job that offers financial security while still painting for fun on the side in hopes of one day finding an avenue of publishing my art that suits me and my lifestyle more.”

Are there any particular disadvantages you face as an artist?

“I struggle a lot with creative blocks, which I think stems from a long-term struggle with anxiety. Growing up anxious and feeling like all eyes are on you, and then becoming an adult and gaining consciousness of the reasons why they are looking at you, has made me very hesitant to share my work. It is such a personal process that the art I feel the happiest showing is normally the art I see myself the least in. I think I also have a particular need to separate myself from my art to protect myself from taking criticism of my art personally, which I am constantly trying to work on and get over. There are certain characteristics that one needs to be an artist, such as being able to balance vulnerability with a detachment from the emotional connection to the work, which is still a work in progress for me.”

The Whitewashing of MLK: American Hero who Sacrificed his Life for Colour-Blind Justice

The legacy of Dr. King celebrated today has been rewritten; sanitized and commercialized for an America seeking to erase its racist past and polish its problematic present.

CLARA FREY Staff Writer

This February, as Black History Month is observed, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated across the globe. Fifty-six years after his death, Dr. King is honored like an American hero. He is the first African American and only the fourth non-president with a memorial at the National Mall in Washington D.C. He is the only Black man with a federally-observed birthday and there are at least 955 streets and over 110 high schools across the nation named after him. The Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee, where he was assassinated, has been transformed into a museum that bears witness to his life and tireless dedication to the Civil Rights Movement.

There is no question that Dr. King is revered by Americans. But is his legacy being remembered accurately? After all, when MLK was alive, white America reviled him.

In 1956, after Dr. King helped lead the Montgomery bus boycotts in protest of racial segregation on public transit, his home was bombed while his wife and seven-week-old daughter were inside. In May of 1963, a Gallup survey revealed that sixty-three percent of Americans viewed Dr. King unfavorably; forty-four percent even viewed him highly unfavorably. On April 4, 1968, he was assassinated by white Supremacist James Earl Ray while standing on the balcony of his second-floor hotel room; an act reflective of the extreme hatred and fear of Black revolutionaries.

The Church Committee, a 1975 senate investigation into collusion and abuses within the U.S. intelligence services revealed that

in the five years prior to his death, MLK had been placed under heavy FBI scrutiny and was a primary target of their COINTELPRO projects.

COINTELPRO focused their actions primarily on Black Civil rights activists such as the radical Black Panther Party, Malcolm X and pacifist MLK. The FBI made use of espionage, wiretapping, psychological warfare and undermining of public opinion to ‘neutralize’ Black leaders. It was not beneath this organization, for example, to expose the pregnancy of American actress Jean Seberg in the hopes of “possibly caus[ing] her embarrassment or tarnish[ing] her image with the general public,” because she was a known financial supporter of the Black Panthers.

So how, in little over half a decade did MLK go from one of the FBI’s most heavily surveilled men, to a beloved national figure?

The mainstream media likes to remember Dr. King’s pacifism and to quote parts of his speeches that, removed from their proper context, perpetuate colorblind ideologies. Color blindness is a veiled form of racism, that by claiming to “not see race” dismisses the legitimate injustices perpetrated against BIPOC.

It is safe to assume that most Americans are familiar with MLK’s famous line: “I have a dream that my [...] children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. “

It is not surprising that the most quoted passage from MLK’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech at the August 28 1963March on Washington is one that, when it stands alone, supports color blind narratives.

Yes, Dr. King was hopeful that his country might meet the promises it made about racial equality in its constitution, but he also held it accountable for police brutality, imperialism, and systemic poverty in lesser-quoted parts of his ‘I Have a Dream’ address.

Every February in America, color-blind politicians on both ends of the political spectrum tweet tear-jerking eulogies to MLK, all the while passing legislation that serves to erode voting rights and that funds America’s imperialist exploits such as the wars in Ukraine and Palestine. In 2023, due to these conflicts, US weapons sales rose to a record 238 billion (BBC). Often, in these tweets, politicians will even discount the seemingly, to most, indisputable fact that Dr. King was assassinated.

In 2019, President Donald Trump’s press secretary Sarah Huckabbee Sanders took to Twitter to express: “Today we honor a great American who gave his life to right the wrong of racial inequality. Our country is better thanks to his inspiration and sacrifice #MLKDay.” MLK’s assassination was a consequence of the same white supremacist ideologies that motivated the January 6 Capitol riots. Sander’s failure to accurately depict the circumstances of Dr. King’s death is not coincidental. The fact that even the Trump administration, that frequently backed neo-nazis and white supremacists, is able to align itself with Dr. King reveals just how white washed his image has become; it is reduced to a meaningless hashtag.

White America does not like to feel uncomfortable. By choosing to invalidate race, white people can conveniently excuse themselves from examining the ways in which they might be benefitting from the oppression of others. America refuses to accurately depict the complexity of King’s avowedly radical message by cherry-picking representations of him that don’t expose the ugly, uncomfortable truth of its deep systemic racism.

Michael Harriot, author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed History of America, states of Dr. King in a Guardian op-ed:

“The average American might get the hee

PHOTO VIA NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

bie-jeebies if they knew they were celebrating a radical who challenged systemic racism, supported reparations and advocated for a universal basic income.”

This is why many of MLK’s more radical speeches and writings do not get the limelight they deserve.

On April 4 1967, exactly a year before his assassination, MLK delivered perhaps his most controversial address, Beyond Vietnam — A time to Break the Silence, to three thousand people at the Riverside Church in Manhattan. In this speech, Dr. King delivers a pointed critique of the Vietnam war and American militarism, calling the U.S. “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” In 1967, 500,000 Americans had been drafted to Vietnam, and the U.S. would drop more explosives on the country than it did on all of Europe during WW2.

America doesn’t tweet about Beyond Vietnam because it tells us what Dr. King would have thought about its involvement in Gaza. Dr. King called for a “radical departure” from the country’s bombing and demanded an immediate cease-fire to allow for the beginnings of peace negotiations. It is no question that Dr. King would ask the same of the U.S.-backed Israel.

Sheryll Cashin, law professor at Georgetown University and author of several books on racial justice tells POLITICO: “[Dr. King] would have decried Hamas’ unspeakable acts

Martin Luther King and wife Coretta Scott leading an SCLC protest on a highway from Selma to Montgomery Alabama. (HISTORY)

of violence, rape, torture and hostage taking place on Oct. 7. He would also denounce the U.S. for funding the mass destruction in Gaza that now subjects the entire population to the risk of death by disease, dehydration or starvation.”

It’s not a fluke that the mainstream media underrepresents Dr. King’s anti-war sentiments. Last November, in 2023, the House of Representatives passed a republican bill providing $14.5 billion in military aid for Israel’s attack on Palestine.

In a speech given during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Marches Dr. King points to the hypocrisy of his nation: “Millions of dollars can be spent every day to hold troops in South Vietnam and our country cannot protect the rights of Negroes in Selma.” The U.S. spent

America refuses to accurately depict the complexity of King’s avowedly radical message by cherry-picking representations of him that don’t expose the ugly, uncomfortable truth of its deep systemic racism

colossal sums of money to defend the civil liberties of the South Vietnamese from the supposed communist threat, when back at home, most Black Americans in Alabama were still denied the basic right to vote and were targeted by reconstruction-era legislation that left them disproportionately poor.

But Dr. King’s radical reclamations extended to more than just America’s participation in Vietnam. He also saw illegal protest as a legitimate means for social change.

On April 12th, 1963, MLK and other Black leaders belonging to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led the Birmingham Campaign, a protest promoting racial equality and desegregation in the state. Dr. King observed that in 1963, Alabama was, “ the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.” That same day, Dr. King and fellow SCLC leaders were already arrested and jailed for having led peaceful civil disobedience protests that blocked traffic and inconvenienced commuters.

In Prison, Dr. King wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” and defended disruptive forms of activism. His letter responds to eight white clergymen who disapproved of local civil rights demonstrations led by Dr. King in their previously issued open letter, ‘A Call for Unity’.

Though the white ministers acknowledged the existence of racial inequities, they believed that such issues ought to be fought through purely legal means, in courts of law rather than through acts of civil disobedience.

Dr. King believed that white moderates posed almost a greater threat to the civil rights movement than white supremacists did: “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” To Dr. King, criticizing social disobedience, though-illegal, for occasionally causing tensions such as traffic jams or sit-ins only served to discredit the SCLC and to defer promises of changing racist legislation.

This February, let us remember the real Dr. King, the one that was unafraid to call America out on its imperialist and capitalist pursuits in wars thousands of miles away, who eloquently defended the right to disobedient protest in response to white moderates and who was unafraid to block highways to assure a better future for POC. Let us not allow self-serving color-blind politicians to distort and pervert the powerful words that cost Dr. King his life. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Food for Thought: Soup Gets Thrown at the Mona Lisa

EMMA CASPI Voices Editor

On January 28th, two female protestors from a group called Riposte Alimentaire splattered pumpkin soup on the Mona Lisa. As the liquid trickled down the glass, gasps of shock and horror reverberated around room 711 in the Denon wing of the Louvre. In a desperate attempt to subdue the mayhem, the Louvre staff attempted to cover the sullied artwork with cloth screens. The Salle des Etats was swiftly evacuated, but not quickly enough. It had only been minutes before the disruption went viral on social media.

This is not the first time our dear Mona has been defaced. In 2022, a man posing as an elderly woman in a wheelchair threw cake at the beloved painting while telling the spectators to “think about the earth”. Even protestors from the group Just Stop Oil threw soup at Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting. The prevalent and recurring question is, “Why are people throwing food at renowned paintings?”

To give the audience a clue before being escorted from the premises, the activists lifted their hands and yelled a question. They asked the perturbed audience if “art or the right to have a healthy and sustainable food system” is more important to them. Most ignored the statement, gawking at the splattered soup on the bulletproof glass. After their stunt, the two protestors told the BBC that their “agricultural system is sick” and their “farmers are dying at work.”

These stunts are not caused by a hatred of the arts or because they loathe the Mona Lisa, but because of their love for the earth. Therefore, this issue does concern the infatuation and attention to the targeted painting, but more so the lack thereof to the environmental and agricultural crisis. Brian Mader, a biology professor at Dawson College, views this method as a simple equation: If you subject

famous works of art to attacks, people will become angry. They value our attention, whether good or bad, and they want to redirect that to the miserable farmers of France.

Radio France Internationale explains the plethora of reasons why farmers are at their wit’s end: Farmers must follow ecological norms while increasing food production and France’s food sovereignty, face unfair competition from imports, endure cut prices of produce (and, as a result, cut salaries) to fight inflation, handle the EU ban on pesticides and the Green Deal to cut carbon emissions… The list can go on. The farmers are not against these regulations. However, they believe they are forced, but given no extra means, to achieve these ‘green’ goals.

Considering the industrialization of food, Professor Anna-Liisa Aunio, The Profile Coordinator of Environmental Studies at Dawson College, explains that the unsustainable practices that follow monoculture are becoming detrimental to the environment and our health. However, Professor Aunio acknowledges and sympathizes with the farmers who “make a living with fewer economic resources,” withstand fluctuating food prices, and need to use enhancements and interventions to make a living on a working farm.

Calling for action, the apoplectic protestors from Riposte Alimentaire decided to call out their government for their support of rigorous and unreasonable methods of agriculture that are causing the farmers - and, in turn, the citizens of France - to suffer. This organization, along with Just Stop Oil in the UK, is under the umbrella of the A22 Network and includes international protest groups hoping for a greener world. According to their website, this network intends to “save humanity” through “effective civil resistance.”

“It [the protest] is usually with the idea of being disruptive to point out that larger disruptions could await if we are complacent,” says

This issue does concern the infatuation and attention to the targeted painting, but more so the lack thereof to the environmental and agricultural crisis

Geoffrey Pearce, Chairperson in the Geography department at Dawson College, “but, ultimately, the question is: Is that [throwing soup] advancing that cause?”

Pearce points out that vandalizing priceless art could negatively affect our population by increasing the restrictions on civil liberties by increasing security at museums and police surveillance. Because climate change is only worsening, the protestors take drastic measures as they only “have [a] narrow window to actively avoid the worst outcomes.” But even if the protest does advance the cause, would it justify the means being vandalism?

Because, balancing the risks and costs of the current agricultural system and affordable food is tricky, it is more crucial than ever to protest effectively and efficiently, as Professor Aunio states. She points out that the most successful protests tend to be those who have “connections to mobilizing structures with a particular community,” not those who throw soup on a whim.

Understandably, Activists have been pushed to their limit by the daunting force of climate change. However, this is even more reason to engage in the most effective solution of social movements with collective action and inspiring conversations. Let’s make change without Campbells.

PHOTO VIA DAVID CANTINIAUX

Who is Zionism truly for?

VICTOR SAMOYLENKO Contributor

I was born in Israel to immigrant Soviet parents. Despite being Jewish, my family was rejected by Israeli society. Unfortunately, my experience was light in comparison to that of non-white Jews.

Take the “Yemenite Children Affair” for an example: In the 1950s, as Jewish refugees came to Israel, newborn Yemenite children were kidnapped by Israeli authorities and put up for adoption in Ashkenazi families, as Malin Fezehai reports in the New York Times. The official estimates say about 1000 children were abducted, but activists estimate the numbers to be around 4500 children. This (mis) treatment of Arab Jews is not in the interest of all Jewry. Contradictions such as these would make me question Israeli state propaganda and planted a seed of doubt in me that slowly bloomed into a quest for truth.

It is time to question why so many of us are taught to be loyal to Israel from a young age

Take the abhorrent treatment of Ethiopian Jews in Israel: police brutality, poverty, systemic wage discrimination, the denial of their Judaism, and the alleged non-consensual sterilizations of Ethiopian women. These claims were reported on by Israeli outlets such as the Jerusalem Post and Haaretz, as well as the BBC and the Guardian

Outside of Israel, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which is regularly cited as a source on anti-semitic hate crimes, repeatedly focuses energy on defaming any group that shows solidarity with Palestine, equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism – even when done by Jewish groups! This has not only the effect of smearing the Palestinian struggle for liberation but also cheapens the actual antisemitic violence that Jews can be subjected to.

The ADL also collaborates with the same far-right conspiracists it claims to defend Jews against, if only to prop up Israel: in late 2023, Elon Musk agreed with a conspiracist tweet that claimed that Jews hate white people and he has blamed the ADL for his loss of advertising revenue (which plays into the “Jews control the media” stereotype). Yet, the ADL decided to maintain its advertising

on Musk’s platform. Additionally, Jonathan Greenblatt (CEO of ADL) praised Musk for banning the slogan “from the river to the sea” on X (formerly Twitter). The ADL does not mind continuing to advertise and thus giving money to the increasingly violent social media platform, as long as it can continue using it to push its Zionist agenda.

Finally, some of the most staunch American supporters of Israel are Evangelical Christians, who are deeply antisemitic. The founder of CUFI (Christians United for Israel), John Hagee, who is a close ally of Netanyahu, believes that Hitler was a “half-breed Jew-” which is untrue- sent by God to drive Jews to Israel, and blames anti-semitism on Jews themselves, rather than on the long history of persecution by Christians. But, because of Hagee’s support for Israel, the heads of the Zionist project are glad to have him as an ally, regardless of the dangerous rhetoric he espouses.

With all this in mind, I became convinced that Israel never truly represented the interests of Jews.

So, I ask Zionist Jews: do you really think these are the people who will keep you safe? You do not need to answer, because the truth is obvious: they will throw you under the bus as soon as you’re no longer useful pawns in the settler colonial project.

I have come to the conclusion that Zionism is not for Jews, because I understood that

it would never reconnect us to our diverse cultures – it seeks to homogenize us. It destroys the uniqueness of each diaspora group as it has done to Mizrahim.

Zionism is not for Jews – it needs antisemitism to exist in order to perpetuate itself.

Zionism is not for Jews – it flattens millennia of Jewish history and heritage; it is but a speck of dust that claims to encompass our totality as a people.

Zionism is not for Jews - it makes us into the same kind of ‘ordinary people’ who caused the destruction of six million Jews and many other “undesirables”.

It is time we divest from Zionism, and recognize the horrors that it is responsible for. It is time to question why so many of us are taught to be loyal to Israel from a young age. It is time to imagine a world where Jews do not need a foreign, militarized nation-state to feel safe, where we heal from the intergenerational trauma that is being weaponized in order to make us hate Palestinians.

It is time to make that world a reality, and it will be achieved by standing in solidarity with Palestinians, not with war profiteers.

PHOTO VIA VOIXJUIVESMTL

Idolizing Celebrities: the Border Between Idol and Fan

RALUCA-MARA MARE Staff Writer

The rise in social media presence and accessible content regarding anyone, anytime, allows for a comforting feeling in many fans’ lives. It is easy to keep track of upcoming albums, released interviews and the tiniest details of a celebrity’s life, now that all this is easily available at your fingertips. This media phenomenon resulted in the rise of numerous fan artists and endless fan bases around the world. What they all have in common: a feeling of strong connection to a celebrity. This feeling can range from mere interest to obsessive mania. The fine border between fan and celebrity is then easily broken when the fans, particularly teens, are blinded by adoration.

Why does this sentiment of connection occur?

Let’s all take a step back and acknowledge that real life is not like what these celebs portray

NYU Langone psychologist, Dr. Yamalis Diaz, explained that the teens and young adults that find themselves in this situation often belong to a “very sensitive developmental period” in their psychological development. As they form their own identity, an attachment to an influential person - such as a famous celebrity - often helps them shape their world vision. “People essentially value and reinforce these celebrities in the way that teenagers wish people would see them,” Diaz said. The psychologist also adds that “There is this big clash between fans trying to figure out who they are and then having 100% access to their celebrity idols… That’s where the obsessive component starts to take over.” The fact that teenagers’ dopaminergic brains are stimulated whenever they take in information, watch a new video, read a new post, or go live, is another factor contributing to their obsession with certain celebrities.

Celebrities and influencers are aware of this effect upon the public and use it to their advantage in order to generate larger fanbases. Through frequent social media posts, partnerships with brands, shows, and events, these influential people manage to keep the

fans connected. Celebrity promotion is an effective marketing tactic because it is built on the fans’ trust and increases engagement with the products, which results in enhancing the brand image. Some examples of this would be Rihanna’s collaboration with Puma, Bad Bunny’s with Adidas, Jack Harlow’s with New Balance, and Maluma’s with Macy’s Royal Fashion Collection, just to name a few.

Given the celebrities’ hold on the entertainment industry, their fan bases form large communities that influence almost a majority of the population - especially affecting younger audiences. In fact, according to Dr. Yamalis Diaz, a celebrity crush may be the first time a teen explores romantic sentiments or a “developmentally appropriate” physical attraction. However, this line can be trespassed whenever an infatuation with a celebrity becomes all-consuming and isolates the person from the world. According to the mental health website PsychCentral, it can develop into “obsessive-addictive disorder” or “celebrity worship syndrome.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) does not yet recognise the condition as clinically significant, although Diaz said it can be worrisome. When a fan watches hours of celebrity content and that prevents them from interacting with others in real life, they have crossed the “line of normalcy.” This situation is concerning on many levels, as the fan’s dopamine levels are dependent on consuming the celebrity’s media.

What can happen when this consumption gets out of control?

Most people have experienced phases of celebrity obsession at least once in their life-

time, often for a variety of KPOP idols, One Direction, or Taylor Swift, just to name a few. If you can relate to this, odds are that you held these people in high regard and put them on an invincible pedestal due to their fame. Although these inclinations can be beneficial habits that help people view life more clearly and form communities around people they value, they can also lead to unhealthy fixations and delusional idolizations. Many celebrities still have a large spotlight in the public’s eye, regardless of their wrongdoings. Similarly to Kanye West, Chris Brown continues to have a strong fan following despite being accused of abuse and sexual assault on multiple occasions, even being arrested on counts of rape. Despite the fact that West has been involved in scandals since 2009, his admirers continue to overlook his callous remarks about issues such as abortion and slavery, particularly in his tweets.

Let’s all take a step back and acknowledge that real life is not like what these celebs portray. They should be appreciated for the art they produce or are involved in; they do not offer sufficient life lessons and should not be viewed as idols or role models in any other setting. Keep in mind that this is their job, they are paid to be thouroughly liked by the public.

PHOTO VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES

Does Cupid Not Have Aimbot?

Exploring The A in LGBTQIA2+

ANONYMOUS Contributor

By my third year of secondary school, love permeated every aspect of existence; it filled the pages of books, animated conversations, bloomed in flower fields, lingered in exchanged glances, danced in fantasies, and nestled in beds. My friends had ceased their collective “ew” whenever the topic of sex arose. Instead, those of us who shunned physical intimacy were children — late bloomers. Despite my lovesick peers, I had somehow mastered the art of sidestepping Cupid’s arrows with pride. Yet, neglectful to my identity, society persists in its belief that Cupid has Aimbot, in that “love will come to all.”

Year after year, there is a more considerable emphasis on safe sex in educational institutions. While advocating for protected intimacy is commendable, the inescapable message seems to proclaim that sex is bound to happen to everyone — as if it were a defining characteristic of the human experience. For individuals like myself who lack the inclination to participate in sexual activity, this societal insistence can evoke feelings of shame and exclusion, as if we stand outside the bounds of not just a community, but of biology itself. Shorronda J. Brown coins the societal agreement that sexuality is obligatory as “compulsory sexuality.” Encapsulating a cultural norm, this phrase acknowledges the existence of a sexual identity that only 1% of Canadians identify with: asexuality.

AVEN, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, defines asexuality as an umbrella term encompassing a spectrum ranging from little to no sexual attraction. It is vital to recognize that this is part of someone’s identity, not to be confused with celibacy — a conscious choice to remain single — or Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), a condition characterized by low sexual de-

sire. Interestingly, many asexual individuals still form significant romantic relationships throughout their lives. This phenomenon underscores the distinction between sexual attraction and romantic attraction, which operate as two spectrums, independent of one another. In fact, research conducted by Amy

It appears that society often finds it easier to understand homosexuality than to comprehend the absence of attraction altogether – to love someone is more relatable than to not love at all.

N Antonsen reveals that 26% of the asexual population also identifies as aromantic, which means that they do not experience romantic attraction either. This illustrates that individuals may have romantic feelings for one another and never engage in physical intimacy, and vice versa.

Despite its significance, asexuality passes by as an invisible identity, its definition rooted in the lack of conventional sexual attraction. When I confided in a friend about my lack of attraction to the guys in our year, their immediate assumption was that I must be a lesbian. While not entirely implausible given my statement, it was far from the target. It appears that society often finds it easier to understand homosexuality than to comprehend the absence of attraction altogether – to love someone is more relatable than to not love at all.

Motivated by these observations, I embarked on an investigation of why ace identities remain unfamiliar to many. A Dawson student, opting to remain anonymous, expressed, “I respect ace people, I just find it hard to juggle between both sexual and romantic labels; it’s a lot more to keep up with than just.. gay.” For alloromantic asexuals — those who experience romantic attraction — love inherently entails a careful dissection into both the sexual and romantic spectra, challenging traditional understandings of romantic relationships.

Furthermore, it’s essential to recognize that sexuality represents merely a fraction of one’s overall identity. Sexuality intersects with various other aspects of identity, each suffusing it with distinct meanings and implications. Take, for instance, the societal constructs of gender, which carry different expectations for asexual individuals presenting as masculine or feminine. Traditionally, women are expected to adhere to abstinence, while men are pressured into hypersexual activity. As a Muslim woman, I have been counseled to steer away from men and preserve my virginity until marriage. Despite societal complaints about this restrictiveness, I have personally found compliance to be rather simple — perhaps far too simple. There is an ease for abstinence for females within the gender binary, and it is evident to see how societal expectations would change if mine were the case for a man.

This dynamic also extends to considerations of ethnicity. An anonymous interviewee who identifies as ace shared insights from their upbringing, revealing: “Femininity itself was a taboo topic in my south asian household, and sexual education was simply inaccessible — I had no resources to explore my sexuality within my community.” They further lamented the lack of representation in ace literature, noting that “most ace literature is based around white people, and I just don’t find myself relating to them that much.” Intersectional representation is important to facilitate a more inclusive understanding of the asexual experience.

Despite society’s insistence that love is an inevitable force, the reality is quite different for many of us. As an asexual, pursuing love feels like chasing a mirage that dissipates upon approach as if it were a self-imposed illusion. While Cupid’s arrow is revered as a symbol of love’s certainty, it fails to acknowledge those of us who reside comfortably outside its trajectory.

PHOTO VIA @SHIRO-NO-OKAMI ON DEVIANTART

Loneliness: Doomed to Love Yourself

SOPHIE DUGAS Contributor

Ocean Vuong, one of our generation’s most magnificent poets, once wrote in a poem “& remember, loneliness is still time spent with the world.” Modern views of loneliness don’t leave much to be desired; most people who occasionally wander around the Internet may think of this emotion being personified by Reddit “incels” or so-called “Disney adults”. Before exploring some facets of loneliness, it’s imperative to define what this idea implies—is it an emotion, disorder, or gloomy part of the human psyche?

A fair share of fleeting flings taught me how to navigate different forms of love. I have kept my most precious friends and have had to let go other who meant the world to me— these things sometimes just happen. As crappy books, fanfictions, and movies taught me, I waited for the moment of pure recognition The most prominent idea upheld by romance is that someone else is waiting to complete us in perfect symmetry. The idealisation of unions is a longstanding idea descended to us from the Greek myth of separated bodies, and you might be lucky to have someone else describe you as their “twin flame” or “soul made of the same star.” When I thought my day would come, I was faced with loneliness rather than the aforementionned pure recognition. However, instead of being distressed, I found myself content, understanding, and even hopeful.

One of the first times I remember feeling lonely was when I forged a strong connection with one of my closest friends. We seamlessly completed each other’s philosophies, and

The scariest part of loneliness is that it is innate to the human condition. Being different from the people we love and care can be an isolating thought, but it makes love and loneliness worthwhile and unique

PHOTO VIA THE MARGINALIAN

discussed events of our lives through microscopic lenses of analysis and detail for hours and hours. We improved each other, we called each other out on our bullshit, we bought each other flowers when nobody else would, we listened to the same songs over and over again knowing they would forever be tainted by the sound of the other. Naturally, it hit hard when I could not find pure understanding in this relationship though I felt this person was one of the people to whom I felt closest to in my entire lifetime. I figured that if they could not break this curse of loneliness, nobody could.

Still, my hunt for love continued. I longed for this unspoken understanding in other relationships; people I loved for years who my action, thought, and morality down to the last detail. My task was repeatedly unsuccessful until I found who I genuinely consider to be the love of my life. The expression is taboo for young people like me, but insofar as I use these words today without fear, this feeling will be preserved in a time capsule. They are wickedly intelligent, ever-loving, and perfectly pig-headed. I am reminded of them everywhere: the light buzz of sunlight on a heaving summer day, the black coffee from the broken-down market, and dried flowers used to make far-too-expensive perfume. In this revelation, I thought of how ideal the opportunity was for pure recognition. But, the dread of loneliness overcame me. Now, you must be

asking, “What was the point?” Well, the lack of an answer is, ironically, the answer.

Love is a state of the world. Though loneliness may come unexpectedly, love does neutralize it. We must learn to view the omnipresence of loneliness as an opportunity to reflect, rather than a brake towards love. Loneliness is a by-product of the simple fact that we will always be ourselves, and nobody else. You cannot experience the world as somebody else, but only with somebody else because you are you and they are them. You love old-smelling books, they collected thousands of DVDs. You find beauty in molecules and photons, they idealize life inside of books. They get chatty when drunk, you isolate yourself in self-hatred.

The scariest part of loneliness is that it is innate to the human condition. Being different from the people we love and care can be an isolating thought, but it makes love and loneliness worthwhile and unique. Pure connection will not be found by giving up on love. Don’t let loneliness stop you. Let it open doors. Let it learn to find the beauty in yourself and others. Allow it to reveal the uniqueness of yourself and the world. Let it teach you that you are who you’ll be stuck with forever but in the best way possible. Love like loneliness is the state of loving because, let’s be frank here, it kind of is. Find beauty in the places worth finding beauty, which is almost anywhere.

Welcome back dear readers of the Plant! We are back once again with our first edition of the semester, and I can’t say I am anything but excited! This will be my first semester as Creative Writing Editor, which means that I now have to (sigh) check my emails regularly… Still, I got to read over all the lovely contributions we get. As I take on this new challenge, I will finally start digging up my old drafts, perhaps as a way to really put a part of myself in this new position, which sounds terrifying but thrilling all at once! I hope that through this editorial position, I will be able not only to express myself in a way I haven’t done before, but also connect with the writing of others as well! Now, enough from me, as I have to fight my mortal enemy: writer’s block…

EZRA BUCUR Creative Writing Editor

POMEGRANATE STAINS (A GIRL TO HER LOVER)

SARA DIMITROVA Contributor

And with your bare hands

You peeled apart

My pomegranate heart

Like the fruit’s blood

So red and sweet

Love stained your fingers

Crept under your nails

Clung to your wrists

You tried washing it off

Afraid of all the color on your guilty skin

But I kept offering you my heart

And telling you “Eat”

You should have used a knife

That way, you would have made a clean cut

But you were so hungry then

So you used your bare hands

Now you wish you hadn’t

Because you can’t get rid of my love’s Pomegranate stains

MY FANTASY

RIKA Contributor

A question would linger in my mind

A lullaby you would sing to fall asleep at night

“What would you do when I die? “

Keeps me awake till sunrise

if anyone asked me this, I won’t lie

It won’t do much harm

But if it comes from the women who raised me for my whole life

I tear up from the sudden alarm

Never have I thought I’d see the day

She and I would part ways

Never have I thought I’d say

I wish it was me in that grave

My mum, the bravest woman alive

Walks head high without breaking a smile

My mum, the one who always shines

Brighter than the moon and sun combined

She lights up the room with her presence

She’s love, laughter, and happiness all in a second

Therefore, when she’s absent

It’s quite apparent

She sacrificed her childhood away

For a kid like me, who’s half the woman she is today

Migrating to the unknown

A battle she fought on her own

While her wings were being clipped away

She taught me how to use mine to fly

My mum, who I hate to see cry

Gave up her dream so I can have mine

The oldest child of her family

She carried the weight on her shoulders

Married to man child with no sympathy

She had no one to support her journey

So the question is imprinted in my mind

Haunting me until the day arrives

«What would you do when I die? »

The answer remains in waves

So to my mum, the kindest soul on earth

I hope you never think you failed me

Because when the day finally arrives

Know there’s no need to worry

Since you raised me with immense love

I’ll be able to continue your legacy

I’ll be proud to say

My mum is my fantasy

CROSSWORD

Across

4. The party never stops, except when the po-po shuts us down

5. Mr.Worldwide, DALE!

6. On your knees with your hands out wanting a copy of The Plant

7. The original lotus casino theme song

9. Did you come to dance? Then hit the dance floor, rock the club, and light it up

11. Queen that makes everybody go on mute

13. To the girls that make you suicidal when they say it’s over

Down

1. Tom took an oath and stuck it out until the end

2. Someone call 911! The dance floor is on fire!

3. Feeling the same way as Ne-Yo after a love filled month

8. Somebody that we used to know and then disappeared

10. Slipping under the taste of a poison paradise (a red flag)

11. Child, it’s your destiny to pay your ...

12. Her .... father didn’t want to give them his blessing for their marriage, it doesn’t matter he’ll still marry her anyways

14. Yeah! He made it big (half-)time

TAMARA GALINATO

Editor

COMIC

ANSWER TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

HOROSCOPES

Welcome back dear readers! I would like to wish a belated happy birthday to Capricorns and Aquarians and wish Pisces a happy birthday :) Within the vague, mysterious, and somewhat confusing words of this month’s horoscopes (that even I don’t understand - I feel like the oracle of Delphi), lies a game of “guess the song” of some of JB’s (Justin Bieber’s) old hit songs. Best of luck!

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR.19):

You’re used to going out of your way for others. Next time someone is walking on your side of the street, (respectfully) stay in your lane!

TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20):

You can never decide, always searching left and right, contemplating what to pick. Your indecisiveness is making you waste time that you can’t rewind. Make a choice and stick to it!

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20):

Forget about the world around you and focus on what makes you feel complete. Keep an eye out for the things that bring you joy. What did you name first?

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22):

Repetition, repetition, repetition - it sure is redundant. Avoid making the same mistakes. Green isn’t your colour, if you know what I mean. With time, that shouldn’t be too hard, right?

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22):

You love, you care, you’re always there. You deserve to receive the same energy you put out. You’re a babe, it is absolutely ludicrous to be treated that way!

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22):

You’re willing to do anything for your loved ones; you’d even give them the world, and that was made evident this month. Trust that this good karma will come back to you!

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22):

Don’t dwell on lost time, it won’t be found. Start focusing on the little things: the way the moon and stars light up the night, the way the sun shines, or the brutal, cold wind on your face. Be one with yourself.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21):

Go to places you’ve never been before, explore the city and all it has to offer (it doesn’t matter if you’re broke). It could be everything you want it to be, if you give it a chance and use your imagination.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21):

You wish you were in another time and another place, but you’re just stuck in the moment. Your wishes might come true if you wish hard enough at 11:11. Don’t forget!

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19):

Fight for what you want. You are ambitious, so never give up simply because you got knocked down or because you are faced with a wall. Some things may seem scary, but remember who you are.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18):

A word of warning: trust your gut. The grass isn’t as green as it seems (this is not about grass). On another note, take the pictures! Point and shoot the moments you will cherish forever, especially the mundane ones.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20):

Feeling lonely? Stuck between either-ors? Life may feel like a free fall, but just know that you can fly! Make the most of the situations you are in and if you don’t know what to do, MacGyver your way through.

DAWSON SPEAKS

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU’D SAY TO YOUR 8 YEAR OLD SELF?

“Stop being emo and make friends <3”

@trololhihock

“hi, ur gay btw”

@ya_ueban_blyat

“Don’t worry, you will find happiness among the right people ”

@juliette.regnier_

“Trust baby steps”

@aichou.sa

“you’re cooler than you think”

@d3miee

“Start learning languages. It’s a b*tch at times but you’ll love it.”

@dysfuncnoodle.png

“You are worth it. Stop trying to appease everyone else, when you can appease yourself”

@honeyskies21

“That math test you got a 55 on isn’t the end of the world”

@emmathebeech23

“Don’t be embarrassed of things. You’ll regret it in the future.”

@delao_saraii

“Buy 200$ of bitcoin”

@dvader30

“it will get worse”

@its._.katerina

“You’ll glow up, don’t worry”

@imeyezi

“The world is a crazy, scary place, but you will get through it. I love you”

@amandavdups

MASTHEAD

Mirren Bodanis Editor-in-Chief

Defne Aliefendioglu Managing Editor

Khadija Fatima Copy Editor

Noah Alec Mina Graphic Designer

Sarah Bensetiti Secretary

Thomas Frenette Arts & Culture Editor

Emma Caspi Voices Editor

Sabina Bellisario-Giglio News Editor

Ezra Bucur Creative Writing Editor

Mia Gueli Visual Arts Editor

Marc Pham Staff Writer

Tamara Galinato Curiosities Editor

Sanad Hamdouna Cover Artist

Soraya Djia Social Media Manager

Saya Hidaka-Massicotte Cartoonist

Gloria Badibanga Staff Writer

Ezra Bucur Creative Writing Editor

Emma Caspi Voices Editor

Juhaina Rauph Copy Editor

Amanda Ajeneza Bana Science & Environment Editor

Jade Gagné Sports Editor

Clara Frey Staff Writer

Raluca-Mara Mare Staff Writer

Maryam Hussain Asghar Staff Writer

CONTRIBUTORS

Iima Arngaq

Victor Samoylenko

Sophie Dugas

Sara Dimitrova

Rika

Dario Mancini

Kamyar Ghanean

Alegria Bishop

Kerven-Laurent Casimir

Aurélie Moutien

CONTACT

The Plant Newspaper

Dawson College 3040 Rue Sherbrooke O Montréal, QC H3Z 1A4 2C.12

theplantnews.com

theplantnewspaper@gmail.com @theplantdawson