Issuu

Le journal bilingue de Glendon | Glendon’s bilingual newspaper

Vol. 59 Issue 4 : le 11 novembre 2020

In This Issue Letter from the Editor ● Page 2 VIE ÉTUDIANTE Online Learning, the New Normal ● Page 3 Join the Group Chat, I Promise You Won’t Regret It! ● Page 4 EXPRESSIONS L’amour du Père ● Page 5 Tainos Discovered Aliens ● Page 5 ARTS & DIVERTISSEMENT Films français que je recommande à tout le monde ● Page 6 MÉTROPOLE Art is Community ● Page 7 SANTÉ ET BIEN ÊTRE Seven Days of Misery ● Page 8 Démystifier la culture diététique ● Page 9 ACTUALITÉ & OPINIONS Do you know what happened? ● Page 9, 10 A Diverse Workforce in Journalism and the Media ● Page 10 La Prochaine Date Limite : vendredi 13 novembre 2020

Online Exhibits to View From Home: International Edition Erica Thi Glendon Alumna Since many art galleries and museums are closed at this time, lovers of art and history who miss the in-person experience should take a look at online and virtual exhibits. The bright side of a global pandemic is that it is an opportunity to see exhibits you wouldn’t be able to see in person anyway. I’ve gathered a short list of art galleries and museums from other countries that offer online services for current and past exhibits. The Louvre in France has online virtual tours in a first person perspective. You can move around the exhibit floor or navigate the map in the upper left hand corner. I went through the “The Body in Movement” exhibit, which the Louvre describes as a way for visitors to appreciate the challenge of conveying movement in art. The imag-

es are high quality and brightly lit, so it is just like walking through the museum, and there’s no one to block your view! La Nuit et L’Aurore by Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne was particularly striking. The piece features a woman flying with a figure in either corner symbolizing the night and the dawn. The lighting in the virtual tour really allows you to see more detail in the darker sections. The Louvre’s other virtual tours include “Power Plays” and “The Advent of the Artist”. The following institutions also have online exhibits through Google Arts and Culture, which are completely free and easy to access. In Germany, the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin has exhibits in English under the online offers section of their website, or you can search for their page on the Google Arts and Culture website. The Kunstbibliothek (Art

Library) has several story exhibits. I recommend checking out “Art for the Street: Art Nouveau Posters”, which follows a history of these colorful posters and advertisements. You’ve likely seen works influenced by the Art Nouveau style without realizing it. William Bradley’s “When Hearts are Trumps By Tom Hall, 1894” is a stunning piece, along with many other great works. The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) in Virginia features online exhibits called “Breaking in: Women in STEM”, “Standing up for Change”, and their most recent, “Outdoor Adventurers” from 2017. “Breaking in: Women in STEM” explores the historical basis for disparity in women’s representation in STEM fields. It has informational blurbs in the corner and features images and video content. One image taken in 1899 in Continued on PAGE 3

Pro Tem Team

Letter from the Editor

Notre équipe Editor in Chief | Rédactrice en chef Eden Minichiello editor@protemglendon.com Chief of Operations | Chef des opérations Natalie El-Rifai operations@protemglendon.com

Natalie El-Rifai Chief of Operations

English Editor | Rédacteur anglais adjoint Adam Kozak englisheditor@protemglendon.com

Eden Minichiello Editor in Chief

French Editor | Rédactrice française adjointe Beatrice Bouaré frencheditor@protemglendon.com

Bonjour, Glendon!

Photographer | Photographe Ruhama Varatharajan photography@protemglendon.com Layout Editor | Maquetteur Elton Campbell design@protemglendon.com

Adam Kozak Assistant English Editor

Beatrice Bouaré Assistant French Editor

Elton Campbell Layout Designer

Ruhama Varatharajan Photographer

About Us Pro Tem est le journal étudiant du collège Glendon. Publié pour la première fois en 1962, c’est la plus ancienne publication de l’Université York.

Anna Noumtinis Campus Life

Ariana Mah Issues and Ideas

Opinions published in Pro Tem are those of the individual writers, and do not reflect the views of the publication as a whole. We will not print copy deemed racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise oppressive. Les lettres adressées au journal peuvent être éditées au niveau de la clarté ou de contenu. All copy appearing in Pro Tem is at the discretion of the editorial team. Feel free to respond to what you read in the pages of Pro Tem! / N’hésitez pas à réagir à ce que vouz avez lu dans Pro Tem! To see past editions of Pro Tem, please visit our website: www.protemglendon.com. Be sure to follow us on Instagram for reminders about upcoming deadlines and events: @ProtemGlendon

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Brianna Carrasco Arts and Entertainment & Expressions

Josée Philips Health and Wellness

Kitty Yin Metropolis

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your indubitably busy schedules to read another issue of Pro Tem! This publication truly would not be what it is without its contributors and readership, so we thank you for helping us to carry on our tradition. We hope you enjoy the issue and find it to be a brief escape from the readings, midterms and assignments we’re all piled under right now. November is a tough, tough month for students, so brew a mug of coffee or steep a cup of tea and settle in for a moment of self care with some easy reads. In this issue, we have quite a few interesting articles on a variety of topics. My personal pick is Online Exhibits to View from Home: International Edition by Glendon alumna Erica Thi. In the article, you will find an array of recommendations for online exhibit experiences, created by some of the most renowned art galleries and museums in the world, including the Louvre. I’ll certainly be checking out some of Erica’s suggestions over the winter break! N’oubliez pas que la dernière date limite pour contribuer un article est ce vendredi, le 13 novembre ! De plus, ce vendredi est la date limite pour soumettre vos œuvres d’art afin qu’elles soient présentées dans l’AGOG, l’exposition artistique en ligne de Pro Tem. Envoyez-nous vos articles et vos œuvres d’art afin d’être publié avant la fin du semestre ! Vous pouvez apprendre plus en allant sur notre Instagram, @protemglendon, ou notre Facebook, @ProtemGL! À bientôt, Eden Minichiello Editor in Chief

Vie étudiante

Online Exhibits to View From Home: International Edition (cont.) Washington, D.C. features a group of women studying plants. Another photo pictures female students studying the respiration system at the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia in 1900. Both photographs were taken by Francis Benjamin Johnston. There are also short videos detailing the work and struggles of important figures such as Ellen Swallow Richards, the first American woman to earn a degree

in chemistry in 1870 and the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She later established the Women’s Laboratory there in 1876. The “Archaeology from the Early Americas” exhibit from Brazil’s Museu Nacional features items from Chimu, Inca, Lambayeque, and Moche cultures such as decorative ceramics, various textiles, and mummified humans. The Museu Nacional lost part of its collection in a fire in 2018, but you can still tour the museum’s collection prior to the incident in a first person virtual tour that takes you through ceramics, mummies, butterflies and moths, and much more. There is also an exhibit on Indigenous Brazil that focuses on various accessories of Indigenous peoples. For example, there is a feathered hood with a mantle,

wood masks, and a frontal feather band that would be worn over the forehead. It’s amazing to see the vibrant colors in these items. The Pera Museum of Turkey’s online exhibit “Coffee Break” is perfect for coffee lovers interested in the history of coffee as a commodity and export. There are paintings featuring coffee and items related to enjoying coffee: ceramic coffee cups, saucers, coffee jugs, and sugar pots. The exhibit states that these were “the items and objects of the coffee ritual” — you can even read along while having your own cup of coffee! The coffee cups have various patterns, floral imagery, and come in different shapes and styles. There is even a sugar pot with a molded cat on the lid. Additionally, if you’re a fan of ASMR, the exhibit

features a video with music alongside the sound of cups and saucers clinking, coffee being poured in the background, and the tinkling of a metal spoon against a cup. Although this is only a peek into the history of coffee, the experience is amazing . This is only a small sample of the art and history experiences available at our fingertips. All the institutions mentioned have several online exhibits curated with various themes. There are small information blurbs to go along with photographs and videos, and many are “bite sized” exhibits that only take a few minutes to go through. Sit back and enjoy visiting museums and galleries across the world, all from the comfort of your couch!

sleep if I actually wanted to learn anything — don’t you wish we could learn in our sleep though?! The experts were saying to form some sort of routine that mimics the one you had prior to the pandemic. Well, I’m definitely not going to mimic the commuting aspect. Luckily, I have developed a routine before class that prevents me from staying in bed and not being productive! So far, it’s working — aside from those dreaded early-morning 9:00 classes. For the first few weeks of the semester, I thought to myself, “Hey! This isn’t so bad, it’s kind of nice, I don’t have to worry about being late for class because of traffic, or the weather, and no one will know if I haven’t showered in 3 days!” Ah, how naive. Slowly, the work started piling up, and the procrastination was building with it. My notes were subpar, because I

told myself I could just re-watch the lecture if needed — but in uni, who has time for that? Then the sweet, sweet relief of reading week finally arrived which gave me a little bit more time to catch up. But of course, there was an assignment due that I had forgotten about! There went all my catching up and free time. Just when it seemed I had finally pulled myself up from the hole I undeniably dug myself, it turns out that I had fallen back into it. If I was asked to describe how this semester is going, I would say that it feels like you’re drowning, and just when you’ve reached the surface of the water and gasp for that breath of air, another wave crashes over you and shoves you back under, leaving you to, yet again, fight to reach the surface. Online learning sucks. I know a few people prefer it, but personally, I hate

it. Why am I paying the same tuition to use my own resources? There is twice as much work and I’m not receiving the same level of learning that I would if I were physically in class. Sure, exams are all open-book, but I’m not learning anything. There are too many distractions at home, and online learning in general is so much more difficult. School already pushes us to our limits by putting us through high levels of stress while making us constantly question ourselves — question whether we are smart enough or good enough. Online learning amplifies these terrible self-deprecating feelings. Look, I get it’s not easy for anyone, even the profs are having a hard time, but to those who say that e-learning is the future? No thank you, I’ll stick to commuting to class and using an old fashioned pen and paper to write my notes!

Online Learning, the New Normal Kassidy Schiber Contributor 2020 — man, what a year! I think it’s safe to say that this year has straight up not been a good time for anyone. When I first heard about COVID-19, I thought it sounded pretty scary, but of course we live in Canada and that would never happen to us, we’re invincible! I remember making jokes about it in my stats class, the prof sneezed and laughed as she joked that she had the “rona”. The next thing I knew, everything got shut down and classes quickly went online. I woke up, logged onto zoom, then promptly rolled over and fell back asleep to the soothing voice of my professor lecturing away. You can’t deny that some of them have such smooth voices that you can’t help but be lulled into a nice little nap. Fast forward to the summer when things somewhat returned to normal, I started to feel hopeful for the fall semester — going to class, searching for one of the few left-handed seats in those mildly uncomfortable chairs, even the commute. I missed getting my daily pre-class workout in climbing those stairs. I missed seeing my peers and being able to have a face-to face interaction! Of course, much to my disappointment, classes for the fall semester are online. Sadly, that’s the way it has to be, so I told myself to make the best of it — that’s really all we can do on this large floating mass we call Earth. Based on my experience from the winter semester, I knew I couldn’t just roll over, turn my laptop on and go back to

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Campus Life

Join the Group Chat, I Promise You Won’t Regret It! Anna Noumtinis Campus Life When I found out that the 2020-2021 school year would be online, I was both happy and scared. I was happy because I could sleep in an extra hour, I didn’t have to get on a crowded subway car, and I would be saving so much time by not commuting — I would actually be able to finish my homework and notes with enough time to go to bed before midnight!!! That being said, I was also scared. I have never been good with technology, only a couple of my friends had classes with me, and I don’t use social media so I didn’t know how I would make any new friends! Unfortunately for me, probably like many others, I learn better by watching, listening and writing during my lectures — and I don’t mean watching a video! I mean physically watching my professors pace the room as they talk and point to powerpoint slides and fidget with their hands as they explain the concepts. I need the social interaction of the conversation between the professor and the students to help the concepts and theories stick in my mind. With online learning I don’t get that! I have figured out ways to make online schooling work for me: I write out my notes as I watch videos, I make notes on textbook readings, and ask questions as often as I can. This works great for most classes, but not all. This change absolutely devastated me as a complete workaholic, type-A-overachiever. I CANNOT fail a class because of online learning! What’s I like about in-person classes is that you sit next to people, you know if they have a good handle on material or if they are struggling, and you help each other out, but you can’t do that online. So what did this workaholic, type-A-overachiever do? I joined as many WhatsApp and Facebook group chats as I could. I will be honest, I’m an awkward texter. I am way better at face to face or telephone conversations, so I was lost in these group chats to say the least. I’d ask peers for clarification on questions or topics and I didn’t always get a reply, but when I did I was so excited. I decided to be even more friendly in these group chats to try and build at least an acquaintance with these people, and it worked!! When I asked people how their weekend was, or what they thought of the class so far, or about their major, I

noticed they were more likely to answer my questions and ask to study together or to compare notes! It was so helpful to have that relationship with some of my classmates, especially in classes where my normal study methods weren’t cutting it. So through the craze of remote learning I learned a very important social lesson: you have to make yourself known to your peers. You need to try to make a connection, no matter how small, if you hope to rely on each other to get through the semester. On that note, I encourage everyone to send some texts and make some acquaintances, because you never know where it might lead!

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Expressions

L’amour du Père

Tainos Discovered Aliens

Eden Minichiello Editor in Chief

Elton Campbell Layout Designer

“Aimé avec un amour éternel, ses bras éternels en dessous.” Je m’asseyais sur l’affleurement granitique massive, la brise matinale froide a balayé ma joue, une forêt d’auburn et d’or dans le dos, un lac bleu sarcelle foncé et des montagnes de granit blanc devant moi. Je n’ai pas prié, mais tant bien que mal je me trouvais dans sa présence. Il faisait froid, mais je me sentais la chaleur gentille d’un feu de camp invisible. Il a fait toute la conversation. Alors que je regardais les eaux libres et les forêts blotties, il me disait des contes d’un amour si grand : assez puissant à former des montagnes assez profond à remplir les mers assez douce à arranger les pétales d’un bleuet assez sacré à mettre la vie dans moi. Il m’a montré des pins balayés par le vent, noueux et pliés à la perfection dans son dessein. Il m’a montré des rivages sculptés par les glaciers, incurvés et déchiquetés, débordants. Il m’a montré comment il les a créés et comment il m’a créé. Comment il m’a tissé ensemble il y a 21 ans dans le ventre de ma mère, comment il a enveloppé mon âme dans ce corps doux et fort, celui que je méprise si souvent. Et puis un mot — home. Frappant dans le contexte de la vacuité soudaine de mon esprit. Pas à moi. mais à Lui Son esprit et le mien fusionnés à jamais. J’ai entendu toute la création chanter ses louanges, je voulais être la plus forte de la chorale, alors j’ai chanté, Père, façonne-moi avec ta miséricorde. J’ai souri, les larmes me sont tombées des yeux. “pars en sachant que tu es aimée.”

Je suis né en Jamaïque. An island paradise called Xymaica by its indigenous people, the Tainos. One day, the Tainos discovered a giant canoe of white aliens along the coast of the crystal blue and turquoise sea that swept their pristine white sandy shores. Like servers at an all-inclusive diamond resort, they welcomed these aliens. The leader of the aliens was Christopher Columbus. He called the Tainos, “Indians.” They thought these aliens were delusional from being in the hot sun too long while at sea. Instead of knocking sense into the savage aliens with a coconut, they gave them some refreshing coconut water, hoping it would help them recover. Unfortunately, through these aliens the Tainos discovered these terms: illegal immigrants, human trafficking, rape, slavery, sexual transmitted diseases, pedophilia and child abuse, extortion, human mutilation, terrorism. Before the Tainos could “Make Jamaica great again!”… they discovered what genocide is while they gasped their last breath, watching black angels descending in chains.

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Arts and Entertainment

Films français que je recommande à tout le monde Brianna Carrasco Arts and Entertainment & Expressions J’ai toujours été fan de cinéma. Ce n’est qu’en prenant de l’âge que j’ai commencé à explorer des films étrangers et à lire les sous-titres. Il y a tellement de beaux films de l’extérieur des États-Unis qui ne sont jamais assez reconnus. Quand j’ai commencé à réaliser que je comprenais suffisamment la langue française, j’ai commencé à tester mes connaissances à l’aide de films français. Regarder des films est un excellent moyen de comprendre l’argot et la façon dont les gens parlent dans un certain pays ou une certaine ville. De plus, apprendre une nouvelle langue strictement dans une salle de classe est ennuyeux. Regarder des films, c’est plus amusant! Voici mes trois films français préférés qui sont assez connus dans le monde - pour une bonne raison! Premièrement, c’est le film « Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, » qui a le titre « Amélie » en anglais. Ce film est très différent, un peu excentrique et bizarre. Je donne à ce film trois sur cinq étoiles parce que j’aime beaucoup l’esthétique, et la combinaison de couleurs est très belle! En plus, je l’ai trouvé tellement beau et mignon parce que la romance est unique et adorable. Mais en même temps, l’unicité et l’excentricité rendent ce film un peu improbable et mielleux. Bien que ce ne soit pas mon préféré, ce film est parfait pour ceux qui souhaitent avoir une introduction simple et unique au cinéma français. Deuxièmement, mon film français préféré est « 120 battements par minute ». Ce film est le contraire d’ « Amélie » parce qu’il est tellement triste et sombre, mais aussi si important. La scène se déroule durant les années 90 pendant l’épidémie de sida. ACT UP était une organisation activiste aux États-Unis avec le but d’arrêter le virus sida. Le film est à propos de la section parisienne de cette organisation et montre les moyens que les activistes du VIH/ SIDA ont eu recours pour se battre contre l’épidémie parce que le gouvernement a fait peu pour aider ces individus qui étaient touchés par le virus. Ce film est si important pour comprendre la culture et l’histoire queer de Paris et montre un côté plus triste et dramatique du cinéma français.

Plus récemment, j’ai regardé le film « Portrait de la jeune fille en feu » qui était très connu en 2019. Il met en scène une jeune peintre, Marianne, en 1770. Marianne est embauchée pour peindre une image d’une autre fille, Héloïse, qui va se marier. Mais, Héloïse refuse de poser pour la photo; en réalité elle ne veut pas se marier. Donc, Marianne doit peindre l’image d’Héloïse en secret. En peignant son portrait, Héloïse et Marianne tombent amoureuses. C’est un film d’époque tellement charmant sur l’amour et les amitiés entre femmes et je sais que beaucoup de gens l’adoreront. Il y a tellement de variétés dans le cinéma français, mais un stéréotype sur le cinéma français semble juste avec les films mentionnés ci-dessus: ils sont longs! Alors procurez-vous du pop-corn et profitez d’un week-end à la maison en regardant des films français!

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Métropole

Art is Community Ameer Shash Contributor Community-engaged arts (CEA) are the epicentre of human interaction, story-telling, and pathos. They resonate with us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Art that engages targeted communities is effective in raising awareness, because it allows members to partake in local projects and invest themselves, socially and emotionally. Community leaders and native Toronto artists have been increasing their efforts to promote awareness by actively reaching out to the public through art. As a result, it has produced a sense of inclusivity, unity, and shared society among local communities. Art can take many forms, for example, murals like those found in Toronto neighbourhoods that illustrate vibrant images of their inhabitants. York students in the Faculty of Environmental Studies have had the pleasure of observing the artworks that have been on display in these Toronto communities. I advocated last year that CEA such as murals are integral in bringing together the residents of my own neighbourhood: the Flemingdon Park community. Found in North York, Flemingdon has an incredibly diverse population with an immigrant majority. We hold many cultural events with dancing and music. This creates constant movement, rhythm and energy that attract passers-by, who stop to observe and learn. Both neighbourhood and YU events have been integral in deepening my understanding and enhancing my knowledge of global issues that are relevant to many Toronto communities, such as racism. We emphasized the importance of racial representation when creating our community mural; we wanted the diversity of our community to be seen and acknowledged. We did so by including illustrations that captured the likeness of all of our residents. In September 2017, the mural project was conceptualised by the MLSE, the company that is responsible for the Toronto Raptors, and the ‘Friends of Flemingdon Park’ — a small group of decades-long members of the Flemingdon Park community. This collaborative mural was painted by local high school students from Marc Garneau Collegiate at Don Mills and Overlea. Slowly, over four and a half months, the three groups worked together to conceive a new motto for a mural that would succeed the existing one from 1999, which celebrated the consolidation of Toronto. The

previous mural was sports-themed, and in order to adapt to the needs of today’s youth, the group came to a consensus for a new slogan: “BELIEVE YOU CAN DREAM BIGGER”. Youth from all backgrounds can relate to and be inspired by this new mural, an effect which can only be created by CEA. On the mural in Flemingdon there are illustrations of minority groups, so as to reflect the demographic of the community, as well as to make our diversity known to anyone who drives by. CEA creates a space that is inclusive and accurately depicts the different faces that constitute our communities. Inclusivity allows residents and “outsiders” alike to participate in and celebrate their individual identities, as well as their collective identity. This is the beauty of making art accessible, which is a crucial attribute of CEA. Anyone with a genuine interest in community outreach can take part in events, and anyone who enjoys art can participate in it. I have seen proof of this myself, for example when the Toronto Arts Foundation hosted a series of cultural-preservation events in Flemingdon park to showcase singing and dancing, or in sports murals in community hockey facilities that preserve history and local culture. Art is a silent ambassador for otherwise overlooked communities. It uses aesthetic and visual methods to convey a

message, and hands the mic to unheard voices. Community-engaged arts, no matter how it is presented, has proven itself to be successful in highlighting societal is-

sues. CEA serves as a catalyst for conversation, interaction, and collaborative work amongst complete strangers.

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Health & Wellness

Seven Days of Misery Raheela Popat Contributor The coronavirus has affected all of our lives differently. Some have lost their jobs, others have shifted into online schooling. But for me, it was both — and I lost my father. I can never really grasp that I lost my dad to the coronavirus. It’s unbearable and suffocating. It is important to reminisce about the beauty of my father’s life. He was 77 and worked at his grocery store on Gerrard Street (Little India) for the past 35 years. He was always a kind soul and brought fruits and vegetables to the elderly in his free time. It is crazy when I think that my 77-year-old father, a senior already, was doing so much for the elderly community when we should have been looking after him. Aside from being the generous man he was, he was quite religious. He would go to Jamatkhana (mosque) that was down the street from our house whenever he had the time. For him, this is where he would feel the happiest and most peaceful. It was truly a blessing to see that. He could go there for hours, meditating and praying with his tasbih (religious beads). Friday March 13th, what an odd day. This is the day he told me he started to get mild chest pains. I was on my way to school so naturally. I told him to go to

the walk-in clinic and call me after he found out what was going on. My instinct told me it could be related to his neck issue that he started to have during the last couple years of his life. I was totally wrong. He was immediately asked to visit the nearest hospital to get checked for the coronavirus. The next couple of days are blurry. Those were the days everyone in the house had to quarantine and my dad had to isolate in the basement, far away from me. I didn’t like that because every night I would go into his room, massage his feet, hug him, and he would give me prayers, saying to me: “may Allah always be with you Rahi”. He didn’t talk much, and I think it came with old age, so those words meant the world to me. As the years went by, I noticed my dad getting older, but his strength was incredible, as he had no pre-existing conditions, so this is what boggles my mind the most. By Sunday we found out that he was positive for the virus, and I personally drove him to Mississauga Trillium Hospital where I knew he would get the best care since my sister was the primary lung specialist there. That was the last time I ever saw him. I remember putting him into the wheelchair when we got into the ER, lifting his feet and cushioning them in the feet holder. I couldn’t kiss him goodbye because I had a mask on. The most I could say was ‘I love you’ without bawling my eyes out. On my way home, I remember how powerless I felt. I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t see him, I couldn’t feed him, I couldn’t hug him, because the coronavirus ripped everything away from us. We talked on the phone for

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about 10 minutes for the next couple of days, and my sister had the opportunity to safely visit him while following coronavirus protocol, but it wasn’t the same. I remember her Facetiming me and I saw my dad with a mask on and my sister with a face shield. Even her iPad was in a big zip lock bag so there wouldn’t be any contamination from my dad. This is absurd. It hurts my heart to think that I couldn’t even see my father during his final days, and when I did, there was a piece of plastic in between the screen and him. By Thursday, he was in the ICU and his oxygen levels were getting lower. As the hours progressed, he couldn’t speak to us anymore since he needed an oxygen tube to breathe. I absolutely hate that it all went down this way. Before this virus emerged, people were allowed to visit their loved ones and gather with their families to be comforted during such difficult times. The only thing I had was my phone, waiting for updates, messages and phone calls telling me about my father’s condition.

Saturday, March 21st was his last day on Earth. Ironically, it was Navroz (Muslim religious celebration). This day signifies the first day of spring and the beginning of a new year. Every year on this day, we would go to the mosque and celebrate with our family and friends and be grateful for another year. This year was different, as there would not be any social gatherings and my father had passed away. In many ways, I am angry and bitter at the universe. I still grieve every single day about the loss of my father who nurtured and taught me so many beautiful things about life. At the same time, it was an ironic blessing that he passed away on the day of Navroz because I KNOW that he wouldn’t wish for anything different, being the religious soul that he was. He always told me he didn’t want pain and suffering, he wanted a quick and harmless ease out of this world, and when the time came, he got it.

Santé et bien-être

Démystifier la culture diététique Josée Philips Health and Wellness La diète, c’est un mot qu’on entend asLa diète, c’est un mot qu’on entend assez souvent. Il semble que c’est toujours sur les médias sociaux et dans les magasines « 10 façons que la diète [x] vous aidera à perdre 10 kilos ». Peut-être que ça fonctionne pour certains de faire la diète, mais son efficacité ou inefficacité n’est pas le réel problème, c’est plutôt la culture diététique qui l’entoure. Cette dernière n’est pas saine pour la santé mentale ou physique. Mais rien n’est considéré comme bizarre ou toxique pour les gens, puisque la société l’accepte comme de rien n’était. En lisant des articles qui portent sur la culture diététique, une chose qui ressortait c’est qu’on reste pris dans le cycle de cette culture; et qu’à cause de ce fait nous n’avons pas de bonnes relations avec la nourriture ou de respect pour notre corps. On ne peut pas aimer ce qu’on mange: on mange toujours trop ou pas assez du bon aliment. On ne peut pas sortir ou manger un grand repas avec notre famille sans se sentir coupable. On ne peut rien manger après 19h00, etc... etc… C’est épuisant. Un autre facteur de la culture diététique est que le corps « idéal » per-

mettra une sensation de bonheur, de meilleur statut social, et de beauté, même si ce n’est pas le cas. En effet, ceci opprime les gens qui n’ont pas cette figure idéale qu’a pour modèle la société. En plus, ce n’est jamais qu’il faut perdre du poids, faire de l’exercice ou mieux manger pour bien se sentir et pour avoir une meilleure santé générale; c’est bien souvent pour avoir une apparence plus mince. Si vous voulez aller au gym ou manger d’une certaine façon, allez-y, mais c’est d’abord pour votre santé à vous, et non pour plaire à la société dans laquelle nous faisons partie. Il y a plusieurs phrases clichés de la culture diététique qui mettent au centre de l’attention le poids. Des phrases comme les suivantes, que vous entendez soit chez vous ou chez les autres, « Si je mangeais ça, je pèserais [x] », ou même « Je veux porter ça, mais je ne peux pas tant que je pèse [x] ». Il faut arrêter de dire que « la diète commence lundi » quand tu sais que tu finiras par sortir pour prendre un dessert avec tes amies. Il ne faut plus dire « as-tu perdu du poids? Que tu es jolie! », ou dire qu’un aliment est tout simplement mauvais car elle fait prendre du poids. La culture diététique renforce le sentiment de ne pas être satisfait ou fier de son corps. Ce sentiment est notamment renforcé par le fait que les gens pensent que si on est mince, tout va bien. C’est faux. Je peux témoigner de cela. Il y a des gens en bonne santé ou en mauvaise santé dans chaque type de corps. La

culture diététique peut causer des troubles alimentaires, des troubles de santé mentale, et des problèmes de santé physique puisqu’on ne prend pas bien soin de nous. Elle nous dit quand il faut manger, ce qui devrait être dans notre assiette et en quelle quantité. C’est pour cela, selon moi, le concept d’alimentation intuitive est important. Elle se base sur le principe de rejeter la culture diététique et d’écouter son corps, de se satisfaire avec ce qu’on veut, de faire la paix avec la nourriture, de remarquer quand on est rassasié, mais aussi quand

on a faim, d’écouter nos émotions et d’être actif pour ressentir la différence dans notre corps. Chaque corps a une histoire, et chaque corps est admirable. Cette culture nous fait croire que si quelqu’un a un poids plus petit qu’un autre, que tout va bien chez cette personne. Ce n’est absolument pas vrai, on a tous nos problèmes personnels, et la culture diététique ne fait que les rendre encore plus difficiles. Soyez donc patients avec vous-même et souvenez-vous de ne pas confondre la santé avec le poids, et le poids avec la beauté.

Actualité et opinions

Do you know what happened? Sonia Said Contributor Someone once told my mother, “You are a woman, so you know nothing about cars.” Wait, what? With all due respect, if you want to see me turn into a tiger, denigrate children or mention women’s “subordination” to men. I want to become a mechanical engineer because of that incident. This topic is so important, yet so elementary. I am a woman, a daughter, a sister and a fervent believer that women are not stupid and useless beings. You may think me wrong, naïve and too young, but I sincerely do not believe that women cannot protect themselves, and I do not believe that women are

all the same. The truth is that I have lived with people who believe women need to be controlled, put into a box and kept at home. Since my childhood, I have seen people who take pride in their sons and treat their daughters as a commodity. I have seen people who think that their daughters belong to them, who treat women as objects. I have seen people who do not value girls simply because they are girls. I have seen people who hurt women. I have seen hatred towards women. I have seen women suffering in silence. And for all that it matters, I was not born nor grew up in the Middle East. I am not one who believes that women must accept their lot in life. That they must get married, stay at home, hide themselves, cook all day long or do a random part-time job, take care of the children and survive. Yes, I BELIEVE that women can do that, but they can do that and more.

They can do what they have always been meant to do; what they want to do. I don’t have the right to give a fixed “role” to a human being who has been created with such beauty and intelligence. Isn’t it their own job to figure out what they want to become? What they want to do? What they are meant to do? And if they are meant to

repair cars, why does it bother us so? I am just asking for understanding, respect, empathy and most importantly, dignity. Please give dignity to the ones who were created like you, with the same flesh, bones and blood. Every day, all around the world, women make us proud

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Issues and Ideas

Do you know what happened? (cont.) by working in the most difficult conditions, supporting their families, taking care of others. They are teaching the basics of life, sharing love, and yes, also repairing cars. Let’s stop judging each other and accept that we are meant to live together, side by side: men and women.

Men and women are not so different: please understand that we have rights. We have talents. We have knowledge. We have pride. We have potential. We have skills. We have intellect. We reach positions of power. And we are blessed as we are. So please, next time you think that women know nothing about cars, don’t forget that women were created with a heart and a brain. We can repair your car the same way we can teach you how to share love.

If you think that a woman is inferior to you, how can you respect her for who she is? How can you love her? Devaluing someone, man or woman, doesn’t make us better. It doesn’t make our lives easier and it doesn’t bring peace to this tormented world. I deeply believe that we need to support each other and be each other’s light. Thank God being a woman is not a curse. It is a gift. It is a blessing: a mother is the one who brings life, a sister is the one who shares sorrows, and a daughter is the

one who passes on the legacy. Women can be so much more than they are allowed to be. I assure you, we all have hearts and lots of love to share. Now it is your turn, to make us proud. I am asking for a favor. Please value us, women.

nation. Additionally, the actress made more money than when she was wearing the niqab. This misinformed and blatantly ignorant public is a true-to-life representation of the reality Muslims face on a daily basis. As a Muslim myself, it is disheartening to see the assumptions uneducated people form about any religion, in this case, people associating symbols of Islam, such as clothing, with crime or terrorism. Black filmmaker Mark Simms participated in a social experiment in which he went apartment-hunting, and noticed differences in the price he was offered compared to two other participants. Simms was charged a higher price than the other participants, despite experiment variables being the same, and also had his movein date delayed. The two participants who

identified as Caucasian and Native were given first dibs on the apartment’s availability, and were given a lower price for the same apartment. Despite the inequities and unfairness black people face, black history and heritage can also be celebrated through the numerous achievements of black people on national and local levels. Here are several people of colour who are breaking down stereotypes and providing representation for minorities in the Canadian media. Brandon Gonez’s face is one of the first seen daily on television screens across Canada with CTV’s ‘Your Morning’. Beginning in Vancouver as a video journalist, Gonez travelled all across Canada in his various roles at numerous radio and television channels. In January 2019, he

became an anchor at the news desk of CP24. A little-known fact is that Gonez is a York University alumni, having graduated with a Bachelors in Communications. Other notable news reporters in Toronto include Rogers Media’s Tammie Sutherland of CityNews, Brandon Rowe of CityNews, Faiza Amin of CityNews, Nathan Downer and Patricia Jaggernauth (formerly) of CP24. What we can appreciate is that Canadian media and journalism are fostering diversity and shifting away from what was once an industry consisting of predominantly middle-aged white men. Through this, the media is doing its part in bringing about social change.

A Diverse Workforce in Journalism and the Media Ameer Shash Contributor Stereotypes propagated by the media and consumed by children at home from an early age are responsible for race-based bullying and discriminatory practices in our societies. Being part of a minority group, such as the black or Muslim communities, can feel like an impediment for those who want to pursue their passion in digital media or other related fields. It seems that Canadian television is striking back at stereotypes by deconstructing these preconceived notions of ignorance, all while adding a humorous spin. CBC Marketplace took to the streets of several major Canadian cities to accentuate how extensive racism is here in Canada. Though much more discreet than in other countries, where blatant acts of vandalism and racial profanities are commonplace, social experiments with minority participants, conducted in 2016 in five major Canadian cities, demonstrated Canada’s racism, with Winnipeg seeming to be the worst out of all five cities. They then conducted another experiment, where a woman wearing a fulllength outer garment known as an abaya and a veil, commonly known to Muslims as a niqab, was stationed on a Toronto street corner. The CBC experiment was to “solicit” money on the street corner to raise funds for Syrian Refugees. The reactions from the public were abhorrent, with many spewing racially-charged threats at her. The experiment was conducted again after a short time, this time without the actress wearing a niqab or an abaya. The reaction of each passerby changed, and they felt more inclined to make a do-

10 Pro Tem • www.protemgl.com • November 11, 2020