Turning your Playlists Red and White: Spotlighting Canadian Musicians Posted on March 28, 2022 I seem to be very fond of lists and recommendations so here’s another one for you. If you know me, you know I love music and I love looking for music from everywhere in the world but there is a certain level of joy in finding incredible artists from your own home so without further ado- here’s a list of some of my favourite Canadian musicians and song recommendations you can (and should) add to your playlists.  Gowan Image Credit: Wikipedia Ahh Gowan, a classic Canadian […]

No Longer Human and Its Significance, Almost a Century Later Posted on March 27, 2022 (Please be made aware that this book and blog contains topics such as suicide, depression, depersonalization, social alienation, alcoholism, violence, and sexual assault. Discretion is strongly advised.)  If you have been keeping up to date with TikTok lately, you may have noticed a particular pink-and-black book trending over on BookTok. This book is No Longer Human, written by Osamu Dazai, which is hailed as one of Japan’s best-selling books of all time, and Dazai’s masterpiece. Now, one might ask, why is a Japanese book, published […]

Queer Representation in Cartoons: A Trip Through Time Posted on March 26, 2022 Recently, The Proud Family was rebooted, and given a fresh, modern makeover on Disney+. One of the characters, Michael, made headlines. In the original Proud Family, Michael had more feminine characteristics, and was occasionally made fun of in the plot of the show for them (although he was never outright identified as gay). In the reboot, the creators leaned into this, and allowed him to openly identify as gay, and gender non-conforming. To me, this is a perfect example of how queer characters have evolved over time, […]

The Sounds of Euphoria Posted on March 24, 2022 Photo by HBO The music in HBO’S Euphoria left me in awe after every episode. From timeless classics to modern hits, this season of the award-winning show featured a wide range of music genres that perfectly fit each scene. They were meticulous in the songs chosen, which paid off in the end. The choices were so thoughtful to the point where they would record original songs to fit the episode, and even re-record them if it didn’t turn out the way they wanted. Esquire describes the music in Euphoria as a […]

The Importance of Being Alone Posted on March 22, 2022 When I was younger the thought of being alone terrified me. Things like taking care of myself, running errands, paying for my own things, travelling or sitting somewhere alone were all scary to me. As I grew older and more independent, some of my happiest and most peaceful moments come from when I am by myself. I was able to look towards my future and discover who I am, my passions and grow as a person.  Throughout high school and middle school, I was rarely on my own or doing […]

Ways to Cure Your Chronic Boredom Posted on March 21, 2022 Let’s face it – we’ve all experienced giving ourselves a little break from doing homework, only to realize you’ve just spent an hour and a half scrolling mindlessly through TikTok, liking content that merely makes you exhale through your nose. Instead of shuffling through the same social media apps, let’s try to break that habit with a few different ways to cure your chronic boredom and pass the time. 1. Artbreeder Artbreeder is my go-to website whenever I feel an ounce of boredom and want to satisfy my creativity. It’s […]

The Canadian Women’s Hockey Team is Canada’s Team Now Posted on March 18, 2022 Image Credit: Annegret Hilse/Reuters Back in late December when the NHL announced that their players wouldn’t be participating in the Olympics there was some pretty widespread disappointment. People were disappointed that they wouldn’t get to see players like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby play together, but for the most part, the disappointment seemed to be because the Canadian men likely wouldn’t be bringing home gold with all their best players not participating. This came to fruition, as the men’s team got eliminated from the tournament in […]

How to Deal With Burnout Posted on March 17, 2022 Image Credit: Pexels Almost everyone experiences burnout in one way or another – you may feel mentally or physically exhausted, unmotivated, and have a lack of care. It’s a common, shared experience that many students go through, especially during periods of excessive studying and stress. Sometimes when you are in a state of burnout it can be hard to see a silver lining or a time when things will get better. If you are feeling this way, here are some things you can do to recharge and destress. 1. Go […]

The Effects of COVID-19 on the Incarceration System Posted on March 11, 2022 Joyceville Institution Kingston Ontario | Image Credit: CSC Over the last couple of years, COVID-19 has forced our society to adapt to a new normal. We moved all socializing to online formats, we implemented social distancing measures, and we started wearing PPE. All in the hopes of keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe. But not everyone had the same privilege and access to resources that allowed our daily lives to continue in a new way. As this pandemic banded our society together, there was one group […]

Karlie’s Toronto Bookstore Recommendations! Posted on March 9, 2022  If you’re a book lover like me, I’m sure it’s safe to assume that you’ve been meaning to check out some other bookstores within Toronto that aren’t Indigo. With the return of in person classes, what’s a better way to get to know the city than by just touring around?  Well, you’re in luck!  Below, I have listed 5 of my favourite bookstores that are within a decent commuting distance from our school’s campus. These places are great for finding books, both used and new, comics/manga, local works, and more! The […]

The Best Animated Feature Film: According to Me Posted on March 7, 2022 The Oscars have recently released all the film nominees including those in the Animated Feature Film Catagory. Being a huge animation fan, I took it upon myself to watch all the nominees in the Best Animated Feature Film Category. This is not a ranking, but more so a review of these films to see if the Oscars’ picks are worth it. Encanto Image Credit: Distractify A new Disney classic, and are we surprised? I loved this movie; the music, the animation, the story, everything was so expertly […]

How Moneyball Captures the Greatness of Baseball Posted on March 3, 2022 Baseball has this reputation of being the “boring sport” and honestly, I don’t blame the people who think that. On its surface, baseball can seem pretty uninteresting. It doesn’t usually have the flashy plays that sports like hockey have or the big personalities we see in basketball. The appeal of professional baseball is harder to describe, but I think that Moneyball perfectly encapsulates what makes baseball so great. It’s also a really incredible movie. Image Credit: IMDb If you’re unfamiliar with the plot of the movie, Moneyball is […]

How to Cry In Different Media Posted on March 2, 2022 I like to cry.  Obviously I don’t like to be sad, but I find crying can be a very cathartic experience that leaves you feeling refreshed and better for it. I figured now was the perfect time to recommend some tear jerkers seeing as we’re coming up on midterms as well as the post-valentines blues for the lonely souls. If you could use a cry but need a little help, here’s my recommendations in every medium so you can cry your heart out in whatever way works best for […]

Recommending Songs Based on Your Zodiac Signs (Part 1) Posted on February 25, 2022 I love music. Everyone loves music. Even if you don’t love music, you would still put something on when you’re, let’s say, doing chores, studying, commuting or reading a book. I also like learning about zodiac signs. I find it really fascinating how people in ancient times looked up in the sky, linked the stars together and formed these images that would have an influence on our personality traits. I, myself, don’t actually think that everything is written in the stars but astrology is still a […]

Toronto’s Best Parks (That Aren’t Trinity Bellwoods!) Posted on February 22, 2022 Ah, February. The month where the sad reality of winter truly sets in. This is the time of year when I start to daydream about the warmer days of summer, which now feel so distant.  Fond memories of getting ice cream, biking, swimming at the beach, the smell of sunscreen… and if you live in Toronto like me, you probably spend a lot of time escaping the heat of the city in one of the city’s many parks. Alone or with friends, you can find me at a […]