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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

5 Shows on Netflix That Are Actually Worth Watching Posted on February 11, 2022 If you’re like me, you’ve likely spent hours scrolling through Netflix for a new show to watch. Personally, I find it quite difficult to navigate the site and find shows that are actually worth watching. There are so many films and TV shows on there that I usually get overwhelmed with the options and can’t pick out the good ones from the bad ones. Despite this, I’ve managed to find some shows that I really enjoy. Here are 5 of my favourite shows on Netflix that […]

The CoHo “Curse” Posted on February 9, 2022 This one’s for all the Book Tok readers out there. Over the past year I have been swimming in book recommendations, with screenshots of book covers cluttering my camera roll and titles written in random notes. But a couple of months ago I decided to try one of the ones that I had been seeing the most on my For You page, It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover. The pink cover I had seen over and over again being recommended by hundreds of book tok readers was seared into my brain. […]

English Readings That Changed My Life Posted on February 5, 2022 If you’re in university like me, chances are you’ve had to do some readings for class. Actually, chances are you’ve had to do a lot of readings for class, most of which you probably forgot about shortly after completing them.  I’m minoring in English, which means that I’ve had to get through a pretty large reading list during my degree. I definitely struggled to get into (or even really get through) some of those readings, and they have faded from my memory. But there are also certain readings that […]

Animated Movies that Aren’t Disney Posted on February 2, 2022 I love animation, in fact it’s probably one of my favourite forms of storytelling as the possibilities are limitless. That being said it can often feel like your only option to find good animated content is Disney. I mean they constantly sweep award shows with all the wins in animation categories and there’s rarely any buzz for an animation not created by them, and honestly it’s really frustrating. Sure there’s the odd animation that makes it through the cracks like, Into the Spiderverse, or, Fantastic Mr. Fox, but these are […]

Playing Where’s Waldo with the new Andrew Garfield film, Tick, Tick … BOOM! Posted on January 27, 2022 Tick, Tick … BOOM! Lin-Manuel Miranda, has done it again. As a playwright and actor, Miranda’s work in Hamilton was wildly successful and well-loved. But it’s not only the stage he has a knack for, because now that he has moved to the big screen in his directorial debut, he once again has blown people away. As I watched this film for the first time, I was immediately drawn to Andrew Garfield’s singing voice and stage presence. But the thing I loved […]

A Guide to Viral TikTok Books: Which Books are Worth Reading? Posted on January 26, 2022 While mindlessly scrolling through my for-you page, I stumbled upon a side of TikTok called BookTok. As the name suggests, BookTok is devoted to everything and anything related to books – reviews, recommendations, hauls, etc. Certain books even went viral on TikTok and lead to popular book chains such as Indigo creating “Trending on TikTok” sections in their stores and online. Like many others, I became intrigued and wondered if these books were really as good as people were making them out to be. […]

When the Movie is Better Than the Book – Howl’s Moving Castle Posted on December 15, 2021 Like most readers, I tend to find that adaptations pale in comparison to the original work. There’s just no perfect way to adapt a full-length novel into a maximum 2-hour screenplay, to condense hours of detail and reader experience into the film format in a way that is completely satisfying is nearly impossible. That being said, it can be done and one of my favourites is Miyazaki’s adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’ novel, Howl’s Moving Castle. Now, is it perhaps a tad tacky […]

How To Make Budget-Friendly Crocheted Gifts This Holiday Season Posted on December 12, 2021 Happy December, everyone! While this time of year is exciting and nostalgic, it can also be extremely stressful for students. Not only are we stressing about final exams, but on top of it, we need to worry about gift shopping for our friends and family! For those of us with smaller budgets, this can be an added challenge.  When money is an issue, a great option is handmade presents. They show your friends and family that you care, and they are usually much cheaper than buying […]