An Introduction to Horror Posted on December 14, 2021 Horror is one of those genres that is definitely an acquired taste. I completely get it- not everyone wants to go to bed at night right after having just watched something scary. But, like many other fans, I welcome anyone who is interested in getting into the genre for the very first time with open arms.  Horror can be an incredible, cathartic experience for the viewer, which is why I personally enjoy it. Whether it be books, movies, television, and more, I believe that horror is so beloved by audiences because

Brutta Figura e Bella Figura Posted on December 13, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmvpx1kIEBQ Please tell me you’ve stayed up all night thinking of that one sentence you shouldn’t have said at a dinner five years ago, because I know I have. Way too often. From wearing the ‘wrong’ shoes to picking a major not suited for us, mistakes are constant in our lives, big or small. How do we overcome feeling the shame and guilt of messing things up, and not waste hours dwelling over it? The brutta figura, as Cristel Carrisi says in her TEDx talk, “to lose face” in Italian.

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

A Guide to the 2022 Grammy Awards Nominations Posted on December 11, 2021 Image Credit: the Recording Academy From Jon Batiste to Doja Cat, to even BTS, big names in the music industry have been recognized by the Grammys for their 2022 awards show. But not everyone is satisfied with these nominations. Let’s dive into the 64th Grammy nominations together.  Starting with the artists with the most nominations, we have Jon Batiste, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, H.E.R., Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo. According to an article by Variety, Jon Batiste is the only person with 11 nominations, most of them

5 Things You Never Knew About Ancient Egypt Posted on December 10, 2021 I’ve always been super interested in Ancient Egypt. You wanna know why? It’s full of secrets and mysteries! There are a few things that really surprised me about Ancient Egypt when I studied it last semester. Here are the most interesting, weird facts about Ancient Egypt that you probably were totally unaware of: 1. Only the rich people were mummified Image Credit: Ttatty from discovermagazine.com Yes, that’s right! Only the elite bothered to mummify themselves. They believed that in order to wander around the afterlife, you had

MLB Free Agency: Why Choose Toronto? Posted on December 8, 2021 Despite taking a huge step forward in the 2021 season and winning 91 games, the Toronto Blue Jays missed the postseason by just one game. Entering 2022, the Jays seem primed to make a playoff push but will need to make some moves in the offseason to help get them there. Toronto has historically never been a big free-agent destination, but recent signings of all-stars like George Springer and Hyun-Jin Ryu have shown that more and more players are willing to come north of the border to play baseball.

The Wonderful World of Sally Rooney Posted on December 7, 2021 Like many others, over the past year the Tik Tok algorithm has led me into the depths of Book-Tok. Leaving me with countless saved videos and screenshots of books to add to my Amazon wishlist. Among titles such as The Song of Achilles and Where the Crawdads Sing was the small romance novel Normal People. This novel written by Irish author Sally Rooney had me stuck to my couch from the moment I opened it to the moment I closed it. The first thing I noticed about this novel

Everything You Need to Know About Journaling Posted on December 3, 2021 When I was making my New Years’ resolutions last year, I wrote “make journaling a daily habit.” I had seen a lot of videos about it and thought I would give it a try. It has now become something that I do regularly and with exam season right around the corner, I think it is more important than ever. Image Credit: verywellmind Why You Should Journal Journaling is beneficial in a variety of ways. First, it is good for our mental health. Journaling is a way to get

An Evening With Silk Sonic – Album Review Posted on December 2, 2021 After over eight months since the release of the duo’s hit single, ‘Leave The Door Open’, pop icon Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak have come together for, ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’, narrated by the legendary 70s Bootsy Collins. If I’m being honest, I don’t know if I would have been excited for, or have even listened to this album if it were made by anyone else. When it comes to more straight up throwback projects as opposed to experimenting on a genre or period in music,

How to Judge Books By Their Covers Posted on November 26, 2021 Like many other queer kids, when I was younger I was obsessed with Glee. It was the first show I ever watched that showed multi-faceted queer characters, and I remember really connecting to Kurt, Blaine, Santana and Brittany.  Another obsession ensued when I discovered Rupaul’s Drag Race. Something in the campy performances and over the top runways stuck with me, and I idolized queens like Bob the Drag Queen and Katya.  These characters and performers were people I could relate to and look up to, slowly helping me

4 Moments When Movies Turn into ASMR Posted on November 25, 2021 After months of nail-biting worthy anticipation, Taylor Swift has finally released Red (Taylor’s Version) on November 12, 2021. If you were anything like me, the release of Red in 2012 completely changed the trajectory of your life forever. While it is bittersweet saying goodbye to Red, this re-recorded version offers a new sense of polish, momentum, and purpose. Red (Taylor’s Version) also allows fans to rest easy while being fully aware that we can enjoy an album that Taylor Swift has once again taken rightful ownership of. With

How to Judge Books By Their Covers Posted on November 26, 2021 I judge books by their covers. Unashamedly. And I’m pretty sure you do too. Book covers are super important in getting readers’ attention, and once it does, you’ll find that they can tell you a lot about what’s in the book- like a lot. As I’ve been reading more and more this year, I’ve begun to notice some trends and design choices in book cover art that make it immediately obvious not only what the book genre will be, but also some significant plot details without ever reading

4 Moments When Movies Turn into ASMR Posted on November 25, 2021 With the cold weather approaching rapidly here in the city, it can sometimes feel impossible to find weather friendly, cheap and fun things to do. Here are five fun and inexpensive things to do in the city this winter which can hopefully relieve some stress from exam season:  Art Gallery Of Ontario The Art Gallery, also known as the AGO is a relaxing place to spend a cold winter day. Located just down the street from the university, at 317 Dundas Street West, it’s a short walk or

4 Moments When Movies Turn into ASMR Posted on November 24, 2021 I must say ASMR videos can be polarising. Some people search up ASMR videos on YouTube almost every night before going to bed while others find watching a person making random noises and sounds weird or sometimes sexual. I myself think that ASMR is a really interesting medium or art that definitely has its place in the world. For those of you who don’t yet know what ASMR is, here’s the definition: ASMR refers to “autonomous sensory meridian response”, a tingling sensation from the scalp and downward that

Support Black-Owned Small Businesses this Holiday Season! Posted on November 23, 2021 Image Credit: CBC.ca Ever since last spring, there has been an uprise in support for Black-owned businesses, especially those that are local to the community. Whether that is buying their products or helping them grow their social media presence, people have been actively seeking out these businesses. But sometimes it isn’t always the easiest to find these businesses on the Internet.  That’s why Kerin John created an Instagram page to showcase local Black-owned businesses called “Black Owned Toronto.” The success of the page has even allowed them to