DISCLAIMER: ALL views expressed in this work are my own and may not reflect the views and opinions of any students, staff, or faculty at Ryerson University or Spirit Live. If you’re a Ryerson: RTA School of Media student or member of staff and on Instagram, you may have come across @rta.confessions or @rta.memes while browsing your phone. These pages post anonymous, RTA student-submitted memes and messages often dealing with general student life, complaints, and even occasional positive words that students have for each other. Below are a few examples of some typical posts one may see on these accounts.

Super Bowl 54’s halftime show featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira reminded us once again that the event is about anything but the football game. The spectacle inspired me to take a look back at some of the best Super Bowl Performances in recent memory. Here’s my top 5:  Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020) Neither J.Lo nor Shakira have had any big songs in a while, but this year’s halftime show reminded us of the monstrous hits they do have. Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” and J. Lo’s “Jenny From the Block” were highlights. The show was also a great display of

Dr. Laffa has just recently opened on the corner of Church and Gerrard. It’s a kosher, Middle Eastern style takeout place, and once you get past the extremely unsettling logo design, it’s a pleasant little restaurant with a fairly extensive menu. Prices range from $8 to as much as $25 for their plates, and the portions are sizeable.  You can get a wide variety of salads, dipping plates with hummus or baba ganoush, large plates of meat and sides, and wraps made with pita or laffa.  I tried the chicken shawarma, which is $10.99 for a pita and $13.99 for

2020 marks the eighth annual TIFF Next Wave Film Festival. The festival, which always falls on a winter weekend, ran from February 14-16 this year. The TIFF Next Wave Film Festival is special—the selections are made by a committee of 12 students ranging in age from 15 to 18. Each committee member has diverse tastes, but they all have one thing in common: a passion for film. There’s another thing that makes Next Wave noteworthy: the movie tickets are free for anyone under 25. This year, I attended TIFF Next Wave for the first time. TIFF Next Wave kicked off

(image credit @ Eurogamer) (image credit @ Animal Crossing World) Animal Crossing fans have been freaking out this week since Nintendo announced the New Horizons special edition Switch for the game! Sporting an updated paint job and adorable Animal Crossing graphics, the new console is as cute as it gets and is already a contender for the best Valentines gift you can get your paws on. The new console features: Pastel green and blue JoyCons with white on the rails and backs, along with matching straps A precious painting of Tom Nook and his kids on an island, holding an

It’s hard for me to describe how excited I am about Ari Lennox. On the heels of her first LP, Ari is an RnB/Soul craftswoman and is quickly becoming a force in the genre.  The Washington D.C. raised singer wrote her first songs under her Grandma’s porch at the age of 4, began performing at church as a young kid, and released her first mixtape, Five Finger Discount, in 2012. She continued releasing music online, and made her first connection with J. Cole’s Dreamville label in 2015 when she made an appearance on Omen’s “Sweat It Out”. Later on in

Were you a fan of bands like Green Day, Alexisonfire, and Rage Against the Machine growing up? Did you make it your mission to go to Vans Warped Tour every year even though you were probably way too young to be there? Did you ever go through a punk phase in high school and try to dye your hair blue, but it ended up being a horrendous blonde with a green tint? That last one was just me? Alright, well, if any of the above sounds like you, then I found your new favourite band: GROWERS.  GROWERS is an alternative

If you’re anything like me, you struggle to come up with healthy breakfast ideas, or any breakfast ideas at all.  We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and sometimes while we’re in school, under stress, and really busy, we forget to make time for ourselves and our health.  I personally really like the idea of making breakfast the night prior and just grabbing it and eating it on the go the next morning. I learned that almost 50% of post-secondary students nationwide skip breakfast at least once a week.  Taking care of ourselves is

Grab your skates and head outdoors! Although it’s already February and we’re all waiting for winter to be over, that doesn’t mean we should live in track pants and hoodies and stay on our couches until the trees start to bloom. Let’s face it. We live in Canada. It’s winter. It’s cold. But let’s embrace it! One of the best ways to beat the winter blues is to get outside for some fresh air and move the body. And what better way to do that than by skating! I personally set out on a Toronto excursion to find the best

Another year of film has come and gone. The biggest night is almost here, the night that other film award shows has been leading up to: The Oscars. Every year, once the nominations come out, there will be complaints and accusations of snubs towards certain films and actors/actresses. Films like The Farewell, Uncut Gems, Us, Hustlers, and more. Understandably, not everyone can be nominated, but the issue still with the Academy is the lack of people of colour and nominations for women directors. The work and talent is there, they just weren’t recognized. There are some nominees that have been

Let’s warm up with delicious Taiwanese Hot Pots in this cold winter! Mabu Generation 578 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z3 Mabu Generation is a newly opened Taiwanese Restaurant that is right across the street from Wellesley TTC station! They have over 7 different sets of Mini Hot Pot flavours with different combination of meat, veggies, special toppings, and soup broth. All of these individual hot pots looked so good that it was really hard for us to decide, but as a spicy lover myself, I definitely had to get the House Special Taiwanese Spicy Hot Pot. It came with

Snow boots and puffy jackets? Pfft. Forget about that, spring is coming and flowers will be blooming! From various fashion events coming from Paris and New York, here are some of the upcoming fashion trends that we’ll be seeing everywhere this spring! Disco Collars They provide the classic chic look you’re going for without being overbearing! They usually come from polos and knitted sweatshirts. So if you’re looking to rock that job interview, wearing a stylish top with this type of collar might just be the one that could land you your dream job. Polka Dots I know what you’re

With the weather outside far from pleasant, it’s good to have some indoor adventures to fall back upon. Escape rooms can be a great way of tackling boredom while bonding with friends and challenging your mind, making them a very fun winter activity.  Located at Yonge and Gould, Roundabout Canada is a very convenient spot for Ryerson students seeking a bit of entertainment. What makes Roundabout stand out the most is their set design. The rooms are big, with multiple sections to unlock and enter into, including secret passages and unexpected challenges. The attention to detail and realistic construction makes

This month’s release of the late Mac Miller’s final album, Circles, is an emotional, brilliantly handled posthumous project that gives many fans the right closure they need after the artist’s tragic death in September 2018. Circles was initially intended to be a companion album to Mac’s 2018 album Swimming; a dark, distressing album that mirrored his unfortunate struggles and demons at the time. Although Circles touches upon these same themes, this time, Mac Miller addresses his issues in a mode of self-reflection and acceptance, crafting a portrait of a more mature person, ready to move on to a new chapter

Credit: IMDb When first announced, Little Women (2019) was something I wondered if we even needed. Written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868, the story of four sisters living in Massachusetts and trying to make their way in the world struck a chord with people of the past as well as today. Already a cultural phenomenon and American classic, the story has been told and retold through countless adaptations. The latest film adaptation was in 1994 and I personally was a huge fan of it. It starred Winona Ryder who, in my mind, played the role of Jo March perfectly.