BY: DUSTIN BATTY Andrea Fredeen, a painter from Prince George, British Columbia, completed an innovative project last year that challenged her skill and stretched her creative boundaries. During an interview, I asked her to describe her project. “I was looking…
Expression & Culture
Torontonians share their stories behind the best kiss they’ve ever had
BY BROOKLYN PINHEIRO Photos by Tessa Lapierre What makes a kiss amazing? Is it the tongue-lip ratio, the softness factor, breath is important of course. But if you think back to your best kiss, you likely wouldn’t describe it in…
Alternative highschools use different learning strategies to teach students
BY: ELIJAH BASSETT For many of us, the word “school” evokes thoughts of long, drawn-out hours spent hunched over desks while teachers talk at us, but more and more educators are realizing that it doesn’t have to be that way.…
Dear parents and teachers: Mental illness isn’t always to blame
BY: NADIA ZAIDI School should be a place to learn and nurture social and intellectual development. Most importantly, it should be a place where students are safe. But schools are failing to maintain secure environments. A 12-year-old boy who was…
A photographer shows the side of famous monuments that you’ve never seen (photos)
BY BROOKLYN PINHERIO All photos by Oliver Curtis You’ve seen pictures of the Colosseum or the Eiffel Tower you’re whole life, but when you finally get the chance to see it in person the environment is completely foreign to you.…
iTunes Terms and Conditions comic: The best of
BY: KRUPA JOSEPH Have you ever read the iTunes Store’s Terms and Conditions before clicking on ‘Agree’? I bet not. Come on, don’t lie. Truth is, only 7 percent of consumers actually read the full terms when buying any product…
This new exhibit is bringing transgender people’s stories from Hollywood to the everyday
BY: ELIJAH BASSETT What do a pair of ballet shoes, deodorant, and lipstick have in common? They’re all being featured at the recently opened Museum of Transology for their significance to trans people’s personal journeys. The collection hopes to empower transgender…
WOMEN OWN MEN IN DOWRY ADS ACROSS INDIA
BY: NADIA ZAIDI India – the land of the Kama Sutra, Bollywood, and a folk culture so rich and influential, it often outweighs the authority of law. When tradition takes precedence over fundamental rights, crimes against women are justified and…
To combat post-election frustrations, artist turns letter-writing into a form of female empowerment
BY: KIRSTEN POWLEY We’ve all heard someone call letter-writing a lost art form and when you think about it, when was the last time you picked up a pen to write a personalized note to someone you know, apart from…
This new genre of video games explores small and unique cultures that are on the brink of extinction
BY: DUSTIN BATTY Many Native American peoples are witnessing the tragic decline of their culture as less and less of them grow up learning the traditional language, and some of the elder storytellers are unable to share their knowledge and…
This woman is using poetry to give us an intimate look into her struggle with bulimia
BY: DUSTIN BATTY Eating disorders are such a taboo topic that people who struggle with them are usually hesitant to confide in even close friends or family. Kara-lee MacDonald, a young woman from northern British Columbia, combats this stigma with…
This innovative website is giving unknown female artists a voice
BY: QUENTIN STUCKEY Attitudes are improving in today’s society. Attitudes towards sexuality, race and gender are being challenged as a means to make the world as good a place as it possibly can be. But there is still a long way…
This artist is using T-shirts to confront racism (photos)
BY: ELIJAH BASSETT It may be easy for some to think that their words just disappear once they’ve said them. But the ongoing photography project by Berlin-based American artist Isaiah Lopaz reminds us of the lasting impact of racism. By…
Watch these parents get high with their kids for the very first time
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Marijuana has been stirring up controversy for over a decade, yet it still remains one of the most talked about issues today. While most millennials have jumped on the ol’ weed bandwagon, it might come as more…
These are some of the wildest full moon parties around the world (that aren’t in Thailand)
Google the phrase ‘Full Moon Party’ and page after page of information will come up about Thailand and Koh Phangan’s infamous all-night ragers. Young party-goers drinking buckets of alcohol, skipping flaming jump-ropes, painting themselves with car paint, taking various drugs, dancing…
Wattpad wants to turn your short story into a television show
BY: ELIJAH BASSETT What if your passion project could make it onto TV? With the recent deal between Wattpad (a Toronto-based self-publishing platform) and Universal Cable Productions (part of NBCUniversal), it’s more likely now than ever. This new arrangement will allow Universal to…
How to choose a tattoo that won’t look shitty over time
BY: BROOKLYN PINHEIRO So you’ve decided that you want a tattoo to honour your furry pal, a song that changed your life or your mom’s favourite flower – now you have to decide colours and design. While ultimately you will…
Model posts fiery picture of her censored nipple in response to Instagram’s policy
BY: NADIA ZAIDI In a bold move against censorship, 25-year-old model Imogen Anthony held an open flame to her nipple in a picture she posted on Instagram. Her audacious actions are in support of “free the nipple” – a campaign…
Volkswagen’s iconic hippie van just got another upgrade … now it’s self-driving
BY: JESSICA BEUKER It’s undeniable that the Volkswagen Microbus has become an iconic staple of both past and present culture. The microbus, more commonly referred to as the classic hippie van, rose to popularity in the 1960s as a symbol…
In Canada you can legally take pictures of people if you’re on public property
BY: BROOKLYN PINHEIRO Position your camera, look up to some architecture behind your subject, click. That’s one way to take a non-obvious photo of a stranger. Or just take the photo and run away if they object. Both work. Danika…