Behind the Ivy - Spring 2018

SPR I NG I SSUE 20 1 8 Be h i n d t h e I v y

SPRING ISSUE |  BEHIND THE IVY

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Behind the Ivy

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

WE L C OM E

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

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A R T S A N D E N T E R TA I NM E N T

SCREEN REVIEW: AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS THE PAST CAN COME BACK TO HAUNT US

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B E YO N D T H E I V Y

CALL ME MAYBE

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B E H I N D T H E I V Y

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DEBATING AT ELSA’S - EPISODE 2 OF AT HAVERGAL IN CANADA SERIES

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L I F E

THE ULTIMATE KOREAN FOOD: BIBIMBAP

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MORE THAN BEING SHY

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IMPORTANCE OF FAILURE

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SELF LOVE ISN’T SELFISH

O P - E D

NEED FOR MORE LGBTQ REPRESENTATION IN HOLLYWOOD

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WHITE FEMINISM

S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O L O G Y

SELF-DRIVING CARS

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Isabella and Chelsea. Photo Audrey Chan

WELCOME

L E T T E R F R OM T H E E D I T O R S

CHELSEA DUMASAL & I SABELLA XU

Hello,

Welcome to the Spring issue of the BTI !

We are so excited to present articles that are more relevant than ever, such as the Logan Paul controversy, the Women’s March, and artificial intelligence in the medical field. We, the editors-in-chief, are also contributing articles concerning topics that are close to our hearts. We thought it would be great to bring back the online version of Behind the Ivy , because we understand that the Havergal community extends beyond our ivy-covered walls to parents and Old Girls. At the same time, we also thought it would be nice to keep the print versions available in newsstands around the school for those who like collecting souvenirs of their work or cutting and pasting an article to their bulletin. So, we’ve done both, featuring half of our crew in the online edition, and the other half in the paper edition. Each edition has different content, so you have access to a great variety of wonderful articles and photos at your hands. If you are reading this in the print edition, be sure to check out the online edition at Havergal College’s Facebook page or website, and if you are reading this on your device, pick up a print copy when you see one around the school.

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Now, be our guest and spring right into the 2018 Spring issues of Behind the Ivy .

Cheers,

Isabella and Chelsea

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S C R E E N R E V I EW : AU R E V O I R L E S E N FA N T S EL I ZABETH HARKNESS

Au revoir les enfants is a film by Louis Malle that centers around two twelve-year-old boys, Julien and Bonnet, sent to boarding school in France in 1944 during World War II. Both boys, who are from different backgrounds, are sent to a Christian boarding school that is a two-hour train ride from Paris. Julien and Bonnet offer stark contrasts of innocence and experience. For Julien, the war seems to be only an inconvenience, whereas for Bonnet, the war has altered his entire identity and lifestyle. In secret, Bonnet’s real name is Jean Kippelstein, and he is Jewish. For France, 1944 is a year filled with a bizarre mix of emotions. One cannot escape the overall dread and sadness that comes with living under Nazi rule, yet a sense of optimism lingers as the Resistance continues to fight. The French can see that the end of the war is in sight as they wait for the Americans to land, but war does not end quickly. The Jewish people, people of colour, and members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to be persecuted. Though Julien is protected by his Christian

heritage and his family’s wealth, feeding his ignorance of the world around him, Bonnet lives in perpetual fear of his impending capture and does not have the luxury of innocence. In a harrowing moment, Julien asks his mother if he is Jewish. Julien does not even know what it means to be Jewish, let alone understand the rhetoric arguing that Jewish people need to be eradicated. I would make the assumption that many boys in his school are the same. While Julien is not anti-semitic, it is obvious that these boys can easily be influenced to believe anything. In another scene, four boys are talking on their way to the public baths and a boy, named Sagard, says, “Les juifs et les communistes sont plus dangereux que les Allemands,” meaning, “Jews and communists are more dangerous than Germans.” In response, another boy, Ciron, asks him, “C’est ton père qui dit ça?” meaning, “Did your dad tell you that?” These boys are so susceptible to the propaganda, because they have lived a somewhat sheltered existence. They have no experience or concrete evidence

to contradict what their parents tell them and, therefore, take their words as truth. When Père Jean, the priest who is part of the Resistance, brought Bonnet and Négus to the school to hide them from the German soldiers, he was risking his own life. Had Père Jean ignored his conscience, he would have been safe and probably would have lived to see the end of the war. But because he made a vow to God, he could not ethically ignore the Jewish people’s suffering. When Père Jean was leading a sermon, he told the parents of the boys, “Les richesses matérielles corrompent les âmes et dessèchent leurs coeurs,” meaning, “Material riches corrupt our souls and dry our hearts,” causing one father to leave the chapel in anger. These rich French people have a good gig going: they remain silent, don’t collaborate with the Resistance, and continue living their white Christian lives. As most humans value their survival over others’, the Jewish people are a sacrifice they are willing to make. These boys’ parents have money, so they can afford

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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A story about a secret. Photo Audrey Chan

to ignore poverty and racism; they themselves are not poor and have never experienced discrimination. Near the end of the film, the boys are in Math class, when all of a sudden, German soldiers walk into the classroom and demand to know where Jean Kippelstein is. One soldier walks around the room slowly, waiting for someone to admit it; when Julien looks to Bonnet for a second, the soldiers perceive its

significance. Bonnet does not cry or wail. He closes his books and follows the soldier out of the class. When the Jewish boys are walked off of the school grounds, silence remains, and we realize in this moment that Bonnet is going to be murdered. This scene of helplessness resonates today, for when we say “never again”, we imply this type of systematic killing based on colour, religion, sexual identity has stopped. Yet,

in many parts of the world, it continues. For example, the Rohingya in Myanmar are Muslims being systematically killed because of their religion right now. Films like Au revoir les enfants are important not only because of what the can teach us about our past, but also for what they can teach us about our present.

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I, Tonya and Molly’s Game–Comparisons on decision-making and influence. Photo Karan Wu

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T H E PA S T C A N C OM E B A C K T O H AU N T U S CHEREEN NG

and adolescent experiences and how those periods and experiences impacted their career decisions. In I, Tonya , it was her mother’s harshness on her childhood training and the absence of her father that led to her desire to be loved and valued by others. As a result, this desire led to her staying in an abusive relationship with her husband whom she met at fifteen, as well as being extremely competitive and lacking sportsmanship in skating. Her tough experiences and background almost became

I recently watched two movies, I, Tonya and Molly’s Game , that I thought had interesting themes. Plot-wise, I, Tonya is a biographical movie about Tonya Harding’s skating career: from childhood training, to her rising career, to her marriage, and to the eventual controversy and her downfall after being involved in a plan to break her competitor Nancy Kerrigan’s knees. As for Molly’s Game , it is about a woman named Molly Bloom who runs illicit and exclusive poker games for wealthy men and eventually earns millions through credit but gets in trouble with

the law in the end.

Comparing them side by side initially, they seem pretty different. One’s based on a woman’s turbulent and controversial career, while the other is about a woman riding the high of earning millions through running poker games. But thinking about them now, they actually have interesting similarities. The one important factor that ties both movies’ storylines together is their references to the main characters’ childhood

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Movies about Tonya Harding and Molly Bloom. Photo Karan Wu

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two characters was their lack of awareness and reflection regarding their pasts until the very end, letting negative influences just go on and on. These spiralling and unconscious effects may seem scary, and I walked out of those movies thinking about how my decisions and experiences could unconsciously lead to a chain of negative and profound effects. Ultimately, I think reflecting on such influences and experiences could at least help us in being more aware of their possible effects.

ourselves with, have profound, unpredictable, and spiralling effects on our lives. In both movies, if it weren’t for their outside influences, Tonya’s and Molly’s decision-making wouldn’t have spiralled into their eventual downfall. yourself with, as they can have powerful effects that you may not be aware of until later on. However, it’s also important to be conscious of your decision- making and your influences, such as your past experiences. At the same time, you should be aware of how you’re treating and possibly influencing those around you, as that can also have a profound effect. The commonality between the It’s important to be aware of the people you surround

an excuse for her misbehaviour and her trouble with the law, hence her recurring line in the movie – “It’s not my fault.”

For Molly’s Game , it was her father’s demanding

expectations regarding her athletic training in skiing and her schoolwork, as well as his cheating on her mother that led to her contempt of him. Her childhood experience with her father led to her desire to control powerful men, and Molly managed to do so by running exclusive poker games for powerful and even shady men every week, which got her into serious legal trouble. After thinking about their similarities, it struck me that our past experiences, as well as the people we surround

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What role will North Korea play in the Olympics? Photo Soleil Krcmar

C A L L M E M A Y B E

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EL I ZABETH SCHNEKENBURGER

sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The group will be comprised of twenty-two athletes, a cheer squad, a Taekwondo art troupe, and a press corps. The athletes have been confirmed to be competing in three event areas - skiing, ice-skating, and ice hockey - and the North and South Korean athletes will be walking together under one flag. However, it is the women’s ice hockey team that is making history. Because the team will be comprised of both North and South Korean athletes, it will mark the first time the two Koreas have ever joined together to compete in an Olympic event.

In an abandoned village located in the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea, there exists a phone with two handsets, one red and one green. The top of the phone reads “North-South Korea Direct Phone” and is flanked by two clocks showing the time in each country. Every day since communication between the two nations ended in February 2016, South Korean officials from the Ministry of Unification have picked up the green handset dedicated to outgoing calls at exactly 9am and 4pm every day. North Korea has never answered. However, at 3:30 pm on January 3rd, 2018, the phone rang. South Korea could finally pick up the red handset. No one knows

what was discussed during the twenty-minute call, yet it was followed by another call later that evening and two more the following day. The phone call occurred a few short days after the North Korean President Kim Jong-un announced in his New Year’s Day speech that he would be allowing athletes across the border to compete in the upcoming Winter Olympic Games. So, why should you care? It’s just a phone call, right? Wrong. It marked the beginning of discussions between the two countries about the participation of North Korea in the Winter Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) accepted

This year, North Korea will be

BEYOND THE IVY

North Korea’s late entries on January 20th and has allowed the women’s hockey roster to have twelve North Korean and twenty-three South Korean athletes so long as three members of the North Korean delegation play in each game. The president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, is extremely excited about the events and has stated that many outside sources and news outlets are seeing this as a positive development. It may be history in the making, especially since the two countries announced that there will be accompanying talks to discuss the current military tensions that have escalated over the past year. The international community also seems to be cautiously optimistic about the event, although some are skeptical about North Korea’s intentions

in attending the games. Japan has stated that they believe there is a chance that North Korea is simply hoping to buy time to continue its missile and nuclear development programs. Some are even angry about the announcement; on Monday, January 22nd, there were protests in South Korea during which Kim Jong-un’s picture was burned with a blowtorch. The apprehension towards the announcement was also shown through a significant decline in South Korean’s president Moon Jae-in’s approval rating. Protesters have felt particularly sympathetic towards the South Korean women’s hockey team members who will be forced to compete alongside complete strangers. One of the fundamental principles of the Olympics, as stated by the Olympic Charter,

is “to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind” and it would appear that the recent unfolding of events unifying the two Koreas is the epitome of this value. But is it really as good as it may seem? Should we be skeptical of North Korea’s intention? Is this really about the Olympic Games, or are these athletes simply being used as chess pieces in a grander political board game? Is it possible that one phone call has changed the world?

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The debate tournament at Queen’s University. Photo Sophy Wu

BEHIND THE IVY

D E B AT I N G AT E L S A ’ S - E P I S O D E 2 O F A T H A V E R G A L I N C A N A D A S E R I E S SOPHY WU

up by the Subway sandwiches we had for lunch and won the third round right after. At night, the whole team went to a restaurant where previous HC teams have gone every year; eating there has become a tradition for HC girls (and Mr. Fredenburg) after debating at Queen’s. Finally, the HC girls’ big discussions and secret talks at the hotel room marked the completion of the second day’s adventure. In the end, nothing of concern really mattered: neither the food, irony, weather, nor the results. “Let it go!”, as Elsa would say. There were so many other important things, such as the chance to attend a national tournament, the necessity of time management, the courage to challenge oneself, the ability to listen and learn from others, and last but not least, optimism. I sincerely hope every “Havergirl” can continue making brave attempts, whether they are academic or athletic, because, although we study behind the ivy, our visions are limitless!

the first resolution came out. I was trying to be one of the professionals who jotted down points on the way to the debate room, but I guess “Elsa” (yes, I gave the debate tournament a nickname since it was held in winter at Queen’s) did not appreciate my pretension. Snow covered almost every inch of the ground, the wind roared violently in my face, and the hail ruined my draft papers. For someone new to Canada, it was easy to mistake the extreme chill in Kingston for that of the North Pole. Ironically, we were totally burned down to ashes by a team of twin brothers (known to be strong in debate) in the first round. Thanks to them, we were able to balance the temperature! When break came, I did not stop scribbling in my notebook, but “Elsa” played a trick on me again: the second resolution was similar to what I had already practiced, only now I was on the other side! It was a pretty close round. I even gave myself the title of the “Queen of Refutation” during the twenty minutes the judge spent on deciding our loss. We were not sad at all, because we tried hard enough! Just like the first day, we lost the first two rounds on the second day, but we were quickly cheered

“It’s time to see what I can do–to test the limits and break through. And the fears that once controlled me, can’t get to me at all! Let the storm rage on! The cold never bothered me anyway!” These are the lyrics of “Let It Go”, but also a perfect description of my first weekend back to school from winter break. From January 12th -14th, high schools from all over Canada gathered at Queen’s University for the famous annual Queen’s Debate Tournament. As usual, HC’s Debate Society sent ten Havergalians, and I was honoured to be one of them. during Friday’s Prayers, to being the only one travelling without a suitcase, the beginning of my journey was not so easy. After a four-hour bus/homework ride, we finally arrived in Kingston and settled down in the hotel. About thirty minutes later, we headed to the university for the first two rounds. Four of us ran to the nearest Subway hoping to grab lunch. We nearly succeeded, but we did not have enough time to wait for our four DIY sandwiches to get wrapped. And so, we came and left empty-handed. From being asked five times why I wasn’t wearing my uniform

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I started sharing ideas with my partner, Jessica, as soon as

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T H E U LT I M AT E K O R E A N F O O D : B I B I MB A P JUDDY K IM

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Bibimbap from Song Cooks. Photo Faustine Leung

LIFE

잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgesseumnida)! This is a Korean saying that is a combination between, “I will eat well because of your effort,” and, “Thank you for this meal.” In my culture, we say this before eating to show appreciation to the person who prepared the food. When I go back to my hometown, Seoul, one thing I always look forward to is the food. If there is a new food trend, you will most definitely find it in Seoul. Koreans love to try new foods from different cultures. However, nothing can break the strong connection we Koreans have to our traditional dishes. The one dish that stands out, in my opinion, is Dolsot Bibimbap. Bibimbap is Korean mixed rice which includes rice, your choice of vegetables, meat (although not necessarily), and hot sauce (but not always!). You serve it in a bowl, or in a “dolsot,” which is the kind of bowl that it is traditionally served in. I prefer eating it in the “dolsot” because the hot stone bowl keeps the rice warm throughout the meal. Out of the countless Korean dishes out there, I have chosen to introduce Bibimbap to you because it is my favorite Korean dish. I also have an appreciation for Bibimbap because of its history. Bibimbap

is now one of the most popular, if not the representative dish of Korea, and a dish many Koreans love for its tastiness and health benefits. The origin of Bibimbap, however, is very humble. Korea is now one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but Korea used to be an extremely poor country after the Korean War. There was only a very small group of people who lived in comfort, while most of the country struggled to survive. To feed themselves, families would make rice (which was always affordable and available), add any vegetables they could find, stir-fry the veggies, and mix the veggies and rice together, thus creating Bibimbap. Bibimbap is now part of Korea’s culture but, in the beginning, it was a food eaten by poor families who didn’t have access to more extravagant dishes. As Korea has grown, Bibimbap has evolved to include beef as well as vegetables. Among the different recipes I have tried, the best homemade Bibimbap recipe is the one by Sue from the website, My Korean Kitchen. She gives a detailed yet easy-to- follow description of all the ingredients and instructions, in addition to the mouth- watering photos on her website. So if you need to empty your pantry, this dish will allow you

to clear out whatever’s left into the rice bowl. Making the dish from scratch may looking daunting, but with these simple instructions, you will be well prepared for the task ahead. From the moment the hot pot is put in front of you, there is an array of colours flashing at you— paper-thin slices of seasoned carrots, zucchini, daikon, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, cucumbers, soybean sprouts, and beef bulging on a bed of white rice served in a hot stone bowl— while the steam mixed with the aroma floats its way up into your nose. As you stick your fork into the rice, you hear a sizzling crackle and the smell bursts upon you again. You carefully split the egg yolk (a common addition) and watch it spread over the vegetables like a small cocoon covering the surprise that waits inside. You can’t forget to drizzle a bit–or okay, maybe too much– gochujang to give the dish that spicy kick. Now, it’s finally time to eat, and you know what to say... 잘 먹겠습니다 !

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Click here for Sue’s delicious Bibimbap recipe!

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MO R E T H A N B E I N G S H Y JOYCE LI

loud and outspoken.

know this about me. When I talk about having anxiety, I often get responses like, “How come you’re never anxious around me?” or, “But you don’t seem super shy.” Some even tell me that I should force myself into more social situations so that I can “get over” my illness. I can’t blame them – mental illnesses are rarely portrayed accurately, if at all, in the media, so it makes sense that people don’t know much about mine. That’s why I want to shed some light on my anxiety disorder and, hopefully, encourage others struggling with mental illnesses to do the same. Some people’s responses to my having a mental illness have been to try to fix it. I’ve been dragged to social gatherings by friends and enrolled in public speaking classes by family members who thought forcing me to “face my fears” would make my anxiety disappear. It doesn’t. In fact, the more pressure there is for me to socialize, the more anxious I get. My anxiety can be managed through coping methods of my own, but it’s not something that can be cured. Contrary to popular belief, social anxiety doesn’t necessarily make me quiet or shy. Those who don’t know me very well might think I’m very withdrawn, but my close friends know that I can also be

I was in Grade Four when I realized that there was

something different about me. When I transferred to a new school, my mom reassured me that “the first week or so will be hard, but you’ll make new friends in no time.”

Different people have different ways of coping with their anxiety, and I have mine, which is why I’m no longer terrified of presentations and group work today. Sometimes my mind still goes blank when a teacher randomly calls on me in class, and Harkness discussions— the amalgamation of all my worst fears—continue to be pretty difficult for me. Still, I’m learning to accept and even embrace my anxiety. Anxiety can get to me sometimes, and that’s okay. Though it is often difficult to maintain this mindset, it really takes the pressure off my shoulders when I’m not so hard on myself. If you know someone with social anxiety, you might be thinking, “This social anxiety thing sounds pretty hard. Can I do anything for them?” The answer is yes . The best thing you can do for them isn’t to try to fix or even understand their mental illness – I don’t even understand it. It is to make a genuine and constant effort to talk to them, try to include them into group activities—even if they sometimes decline the invitation—and most importantly, accept them for who they are.

Making a friend took me over a year.

It wasn’t because the other kids were unfriendly. On my first day of school, a group of girls invited me to sit with them at lunch. The thing was, I had nothing to say to them. I could never bring myself to join in on their conversation; I was constantly afraid of interrupting someone or saying something stupid. In the end, we never became friends. In Middle School, I finally put a name to my difficulty. Social anxiety disorder, one of the most common mental illnesses, explained why I was often afraid of starting conversations, meeting new people, speaking in large groups, raising my hand in class, or being put on the spot. Ironically, finding out about my anxiety actually helped me finally gain confidence. I learned that I am not broken; I just have a mental illness. Others share my struggle, and my anxiety can be managed.

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The thing is, not many people

LIFE

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Social anxiety is more than just being shy. Photo Madison Wong

Friends are amazing support systems. Photo Madison Wong

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T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F FA I L U R E MADEL INE CAMPBELL It can only go up from here. Photo Ainsley Robertson

back from comparing yourself to others and recognize that you are on your own journey. Whether or not you already have the destination inserted into the GPS does not matter. Every step you take and every stumble you make along the way will help you learn so much. Nobody likes the obstacles that may come along but rerouting and overcoming the bumps in the road will mean so much more in the long run than having a smooth trip. As well, remember that your beginning is someone else’s middle. Do you want to learn a new instrument, pick up a new hobby, or play a new sport? Go

I hate to break it to you, but chances are that you have already failed in life. Perhaps you didn’t do so well on your recent Math test, or you missed out on the opportunity of your dreams. Whether it was on a small or large scale, all of these “failures” can add up. Unfortunately, it just so happens that the weight of failures can be much heavier than that of the simple delight of success. When failure is accompanied by this not-so-pleasant reaction, you cannot embrace it in a positive manner, and thus you fail to learn from the failure. Not to worry, because with the

right mindset, you will never fail again.

Well, that’s not entirely true. You won’t suddenly achieve perfection in every aspect of your life, but you will certainly feel better about these shortcomings after reading this article. defined? Failure is obviously different for each individual, but why do we feel so much pressure from those around us? Why is a Level 4- never quite good enough? The most important thing is to take a step We first must ask ourselves, what is failure? Can it be

LIFE

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for it. Do not be scared to try in light of your peers who are doing amazing things. Havergal is a great environment for trying anything you want to and for receiving support, but to be surrounded by such talented people can sometimes arouse the feeling that you have less worth. Don’t get discouraged by all the amazing things your peers are doing; let it fuel your inspiration for your own endeavors! Another thing: take your time to enjoy the ride that you are on! The pressure is certainly building for you to live up to your potential, whatever that

may be, but make sure you have time to enjoy yourself. When you choose to laugh at an embarrassing situation, instead of cry, you will feel better. Fake it ‘til you make it! And once you have achieved your “Yeah, I care, but not that much” vibe, you can do anything. Failure will make you brave. The first few times you fail will be the hardest. There is no denying that negative emotions can send you off your course. But your so-called “failure” is only in your head. If you don’t think of it as failure, it’s not. It is not even a minor setback. It is a

learning experience that should make you happy. Because to experience the pride that comes with success, you first need to feel what it’s like to be on the other side. You will be so much stronger for it. Again, I am no expert on failure or success, but I do know that this is the time in our lives for growth and to not be afraid to try things; failing is the way to grow. Take risks and live your life, and you will never have “failure” again.

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One of Chelsea’s favourite Instagram accounts on self-love. Photo @iamwellandgood (IG)

LIFE

S E L F L O V E I S N ’ T S E L F I S H CHELSEA DUMASAL

years. But, when I acknowledge these belittling statements that come out of my mouth, I remind myself to stop. And, though I still say these self-deprecating statements, I say them less often now. I now admit when I truly feel good after a test. I now sleep in on Saturday mornings to revive my body with energy that it has been weeping for throughout the whole school week. I now grab the belly fat (that we all have) and tell myself that I am thankful for it, as it means I have the privilege to be nourished. insecure, but I disagree. Yes, I have insecurities, but I don’t define myself as insecure. I define myself as Chelsea, a girl who is recovering from years of self-deprecation—a very human defense mechanism—by loving herself more and encouraging others to love themselves more. Perhaps you think this article about self-love makes me appear

encourage their followers to love their bodies. I click the “follow” button on accounts of strangers who post recaps of their relaxing “me” days without any regret, or recaps of days filled with friends, family, and a lot of food, also without any regret. I find “quote” accounts who post meaningful sayings, like: Post your selfies for you . Doll up for you . Take naps for you . Eat good food for you . Make you happy. Who the **** are “they”? These accounts opened my eyes to showing me that I should treat myself with more respect, do things in the name of me, for me, and appreciate my value instead of belittling it. However, there is no “on/off” switch to self-love. Currently, I’m in the transition of loving myself more. I still find myself saying, “I suck,” at sports, even though I know I have some strengths in the sports I play. I still pick out the flaws in a selfie before posting. I still say, “I can’t sight- sing,” in Choir, even though I think I have improved my sight-singing abilities over the

“How did you find that test?” asked a classmate.

“Oh, I failed it,” I said, though really I thought I aced it.

Ever since elementary school, I have used self-deprecation as a defense mechanism to practice modesty or to laugh. Whether I disparaged my academic performance or my perception of my appearance, I didn’t realize how blinding and detrimental years of self-deprecation was to a love that I needed just as much as any other type of love: self- love. Self-love is characterized as love given to yourself from yourself by embracing and accepting anything that makes you, you: your personality, your looks, your flaws, your highlights. What made me aware of this love that I had been depriving myself of for years were, and still are, Instagram accounts that promote self-love. On the daily, I scroll along my feed and come across figures who shamelessly post pictures of their body fat or stretch marks with confident smiles and captions that

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N E E D F O R MO R E L G B T Q R E P R E S E N TAT I O N I N H O L LYWO O D

KYLA LEONG-POI

Hollywood has fallen behind in representing the other aspects of the community. For instance, I have yet to see films that portray more underrepresented sexualities in the LGBTQ+ community, such as asexuality and pansexuality. A lot of people don’t know all of the sexualities in the community; other sexualities, like asexuality and pansexuality, can be considered ‘invalid’ or mysterious. As a society, we are growing in the acceptance and equality of the LGBTQ+ community – we’ve come a long way. However, I believe that Hollywood producers should be creating films with more LGBTQ+ characters. Movies, in my opinion, are among of the best ways to educate people in a community. characters in film will reduce ignorance and help people become more educated about the different sexualities that those around them identify with. Increasing the diversity of representation of LGBTQ+

Media and films affect us. They bring groups of people together and entertain thousands. They also have the potential to be huge influencing factors in people’s lives – the messages that media and film portray, especially to younger audiences, can tell powerful stories and empower many people watching them. In Hollywood, producers and filmmakers have made many movies that empower those watching. From the Disney film Moana , which serves as a powerful movie to young girls, to the movie Hidden Figures , which shows the triumph of feminism and women of colour, there are many movies to inspire this generation. However, there’s one community that I feel is particularly lacking in terms of representation in Hollywood. Hollywood lacks movies that highlight LGBTQ+ main characters. The majority of the LGBTQ+ movies I’ve seen portray LGBTQ+ characters as stereotypes, often as side characters who don’t get much

screen time. Out of all the movies that I’ve seen this past year, Call Me By Your Name is the only one that has a central character who is part of the LGBTQ+ community and has a unique and interesting storyline. Out of the many movies produced by Hollywood in the past few years, few had LGBTQ+ representation. In 2016, GLAAD reported that only 23 out of the 125 films tracked in 2016 contained LGBTQ+ characters. It’s quite sad to see the lack of representation in movies in Hollywood, especially since teenagers look up to role models that they see on the screen. The lack of LGBTQ+ representation and diversity can be quite detrimental to those questioning their sexual identities and leaves more room for ignorance rather than education about the sexualities in the LGBTQ+ community. Did you know that the most frequently portrayed characters out of the LGBTQ+ community are gay males?

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Or both? Photo Audrey Chan

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WH I T E F E M I N I S M

ZARA SALMAN

help, but ambulances will recognize you on—for example—either the “racism road” or the “sexism road,” but not on both. The more intersections you fall under, the less help you get; some intersections include xenophobia, racism, sexism, ableism, classism, homophobia and transphobia. White feminists must understand that the way the “average woman” experiences misogyny is not the way all women experience misogyny. In ignoring us, so many inequalities are ignored. In the Western world alone, these issues are innumerable. When white feminists aim to close the wage gap between men and women, they fail to realize that most of the time, Latina and black women make even less than white women. Police brutality should be viewed as a feminist issue, but because it doesn’t affect white women in the same way, names of women killed doing things like shopping while black, driving while black, and having a mental disability while black, are forgotten due to lack of media coverage. In fact, in media, white women—or the “average women” - like Taylor Swift and Amy Schumer - are often the face of feminism. Most critically, white feminists often forget that there is life “outside of the Western world.” Russia has recently decriminalized certain acts of domestic violence. Zainab Amin, a seven-year-old Pakistani girl who was raped and then strangled to death, was the twelfth girl who was reported attacked in a two-kilometre radius. Child marriage remains an integral part of culture in countries like

To understand why white feminism is problematic, first we need to understand what feminism, white feminism, and intersectionality are. Let’s start with the obvious: white feminism is feminism that ignores intersectionality. The next most obvious point: that definition did not make any sense whatsoever - and that’s okay. It’s a complex topic that unravels the layers of a movement that is constantly being ridiculed for being irrelevant. Reminder time: feminism is a range of movements aiming to achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes. White feminism is the empowerment and advancement of women in terms of Western privileges and ideals. And yes, not all women who are white are white feminists. Yet, most white feminists are white. This is because white people don’t have to think about the difficulties of race on a daily basis. However, white feminism isn’t just about race. It’s also about the lack of acknowledgement of women who fall into minority groups. Feminism is so often represented by white, able-bodied, straight, cisgender, working class women, or, as white feminists like to call themselves, the “average women”. I don’t know about you, but that average seems pretty specific to me. The reality is that they do not face the same struggles as other women who are minorities . This leads us to intersectionality, which is basically the word for women who fall into other minority categories. Dealing with the intersectionality of our different identities is like being hit by traffic coming from multiple directions when standing in the centre of a major intersection. You need

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What is the difference between feminism and white feminism? Photo Karan Wu

Yemen. White feminists fail to educate themselves on gender inequality issues world-wide, and then continue to impose their Western ideologies on women from other cultures; for example, when the burqa is seen as a visual representation of oppression, it is seen as such through Western ideals.

accept that their single-faceted story of feminism does not align with the complex stories of intersectional feminists. At the end of the day, feminism is equality for all groups within the sexes. Regardless of the road the ambulance is on, all victims, on any road or crossroad, deserve to be rescued.

The major theme of white feminism is ignorance and unconscious bias. White feminists need to

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Is the future of transportation as good as it seems? Photo Faustine Leung

S E L F - D R I V I N G C A R S TAYLOR MACHADO

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Are you familiar with these films: Italian Job , Fast and Furious , The Bourne Supremacy , and Bullitt ? Iconic car chases are a theme that drives through the plot of every one of these movies. However, these adrenaline-filled scenes may be the last of their time. Self-driving cars will taint what we know of this concept. Think it stops at films? Think again, as there is also music: “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC, “Drive My Car” by The Beatles, and “Little Red Corvette” by Prince, just to name a few. We will soon live in a world where human-operated cars cease to exist.

It is a driverless ground vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without the help of human input. Pretty fancy, huh? Current manufacturers are working towards this outcome, including: Audi, BMW, Ford, Google, General Motors, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Tesla. Personally, I am left with many questions about this innovation that could potentially change our day-to-day life drastically. Even though these cars are said to limit accidents, what will happen if one does occur? Who is at fault? The driver? Car manufacturer? Software developer? A case much like this one would be incredibly difficult

to handle in court.

In addition, if cars will drive themselves, what will we be doing? Will taking away a basic everyday task make us more productive, or less? Will transportation become a productive transition between point A and point B where the “drivers” can have a meal or participate in a meeting? When you put it that way, the autonomous car seems like an incredible idea and a huge step in human evolution. No drunk driving, no distractions, no human error. Traffic congestion would also improve, since the more self-driving cars we get on the road, the higher the speed limit will likely be raised. This

Now, what exactly is the definition of an autonomous car?

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

is because the safety features included in these vehicles will reduce accident rates. Self- driving cars could even benefit those with disabilities and free up police officers to tend to more serious crimes rather than writing up tickets and handling accidents. In fact, driver error is the main reason accidents occur according to Forbes . Limiting accidents would benefit insurance companies and the general public, since car damages and human injuries would both decrease. For all you conspiracy theorists out there, do you think insurance companies might be the ones behind the rise of autonomous vehicles? After all, safer vehicles would lead to less insurance payout. Something else to consider: what about all the millions of dollars of collector cars sitting in garages

right now? What will become of them and their value? The autonomous car is solving many current issues, or so it seems. But before you take a side with this innovative technology, let’s take a look at the cons. Did you know that five-year- olds today will probably never experience the joy and freedom of driving nor be required to obtain a license? Further, with the advanced technology in these cars, it is predicted that they will be a tempting target for hackers, jeopardizing not only safety, but also private information regarding personal identity, usernames, and passwords. Safety isn’t the only thing that will be compromised: employees will also be negatively impacted, as these cars will eliminate the majority of—if not all—jobs in the transportation sector. Some

jobs that may be impacted include those of taxi drivers, car repair shop employees, and personal injury lawyers, who will all miss out on a great deal of revenue. This could cause a spike in the unemployment rate and drag down the economy. Now, knowing the facts, I leave it up to you, the reader, to decide for yourself the position you’ll take on this new technology. Never take driving for granted, even when you’re stuck in 401 traffic, because one day you’ll feel lucky to have had an experience that’s no longer possible. This innovation is one that impacts us all, and one that we should all keep a close eye on.

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I N T H I S I S S U E

Editors-in-Chief Chelsea Dumasal Isabella Xu Staff Advisors Ms. Charlton Ms. Goldberg

Writers Madeline Campbell Chelsea Dumasal Elizabeth Harkness Juddy Kim Kyla Leong-Poi Joyce Li Taylor Machado

Photographers Audrey Chan Soleil Krcmar Faustine Leung Ainsley Robertson Madison Wong

Layout Advisor Mr. McHaffie

Karan Wu Sophy Wu

Chereen Ng Zara Salman Elizabeth Schnekenburger Sophy Wu

Layout Chelsea Dumasal Jessie Liu

Kendra Tam Isabella Xu

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