issue 11 / volume 41

Missing someone?

» How I dealt when my smart-ass friend got a full scholarship to UofT

Julie Wright
Columnist

Winns: this article is
about friends and family
members, and not so much
exes.

Recently, my best friend of
10 years moved to Toronto to

attend the University of Toronto :

ona full scholarship. Her high
school GPA was around 3.8,

in the accelerated program.
Ridiculous, right? While being
super happy for my perfect

friend and her ridiculously good :

opportunity, I was super sad
that my safety blanket would
be residing across the country.
I’m sure some other people can
relate to this, so here are some
tips I’ve discovered on how to
deal:

Keep busy! I find that the

more things you do, the less you :

think about what’s bothering
you. Some ways I’ve kept busy
are joining extra-curricular
groups. Try bands, sports

groups, clubs, newspapers (hint, :

hint), dance troupes, or really
anything that tickles your fancy.
If you get together with a group
of people daily—or weekly—to
do something that you'll all love
and enjoy, the time will pass

: much more quickly and the

: person you're missing will be

: back before you know it! You

: can even join multiple groups.

For example, I’m in multiple :
: week anyways. I’m talking about
: your other friends, the ones

: who exist outside of the plasma-
: an event to look forward to each :
: coffee, take a walk, check out

: the aquarium, or take in a movie
: or concert. These are all very

: good options for getting out and
: forgetting your woes, even fora

: seems like just yesterday. It does :

bands, which meet either
: weekly or bi-weekly, which has
: helped keep me busy. Having

: week really strings the weeks

: together, and time passes much
: more quickly. As soon as a week
: has passed, you remember the

: last week you were here and it

: helpa lot if you’re in multiple

: groups or programs, but even

: adding one activity to your

: schedule will make a difference.
: Talk to them. It may seem
: alittle contradictory to what |

: last said, but when you miss a

: person and you just need them
: (you all know what I’m talking
: about, you cried for your mom
: once, admit it) a good thing is

: message them up and just say

: “Hey, I really miss you.” They

: probably miss you too, and

: before long you'll be talking

: like old times. If they don’t

: miss you, or if they’ve also kept
: super busy to avoid feeling sad
: that youre all the way across

: the country, you always have

: Netflix, Ben, and Jerry.

Make plans with your

other friends. No, not those
: three. You can't subsist on ice
: cream and binge watch How I

Met Your Mother again. Not this

filled screen. Go out and get

few short hours.
This may seem very similar

: to keeping busy, and it’s the

: same concept, but a different

: idea. When you make plans,

: you can also be distracted or sad
: and leave the other person to

: cheer you up! Which they will

: probably do, unless your friends
: are horrible. If that is real for

: you, get new friends. Seriously,

: : you don't need that negativity

: to call, text, Skype, or Facebook : in your life—Ben and Jerry have
: got your back.

I hope this helps with your

: grief! If you're an introvert like
: myself (sometimes), get some
: tea and listen to some happy

: music ona walk where you'll

: bein nature; you'll feel better.
: Extroverts can do that too I

: guess, just don’t talk to anyone
: with headphones on.

 

The effects of writing

» Why some are repelled and others are attracted

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

Gr consider it an art;

to others, it’s a lifestyle.

For many, it’s nothing but

an annoying and difficult

requirement that you want

to do as little of as possible.

Regardless of how one feels

about the act of writing, it’s

done by almost everyone every

day in some form. It can be

composed of 140 characters for

a few friends or hundreds of

pages for the general public.

Anyone can call themselves

a writer—and in essence,

everyone is a writer.
Regardless of the scope,

the act is something taught and :

required from the beginning

of our education. The ability to :

write is equal to the ability to
read in its importance during
the learning process. Whether
they know it or not, everyone
who writes reveals and often
learns something about

: themselves in the process.

: writers can agree they have

: always felt a desire or even an
: urge to do the act. Many of

: them were writing as soon as
: they were able to form words.
: Even those who have never

: felt the call began writing

: something of some sort at a

: young school age. The forced
: requirement of putting

: words to paper nurtured an

: enjoyment of writing for many,

: forever.

: What causes this division?
: Writing is therapeutic and

: releasing. It’s a way to express
: our inner emotions, desires,

: and opinions. Some of us are

: certainly more talented or

: dedicated to it than others,

: but almost anyone can benefit
: from its effects. It’s also often
: relaxing, educational, and

: healthy.

: Writing can also cause

: frustration, regret, and

: overwhelming emotion,

: especially if the subject is

> something unpleasant or

: boring. Releasing feelings
Most regular self-identified :
: and many an uncomfortable

: revelation has been made

: in the midst of completing

: a paragraph. It could be as

: simple as realizing one is

: still in love with their ex or as
: complicated as realizing the

: entire universe is a bleak and
: meaningless place.

therapeutically goes both ways,

Overall, the effects of

: forming words physically differ
: for every person. Is writing a

: and for others, turned them off :
: damaging exercise? The

: answer varies. For some, no

: matter what they try, writing

: will always be a thing they

: cannot do and they will get

: upset trying. For others, it

: would be unthinkable not to

: write. It can be encouraged or

: discouraged, but the decision

: to write ultimately comes from
: within. Perhaps the only way to
: find out its effects on oneself

: is to try writing something.

: Generally, something good will
: happen. It’s worth a shot.

good thing? Is it a fruitless,

L&S Listed:
10 works of Canadian
literature you havent
heard of, but should
probably check out

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

et’s face it; Canada

doesn’t have the best
reputation for literature,
aside from the stuffy fodder
of literary academics. Our
world-famous authors are
few and far between, so
unless you love Margaret
Atwood or Yann Martel you
might be SOL for discussing
Canadian fiction at cocktail
parties. As a remedy, here
are 10 books by Canadian
authors that don’t feature
totem poles or majestic
landscapes.

1. Sub Rosa by Amber Dawn

2. The Better Mother
by Jen Sookfong Lee

life & style // 17

 

3. Bitten
by Kelley Armstrong

4. Not Wanted on the
Voyage by Timothy Findley

5. Beautiful Losers
by Leonard Cohen

6. Neuromancer by William
Gibson

7. Sarah Binks
by Paul Hiebert

8. Skinny by Ibi Kaslik

g. The Diviners
by Margaret Laurence

10. Lullabies for Little
Criminals
by Heather O’Neill