By Zachary Roman | Photo: Michaela Bell
By Zachary Roman | Photo: Michaela Bell
By Zachary Roman | Photo: Michaela Bell
By Zachary Roman | Photo: Michaela Bell
I haven’t shaved my beard or cut my hair since March. I’m bored of my classes and I haven’t been keeping up with my schoolwork. I’m up eating cereal at unholy hours every night because I can’t sleep. I’m always restless, looking for the next opportunity I can leave responsibility behind and go out longboarding or on a hike with my girlfriend.
None of that is actually any different than my life before the pandemic, but at least now I have a good excuse for living the way I do.
Some days, I’m surprised people put up with me. Luckily, I’m surrounded by amazing friends, family and coworkers. When I see them working hard, it inspires me to try and put in that same effort—be it for an assignment at school, an article for work or mastering a new skill.
However, there comes a point when you have to give yourself a break. I like to think I’m pretty good at it—I’m great at taking it easy, even when I maybe shouldn’t be. You should try it sometime, seriously! You deserve it.
I know that it’s easier said than done. You have to work at giving yourself a break just like you would with anything else. I also know it can be hard to relax when the world is absolutely fucked in countless ways.
I haven’t shaved my beard or cut my hair since March. I’m bored of my classes and I haven’t been keeping up with my schoolwork. I’m up eating cereal at unholy hours every night because I can’t sleep. I’m always restless, looking for the next opportunity I can leave responsibility behind and go out longboarding or on a hike with my girlfriend.
None of that is actually any different than my life before the pandemic, but at least now I have a good excuse for living the way I do.
Some days, I’m surprised people put up with me. Luckily, I’m surrounded by amazing friends, family and coworkers. When I see them working hard, it inspires me to try and put in that same effort—be it for an assignment at school, an article for work or mastering a new skill.
However, there comes a point when you have to give yourself a break. I like to think I’m pretty good at it—I’m great at taking it easy, even when I maybe shouldn’t be. You should try it sometime, seriously! You deserve it.
I know that it’s easier said than done. You have to work at giving yourself a break just like you would with anything else. I also know it can be hard to relax when the world is absolutely fucked in countless ways.
I wish it could, but this issue isn’t going to tell you how to make it better. It’s going to make you laugh in the face of danger and make the existential crisis we’re in a little bit more manageable.
With each story you read in this issue, the headline may at first appear positive—as if everything is fine, so to speak. I like to think that this represents a lot of us right now, putting on a brave face while staring down crisis after crisis in our own lives and in the world.
When you dive into an article and start reading, you’ll quickly remember that we don’t believe everything is fine. Not one bit. The goal with these stories is catharsis: to engage with our feelings of hopelessness, sadness, frustration, despair and anger; then let them go. Even if it’s just for a moment before they come back, because if we leave them bottled up inside, it’s not good for anyone.
In this issue we explore the different ways large institutions are taking advantage of people during the pandemic. We call out racists, sexists and homophobes for continuing to be the pieces of garbage they are. For the feature, we unleash a no-holds-barred assault on Ryerson’s broken promises to its communities.
Even though this issue highlights all the ways things aren’t fine, I want you to know that even though that’s the case, you will be fine. We have to believe that if we’re doing our best to be good people, good things will come to us and the world.
I hope you’ll enjoy joining my exceedingly talented team and I on this cathartic journey of holding power and privilege to account through the lens of humour.
I wish it could, but this issue isn’t going to tell you how to make it better. It’s going to make you laugh in the face of danger and make the existential crisis we’re in a little bit more manageable.
With each story you read in this issue, the headline may at first appear positive—as if everything is fine, so to speak. I like to think that this represents a lot of us right now, putting on a brave face while staring down crisis after crisis in our own lives and in the world.
When you dive into an article and start reading, you’ll quickly remember that we don’t believe everything is fine. Not one bit. The goal with these stories is catharsis: to engage with our feelings of hopelessness, sadness, frustration, despair and anger; then let them go. Even if it’s just for a moment before they come back, because if we leave them bottled up inside, it’s not good for anyone.
In this issue we explore the different ways large institutions are taking advantage of people during the pandemic. We call out racists, sexists and homophobes for continuing to be the pieces of garbage they are. For the feature, we unleash a no-holds-barred assault on Ryerson’s broken promises to its communities.
Even though this issue highlights all the ways things aren’t fine, I want you to know that even though that’s the case, you will be fine. We have to believe that if we’re doing our best to be good people, good things will come to us and the world.
I hope you’ll enjoy joining my exceedingly talented team and I on this cathartic journey of holding power and privilege to account through the lens of humour.
