Thursday, August 28, 2025
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The Dal Purity Test

Jenna Olsen
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The Dal Purity Test

The Rice Purity Test was originally created in 1988 by The Rice Thresher, Rice University’s campus newspaper, “as a segue from O-week to true college life at Rice.” It hasn’t been updated since 2012, so we decided to create our own version; though we still couldn’t figure out how to avoid the word fondled. Fill out the checklist, compare with your friends, lie about your score!  

CAUTION: The Dal Purity Test is not a bucket list. Completion of this will likely result in serious injury or death. The Dalhousie Gazette does not endorse the below activities. 

Find the clickable version of the test that automatically calculates your score here.

  1. Held hands romantically?
  2. Been on a date?
  3. Been in a relationship?
  4. Been in love?
  5. Kissed a member of the preferred sex (MPS) on the lips?
  6. Made out with a MPS?
  7. Made out with a MPS in public?
  8. Made out with  or more people within 24 hours?
  9. Kissed on the neck?
  10. Kissed horizontally?
  11. Given or received a hickey?
  12. Kissed or been kissed on the chest?
  13. Kissed or been kissed below the belt?
  14. Played a game involving stripping?
  15. Masturbated?
  16. Masturbated while someone else was in the room?
  17. Been caught masturbating?
  18. Masturbated with an inanimate object?
  19. Seen or read porn?
  20. Gone through the motions of intercourse while dressed?
  21. Undressed or been undressed by a MPS?
  22. Showered with a MPS?
  23. Fondled or had your butt cheeks fondled?
  24. Fondled or had your breasts fondled?
  25. Fondled or had your genitals fondled?
  26. Had or given blue balls?
  27. Had an orgasm due to someone else’s manipulation?
  28. Sexted?
  29. Sent or received nudes from someone you were seeing?
  30. Had phone/video sex?
  31. Cheated?
  32. Purchased contraceptives?
  33. Gave oral sex?
  34. Received oral sex?
  35. Been walked in on while hooking up?
  36. Kicked a roommate out to hook up?
  37. Gotten back with/hooked up with an ex?
  38. Hooked up with two or more people in the same friend group?
  39. Hooked up with someone in your friend group?
  40. Hooked up with a friend’s ex?
  41. Drank?
  42. Played a drinking game?
  43. Been drunk?
  44. Faked sobriety?
  45. Had severe memory loss due to alcohol?
  46. Vaped?
  47. Smoked a cigarette?
  48. Used marijuana?
  49. Hit a bong?
  50. Used shrooms?
  51. Used cocaine, ketamine or molly?
  52. Used anything stronger?
  53. Been drunk or high at school/work?
  54. Been sent to the office of a principal or dean for a disciplinary infraction?
  55. Been put on disciplinary probation or suspended?
  56. Urinated in public?
  57. Gone skinny-dipping/streaking?
  58. Snuck out of the house?
  59. Used a fake ID?
  60. Shoplifted?
  61. Gotten into a physical fight?
  62. Driven under the influence?
  63. Committed an act of vandalism?
  64. Had sex?
  65. Had sex three or more times in one night?
  66. Had sex 10 or more times?
  67. Had sex with a stranger or person you met within 24 hours?
  68. Had sex in a car?
  69. ?
  70. Had sex in public and/or outdoors?
  71. Had sex in a pool or hot tub?
  72. Had sex in a bed not belonging to you or your partner?
  73. Had sex with a non-participating third party in the room?
  74. Had sex with someone with a three (or more) year age difference?
  75. Had sex while you or your partner’s parents were in the same home?
  76. Had sex with a virgin?
  77. Had sex without a condom?
  78. Had two or more distinct acts of sex with two or more people within 24 hours?
  79. Had sex with five or more partners?
  80. Travelled more than an hour for the primary purpose of sex?
  81. Used a sex toy with a partner?
  82. Spent the night with a MPS?
  83. Joined the mile-high club?
  84. Had a threesome?
  85. Participated in an orgy?
  86. Had period sex?
  87. Had anal sex?
  88. Made a sex tape?
  89. Had a pregnancy scare?
  90. Impregnated someone or been impregnated?
  91. Had an STI?
  92. Had the police called on you?
  93. Run from the police?
  94. Been questioned by the police?
  95. Been arrested?
  96. Been convicted of a crime?
  97. Paid or been paid for a sexual act?
  98. Committed an act of voyeurism?
  99. Committed an act of incest?
  100. Engaged in bestiality?

Our conflicting relationship with celebrity relationships

Marielle Godfrey
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Our conflicting relationship with celebrity relationships

Last semester I took a course called stars and stardom, which explored what makes someone a star, how we perceive them and what fame really means. Naturally, we studied one of the most iconic celebrities of all time: Marilyn Monroe. Monroe’s stardom was built on beauty, sex appeal and acting talent, but when she started dating professional baseball player Joe DiMaggio, her fame reached a new level. 

Suddenly, the glamorous Hollywood starlet found her masculine, all-American counterpart —  creating the perfect celebrity love story. The public ate it up, following them in magazines and tabloids and romanticizing their every move. 

Of course, Monroe and DiMaggio weren’t the first celebrities to capture public fascination, and they certainly weren’t the last. Our obsession with celebrity couples has only heightened with the digital age. 

But why? Why do we care so much about the love lives of people we don’t know? Why do we love when two people we don’t know get together and fall in love? Why do we mourn their breakups as if they were our own? 

I have friends and family in happy, loving relationships — ones I admire deeply — but I don’t obsess over them the way I do with a celebrity couple. 

The world instantly became fixated when Taylor Swift showed up to a Kansas City Chiefs game in September 2023 and confirmed her relationship with star football tight end Travis Kelce. The biggest pop star in the world dating a charismatic football player? There is something about them that people are obsessed with. It could be that their relationship embodies the “America’s sweetheart dates the football captain” narrative that has been romanticized in Western society for decades. Maybe it is because it makes people feel like they are living in a high school rom-com. Or maybe it is because we feel happy for our “good friend Taylor” finally breaking free from solely dating pretentious, artsy and tortured creatives who look malnourished! 

But to me, that still doesn’t justify our weird obsession with celebrity couples. It just reinforces our parasocial relationships with public figures we feel entitled to have access to. 

We treat their most mundane relationship moments — attending each other’s events and going out for dinner — as breaking news. Every other athlete’s significant other is doing the exact same thing, yet Swift doing it for Kelce is an international headline. I feel bad for them, attracting all this attention when all they likely crave is the privacy other couples are granted. I too cheer on my boyfriend at his important moments, but because the people involved are famous, we feel entitled to their every interaction. 

Another similar example would be the relationship between Tom Holland and Zendaya. When the two actors, who played love interests in the Spider-Man films, started dating in real life, fans felt an intimate connection to their relationship. When Zendaya rolled up to the Golden Globes at the beginning of January with an engagement ring, the internet blew up. Though neither Zendaya nor Holland publicly confirmed anything, their teams issued a brief statement confirming the engagement. Though it was an impersonal way to announce an engagement, it sent fans into a frenzy. Why? Because on some level, we feel like we know them. We project onto them. We want their love story to be real because it satisfies something within us.  

Perhaps it all comes down to escapism and our deeply human desire to romanticize love. These high-profile relationships, even when fiercely private, feel like a real-life fairytale or drama, and give us something to root for. In a world that has felt increasingly dark, heavy and exhausting, an escape to a happier place is sometimes the break people need from scary times. Even if that break means idolizing a couple we don’t know. 

This isn’t to say that obsessing over celebrities is the solution to our problems, nor is it entirely fair to the couple themselves. But I do believe that deep down, our fascination with famous relationships might stem from something simple: we love love. And in a world that seems to overflow with hatred and division, maybe it’s reassuring to know that our collective longing for romance, connections and happy endings hasn’t faded.

They cheated: Should I take them back?

Valerie Monterroza Prieto
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They cheated: Should I take them back?

Cheating. A dreaded danger in seemingly every relationship. You’ve heard a horror story from a friend at least once in your life. You’ve also likely worried about it in a previous, or even current, relationship.

As I write this article, I bring my own experience, the stories I’ve heard and the aftermaths I’ve witnessed from people in my life. However, I’m not here to be some moral compass on how to conduct yourself in relationships. It’s up to you to make decisions that are best for you and your partner. So, what is up with cheating?

Is it ever excusable?

Cheating is usually a symptom of a larger problem. There could be many reasons to justify it depending on the relationship or situation. But psychoanalyzing your partner and their life up until the incident won’t help. When a person makes the choice to cheat, they are jeopardizing their relationship, betraying trust and choosing to act out rather than address an internal struggle or problem within the relationship. 

I don’t think cheating is ever okay, but some people may not agree. There are various couples who have been able to look past their partners’ infidelities — it’s different for everyone. What works for one couple may not work for you. So, it’s important to enter into a relationship where you feel your needs are met and you are comfortable.

Why do people cheat?

People cheat for many reasons. Though your mind may jump to questions like, “Why wasn’t I good enough?” or “What did I do wrong?” this creates a vicious cycle of insecurity or self doubt. People cheat for many reasons, and in this scenario you are an innocent bystander. It’s as if you’ve witnessed a robbery or break-in. Trying to make sense of the crime or justify the criminal’s reasoning is a waste of time and it will only end up hurting you more. The most important thing to know is that cheating is never about you. It has everything to do with the person who commits the act. Some reasons may include:

Short term satisfaction — The act of cheating may give some people an adrenaline rush or quench a thirst. The rush of committing the act may feel addicting in the short term but also leave them depleted afterward, creating a vicious cycle.

Insecurity/insecure attachment — Unstable attachments in our personal lives or upbringings can influence our relationships. For example, children of divorced parents may emulate their parents’ relationships without even realizing. Additionally, low self esteem can explain insecurity, leading them to chase external validation.

Is cheating too normalized in the media?

We often see our favourite characters struggle in their own relationships and forgiving their partners for repeated infidelity. 

My favourite example is Carrie from Sex and the City. As the audience watches her tumultuous relationship with Big, we see how deeply this relationship affects her self esteem and her close personal friendships. Eventually, we see the effects of this as she cheats on one of her other partners, Aiden. 

Does seeing characters cheating or being cheated on normalize cheating in modern day relationships? Especially in pop culture, we watch our favourite celebrity couples struggle with adultery all the time. We see their marriages fall apart, hear the scandals on the radio. Beyoncé. Princess Diana. If it happened to them, of course it could happen to you.

In the end, cheating is a complex and deeply personal issue that varies from relationship to relationship. While it is never excusable, understanding the reasons behind it can provide insight into the larger emotional and psychological struggles people face. Whether a relationship can survive infidelity depends on the individuals involved, their ability to communicate and their willingness to rebuild trust. Ultimately, the most important takeaway is to prioritize relationships

where your needs are met, your boundaries are respected and you are valued. Cheating may

be normalized in the media, but in real life, it’s up to each person to decide what they are willing

to accept.

Redefining love: the South Asian woman’s dilemma

Prarthobee Tariq
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Redefining love: the South Asian woman’s dilemma

A bouquet of roses, a handwritten card and a slice of cheesecake to share — this was the ideal I once believed made up the perfect Valentine’s Day. Growing up with Bollywood movies and romance novels, I once believed love was about affection, excitement and finding “the one.” I thought love meant catching someone’s eye across a crowded room and the kind of devotion that made people cross oceans. I searched for love everywhere, in every interaction, every possibility. But as I got older, I realized love, at least for women like me, was never only about love. In many South Asian households, love is about duty. It is about family expectations. It is about marriage. 

Rigid expectations

Somewhere along the way, love stopped being about what I wanted and became about what was expected of me. I quickly learned that for South Asian girls, love is secondary to responsibility. Romantic relationships were never just my own business; they were something to be monitored, scrutinized and, if necessary, forbidden. While my male peers were encouraged to explore, make mistakes and eventually “settle down” on their own terms, I was reminded that my choices would reflect on my family. A love that didn’t align with their expectations wasn’t just a bad decision, it was a threat to my character, upbringing and future. 

The ideal wife

As I grew older, I saw how love was shaped by forces beyond feelings. Marriage was not about finding a partner to share a life with but about fitting into another family and becoming someone else’s definition of an ideal wife. Love, if it existed, was something that came after marriage, something that had to be earned through patience, compromise and sacrifice. I often wonder about the women who came before me — my grandmothers, my aunts, the countless nameless others — who never had the chance to live for themselves before they were forced to commit to their families. They put their own happiness second, sometimes never even realizing they had a right to claim it in the first place. 

I wish I could say these ideas existed only in the past, but they still echo in our culture today. A woman’s ability to “adjust” is still seen as a measure of her love, while a man’s failures are things she must accept. The idea that love should be about mutual respect, about choosing each other every day, is rarely the focus. 

Love is a privilege 

Beyond the emotional weight of it all, there are also real-world limitations. Love is a privilege not all of us get to experience freely. Family approval, financial dependence, caste and religion are all external factors that decide whether love is even an option. Then even when love does exist, it comes with conditions: Is he suitable? Will your families align? Will this love bring stability or shame? Love becomes a decision to be negotiated, a risk that must be calculated. No Bollywood romances here. 

How can we love?

And yet, things are changing. More South Asian women are choosing to define love on their own terms. Some are choosing independence over marriage, choosing to love themselves first in ways that were never an option for the women before us. Others are pushing for relationships built on mutual understanding rather than obligation. The idea of love is evolving, but the weight of its past — the expectations, the sacrifices, the contradictions — still lingers. 

For many of us South Asian women, love remains a cynical concept, not because we don’t believe in it, but because we’ve seen how it has been shaped by forces beyond our control. Love is not always about choice; sometimes, it is about compromise. I can’t help but wonder if love can exist at all within a culture that defines it as a duty. 

So, forgive me if I’m a little cynical about love — it’s not all roses and cheesecake. 

Age gaps don’t matter

Calvin Borghardt
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Age gaps don’t matter

I’m a 28-year-old millennial engaged to a 23-year-old zoomer and our five-year age gap is nothing compared to our generational gap.

At first, I thought of our generation gap as two different ways of knowing. Take social media, for example. Zoomers tend to favour short-form content, like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. millennials prefer long-form content, like video essays, podcasts and books. I assumed our media-landscapes reflected our mental-maps, the ways we engage with the world and understand it. Technology has shaped our worldviews and our values, which is what I mean by a cultural difference between zoomers and millennials.

Does your partner remember 9/11?

Our generation gap is actually two different ways of being, which are informed by more than our relationships to technology. Consider some of the most significant events of our generations’ lifetimes. 

Some millennials are old enough to remember life before smartphones and before 9/11. We were there to witness the transformation of our daily lives as our sense of safety and prosperity turned to paranoia and uncertainty. We millennials saw rapid increases in cyber security and the crash of 2008.

Zoomers saw similar events, growing up with the impacts of post-2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. My fiancée’s generation became adults with that financial crisis and a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Zoomers were shaped by this experience of decline and isolation. Their crises, paired with the further encroachment of what Neil Postman, in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, calls a “peek-a-boo world, where now this event, now that, pops into view for a moment, then vanishes again,” combines to create an adverse sense of detachment.  

Do you understand your partner’s jokes?

It’s no secret zoomers are more ironic than previous generations. In attempting to understand their humour, I’ve read about more types of irony that many English classes teach: irony, post-irony, meta-irony, etc. What all these ironies have in common is an appreciation for the absurd. True, all humour involves some sort of exaggeration and absurdity, but zoomers seem to see the absurd, or what they can define as the absurd, itself as humorous.

Their emphasis on the ironic and the absurd is part of their overall pattern, their worldview, which speaks to the generational gap between millennials and zoomers. Millennials are still optimistic, to an extent, yet their sense of optimism has been shaken through the course of current events. Zoomers, I suspect, lost their optimism before they had it. Financial crisis and COVID-19 combined to convince zoomers hope is pointless.

Zoomers are not lost, they’re hopeless. The isolation imposed upon all populations reinforced  zoomers’ sense of the inherent instability of our world. So they’ve grown accustomed to taking pleasure in brief bursts, not from building or investing in some long-term project whose results they may never see.

The generation gap between millennials and zoomers could be considered a cultural difference. Our maps of this world are distinct. They do not overlap as much as millennials relate to previous generations.

Bridging the gap 

Essentially, the difference between my millennial worldview and my fiancée’s zoomer worldview is where we find value, meaning and humour. 

There’s a distance between zoomers and the world at which they’re laughing. This space they create implicitly reinforces their sense of autonomy, which they may or may not actually feel, and allows them to laugh through any and all absurdities they encounter.

Millennials, on the other hand, seem to find humour less in the absurdities of events or stories and more in the awkwardness which arises from sincere attempts at connection. Millennial is about laughing at the absurdity of sincerity, of the honest desire to establish mutual, intimate relationships with other people.

Zoomers laugh at absurd events, while millennials laugh at absurd attempts.

Our distinct senses of humour is, of course, reflected in our media choices —  the kind of content we choose to consume. But it’s also evident in our values and the ways we approach daily life. Millennials are often optimistic enough to invest their time and energy in a long-term career path, while zoomers are more cautious, opting to spend theirs in the here and now, moment-to-moment. 

The generational differences in an age-gap relationship are more interesting, and more important, to consider than how many years apart you were born. Can you share jokes? Can you share experiences? Are you able to relate to your partner, despite the years between you? To me, those are questions more worth pondering.

The Gazette’s guide to Galentine’s

Hope Edmond
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The Gazette’s guide to Galentine’s

We’ve all heard of romantic love. But love isn’t limited to romance — familial love, self love and platonic love are all deeply meaningful and widely celebrated. These types are arguably just as important as romantic love. Whether in a relationship or not, I’ve always adored Valentine’s Day. Sure, there were some years where I’d envy couples on Valentine’s Day. But, for the most part, I loved seeing red and pink wherever I went, giving myself a self-care day and letting the people in my life know I loved them –- specifically, my girlfriends. 

When searching “Galentine’s Day” on Instagram, results show there are 1.6 million posts using the hashtag, “#galentinesday.” Galentine’s Day, celebrated annually on Feb. 13, is a holiday dedicated to celebrating female friendship. Personally, nothing fills my soul like hanging out with my girlfriends to chat, drink, play board games or watch a movie. One study published by the National Institute of Health says female friendships are associated with a greater sense of self and higher quality of life. 

“I love my husband, but it is nothing like a conversation with a woman that understands you. I grow so much from those conversations,” said Beyoncé in her documentary Life Is But a Dream (2013).

You don’t need a lot of friends to celebrate: Quality over quantity. 

I’m 23 years old now, and I’ve realized that having a few close friends is far more fulfilling than having many surface-level friendships. So, grab your best pal —  or four, and throw a Galentine’s Day party. 

The perfect party decors

Dollarama has the perfect decorations that will have your party looking festive on a budget. My favourite finds are any type of heart-shaped glassware or dishes, Valentine’s Day themed balloons and heart-shaped doilies.

Themed food

What’s a party without food? Dollarama also sells heart-shaped baking tins for baking festive treats with your friends. I’ve seen some heart-shaped pasta at Marshall’s and was thinking I’d make some penne alla vodka pasta, minus the penne, for my own Galentine’s Day party. 

You can also pick up some red and pink coloured candy to add to the theme. Chocolate-dipped strawberries and pretzels are classic Valentine’s Day treats and would make a great addition to your party. Charcuterie boards with red and pink fruit or candy are also the perfect party snack. Think about the perfect combo of strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate, dragonfruit, cinnamon hearts, Starbursts and Hershey Kisses.  

Delicious drinks

Personally, I’ve been loving Poppi lately, a popular new soda brand. Flavours like Strawberry Lemon, Doc Pop, Raspberry Rose and Cherry Cola are all delicious and packaged in an aesthetically pleasing pink or red can. For my girlies looking for an easy alcoholic beverage to make this Galentine’s Day, try my take on a Valentine’s Day mimosa. 

  1. Fill a flute or wine glass with a sparkling wine, leaving just an inch at the top.
  2. Top with pink or regular cranberry juice. 
  3. For a festive touch, garnish with edible glitter or a heart-shaped candy. Get creative with the garnish!

Galentine’s activities

Enjoying a relaxing paint night, sharing friendship PowerPoints, cozying up for a movie and playing board games are all simple and fun activities to do for Galentine’s Day. If these activities don’t seem like you and your friends, you could have a photoshoot in matching PJs instead, using the balloons from your party as props.

This Valentine’s Day, whether you have a partner or not, remember to cherish your girlfriends. Female friendships often contribute to the backbone of our romantic love. For instance, my girlfriends have guided me through past relationships, got me ready for first dates, acted as a  shoulder to cry on during breakups and are the ones I turn to when I need relationship advice. 

Girlfriends are often the ones that know you before you’re in a romantic relationship. They experience the joys and hardships of our relationships with us and are the ones who stay with us after our breakups. I’d like to think some of you may have similar bonds with your girlfriends, so give them the love they deserve this Galentine’s Day.

Robot Sex

Toni Kleiner
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Robot Sex

What is the relationship between technology and sex? Does technology help or hinder sex? What risks do we unknowingly face in a world where sex and computerized technology are more intertwined than ever before?

Artist Ian Williams’s Nova Scotia College of Art and Design exhibit, Robot Sex, ponders these questions. The exhibit, which ran from Jan. 21 to 25, consisted of expanded media projects as well as textile works made from unconventional materials like electrical cables.  

Sex and AI

“I’m really fascinated by the relationship between technology and sex, because I think it’s simultaneously empowering and exploitative,” says Williams.  

One of the pieces in the exhibit is an expanded media project made in collaboration with artist Max Dooher. The piece uses a facial recognition model trained on public data from the dating app Grindr. Once someone enters the booth and activates the computer, the technology assesses the user’s facial characteristics. Based on the data it was trained on, it then categorizes the user into one of five categories that people on Grindr have self-identified with, for instance “bear” or “twink.”

“For some people, [technology] is the only way they can have sex in the way they want. And then for other people, you know, it can really sort of take the humanity and power of sex away from them,” says Williams. 

The expanded media project was a comment of sorts on Grindr’s recent decision to introduce a clause to their terms and conditions stating that the app is allowed to use any user data uploaded to the app for the training of third party models without permission. Specifically, this means that by using the app, users are consenting to their biometric data being used to train romantic AI chatbot models. 

“I kind of wanted to make this project so I could communicate how AI processes work … and can be weaponized,” Williams says. 

The artistic process

The exhibit also includes three wall hangings and two eroticized clothing sculptures — a lingerie set and a jock strap, draped over various technologies like a retro computer. 

The wall hangings are made of hand-dyed electrical cables and woven together using traditional off-loom hand weaving techniques. The process of making the pieces was punishing — each piece took approximately 65-70 hours to complete. 

The lingerie set is lined with Japanese silk, and the jock strap is lined with grey sweatpant material. 

“I wanted to contrast the matte, hard, rough exterior with this more luxurious interior,” says Williams. “I think that speaks a lot to, you know, performing eroticism as well. You can perform eroticism to shield that sensitivity you have.”

Williams specifically designed the clothing sculptures as seen from a male gaze. 

“I identify as non-binary, but for most of my life I’ve been socialized as a man,” says Williams. 

Throughout their life they have experimented with different gender expressions. A lot of the experimentation was through forms of dressing. 

“But the most intimate way of dressing is undergarments,” says Williams. “Making these undergarments was kind of my attempt at reconciling with the sort of deep effect that the male gaze has had on me in my presentation throughout life.” 

Queerness and robots

Williams thinks that roboticization is not limited to computerized technology, and can also be found in things like makeup, going to the gym or restrictive clothing.

“It’s not good or bad to be a robot. It’s just a thing,” says Williams. “And to imply that because something is non-human, it is non valuable, is inherently a capitalist paradigm and is a way of dehumanizing things that we don’t understand.” 

Williams points out that how things like plastic surgery, makeup or restrictive clothing is interpreted and valued depends on the person.

“I have countless trans friends whose lives have been infinitely bettered by these technologies and this ability to change themselves. And I also have other friends who really feel a pressure and a need to perform something.” 

Williams doesn’t have a prescribed view that they hope viewers take away from the exhibit. However, they think it’s important to remain open to developments like robots and AI, especially keeping in mind queer history. 

“I think it’s important that we, as people in these communities, understand how these technologies work, so they can’t be weaponized against us. And if we respond with fear of change … that is going against that same rhetoric that has been used to disenfranchise our communities throughout history.” 

The exhibit, and the questions it’s asking, is one way of doing just that — remaining open-minded about technological developments while still asking scrutinizing questions. 

“The more we can learn about how these things work and how the future might work will ultimately be better at large for everyone … the corporations who are developing this technology? They don’t give a fuck if you live or die. You’re already a robot to them.” 

Williams can be found on Instagram at @kneesplint and is happy to answer any further questions about the exhibit.

Table for one, please

Ferris Kerr
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Table for one, please

Like many, I’m single on Valentine’s Day. Like some, I’m completely at peace with it. But unlike most, I’ve planned an entire day dedicated to treating myself the way I truly deserve. 

Valentine’s is an odd holiday. There are expectations between partners, friends and, to some extent, with yourself. You feel the need to plan and execute perfectly, to purchase gifts and organize a dinner or even to perform a big romantic gesture prepared weeks in advance. To show someone you care, you seemingly must sacrifice funds and time for it to go perfectly. We shower our loved ones with those little things they point out at stores, their favourite desserts or with time off. The list goes on, and yet one thing threads it together; taking a day and planning completely around another. We use that day as an excuse to appreciate someone to the fullest.

However, without a romantic partner on Feb. 14, that well of affection remains bottled up with nowhere to go. I find myself sitting at home, maybe watching a movie, enjoying an unimpressive snack and texting my grandma an “I love you.” Instead of filling my day with flowers for another, I walk to class and back and vacuum; I suspect that you do the same. Instead of seeing this year’s holiday as something out of reach, change your mindset and get selfish.

We use Valentine’s Day as a way to prove our commitment, our understanding and our passion for one another. So, this year, let’s not forget the one person you should shower in gifts before anyone else — yourself.

Take yourself out for a meal

It’s one of those things we typically do in cliques of ravenous, hungover pancake eaters but rarely alone: brunch. Rather than a fancy candlelit dinner, opt for the opposite dining experience. Grab a seat, bring a book and buy the full breakfast with extra avocado. I recommend Cora’s on a budget (also, it’s delicious) or The Cheeky Neighbour Diner for an elevated experience and great vegan options. Take your time and appreciate getting to know yourself.

Treat yourself to gifts

I won’t allow anything less than three gifts for myself, budget allowing. This works especially well if your love language is gift-giving. Think about what you’d want from a loved one, or what you’d like to give to your partner, and pass that love onto yourself. I’d recommend looking at a record store, vintage shop, jewelry store or plant store. Or, if you’re a practical date, get yourself some classy groceries. Take into account how you treat others and shove it back in your own face. Stroll down Spring Garden Road and stop at Lululemon or Taz Records to demonstrate your self-love.

Pick a solo activity

Think about your favourite weekend tradition, the spot around town you love or an activity you’ve always wanted to sign up for and pen it into your calendar. If it feels uncomfortable going to a paint-and-sip solo, don’t let it get you down. A single Valentine’s Day activity shows the world, and yourself, your self-respect. Dalhousie societies consistently run movie nights, crafting events and other free drop-ins. I also recommend spending a morning enjoying one of Halifax’s farmers’ markets, taking a walk along the waterfront and enjoying a ferry ride to Dartmouth. Or, make it a group date with friends and go to a trampoline park or Activate for a few hours of fun.

Evening drink

A date isn’t a date without a drink. Head to the bars for a quick cocktail, listen to some live music and appreciate the people watching. If you’re up for a club scene, enjoy shamelessly dancing to trashy club hits. If not, check out a dessert bar or Flynn’s for a late-night treat. The best nights end in bed in your nice pyjamas with tea and a story to tell. So stay safe, have fun and appreciate the wind-down.

Creating the vibe

The vibe of your solo date is all about the effort you put into it. Start by waking up early and taking a long “everything” shower. Pick an outfit that turns heads, including your own. Capture photos of each part of the day, and wrap up the night with your favourite movie, a new book or some good fanfic (I don’t judge!). 

Take the time to listen to yourself, and follow your heart. If these suggestions are not your dream date, make up your own instead. Recognize that how you love, how you want to be loved and how you love yourself are all valid, valuable and vital to self-confidence and self-kindness. Enjoy the day and yourself equally.

Love and Basketball: worth the watch? 

Ethan Hunt
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Love and Basketball: worth the watch? 

By: Layla Caplice

When you first think of basketball, you wouldn’t think it would mix with romance. Well, that was until the year 2000, when Gina Prince-Bythewood directed the cult classic Love and Basketball. 

Childhood friends Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) fall in love while trying to pursue professional basketball careers. Quincy follows in his father’s footsteps, while Monica has dreams of being the first woman in the NBA. In the beginning, no one believes in her, but she puts in the work and gains respect through talent. Eventually she lands a division one scholarship at the same school Quincy chose: the University of Southern California. The two grew up together and were friends in high school before deciding to start dating in college.

Both of them have a basketball-first mentality, which makes it difficult to balance their relationship, especially as they both move up the ranks and join the starting line-ups. Their relationship takes a turn when Quincy deals with family problems and feels neglected by Monica, eventually choosing to end their relationship. 

Monica then goes overseas after graduating to try and get Quincy off her mind and pursue her professional career. Quincy’s game begins to get affected by his personal troubles and takes a turn for the worse when an ACL injury eliminates his first season as a rookie in the NBA. After five years apart, Monica still cannot get Quincy off her mind. She decides to go home after a championship season in the IWBA, determined to find Quincy and tell him how she feels. To her dismay, she discovers that he is now engaged and the wedding is in two weeks. She almost gives up, until her mom convinces her Quincy can do better. Monica approaches Quincy, who is angry at her for making him choose so close to his wedding.

As a last resort, Monica challenges Quincy to a 1v1 for his heart, reminding him that he once said “If you ever win, it’s because I let you.” She’s hopeful he will let her win again, proving he also still has feelings for her. He agrees and the two hit the court and decide to play first to five points. In a challenging game, Quincy ends up winning 5-4. Before Monica leaves, he stops her. “Double or nothing.” She runs over to him and the two embrace. A time jump then shows Monica playing in the WNBA with Quincy and their daughter in the audience cheering the two on. 

Love and Basketball is a light-hearted romance that sheds light on the dedication all professionals have for the game. Similarly to the other movies released around this time such as Coach Carter and Like Mike, Love and Basketball highlights that attitude is everything; it makes or breaks a player. Although released more than 20 years ago, the film shows some of the struggles female basketball players still face today. Monica is obviously very passionate about the sport and often gets rather emotional on the court. She is constantly given fouls for her attitude and told to “calm down and act like a lady.” To this day, this is one of the biggest differences between the men’s game and the women’s game. The girls are not allowed to be as aggressive as the men without being called for it. Obviously, some of these calls are necessary to keep peace, but often the refs simply do not let the women play as hard and as passionately as the men. For example, in women’s hockey they do not allow the players to body check while it is a major strategy on the men’s side. 

Another struggle highlighted in the movie is how much easier it is for women to play internationally than in the United States. With higher wages and more viewership, the international league attracts more women seeking to play professionally. This is great for the players who grew up in Europe, but the women coming from the United States and Canada leave their entire lives behind in order to pursue the game they love.
Regardless of the underlying messages of struggle, this movie is a moving narrative of love and passion which shares the beautiful story of two talented individuals. Even in trying times, Monica and Quincy’s love perseveres even when an entire ocean separates the two. Love and Basketball shows how powerful young love can be. It is the perfect movie for athletes in a relationship together, but still can and will be enjoyed by everyone who takes the time to watch this masterpiece. It’s the perfect movie for this loving season that can be shared with friends or partners alike.

Hat trick for Terefenko; Thunderbirds win the battle of the coasts

Jake Piper
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Hat trick for Terefenko; Thunderbirds win the battle of the coasts

The story of the night started as the battle of the coasts at the Scotiabank Centre; do the Thunderbirds have what it takes to compete against the top teams in the league? It quickly became up to Ryan Terefenko and the Thunderbirds defense. 

Goals from Jamieson, Terefenko, and Hoggarth had Halifax up 3-1, until a bad defensive lapse from the 3:10 mark in the first quarter to 14:31 saw them down 5-3. All four goals in that stretch were scored on Halifax goalie Warren Hill’s doorstep; two came from Adam Charalambides and Keegan Bal, both players who can’t be given an inch of space. 

Petterson, unsurprisingly, was first on the score sheet in Halifax’s journey back to the lead, scoring a diving goal halfway through the second quarter. Two shorthanded Thunderbirds goals followed, one being a Terefenko quick stick tuck from beside the net, less expected. 

A Theede overhand bomb beat Vancouver goalie Aden Walsh to open the second half. Terefenko’s third breakout goal put Halifax up 7-5 and had the crowd on its feet. 

Thunderbirds goalie Warren Hill wasn’t surprised to see Terefenko’s hat trick. 

“[Terefenko] has something you can’t teach, that pure athleticism and grittiness,” Hill said. “When we give him the ball, we know no one is taking it away from him and no one is catching him.” 

Terefenko said he has a lot of thoughts when he decides to rush as a defenseman, including how far he is from the net and how far someone is from him. Sometimes, though, “you just have to shut your mind off and let it go,” said Terefenko. Something else you can’t teach: the ability to get out of your own way. 

Terefenko and the defense didn’t, and Halifax got back in the win column. Walsh was a wall in net making 43 saves. Hill, who was benched for Aidan Hutchison in weeks six, seven and eight, followed up his impressive performance last week with a solid 29 saves. The Thunderbirds held Charalambides and Bal scoreless in the final three quarters. 

Can the defense keep this up against the twotop point getters in the league – Joe Resetaris and Mitch Jones? What about standout rookie Brennan O’Neill, who is already breaking records becoming the first player with eight points in the NCAA (field lacrosse), the PLL (field lacrosse) and the NLL? 

Terefenko said the Warriors game shows the Thunderbirds are better than their record suggests. They’ll need to be much better than a 3-4 team against the highest scoring offense in the NLL over the next two weekends. 

Halifax will need to have the whole machine in fine working order for the third overall Philadelphia Wings. Jamieson and the Thunderbirds offense need to be ready for this one to turn into a shootout; another 50 shots on goal will help, but this time, those shots need to drop. 

Possession, as always, will be a decider in these games. Jake Withers’ season faceoff win rate of 50 per cent is down 16 per cent from his career average. A repeat of the Vancouver game with only 7/23 faceoff wins won’t cut it here. He’ll need to use these next two games against the Wings’ shaky face-off men Tyler Burton and Nathan Fehr to find his form. 

The Thunderbirds play in Philadelphia on Saturday Feb. 8 and in Halifax on Saturday Feb. 15. 

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The Dalhousie Gazette is the main student publication at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The paper first began publishing in 1868, making it the oldest continually operating student newspaper in North America followed by The Harvard Crimson and The Columbia Daily Spectator

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