The city of Izmir, Turkey was struck by a magnitude seven earthquake on Oct. 30, 2020. (Photo by Gokce On)
aftershock
i cried for hours today
as i felt the waves of pain going through my body
not physical
but mental, emotional
looking at my city
how beautiful and untroubled it had seemed
just a couple hours ago
the way everything changes in a matter of moments
dust settling where an apartment building used to be
the now foreign
conversations with neighbours
turned into corpses
the rising of the sea
desperation, death, delirium
women in the street, screaming as they hold their children
my dear city
i’m sorry — you didn’t deserve this
i’m sorry — the crying and the wallowing
won’t rebuild your buildings
won’t save your people
nor will they help protect you.
the tears will only help us process
as the city rebuilds itself
and things start falling back to their usual rhythm,
as the people heal,
until we can once again take the ease of this city
for granted.
“Dalhousie poets” is a rotating column in the Gazette’s Art & Lifestyle section featuring poetry by students on various subjects. Interested in submitting your verse? Email arts@dalgazette.com.
Empty seats set the scene at the Scotiabank Centre on Oct. 29 when the Moncton Wildcats faced the Halifax Mooseheads. Like the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) other Maritime teams, only a limited number of fans are permitted inside to watch games in Halifax.
The Scotiabank Centre is currently divided into 10 zones, with a maximum of 200 people per zone, to help to keep gatherings at the game within public health guidelines. Zones are letter and colour-coded and separated by short barricades.Every second row of seating in the Scotiabank Centre is left empty to preserve six-foot distancing rules. Two or three different-sized groups of people can share a row, again separated by at least two seats and often more.As with any public space, hand sanitizer bottles are plentiful in the arena. Using them is required to attend the game. Staff also go up and down stairs several times a game with a cloth and spray, disinfecting handrails and other high-contact areas.Interesting procedures were added by the QMJHL this year after each goal: The Mooseheads (red) retreated to their own end of the ice. However, the Wildcats (white) grouped together and kept quite a distance from the other team until play resumed. The Scotiabank Centre has changed their food and drink serving methods: Alcoholic drinks are now only available through a vendor and delivered to your seat. Vendors have always worked at games, but not as the only purchase option for beverages. A limited number of food items are still available upstairs at the rink’s canteen.Canteen lines are usually packed with fans between game periods. While COVID-19 restrictions are in place at the arena, one bright side for fans is the shorter lines.Despite the swaths of open seats, the game was only 100 spectators short of a sold-out game, which counted 1,900 in attendance. Moncton won 4-3 in a game that needed overtime. Getting out of the arena and to the bus stop proved much quicker after the game – a new treat for fans. Due to the arena’s zone configurations, designated exit areas were set, meaning thousands of people weren’t cramming through the same exit like in the past.
“I started to play more [after COVID-19] because all of my friends would just hang out online instead of in person more often,” said Dalhousie University student Geoff Belcher in a message to the Dalhousie Gazette. Belcher, a third-year computer science major, has been playing video games since he got a Nintendo DS Lite at age six. “Sometimes we’ll play a game to play the game, and sometimes we’ll play a game just to do something in the background while we talk about what’s going on.”
Simulation games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which came out in March 2020, have become quite popular during the pandemic. Dal student Erin Grant, an English and media studies major, is a hardcore gamer who’s been playing the Animal Crossing video game series since 2002. She bought New Horizons before going into quarantine and has since clocked more than 600 hours on the game. The tasks (fishing, gardening and more) are simple and practical, mimicking real life interactions. The game’s online cooperative mode lets people across the world play together.
August 2020 saw the release of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, a chaotic, neon-hued battle royale filled with minigames and obstacle courses.
“Fall Guys is pretty fun because it’s really accessible as a party game,” writes Belcher. With cute characters and a bright colour palette, these games provided a relaxing or fun bit of escapism for a world whose future looked dark and uncertain.
A rise to success
Today, Among Us has arguably become the defining game of the season. Though it was first released in 2018, it’s seen a surge in popularity over the past few months. The multiplayer elements and simple tasks of Animal Crossing and Fall Guys remain in this game, but the tone and context are totally different. Among Us is an online multiplayer game where a group of crewmates on a spaceship are being picked off one by one by hidden murderers called imposters. (Think Clue meets Alien.) Your job is to work with your fellow crewmates and figure out who the killers are, or if you happen to be on the murderous imposter side, you kill everyone else before they can correctly identify you.
Internet personalities like Sodapoppin, Pokimane, Ninja and PewDiePie, who all stream themselves playing video games on YouTube or Twitch, likely helped drive Among Us to greater popularityby highlighting the once relatively unknown game for their established fan bases.
“[Streamers] 100 per cent made it big,” said Grant in an email to the Gazette. In the same email, he sent a link to a stream with gamers Disguised Toast, Corpse Husband, MrBeast, and Jacksepticeye. “I cannot even imagine how many people watched. I watched Corpse Husband and he topped at 275,000 concurrent viewers at one point.”
Belcher agrees. He believes Among Us “didn’t have a massive player base until Twitch streamers started playing in front of like 10,000 to 60,000 people.”
Household names outside of the gaming sphere are fans too. United States House of Representatives members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar achieved the sixth highest all-time viewership on Twitch with their Among Us stream. While it was definitely an effort to engage younger voters, it also popularised the game to non-gamers who had tuned in for the politicians.
A large part of the game’s success is due to the fact it’s incredibly easy for beginner gamers to pick up on. There are no complex crafting mechanics or sniper-like aim necessary. Tasks are point-and-click, and moving around the top-down platformer setting is intuitive. It’s also free on mobile and around $6 for PC, devices common in most households.
“[The price makes it] very accessible for casual gamers,” writes Belcher.
Plus, customisable gameplay options can be changed to the player’s liking and keep long sessions from getting stale. The game’s ease of play and affordability make it an easy option for newcomers looking to try their hand at the often intimidating world of gaming.
A little too relatable
Aside from its accessibility, Among Us also stands out for its real-life similarities. Maybe early in the pandemic we wanted to frolic in the sunny spring weather à la Animal Crossing, or recreate our childhood summers with Fall Guys, but the mood has changed six months later. With only roommates, partners or family members to keep you company, sometimes it feels like you’re trapped in outer space and no one can hear you scream. Just as normal outings like daily commutes or grocery shopping have become very dangerous, every interaction in Among Us feels rife with potential danger. You never know which supposedly friendly crewmate could be your downfall.
Though Grant plays Among Us with friends, she says she loves the power of being a murderous impostor.
“I killed someone in cams once, ran away, then came back and the room was full, but no one saw the body so I reported it. . . I like knowing I got away with stuff,” she writes.
COVID-19 and the ensuing emergency lockdown has changed almost all of our habits for better or for worse. But games like AmongUs have provided many with an effective way to express their frustrations and anxieties, or at least escape from them for a while.
Xavier Ochu represented Dalhousie University in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) this past summer.
Ochu was one of two Dal Tigers drafted in 2020 by CEBL. (Photo by Edmonton Stingers)
Ochu, a fourth-year guard from Milton, Ont., was drafted by the Edmonton Stingers in the third round (18th overall) of the CEBL U Sports Draft. His longtime Dal teammate Sascha Kappos was also picked by Edmonton, going in the first round (fourth overall).
Ochu played against strong competition in U Sports, but the CEBL was another level to experience. He wasn’t able to get much time on the court, but he was able to learn what it takes to play on the professional level.
“Seeing how everyone takes care of their bodies and their approach to the game was definitely helpful for my game,” Ochu said. “It gave me a head start for the future.”
Playing during COVID-19
The CEBL season was almost cancelled because of COVID-19, but the league created a bubble-like environment to host the summer’s games. The season took place in St. Catharines, Ont.
Every team arrived at facilities and hotels around St. Catharines’s arena, the Meridian Centre. Teams’ players and staff quarantined and were tested for COVID-19 prior to the start of training camps and playing.
The smooth transition allowed everyone to start training camp easily. But the restrictions didn’t ease after the quarantine phase. Everyone was required to stay in their hotel rooms as much as possible to limit the risk of contracting COVID-19.
“Everyone did a good job of self-isolating and social distancing,” said Ochu.
Learning process
Once the training camp began, players followed a daily plan.
The Stingers practiced first and then had weight training to maintain body strength and conditioning. In between and after training sessions, players had their own recovery processes.
Ochu watched and learned how each player treated their bodies.
“It was a big wake-up call,” Ochu said. “These guys are only a couple of years older than me and they treat their bodies like gold.”
At the same time, Ochu took advantage of his position with the team. The Stingers’ head coach Jermaine Small brought Ochu in to play defence, hustle and hit shots.
“In practices, [Small] wanted me to guard Xavier Moon, our starting point guard,” Ochu said. “He wanted me to get that experience.”
Ochu worked with the best of the best in the CEBL this past summer as the Stingers won the league. That win allowed him to better understand what it takes to thrive at the professional level of basketball.
While he is still with the Dalhousie Tigers, Ochu has an opportunity to work on the necessary skill sets needed to improve as a basketball player. Endurance and conditioning can be the X factor in continuing to improve as a player in the future. It can earn a chance to get more playing time.
“Just training, working, drilling that hard and trying to implement those things as much as I can in practices, so when I get out onto the floor, I’m ready to go,” said Ochu.
Xavier Ochu celebrates the Edmonton Stingers win at the 2020 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Championship. With a season of professional basketball under his belt, Ochu returned to Dalhousie this season. (Photo by Edmonton Stingers)
Student athlete in the CEBL
There are previous generations of U Sports stars competing in the CEBL. At the same time, current stars get an opportunity to showcase their talent and earn scholarships.
Ochu aspires to become a professional basketball player one day, but he won’t let it take away from his education. He earned scholarship money towards his management studies at Dalhousie through his CEBL experience.
“They provide money for U Sports players and put it directly toward tuitions,” Ochu said.
For many of these players, the goal is to become professional basketball players. The CEBL continues to encourage U Sports talent to become Canada’s future in aspects of the sport and in life.
Correction: This article initially statedthat Xavier Ochuwas an arts student. He is in fact a management student. The Gazette apologizes for this error.
Victoria Haworth learned she was named a winner of the Dalhousie University Tigers’ President’s Award a couple of days before it was announced on April 3, 2020.
Her volleyball coach Rick Scott and the Tigers were aware Victoria’s father was in poor health. They told Victoria of her win early so she could share the news with her father. Brad Haworth passed away on April 2 following his battle with cancer.
“Winning the honour boosted me up some with what was going on in my life,” Victoria said. “It was a nice thing to share with my father before he passed away. I know he was definitely proud of me.”
Victoria’s accomplishments
The President’s Award, awarded last season to both Victoria and track athlete Matthew Coolen, is given annually to “an individual who best combines athletics, academics, leadership and fair play,” according to the Dal Tigers website.
Victoria, from the Halifax suburb of Waverley, won the award while completing her fifth year as a combined medical sciences and engineering student. Victoria, now in year six, is the first Dal student to pursue a combined degree in those two areas.
Her volleyball season ended with her fifth Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship and a spot on the U Sports All-Canadian second team.
Victoria was also recognized for her volunteerism, including her work as the Special Tigers Sports program’s co-chair. Her sister, Rebecca Haworth, created the program in 2012. Victoria began with the program in high school, before even her first Dal class or volleyball game.
Rebecca, a former Tigers high jumper, is also a President’s Award winner, having won in 2012 and 2013.
Haworth demonstrates her winning form during a game at Dalhousie. (Photo by Trevor MacMillan)
“There were moments where I decided I wanted to be a student first and athlete second. Plus, I really wanted to give back to the community that raised and groomed me. Many people gave a lot to get me where I am, and I wanted to be able to do that for someone else,” Victoria said. She also volunteered for Relay for Life (a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society), Ronald McDonald House Charities and other volunteer organizations. Additionally, Victoria coaches volleyball at Citadel High School.
Scott knew about Victoria’s father’s diagnosis, which happened the summer before her fifth year. He watched as Victoria excelled through the year while coping with her father’s health. Scott was in awe.
“She was so strong throughout the entire year, between being with her dad, doing well in school and being a great player and leader on the team,” Scott said. “Her accomplishments in those areas and community service is impressive for any student athlete. To couple that in her last year with the stresses and challenges with her dad is nothing short of impressive.”
Family support
Rebecca said she is proud of her younger sister for winning the President’s Award, but by no means is surprised.
“It’s great to see how much Tori [Victoria] has been able to achieve over the years. It will be interesting to see where she goes with her combined degree and volunteer work,” Rebecca said.
A longtime volunteer herself, Rebecca said her parents were instrumental in encouraging her, Victoria and their older sister Sarah in achieving their goals. Their father volunteered as a coach when they played sports at young ages.
“He made sure we always tried our best to achieve what we pursued. He was certainly proud of us and what we accomplished, especially Tori this past year,” Rebecca said.
“I’m honestly not sure if Mom or Dad missed any of my games,” Victoria said of her parents’ passion for watching her play volleyball, one of many things they supported her in. “Even games away from Dal, nearly every game in Atlantic Canada, they were there.”
After her father’s cancer diagnosis, Victoria began volunteering with the Canadian Cancer Society. One of her team’s games last year served as a fundraiser game for the Cancer Society. This was part of the Tigers’ wider Serve for the Cure initiative. Victoria led this initiative, which raised more than $6,500 for cancer research over the year.
When the team came together to raise money through Serve for the Cure, Victoria felt grateful knowing she had people like her teammates, coaches and other volunteers she looked up to there with her.
“Our team raising money for the Cancer Society through Serve for the Cure was special,” Victoria said. “Looking back, I’m reminded of those people who helped me, and it’s really special to think I was possibly that person for someone else. I was proud to be that person this past year.”
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has led to many people feeling lonely and isolated, one student society at Dalhousie University has been working to lift spirits through music.
Dal student Andrew Son founded the Music and Healing Society at Dalhousie in September 2018. He says the society aims to fill places with music that might need it the most. In the past, the society has performed at the IWK Health Centre, the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre (QEII) and various nursing homes around the city with the hope that patients and staff get joy or comfort out of a live concert and human interaction.
“The priority is to bring music to those who don’t have access to live music performances,” says Son, a fourth-year student pursuing an honours bachelor degree in neuroscience with a minor in piano.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the society members performed in person, but have since been holding virtual concerts for local hospitals and nursing homes.
Members of the Music and Healing Society of Dalhousie (from left to right): Titus Lee, Priscilla Lee, Noah Garnier, Andrew Son, Arjav Gupta, Peixiang Luo, Brogan Cameron, Caleb Ehler and Jacob MacDonald. The group performs an annual Christmas concert. (Photo provided by Andrew Son)
How the society was created
Son came up with the idea for the Music and Healing Society at Dalhousie in 2017 when his grandfather passed away during his first year at university. After his grandfather passed, Son started volunteering as a meal assistant in the Veterans Memorial Building at the QEII. He later noticed there was a piano at the hospital, so he started playing for patients after he was done volunteering for the day.
“I enjoyed playing for them and having conversations with them. I would ask them if they liked Johnny Cash better or Elvis. I liked getting to know them better,” Son says.
For several months, Son performed for patients with the help of a music therapist at the hospital. But after the music therapist left, Son couldn’t play piano there anymore because there was no one left to organize the sessions.
So, around the beginning of his second year in school, Son started the society.
“I couldn’t do it anymore at the Veterans Memorial Hospital so I thought, I’ll just make it myself,” Son says.
Caleb Ehler, a third-year piano major at Dalhousie, has been a member of the society since it started. Currently, he is the co-vice president of information technology (IT).
“As a musician you take as many performance opportunities as you can, but I also loved the idea of the whole thing, like playing for people who need the music the most. That resonated with me,” Ehler says.
Ehler talks about how special it is to touch and communicate with people through music. The human element of sharing music with people is an important part for him as a musician.
“It is healing for me as a performer, that human connection. Something so simple and pure as music can touch people in special ways. That’s what gives it meaning for me,” Ehler says.
Created by Dalhousie student Andrew Son, the Music and Healing Society has performed in various local hospitals and nursing homes. (Photo provided by Andrew Son)
“Music has always been an escape too. During those dark moments, music has always been there for me. My piano has always been there for me. I feel like I express myself best when I play music, and in that sense it is therapeutic. I also think listening to music is therapeutic as well, and by creating this society I was hoping that people listening to our music will find it therapeutic,” Son says.
During the past two years, the society has grown from six people to about 25. Ehler says although it is composed primarily of music students, it is open to anyone from arts to science students to casual musicians at Dalhousie. They are currently having meetings every two weeks via Microsoft Teams.
Son says he hopes the society is healing for all parties involved: listeners and performers.
“I feel like everyone can get a little something from musical concerts,” Ehler says.
In the future, the society hopes to organize performances at Laing House (a youth drop-in centre) and local centres for mental health.
Disclosure: Hannah Bing is a member of the Dalhousie Gazette publishing board.
Throughout the pandemic, one organization has been working to provide support and representation for Halifax’s Jewish community.
A safe space
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is an international organization aimed at supporting Jewish students across the globe. Hillel Atlantic is the local division supporting students in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. This Atlantic Canadian chapter is based in Halifax and serves 12 universities and colleges within the region.
Hillel Atlantic and the team of executives that represent the organization work to provide resources, opportunities, a safe space and a sense of community for Jewish students. Even throughout COVID-19 setbacks, Hillel has continued to work tirelessly for Jewish and non-Jewish students alike in ways that fully embody and display the kindness and generosity of Jewish values.
Aaron Greenspan is a third-year management student at Dalhousie University and the current president of Hillel Atlantic
Greenspan emphasizes how Hillel has connected him with a “network of incredible individuals who have become allies, mentors and my closest friends.”
These remarks are echoed by the executive team and some students involved in the organization. Rachel Meyerowitz, a foundation-year student at the University of King’s College, says Hillel has provided her “with a small and familiar community of like-minded people who are proud and eager to share their Jewish identities with others.”
Celebrating culture
Bayla Dolman, a second-year Dal student who is Hillel Atlantic’s co-vice president of Shabbat and Jewish holidays, says she first got involved in the organization through her friend Eden Manly. Manly, who is now vice president of social programming and community service, asked Dolman to attend a holiday dinner hosted by Hillel.
“It was a very welcoming atmosphere,” Dolman recalls. Manly, a second-year neuroscience major at Dalhousie, says she remembers how her and Dolman continued attending Hillel dinners after that first holiday celebration. In their second year, both decided to become part of the executive team.
Justine Balin, a fourth-year Dal student and Dolman’s co-vice president of Shabbat and Jewish holidays, is the working hands behind the Shabbat dinner that is provided once a month for students. Balin is no amateur in the kitchen. At 17, she won the television show Chopped Canada’s teen cooking tournament. She also competed in the first season of the Food Network’s new show Wall of Chefs. Balin now volunteers her cooking skills to Hillel through the preparation of Shabbat meals and holiday dinners.
Shabbat is a weekly time of celebration and rest that includes a traditional Friday night dinner where families and community members gather for food, prayers and simply for the sake of fellowship. Balin always prepares challah, a traditional Jewish braided egg bread. Another common custom is to drink a Jewish wine, which Manly says is the “sweetest wine you’ll ever taste.” Dolman says families who are more religious may light candles, say certain prayers, or give specific blessings over the bread or wine as part of the Shabbat ritual.
Typically at Hillel Shabbat dinners, prayers and blessings are recited. Those who are either non-observant or not a part of the Jewish community do not have to participate, although they are more than welcome to take part, says Dolman.
Giving back to the community
Executive members (from left to right): Eden Manly, Bayla Dolman and Justine Balin at a Hillel Atlantic event. (Photo by Eva Cohen)
COVID-19 has made it difficult for community members to gather and has posed a challenge for Shabbat dinners. However, the board of Hillel Atlantic has used their creativity to carry on the Shabbat tradition through these unprecedented times.
Free monthly Shabbat dinners to go are prepared with traditional kosher foods. Students can pick them up at the Beth Israel Synagogue on Oxford Street Both Jewish and non-Jewish students are welcomed, but are asked to bring a non-perishable food item with them in exchange for their free meal. Hillel has started a food drive initiative to give back to the Halifax community and will donate these non-perishables to Feed Nova Scotia.
Greenspan explains there are two Judaic values Hillel strives to embody: tzedakah and tikkun olam.Tzedakah is the religious obligation to be just and charitable, which Greenspan says is usually displayed through acts of service. Tikkun olam is the belief people should behave, as Greenspan explains, in a way that is “the best and most beneficial for the world.”
Donating to Feed Nova Scotia is one way Hillel Atlantic is practicing these Judaic values even when COVID-19 renders it impossible to gather and give back to the community in a more intimate way.
Correction: This article initially included erroneous last names of two sources (Eden Manly and Bayla Dolman). The Gazette has updated the article and apologizes to Manly and Dolman for our errors.
What if your sexual fantasies were all you thought about, even if you didn’t want to? What if you started engaging in risky sexual behaviours, even at the detriment of your health and safety? For at least three to six per cent of Americans, sex isn’t just something enjoyable. It’s an addiction. What is sex addiction?
Sex addiction describes a range of compulsive sexual behaviours and thoughts. Like other forms of addiction, these patterns can have significant and damaging consequences for the individual and the people around them. It’s also a very complex and controversial disorder. As a result, sex addicts often lack the same resources and support as those suffering from other forms of addiction.
Although the American Psychological Association (APA) rejected sex addiction in 2013 from the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), mental health professionals have characterized it as a pattern of destructive sexual behaviours typically found in those with substance-abuse disorders. The World Health Organization added “compulsive sexual behaviour” under impulse disorders in the latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
The difficulty in getting diagnosed
Not all mental health professionals or organizations consider sex addiction a mental illness, which makes it difficult for people to get diagnosed. (Photo by Geoffrey Howard)
The lack of acknowledgment from some of the mental health community, including the removal of sexaddiction from the DSM-5, makes it harder to receive a diagnosis and worsens the stigma associated with this addiction.
There are other reasons behind this stigma, including a general lack of empathy and understanding from the public. Many people see sex addiction as something less serious compared to other addictions. Some may believe sex addiction only hurts the individual. In reality, it can harm the individual’s family and friends just as much.
“Sex addiction is a serious mental health concern.”
These obsessive, seemingly uncontrollable thoughts and behaviours can severely impact other people or possibly endanger them. In some cases, the person struggling with sex addiction may put themselves and those around them at risk to satisfy their compulsions.
SAA self-assessment
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a support group for men and women struggling with sex addiction or dependency. SAA developed a 12-question self-assessment to determine whether a person’s behaviour indicates signs of sexual dependence or addiction. Some of the questions are: “Do you keep secrets about your sexual behaviour or romantic fantasies?” and “Does your preoccupation with sex cause problems in any area of your life?”
The assessment is in no way a replacement for professional advice. Instead, it is a tool to guide people to the next step in finding help. If you are worried that you might be a sex addict, you should seek professional help.
One thing to keep in mind is that experiencing pleasure during sex is not a sign of sex addiction. Sex is a natural part of being human, and it’s healthy to enjoy it. In the same vein, if you are in a relationship and have a higher libido than your partner, that does not make you a sex addict either. Sex addiction is a serious mental health concern and should be treated in the same vein as other mental health disorders. It’s time we break the stigma.
Where has the time gone? It has been more than two months since online classes began at Dalhousie University and this experience has brought many challenges. For Dal students in Halifax, across the country and around the world, distance learning has been a learning curve.
Time-consuming process
The stress of online learning has been yet another horrible part of 2020 for many university students, but what can be done about it? (Photo by Geoffrey Howard)
Personally, one of the worst things about remote learning is the insane amount of time I spend staring at a computer screen. Almost everything I do is online. This includes work meetings, classes, assignments, exams, readings and so on. All in all, I end up spending more than 10 hours a day on the computer.
Staring at a screen for long periods is exhausting and it affects my sleep, especially if I have to stay up late for an assignment. But the worst feeling comes after a long day on my computer knowing I must spend more hours online the next day. This is a sad reality. I’ve also felt an increased amount of course work in my own classes, like weekly quizzes on top of assignments and projects.
There are also communication barriers in an online environment due to delayed email responses and time difference issues This means I actually end up spending a lot of time on the computer without seeing any tangible progress. Thus, taking a full course load online has been incredibly demanding.
The stress of working in groups
Another thing I find about online learning is how much more difficult it is to get seemingly basic tasks done. Randomly assigned groups have become the bane of my semester. For some of my courses, my teammates took more than half the assigned time to set a date on when we would meet online. In other case, my group members were unable to get on a call to discuss things and preferred to exchange long messages over the content of the project. Sometimes, even after a long exchange of messages, we end up with different views of what the final work will look like.
“Randomly assigned groups have become the bane of my semester.”
All this is exacerbated by language barriers and the sometimes unclear instructions provided by professors. Getting started on the right foot has been my greatest challenge when working with a randomly assigned group and has caused a lot stress in this remote environment.
Intrinsic motivation
In normal circumstances, it was easy to find external sources of motivation and positivity, like going to a bar, meeting friends and getting involved with societies. However, it is not always easy to find those sources in a remote environment. It is easy to feel overworked and stressed all day. Positivity and motivation are important in a remote environment because students are required to be self-motivated and put in a greater individual effort to do well.
Another positive thing that has come from overusing technology has been the need to create healthier relationships with technology. I feel more appreciative of the real world around me and treasure every minute I get to spend in the real world. While this helped my motivation, it also forced me to reconsider how I interact with technology and social media in a healthy way. Some things that I have done include uninstalling all my social media accounts, setting timers for my screen time and not using devices for two hours before I go to bed.
Two sides to every coin
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues around the world, it looks like this new normal is going to be our reality for a while. Overall, distance learning has been tough. I feel tired, overworked and have little ways to release stress. Yet, the pandemic has given me the chance to re-evaluate my relationship with social media. Additionally, having a productive daily routine makes long days seem bearable. Setting such guidelines has been necessary for better sleep and my overall mental health.
The growing influence of South Korean culture in Western countries began back in the 1990s as fusion food, K-dramas and K-pop filtered into the global marketplace. It is no surprise South Korea is also at the core of the latest skincare trend to hit Western markets.
A visit to the market
It’s 1 p.m. on Oct. 18, and I am browsing the aisles of Asian grocery store Loong 7 Mart on Spring Garden Road in downtown Halifax with longtime South Korean skincare enthusiast and Dalhousie University alumna Krista Ross.
Ross has been using Asian skincare products for more than three years and began in a quest to conquer the skin irritation she experienced with Western products. She said she started with the famous Soko Glam 10-step regimen and has since developed her own unique blend of products.
Korean skincare, also known as K-Beauty, is making waves in the Western beauty industry. (Photo by DutchBlytheFashion on Flickr)
The aisles at Loong 7 Mart are neatly stocked with a variety of products from China, Japan and South Korea. Ross is quick to point out a collection of small containers labelled Snail mucin. “I love this,” she says, grabbing a container to examine the ingredients. Snail mucin is a substance secreted by snails when they’re under stress. It’s a popular ingredient in Korean skincare products.
Ross feels North Americans focus more on adding beauty to our faces rather than on our natural beauty.
“We put a bunch of makeup on to cover up our bad skin and the fact that our eyebrows are falling out,” Ross says. “Over there [in South Korea]. . . their skin is what they focus on.”
While Ross is a fan of Korean skincare, she points out it is often difficult to procure. She says she can buy some of her products online, but many of her favourites come with hefty shipping fees.
Korean versus Western skincare
Bora Kim moved to Canada three years ago from Seoul, South Korea. Before making the move, she says she was familiar with Western skincare and used some products in her regular routine.
Since moving, Kim describes a slight change in her skincare routine, saying that Canadian weather makes her skin feel dryer. She says she uses the same types of products as she did in South Korea, but in larger amounts especially in the winter.
When asked about her thoughts on the difference between Western and Korean skincare, Kim says she feels in South Korea, females of all ages spend more time and money taking care of their skin than in Canada.
“They use a lot of different types of skincare products. . . like lotion type, gel type, serum type,” Kim says.
Kim ultimately agrees with Ross on the difficulty of procuring Koren skincare products in Canada. She says “Korean beauty products are good quality” but expensive to ship over from halfway across the world.
Chatting with an expat in Seoul
Curious to know more about the difference between Western and South Korean skincare, I decided to ask someone in South Korea for her opinion. Mount Saint Vincent University alumna Ashley Dawe moved to South Korea in 2008 to teach English and fell in love. She now lives in Seoul with her husband.
When asked what sets Western and Korean skincare products apart, Dawe says in an email to the Dalhousie Gazette, “It’s been a while since I lived in Canada so it’s hard to compare, but I will say that a lot of Korean products are very gentle. It is very easy to find unscented products, and a lot of products are geared toward sensitive skin, which is nice.”
“Most K-beauty routines involve a series of different products that are layered onto the skin.”
I ask if her routine has changed much since she moved. She says, “I used to be a cleanser and one moisturizer kind of person, but after visiting a dermatologist here, I found out that my oily-presenting skin was actually dehydrated. Moisture is [really important], and most K-beauty routines involve a series of different products that are layered onto the skin starting with the lightest and moving to the heaviest texture.”
South Korean beauty products are available at local stores around Halifax, including Loong 7 Mart.
