February 2016 – The Medium Blog

Make School AWESOME!

February 27, 2016Lynn Raposo

February: long days, dark days, cold days. It must be midterm season.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of tests and assignments we all have during this time of year. Especially during my first and second years at UTM, I found it difficult to stay positive and focus on the light at the end of the never-ending midterm tunnel.

Until I found The Book of Awesome and 1000awesomethings.com.

The Book of Awesome is the product of successful blog “1000 Awesome Things”, which was created by Neil Pasricha. Pasricha has been making readers smile by writing about the little joys in life since 2008. Simple things like sweatpants and the sun get shout-outs, as do hilarious ones like hearing a stranger fart in public and the Five-second Rule. Whether online or in print, Pasricha’s voice is relatable and moving. He has the ability to capture usual (and sometimes unexciting) things and turn them into the hidden gems of daily life.

How to Dress for a Date When It’s Way Too Cold Out

February 27, 2016February 27, 2016Meg Sharpley

When it’s cold out, dressing up sometimes seems like a large feat, especially when the fireplace is more inviting. But with a few key pieces, dressing up for the cold weather is not only stylish, but comfortable too. Most of these items can be mixed to create several great date night outfits, like the ones I give below. So get shopping with these timeless pieces and wow your next date!

Top 10 Apps for School

February 24, 2016February 24, 2016Anton Mykytenko

University can be kind of stressful, boring, and long. Luckily, some people have found ways to relax, energize, and streamline the whole thing, all from your smartphone! From those people to you, here’s a list of the top apps to help you get through university.

Alarm Clock Plus

Waking up: it’s a necessary evil. And if that’s the case, then waking up for 9 a.m. classes is satanic. Blessed be the alarm clock app—knower of all that is loud and annoying. Alarm Clock Plus specifically has a math setting that won’t let you stop your alarm unless you solve a math problem. Especially useful for those mornings when you want to study and feel like garbage at the same time.

The Graduate: Things I’ll Miss About UTM

February 23, 2016February 24, 2016Christine Sharma

My friend who graduated last semester would say, “This is the last time that I’m going to [blank]” every time she did something for the last time. The last time she wrote an essay, took a certain bus, or did a presentation, a smile would spread across her face and she would say in a fake sad voice that it was the last time she was doing that thing as an undergrad.

ISIS’ Primary Victims: Muslims

February 20, 2016Shehnoor Khurram

Last month, the world watched in horror as an ISIS militant attacked Turkey’s historic center of Istanbul. A suicide bomber who had entered Turkey as a Syrian refugee blew himself up among a group of tourists at Sultanahmet Square, killing 10 German citizens. This horrific tragedy has received worldwide attention and sympathy, justifiably.

And while ISIS assaults on Westerners are often heavily covered by the media, what is regularly ignored are the attacks on Middle Eastern people that occur on a near daily basis. Unfortunately, the Western world turns a blind eye to the lives of many Muslims, Yazidis, and Kurds affected by ISIS militants.

Bey and Coldplay’s Cultural Appropriation

February 20, 2016February 20, 2016Shehnoor Khurram

Coldplay recently released the music video of their new single “Hymn for the Weekend”, featuring Beyoncé. The video was shot in Mumbai, India, during the sacred Hindu festival of Holi. The video mixes cultural and religious practices, capitalizing on existing stereotypes of India. Unsurprisingly, it has received immediate backlash, reigniting the debate on cultural appreciation vs. appropriation.

It’s fitting to begin this discussion by first defining what cultural appropriation is: a privileged group exploiting the symbols, traditions, and practices of a marginalized group for profit, often with little understanding of the latter group’s significance and history of it.

Cinnamon Hearts, Wine, and Red Velvet: How to be Single on Valentine’s Day

February 15, 2016Karina Cotran

Valentine’s Day, known universally as the day of love. While couples scramble to plan a perfect day to show their love for their significant others, single people are blatantly reminded of their single status.

Are you alone this Sunday? Alas, no fear, my single companions. I have composed a guide on how to have the perfect Valentine’s Day, alone or with your friends.

Before I dive into the intricacies of how to be single on Valentine’s Day, there is one rule and one rule only that everyone must abide by. NO SELF-PITY ALLOWED. You’re not allowed to pity yourself or bemoan your single status or think about how you’re going to be a spinster with a thousand cats. Nope. Not today!

Me, Him and Tinder

February 15, 2016Adelaide Attard

Being single is great. You don’t have to tell a significant other where you’re going or justify your actions to them. You don’t have to think twice about wanting to stay in on a Saturday night. In fact, if you want to stay in, you simply can. Being single means being free.

20 Romantic Movies You Need to Watch This Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2016February 14, 2016Various

Whether you’re blissfully in love or you roll your eyes every time you see another piece of Valentine’s Day propaganda, sometimes all it takes is a little nudge to get you into the spirit of the season. With that in mind, here are our top 20 Best Romance Movies to indulge in while you knock back on the cinnamon hearts, smell the roses, and pretend that you didn’t just singlehandedly eat an entire box of chocolates.

Bridget Jones’ Diary

If you’re tired of the typical female protagonists in many romantic movies, Bridget Jones will be your new best friend. Jones is middle-aged, single, a smoker, an alcoholic, full-figured, and completely endearing. René Zellweger is hilarious as the offbeat Bridget Jones, who is trying to turn her life around as she attempts to quit smoking, exercise more, achieve career success, and find the right

How to Beat the Cold

February 11, 2016February 11, 2016Shealyn Ivany

It’s official. We’ve transitioned from the surprisingly mild December weather into the blistering cold winds of February. I wished for snow in December, during the days of Christmas break when I had nowhere to go and just wanted to sit by the fireplace. Now that school has become an obligation again, assignments and tests are popping up, and I’m back to spending a significant amount of my time commuting on public transit, I’m wishing for that bearable December weather to come back.

Waking up to news reports of freezing temperatures can make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. But despite the weather, life must go on. Which means getting your butt out of the house for school, work, and other obligations.

Here are some things to keep in mind while bracing yourself for the cold weather: