Avreet Jagdev talks with Professor Frank Chindamo, filmmaker and CEO of Virtual Film School.
Category: Featured Articles
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Social Worker & Founder of Sher Vancouver – Alex Sangha
Avreet Jagdev talks with Alex Sangha, social worker and founder of Sher Vancouver, a community for Queer South Asians.
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Business Development Professional – Ian Garmaise
Avreet Jagdev talks with Ian Garmaise, business development professional and VP of Canada’s division of Virtual Film School.
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Director and Graphic Designer – Vinay Giridhar
Julia Skoczypiec talks with Vinay Giridhar, graphic designer and director of the South Asian LGBTQ+ documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows.
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Tips For Choosing High School Electives
During high school is when students begin choosing their courses, namely electives. For current high school students or those who are about to become one, this is familiar territory. Though choosing electives can be fun as it encourages students to explore a variety of options, it can also have its challenges, usually because there are so many to choose from. If this is what you’re experiencing, here are some tips on how to choose:
Consider Electives That Focus On Practical Skills
Home economics is a great example. It typically encompasses learning how to cook and sew, which are skills that you’ll likely benefit from as they can be used in everyday life. The same goes for computer-related courses that involve getting familiar with commonly used applications including Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite. Much of your journey in academics should you continue it after high school as well as many jobs require knowing how to use these applications, (particularly Microsoft Office) so why not gain/enhance them now while given the opportunity?
Consider What You Think You’d Enjoy
For instance, does your high school offer a language that you’ve always wanted to learn? If so, seize the opportunity and sign up for it. Schools strive to productively challenge students, and this can/should include enjoyment as well. These electives would be a time to look forward to on a regular basis.
What Can You Take to Get Ahead?
Students can take certain grade 12 courses that don’t have any prerequisite requirements as early as grade 10. These include some AP (Advanced Placement) courses as well. If you’re going into grade 10 or 11 and are interested in these courses, would you consider taking them earlier than grade 12? Also, see which of these courses are accepted by post-secondary schools you’re thinking of applying to. You can go further and look into what the admission requirements are for specific programs you might take. If you’re feeling anxious/stressed about choosing electives, knowing this information can give you a better idea of what to do and put you more at ease.
Ask Others With Experience About Electives You’re Interested in Taking
If you know others who have previously taken electives that you’re interested in, ask them about what their experiences were with them. While you might not make decisions entirely based on this, the advice could still be very helpful as you’d then understand more of what to expect. It doesn’t hurt to get another opinion when it’s coming from someone with relevant familiarity.
Overall, a good idea for choosing electives is to have a balance between practicality/preparation for future goals and fun. (Of course, if you also enjoy the practical courses, that’s even better) This would optimize your chances of having well-rounded high school years where you know you’re gaining applicable knowledge, but also seizing learning experiences you can fondly look back on. If you exercise careful consideration and do effective research in terms of what paths you think are best for your high school journey, you’re well on your way to choosing the right electives.
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Back-to-School Supplies: What’s Necessary And What Isn’t
When September nears, families with students are typically preparing for an upcoming school year. This may involve reverting back to an old routine, thinking about different lunch ideas, or even setting new, related goals.
For elementary school students in particular, another important preparation is getting necessary back-to-school supplies, and most are provided with a list of specific ones to get. However, some of these supplies are known to be unnecessary. People often find themselves feeling anxious about getting every item included on the list only to have certain items end up unused and sitting on a shelf at home. If this is what you’re currently dealing with or want to avoid, here’s what’s necessary and what isn’t:
What’s Necessary
Have extra pencils, erasers, and twelve-inch rulers as these will definitely be used on a regular basis. Five pencils or more as well as two erasers and one ruler are sufficient amounts for starting off the year. If you prefer mechanical pencils, make sure to buy extra lead. Also, having both types of pencils is beneficial. In case you have no more lead, you could always switch to a wooden pencil temporarily. All in all, it’s good to have both.
Regarding homework/handout storage, use different coloured duo tangs for each subject. Red could represent math, yellow for social studies, etc. Duo tangs make differentiating easier when taking the materials out of your desk. Binders can be used to store lined paper as well as for when your duo tangs get too full, and you could put older papers/assignments into the binder to create more space in the duo tangs. Get dividers for your binder to separate subjects from each other.
What Isn’t Necessary
One item often included on the list of supplies is 8.5” X 11” hole-punched white paper. While this paper comes in packs of hundreds, only one or two sheets at most will likely be used. These are usually for small art assignment(s) such as designing a title page for a subject. If you’re in an upper elementary school grade, you probably have some paper left from previous years. Therefore, if you’re asked for it again, don’t purchase more, just bring a few sheets from what you already have.
Pens are not frequently used. At most, you’ll use one red pen and another of a darker colour on occasion starting from grade 4. The red for marking if your teacher has the class mark each other’s work and maybe the darker coloured pen for more formal assignments such as essays. Be prepared with these pens, but don’t expect to use them that much.
Wax crayons are seldom used as well. They can break more easily, create a bigger mess, and don’t provide as much coverage in comparison to other colouring tools like pencil crayons or felt pens. (Pencil crayons are normally coloured with the most.) The same reasons apply when comparing liquid glue and glue sticks. When glue is needed at school, teachers will ask for students to have their glue sticks ready more often than liquid glue.
This can depend on what your teacher asks of you and what certain assignments entail. Of course, you’ll bring something if they specifically request it. It’s additionally important to not worry about buying supplies from specific brand names. Your supply-list may include them because they’re popular and/or known for quality, but rest assured, these are more so recommendations than requirements. You’ll be fine as long as you get the item itself.
Also, keep in mind that you likely won’t begin using every item right away and in the worst-case scenario, have the option of making last-minute purchases. While it’s ideal to have everything ready initially, don’t worry too much if you realize that there are still a couple of supplies you need to buy. Overall though, if you approach gathering these supplies with the advice above in mind, you’ll be well-prepared.
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Ontario’s Red Seal Program
Variety can be interesting and exciting, but when safety and quality are at issue, people need consistency. In Ontario and other parts of Canada, the Red Seal program helps to ensure that people in certain trades follow consistent standards across the country.
People who hire plumbers or electricians want to know that their homes will not be flooded with water from leaky pipes or burned up because of faulty wiring. Even when people go to a restaurant, they want to know that the person cooking their meal understands how to prepare it without causing food poisoning. A Red Seal designation means that the people in that trade have been tested to make sure that they know how to do their jobs.
The Red Seal program is a project of the federal and provincial governments to make sure that every province and territory has the same basic standards. Each area differs slightly, and each person has different strengths and weaknesses, but the Red Seal tests are designed to ensure that people working on opposite ends of the country will have basically the same set of knowledge and skills.
Tradespeople in certain fields, but not all trades, must pass the Red Seal examination to prove that they have the necessary knowledge and skills for the work. If they pass, they receive a Red Seal endorsement on their final certificate, which allows them to work in any part of Canada without having to retrain for the work. This can be an advantage for tradespeople, especially if they need to move to another province for work or family reasons.
In Ontario, more than fifty trades are governed by Red Seal standards. Carpenters, cooks, industrial millwrights, and welders are some of the people who work by Red Seal standards. Truck and coach technicians and general machinists are also part of that program. Often, Red Seal designations begin during people’s apprenticeships and continue throughout their careers.
The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) directs the overall apprenticeship program, but the provinces do most of the actual planning and overseeing of the programs. The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program or the Government of Ontario websites are good places to start learning about the training requirements for a Red Seal designation, to find out how to prepare for the test, and to learn how to maintain a Red Seal designation even years after passing the test.
For many people working on assignments and writing tests in school, the idea of writing another test might seem like an unnecessary burden. Red Seal tests can be difficult to pass, and many people might wonder if it is worth the effort. However, having that designation can be useful since jobs and family circumstances are often uncertain. Even if the Red Seal designation is optional, it can be a good choice for many tradespeople.
When people are just starting out in their careers, it can be difficult to know how their lives will change. Marrying someone from a different province, moving for better job opportunities, or relocating to look after elderly parents can all change the course of people’s careers. If you have a chance to get into a Red Seal trade, it could help you maintain steady jobs and become an expert in your field.
Bibliography
Government of Ontario. “Finish an Apprenticeship.” https://www.ontario.ca/page/finish-apprenticeship.
Grow Training. “Red Seal Trades Program.” https://www.growtraining.ca/grow-resources/redseal-hort.
Red Seal Canada. “Red Seal Program.” https://www.red-seal.ca/eng/about/pr.4gr.1m.shtml.
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. “Red Seal Trades.” https://oyap.ca/en/about_apprenticeship/red_seal_trades/.
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The Role of Trades in Renewable Energy
Imagine being able to solve the world’s energy problems, just by going to work. People in the trades can have an important role in promoting renewable energy to help make the future more sustainable.
Most people likely think that engineers and policymakers are the most important experts involved in renewable energy projects. However, inventing new technologies or making policies to encourage the use of renewable energy is not very useful unless people have access to these sources of power. People might want solar energy for their homes, for example, but they cannot use this energy until someone installs the system in their homes or offices.
This point is where the trades are essential. In 2018, about eleven million people around the world were employed in the green energy sector, but that number is increasing. Many governments are emphasizing training and funding for green energy jobs, including the trades. Older workers will likely retire in the next few years, leaving space for younger workers to fill their spots.
Many different aspects of the renewable energy sector need tradespeople to work with new technologies or older systems. For example, solar energy has been available for years, but the specific practices change as inventors make new discoveries and develop new technologies to fill the needs that they see. If tradespeople keep their knowledge current, they can be ready for all kinds of jobs.
Tradespeople are necessary for installing and repairing renewable energy devices. Solar panels, for example, are not useful unless someone can install them on the roof of a building or the side of the road and repair them if they are damaged. Geothermal heating and other forms of renewable energy also require people to dig holes, connect wires, and take care of other technical aspects of the work.
If you decide that you want to be part of the movement for renewable energy, you will have many career options. You could work as a general technician in an energy company, participating in whatever projects come your way. You might even be able to work at a university or an organization like the United Nations, helping to test renewable energy projects, or even start your own company to work with one or more types of renewable energy.
Working with renewable energy takes skills that many tradespeople have not learned yet. If you choose this field, you could spend some of your time training others in how to install the equipment or deal with problems. Another role could be in helping to make information available. If you like to write or give lectures, you could submit articles to trade magazines or participate in conferences, helping to show how the trades can be an important part of the transition to renewable energy,
With governments investing more money in renewable energy, this is a good time to consider a career in this field. The trades are an important part of the transition from fossil fuels to other sources of energy, and you can use your skills to help move Canada in that direction. Everyone can help with this important task.
Bibliography
EnergyNow Media. “Revitalizing the Skilled Trades: How to Attract a New Generation of Workers in Canada.” https://energynow.ca/2023/07/revitalizing-the-skilled-trades-how-to-attract-a-new-generation-of-workers-in-canada/.
Power Mag. “Addressing a Skilled-Trades Gap in the Energy Sector—and How to Ease the Transition.” https://www.powermag.com/addressing-a-skilled-trades-gap-in-the-energy-sector-and-how-to-ease-the-transition/.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. “The Role of Trade in a Development-Led Global Energy Transition.” https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/cid53_en_0.pdf.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. “Skills Development for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Jobs.” https://unevoc.unesco.org/pub/solar_energy_demands-discussion_paper1.pdf.
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The Importance of Personal Pronouns in Inclusive Language
By Avreet Jagdev
Everyone has pronouns, and we use them all the time. But unfortunately, they have become a source of tension, arguments, and even discrimination towards certain groups of people. Before being able to appreciate why pronouns are so important and how they play a large factor in being inclusive, we need to first understand what exactly they are.
Put simply, a pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun, usually to avoid over-repetition of that noun. For example, if you are describing a tree, you can refer to the tree as “it” to avoid saying the word “tree” over and over again. Replacing “tree” with a pronoun helps make your sentence flow easier and sound more natural. Other examples of pronouns are “he”, “she”, “they”, “you”, “us,” “this”, and “that”. If you stop and think about it, you’ll realize that pronouns are a huge part of the English language — we use them in almost every single sentence!
When people speak about pronouns and their importance in inclusivity, they are usually referring to personal pronouns. These are pronouns used in substitute of a person’s name or title. “He”, “she”, and “they” are all examples of personal pronouns. While many women might use the pronouns “she” and “her”, and many men might use the pronouns “he” and “him”, there are varying sets of pronouns that people use, such as “they/them”, or even a combination of pronouns, such as “she/they” or “he/she”. Some people use any and all pronouns!
It is important to always respect the pronouns that someone has. If you are unsure of what pronouns someone uses, it is always okay to ask and clarify! If you accidentally use the incorrect pronouns for a person, it is important to apologize and make a mental note of what pronouns they use so that you refer to them correctly in the future.
A lot of times, people assume someone’s gender and what pronouns they use based on their outward appearance, but these assumptions are not always correct and can be harmful. We cannot tell someone’s gender by what they look like, or what clothes, jewelry, makeup, or hairstyles they choose to wear or not wear. This is because a certain type of clothing, makeup, jewelry or hair does not exclusively exist for a specific gender. For example, characteristics or clothing choices that are traditionally associated with women (such as the colour pink, long hair, or painted nails) can be displayed by anyone, regardless of their gender! This might include men, non-binary, or other gender-queer people as well.
Everyone has personal pronouns, but transgender, non-binary, and gender-queer people often have to share their pronouns clearly so that they are not assumed to be a gender they are not (we call this misgendering). An easy but important step we can take to be more inclusive of trans, non-binary, and gender-queer people is to normalize the sharing of personal pronouns. Sharing your pronouns even if you are not trans, non-binary, or gender-queer helps destigmatize the use of personal pronouns, and reduces confusion, misunderstanding, and discrimination related to pronouns.
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Degrassi: The Next Generation Marks 20 Years of “Pride”
Many Canadians have likely heard of the iconic youth drama series Degrassi. Beginning as The Kids of Degrassi Street in 1978, Degrassi transitioned into telling the stories of high school teens. The most prominent iteration of Degrassi was 2001’s Degrassi: The Next Generation, which began 10 years after 1991’s Degrassi High.
The core identity of Degrassi remained the same: to showcase the stories and lessons experienced by Canadian youth. Degrassi didn’t shy away from taboo topics such as teen pregnancy, drug use, gang violence, and school shootings. The series often carries the associated phrase, “it goes there.” The kinds of stories told on Degrassi were more groundbreaking than Canadian youth media at the time. This month, on October 8, the series reaches a 20-year milestone since the confirmation of its first out gay lead character, Marco Del Rossi. On October 8, 2003, Degrassi: The Next Generation aired part one of the Season 3 episode “Pride.”
The Context of “Pride”
Degrassi: The Next Generation introduced Marco, portrayed by Adamo Ruggiero, as one of the new characters in Season 2. He becomes friends with the existing main cast, and sparks a quick relationship with fellow newcomer, Ellie Nash, portrayed by Stacey Farber. However, he questions his sexuality during this period. They agree to keep fake dating to keep Marco safe.
Marco and Ellie join a couple other Degrassi students for a beach day in the first part of “Pride.” In this episode Marco meets Dylan, the older brother of his close friend Paige. Dylan is an out gay teen, who easily combats homophobic comments. Marco directs his attention at Dylan, neglecting Ellie in the process. Ellie and Marco’s following break up leads Marco’s friend Spinner to set him up with another girl. The episode ends on a powerful scene with Spinner confronting Marco about his lack of interest in his date: Marco comes out, a very important milestone for the series and for Canadian youth television.
The Impact of “Pride”
“Pride” released at a time when same-sex marriage was not yet legal in Canada, meaning that LGBTQ+ rights and representation was much smaller than today’s society and media. It acted as a step towards representation in Canadian TV, and especially important to youth, who go through a lot of personal growth in the teen years.
Marco’s story also impacted the world outside of TV, including his own actor’s life. Marco’s coming out journey helped his actor come out. “What Marco gave me is a community,” Adamo Ruggiero said in an interview with AV Club. “In the promotion of the show, I connected with a queer world.” Marco helped Ruggiero enter a world that he also shared. Ruggiero came out in 2008 and continues to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in Canada.
LGBTQ+ rights in Canada continue to improve, but still face resistance from some. Just last month, many people across multiple provinces gathered to protest sexuality and gender identity (SOGI) education in schools. LGBTQ+ representation like Marco in Degrassi: The Next Generation provides one way to comfort LGBTQ+ youth who may not feel supported in their everyday lives.