On falling down the rabbit hole and knowing when to climb back out
It’s officially fall, and here at The Strand office we’re noticing a shift in the atmosphere. The weather’s getting colder, our drinks of choice are getting hotter, and our schedules are getting busier (with assignments obviously, and NOT with binge-watching Gilmore Girls for the fifth time). It’s no secret that the start of fall means that the best season of all is upon us: spooky season. And with it, all of its quirks and peculiarities. Here at The Strand, we’re embracing them all.
We don’t know about you, but during the fall, we start to become more curious. Maybe because we consider it our duty to embrace the dark academia aesthetic, being UofT students and all, or because everyone at Robarts is working hard and we want to look like we’re also studying. Or maybe it’s because we’re entering that colourful time of year, filled with falling leaves and chunky knit sweaters, and where we are swallowed by nights that are growing colder, longer, and darker. Who hasn’t been stuck in a three-hour lecture before, only to zone out, open SparkNotes to frantically look up the summary of the book you were supposed to read, and just end up doing their quizzes for an hour? Just us? Okay.
With all this time we’re spending in the shadows, we’re getting more curious about the dark side of the internet, pop culture at Vic, and the (dis)order of our universe. You know that feeling when you Google your stomach ache and the internet convinces you you’re in your final hours, so you call your friends and family to say goodbye, only for you to realise it was the ice cream you ate despite knowing that you’re lactose intolerant? Remember, curiosity killed the cat; sometimes it’s good to know when to climb back out of the rabbit hole.
Even though we’re asking a lot more questions than usual, the seemingly universal burnout that we are currently feeling is making it difficult for us to explore all the topics and ideas that we’re curious about. If you’re feeling this mental block too, this issue is exactly for you. The Curiosity Issue is a documentation of us coming together as a team, collectively falling down the rabbit hole, and sharing what we found there. In News, Max Lees sits down with Victoria College’s new President, Rhonda McEwen, to talk about her vision for the College. The feature this issue offers a deep dive into languages, family, connection, and curiosity. You can also discover the peculiar objects hidden within The Strand office in Stranded.
You might think we revealed all the cards, that we no longer have any tricks up our sleeves, by letting you in on everything we’ve been curious about. All we can say to that is that we may or may not still have some tricks (and treats) up our chunky knit sweater sleeves—until next issue ;)
P.S. Curious about The Strand? Come visit us during our office hours from 12-1 pm on Tuesdays.
