Navigating UofT as a Jew In an article by Layla Rudy critiquing The Strand’s stance on Palestine, the first reporter she labels as anti-Israeli is me, Jessica Beswick, a Jew. As a Jew, I have had my fair share of slurs and violent name-calling; before coming to UofT, I have been called a “kike,” a […]
I’m white until I’m Jewish Read More »
The pitfalls of becoming a political activist and why there is always hope 2024 was the year of elections. Throughout the past year, an unprecedented number of people went to the polls, culminating in the US election, which was labelled the most seismic election in the history of the United States. With the year of
Taking the political plunge Read More »
How taking the creative plunge can result in the most meaningful cultural impacts Well-behaved artists have seldom made history. Creating art in a world that often favours mass appeal over individual creativity is in itself an act of nonconformity. When looking at artists whose work transcends the confines of history into the present, their moments
Risky art and artful risks Read More »
Navigating the good and bad of the social media landscape Right before New Year’s Eve, I found myself making a bingo card for 2025. In one of the squares, I wrote: “3-day social media cleanse.” While I cannot promise that I will be able to tick off that box in the future, my intention was
A reflection on the 2024 evolution of social media Read More »
My totally normal New Year’s resolutions for 2025 If you’re reading this, congratulations, you’ve made it to 2025. But are you just surviving, or are you thriving? According to the suspiciously, persistent self-help ads that appear every time I open my computer, New Year’s resolutions are a great way to reflect on our mistakes in
Everything is like a belly button – it’s either in or out As The Strand’s resident trend forecaster, I take my job very seriously. One of my “Ins” on my 2023 Ins and Outs list was Addison Rae before her EP came out – so yeah, I guess you could call me a trendsetter… For
There are many meshed and just enough, so in their brittle wakefulness molluscs that lumped. Cancerous behind their voices. Shook their shadows before the slough-off began in earnest. Rolling out horsedark, heat with too much mouthing as to breed thin annihilates the rest of our habit-retition. Bodies that tick and thousands that are sounding celestial
Take a walk off a short pier.Why don’t youTake a running leap off the dockWell the short sharp shockWon’t kill you.If you shoot first ask laterIn a while, alligatorYou learn toExcise cliché, leave only raw meaningSkinned redStripped of its significationAnd therefore worthless.
[Take a long walk off a short pier] Read More »
I’m 19 and it’s mid-afternoon on a Sunday. Or maybe it’s 8pm. I have to be the storyteller now. Make love out of history. THE LOVE YOU WANT SO BADLY IS ALREADY WITHINYOU. YOU ARE IT. YOU HAVE BEEN IT SINCE YOUWERE BORN. YOUR MOM SAID, “WHEN I HAD YOU, I FOUND THELOVE I HAD
Is our generation as progressive as we thought? Donald Trump is set to begin his second term on January 20, 2025, this time having secured both the Electoral College and the popular vote. While we are quick to assume his reelection is a sign of a greater fall into a fascist oligarchy, that assumption does
Aesthetics, fascism and Gen Z Read More »
