Note: The original text has been slightly altered.

What kind of community do you want to live in?

The Green Dot campaign aims to create a community that doesn’t tolerate violence, one that cares about others, and supports a safer campus for everyone.

A Green Dot is any action that reduces the risk of power-based personal violence like sexual assault, partner abuse, and stalking. U of T is the first to implement the Green Dot strategy in Canada, and is supported by many different partners across the three campuses in student health services, campus safety, and beyond. Developed by Dr. Dorothy Edwards at the University of Kentucky, Green Dot is grounded in research that looks at the bystander effect, and why people do not get involved. Green Dot training helps students identify their personal obstacles in becoming an active bystander, and teaches specific skills to help students those obstacles, while staying safe themselves. The three Ds – Direct, Distract, or Delegate – are the skills students learn so that they can help their friends or acquaintances when they see the risk of violence.

The first annual Green Dot week, January 16-20, 2012, will showcase Green Dot and give students a chance to learn more.

Why a Green Dot? We start with the experiences of violence in our students’ lives – the red dots. A student has sex with another student when they are drunk and can’t give consent. A student is abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend, whether gay or straight, or stalked after a breakup. A red dot is an act of power-based personal violence, or choices to tolerate‚ justify, or perpetuate violence. The solution is the green dot – the individual choices that people make to do something – anything – to help others and make our community safer. A reactive green dot is pulling a friend out of a high-risk situation; a proactive green dot is striking up a conversation with a friend about how much this issue matters to you. What’s your Green Dot going to be?

To learn more about Green Dot and upcoming events, visit www.greendot.utoronto.ca.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And, with those 3 words, millions, if not billions, of people resolved to create wondrous new lives for themselves.

There is an undeniable power in the arrival of a new year, but that power sadly is misused by a large percentage of those seeking change. What starts as power, in weeks, or even days, melts and morphs into disappointment and failure.

Are you a New Year resolution maker? Do you know the fundamental rules necessary to wield this power continually to your benefit?

After observing many of those who have tried and either succeeded or failed to realize their accomplishments, I believe that these 10 rules will aid you to still be on your way down a path of success months from today.

Read and heed:

1. Set high goals BUT be prepared to live into them.

Don’t be lured by those who say that a goal shouldn’t be set high. Aim for your highest! Should you miss it, you can be sure that your end point will still surprise you. Be ready, however, to put in the serious effort required to reach your high goal. Because without effort, your time will be wasted.

2. Write your goals down.

The positive correlation between writing goals down and achieving them is undeniable. Write your goals down and place them in a prominent place to always be present before you.

3. Constantly focus on them.

Over the length of time required to reach your goals, the flows and changes of life will surely distract you. Create a simple schedule where you can re-center yourself and focus on your goals. I do this nightly as I have developed the discipline to do so. For you, a weekly 10-minute session may serve you better. Whatever it is, create it and follow it.

4. Take daily, committed, early action.

Action is necessary to reach your goals. That sentence is worth repeating. And there is no better action than consistent action, or committed action. You want to achieve change, so you have to commit until the necessary action steps become a habit for you. It will also serve you best to carry out these actions early in your day when your body is primed for action. Have you heard the saying, ‘The early bird catches the worm’?

5. Celebrate achievements.

Along the way to achieving your goals and resolutions, you will have moments when you pause and realize that you have accomplished many other smaller feats in your life. Respect these moments and give yourself a pat on the back. Acknowledge your progress and efforts and then keep surging forward.

6. Exhaust yourself, but take time to refresh, recharge, and reflect.

I strongly believe that if at the end of an accomplishment you do not feel utterly and completely ‘spent’, that you did not give it your true all. There is no greater feeling at the end than knowing you did everything in your power to get where you are. Exhaust yourself. You will recover. At that point, smile, breathe and relish in the process of rebuilding your strength. You have grown and you have achieved.

7. Respect the process.

Between A to Z, there is a lot. You cannot and will not reach the end in a moment. There is a process of growth, learning, and change to everything. Educate yourself on what you are about to undertake. Speak with someone who has done it successfully already. Understand the required process and respect it.

8. Focus on the important.

I’ve met many persons who, although they are following the steps in taking actions and being consistent, are making the fatal error of not focusing on the right aspects of their journey. Instead of keeping the end in mind, they become consumed by the frustrations along the way. A popular saying is, ‘What you focus on expands’. Give your power to the important. The rest does not deserve a single portion of your energy.

9. Work with deadlines and a sense of finality.

Have you ever met someone who always seems to be ‘getting there’? Don’t be that person. A goal is only effective if it has a frame of a deadline. Operate with this in mind and construct your efforts to end in tandem with this final point in time. Should you happen to know ‘that person’, take a moment to help them reframe their effort to lead to success.

10. Don’t quit.

If you do, you will not reach the end. No one will carry you there if you do not put the effort in for yourself. Nothing more needs to be said about this.

It’s a New Year! Follow these New Rules for your success and chase your goals with New Moves. There’s an Improved You waiting.

For those of you keeping track at home, this latest snowfall marks the first substantial temperature drop of the season, which means that Toronto winter has finally begun. For international students, this is extremely important; students who’ve lived in Toronto for a while may also benefit from a little warm-up (hehe) on some of the dangers of a Toronto winter:

Black Ice
‘Black ice’ sounds like the name of a Marvel super-villain circa 1975, but it’s real – and dangerous. The term refers to very thin layers of invisible ice that form when dew and condensation freeze in a sudden temperature drop. Black ice is not only hard to detect, but it is also more slippery than other types of ice as it constantly melts and re-freezes without any tread.
Stay off the roads at all costs – automobiles lose all control when they hit a patch of black ice (or snow, or slush… it might be a good idea to avoid roads as much as you can throughout the winter). Keep your eyes out for glossy, wet-looking pavement; that’s the best way to spot black ice in the day. Buy a pair of large winter boots with good traction and be extra weary at night.

Frost Bite
Frost bite is the destruction of skin and tissue due to prolonged exposure to low temperatures. Though less common in Toronto than some colder regions of Canada, Toronto paramedics and hospitals still see quite a few cases of frost bite each year, some of which end in the removal of skin or tissue. Extremeities, such as fingers, are particularly prone.
Wear warm gloves and hats whenever you go outside. (Surprisingly high-quality gloves can be found at Dollarama.) If you’re out in the cold for an extended period of time, pop into a heated building every half-hour or so to raise your body temperature. And remember: a hat is not a hat unless it covers your ears.

Seasonal Affective Disorder
Though not recognized in DSM-IV as its own condition, SAD is now widely regarded as a real, common mental disorder with symptoms similar to depression but limited to certain parts of the year. As our winter is about about half the year, Torontonians affected by this season find it very difficult to deal.
A number of treatments have been tried for SAD, with varying degrees of success. Adding extra lighting to a room and increasing the intake of Vitamin D have been shown to be effective. If it gets unbearable, it may be worth scheduling an appointment with CAPS and, if you have any thoughts of suicide or harming anyone else, you should call the Gerstein Centre‘s 24-hour crisis line at 416-929-5200.

Freshmen 15: You gain 15lb during first year and lose 15% by the end of first year

Exams Week 15: You gain 15lb during exams and lose 15% by the end of exams

I always study with food.

And when I say ‘food’, I don’t mean a nice healthy meal. I mean chocolate, cookies, cakes, crackers, chips, candy… sugar. My logic behind it is that since I’m using my brain so much to study, I need to get lots and lots of energy…  These cavity-encouraging study sessions happen constantly in the week before exams, when there’s honestly not enough time for me to be cooking myself a full meal 3 times a day (oh the woes of not having a meal plan or parents to cook for you).

So today, I have decided to share with you all the wonderfully quick (and energy packed) foods that you can make with nothing more than just a microwave! (And the ingredients. [And some other stuff])

S’mores

Without the campfire!

• Crackers (Graham or regular, your choice)
• Chocolate (chips or bar)
• Mush-mellows (the big ones work better)

This is really self explanatory. Take a cracker, put 1 piece of chocolate (or to taste) on it, balance a big puffy mush-mellow on the chocolate and stick it in the microwave for ~10sec. I usually microwave 3-5 at the same time and watch the mushies start to puff. It’s going to give me cancer, but it’s quite the scene. Once the microwaving is done you can just add another cracker on top to sandwich it.

Mug Cake

Not just another cake

• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder (optional if you want nice fluffy cake)
• 1 Egg
• 9 Tablespoons Hot Chocolate powder (substitute other chocolaty goods)
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 3 Tablespoons Oil
• 1 Microwave safe mug
• Mixing spoon

Does this sound strange? It’s actually quite cool, though it does take a lot more ingredients. First, you can smooth some oil over the interior of the mug to ensure the cake doesn’t stick. Then, what you want to do is put the dry powdered ingredients (flour, baking powder, hot chocolate) into the mug, beat the egg in and mix in the milk and oil. Once your concoction is complete, simply microwave the whole thing for 3 minutes. Wait for it to cool a bit and take the mug out; you should see a lovely cake sitting inside it. Feel free to mess with the ingredients and maybe use Nutella instead of hot chocolate?

Fried Egg

• 1 Egg
• ~1 teaspoon Oil
• 1 Microwave safe Plate or bowl
• Plastic wrap (optional)

Bet you didn’t know you could fry eggs with just a microwave! Just crack the egg into the plate/bowl and use something clean to poke the yolk’s membrane. Do be careful with this one; you’ll have to watch the egg as it gets microwaved because all microwaves are different. I recommend 2 minutes to start and if the egg is still very liquified, add another minute. Not recommended for people who are allergic to eggs or prolonged micro-waves hitting skin cells.

Instant Noodles

• 1 Pack instant noodles
• Water
• 1 Microwave safe bowl

Put noodles in a bowl, add the powdery goodness and fill with enough water to just cover the noodles. Microwaves all vary so I’m going to say it’ll take 3-5 minutes to make instant noodles this way. Watch out, it’s hot when it’s done!

And these are just the starters! But before I finish, here’re some MICROWAVE SAFETY tips:

• NEVER put tin foil in the microwave – It WILL burn (with fire and flames and the whole set)
• Don’t leave microwave unattended when you’re using it – You never know what might explode
• When boiling water with a microwave, let it sit and cool before using it – If you add things, relatively pure water might still explode on you
• Most things will come out of the microwave HOT – Be warned.
• If your microwave explodes, it’s a good idea to call for help

Note: The author is not to be held responsible for any explosions, odd smells, burnt food or other catastrophes that come about your own microwave failures. So please, BE CAREFUL

I can feel it in the air – that distinct sense of shifting, as students are handing in their last essays and attending their last few lectures; the end of the semester is finally approaching, and as usual, it looks gruesome. The exam period – not only the actual writing of the tests, but the process of studying – overnights at Robarts, rewriting and rereading, cue cards, highlighters, coffee, sweatpants, snow, slouching – is just around the corner. It’s not a pretty time for U of T students, but it’s always laced with the comforting knowledge that winter break, that brief pause in our otherwise non-stop academic year (pardon me – there was that oh-so-satisfying “micro reading week”) where we might do a bit reading for year-long courses, but mostly can sleep, breathe, eat, and do all those other things that normal, non-U of T students do regularly and might consider, in fact, necessary to human survival.

I’m hoping to maintain my peace of mind during exam season this year, and while I know those moments of panic are unavoidable, there are certainly a lot of opportunities on campus for students to relax and defeat the stress plague, if only momentarily.

Hart House offers a variety of programs to soothe the stressed student:

• Massage Mondays – Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. Free massages, because U of T knows – you deserve it.
• Lunchtime Crafts – Personally, I find arts and crafts to be really relaxing – though, of course, I have never produced anything presentable. Distract yourself with a little A&C, and who knows, maybe you will produce a great work!
• ThursTeas – Enjoy a warm cup of tea at Hart House while chatting with some new friends or reading a (non-school related, perhaps) book.
• Let Shakespeare distract you with the production of Macbeth playing at Hart House Theatre until November 26.
• Jazz at Oscars – This free event every Friday night brings all sorts of different music to the Hart House Arbor Room. Be entranced by live music to distract yourself from stress. The monthly Sunday concert in the Great Hall might also be of interest.

It’s difficult for students to keep up exercising during exam time, but sometimes going to the gym is exactly what you need to wake you up and keep you studying productively. Both the Athletic centre and Hart House offer a wide variety of drop-in fitness classes. The AC has free yoga among its repertoire, certainly a relaxing pastime.

The Multi-Faith Centre offers a variety of yoga and meditation courses over the term, designed to help you relax and find peace of mind.

The Angela Grauerholz exhibit is still on the University of Toronto Art Centre until November 26, and the centre remains open until December 10, for your perusing pleasure. Take your mind off exams by taking a brief tour through this great U of T resource.

Every Friday night at Innis Café, story tellers come deliver tales for “1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling”, a tradition which has been running since 1978. A well-told story could be just the right thing you need to wind down and distract yourself from the looming stress of exams. Innis Town Hall also has inexpensive movies playing throughout the exam period, which may also serve as a welcome distraction.

Exam period is one I clearly characterize as bleak, but I think there are definitely ways to limit your stress. You do yourself a disservice by climbing under a pile of books in a library for a week and not facing the light of day until you are forced to enter the outside world in order to walk to your exam destination. Taking some time during the exam period to not study for exams will make the time you spend studying all the more productive. It’s always a pleasant feeling to realize that the world is going on when you feel like it’s ending, so allow yourself to bear witness to that comforting truth by taking a break. Whether it’s a yoga class, or just a walk around our beautiful campus, indulge yourself this exam period, if only for a moment.

My dearest readers,

Ever need to write a peer/TA/prof/friend/family/person-in-general an email? We all have (I think). But ever have trouble deciding how to use that strict email/letter writing etiquette to establish the tone of your email? I mean we can’t start every email off with “Dear You-Person-Name-Goes-Here,” because well, sometimes that’s odd. Think about it, is that TA who ratters on without care about your understanding of the topic actually “dear” to you?

So I’ve searched vast and wide on the interwebs to find other ways of starting and ending emails. I will rank my findings from Formal to Casual. Let’s start with the starts!

Beginning Greetings

Note: T.= Title (Eg. Prof., Dr., etc)

Formal:

For use with Profs and administrative people; USE SURNAMES ONLY

• Dear T. Name,
• Greetings T. Name,
• Salutations T. Name,
• To T. Name,
• T. Name:

Semi-Formal:

For use with TAs, Grad students, Very Upper years and Profs/Admin whom you know well. Note: For grad students, upper years and other people without titles, it is acceptable to use their first name without a title!

• Dear (T.) Name,
• Hi T. Name,
• Hey T. Name,
• T. Name,

Casual:

For use with Friends, Peers (people who are not on a higher social scale than you in the University Society ladder), Upper years, Grad students and TAs you know well and very chilled Profs/admin

• Hey Name,
• Hi Name,
• How’s life Name?
• Yo/Sup/etc. Name! (Note: this is VERY casual… strongly recommended for use with chilled profs who’re curious about hip youngster slang)

Ending Greetings

Formal:

For use with profs/admin; but you don’t want to overdo it too much. Recommended only for first time emailing them. Stick to the semi-formal after you’re generally acquainted

• Sincerely,
• Yours,
• Yours truly,
• Yours respectably,
• Salutations,

Semi-formal:

For use with profs/admin who you are generally acquainted with or whom are not extremely uptight/strict. Also good for TAs, grad students and the rest.

• Regards,
• Kindest regards,
• Thank you, (If you were asking for help of any sort)
• Hope to hear back soon,

Casual:

For use with most TAs, grad students and upper-years (so long as they know you). Great for peers and lower-year students seeking advice. You wouldn’t want them to think you’re an uptight know-it-all upper year now would you?

• Cheers,
• Best wishes,
• Thanks,
• Shine on,
• All the best,
• Godspeed,

Always feel free to change around the format of your greetings, add some words together, take some apart. It’s your email, make it an art!

Also, a good idea for your ending signature is to have an actual signature. This is good for more formalized emails. Of course since you’re emailing you can’t create an awesomely fancy signature by hand. Instead it’s just a block of text that you can somewhat stylize to be easy going on the eyes. A good example would be something of the following sort:

Full Name
Program of Study
Candidate for Honours Bachelor of  Your Degree
University of Toronto
(Phone number or alternate email)

And with that I shall wish you fun in your emailing endeavours. I personally love emailing to the point that I probably send out an average of 10 emails every day. It’s a great way of staying in touch with friends you met during Frosh week who are in your program and you’ll probably never ever see again.

Sincerely yours with the kindest regards and best wishes,

<Please imagine a fancy hand-written signature here>

Why do we sometimes not progress even though we possess everything necessary to move forward?

Often, simply because we live our daily lives in ‘robot’ mode and neglect to question ourselves, and others, in a way that will provide the necessary answers to aid us in pressing forward in a meaningful way.  And, when we do find the opportunity to ask a question to ourselves or to someone else (and I have been guilty of this), we ask one that completely disempowers us from achieving anything.

Learning how to ask empowering questions leads to receiving meaningful answers that provide us with the ability to create the mindset necessary to overcome a challenge.

Take the example of a student who failed their midterms asking ‘Why did I fail?‘, or ’Why does the prof mark me so hard?‘ Answers to these questions lead to no meaningful change. Instead, had the student reframed their questions into ‘What must I do to pass my finals?‘ or ‘What advice can I ask from my professor so that I understand what he expects from me?‘, then progressive answers would have followed.

Another example is ‘Why am I so broke?‘ or ‘Why can’t I find a job?‘ (*typical 99% of society question – see below) Imagine the answers these people would receive!  But what responses do you think these reframed questions would receive?  ’Am I spending more than I am earning?‘, or ‘Have I honestly done everything I can to apply everywhere that is hiring?‘

*This question infuriates me the most because usually if I ask someone who says this where they have applied to, a list of idealistic employers emerges.  They somehow believe it beneath them to bite the bullet and submit their resume to other places that can produce them with a paycheque!

The art of asking daily empowering questions is a habit.  Practice it and practice often. Also, be assured that there is nothing called a ‘stupid question’. I ask tons of questions daily to myself and to others. In the past,  however, I hesitated to do so due to fear of what others may think, but I eventually realized that, while everyone is entitled to their opinion, I would be a fool to live my life based on the opinion of others.

So ask away and empower yourself daily to unfold the path towards your goals!

I’ll leave you with a basic ’3 steps to instant progression’ which I use in many daily situations:

1. Analyze and assess where you are at in this situation.
2. Ask an empowering question and receive a meaningful answer.
3. Act immediately.

It’s that simple!  Trust me.