October Issue

THE
UNDERGROUND
OCT. 8 - NOV. 6 / V. 37, I. 02
UTSC’S OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION SINCE 1982

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CONTENTS
NEWS
6 HURRICANES HARVEY AND IRMA:
EMERGENCY AND RELIEF EFFORTS
8 GLOBAL NUCLEAR WARFARE:
THE REPERCUSSIONS OF GREAT POWER MADNESS
10 TICKLED PINK
ARTS & LIFE
18 FEARING THE FUTURE
20 IT: NOT THE JOKER MOVIE WE NEED,
BUT THE ONE WE DESERVE?
22 “SLUTTY” COSTUMES:
EMPOWERING OR SEXIST?
24 MARK FELT REVIEW:
FEAR, SCANDAL, AND CORRUPTION
26 THE RISE OF FENTY BEAUTY
SCIENCE & TECH
28 ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? STILL?
30 THE ART OF FEAR:
WHY WE CONTINUE TO WATCH HORROR MOVIES
32 WHAT IS AI?
ASK UG
36 CONQUERING CHILLS ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT
38 RAISE HELL AT TORONTO’S HOTTEST HALLOWEEN PARTIES

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ISSUE/
02
O C T -
O B E R
“All the diversity, all the charm, and all the
beauty of life are made up of light and shade.
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Autumn is a beautifully perplexing season: the sky is almost always
overcast, and the temperature is on a steady decline, but leaves on trees
begin to change colour, hinting at the universal inner glow of nature—It’s
as if the flora holds back all year round until autumn.
The contrast that is embraced throughout the season is akin to that which
we experience throughout our lives. We go through different phases,
constantly experiencing all the world has to offer us at each particular
moment of our finite existence. Like the changing leaves of a tree, we
undergo times in which our existence is muted; times in which it feels as
though it is falling away; times in which it feels regenerated; and times in
which it feels especially salient and vibrant.
I often catch myself wondering in the moments that my colour feels as
though it has faded and become dull, why is it inconstant? Why can I not
perpetually flourish, manifesting my particular brand of vivacity momentby-moment?
Imagine what life would be like if we could constantly paint
the earth with our diverse vibrancies. I am enlightened to the answer only
after drawing into myself: I would not know how to appreciate brilliance if I
had never been exposed to dimness.
Be not afraid of the moments in which you are not at your most luminous,
for these are the ones that allow you to reflect on how to best exhibit your
colour when the time comes to do so.

EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
KRISTINA DUKOSKI
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
MARCUS MEDFORD
NEWS EDITOR
MIRZA ABU BAKR BAIG
SCIENCE & TECH
EDITOR
ALI JAVEED
ASK UG EDITOR
KATERYNA BANDURA
MANAGING EDITOR
MARJAN ASADULLAH
SR COPY EDITOR
ARANI MURUGESAPILLAI
JR COPY EDITOR
ALVEERA MAMOON
ARTS ASSOCIATE
SERENA AUSTIN
STAFF WRITER
TBD
CONTRIBUTORS
ROBIN JACOB
REBECCA REID
ALI JAVEED
ANYA ELAND
MARCUS MEDFORD
REZOAN ARNOB
TIANNA HENRY
MIRZA BAIG
KRISTINA DUKOSKI
EMILIE MUST
HUMNA WASIM
SAGHAR BAQIZADA
AMANDA BOWDEN
ANTHONY CREARY
KHYRSTEN MIERAS
ERZA APPLEBAUM - ASK UG
ART
CREATIVE HEAD
NOOR AQIL
PRODUCTION EDITOR
HAMZA KHALID
PHOTO EDITOR
MATTHEW NAREA
ASSOCIATE PHOTO
EDITOR
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GRAPHICS EDITOR
SANA JAFFERY
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ONLINE CONTENT
EDITOR
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WEB EDITOR
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DATES
SEP. 4 2017
OCT. 8 2017
NOV. 6 2017
DEC. 10 2017
JAN. 7 2018
FEB. 4 2018
MAR. 11 2018
APR. 8 2018
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6
NEWS
WIKIMEDIA
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

NEWS 7
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma:
Emergency and Relief Efforts
Khyrsten Mieras,
Contributor
On August 25, Hurricane Harvey became
the first major hurricane to take landfall in the
United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
After days of flooding, damage and destruction
to a large number of homes and businesses,
especially in Texas and Louisiana, Hurricane
Harvey has resulted in serious devastation.
Hurricane Harvey was closely followed by
the devastation of Hurricane Irma, one of the
most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded,
in Florida and the Caribbean. Both hurricanes
were later downgraded to tropical storms.
The hurricanes have caused at least 85 deaths,
the evacuation of thousands of people, and
billions of dollars in repair costs. Texas and the
general Southeastern region will require an
extensive amount of rebuilding and recovery for
the hurricane victims. Hurricanes Harvey and
Irma have triggered serious debates regarding
how to handle emergency and relief efforts,
in which the US, the Caribbean, Canada, and
other countries were involved.
Natural disasters like hurricanes and tropical
storms are a sensitive issue due to the negative
perception of how previous disasters were
handled. During Hurricane Katrina in New
Orleans, former president, George W. Bush
and the US federal government did not respond
adequately; they were largely unprepared and
uninvolved in rebuilding the affected areas.
Several key changes have improved the
American response to hurricanes since then.
The recent storms were less deadly and have
caused less than expected infrastructural
damage. The federal and state governments
have also stepped up to help provide aid and
recovery for communities.
There were also quicker military rescue efforts,
as most of the paperwork was already approved.
Responders now have more training and better
planning, while emergency supplies were ready
to go. Now federal responders are learning how
to deal with more frequent and extreme types of
weather more efficiently.
“What we learned in Katrina can be seen
directly in Houston. At every level the response
is more robust,” said William Lokey, who served
as the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s coordinating officer for the response
to Hurricane Katrina.
The Caribbean islands, specifically Cuba, the
British and US Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St.
Maarten, Puerto Rico and Barbuda, also seem
to have improved their hurricane responses.
While many faced major flooding and damage,
they have become better at providing shelter
and limiting the death rate.
Furthermore, many international governments
and initiatives are helping with the hurricane
recovery. The United Kingdom, France and the
Netherlands have sent troops and aid packages
to the Caribbean. Organizations like the Red
Cross and UNICEF are also providing aid.
Another example of an organization that
is lending a helping hand is ‘One America
Appeal’; announced by five former presidents,
it is a campaign to help victims recover from
the effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Participating presidents are Texas natives
George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush as
well as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Jimmy
Carter. President Donald Trump later tweeted
his support for this effort.
In a press release, the campaign said, “One
hundred percent of funds donated to the Florida
Disaster Fund will go toward disaster-related
response and recovery because the fund has
no overhead costs.”
Canada has also offered assistance with the
hurricane emergency and relief efforts. In a
press briefing, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
said, “Canada and Canadians will always
stand ready to assist in this time of need for our
neighbours in the south.”
Trudeau added that, “Canada is engaged with
and in close contact with the Caribbean disaster
emergency management agency to determine
the needs and to co-ordinate potential
assistance as requested.”
In response to requests for assistance from
Florida utilities, Toronto hydro crews will join
in helping with Florida’s recovery. There are
widespread hydro problems and millions of
Florida homes and businesses remain without
power. Reciprocal agreements have been
made with North American utilities to provide
help during major power outages.
Jady Liang, a second-year human biology and
environmental science student says, “I agree
with the Canadian government on sending
help to the US government because it serves
as a good practice in case a similar situation
happens in Canada. I feel that it strengthens
our relationship with the US and that we can
get help if we encounter a similar situation in the
future. Through this, our response group has
the opportunity to learn new ways to respond,
reflect and improve where needed. It’s a great
way of sharing knowledge. Canadians are very
compassionate, and I think they did a good job.”
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

8
NEWS
GLOBAL NUCLEAR
WARFARE:
the Repercussions of
Great Power Madness
Mirza Abu Bakr Baig,
News Editor
The threat of global nuclear warfare reaches
new heights as violent tensions rise between
North Korea and the United States, part of a
pattern of unstable Great Power politics.
In 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’
Science and Security Board established the
‘Doomsday Clock’, which is meant to represent
the likelihood of global nuclear warfare. If this
hypothetical clock ever strikes midnight, it
means that planetary destruction is imminent. In
2007, it was also adjusted to include the threat
of Climate Change. At the start of 2017,
the Doomsday Clock was moved to
‘two and a half minutes to midnight’-
-the closest it has been since
the Cuban Missile Crisis.
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

NEWS 9
The ‘international community’ is currently
fixated on the exchange of provocations
between the United States and North Korea,
and it seems that the possibility of nuclear
confrontation is as high as it has been since
the apex of the Cold War. The potential conflict
between these two nuclear powers – as well as
the additional powers that would enter the fray
due to alliances and treaties - is not a subject
that can be comfortably ignored, as it can, if
the necessary parties get involved, result in the
destruction of life on Earth (many times over).
There is a complex history to the antagonism
between these two countries, one that can
never be understood by simply swallowing the
surface-level information and/or propaganda
spewed forth from cable news.
As many are aware, North Korea is a totalitarian
dictatorship located in the Northern half of the
Korean Peninsula. It relies on an ideology of
self-reliant state socialism, and, aside from
its limited trading partners and rare visitors,
has effectively applied a policy of isolationism
and xenophobia toward the rest of humanity.
The brutality of the North Korean government,
headed by the Kim dynasty, has been
documented extensively. Secret police, rigged
elections, state collectivization policies, life-long
indoctrination, and forced labour camps are a
few of the structural mechanisms by which the
regime in Pyongpyang sustains itself.
Aside from the Korean War during 1950-1953, it
has only played the occasional auxiliary role in
conflicts throughout the region. Without getting
too deep into the history, it is still in a state of
extreme hostility with South Korea, with whom
it shares a demilitarized border zone that is
perpetually occupied with army units ready for
fighting. Since South Korea is an ally of the
United States, and due to the countless military
bases that the United States has in the region
(as well as throughout the world), North Korea is
also clashing with the United States, although it
has an ally in China and to some extent Russia.
If one wants to understand the relations
between these regional and global powers, as
well as the logic of their international relations
strategies, they can simply observe how
petty high school students engage in drama,
rumours, lies, rivalries, and conflicts. The
unfortunate reality is that these same powers
also possess instruments of violence capable
of causing death on a grand scale.
“I think that they’re both being really childish
and prideful,” says Hasib Shams, a fourth year
Psychology and Health Studies major: “We
should just toss Kim Jong-Un and Trump into
a ring and let them deal with their differences
themselves, instead of letting them potentially
start a war that would wipe out humanity”.
Recent headlines have been littered with
claims that North Korea has been testing its
inter-continental ballistic missiles in the Pacific
Ocean, specifically around South Korean
airspace. It has also been practice-launching
its missiles over Japan. This follows over a
decade of anxiety regarding North Korea’s
nuclear weapons development program. There
is no doubt that North Korean military exercises
constitute a severe threat to global security.
However, the mainstream headlines relating
to this subject present a biased and distorted
version of the story. It has been documented
that the United States and South Korea have
been conducting provocative military exercises
within North Korean ocean space for the past
couple of years, in violation of international law,
and this actually served to accelerate North
Korea’s nuclear program. This is not meant in
any way to exonerate North Korea for its own
crimes and machinations; however, United
States foreign policy in East Asia is proving to
be just as pernicious and damaging as it has
historically proven to be in the Middle East
(countless innocent deaths through illegal
resource-motivated wars that also produced
ISIS through a power vacuum and continental
resentment), or Latin America (the overthrowing
of democratically elected leaders, the backing
and supplying of right-wing death squads and
fascist regimes).
John Pilger, a renowned Australian journalist
and documentary film-maker, heavily criticizes
the war games that the United States is
orchestrating in the Pacific Ocean in its great
power balancing against China and Russia.
In his new documentary, The Coming War on
China, he explains how the United States, in
its struggle to maintain global hegemony, has
established a new iron curtain of offensive
military bases surrounding China, and that its
provocations against North Korea could serve
to trigger a conflagration of wars that would
eventually engulf the planet in a nuclear inferno.
This hypothetical situation is very possible, and
it would indisputably be the worst-case scenario
for humanity; a pitiful ending to the story of
human history.
While Obama started this trend of proliferating
weapons and armaments around China, Trump
is carrying on his legacy in a more blatant and
idiotic manner. He stated in his first address
to the UN that he would be willing to “totally
destroy North Korea” if it stepped out of line.
Coming from the only country that has utilized
nuclear weapons in wartime, this should not
simply be dismissed as empty rhetoric.
We live in a political illusion. The figureheads
of the most powerful nations in the world
are willing to doom the fate of the species
in order stand firm on their Machiavellian
agendas and schemes. The heads of states
are motivated by resource-driven economic
incentives, shortsighted political gains, and the
selfish pursuit of their ‘interests’ by any means
necessary. International relations scholars,
especially those who identify with the ‘realist’
school of thought, will justify these phenomenon
as the workings of an anarchic and powerdriven
world system. Unfortunately, no amount
of arm-chair philosophizing, arrogant academic
jargon, or delusional assumptions about human
nature or statecraft can remove us from the path
of collective insanity through which our species
is traversing. The reality is that the games
that these world leaders play carry real and
catastrophic consequences, be it in the form
of climate change, global integrated economic
collapse, political instability, and of course the
spectre of nuclear war.
The prescient historian, sociologist, and
philosopher of technology Lewis Mumford
spent much of the second half of his life trying
to warn the public that if nuclear proliferation is
normalized and left unchecked, it will eventually
erase all the achievements that human beings
have produced over our collective history. It will
abruptly conclude the project of civilization, as
Mumford warned decades ago: “The madmen
are planning the end of the world. What they call
continued progress in atomic warfare means
universal extermination, and what they call
national security is organized suicide.”
To View the Doomsday Clock Visit:
http://thebulletin.org/timeline
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

10
NEWS
Tickled Pink
Kristina Dukoski,
Editor-in-Chief
Satisfy your sweet tooth and your Instagram
account!
In a press release issued out by the Barry
Callebaut Group on September 5th, 2017, the
ultra-successful food manufacturing company
shook the world by announcing the creation
of a fourth kind of chocolate: ruby chocolate—
so named because of its pale red hue. Ruby
chocolate makes its debut 80 years after the
introduction of white chocolate—dark chocolate
and milk chocolate being the only predecessors
before that.
The chocolate is made from the Ruby cocoa
bean which is grown in the Ivory Coast, Ecuador,
and Brazil. The bean is characterized by its
reddish colour and fruity berry taste; as such,
producing the chocolate does not require the
addition of flavouring or colouring components.
Barry Callebaut describes the taste of the
finished product as “a tension between berryfruitiness
and luscious smoothness,” matching
its velvety appearance perfectly.
The process to bring the chocolate to
fruition—no pun intended—was lengthy: it
was in development for 13 years following the
company’s statement that they discovered a
new type of cocoa bean—the Ruby bean—
while conducting experiments, and it wasn’t until
2 years ago that Barry Callebaut determined
that the current social climate is optimal for the
success of the product. In an excerpt from the
press release, Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut’s
Chief Innovation & Quality Officer, is quoted
saying, “Barry Callebaut has established itself
as a pioneer and innovator in chocolate and
cocoa, globally. Consumer research in very
different markets confirms that ruby chocolate
not only satisfies a new consumer need found
among Millennials - Hedonistic Indulgence -
but also high purchase intent at different price
points. We’re looking forward to working with
our partners on introducing this innovative
breakthrough to the market and making the new
ruby chocolate category available to chocolate
manufacturers and consumers around the
world as the fourth reference next to Dark, Milk
and White chocolate.”
Following what Boone says about Millennials
being particularly attracted to hedonistic
indulgences, it is not the first time a ‘super
Instagrammable’ food or drink has anchored
the fleeting attention of social media savvy
individuals in the past few years. Arguably, two of
the most notable releases were rainbow bagels
and black—‘gothic’—ice cream. The rainbow
bagel was brought to life in the Brooklyn-based
bakery ‘The Bagel Store’ by the ingenious Bagel
Artist Scot Rossillo. It is shaped like a regular
bagel, but features a wealth of vibrant colours
kneaded into the dough.
On the other hand, gothic ice cream was first
coined by downtown-LA-based store ‘Little
Damage’. This treat is named so because of
its entirely black appearance—cone and all.
The success of ruby chocolate is supposed to
follow suit because the item follows the trend
of aesthetically appealing foodstuffs, putting a
social media-friendly spin on a common and
well-liked indulgence.
Although more planning and development is
required before it goes global, Boone expresses
that the company is working towards getting the
chocolate on UK store shelves within a time
period of 6-18 months.
For more information about
ruby chocolate, refer to the
following web resource:
https://www.barry-callebaut.com/
news/2017/09/barry-callebaut-reveals-fourthtype-chocolate-ruby
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

NEWS 11
WIKIMEDIA
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

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18
ARTS & LIFE
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

ARTS & LIFE 19
Anya Eland,
Contributor
Everyone is afraid of something: spiders, the
dark, commitment. As we get older, our fears
and perspectives change. As young adults, what
are some things UTSC students are afraid of?
Ghosts. Thunderstorms. Monsters under the
bed. The dark. These are just a small number
of fears that children tend to have. As kids, we
didn’t have to worry about practical things like
paying tuition or passing a major exam that
will affect our potential acceptance into grad
school. However, as students and young adults,
we develop a whole new set of fears. With
Halloween coming up, kids fear missing out
on the best treats on Halloween night or being
scared by their comrades in costume. For postsecondary
students, it’s the fear of failing at life.
First year students are starting a new chapter
in their lives which will introduce them to fears
that didn’t exist until now. The thought of not
being able to make friends, having to live away
from home for the first time, or even just the
sheer weight of university stress resting on your
shoulders can be terrifying.
“I wasn’t the best student in high school …
didn’t study for tests or exams, I just got by.
Now grades actually matter and it’s scary for
me to take that in,” says Amy Shortt, a first-year
journalism student at UTSC. No matter how
hard students work, there will be that voice in
the back of their heads implying that maybe
studying every night just won’t be enough. Once
that feeling of doubt creeps in, you can’t help
but notice your stress levels rocket.
For upper year students, their fears become
more concrete. The thought of graduating and
being thrown into the real world is scary to even
think about. Time flies so fast, and you don’t
even realize until you’re running out of it.
“I’m just scared I may fail at life in general
… I just want to be happy,” says Milcah
Sutanto, second-year student at UTSC whom
is specializing in Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology. Often times, students doubt
whether or not the program they chose is really
right for them.
“I just don’t want to feel like I’m not going
anywhere, like I’m stuck and not progressing
in life… not getting promoted or not going
somewhere greater than where I am,” says
Ashwinder Suden, a third-year student
specializing in Philosophy.
As we grow older, our fears come to dominate
our emotions, leading us to greater stress.
We’re always trying to prove ourselves - as well
as others - that we can be successful and that
we have what it takes.
According to an article, The Fear of Failure:
Understanding the Psychology Behind it,
from the South African College of Applied
Psychology, “The fear of failure is directly linked
to our self worth.”
“Failure is a part of life; nobody’s perfect and
we all go through challenges and obstacles. By
making our self-worth contingent on categories
such as academic success, appearance or
popularity, we fail to value ourselves solely for
the fact that we are human beings and accept
that failure is part of the human experience, ”
states Professor Marvin Covington.
Students develop these more complex fears
because they stem from reality and reflect
things we face day-to-day. Making the transition
from childhood to adulthood, and retrospecting
accordingly, we realize that we are now
more independent and have to take on more
responsibility than we did when we were young.
“Fears like failure and the future are a lot more
serious than the dark or the basement because
it is possible for them to come true,” says Short.
We each learn that the things we feared as
children, like monsters for example, cannot
affect our lives the way not getting a job in order
to make a living does.
Students are constantly stressed about school,
and school can feed into our fear of failure and
uncertainty in life. We have to learn how to
create different methods for ourselves to face
our fears and motivate us to take risks.
“Always intensively plan ahead to face those
obstacles; don’t procrastinate … face it head
on,” says Sutanto. There is absolutely no doubt
that it is terrifying to face your fears, but when
we learn to face our fears, we learn more about
ourselves and grow stronger. To face a fear is
to take a risk, and we often convince ourselves
that the outcomes of our risks will be terrible.
“It’s not as scary as we think. The way it is in
our imagination is almost always worse than
it actually is,” says Shortt. “Facing your fears
helps you grow emotionally and grow a sense
of self,” says Sutanto. Once that fear is faced,
there is a sense of relief knowing that we’ve just
achieved something great.
At the end of the day, we must all learn how to
face our fears and just go with the flow. It’s how
we learn who we are and how we can grow into
successful individuals. As we go through life,
we come across more challenging obstacles
on the way to our goals, but fear should never
take over. Aristotle once said, “You will never
do anything in this world without courage.” That
goes to show that the wise ancients agreed that
with enough power, perseverance, and bravery,
anything can be conquered.
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

20
ARTS & LIFE
IT
Not the Joker movie we need,
but the one we deserve?
Entertainment Tech Daily,
Contributor
27 years after the debut of the television
miniseries “IT”, the sadistic Pennywise The
Clown is back in a terrifying new film of the
same name based on the classic Stephen King
novel. There’s been a lot of buzz around the
movie, but does it live up to the hype?
Confused about the headline? After all, why
would anyone associate Batman’s crafty
nemesis The Joker with the evil Pennywise
the Dancing Clown, aside from the fact that
they’re both clowns? They’re two very different
characters belonging to different franchises.
After much talk of Jared Leto’s Joker in Suicide
Squad turning out to be a let-down, people were
wondering how the next portrayal of an infamous
clown would be, especially considering Heath
Ledger’s legendary performance in The Dark
Knight. With the direction that the DC cinematic
universe is heading, “IT” will be the closest we
get to a terrifying evil Joker-like movie, both
literally and figuratively.
Now onto the bigger question: does “IT” live up
to expectations? In some ways, it already has.
“IT” has already overtaken the former king of
the horror movie genre, ”The Exorcist”, as the
highest grossing horror movie ever made. It has
also received the blessing of Stephen King, the
author of the novel.
The cinematography in this movie is really
top notch. One of my favourite things was the
variety of shots. If you’ve watched TV shows
like Riverdale or Smallville, you’ll feel right
at home because “IT” perfectly portrays the
atmosphere and culture of a small town. The
soundtrack definitely enhances the creepy vibe
with the help of the dark backdrop for shots;
however, there are other points in the film with
a lighter tone such as those that are almost
“campy” in nature. The variety, mixtures in tone,
cinematography, and soundtrack, in addition to
its unpredictable nature, help make the film a
cut above the rest of the movies in the genre.
Actor Finn Wolfhard, who plays Richie Tozier, is
definitely the breakout star of the film.
Before watching the movie, I was concerned
it wouldn’t be scary at all, but thankfully, those
seeds of doubt were not only cleared but
obliterated from existence. For my hardcorehorror-movie
fans, remember in Stanley
Kubrick’s “The Shining” when Jack Nicholson’s
character Jack Torrance famously broke the
wall with his axe and uttered the terrifying words
“Here’s Johnny!”? That’s what “IT” feels like...
But despite this comparison, I’m reluctant to
label “IT” as a traditional horror movie.
While “IT”, like any good horror film, has its
fair share of heart-attack-inducing moments
throughout the movie, there are moments that
make it feel like it should have its own category.
For every jump scare “IT” provides, there’s a
hilarious punchline; calling it just a horror movie
would be a huge misrepresentation. Anyone
who’s watched the original “Ghostbusters”, or
the hit Netlflix series “Stranger Things” will be
familiar with the tone of “IT.” Like “Ghostbusters”
and “Strangers Things”, one of the things that
make “IT” so enjoyable is the excellent team
dynamic between the characters; specifically,
the core group of characters who form
‘The Losers Club’. The differences in their
personalities, lifestyles, and humor makes the
team feel fresh.
One word can sum up Pennywise: unpredictable.
Initially, I had concerns that Pennywise would
be one-dimensional with his cheesy scare
tactics, but that’s definitely not the case--he
is not a clown at all. He is an entity from the
edge of the universe who’s millions of years old
and who usually appears as a clown, but can
assume the form of his victim’s worst fear. The
movie captures that aspect of Pennywise in his
interactions with the characters.
While this movie provides a near-perfect horror
movie experience, it does have its flaws. “IT” is
guilty of having cliches, including over-the-top
one-dimensional bullies, and a love triangle the
audience is able to predictably deconstruct from
a mile away. Some say that ”IT” also missed
an opportunity for Pennywise to assume other
monster formations like in the original TV series.
Now, for the final verdict: is this movie worth
your time or not? Definitely yes. Overall, the few
flaws and let downs aren’t big enough to take
away from this near-flawless piece of cinema.
There are scary moments, laugh out loud
moments, and absolute tear-jerkers; so, get
some tissue papers, buy some popcorn, grab
some friends, and head to your nearest theater!
“IT” has not only set the bar astronomically high
for horror movies, but it has also paved the
way for a new type of genre by blurring the line
between horror and comedy.
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ARTS & LIFE 23
“Slutty” Costumes:
Empowering or Sexist?
Saghar Baqizada,
Contributor
As Halloween is just around the corner, prepare
to see dozens of sexy renditions of your
favourite characters. When it comes to picking
a costume, is using the term “slutty” to describe
what one wears a symptom of the patriarchy, or
a way to stick-it-to-the-man despite it?
Halloween is undoubtedly the most liberating
holiday, allowing us to dress up and express
ourselves without judgment. However, there’s
a growing debate about whether it is truly
liberating for women, who are often presented
with promiscuous costume options. For
feminists, there are two sides to this argument:
sexual empowerment vs. sexual objectification.
For centuries, women have been told how to
dress, and it still happens today. Many schools
have a strict policy against girls wearing shorts,
thus sexualizing bare legs at a young age. At
some restaurants, waitresses have to adhere
to sexist dress codes which include wearing
high heels and short skirts. In both situations,
women’s bodies are heavily sexualized.
Becoming sexually liberated is a milestone
for many women and, as a result, their ability
to freely express their sexuality should be
celebrated.
Of course, the issue isn’t always simple: women
who dress provocatively may make the decision
to do so because of several factors; however,
living in a patriarchal society sometimes results
in the objectification of women, who feel
pressured to dress scantily on Halloween.
We can see the extent of this problem by taking
a look at the costume industry and their limited
range of costumes for women. A Google image
search of “Halloween costumes for women” will
show that hypersexualized costumes are the
ones most available for sale. Women looking for
more traditional, less revealing outfits have to
go the extra mile to find a costume. It’s harmful
for young girls who are further exposed to
gender stereotypes as they compare the sexy
nurse, sexy teacher, and sexy firefighter outfits
in the female aisle to the conservative career
costumes available in the male aisle.
That being said, we must afford adult women
the ability to reveal their bodies at their own
discretion: women should put their own fashion
preferences before the viewing pleasure of
men. While this could coincide with some men’s
perception of beauty, the point remains that men
should not be the focus when it comes to the
decision-making processes of women’s fashion.
There are cases in which women dress with the
intent to impress men, which is acceptable as
long as they’re the ones making that choice.
Women should choose the Halloween costume
that they feel most confident in, whether it be
a cozy Minion onesie, or a sexy Harley Quinn
get-up.
Mehria Gulistani, a second-year UTSC student
majoring in human biology and mental health,
shared her opinion on the matter: “We can
differentiate between empowerment and
objectification by seeing who has the power,”
she explains. “In the case of Halloween, women
have all the power. Those who want to express
their sexuality in a personally empowering way
can do just that. Those who aren’t comfortable
with it have the option to skip the sexy costumes
and find something better suited to their
personality.”
Halloween is a time that spurs much excitement
and joy; whether women choose to dress scary,
beautiful, strange, cute, or sexy, their choices
ought not to be judged under the ever-attentive
societal eye.
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ARTS & LIFE
Mark Felt Review:
fear, scandal, and corruption
Marcus Medford,
Arts & Life Editor
“Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down
The White House” is a new spy thriller movie
that looks back at the true story of one of the
biggest political scandals in American history:
Watergate. Given the current political climate,
it’s implications are hard to ignore.
A great American president once said, “The
only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” but in
truth, there are tons of things to be fearful of.
The looming threat of nuclear war, powerful
hurricanes like Harvey and Irma happening
more frequently than ever before, acts of
terrorism being committed everywhere from
pedestrian-filled streets to entertainment
venues, and Donald Trump being the president
of the United States.
Since the election last Fall, Trump has dominated
headlines. If it’s not collusion, it’s racism; if it’s
not diplomatic-beef, it’s a high-profile firing; if it’s
not an inaccurate statement, 588, it’s something
else, and it’s never good. Between Stephen
Colbert’s satire, Anderson Cooper’s analysis,
and Trump’s own Twitter account, politics has
never been so close to people’s consciousness.
All of this focus on politics has hurt the ratings
of shows like “Scandal”, “The Americans”, and
“House of Cards.” People are suffering from
political fatigue, and they don’t want reality to
encroach on their entertainment. I don’t blame
them, but I disagree.
“Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the
White House”, which debuted at TIFF this
year, is a biographical spy-thriller film starring
Liam Neeson, directed and written by Peter
Landesman. The film tells the story of Deputy
Associate Director of the FBI, Mark Felt, who
became the legendary whistleblower “Deep
Throat” in virtue of his role in the investigation
which led reporters to the Watergate scandal.
Watergate was a major political scandal in the
‘70s in which people associated with president
Richard Nixon’s administration tried to cover
up their involvement in a break-in at the
Democratic National Committee headquarters.
The scandal revealed abuse of power from the
Nixon administration including obstruction of
justice, funding criminals, and illegal recording.
Watergate resulted in 69 indictments, 48 guilty
pleas, an impeachment process against Nixon,
and his eventual resignation.
The movie is two hours long, displays politics
and bureaucracy, and is dialogue-centric, yet
intense and incredibly gripping. Liam Neeson’s
portrayal of Mark Felt is masterful: he has a real
presence, as if he could jump out of the screen
and talk you down right there. Right from the
opening scene, you get a sense of what Felt
is like: uncompromising, intelligent, wellrespected,
and dedicated to his job; however,
Felt was not perfect. He, like his late boss, J.
Edgar Hoover, occasionally broke the rules in
order to do what he thought was right--namely,
protect the FBI, even if that meant clashing with
powerful people.
There’s an underlying tension that runs
throughout the movie--a constant sense of
danger despite there being no violence. One
of the directorial choices I really liked is that
of Nixon only appearing via audio and TV
broadcasts and not actually being a character
in the movie. I found it a little eerie at first and
it reminded me of “Jaws”--referring to the way
in which you didn’t have to see the threat in
order to know what it was and feel worried. In
“Mark Felt”, the shark is secrecy and corruption
and it’s always lurking. The fact that Nixon isn’t
a character and he’s referred to more often as
“the president” than by name, it made me think
this could be anywhere in the world, which I
found very eerie.
Secrets, morality, power, and corruption are
central in “Mark Felt”, and the audience gets to
see how they interact and how they influenced
the Watergate scandal. Through conversations
and information gathering, we see how
Watergate developed and came to light despite
the efforts of the Nixon administration to gag
the investigation and control the narrative in the
media. There have already been comparisons
made between Nixon with Watergate and
Trump with the Russia scandal, and this movie
surely won’t cool talk of that.
I left the theatre informed and scared, but I
think that’s an appropriate response. Unlike
spy movies with hidden passageways, special
gadgets, and secret identities, “Mark Felt” is
rooted in reality, since government corruption
is all too real. Shonda Rhimes, the creator of
“Scandal”, said in an interview with The New
York Times that her show “is basically a horror
story. We say the people in Washington are
monsters and if anybody ever knew what was
really going on under the covers they would
freak out.” It might be a bit of an exaggeration
to say that the people involved in Watergate
are monsters, but they certainly are criminals.
“Mark Felt” shines light on the monsters that
were under the covers in the ‘70s and provides
reasonable justification for people to freak out
given the current condition of the globe.
We’re living in a crazy time where what we see
on TV is easier to believe than reality. Rhimes
says, “You can always tell a horror story when
the light is on. But now the lights are off, and
now I think people don’t want to watch horror
stories,” but that’s the best time to do it. It’s okay
to be afraid: you should be. Besides, it’s better
to be afraid--and know why you’re afraid--than
to be oblivious to the monsters in the dark.
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ARTS & LIFE 27
THE RISE OF
FENTY BEAUTY
Tianna Henry,
Contributor
Rihanna’s new line of cosmetic products, “Fenty
Beauty”, is now available, and it has been a
hit in stores and online. The brand strives for
diversity and inclusivity and aims to challenge
traditional views of beauty.
Picture this: you walk into a cosmetics store
and not one shade of foundation matches your
skin tone. You roam the isles swatching every
color, only to find that it’s either too grey, too
yellow, or too light. You find the darkest shade
a brand carries, look down at your skin, and
notice a big difference. You realize that most
companies don’t cater to dark-skinned girls
like you. You realize they don’t advertise their
products for girls like you. This was the reality
for many coloured girls around the world until
Fenty Beauty came around.
On September 8th 2017, Robyn Fenty, better
known by her stage name ‘Rihanna’, released
a cosmetic line and campaign that represents
diversity, inclusiveness, and modern beauty.
With a foundation line consisting of more than
40 shades, there’s an option for every colour
and undertone. The line has started of with a
foundation primer, foundation, match sticks,
highlighters, application tools, blotting products,
and a universal lip gloss. The Fenty team put
a lot of effort into creating their line, as seen
through the products offered.
Standing proudly by the Fenty Beauty counter
at Sephora, Danielle Clarke, Centennial
College journalism student, commented,
“When I first saw the variety of foundation
shades, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve never seen
so many options for us.”
Unlike brands who quickly sell out of products to
increase their hype, Rihanna’s brand made sure
there were enough items in stock for everyone.
If an item sold out, it was quickly made available
again in stores and online. The darkest colors
available were the first shades to be sold out.
Fenty Beauty pays attention to a market that
has been ignored by cosmetic companies for
decades: it focuses on marginalized groups that
have been systematically ignored. From the
girl wearing a hijab to the black androgynous
people we see in her campaign video, Rihanna
is attempting to redefine the mainstream
perception of beauty.
Fenty Beauty understands that black women
come in more shades than what has been
conventionally provided by brands. The 3 token
dark shades in every line are no longer cutting it.
Instead of “This is the best we can do”, colored
girls worldwide are now are hearing, “Let’s
find the perfect shade for you.” Fenty Beauty’s
launch changed the narrative of modern beauty
and created safe spaces for POC (people of
colour) to shop for cosmetics that cater to them.
Fenty Beauty’s launch signified the wake of a
new generation of beauty: a generation that
doesn’t discriminate or leave out large groups
of people. All in all, I advise celebrity beauty
advocates such as Kim Kardashian and Kylie
Jenner to sharpen their pencils and take their
notebooks out: Fenty is taking over--it is time to
take some notes.
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SCIENCE & TECH
Are You Afraid
of the Dark? Still?
Ali Javeed,
Science & Tech Editor
The fear of the dark has been carved into us
since the beginning of time, but where does it
originate from, and how can we deal with it? It’s
nothing to be ashamed of we promise.
Day. A time to work, play, and travel. Night.
A time in which the shadows creep from the
corners, slowly enveloping the world in total
darkness. The classical dread of darkness
is one that we have all shared since we were
young. Even as we grew into adults, although
our egos may have been too inflated to admit it,
the fear has carried on. What explanation can
we find for our instinctual fear?
The first obvious reason is that the axis between
day and night was the domain in which primitive
humans changed from predators to prey. The
strength of the pack adapted from providing
additional hunting power to providing additional
protection against the unknown. The thing is,
society has developed. The gruelling demise of
death by a pack of wolves just doesn’t have the
same probability as it did tens of thousands of
years ago. Yet, fear of the dark seems to remain
in our arsenal of instincts. Steve Joordens,
a decorated professor of psychology at the
University of Toronto believes the instinct “[will]
always be there, it’s the lack of information, our
brain is always trying to understand how things
play out. Things like that [used to] help with
hunting. It’s a very natural part of the brain.”
Joordens explains that the frantic
and helpless reaction we have when the lights
disappear is thanks to the sympathetic nervous
system: “We get this blanket of comfort from our
brain always predicting how things are going to
go, and when that blanket is removed we get
that fear and anxiety. It kicks in that sympathetic
nervous system - spider senses getting tuned
up.” The sympathetic nervous system is most
famously known for its control over the body’s
fight or flight response that is triggered in
reaction to immediate danger. The adrenal
medulla releases epinephrine which increases
sugar metabolism and muscle strength as
well as norepinephrine which increases heart
rate and blood pressure. These hormones are
responsible for what you feel when you are
under stress – or caught in the dark.
When we do task ourselves with walking in
a pitch black space, we begin to see things
– interpreting shadows as monsters and
murderers. Joordens compares the feeling of
walking in total darkness to those feelings felt
by subjects in sensory deprivation chambers.
In a 2006 study of the chambers by Solomon,
Leiderman, Mendelson, and Wexler, it was
reported that subjects who were unable to hear,
see, or speak for extended periods of time in
extreme cases felt “hallucinations, delusions
and confusion.” Joordens explains that “if the
body is not receiving sensory input, it creates
sensory input, the mind starts generating
things, and you see hear and feel things. Pitch
black might be something similar.”
Although it may start with a fear, Joordens
says that you can overcome it: “After years
and years of sleeping in safe spaces, we can
grow to like the dark. We have to establish that
(it’s) a safe place.” Although the concept of fear
may be complicated, tricking your brain into
feeling comfortable again could be as easy as
occupying it with hard mental math problems or
singing a song in your head. As silly as it sounds,
minute actions like these can take your mind off
of imagining things and onto subconsciously
accomplishing your task - like sleeping.
If you can’t trick your mind, it is possible to
consciously convince yourself that you are
safe by staying focused. “Keep going where
(you) want to go, don’t worry about distractions,
if you think you hear or see something, just
keep going,” as detailed by Andre, a 1st year
life science student who admits to being afraid
of the dark. Although his fear has remained
at the same intensity as when he was young,
he says that it doesn’t inhibit his daily life.
Andre expresses that it’s not something to be
embarrassed of and, as proved by the insight of
Professor Joordens, it’s an instinct within all of
us that exists to protect us.
So next time you have to navigate from the
light switch to your bed without freaking out, or
convince yourself that the coat hanger at the
end of the hall isn’t Slenderman, think about this
article and its contents. Maybe by the time you
make it to your destination, you’ll have occupied
your mind long enough to block the fears.
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The Art of Fear:
Why We Continue to Watch Horror Movies
Rebecca Reid,
Contributor
Most people avoid things that scare them, while
others seek it out. Find out why we love being
scared silly.
The idea behind watching horror movies is
perplexing upon analysis: we intentionally
immerse ourselves in gruesome, nightmarish
films that are created to scare us. What makes
this experience so appealing?
First of all, we need to consider what exactly
makes these movies scary in the first place.
Many of these films cover a very basic,
common fear: the fear of death. To exploit this
even further, they provide death in the most
revolting ways. The fear of what we don’t know
goes hand-in-hand with this fear of death, and
together, they provide a foundation of horror for
these movies.
The quality of the movie itself plays a large role
in making a movie scary. In order to be scared
by the movie, you need to have some sort of
connection with the characters and events. A
good horror movie is one that not only creates
a chilling mood, but also has its own cinematic
trick up its sleeve. To name a few, this can be
done by a shift in tone, moods, soundtrack, or
environment.
When thinking about the technological aspect of
these movies another question arises: is there
a significant difference in frightfulness between
older horror movies and newer ones? Ryan
Akler-Bishop, a Cinema Studies student at U of
T, says the answer is no. To produce old films,
they were required to create their own physical
reality on set due to lack of technology, which
can still be frightening to watch to this day.
Now that we know why these movies are chilling,
we can delve into why people enjoy watching
them. “We like to watch it because we can sit
in our movie theatres or our living rooms, and
we have that security, but we also get insights
into things that we know we will experience at
some point,” says Akler-Bishop. At the heart of
horror movies, you find characters experiencing
a wide range of traumatic experiences, and you
watch as they cope with these events. This can
be cathartic to some, as it provides a form of
escapism to see someone going through and
surviving such treacherous situations.
There is also a sense of control when watching
horror movies. “People like watching depraved,
disturbing situations unfold on screen because,
afterwards, you get to turn it off. You don’t have
to live with the fear of being taped to someone’s
ass,” notes Akler-Bishop when discussing The
Human Centipede, a horror movie infamous for
being graphic in a uniquely unimaginable way.
“When you exit it, you almost feel excited in
your humdrum world,” he adds.
When talking about being scared by horror
movies, there’s always that one person who
likes to brag about how fearless they are when
watching them. We like to think we’re strong and
can handle horrific situations, and horror movies
can help give us a piece of that experience.
“Maybe people think that if they can experience
this movie without any fear whatsoever, maybe
they can walk into death without any terror,”
says Akler-Bishop.
Many of those who enjoy watching horror
movies tend to do so amongst friends. “Bonding
is certainly a way to cope with anxiety,” says
Garry Leonard, a professor of literature and
film studies at UTSC. “The movie itself can also
be a catalyst. After seeing all that programmed
fear, you might be able to share a little more
deeply with your friends.” By admitting to being
scared and sharing what exactly scared you,
you’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position.
However there’s comfort knowing you weren’t
the only one who was scared. This sense of
unity is often reflected in horror movies: “The
community usually defeats the monster.” says
Leonard, describing a common resolution in
horror films. The characters within the movie
often have to figure out how to be a group and
these characters are the ones who tend to
survive.
Leonard provides an interesting perspective
on the satisfaction people receive from these
frightful movies: “People don’t go to horror
movies because they want to be scared.
What they want is to experience the fear and
experience controlling it, getting rid of it. Horror
movies are an antidote to anxiety. They give
you a concrete façade, they turn your anxiety
to fear, and use your fear to prompt a solution.”
He also notes that, although they confirm your
fear that reality is fragile and the worst can
happen at any time, it will also show you that
it’s not the end. Even when faced with a zombie
apocalypse, a haunted house, or a serial killer
that can murder you in your dreams, you can
still pick yourself up from the rubble and figure
out a way to survive.
If you are in the mood to be scared during this
monstrous month of Halloween, you can watch
the new IT movie, Mother!, or Jigsaw, which
comes out Oct. 20. Bring a friend or two for your
viewing pleasure.
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SCIENCE & TECH
what is
AI?
Robin Jacob,
Contributor
From driving our cars to securing our homes,
artificial intelligence has become an integral
part of modern society. If we are trusting it
with our lives, should we be concerned of its
capabilities?
Tech mogul Elon Musk stated that Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is a greater threat to humanity
than North Korea. AI seems to be all the rage
these days within tech communities, but the
fact of the matter is that a lot of people outside
those communities have limited information
about it--odds are the information that they do
have originated from the opinion of someone
in a pseudo-scientific YouTube video. AI gets
bad publicity because when it is mentioned
in the media, the info tends to come from
unreliable sources. So, instead of referencing
your information from a sci-fi video game you
played last night, open your mind for the next 5
minutes. Prepared to be educated, perplexed,
and inspired.
When learning something new, it’s best to
build from the ground up, starting with the
basics. What exactly is Artificial Intelligence?
Professor Richard Estrada, who teaches a
course on artificial intelligence at UTSC, offers
his elucidation: “Artificial Intelligence is a very
important area of research and application in
computer science that deals with the task of
creating computer systems that are able to
receive input from their environment and carry
out actions that will successfully solve a specific
task, based on their input.” Seems simple
enough - they’re created by humans for humans
to help us with tasks. Labelled as “Intelligent
Machines”, they have the ability to learn and
apply new information on their own. It’s almost
as if it has some element of magic to it. How
is something like that even created? At their
cores, AI systems are just “clever applications
of statistics and math,” says professor Estrada;
essentially, programmed systems based off of
mathematics and statistics that receive external
input from their environment to complete tasks
that they are assigned to do.
So, now that we know a bit of what it is, what
are some of the pros and cons of AI? With AI the
sky is truly the limit. Accessing the benefits and
using AI is as easy as using your smartphone.
The computational power and processing power
AI brings has revolutionized several industries.
In finance, AI can measure thousands of unseen
variables to predict stock price fluctuation every
second and suggest safe investing options. In
the field of medicine, it can detect and diagnose
diseases and prevent deadly epidemics
from occurring. In sport, there are currently
developers working on ways to have intelligent
machines assist with coaching during games
and suggest high-potential scoring options for
teams. There are countless other applications
for AI across other disciplines.
Although they have high capacity to help
humans and improve our lives, there are cons
to the artificial system. Artificial intelligence has
developed well enough to take over certain
tasks that humans do, according to Professor
Estrada. It’s important to keep in mind that just
as certain jobs have become obsolete over the
past decade, the AI itself could figure out a way
to complete them more efficiently. Imagine how
students will be taught in the future or what the
workforce will look like.
There is still one important question left to
answer: can a piece of AI advance enough to
become more powerful than humans and rule
the world? Short answer, the possibility is there;
however, AI will only destroy if we tell it to do
so. Professor Estrada says, “Remember that
AI is to a large degree a clever application of
statistics and math. Neither math nor statistics
have an inherent desire to overpower humanity
but we can make bad use of them.”
If you think that you’ll wake up one day to the
whole world being slave to computers, you can
stop worrying. You’d be surprised by how much
technology has advanced in just the last 5 years
and even more surprised if you knew where it
plans on going. Maybe in 10 years you’ll be
working on AI in your own respective field and
changing the world one machine at a time.
Artificial Intelligence is a beautiful thing. Its
potential has no limits and it holds the capacity
to help people across many facets of life. As it
is very powerful and smart, it can have some
negative effects on certain people. No matter
whether you’re interested in it or you know
nothing about it, your life is impacted by AI
every single day.
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Autumn
Last thing I remember
We were under the stars,
Now when I wake
I wonder where you are.
I was a mountain,
I used to be king
But I don’t feel like it
Or really, anything.
Except maybe drifting,
Slowly slipping astray.
A sense of something missing
That won’t go away.
I hear your name like faint whispers,
Like yesterday’s news.
Time has worn down my soul
But my feet won’t refuse.
When I awoke
Everything changed with the leaves.
I was helpless to stop the falling
So I lay there in defeat.
I’m sure the universe is infinite,
Full of possibilities and options
But ever since I lost you
I’ve felt trapped and boxed in.
I’ve chased after you
Like a dog does his tail
And all I’ve learned is that
Love doesn’t always prevail.
I’ve screamed questions at the sky
Desperate for an answer.
Love isn’t always the cure,
Sometimes it’s the cancer.
By: Marcus Medford

Palindrome
I don’t think they’ll understand.
I don’t roll the dice or check my hand I have a plan.
Here, rip open my chest, take everything that’s left.
All I need is patience, slowly planning greatness.
One step at a time up the sandpaper I climb.
Realizing real lies, here lies my real life.
Thankfully I have it.
Yesterday I tried to kill myself.
Yesterday I tried to kill myself.
Thankfully I haven’t.
Here lies my real life, realizing real lies.
One step at a time up the sandpaper I climb.
Slowly planning greatness, all I need is patience.
Here rip open my chest, take everything that’s left.
I don’t roll the dice or check my hand I have a plan.
I don’t think they’ll understand.
By: Anthony Creary

36
ASK UG
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

ASK UG 37
Conquering Chills on Halloween Night
A question from: Desperately Cold and Frustrated
Dear AskUG, How do you stay warm in a Halloween costume without ruining
your outfit? Is there a way to balance it out?
Dear Desperately Cold and
Frustrated,
The Halloween struggle is real... Having to
protect ourselves from the cold Canadian
weather keeps us from shining on the Night
of the Dead. Sad, but oh well. There’s nothing
you can do about nature, except perhaps try
to make offerings like they did in the good ole’
days, but I doubt that will work. Still, I think that
there are a couple of things you can do to keep
yourself warm this Halloween.
1) Choose a warm costume
If you decide to go out, I suggest making your life
easier by picking out a costume that guarantees
you warmth and happiness. The Internet
recommends a lot of options; among these, you
can find characters like Chewbacca from Star
Wars, a Mummy, Cheshire Cat onesie, Sherlock
Holmes, and so on. My personal favourite is the
classic Pedestrian--you dress up in whatever
you want, put a few bloody smudges on your
face, ripped off skin on your arms, throw a coat
on top, and you’re ready to go!
2) Decide what you’ll be doing
How warm you need to dress will depend on
what you’re planning on doing; if you’re planning
on being at an indoors event, then a simple
winter coat over your costume will be enough.
If you decide to go from place to place for any
reason at all, then check out these options:
Add extra layers of clothes underneath your
costume, such as thick leggings (which may
mean that you’ll need to buy a costume a size
larger than usual to fit all the layers underneath);
WikiHow suggests thinking of what your
character would wear in cold weather (example:
fairies would wear long sleeves, Superheroes
would wear a cloak, etc.). You could also wear a
wig to keep your head warm;
If you don’t mind carrying extra things, bring
along a bag with a thermos containing a warm
drink, hand warmers, extra hat, gloves, and a
sweater;
Flesh toned bodysuit.
Remember to keep your feet, hands, ears, and
head warm. Most importantly, have fun and stay
excited, as you’ll definitely feel the heat of the
night!
3) Go someplace warm
Having a night out on Halloween in university
means that you’ll go out and party - if you’re of
age, of course. If you’re planning on drinking,
you’ll be warm anyways, so don’t worry about
the cold. For some fun ideas on where to go,
refer to the other question/answer pairing. ;)
If you are not legally allowed to drink alcohol
yet, then stay indoors with friends and wear
whatever costume you’d like!
4) Stay in - Perfect for introverts
Who needs to go out into the cold when you
can have an equally fun night with Netflix and
(insert your favourite food here)? Better yet, if
you can cuddle up with your pet or your other
half (bonus points if you can score both!), then
you two can keep each other warm. Having a
chill Halloween night is awesome, and by ‘chill’,
I don’t mean the chilling air outside. To raise
some hairs on your indoor comfy party, here are
some movies you can watch:
A) It (2017). This is a remake of the classic
novel by Stephen King – the King of horror and
dismay. For a detailed description and review,
see the previous pages.
B) If you want a relaxed Halloween night, go
with anything by Tim Burton, or chose from This
is the End (2013), classics like Scary Movie 1-5
(2000-2013), Final Destination 1-5 (2000-2011),
and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010).
C) You can try a TV series, like American Horror
Story (since 2011), or Stranger Things (since
2016). My personal favourite is Supernatural –
it’s like Halloween all year round!
5) If none of these options are
satisfying, I suggest you convert
yourself into a cold-blooded alien
and forget about the cold forever!
Whatever you choose to do, I’m sure your
Halloween will be full of fun. P.S. - Don’t indulge
in too much black magic!
Yours truly,
Erza Applebaum
Got questions? Email AskUG@the-underground.ca!
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

38
ASK UG
Raise Hell at Toronto’s Hottest Halloween Parties
A question from: Aspiring Party Animal
Dear Ask UG, I am a student in my fourth year at UTSC. My university experience
has taught me to appreciate the moments that I spend having fun, and I want to
make the most of them. Where in Toronto can I go to let loose and have a good
time this Halloween? Are there any cool parties going on?
Dear Aspiring Party Animal,
Halloween always means cool parties because
– let’s be honest – when else can weirdlydressed
people partying be socially acceptable?
Also, living in a huge city like Toronto means
that there’s so many cool parties going on.
This year, Halloween falls on a Tuesday night;
therefore, the majority of the parties and events
will be happening the weekend prior to the date.
Here’s a few of the options that you can
choose from:
Friday October 27:
1) Celebrate like a true Targaryen (or
whoever you’d like) from Game of Thrones:
DRAGONSTONE HALLOWEEN PARTY
“The Iron Throne is still up for grabs, so gather
your allies and don your finest furs because
winter has come to the Dragonstone Hotel
this Halloween. All of the Seven kingdoms are
invited to West Queen Westeros for an epic final
reunion. So, whether you’re a Stark, Lannister,
or belong to some other house, or if you’re real
shady like the Red Queen or Little Finger, our
guards will still let you in.”
Location: Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street
West
Featuring: The white walkers | Daenerys
Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her
Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and
the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea,
Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons |
Arya | Jon Snow | Joffrey’s not invited
Tickets: $30-$40, gladstonehotel.com
Information: gladstonehotel.com
2) For university/college students:
Join Toronto’s biggest Halloween Costume
Party “HALLOWEEN FREAKSHOW”
(19+ with I.D.)
Location: The Rockpile (5555 Dundas Street
West, Toronto)
Featuring: Haunted Venue Décor | Costume
Contests | Professional Photography and
Videography | The city’s Top DJs & More | Hip
Hop / House / Mash-ups / Top 40 / Dancehall.
Tickets: $10-$25
Information: Text 647.283.0539 or clubzone.
com/events/toronto-halloween-freakshow/
Saturday, October 28:
3) Elegant Halloween
Feel truly elite by attending Toronto’s 3rd Annual
Halloween Costume Ball inside Toronto’s
Premiere Event Venue on CNE Grounds.
Location: 200 Princes’ Boulevard Toronto
(Located inside the Queen Elizabeth Building)
Featuring: Ghoulish Sounds by Toronto’s
Top DJ’s, who will be playing the best in: TOP
40 | HIPHOP | TRAP | EDM | R&B | REGGAE
| HOUSE
Tickets: Early bird $20 at bit.ly/torontohalloween17
Information: Call/Text: 416.899.8860 | Email:
grandballto@gmail.com
4) Keep-going-keep-warm option: Club Crawl
“Start thinking of your Halloween costumes and
board the 2017 Halloween Club Crawl. Join
thousands of party goers as we club crawl to
3 of Toronto’s hottest venues downtown. Why
party at 1 downtown location this Halloween
when you can party at 3? Limited LIMO Buses
Party bus tickets available.”
Location: Various
Featuring: 3 clubs | 3 bars | 1 ticket | 1 VIP
wristband|limo buses party bus transportation
between nightclubs | costume contests | no
cover/no line with your wristbands
Tickets: $20 advance, $25 party bus, limited
$30 limo bus tickets
Information: screamsfromhell.com or
call/text 647.738.4565
However, if you’re looking to go out on
Halloween night itself, you can check these out:
Tuesday, October 31:
5) House of Horrors 2017 @ Stadium
“The BIGGEST Halloween at Toronto’s Stadium
Nightclub. The only venue in Toronto that offers
a 3 story Halloween event. This 3 Story Haunted
Fun House will be filled with ghosts, goblin’s
music, and top DJ’s from around the world.”
Location: Stadium, 108 Peter St
Featuring: Cash and prizes for Best Costume |
Halloween 2017’s biggest DJ Line Up
Tickets: $10, clubcrawlers.com/halloween
Information: clubcrawlers.com/Halloween
6) “FRIGHT NIGHT” @ Fiction Nightclub
“The BIGGEST Halloween at Toronto’s Stadium
Nightclub. The only venue in Toronto that offers
a 3 story Halloween event. This 3 Story Haunted
Fun House will be filled with ghosts, goblin’s
music, and top DJ’s from around the world.”
Location: Fiction Nightclub (lower level), 180
Pearl Street
Featuring: door prizes | bottle specials | drink
specials & more!
Tickets: $15 early bird | $25 general admission |
$30+ @ door, 647.238.5784 or info@n-v-e.com
Information: eventbrite.ca
---
It is true that you have to appreciate moments
that you spend having fun, and I hope that
this Halloween, you’ll have the most fun you
can get.
Yours truly,
Erza Applebaum
Got questions? Email AskUG@the-underground.ca!
www. the-underground.ca OCTOBER 2017
VOLUME 37, ISSUE 02

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A. Student
MY CAMPUS
2017
Carry your TTC Post-Secondary Photo ID when
using your Post-Secondary Student monthly
Metropass and present it to TTC staff upon request.
Post-Secondary Photo ID photos will be taken on:
Wednesday, October 25 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
University of Toronto - St. George Campus
Hart House Reading Room
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