June 2021ISSUE 04

Illustrated by: Skie Bailey, Lead CopyEditor and Gurnoor Grewal, Copy Editor

Table of contents

Article Page

Israeli Occupation|| Does PM Trudeau Really Support a“Two-State Solution”?............................................................3

Misrepresentation of People with Mental HealthIssues...........................................................................................5

Designated Time To Get Those Gains..................................7

Underrepresentation and Sugar Coating of History in Schools...............................................................10

Bibliography............................................................................12

The growing violence brought on by territorial disputes in Israel demands actionas many Canadians march continually in an outpouring of solidarity. The BCSScommunity has also been an active member of this movement. One BCSS studentsays that they have been “...waiting for this issue to come to light so that [they]can do more, and [they] wanted to raise more awareness.” Free Palestine protestshave continued to grow in number and frequency since 2020, making it clear thatthe illegal occupation of Israel is not going to be ignored in Canada by its citizens.A wide range of community members has come forward to voice their discontentwith the ongoing lack of action and response from the Canadian government.

Israeli Occupation|| Does PM Trudeau ReallySupport a “Two-State Solution”?

Canadian citizens and BCSS students express disappointment inthe lack of government involvement

By: Eliza Anis And Olivia Beckett

Many students at BCSS have also voiced similar opinions. One grade 10 studentparticipated in a recent protest in advocacy of Palestinian freedom and rights nearCelebration Square, in Mississauga. They “feel angry and upset for Palestinians”and they are “not too proud to be a Canadian right now. At this moment, allpolitical aspects of this issue should be put to the side and Canada should helpPalestine by classifying it as a genocide and human rights issue.”

Jagmeet Singh, who has been anoutspoken advocate for humanrights, says that “instead of takingaction to stop or to deal with thelong-standing illegal occupations,this Prime Minister is effectivelysupporting the status quo and goingas far as to sell weapons to Israel.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian government has provided a much different perspectiveon this particular matter. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated thathe “supports a two-state solution.” However, his actions seem to contradict thisstatement. In 2019 alone, Canada sent $13.7m in military hardware and technologyto Israel. Despite their previous statements, these actions make it clear thatCanada’s alliance seems to lie with one state over the other. The Vice President ofCanadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, Michael Bueckert, says that heis “very disappointed with Canada's response” and that “all statements havetaken an empty ‘both sides’ approach.” In 2019 alone, Canada sent $13.7m inmilitary hardware and technology to Israel. Clearly, there is a difference betweenwhat is being said and what is actually being done. In addition, the MuslimAssociation of Canada has recently addressed Trudeau directly by underlining that, “Canada must adhere to its longstanding foreign policy principle of an unwaveringrespect for human dignity, human rights and the rule of law.” Currently, Canada’sresponse to the Israeli occupation does not respect these basic humane values.

We believe that this is not a conflict, as believed according to the statements ofmany political leaders both in the past and present. This term would suggest thatboth parties have an equal footing. In this case, there is a defined oppressor andoppressed. The purpose of this article is not only to express our discontent withthe Canadian government but to shed light on the misinformation, which is theproduct of a lack of awareness. This is why unequivocal attention is required fromour government to condemn the violence that is taking place against Palestine, asour glorified country has the responsibility to contribute to the resolution, upholdinternational law and the rights of Palestinians.

There are a variety of opinions on this situation as a result of misinformation and miseducation. However, regardless of your stance on this issue, talking about theinequities and injustices will spread awareness and help those without a voice. Ourchoices describe our beliefs as citizens and as a nation. We hope that Canadianswill not choose to stay silent in the face of illegal actions. Therefore, we encourageyou to share your own thoughts and opinions on Canada’s position andimplication with the hashtag, #BCSSforJustice!

*Share your thoughts and opinions in the Google Form link below:Voices of BCSS: Free Palestine

Disclaimer: The following article talks about multiple mental health issues,including eating disorders. Reader discretion is advised.

Mental health issues are described as a wide range of illnesses that reduce a person’s ability“to function effectively over a prolonged period of time” (Canada.ca). These health issuescan develop for a number of reasons including significant amounts of distress, feelings ofloneliness or sadness, and traumatic events. Mental health issues can arise as a result ofdevelopmental problems, usually early on in life. According to a Canadian CommunityHealth Survey, 1 in 3 Canadians, approximately 9.1 million people, will be diagnosed with amental illness in their lifetime. If such a significant part of our population deals with suchissues, why are they so misrepresented in the media we watch?

Misrepresentation of People withMental Health IssuesWritten By Pulvisha Siddiqui, Feature Editor

Mental health issues in the media are misrepresentedand commonly portrayed in a negative orovergeneralized way that feeds the stigma aroundthese conditions. An example of suchmisrepresentation includes depicting people withmental health issues as violent or erratic, whichcontributes to the misconception that mental illnessescan cause a person to become dangerous orunpredictable. Furthermore, the media frequentlypaints people with mental health issues as “different”

from the rest of society. They are often shown with “uncommon” attributes to differentiatethem from other characters such as messy hair or a dishevelled appearance. Everywherearound us, people with mental health issues live and thrive in their daily lives, unlike whatthey are characterized in the media. Another common misrepresentation is of mental healthfacilities. These facilities are established to help people with mental health issues deal withtheir problems and find healthy coping mechanisms to ensure a balanced life. In the media,they are often shown as dim and scary institutions which use inhumane and isolatedprocedures to “cure” mental health issues. It is an incredibly harmful portrayal as itincreases hesitation for people to seek out these facilities and get the help they need.

On top of misrepresenting mental health issues, there is a lot of glorification around manyof these conditions which can subconsciously alter our perception of many mental healthissues. Some commonly glamorized or generalized mental health issues include eatingdisorders, depression, anxiety, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

It is important for the media to be aware of what they are showing to their viewers,especially impressionable youth, so misinformation is not spread around and used tostereotype health conditions. Before releasing a piece of media that portrays mentalhealth issues, it is essential for the scenes to be checked by a mental health professionalto ensure that the health condition is depicted in a way that is accurate or not harmful. Itis our job to stand up and call out against the misrepresentation of people with mentalhealth issues in order to stop the stigma around these common health problems.

Instead, they think that their condition is not as serious as it is portrayed in the media.The media includes the major and common effects of these disorders but fails torecognize the seriousness of the issues. For example, eating disorders are commonlyassociated with skinny figures or weight loss but the media ignores the other harmfuleffects that it has on the body such as a deteriorated cardiovascular system orgastrointestinal system.

Eating disorders are often portrayedin a fashion that promotes weightloss or extreme dieting, which canbe very detrimental to people tryingto recover from these conditions.Moreover, mental health issues,such as depression, anxiety andOCD, have been generalized anddownplayed so much in the mediathat it prevents people who actuallyhave these conditions from reachingout and getting the help they need.

Designated Time To Get ThoseGainsWritten By Ekroop Grewal, Feature Editor

The BCSS school gym on the second floor, otherwise known as the “Mezz”, is a gym filledwith equipment, weights, and machines for the purpose of excelling in the fitness andhealth of all students. However, based on academic studies on how to make gyms equitableenvironments for all students and individual testimonials, it can be said that there has notbeen equal access to the BCSS gym due to a lack of consideration being given to the gender-based experiences of BCSS students.

Every day during lunch, our gym is open for all students who have paid a $5.00 fee for theentire year. However, students of BCSS, especially those who identify as female, have voicedtheir concerns of feeling unwelcome or uncomfortable working out in the Mezz due to theoverwhelming presence of men. This article highlights the differing gender-basedexperiences of individuals within gym settings and hopefully aims to translate theseexperiences towards tangible change at BCSS; it includes implementing an initiative wherethe Mezz is open to female students one lunch per week.

Women within our school have expressed experiences of being judged, uncomfortable,unsafe, and having minimized access to the weight machines within the Mezz. Theseexperiences are supported by studies that have established that "unlike men who utilizedthe entire weight room, women tended to concentrate their weight training to theresistance machines and weight circuit training areas to avoid engaging in what is oftenseen as male-only, hegemonic masculine space" (Johansson, 1996; Hill Collins, 2005).

Frequently, women in BCSS avoid and feel discouraged going to the gym in fear of therestrictions they may face and the inability to perform at their full potential when workingout. As a result, women-only spaces, "did allow women to participate in activities theywould not have participated in within the larger, mixed-gender spaces" (Fisher, 2018).

Academic studies have established thatwomen-only times in gyms withineducational institutions have beenextremely beneficial for their femalestudent body. For example, "women-onlyenvironments allow women to experienceexercise more freely than in mixedgendered settings" (Wearing, 1998). Thisis due to a variety of reasons "such as thetendency of men to take over spaces or

women feeling less role-restriction when the male presence is removed" (James, 2000).

In fact, many post-secondary institutions across Ontario, such as the University ofWestern Ontario, Queen’s University, University of Toronto, and Ryerson University,have dedicated time only for women in their gyms and have seen a great increase inthe female attendance following it. These spaces "allow women to feel morecomfortable and presumably avoid the male judgment of traditional gyms" (Craig &Liberti, 2007).

Over the past week, I conducted a survey to study how the BCSS student body wouldfeel if one lunch per week was designated for only women to work out at the gym.Anyone in our school, regardless of gender, could complete the survey and it received65 responses in total. The majority, 84.6%, of responses came from female studentsacross all grades; grade 10 was the most represented at 80%, following grade 9 at10.8%, grade 11 at 6.2%, and grade 12 at 3.1%.

Out of the 65 responses to the survey, a sweeping 100% of responses support theinitiative. Below is a detailed breakdown of questions asked along with anonymousquotes from students who completed the survey.

89.2% of individuals would feel safer and/or more comfortable working out duringthe designated time once a week instead of the regular allotted time.

“I would feel so much more comfortable being in a female-only gym once a week. Ipersonally get scared sometimes being around men because of past experiences so it feelssafer and I will also be able to use equipment I need/want to use, rather than limiting my

workouts.”

“I think it is a wonderful and inclusive way to encourage people, especially females, to domore physical activity and training. In the sports/fitness world, I think that women, in

general, don’t receive the same amount of resources, opportunities, and support as mendo. This discourages women, especially female youth to avoid exercising, training, or

playing sports. Another reason is also that going to the gym becomes an unsafeenvironment as women are usually sexualized and harassed. Therefore, I think giving an

opportunity for females to partake in physical activity in a safe space is a great idea!”

87.7% would feel encouraged to adopt a healthier lifestyle while 89.2% would sensean increased motivation to workout.

“I remember using the gym facilities offered at BCSS during my grade nine year. I thoughtit was such a great idea to promote a healthy lifestyle among students. However, I endedup only going once. I was the only girl most of the time, even though a lot of my female

friends had also paid the membership fee. This is because a lot of girls, myself included, feltintimidated and almost like they didn’t belong there. I think that the female body at BCSSwould greatly benefit from a change like this, and it makes me happy that this issue has

been brought to the attention of the school.”

“The same way there are rooms in actual gyms (LA Fitness, GoodLife Fitness, etc.) madespecifically for women so they feel safer, there should be something like this in school.

Even if it’s only one girl in the gym during this period, it’s still one girl who can be moreconfident and comfortable in trying to reach her goals.”

60% would be able to work out at school with respect to their religious and/orcultural beliefs or practices.

“As a woman who wears the Hijab, I 100% support this initiative. Often, I don't feelcomfortable working out in front of men for reasons of modesty. So, this would be an

amazing addition to BCSS!”

All of the male students who completed the survey provided, as well as 88% ofindividuals surveyed, would be willing to pay the existing $5.00 annual fee.

“The second-floor gym is usually dominated by male students throughout the school year,which I imagine discourages female students from using the facilities when available. I

would support this initiative because I believe it would give the female population of BCSSan opportunity to exercise in a comfortable environment.”

“I don't care much about the loss of a period for the male student body, as we will stillhave 4 other days where we can use the second-floor gym.”

Additionally, this initiative provokes the question of where our non-binary andgenderqueer students fall into the discussion of more inclusive gym/workout spacesat BCSS.

“I feel this initiative should be opened to also including non-binary and genderqueerstudents, as they often feel equally, if not more, uneasy using workout spaces as female

students.”

Allocating one lunch per week to open the Mezz exclusively for women, non-binaryand genderqueer students would allow our school community to foster anenvironment of safety, comfort, and freedom amongst its entire student body. It isevident that many academic studies and BCSS students support this initiative.Hopefully, this article motivates the BCSS community to make this initiative areality.

Disproportionate representation has taken over the school curriculum and haspolluted the school system. The curriculum as a whole is supposed to providestudents with the knowledge, but the sugar coating of history and informationprovided in schools has negatively impacted the students' knowledge of today'ssociety. Implementing and teaching students a false history of past injustices onlyserves to educate students about acts of white supremacy, the reason for ourcountry’s founding and development. There is not enough representation andadvocacy of POC (people of colour) achievements; acknowledging theachievements of POC dismantles racist views and seizes the opportunity to honourthe too-often neglected accomplishments of people of colour.

It is vital to include representation in class readings, teach all of Canada’s history,and acknowledge POC achievements as it allows POC students to feel moreincluded in the education system. Over the past couple of years, the school boardand curriculum have been adding more and more representation through thereadings and literature. Implementing more POC ideologies and cultures intoschools has resulted in uplifting schools and students and has started to improvethe curriculum. With an increase in POC readings, BIPOC classes introduced forgrade 11 and 12 students, and new future plays introducing diverse POC casting willallow students to have the representation they have always needed and yearnedfor. Here at BCSS, many teachers have implemented POC studies in everydayclassroom activity by engaging students to speak about politics and allow studentsof colour to use their voices. The Black Student Association (BSA) also works tobring representation and appreciation of black people and their history.

Underrepresentation and Sugar Coating ofHistory in Schools

By: Sajal Sandhu and Minaxi Sharma - Curriculum/Extra Editors

In regards to engaging POC student voices, I got the opportunity to interviewEmily and Chelsea about their thoughts on representation in schools. Chelseashared, “I think our school does a pretty good job at giving POC representation. Myteachers are really good at giving POC recognition by showing videos and havingclass discussions. My teachers share the struggles that POC have to face to becomesuccessful. They also do land acknowledgements at the beginning of class.” Emilygoes on to say, “Honestly since our school has more POC I think that there shouldbe more representation history-wise as well as opportunity to teach more studentsabout the racism POC face.” She adds, “I feel like in history class they talk a lotabout Indigenous people but don’t at the same time. It seems like in some casesspecific parts of history are chosen to be talked about. They talk about residentialschools and some history on colonization, but they don’t mention a lot aboutethnic cleansings and even more negative things Indigenous people had to gothrough.”

What is currently being done is only a start to something that is so crucial intoday’s day and age; constant change is needed. We need to continue to engagestudents by involving research of Canadian issues and contributions of POC. Usestudents' interests to research and learn about POC who were crucial to Candianhistory and development. The history that we have been learning in school has hada narrow focus; although we’re making progress, there is still much to be done.

Bibliography

ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/palestinians-fear-loss-family-homes-evictions-loom-77595319.

Bowen, Jeremy. “Israel-Palestinians: Old Grievances Fuel New Fighting.” BBC News, BBC, 11

May 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-57074460.

“Inside The Campaign to Prevent the Forcible Removal of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah.” TheWire, thewire.in/world/palestine-jerusalem-forcible-removal-families-sheikh-jarrah.

Rami Ayyub, Zainah El-haroun. “East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah Becomes Emblem of

Palestinian Struggle.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 10 May 2021,www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/east-jerusalems-sheikh-jarrah-becomes-emblem-

palestinian-struggle-2021-05-10/.

Canada, Global Affairs. “Canadian Policy on Key Issues in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” GAC, 19 Mar. 2019, www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/international_relations-

relations_internationales/mena-moan/israeli-palistinian_policy-politique_israelo-palestinien.aspx?lang=eng.

The Canadian Press. “Singh Calls on Trudeau to Stop Arms Sales to Israel.” Yahoo! News,

Yahoo!, 12 May 2021, https://ca.news.yahoo.com/singh-calls-trudeau-stop-arms-205200542.html

Press, The Canadian. “Canada Calls for Ceasefire in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”

CityNews Edmonton, 18 May 2021, https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2021/05/18/canadian-press-newsalert-canada-calls-for-ceasefire-in-israeli-palestinian-conflict/

Aladejebi Assistant Professor, Funké. “Black History: How Racism in Ontario Schools Today

Is Connected to a History of Segregation.” The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2021,https://theconversation.com/black-history-how-racism-in-ontario-schools-today-is-

connected-to-a-history-of-segregation-147633

Gentry, Ruben. Disproportionate Representation of Minorities in Special Education – HowBad?, 2009, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED505997.pdf

Lozano, Gabby. Sugarcoating White Supremacy in US History Needs to Stop, 2019.

https://nyunews.com/opinion/2019/12/02/thanksgiving-colonialism-historical-erasure-white-supremacy/

Craig, Maxine Leeds, and Rita Liberti. Sage Publications Inc, 2007, pp. 676–699, "CauseThat's What Girls Do" The Making of a Feminized Gym.

Mallia, Carmen, et al. “Rec Centre's Women's-Only Fitness Hours an Inclusive StepForward.” The Gazette • Western University's Student Newspaper, 17 Jan. 2019,

westerngazette.ca/culture/rec-centres-womens-only-fitness-hours-an-inclusive-step-forward/article_68ed7202-18f5-11e9-918b-c3081425069f.html.

Mary James R. Fisher, Lisbeth A. Berbary & Katie E. Misener (2018) Narratives of

Negotiation and Transformation: Women's Experiences within a Mixed-Gendered Gym,Leisure Sciences

Samuel Greenfield January 13, 2014. “Ryerson Students Debate Women-Only Gym Times.”Macleans.ca, 13 Jan. 2014, www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/students-debate-

women-only-gym-times-at-ryerson-university/.

“Women's Exercise Experiences in Women-Only Gyms in Turkey: An Examination Within theFramework of Self-Determination Theory.”

“About Mental Illness.” Canada.ca, Government of Canada, 15 Sept. 2017,

www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/about-mental-illness.html. Accessed May 242021.

“Data Blog.” Canada.ca, Government of Canada, 8 Oct. 2020, health-

infobase.canada.ca/datalab/mental-illness-blog.html. Accessed May 24 2021.

“Health Consequences.” National Eating Disorders Association,www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/health-consequences. Accessed May 24 2021.

Nickolas, Kirsten. “Stigmatization, Glorification of Mental Illness.” The Creightonian, 15 Nov.

2017, www.creightonian.com/opinion/article_263d0da2-ca25-11e7-b2e2-4fc8fe14d977.html#:~:text=Stigmatization%2C%20glorification%20of%20mental%20illness.

%20Mental%20illness%20is,ADHD%2C%20Obsessive-compulsive%20disorder%2C%20post-traumatic%20stress%20disorder%20and%20others.

Accessed May 24 2021.

Sandy. “Ways Mental Illness Is Commonly Misrepresented in the Media.” ICANotes, 11 April2018, www.icanotes.com/2018/04/11/ways-mental-illness-is-commonly-misrepresented-in-

the-media/. Accessed May 24 2021. Perkins, Patrick. Protest against Israel & US Aid to Israel and for a Free Palestine on May

15th, San Francisco CA, 2021. San Francisco , 15 May 2021.