January 01, 2020

By Cassie Graham

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“Sticks and stones may break my bones but your words will never hurt me.” That is a famous saying we’ve all either said or heard in our lives. It’s normally uttered when somebody is having toxic words said to them.  

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One common thing that students face is bullying. I was the target of bullies three weeks before the holidays. While being  a target, I felt like everybody I knew and trusted were against me; I thought that my closest friends were against me…even embarrassed to be with me in the halls.

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The people who bullied me would make statements about what I wore and how I looked, labelled me as something that is the complete opposite of who I am, called me names, and even went so far as to shove me in the halls. It was one of the worst feelings I’ve had; the feeling of not being good enough, being humiliated, and losing friends I never thought I would lose. I was scared to walk to class by myself or walk home by myself.

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About a week before the holidays, I got a message on my phone from someone I thought was my friend. I knew it wasn’t true but that’s when I broke. I went to the closest bathroom and cried for a good 30 minutes.

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It wasn’t until one of my best friends found me and said, “Cassie, do you have a teacher you trust? You need to tell someone what’s happening.”  

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My best advice for anyone who is either going or went through what I went through is this:

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1. Don’t be afraid to tell your parents what’s going on. I admit I was afraid to tell my parents because I wouldn’t know if they’d believe me, but they did. They will always want to know what happens to you at school.

2. Have a support team by your side. When I went through that I had my four closest friends by my side to make me feel safe, wanted and happy.

3. Tell a trusted adult/teacher. When I finally told my trusted teacher about everything that was happening it made me feel like I had an authority figure on my side.  

4. Keep a journal. I know you probably won’t want to keep a record of all the things they did, but it helps a lot. If you keep track of what they did, it helps clear your mind.

5. Keep eating healthy! When I was in this spot I felt like not eating because I didn’t feel good about what I looked like. But when I thought “That idea isn’t healthy.” So if you keep eating and eat healthy, it makes you feel better.

6. If it keeps happening, go to one of the VPs. I was reluctant to go to the VP because I was afraid it would make things worse. But it didn’t. It made the situation better. Mr. Beausoleil talked to the students and it made me feel secure in the situation because the people knew the real impact they made on me.

7. My last piece of advice is to know that there’s always people willing to talk whether it’s your parents, siblings, friends, a trusted adult, or a guidance counsellor.

Bullying comes in different shapes and forms. No matter who it’s from or what form, it is never okay for anyone to treat you like dirt. Remember you are never alone in this situation.

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November 06, 2016

Haley Hall says...

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The “man bun” is an extremely popular, growing trend in our society. What started off as a male thing has quickly captivated the likes of females, too. This trend has caught on all over the world, and due to its flexibility between genders the question is raised: is a man bun still called a man bun on a woman? The physical shape of the man bun consists of half of the individual’s hair tied up in a knot, whereas the typical bun a woman would usually wear (a ballerina bun) uses all the hair on a head and is tied in a knot on the top. The two buns are different in their physical shape, and the amount of hair that is used, thus so making their names different. The name doesn’t change with the person who is wearing it, therefore on a woman this style is still called a man bun.

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Akash Sharma says...

In my opinion, a man bun should be called a “man bun” when on a male, but not when on a female. Not being sexist or anything but it makes sense since the title states “man” whereas women wear a “bun”. The man bun started trending around 2013 and 2014 from MEN. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Jared Leto: all are examples of males who started the trend. Yes, it originated from females with the term “bun” but c’mon, everybody knows that man buns are for guys, so yeah.