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3. 01
13
03
07
09
A
LETTER
FROM
THE
CURATOR
EGO ECHOES
MITCH MACEACHERN
The echo we leave behind is in-
extricably linked to who we are.
If we are positive, so is our echo; if
we are negative, so is our influence.
A
LETTER
FROM
THE
EDITOR
THE
MAGAZINE
TEAM
THE
ART
SECTION
OUR
AMAZING
SPONSORS
THE
SPEAKERS
05
THE
STEERING
TEAM
20
23
25
07
30 45
28
19
21
WHAT DO WE WANT TO
LEAVE?
ISHRAT FATIMA
The ancient Greeks had an idea of
what an echo was. Does their con-
cept still resonate in today’s modern
world?
EXPAND YOUR ECHO
HUNTER MACINNES
Echoes can be created anywhere, and the least likely of places of-
ten produce the most touching resonations. Instead of seeking the
ordinary, risk echoing the extraordinary!
REMNANTS OF CHOICE
ANDREA VACL
Not all echoes are good. And
some never leave. Plastic’s in-
filtration into, not only our daily
lives, but our daily meals, is defi-
nitely an echo worth listening to.
URBAN AGRICULTURE
NICOLE NORRIS
Echoes travel into the earth as
well as through the sky. Perhaps
the most important echoes are
the ones that grow the future that
humanity needs.
THE MESSAGE
BEHIND ANXIETY
SYDNEY NEILSON
Sometimes echoes can
be heard but misinterpret-
ed. It is up to the listener
to make sense of what is
being spoken. Is fear go-
ing to dominate your life,
or are you going to hear
the echo of anticipation
instead?
ECHOES DEFINED
YARA KASHLAN
Echoes happen all of the time. If you aren’t paying atten-
tion, you may miss them entirely. The good news is, echoes
keep repeating themselves, so if you missed them, you’ll al-
ways have another chance to hear them again.
SLC: A LEGACY
TYLER WEBB
The Student Learning Centre
opens next semester, are you
ready to make your mark?
11
THE
WHOLE
TEAM
15
1617
SHELDON LEVY IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
CORMAC MCGEE
All one can ever do is limited
only by what one can get done.
Sheldon Levy has left a loud
and long-lasting echo within the
framework of Ryerson University.
ALL HAIL BANANA KID
BRIAN MILADO
The joyful laughter of an ex-
uberant child is quite possi-
bly the most heartwarming
echo there can ever be. It
lasts but a few moments,
but reverberates through-
out a lifetime.THE PAST IS IN THE
FUTURE
BRENNAN DOHERTY
An echo never returns exactly as
it was created. Time has effected
change which makes one won-
der, is the future is predictable at
all?
THE ECHOES WE CREATE
SISSI WANG
The common understanding of an echo
is that is outside the speaker. It is as if it
stands on its own, and is ultimately out of
the speakers control. However, never for-
get that you created the echo that you
hear, and whether it is a positive or nega-
tive one is entirely up to you.
24

4. 02
As curator, it falls under my shoes to
meticulously steer the TEDxRyersonU
ship. My role involves establishing the
vision for the year and working with a
team of about 50 volunteers to bring
this vision to reality.
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, I
came to Toronto with the goal of
completing my undergraduate de-
gree. Currently in my 5th year, I am
a Marketing Major with a Double
Minor in Retail Management and
Professional Communication. Upon
graduation, I aspire to combine my
love of marketing, fashion and life-
style, and immersing into the retail
industry.
As a business student, it is no wonder
that Simon Sinek’s talk is among one
of my favourites. Tying in the ‘Golden
Circle’ concept, he sheds a new light
on leadership in ‘How great lead-
ers inspire action’. People don’t buy
what you do, they buy why you do it.
This talk offers a simple way to learn to
focusonavastvisionofthewholeinstead
of focusing on the produce - the ‘what’.
CURATOR
RAMSHA NAEEM
reetings and a warm welcome to TEDxRyersonU 2014! The inspiration behind
this issue is a singularity of vision, a sense of purpose, and a dollop of creativity.
The magazine initiative was created to unleash the creativity of our team to the
world because we, at TEDxRyersonU, believe that everyone has an idea worth
sharing.
Conceived in 2010, TEDxRyersonU has hosted four extremely success-
ful events. Each year, we have grown bigger, wiser, and craftier – pushing the
boundaries on campus by bringing together all the creative minds while securing
a prestigious place for our Pantone 485 “TED” here at Ryerson. And here we
are, four years later, all ready to present to you, once again, Ryerson’s ideas worth
spreading.
This fall marks yet another milestone as we embark upon the fifth annual
TEDxRyersonU conference. With hopes of making 2014 the best year ever, we
have devoted ourselves to the TED dogma by implementing many innovative
ideas throughout the year. Ideas – that has always been our primary focus. Human
knowledge is growing at an unprecedented, exponential rate. The sad truth is that
many of these discoveries remain invisible to students. Ryerson is doing a fantastic
job at making that knowledge accessible and actionable by the community. This
is a university that is constantly innovating and researching with an emphasis on
the development of knowledge. As a part of this organization, we see it upon
ourselves to connect these ideas to the people that will bring them to life.
When I first joined TEDxRyersonU in 2012, I could have never imagined
I would be wearing the shoes of the curator 2 years later. I couldn’t even have
imagined it a year ago. During the concluding moments of the 2013 conference, I
knew I didn’t just want to, but I had to do this again – one final time. Since then,
this role has scared me, excited me, baffled me, and constantly amazed me. Taking
a concept with a team of 50 highly creative individuals and concentrating it down
to one cohesive vision seemed like an intimidating thought – but like a symphony,
I witnessed 50 passionate individuals, all hovering around in different faculties at
Ryerson, unite together under a single movement: TED. That is the best thing
about TEDxRyersonU; it has always been the result of true team effort. And I can
easily say that this year’s team is stronger than ever before.
Through the tireless efforts of everyone involved, you, as an audience, will get
to engage with the most innovative and stimulating ideas from the leading minds
of Ryerson’s thinkers. So please, grab your seats and get comfortable. Join us in
conversation online and participate in the spirit of this event.
At TEDxRyersonU, we do not put impositions on thought; we embrace our
collective knowledge and shares ideas that inspire you to create your own.
Enjoy the show!
Sincerely,
Ramsha Naeem, Curator
TEDxRyersonU 2014
A
LETTER
FROM
THE
CURATOR

5. 04
A
LETTER
FROM
THE
EDITOR
A deep thinker and compelled
creative, Holly has always had an
intense love for publications. As a
third year Fashion Communications
student she was thrilled to be able
to take on the role of Editor-in-chief
and bring her expertise in combin-
ing innovative ideas with stunning
imagery and design into an impres-
sive magazine for TEDxRyersonU. She
plans to expand on these skills further
while finishing her degree, afterwards
continuing on to employment within
the publication and design industry,
along with pursuing photography
and writing on the side.
Other things that Holly enjoys includes
a wide variety of wine, books, long
walks with her dog, any curry ever,
hugs, trap music, beaches and grey
crewneck sweatshirts.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
HOLLY BLAIR
esterday I saw a beautiful young girl wiping tears away as she walked down the
street.
My heart stopped in my throat, swollen with empathy.
I’ve been that girl before.
Carrying heaviness in my heart. So heavy that as quickly as I’m trying to walk
slowly, I can’t keep it in.
I can’t ever know what was hurting her. But I at least hope she made it home
to the comfort of a warm duvet or maybe even a cold bathroom floor. We pass
thousands of people in a large city such as Toronto, and we mostly regard each
other as objects to maneuver around. But a person is a person; an individual who
has a tragic story that always seem so unexpected, never seeming to match their
outward appearance. We’re all just trying to get through it, this daily thing called
life, which can be extraordinary and awful and usually somewhere in between.
But it’s not as easy as being thoughtful of others for a day.
The idea of our impact on the world around us through echoes is presented
beautifully throughout our articles in this TEDxRyersonU magazine. As you read
them I hope you will listen to them as well. Listen to them with the idea in mind
that you must care for yourself first. The rest just happens.
As someone who identifies with being a highly sensitive individual with an
almost disproportionate amount of empathy, I immediately related to the TEDx-
RyersonU theme of “echoes”. To me, it describes my experiences in being able to
not only relate to other people’s emotions, but physically feel them as well. Some-
times so much so that it can be overwhelming. I realized that while it is a positive
characteristic in some instances, it also means I have to knowingly be aware of
myself. I’ve always been naturally resistant to the idea of self-focus, but I began
to do so as a sort of life experiment and beautiful things started happening. I felt
more at peace, more whole and more content. And the other outcome of this was
that the compassion and understanding that I so very much wanted to contribute
to the world suddenly flowed freely from me.
So, dear readers, I would like to twist the idea of simply being kind to others,
and suggest that you turn that kindness inward, onto yourself. And that starts with
knowing yourself. Like a delicious new lover you’ve just met, get naked and ask a
million questions. Be infatuated with yourself. Even the parts you don’t like. Get to
know them. Work on which parts may be harmful to you, but don’t shun or berate
them. They are parts of you that were shaped from negative experiences no doubt,
but that you can gain strength from, and help others with, once you understand
them. An echo has to start from somewhere and that origin is you.
All the things you want to do but talk yourself out of? Do them and don’t ask
for anyone’s damn permission. This is not selfish, it is necessary. Put your mask
on before you assist others. As a favourite writer of mine, Cheryl Strayed has so
gracefully said, “I know it’s a kick in the pants to hear that the problem is you, but
it’s also fantastic. You are, after all, the only person you can change.” When you do
this, kindness and compassion will radiate off of you and echo out into the world
effortlessly, because of the effort you put into yourself.
And to the teary-eyed girl braving the sidewalks of downtown, I hope you
know that, whatever was causing you pain that day, I felt. And I can only hope
that you take good care of yourself. Those tears are sending you a message.
We have one responsibility and that is to ourselves, because everything after
that is simply extra.

6. 06
PRODUCTION STEERING LEAD
ERIKA PEDERSON-LORENZEN
As the Productions Steering Lead, I am responsible for the
logistics and operations involved in planning the confer-
ence and other events. This includes booking venues,
selecting catering and technology, and organizing and
scheduling events. I also lead the Productions team, which
includes the Event Managers, Set Designers, and Audio
Technicians as well as the Tech Lead.
Outside of TEDxRyersonU I am a fourth year Human Re-
sources major and Sociology minor. I am also a dancer
and have been training in classical ballet for as long as I
can remember. On top of taking classes, I also teach bal-
let and creative movement to young dancers.
It may be of no surprise that my favorite TED talk is ‘Dance
vs PowerPoint, a modest proposal’ by John Bohannon. He
starts this talk by explaining a complex scientific process
using dancers as his visual aid instead of the traditional
method of PowerPoint. His modest proposal is to replace
PowerPoint with the many unemployed dancers to save
money and pull countries out of debt. It may seem ridic-
ulous at first, and I agree it is quite wild, but that’s what
makes this my favorite talk. The audience laughs when
they first hear his proposal and the reason behind it, yet
when the information and argument is really digested, it
actually makes sense, and may even work.
MARKETING & STEERING LEAD
ALEXANDER WONG
From social media to community outreach, I have the plea-
sure of managing all branding aspects of TEDxRyersonU as
Marketing Steering Lead. The committee and I cultivate
ideas and campaigns to bring awareness to things such as
our structure reveal, student speaker auditions event and
of course our conference.
Currently I am in my third year double majoring in Human
Resources Management and Marketing. A hobby that I
am very passionate about that has carried on in my life for
several years is photography. Whether with a DSLR, point-
and-shoot or cell phone, I love to capture moments.
My favourite TED talk is also one of the first TED talks I en-
countered and also what inspired me to get involved
with TEDxRyersonU. It’s called, “Leading with Lollipops” by
Drew Dudley. He talks about the impact we can have on
one another without even realizing it and encourages us
to discover the lollipop moment in our lives. That moment
where someone has done something, whether small or
large, that changed us for the better. Most importantly,
his talk encourages us to give gratitude to those people
in our lollipop moment. I hope to achieve leading my life
with many lollipop moments.
CORPORATE & FINANCE STEERING LEAD
ALEKSA STEFANOVIC
My name is Aleksa Stefanovic. I am a fourth year finance
major at the Ted Rogers School of Management.
As a self-proclaimed world traveler, I aspire to work interna-
tionally using my finance skills and passion for people work
as my guide.
As the Finance Steering Lead, I am responsible for secur-
ing TEDxRU’s financial future. My role is diverse; I approach
school faculties, professionals, I pitch our organization and
conference to potential sponsors and after securing the
funds, I make sure they are allocated properly. It is essen-
tial that I provide my team with the resources to create
the best possible conference and experience for our au-
dience
My favourite TED Talk has always been Sir Ken Robinson’s
“How to Escape Education’s Death Valley”. It is a beautiful
talk about how our standards of education atomize and
limit learning and ultimately kill individual creativity. His talk
has shaped much of how I view education and how I work
around the limitations presented to acquire the most that
I can.
THE
STEERING
TEAM
SPEAKERS STEERING LEAD
OMAR ZIA
Speakers, that’s my responsibility! Being the Speakers
Steering Lead has been a memorable experience. I am
responsible for a team of 5 students who scoured the
community of Ryerson in search for the set of speakers
we have finalized. Our goal this year was to extend our
search for speakers beyond inspiration, focusing on mov-
ing towards action.
During the day, I am not your dime a dozen student.
Casually strolling through the doors of TRSM while you’re
headed to lunch, I spend the rest of my afternoon work-
ing on my Business Law major and Marketing minor. Life
moves slower for me, allowing me to cherish the smaller
things in every situation I’m in, maybe I’m Flash.
Ken Robinson -a favourite speaker of mine- said it best in
his talk titled How Schools Kill Creativity, “If you’re not pre-
pared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything
original.” Let your mind wander, let it create, innovate! His
talk delivers a simple message, that we’re in the midst of a
problem, and only we can solve it when we begin to think
of original solutions for this fundamental problems.

7. 08
COPY EDITOR
YARA KASHLAN
At just 19 years old, Yara Kashlan started her own
company: A RAY Creative Publishing. Drawing
from personal experiences and lessons learned
as a writer and journalism student, Yara has em-
barked on a new journey as an entrepreneur.
She writes and publishes children’s illustrated
books that promote and spread multicultur-
alism and diversity. This year, Yara challenged
herself by taking on the role as a copy editor at
TEDxRyersonU. Last year she was a communi-
ty outreach director at TEDXRU and found the
experience to be very rewarding. Her years
spent with TEDXRU taught her the importance
of having passion and dedication towards
her work. Although the future is still uncertain,
Yara likes to keep an open mind and jump on
board any opportunity that comes her way.
And whatever she comes up with next, we
are sure it will be an idea worth spreading.
PRINT COORDINATOR
ANNA AVITSAN
Anna is a fourth year Graphic Communi-
cations Management student who calls
Cleveland, OH her home. Her past expe-
rience in the world of magazines includes
serving last year as a graphic designer for
the newly-formed Ryerson Art & Design Mag-
azine (RADmag, for short). This year, she’s
proud to serve as RADmag’s Art Director--a
role that parallels well with her position on
TEDx’s magazine team. Anna is also greatly
involved with her program’s course union, a
student group she’s been a part of since her
first year. She currently holds the position of
VP Finance. Outside of school, Anna spends
most of her time making art, discovering new
music, and playing the drums and guitar.
Once she graduates in the spring, she hopes
to pursue a career in music production and
management.
ART DIRECTOR
SAM HEICHERT
Sam is an Adobe Creative Suite enthusiast,
currently in her final year of Fashion Com-
munications. Since she was young, she’s
been drawn to design over other creative
forms. Over the years, she has refined her
interests to art direction, typography, and
digital design. These interests are matched
well with her position as Art Director for
the magazine. She is currently a design intern
at FLARE magazine, with past experience at
reknown fashion website The Coveteur. After
completing her degree, Sam aspires to move to
somewhere new to pursue design for alternative
fashion and lifestyle publications, or work for a
creative branding firm. Some other things Sam
enjoys are scandinavia, fancy beer, and a de-
cent plate of calamari.
Want to see more of her work? check out
behance.net/sam-heichert
THE
MAGAZINE
TEAM
DEPUTY EDITOR
MITCH MACEACHERN
Mitch is a third-year English major who very
much likes reading and writing. He wrote for
the TEDxRyerson magazine last year, which
was a great experience. This year, however,
he is assisting in editing the writers’ articles
that have been submitted for the awesome
theme of Echoes. It has been an interesting
time for him being on the editor’s side of
writing; something he hasn’t had very much
experience doing. But, he has learned very
much from the editor, and writers, and every-
one on the TEDx team this year, so he feels
very confident that, with each of the team
members doing their best, the magazine will
be a success. Mitch likes purple, cinnamon
buns and walking. If he could be anywhere in
the world right now, he would not be where
he wouldn’t want to be. Which is there.

8. 10
THE
SPEAKERS
MICHAEL VAUGHN
OWNER AND EDITOR AT VIN-
TAGE ASSESSMENTS
Owner and editor at Vintage Assess-
ments, Michael has been critiquing
wine as a long-time journalist with
hundreds of features appearing in
many publications including Nation-
al Post, Toronto Life, and Globe & Mail. Now working in his
24th year as a consumer-advocate Michael is dedicated
to uncovering and reviewing quality wines for everyone to
enjoy. Michael Vaughan graduated in 1975 with a PhD in
International Economics from the University of Toronto. Later
he began working as a professor of Economics at Ryerson
University where he returns this year to give his TEDxRyersonU
talk. Michael will be speaking more on his field of expertise,
building on the thought of conspicuous consumption and
the meaning of numbers.
CAMMI PHAM
DIGITAL STRATEGIST AT
KWINMEDIA
Cammi Pham is a digital strategist
at Kwinmedia by day, blogger
by night, but a learner 24/7. To
date, she has gained a following
of over 77,000 followers on Twitter
and trended #1 in the U.S. on Justin Beiber’s birthday.
Her blog content has been viewed by millions of people
and translated to many different languages. In fact, on
Medium, one of the largest blogging communities, one
of her articles is the 2nd most read on the entire web-
site, gaining over 1.2 million views. At Kwinmedia, her
focus lies on data driven content marketing and has
helped her clients reach millions of people. Cammi lives
by her personal motto, “Learn, Unlearn, Relearn.” and
hopes to share some of those thoughts during her TED
talk. She believes when someone stops learning, they
start dying.
FRAUKE ZELLAR
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
RYEROSN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Frauke Zeller received a PhD
in English linguistics and compu-
tational philology from Kassel Uni-
versity in Germany in 2005. Since
then she has furthered her re-
search on organizational communication, Human-Com-
puter Interaction/Human-Robot Interaction, digital
communication, and method development for digital
research analyses. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor
in the School of Professional Communication at Ryerson
University where she along with David Smith of McMas-
ter University conceived hitchBOT. A robot developed to
hitchhike across Canada and develop not only robotics
but the relationship between humans and robot. Dr. Zeller
combines the experiences behind the creation of hitch-
BOT to build her theory on trust, attitude and relationships
we have to technology and robots.
KEVIN SHAW
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
OF ZAGGA ENTERTAINMENT
Despite losing his vision at 19, Kev-
in Shaw has forged a successful
career in media production, radio
advertising and broadcast man-
agement. Over the past 15 years,
he has become a leader in live entertainment, music pro-
duction, and communications, earning a reputation for
being a thorough, skilled, action-oriented entrepreneur
and communicator. He holds an undergraduate and a
graduate degrees from Ryerson University in Radio & Tele-
vision Arts and Media Production respectively. In 2012,
Kevin Shaw founded Zagga Entertainment, a startup
company incubated at the Digital media Zone at Ryerson
University. He is working to create a video-on-demand ser-
vice featuring movies and TV shows with described video
for consumers with vision loss. His talk will tell the story of
how he developed this service and discuss how tomor-
row’s leaders can create inclusive experiences in media
and other disciplines.
GIZELLE LAO
SOCIOLOGY STUDENT AT
RYERSON UNIVERSITY
From a physically small person
comes a big voice. Gizelle Lao is
a sociology major, who has been
exposed to many theories on hu-
man nature. She is also the winner
of this year’s Student Speaker Auditions. With strength in
her words and knowledge, she wants to pursue a career
in human resource management and activism. Gizelle has
an interest in surfing, public speaking, and music. She wish-
es teach others to stay calm when waves come, and be
strong enough to swim back up when they bring you down.
Gizelle’s journey all started from living in another country
before she moved to Canada. This transition has helped
her realize the importance of certain aspects of her life.
From where she came, to where she is, and to where she
wants to be, she realizes the importance of the sacrifices.
RÉMY HUBERDEAU
FREELANCE DOCUMENTARY
DIRECTOR, EDITOR AND
SUBTITLER
Rémy Huberdeau has worked as
a freelance documentary direc-
tor, editor and subtitler (with Trans
& Sub Coop) based in Montreal,
Quebec for the past 7 years. Rémy’s directorial work ex-
plores gender and transexuality, as well as linguistic and
decolonial dynamics on Turtle Island. His most recent film
Transgender Parents will be broadcasted on The Docu-
mentary Network in December 2014. Rémy is part of the
programming team of Cinema Politica, a network that
makes political documentaries accessible around the
world. He is also really into cooking dinner, sharing food
and building community.Remy will be stepping out from
behind the lens of his camera to give a talk about his
documentary “Transgender Families” and will be chal-
lenging social gender norms to enlighten the audience
on the many different shapes a family can be.
VICKI SAUNDERS
DIGITAL MEDIA ZONE
ADVISOR
Vicki is a serial entrepreneur, author,
passionate mentor, advisor-at-large
to the next generation of change
makers and a leading advocate
for entrepreneurship as a way of
creating positive transformation in the world. Vicki has
co-founded and run 4 ventures in Europe, Toronto and Sil-
icon Valley including The NRG Group which went public
on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2000. Vicki was selected
as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic
Forum and currently building SheEO, a 2 decade-long ini-
tiative to dramatically transform how we support, finance
and celebrate female entrepreneurs who are creating
new mindsets, new models and new solutions for a better
world. Her talk aims to shine light on entrepreneurship from
an angle focused on redesigning and redefining.
PAMELA PALMATER
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
RYERSON UNIVERSITY
Dr. Pamela Palmater is an Associate
Professor and Chair in Indigenous
Governance in the Department of
Politics and Public Administration at
Ryerson University. She completed
her Doctorate in the Science of Law (JSD) at Dalhousie
University Law Faculty in 2009. Her thesis is entitled: Beyond
Blood: Rethinking Aboriginal Identity and Belonging. In
addition, she holds a Master in Laws from Dalhousie Uni-
versity in Aboriginal Law, a Bachelor of Laws at the Uni-
versity of New Brunswick, and a Bachelor of Arts with a
double major in Native Studies and History from St. Thomas
University in New Brunswick. Over 25 years, Pamela has
spent time working and volunteering to resolve issues is-
sues facing the Indigenous people and their community.
At TEDxRyersonU, she aims to do much of the same by un-
rooting the echoes of the past by shedding new light on
matters concerning her research.

9. 12
THE
ARTICLES
SECTIONCURATOR
PRODUCTIONS STEERING LEAD
CORPORATE RELATIONS & FINANCE STEERING LEAD
MARKETING STEERING LEAD
SPEAKER STEERING LEAD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ART DIRECTOR
PRINT DIRECTOR
DEPUTY EDITOR
COPY EDITOR
ACCOUNT MANAGER
ACCOUNT MANAGER
SPONSORSHIP MANAGER
SPEAKERS LIAISON
SPEAKERS LIAISON
SPEAKERS LIAISON
SPEAKERS LIAISON
SPEAKERS COACH
TECH LEAD
EVENT MANAGER
EVENT MANAGER
EVENT MANAGER
EVENT MANAGER
EVENT MANAGER
SET DESIGN MANAGER
SET DESIGN MANAGER
SET DESIGN MANAGER
AUDIO TECHNICIAN
AUDIO TECHNICIAN
COMMUNICATIONS & RELATIONS MANAGER
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
COMMUNITY OUTREACH LEAD
COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGER
COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGER
COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER
WEB DEVELOPER
PHOTOGRAPHER LEAD
PHOTOGRAPHER
PHOTOGRAPHER
PHOTOGRAPHER
PHOTOGRAPHER
VIDEOGRAPHER
VIDEOGRAPHER
RAMSHA NAEEM
ERIKA PERDERSEN-LORENZEN
ALEKSA STEFANOVIC
ALEXANDER WONG
OMAR ZIA
HOLLY BLAIR
SAM HEICHERT
ANNA AVITSIAN
MITCH MACEACHERN
YARA KASHMAL
CLINTON SOANS
DIMITRY ZATTSEV
JAMIEL DAWOOD
GEOFF LOGAN
SIDDHARTH BHALLA
NICOLE NORRIS
LYNDA HSU
DAVID KWOK
DEVAHASAN KRISHNAKUMAR
CYNTHIA LIU
ANTOINETTE EMMANUEL
BRIAN MILLADO
DEEPIKA SAINI
ISHRAT FATIMA
MIN JOON (JEFF) JANG
ROGER XU
CASEY YUEN
RENAN OZEN
VANESSA CABRERA
JACKIE CHOU
SHARNELLE KAN
TAIMOOR AHMAD
KIMBERLY MILLIGAN
MARIAM NOUSER
NASRUDIN MUMIN
ELIZABETH WOOD
BRENNAN DOHERTY
HUNTER MACINNES
ILYA GORDIYENKO
PETRIJA DOS SANTOS
JOSEPHINE TSE
VIVEK MCCAGUE
KATII CAPERN
RANA ABDALLA
MELISSA GONZALAZ
JORDAN MACDONALD
THE
WHOLE
TEAM

10. 14
EGO
ECHOES
Echoes come in two forms: good and evil. Everyone can agree that
a person who does all they can in their daily existence to leave a positive
mark on the world, is an example of a good echo. People do wonderful and
beautiful acts of kindness every moment of every day, all over the world.
Unfortunately they are not as widely recognized as, say, a school shooter, or
conniving politician. These sorts of people seem to be the glorified ones,
even if their glory is infamous. But why? Why is it that we as a society, the
most modern, free, and civil in the history of the human race, still to this day
deem violence, war, murder and acts of evil more important than altruism
and selflessness? I am not blaming the news, or television, the internet, or
films, because all of these mediums do report, or dramatize, kindness in
its myriad of forms. The internet is chalk-full of examples of altruism and
humanitarianism; films almost always portray the success of the protagonist
as opposed to the antagonist; and the news broadcasts stretch to include at
least one positive news story each and every evening. So who is to blame
then? Well, it’s you. You are to blame. And so am I. And so is every person
who lives in the modern world of today. To be modern is to be selfish. To
be selfish is to be evil.
Modernity is inherently evil for one major reason: possessions; the
pursuit of them, the acquiring of them and the inevitable discarding of
them. The whole of the modern world is fueled by consumerism. The
market was originally designed to sell necessaries, be it clothes, food, or
specialist services like that of a welder, hunter, or builder, for example.
Now the market sells souls. By this I mean, in today’s consumer-driven
world, one is only the worth of one’s possessions. We pity the home-
less because they have nothing; we envy our neighbours because they have
more. We attach worth to what we can possess, and we possess what we
work to buy. A person with a Ferrari is deemed by society to be more
important than a person with a bike. Modern society has swapped divine
providence for store-bought, pre-packaged souls. We are what we own. But,
to quote Chuck Palahniuk, “The things you own end up owning you.” And
because we have so much stuff, and our cosmic weight – our very soul’s
justification for existence – is inextricably linked to the various ‘things’
we’ve bought and now possess, we have become a selfish, fearful, and
damn evil society. Instead of looking out for others, and glorifying those
people who do, we skitter around like rats, hoarding, wishing only to gath-
er as much as possible and keep it away from others. Our very soul de-
pends on the fact that we have a phone, a car, nice clothes, a big house,
and lots of money to buy more of everything we think we need. To make
matters worse, because we believe it is our soul that demands from us these
things, who are we to say no?
I am being mean, perhaps, but my word choice is intentional because,
should you be offended by what I am saying – if you feel that I am wrong
about you – maybe you should stop defending yourself for a moment and
let my words sink in. Your ego, that ever-present, self-serving device of
compulsion is the original possessor. Your ego thinks you own you, and you
don’t. You are not special, unique, or entitled. You are not an ‘I’. And neither
am I. I am no better or worse than you, nor you me. We are all equal, and
deserve all of our attention. My idea of a world is not one of individualism
but altruism. Instead of looking out for number one, look out for others.
What would a world look like if everyone cared more about each other than
they did themselves? I don’t know. Better? Maybe. It’s a fun thought to play
around with, but probably impossible. All I know is that I will try every day to
destroy what I possess. Zero attachments. Then live for as many other people
as I can. But, hey, this is just me thinking out loud. None of this may matter to
you at all. This is a reality that I unfortunately understand all too well. It gets
me down sometimes. But then I think: echoes.
MITCH MACEACHERN
YOU ARE TO
BLAME. AND SO
AM I. AND…
EVERY PERSON
WHO LIVES IN
THE MODERN
WORLD OF TODAY.
TO BE MODERN
IS TO BE SELFISH.
TO BE SELFISH
IS TO BE EVIL.

11. 16
ALL
HAIL
BANANA
KID BRIAN MILADO
Around Spring of 2014, a video on YouTube went viral, showing a young boy opening a
prank gift from his family (See: April Fools Prank Backfired! | Little Kid LOVES Banana).
The toddler opens the prank present, and the adults are expecting him to be disappointed to
find a plain old banana. To the surprise of the family, the young boy screams: “A banana!”
Various commenters of the video praised the kid for his gratefulness towards the gift. It
was a moment we as maturing adults can all learn from. The initial and patronizing view
of this young, inexperienced child could have been “This naive child loves this banana!
How silly!” But the true wonder of the Banana Kid was that he gave us a beautiful idea:
Find your bananas.
Sometimes, these small actions or reactions can have the greatest echoes. The young
boy in this video exemplifies this idea. In anything, whether it is art, sports, hobbies, etc.,
it is easy to get caught up in life so as to forget how impactful the little moments are. By
becoming too focused on the end goal, we risk not appreciating the scenes around you.
Looking back upon your time at Ryerson University, try to recall your most cherished
memories. Although the various awards, high grades and great projects are pivotal land-
marks to strive for during your university experience, these cherished memories likely
consist of the great people you met and the wonderful conversations you have had with
them. It was the moments you shared honestly that mattered most. So try to make each
of your own moments count.
Additionally, remember that even the smallest actions can have the greatest impact on
what we do daily. One domino, just like one YouTube video, if used correctly, can affect
millions. An example would be circulating compliments. A genuine, respectful comment,
requiring a small, but honest, effort from the sender, may change the course of a person’s
day completely. Perception truly is a powerful element - even something as insignificant as a
banana can affect your life in a positive way. But only if you choose it to.
As university students with our eyes fixated on our futures and end goals, it can be easy
to overlook the small moments. It is possible to work so hard for the future that we forget
about enjoying the present.
If being naive and silly can help make moments matter, and if it is true that moments
make up a life, then it is safe to say, search for more bananas. I feel that, in order to live life
with passion and enjoyment, we must take a lesson from the Banana Kid. There is a differ-
ence between growing older and growing up. Find the bananas in your life.
Long live, Banana Kid.
EVEN
SOMETHING AS
INSIGNIFICANT
AS A BANANA
CAN AFFECT
YOUR LIFE
IN A POSITIVE
WAY. BUT
ONLY IF YOU
CHOOSE IT TO.
THE
ECHOES
WE
CREATESISSI WANG
What’s the first thing most people do when things go wrong? They blame it on their
circumstance or other people - their parents, friends, professors, or colleagues. We don’t
usually look at ourselves to examine what we’ve done wrong or what we could have done
better to improve the situation.
When I was younger, I’d fret about how unreasonable my parents were compared to my
friends’. How horrible the professors were that never made an effort to get to know their
students. How snobby some of my colleagues were, and the list went on.
One day, I stumbled upon a quote that said: “You cannot change the world by being like
the world. Stand alone. Stand apart. Stand out. Stand for something. Stand up and be brave.”
I realized in that moment it was I that needed to change. To improve the quality of my rela-
tionships and in turn the quality of my life, I needed to learn to deal with disappointments
and frustrations in my relationships in a positive way.
The introspection and questioning began, and the conclusion I arrived at was this: we get
what we put out into the world, and the external reality is a reflection of our internal state
of mind. We have to be responsible for our own happiness. The power to create a more
fulfilling life lies within us, not externally.
There’s a sense of freedom in knowing we can design and have the life we want. Gradu-
ally, I began feeling lighter, more content and at peace with myself. Now, whenever I run
into conflicts with my parents, I force myself to listen to what they have to say instead of
tuning out, to understand where their concern is coming from. I realized I could’ve made
more effort to get to know my professors better in the past, and I learned how to face the
world with more understanding and empathy.
When we confront the problems and setbacks we face from this new angle – shifting the
responsibility to us, we will find ourselves feeling satisfied and at peace with our decisions.
I’ve come a long way to be able to accept and make the best of the hand I’ve been dealt.
I’m choosing to focus more of my time and energy on work and relationships that I find
meaningful and will make me come alive. And interestingly enough, life has responded to my
different approach with even more graciousness.
Just like being in an empty room, when we sing a cheerful tune, we hear the joyfulness
repeated back to us loud and clear. Bottom line: keep putting out good into the world. It’ll
come back to you tenfold in unexpected ways.
THERE’S A
SENSE
OF FREEDOM
IN KNOWING
WE CAN
DESIGN
AND HAVE
THE LIFE
WE WANT.

12. 18
THE PAST
IS IN THE
FUTUREBRENNAN DOHERTY
The future is as much about the past as it is about the present. Any vi-
sionary--be they a futurist, speculative-fiction writer, or scientist--ultimately
makes predictions regarding the technological, scientific, or social landscape
of tomorrow through the lens of yesterday’s patterns. And despite the ease
of gathering and analysing ongoing trends today, the overall conclusions of
any particular visionary depend on the focus of their particular lens.
Early August saw the release of a joint survey of experts conduct-
ed by the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project, and Elon University’s
‘Imagining the Internet’ Center. Over 1,900 experts in a wide range of dis-
ciplines--Internet theorists, Google designers, military scientists, professors,
writers, anthropologists--were asked their opinions on a variety of poten-
tial future issues: anything from the potential for extreme social inequality,
to the future role of robots and AI on the economy.
Forty-eight per cent of respondents believed that anticipated revolu-
tions in AI and robotics would begin to force people out in favour of more
efficient, cheap, intelligent machines. Justin Reich, an Internet theorist advanced
the theory that computerized automation as seen in the auto and manufacturing
industries would only continue on:
“Robots and AI will increasingly replace routine kinds of work--even
the complex routine performed by artisans, factory workers, lawyers,
and accountants. There will be a labour market in the service sector for
non-routine jobs that can be performed by just about anyone...the gains at
the top of the labour market will not be offset by losses in the middle and
gains of terrible jobs at the bottom.”
The other fifty-two per cent held onto the belief that any future devel-
opments would inevitably add more (or different) jobs to the economy. Re-
spondents such as Pamela Rutledge were not convinced that humans could
be so easily replaced:
“There will be many things that machines can’t do, such as services that
require thinking, creativity, synthesizing, problem-solving, and innovating...
Advances in AI and robotics allow people to cognitively affect repetitive
tasks and invest their attention and energy in things where humans can
make a difference.”
The split was telling. Indecisiveness on the part of the futurists consult-
ed for this project, across multiple broad disciplines, implies that there could
be a factor beyond the study at hand affecting their responses.
It is also not surprising. Futurism--the study and analysis of possible
future developments--is a broad, multi-disciplinary field that is best (though
loosely) studied through a combination of history, sociology, and statistical
analysis. Futurists themselves are often brought together in focus groups or
think-tanks (such as the Institute for Future Studies) designed to contain a
diversity of perspective. Bio-engineers will rub shoulders with sociologists,
historians--even artists--to map out the impending sweeping trends affect-
ing society, and how they might be directed for maximum benefit.
Given the ease of access and research afforded by the Internet, futurist
focus groups have unprecedented access to data concerning the direction
of current trends. Universities, defense departments, and multi-national
corporations are all willing and able to fund futurist groups for the sake of
speculation, security, or profit. The present has never been more profitable
for the future’s sake.
But, despite futurist statements on extraordinary modern develop-
ment--”We are in the middle of a historical transformation. Current times
are not just part of normal history”--the future has never been so enmeshed
in the past as ever. It’s always been the case that visionaries are reduced to
describing their visions in language and situations constrained by the pres-
ent. The best they can do is compare: metaphor, simile, and allegory are
excellent conveyors of meaning.
Unfortunately, this also dilutes the impact of any futurist’s theories.
The statements from Reich and Rutledge above are perfect examples: if the
words ‘automation’, ‘robotics’, and ‘AI’ were removed, their words could
have come out of a critique on the Industrial Revolution.
This should not be the intent. Future studies are meant as specific
theories regarding potential outcomes to today’s trends, yet they have the
potential to come across as boilerplate statements on the echoes of yes-
terday’s historical patterns into tomorrow.
The very founding of futurism is based on this principle. H.G. Wells,
the early twentieth-century writer considered to be the founding father of
the modern science-fiction novel, created the first work of futurism in a
novel titled “Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress Upon Hu-
man Life and Thought: An Experiment in Prophecy.” Released in 1901,
this book managed to accurately predict a number of social, political, and
technological advances that would take place before the year 2000--subur-
banization due to efficient highway/rail systems, loosening of sexual and
gender-based morals for both genders, the defeat of German militarism. It
also missed a number of events: the creation of efficient transport aircraft,
the perfection of submarines, the creation of the Internet.
H.G. Wells wasn’t Nostradamus reincarnated. He overlooked a number
of developments, in part because he was analysing (and amplifying) trends
already blindingly obvious at his time period. Rail lines had been expanding
with remarkable coverage and efficiency since the 1880s to connect isolated
hamlets and towns across Europe and North America. The late suffrag-
ette and early feminist movements of the late Victorian era had already
challenged the patriarchal ‘place’ of a woman, in subordination to a man’s
role as the income generator of a family unit. And given the patriotism
IT’S ALWAYS BEEN
THE CASE THAT
VISIONARIES ARE
REDUCED TO
DESCRIBING THEIR
VISIONS IN LANGUAGE
AND SITUATIONS
CONSTRAINED
BY THE PRESENT.
and nationality of Wells (British), his prediction of Germany’s defeat at the
hands of Western Europe is not surprising.
The amplification of present trends is important, but should not be
substituted for other forms of prediction. In particular, the concept of
design fiction presents itself as an alternative to the traditional prediction of
the future--through macro-theories attempting to deduce patterns in entire
fields of study.
Design fiction is a technique for groups to generate concepts about
future life in a detached way, with the intent of suspending disbelief. Sci-
ence-fiction writer Bruce Sterling described it in Slate magazine as “the de-
liberate use of diagetic prototypes to suspend disbelief about change...It
means you’re thinking very seriously about potential objects and services,
and trying to get people to concentrate on those rather than entire worlds
or political trends or geopolitical strategies. It’s not a kind of fiction. It’s a
kind of design. It tells worlds rather than stories.”
An elaborate, multi-layered collaboration of many different experts to
facilitate imagination. The concept isn’t far removed from storyboard ses-
sions in movie studios or video-game ventures-- and it’s being taken seri-
ously by think-tanks worldwide. MIT Media Lab runs a number of design
fiction projects. A 2012 meeting of futurists, titled ‘Under Tomorrow’s
Skies’, used the talents of a variety of digital, print, and film storytellers
alongside scientists and future studies consultants with the aim of designing,
over a period of several weeks, an imaginary future city. Artists were taken
as seriously as scientists, with the express purpose being the piece-by-piece
design of potential futures.
In the case of TBD, the term ‘piece-by-piece’ literally applies. The fu-
turist venture used a design fiction protocol to build their own near-future
environment from the ground up--in the form of a catalogue.
“[We took] the things that seemed liminal, the things in our laboratories,
in the public media, in science-fiction films, in economic projections and
then extrapolated these ideas and prototypes and made them into ‘things’
in the near future. But, specific kinds of near future things. Not hyper-
bolic perfections, but those things as they would exist as part of normal,
every-day life.”
The point is to reverse-engineer anthropology. To provide a bottom-up,
micro-theory approach of practical futurism. To allow material things to be the
building blocks of daily life, then culture, then society. To buck the trend, and
the ingrained human tendency to articulate the new by describing it in compar-
ison to the old. History and futurism is a duality: each discipline’s binding one
another together while simultaneously repelling each other’s findings.
The behemoths of socio-historical prediction cannot continue to dictate
the future. The past cannot continue to reverberate into the future through
the present. In the age of intense and dramatic technological disruption that is
today, this simply isn’t possible.

13. 20
SHELDON
LEV IN
THE
SPOTLIGHTCORMAC MCGEE
It shouldn’t be difficult to spot Sheldon Levy in a crowd, but Ryerson’s six-foot-two
president has made a habit of blending in on campus. Over the past 10 years, Levy has led
the charge on Ryerson’s quest to be Canada’s leader in innovative, career-focused education.
His master plan includes the closure of Gould St. to traffic, the Mattamy Athletic Cen-
tre, the new Student Learning Centre opening in winter 2015, Ryerson’s six zone learning
centres for budding entrepreneurs from fashion to urban energy, the Ryerson Image Gallery
and the planned massive Church St. development mixing retail stores, and Ryerson schools
and a residence.
These achievements have earned him numerous accolades, including the number 16
spot on Toronto Life’s 50 Most Influential People in Toronto. But he’s quick to deflect
attention away from himself. The only reason Levy may not stand out is because he doesn’t
want to. In an interview with RUtv News, he explains:
“It’s never about me, it’s never about the office. It takes a community to achieve anything.”
Levy’s philosophy is that reflective light is the best light. He has always been student-fo-
cused, his goal is to make us — and by extension, Ryerson — great. And it’s happening. Ry-
erson students, faculty and staff are making names for themselves, whether it’s by winning
gold medals at the Olympic Games, running cutting-edge companies or helping organize
WorldPride, the list goes on and on.
But we know human action, invention, and creation is far more than the end result, and
sitting quietly in the background, starting the wave, is Levy. As he prepares to step down at
the end of the school year, the echo he leaves behind is Ryerson’s student-first approach.
For the past 10 years he’s advocated that Canada put students at the centre of its economic
strategies, and he’s started through action at Ryerson.
“The memories that you have of everyone are your legacy, all you have at the end of the day is your
name, and you hope it’s a good name … If people say ‘He did his best, was an honest guy, and left it better
than he received it,’ that’s good enough.”
There’s no doubt they’ll be saying more than that.
Levy’s success comes from focusing on his passion: student development. As he shows,
the farther you step away from the spotlight, the more people want it on you. What are you
doing to avoid it?
IT’S NEVER
ABOUT ME,
IT’S NEVER
ABOUT
THE OFFICE.
IT TAKES
A COMMUNITY
TO ACHIEVE
ANYTHING.
EVENTS
WE
EXPERIENCE
MOUNT
UP TO
TEACHABLE
MOMENTS.
ECHOES
DEFINEDYARA KASHLAN
echo
noun
noun: echo; plural noun: echoes
definition (As I have come to learn): is one’s experiences throughout their lives, suggest
ing a teachable lesson
An echo can be defined in various ways, but the common concept is that it is a repeating
element. Because the word has different meaning to many people it can kindle a personal
experience. For a hiker, an echo is the sound he hears upon reaching the cave at the top of
a mountain, symbolizing his accomplishment. To an expecting mother, an echo is the ultra-
sound of her child telling her “I’m o.k. in here”. These echoes are sounds of empowerment.
On the other hand, to a student constantly struggling with school, work and life, being worn
out may be the echo telling them to take a break and learn how to achieve balance. A child
learning how to swim may struggle with taking the first jump into the pool. An echoing fear
may take over and hold her back as she attempts to take a big chance and learn how to trust.
We all have echoes in our lives, from recurring ideas, fears, to actions or ambitions.
Events we experience mount up to teachable moments and it is up to us, individually, to
piece the many echoes of our lives together and to really listen and understand what one
particular event or echo meant; for there are many defining moments that shape who we
are. These defining moments are a repetition of a theme in our journey. It is crucial to tap
into, and reflect on the echoes in your life; contemplate and identify them. Some echoes may
appear to inadvertently hold you back and some empower you. When people see a loved
one facing a particular situation, they immediately seek to help. But what many professionals
advise is you can’t help someone if they are not ready to help themselves.
An echo is a good place to start when trying to aspire for change. Do not block these
messages; channel this energy and use it to grow and learn from your life experiences. Repe-
tition can be a positive thing, if you miss the message the first time, it will return to you once
again, usually stronger. Echoes in our lives are messages resonating within us, informing
us that there needs to be change within our lives. It may appear at first that the echoes are
holding you back, but they are actually there to empower if you choose to listen. When you
ignore the messages, that’s when you are held back, but it is not the echo itself that does. To
act upon these echoes creates self-empowerment and growth. So reflect upon your journey
and identify your echoes.

14. 22
THE MESSAGE
BEHIND
ANXIETY
SYDNEY NEILSON
Stress is one of the most intriguing tools within humanity, there to help
us differentiate safety from danger. At its most animalistic core, stress is our
internal alarm whirring to life, reminding us that something’s off. Howev-
er, if you’ve ever been told to “calm down,” only to find that to be about
as helpful as screaming “turn off” at a blaring car alarm, then you know
the feeling. Whether you’re a seasonal stress-fiend or suffer from extreme
anxiety on a regular basis, managing stress is key to leading a manageable,
positive life.
If stress is biologically there to help us and keep us safe, why is it so
hard to control?
Stress is a feeling of tension, whether it’s emotional, physical, or both.
But anxiety is a million things – it’s that spiky heartbeat of dread before
you send in your final paper, it’s the flutter of fear before you step into an
important interview. It’s that endless flicker of doubt that just won’t seem
to falter. Even small, everyday things like using the phone or introducing
yourself can bring about these feelings of deep discomfort. It’s not uncom-
mon, but why?
Ultimately, I see anxiety as your mind trying to bring your attention to
something. Whether it’s something that will inevitably help you grow or not,
it’s a nagging feeling that only gets worse when ignored. Anxiety is a build-
up of passion morphed and manifested into fear, and fear can be a powerful
thing—a great indication that you’re about to do something for yourself.
In this generation of texting, posting, liking, friending, and following, it’s
hard not to get overwhelmed or caught up in the over-generalized culture
of the Internet. The focus on mass appeal and universality has become a
frenzy of click-bait and watered-down content for general appeal. There are
niche websites for every type of egocentrics and personality, and feeling
anxiety over the ostentatious lists of things that “Everyone NEEDS To
Do/Know/Say/Be,” is nothing uncommon. Media can be overwhelming.
However, it’s also something that you can control. Websites have settings
and preferences; use them. Take a light approach to reading online – take
everything with a grain of salt. The Internet is a barely-monitored collec-
tion of anyone and everyone’s ideas, many of which have less-than-pure
ulterior motives rooted in promotions and sales. Remember that you have
just as much of a voice.
Even city living has become a strange burden to bear. When such a
location provides you with so many opportunities to be taken advantage of,
the number of options for every task at hand can be overwhelming. Transit
and dining decisions alone are two of the most prominent “first world
problems” of any city-dweller. However, these stresses are just like every
other – they come with their own batch of comforts and relief as well.
Where else can you find an all-bacon eatery, or a restaurant serviced by the
blind? Remember why you love where you live, and never forget it. There’s
a place for everyone, you’ve just got to look for it.
Stepping out of your comfort zone can bring you that much closer to
mindfulness and peace. It’s hard to tell when fear is excitement manifesting
itself as anxiety, or if the apprehension stems from somewhere real.
There is a balance between anxiety and fear. Fear holds you back, but
can also push you forward. Think of fear in the way that lightning strikes:
it’s surprising and powerful, but there is beauty and strength in it. There
will never be a guarantee that something is “the right thing” to do, but
harnessing that strength within yourself will give you the confidence to
find out.
But what happens when you don’t feel like you’re where you need to be?
A lot of people fall into the unhealthy misstep of looking past progress
and only seeing the ultimate goal (which isn’t always guaranteed). Acknowl-
edging progress is important – for morale, for self-esteem, and for giving
you credit where it’s due. Self-evolution is not a one-step process. Find a
philosophy that works for you, and the benefits will resonate through your
life.
Let it Echo
“Pay it forward” has established itself in recent culture as a paradigm of
positivity and good will—the idea that each good deed procures another,
to another. It’s a phrase people are familiar with, but is not often recog-
nized as a practical philosophy. I believe that the concept of paying it for-
ward is the first step in setting your life up to positively return the favour.
By setting yourself up to naturally emit positivity, it will always come
back around. Your personal investment in the boomerang effect is what
makes the difference. “Pay it forward,” “the boomerang effect,” “the dom-
ino effect,” whatever you want to call it, kindness is contagious.
It’s the little things that make people the happiest, so why not start
there? Adding a pinch of positivity to mundane habits will always help –
changing your morning alarm to a favourite song, putting up posters in a
room you’re always stressing in, finding what makes you happy and hiding
it where you’ll find it later. Putting those feelings of restlessness to bed
with positivity (even for a moment) will always echo back around.
Nobody can know you better than you can know yourself – it just takes
recognizing that fact to motivate you properly. You are the one that feels the
ANXIETY
IS A BUILD-UP
OF PASSION
MORPHED AND
MANIFESTED
INTO FEAR.
stress. You are the one that recognizes the feeling, so you have to be the one
to recognize the source.
Take steps to improve your habits by recognizing your triggers and their
resonance. Does something you or others do make you consistently un-
comfortable or anxious? Figuring out the person, place, or situation that
causes your anxiety to flare is the first step in preventing it. Find the triggers,
understand them, and use them to your advantage.
Listen to your emotions, accept them and use them. When you under-
stand your emotions you can better position yourself to handle them.
Ask yourself the right questions for you. Does it really matter? If it does,
how can you properly adapt for the situation? What have you learned from
your peers, parents, friends, that has helped you manage your stress? Who
do you admire in their stress-management skills? Why? Do you want to be
right or happy?
Give yourself time to think about these things. Complacency is easy, but
it only makes things harder. The idea that leaving something alone will make
it go away is ludicrous—those dishes left overnight will take twice as long to
clean (and you know it). Pushing down your anxiety will only do the same.
Take one question at a time, one worry at a time – remember, self-evo-
lution is never really over. The more powerful your positivity, the more
powerful your echoes.

15. 24
EXPAND
YOUR
ECHOHUNTER MACINNES
You get on a bus, and everybody is looking downwards, transfixed on their technology.
Long gone are the days when you would make eye contact with a stranger and acknowledge
their existence, much less exchange a few words with anybody that you don’t already know.
But it is not the technology itself that has us hypnotized, it is the newly enabled, inherent
need to always be closely connected to the people within our networks. Through these
networks, our thoughts, ideas, accomplishments, and experiences are shared with the people
that we have chosen to connect with on a daily basis. Some people take the time to con-
sciously assess the shared information of others, while others skim through their timelines
passively without much regard for who said or did what. Regardless, your thoughts and ac-
tions are echoing through to the lives of the people you connect with. Although it can often
go unnoticed, you are learning from these people everyday, and adding the knowledge that
they have shared with you, into your own personal repertoire.
Now can you imagine how much more you would know if you opened yourself up to
interacting with people beyond your immediate social circle? What if you left your elec-
tronic devices in your bag and allowed yourself to be approachable to others? What if you
started a conversation with a stranger? You would be astonished at how easy it actually is,
and how rewarding it feels to learn new things from somebody you have never seen before
and may never see again.
Essentially, to converse with a stranger means to converse with someone who has
a different background, different values, different hobbies, different dreams, different
friends, and who has visited different places… These are things that you may never learn
from anybody you are closely acquainted with, as they are too similar to yourself. And the
ideas that are exchanged in such a situation will be projected further than you could possi-
bly have done without this connection. Social networks are very powerful, and I challenge
you to utilize them to their full capacity. Talk to strangers, and expand your echo.
WHAT IF
YOU
STARTED A
CONVERSATION
WITH A
STRANGER?
COMMUNITIES
ARE TAKING
ISSUES SUCH AS
HUNGER,
FOOD
INSECURITY
AND
DIET RELATED
DISEASES
INTO
THEIR OWN
HANDS.
NICOLE NORRIS
I drive my shovel into the soil underneath the hearty roots of a persistent daylily. I reach
down and pull on it hard. It resists being torn out with all its might, but my hands are strong
and my will is stronger. As I hear its roots tear, it releases its grip on the soil and I hold it up
and reflect on how there is something so satisfying about working the land. A sort of pri-
mal ecstasy that is only realized in understanding that where there is death, there is also life.
This land needs to be prepared in order to plant food, and as a result the daylilies must
go. But this land is not actually land at all, this is the Rye’s HomeGrown Rooftop farm on
Ryerson Campus which lies atop the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre. I am
a member of a small team of volunteers who have come together to transform the roof into
a thriving jungle of food producing plants. As excited as I am to give this garden my blood
sweat and tears, this isn’t just about getting my hands dirty and discovering the inner farmer
in me. This is a political action.
In many neighbourhoods around the city food is becoming the common language that
connects us. One can hardly walk fifty feet through Regent Park, South Riverdale or Trinity
Spadina without encountering food gardens crammed into front yards, backyards, balconies,
roofs and parks. These gardens, with their cluttered masses of entangled vines are beautiful
for what they represent. Growing food with our neighbours has the capacity to build bridg-
es between cultures through our interactions and the sharing of knowledge, which can create
meaningful partnerships. Community gardens are tangible representations of how many
low-income communities are taking issues such as hunger, food insecurity and diet related
diseases into their own hands. They can be a place of relaxation, spirituality and connection
to each other, our bodies and the earth (even if that earth is a vertical balcony garden 10
stories above the ground). Coming together to grow food in the spirit of solidarity gives
us a forum to discuss social change and the faults of the current food system. A system
which is based on environmentally damaging processes, the devaluation of food diversity
and exploitation of its farmers.
Just like in the rest of the city, a food revolution is occurring on Ryerson’s campus that
is concerned with local food, food justice and food access. As our understanding of where
food can be grown expands, so too does our definition of what an urban food movement
can look like. One where we can come together to grow, cook, eat and discuss those issues
that matter most.
URBAN
AGRICUTURE

16. 26
REMNANTS
OF
CHOICE
ANDREA VACL
Imagine shredding a plastic bottle into miniscule pieces and then dump-
ing those pieces into a pot of water. The result, a plastic soup, is what large
parts of the ocean look like.
Plastic makes its way into the ocean in a number of ways. Debris includ-
ing plastic is often washed into waterways after storms. Also, before plastics
are made in to consumer products, the nurdles, or plastic pellets, which are
melted down and moulded to create products, often escape during transport
and find their way into channels. On an even smaller level, microbeads (plas-
tic bits smaller than a millimeter) found in facial products and toothpastes
are regularly washed down drains and into streams because most water treat-
ment plants have difficulty filtering them out. Most plastic found in aquatic
environments comes from on-land activity, including plastic litter.
Once plastic enters bodies of water it drifts out to the ocean, where
circular currents push debris into central locations far from land. These
currents are called gyres. There are five gyres in the world’s oceans where
debris collects and slowly breaks down. In the past, when all the debris in
the ocean was biodegradable, the centers of gyres were nutrient rich. Then
plastic arrived. The most researched of all the gyres, the North Pacific Gyre,
is estimated to have a plastic garbage-patch approximately the size of Texas.
But if you were to fly over the North Pacific Gyre you wouldn’t see a state-
sized island of floating plastic bottles and bags. As plastic floats through the
water it is exposed to ultraviolet radiation and heat from the sun, causing it
to break into smaller and smaller pieces, until it becomes as small as individ-
ual polymers dispersed through the water like confetti. As plastics break in
water they can release chemicals added to them during the manufacturing
process, such as flame retardants, and in the case of some polycarbonate
plastics, Bisphenol-A (BPA). Some studies show that BPA interferes with
natural hormones and can cause reproductive issues, among other health
problems. BPA is not a naturally occurring compound, yet it has become so
dispersed that nearly everyone in the world has traces of it in their bodies.
Plastics in the environment not only release chemicals but absorb them
as well. As plastic products break down, their total surface area increases,
in turn increasing available space to chemically bond with toxic persistent
organic pollutants such as PAHs, PCBs and DDTs. This causes the small
plastic pieces in the ocean to act like sponges, absorbing toxic chemical in
their surrounding environment.
The presence of these toxin soaked plastics, dispersed throughout
aquatic environments is impacting wildlife immensely. “Midway: Message
from the Gyre” is a photographic art project by Chris Jordan which features
photographs of dead albatrosses on the Midway Atoll in the Pacific. What
makes his photographs shocking is seeing the mounds of multi-coloured
plastics in the centre of decomposing albatross flesh and feathers. These
birds are consuming so much plastic that their stomachs become full of
it preventing them from eating real food and starving them to death from
lack of nutrients
According to Algalita Marine Research and Education in 2009, on av-
erage, there was 36 times more plastic than natural zooplankton (one of
the smallest organisms in the ocean) by weight in the North Pacific Ocean.
Small toxic bits of plastic are eaten by small organisms at the bottom of
the food web. As the plastics make their way up through the food chain
through bio amplification, toxins bond to the fat cells of the organisms they
enter, eventually reaching much higher levels in bigger fish and other aquatic
organisms. We then eat these fish.
Our plastic trash that we send out in garbage trucks is echoed back to us,
appearing on our dinner plates.
There are some ideas on how to fix the problem but they all have chal-
lenges to face in finding a solution to our plastic problem. Plastic is changing
how the ecosystem interacts with its environment which has created what
scientists call the plastisphere. For example, coral reefs have started to grow
on floating trash and sea skaters eggs have increased on microplastics. How
do you remove plastic without affecting the organisms living on it? Also a
clean-up operation on a large scale is costly. Finding the money to launch a
project can be an issue.
The Clean Oceans Project is a non-profit from California that is pro-
posing that a large catamaran skim the surface for plastic by sweeping
debris into streams and bring it on to a conveyer belt that wards off sea
creatures by vibrating. The plastics collected would then be sorted by
polymer. A Blest plastic-to-crude oil converter would be used to pro-
duce energy to fuel the project. The project would only remove larger
floating pieces of plastic, but removing larger pieces of plastic should
reduce microplastics over time. The project would also rely heaving on
other organizations to fund it since it is not profitable.
Boyan Slat, a Dutch engineering student, developed a passive collection
system where manta-ray shaped platforms connected by booms, catching
plastics as the currents move through them and allowing wildlife to pass
underneath. All the plastic that is collected would be separated by gentle
centrifugation and the plastic would be sold to recyclers to cover the cost
of the project.
But even if either of these projects is successful in alleviating the prob-
lem, the problem will be never ending if we continue to produce plastic at
exceptionally high rates with minimal recycling. The fate of our oceans lies
with the producer and the consumer.
THE
NORTH PACIFIC
GYRE,
IS ESTIMATED
TO HAVE
A PLASTIC
GARBAGE PATCH
APPROXIMATELY
THE SIZE OF
TEXAS.

17. 28
WHAT DO
WE WANT
TO LEAVE?ISHRAT FATIMA
The word “echo” comes from Greek mythology. Echo was the name of a nymph who
was given the task of diverting the Goddess, Hera’s attention while the God of sky and
thunder, Zeus had an affair. Hera eventually discovered what Echo had done, and eternally
cursed her for it, reducing her to only be able to repeat what others around her would say.
This leaves us with an interesting concept: Are echoes a curse, as Hera intended them to
be? This curse may not impact us the way that it did the nymph, but the concept still remains
relatively similar. If repetition can be a curse, I wonder then, are we doomed to repeat the
mistakes of the past? Are we to only recycle and reuse all the ideas, thoughts, innovations,
music, words, and solutions of the past? Is this curse something inevitable, and something
that Hera put on all of us? Some days it seems so. Especially when violence, ignorance and
indifference plagues our world in the same manner that it did centuries ago.
The “curse” can be broken, and in fact has been, many times, by various and differing
individuals. People like the author Maya Angelou, leaders such as Nelson Mandela and many
other artists and great thinkers sought to change the way in which we perceive this world
and how we handle ourselves within it. These people left behind positive echoes for us to
hear and learn from. On the other hand we have people who conformed to negative echoes.
People like Genghis Khan or Hitler – people who still affect the way people think. They are
examples of negative echoes, the repercussions of which still linger to this day.
Hera intended repetition to be a form of eternal torment for Echo. In an ideal world,
Echo could very well alter this torment by surrounding herself with the good and the posi-
tive, and therefore repeating and spreading those same qualities for herself and others. But
what about the negative? How would Echo prevent herself from forming destructive and
harmful repetitions? She would have to ask herself if there is a way in which she could break
the curse. All change starts on an individual level.
Increasing our degree of consciousness in any given situation is one of the most im-
portant ways to prevent ourselves from forming echoes that impact others in a negative way.
More specifically, being conscious of our feelings and their effects.
On an individual level, this can be done by keeping track of how we feel and especially
how these feelings translate into our actions. This is central to what we emit into the world
because our feelings impact our actions, and those actions impact other people’s feelings.
Being aware of ourselves and what we give off to those around us isn’t completely in-
trinsic. It’s not an inherent quality. It’s a habit that grows sharper and stronger with time and
effort, something that must constantly be worked on. The way we make other people feel is
one of the biggest echoes that we leave behind. These echoes to some extent have control
over the thoughts, energies, feelings and ideas that others have, and that they will then spread
on their own. Echo would aim to propagate the parts of her that leave behind echoes of
compassion and goodness, therefore encouraging it for others.
Whether it is the words that we write, the music that we create, the ideas that we sup-
port or the way that we make other people feel; we have not only the opportunity, but the
responsibility to make sure that we are leaving behind messages of growth, love, creation,
empowerment, justice and truth.
THE INCREDIBLE
EXCITEMENT
ABOUT
A NEW SPACE
IS QUICKLY
REPLACED
BY THE CULTURE
OF THOSE
WHO USE IT.
TYLER WEBB
Next semester Ryerson will open the doors to its newest building, the Student Learning
Centre (SLC). The SLC will redefine student space on campus, providing room for 2,300
students to study, collaborate and share ideas. It will host impressive new facilities including
a Digital Media Zone expansion, a Digital Media Experience hub and consolidated Student
Learning Support programs. It’s a building to be excited about.
But a strange thing happens when students finish their studies in four short years.
Buildings that forever changed the landscape of campus start to feel as though they have
always been there. Think of the Mattamy Athletic Centre, the Image Arts Building or
the Ted Rogers School of Management. The incredible excitement about a new space is
quickly replaced by the culture of those who use it. Each new building is filled with the
echoes of the cohorts that pass through it, its culture and community informed by the
every day actions of the students who inhabit it.
Our challenge, as the first cohort of the SLC is to define that culture. We have the op-
portunity to actively decide the tone of the building and how the community uses it. We
have at our fingertips a world-class learning destination, a building all Ryerson students can
be proud to call home.
Since 2008 thousands of students have had their say in what the SLC should be. The
information gained from surveys, town halls, focus groups, and campus canvassing has di-
rectly informed every design element of the building. Now it is our time to decide what
culture we will build, what our everyday actions will be, what will echo through the SLC for
generations of students to come. In a few short years, when a new Ryerson student steps
foot in the SLC will they immediately feel proud of the space? Will the energy of the build-
ing inspire them? Those answers are up to all of us and we have been given, in true Ryerson
fashion, the chance to make our mark.
ryerson.ca/slc
#RSLC
SLC:
A LEGACY
IF REPETITION
CAN BE
A CURSE,
I WONDER
THEN,
ARE WE
DOOMED
TO REPEAT
THE MISTAKES
OF THE PAST?

18. 30
THE
ART
SECTION

19. 32
ANNA AVITSIAN
“ABSTRACT LIGHTS 1”
AVITSIANANNA.TUMBLR.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/AVITSIANANNA

20. 34
ANNA AVITSIAN
“ABSTRACT LIGHTS 2”
AVITSIANANNA.TUMBLR.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/AVITSIANANNA

21. 36
ANYA MIELNICZEK
“ROTATIONS”
WWW.ANYAMIELNICZEK.COM
ANYAMIELNICZEK.TUMBLR.COM
THEDIMESHOP.BIGCARTEL.COM
@ ANYAMIELNICZEK

22. 38
I TURNED MY
HEAD SO HE
COULDN’T
KISS ME.
RELINQUISHING
WHAT LITTLE
CONTROL I
HAD LEFT
I TURNED MY HEAD SO
HE COULDN’T
KISS ME.
IRONICALLY,
IT WAS TO
THE LEFT
I TURNED MY HEAD SO
HE COULDN’T
KISS ME.
HE FINISHED.
GOT UP AND LEFT.
I TURNED
MY HEAD SO
HE COULDN’T
KISS ME.
JUMPSEAT FLASHBACKS.
NAVY NYLON,
TILTED, LEFT
I TURNED MY
HEAD SO
HE COULDN’T
KISS ME.
“THAT WAS HIM WASN’T IT?”
AS HE TURNED
AND LEFT.
I TURNED
MY HEAD
SO HE COULDN’T
KISS ME.
“IT’S JUST AN EXAM.”
SOOTHES A NURSE
ON MY LEFT.
I TURNED MY
HEAD SO HE COULDN’T
KISS ME.
THEN THERE WAS
NOTHING LEFT.
THE
LITTLE
THINGS
KATIE ADDISON
“TRANSFER”
KAYTEERELL.TUMBLR.COM
@KAYTAYADDISON
HOLLY BLAIR
DEDICATED TO PASCALE FOREST-AXFORD

23. 40
SAM HEICHERT
“ROTATIONS”
SAM.HEICHERT@GMAIL.COM
BEHANCE.NET/SAM-HEICHERT
@SAMHIKURT

24. 42
SAM HEICHERT
“BOOKENDS”
SAM.HEICHERT@GMAIL.COM
BEHANCE.NET/SAM-HEICHERT

25. 44
DAVID BRAME
“LYE TO FIT IN”
AMAZINGDAVIDILLUSTRATION@GMAIL.COM
DAVIDBRAME.WEEBLY.COM

26. 46
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AMAZING
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