Zen and the art of late night baking
By Kait Thompson
Ever since I moved into a house with a full size kitchen, I haven’t been able to stop baking. Pies, cakes, muffins, breads — you name it, I am probably trying to learn how to bake it. It’s funny though, I don’t really know what I’m doing. This hobby quite literally sprung up overnight. As an insomniac, my late night baking adventures have become my go-to for clearing my head and helping me unwind. Like my own little meditation practice, it’s a ritual carried out in the quietest part of the night when my thoughts are at their loudest. The process of carefully measuring ingredients pairs well with the tactile experience of rolling out dough, and suddenly my anxieties of the day are melting away as my stand mixer hums softly in the corner. There is something about the slow, one-thing-at-a-time nature of baking that feels luxurious in an overstimulated and hyperactive world. So, next time you get tired of counting sheep, I recommend making a pot of sleepytime tea and busting out that chocolate chip cookie recipe. Worst case, there’s nothing quite like fresh baked cookies for breakfast. Best case, you too might find inner peace at the bottom of a mixing bowl.
Going slow to get there fast
By Chandy Dancey
Want to learn the best way to give up people-pleasing tendencies? Drive at or just above the speed limit. I’m serious. In fact, obey nearly all traffic laws and watch as the driving world practically crumbles in your chaotic-good wake. If you immediately scoffed at my suggestion of being a hallmark driver, hear me out: nearly everyone will still pass you on roads and highways if you’re going 10 km/hr above the speed limit. So, if it’s inevitable, you might as well go slower to avoid a ticket and the risk of a bad collision, as well as develop the virtue known as patience. I drive the speed limit to train myself to go at my own pace and stop worrying about external pressures. Screw you, toxic road users. I’m chasing my bliss at a cool, calm, and collected 50 km/hr (maybe 55 if I’m being naughty). However, if you decide to use these techniques instead (or alongside) therapy for people-pleasing, just remember not to stop suddenly and to leave more space between you and the car in front of you.
Companies should include the screen protector
By Remington Fioraso
Over time, it feels as though cell phones have become more fragile the more advanced they get. When I had my first cell phone, a Motorola Razr, it felt invincible. It could be dropped without anything happening to it, with no extra accessories needed to protect it.Â
Yet, after recently getting a new Samsung phone, I instantly had to buy a screen protector. The screen protector has become an essential item to avoid getting cracked screens, scratches, or having accidents (ie. dropping it from short distances). Without it, it feels like I am living on the edge, hoping for something not to happen to it.  Â
Companies should include the protector, or at least create more resistant products. Since we are going back to some flip phone style smartphones, the durability should make a comeback as well.Â
 You should see the other guy
By Emmaline Spencer
A regular occurrence in my life is tripping on stairs. Normally, I catch myself and prevent any real injury. Unfortunately, my most recent trip turned out to be more of a quick drop that ended with a free ticket to the emergency room. If there is any advice I could give at this moment, it’s to always watch your step. I’d only managed a couple steps before falling face first down a flight of stairs. I’m not sure if I’m lucky or not, since I fell down stairs and landed on my neck, but also managed to escape with minimal injuries.Â
In the wake of my incident, the question of how to answer what happened to my face has come about. Do I say the truth, silly as it is, that I merely tripped on my own two feet? Do I make up a grandiose story of fighting a bear? Should I make fun of my incident and say, “As bad as I look, you ought to see how those stairs are looking”? I like to change the answer each time I am asked, though I think my favourite one is “I fought some stairs… and the stairs won.”
Emmaline is working on her BA and ambitions to become an English teacher. They always say, those who cannot do, teach. She spends her free time buying, reading, and hoarding books with the hope that one day she will have no furniture and instead only have piles of books.
The Managing Editor is responsible for providing support to the Executive Editor in respect to editorial workflow and administration, and an educational resource for sectional editors and volunteers. The Managing Editor is also responsible for internal editorial and volunteer relations.
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
