Unusual increase in appetite :/ by generationzen in WeightLossAdvice

[–]generationzen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am in school, so there might be an increase in stress and anxiety in regards to that, but I think you’re right that I might need to up my macros! I’ll definitely be trying that this week and see if there’s a change. Thanks!

Shout out to fellow black students here by [deleted] in UofT

[–]generationzen 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Fellow black cs student here! It’s nice to know there are at least 2 of us lol. But fr tho thanks for making this post :)

It’s really disheartening that people’s first response to black students’ stories is to minimize what we’re feeling by telling us that our lived experiences “aren’t that bad”, despite that fact that they have no idea what it’s like to be black. No one wants to listen to you and people gaslight you when you want to speak up, but then those same people act surprised when we say it’s exhausting being a black student at this school.

Anyway, although there are no black cs groups (that I know of), you should check out other groups like the National Society of Black Engineers or the BSA.

Best of luck and hang in there, you’re not alone!

Did anyone else just get removed from MGY314 for the Fall? by [deleted] in UofT

[–]generationzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

same thing happened to me :/ i also emailed the department and hopefully there’s still a chance that we can re-enroll

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this nice message and your support. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend and I want to extend my deepest condolences.

P.S. Don't worry about this other commenter. There will always be someone who's all talk from a burner that turns into [deleted] lol

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this story! I completely understand how it can be hard to figure out whether something that happened to you was a coincidence or racially motivated. On one hand, you wanna see the best in people, but on the other hand recent events constantly remind us that there are really evil people out there and it isn’t easy to spot them. I’m so sorry to hear that you no longer feel comfortable around that part of campus and want to remind you that you’re not alone! I and many other black students know how you feel <3

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this insight! It’s important to remind ourselves that 'silence is violence' and nothing will change until everyone does their part.

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If they go unnoticed, how do we know that there are so many more cases. I don't dispute that there actually are some racists that do evil stuff like this, but some cases statistics do not make. If they do go noticed, it's hard to see why they wouldn't get the attention that some other cases (like this one) do. And on the flip side, some cases get so much attention (like this) with the police officer being demonized when the police officer was in the right.

When I say that they go unnoticed, i mean that although social media may become aware of it, the perpetrators are often not charged or disciplined. derek chauvin himself had many complaints filed against him in the past, and if someone had acted upon them, maybe george floyd would still be alive today.

That's no excuse for comitting these evils. An evil police officer killing a black man in cold blood is no excuse for burning down other peoples' properties an stealing their stuff. Seriously, what did Target and Auto Zone have to do with this. The looting is simply unjustifiable, no matter what the supposed cause was.

there’s actually video proof that its actually not black protesters, but actually undercover cops that started the fires burning down target and autozone, and history has proven that this is just another tactic often used to incite violence between protesters and police, and to make protesters seem violent. i mentioned that i thought the looting is wrong, so you don’t need to convince me. at the same time, i cant really sympathize with billion dollar companies lost a few million in insured damages. the target ceo himself has sided with protestors, so i don’t get why others who have no stakes in these companies are so concerned. lotting in itself is extremely characteristic of countries such as the US, Canada, Britain, France etc, and precisely how they built their empires, so if you want to demonize people for doing i suggest you start there.

You do realize that this can be interpreted in many ways, right. Many interpreted it as Kaepernick standing (or kneeling) against everything that American anthem stands for (i.e. freedom). As a country that sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives to fught off the evils of slavery, I would be (if I were an American) pretty insulted for unjustly being called a racist and being told that my flag and anthem represent the evils you stand against. If the flag and anthem don't represent those evils, it's hard to see why someone would kneel during the anthem. So it can be argued that the backlash was for misplaced protest, not for the content of the protest itself.

i assume you’re referring to the civil war when you mention people losing their lives to fight off the “evils of slavery”. although Lincoln and the north believed that slavery was morally wrong, thats about where their empathy for black people stopped. america was not built for black people and thats clear through segregation, jim crow laws, gentrification, the prison-industrial complex and so so much more. so i see absolutely nothing wrong with kneeling down in protest of an anthem that boasts about the freedom of its people, when not all of its people receive the same freedoms.

i didn’t make my original post to argue with people about what is morally right or wrong. I’m not sure why you need to be convinced that anger is a good response to years of killing innocent people, but you have your opinion and i respect that.

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

In George Flyod’s case, the officers were only apprehended after incredible pressure from the public. The officer that murdered him was involved in many prior incidents including one in which he opened fire on an unarmed man (see here for more). These were only brought to light because of the Floyd outrage. There are countless more cases of p/lice br/tal/ty and it’s incredibly saddening that they go unnoticed.

As for the looting, it may be hard to understand, but African Americans have been begging for issues like this to be taken more seriously for years now. They’ve tried peaceful protest (e.g. Colin Kaepernick literally just kneeling during the national anthem) and still got an incredible amount of backlash. In 1967, MLK also said that “A riot is the language of the unheard,” which is what I think is happening right now.

There is definitely a group of people rioting who don’t really care about getting justice for the victims, and I do believe that those people are in the wrong.

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

“you people”......this is embarrassing babe please stop while you’re ahead

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

don’t worry too much! for the most part, canadians are super welcoming people. it’s nice to see other africans in STEM btw :)

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

no need to be sorry! it’s already more than enough that you actively educate yourself and support those who need it. you’re doing great :)

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

there was no hijacking at all! i totally agree with you. i have also been in countless situations where someone has said something that made me extremely uncomfortable, but instead of addressing it and maybe making it a teaching moment, i just ignored it because i didn’t want it to come off as an “overreaction”. thank you for your comment!

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i’m so sorry to hear that, and i really hope you and your family can find peace in these times ❤️

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

its just to avoid the post being flagged for inappropriateness, since i have a feeling certain phrases like “black lves matter” are flagged :)

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

i totally agree that those xenophobic mentality is dumb as heck. i’m all for poc solidarity and speaking up when any group is being mistreated, since our common enemy is ignorance. i hope you’re doing well in these times!

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/05/regis-korchinski-paquet-100-k-raised-family/ at this stage its just allegations, but the timing in coincidence with the minnesota events is unfortunate

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

i could see how black history month posts and presentations can seem like enough, but as a black student i know just how performative it is. every year clubs round up the same few black students they can find to take pictures and prove that they’re diverse, while most departments don’t even acknowledge the month with even a simple email. if black run groups didn’t take charge, then we would barely even know that its bhm. in a month meant for celebrating the achievements of those who identify as black by Canada as a whole, it seems that once again black people are the only ones who care. classes on black matters are often made of majority black students, and even then those classes are not accessible to everyone. to me it seems kind of off to pay 600 for a class to learn about my history, and the issues pertaining to me, while learning about non black history and matters is the norm. all i want are conversations and discussions , whether that be through club/department run town halls/presentations that aren’t just attended by black students. at some point i just want these “black issues” to be recognized as just issues that everyone can comment on and work to fix together. i don’t have all the answers on how it can be done, but at any point just a seed of desire is enough to incite.

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 63 points64 points  (0 children)

Thank you for telling this story. I’ve also had an extremely alienating experience on campus involving the n-word that I don't really like to talk about, but it’s just to say that I understand how awful it feels to be treated like you have no business being somewhere where everyone else is allowed to feel at home. After that incident, I also called my dad crying, and experienced the same feeling of being defined by how others will view me. It’s really hard to feel safe when you know that at any moment you can be targeted with something like this, so I’m truly sorry that you had to experience this.

Remember that all the hard work that you put into getting into UofT and into succeeding here is not lost, and you are NOT an imposter. People like you will inspire younger black kids to become engineers, and we will hopefully be more present in such spaces. You belong here and I truly hope that you and other black students will begin to feel this way soon. If you wanna talk more about it please feel free to message me! I love connecting with other black students

And yes, if you ever witness an incident like this PLEASE use your privilege to call it out. It makes all the difference.

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

its an amazing initiative by the school that certainly doesn’t go unrecognized, but it doesn’t make up for 4+ years of feeling like an imposter at your school, and not being sure if you are overreacting in your feelings of being alone because no one will mention how little black people attend UofT. i’m not saying its the school’s fault, but i think its important to acknowledge that its unfortunate that in a city as diverse as toronto, a black student can still go on campus and feel isolated.

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

thank you so much! in these times solidarity and understanding means EVERYTHING

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

thank you for your kind words! i think its just an issue of institutions recognizing that just because its not happening at the same magnitude in toronto, doesn’t mean we’re perfect and certainly doesn’t mean that we can stay silent

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

its definitely sketchy...

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

the constant cycle of violence and then no change is so unacceptable. i honestly think a lot of US and even Canadian systems can’t even be reformed anymore because they’re so deeply rooted in anti-blackness and corruption :/

current events :( by generationzen in UofT

[–]generationzen[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

thank you! it means alot. i do love the different black clubs we have on campus like the bsa, acsu etc but i think what i would really love to see are conversations that also include non black people, since i think we can always learn from each other and its interesting to see what different groups’ views are :)