FEBRUARY 2022 - The Reckoner
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FEBRUARY 2022
5 FEBRUARY 2022 2 www.thereckoner.ca
5 FEBRUARY 2o22
VOL 1o NO. 3
Cover Art: Lucy Qi
4 Photography & Life Board Contest Winners: Reflections in Ice
NEWS
6 Scottie Barnes' Spectacular Performance in the Toronto
Raptors vs. Washington Wizards Game
7 The Delayed Return to In-Person Learning
9 MGCI Debate Delivers at Queen's High School
Debating Championship
LIFE
10 pillow talk
12 Ruins
13 Summer's Day
15 incompetence
16 All the Various Colours
17 mixed feelings
18 The heart
19 Afternoon
EDITORIAL
20 Inequality, Aid, and Coal: Tales of Climate Hypocrisy
22 Terrors of Taking TTC
23 The Rings We Reject
24 Peeling A Scab: Pandemic Restrictions
26 Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be Mandated
www.thereckoner.ca 3
REFLECTIONS IN ICE
As you may have noticed over the years, dear
readers, news articles in The Reckoner are
typically paired with photographs, where-
as our Life pieces are accompanied mostly
by illustrations. This year, we wanted to try
something different. In January, we asked
you to submit your stories, poems, and pho-
tographs, in an effort to unite two forms
that are too often separated in our newspa-
per: creative writing and photography. One
winning poem and one winning photograph
have been chosen, and they have been print-
ed jointly below. The theme of this multi-
media contest was "Reflections in Ice."
Photograph: Nikolas Zahariadis
4 www.thereckoner.ca
VOL. 10 NO. 3 No Body, No Crime by SAMAYA SADIQ Your blood on my hands You haunt the bottom of the frozen lake Your body in the lake My actions reflect the emotions on your face Your perfume in the air Your piercing gaze finds no guilt Gloves wrap around my fingers A power no greater Goosebumps dance across my skin The pleasure of knowledge The crispness of winter slices through the air Acceptance of no emotions Spiraling confusion Lakes drown out voices Moonlight mixed with betrayal Lakes wash off fingerprints A sudden stop of time Lakes don’t kiss and tell
5 FEBRUARY 2022
NEWS BOARD
A board to keep the student body informed about their school and local community.
Scottie Barnes’ Spectacular Performance in the
Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards Game
by SAM LI
S haquille O’Neal, the retired four-
time NBA champion, would
definitely have been proud of 6’10”
the pass came through, it could lead to
an open 3 in the opposite corner.
With this quick game reset and
held the score at 95-77. However,
Washington outscored Toronto and
limited the team to 29% shooting; the
Scottie Barnes’ performance against steal, Pascal Siakam finished the play Raptors blew their 18-point lead late
the Washington Wizards. The once- with a layup. The Raptors entered in the game. With 1:10 left, Wizard
supreme paint beast has griped about halftime with a 55-54 lead. Montrezl Harrels’ dunk tied the game
the lacking influence of traditional at 102. Fred VanVleet’s tie-breaking
big men for a decade now, but after 40 three gave the Raptors the much
minutes of play, the 4th overall pick needed advantage, and they were able
out of Florida State was starting to to scrape the win, with the final score
show future all-star potential with his being 109-105.
tenacious defense and jaw-dropping Rookie Scottie Barnes had a career-
paint presence. high night of 27 points, eight rebounds
Barnes and the Toronto Raptors and one assist. VanVleet scored 21 and
played a road game against the 12 assists, and Siakam also scored 21
Wizards on 21 January at Capital points. Toronto coach Nick Nurse used
One Arena. The game was the second a nine-player rotation, whereas in
in NBA history where two Japanese Illustration: Zoe Cheng previous games against the Miami Heat
players faced each other: Toronto’s and Dallas Mavericks, the Raptors had
Yuta Watanabe and Washington’s Rui With both teams neck to neck early had a tight seven-player rotation.
Hachimura. in the third, Barnes led the team Wizards’ star player, Bradley Beal,
The first quarter got off to a slow with 10 points and demonstrated his talked about Barnes’ performance in
start as the Raptors trailed by as much versatility perfectly—not only was he a post-game interview: “Tonight, he
as double digits. However, as the a dominant inside scorer, but he also looked like a star. He was making jump
second quarter began, the Raptors took showed off his range and exceptional hooks all night. He was breaking us
advantage of 9 Wizard turnovers and ball handling. 5 seconds down on the down. He wasn’t doing anything crazy.
scored 18 points off of them. With 1:36 shot clock with Raptor possession He kept his game simple.’’ With Scottie
remaining and the Raptors trailing by at 8:03, Barnes drove straight into Barnes’ pure dominance and drive, the
2, Barnes’ steal secured Toronto the the post, but instead of bullying his entire nation has high expectations for
ball. After running back following an defender down low, he pulled back with the Raptors rookie. ■
empty offensive possession, Barnes quick hesitation and shot a smooth
not only had court vision to read the elbow jumper. It was the farthest field Works Cited
incoming pass into the post by Wizard goal he had made up to that point in [1] https://www.nba.com/game/tor-vs-
was-0022100689
number 26, Spencer Dwinwiddee, the game. The Raptors finished the
[2] https://theathletic.com/nba/
but he also hustled knowing their quarter with a 22-6 point run. boxscore/?id=17381
transition defense wasn’t set so that if Early in the fourth, the Raptors [3] https://twitter.com/raptorsrepublic
6 www.thereckoner.ca
NEWS BOARD
The Delayed Return to In-Person Learning
by ZAHRA AHMED
W hat was a highly anticipated
two-week winter break for
all students across the province
will receive a notification.
When asked about her thoughts
after finding out COVID cases
community, we deserve to know—
it gives us a sense of security.”
As the number of Omicron
roughly pivoted to a five-week will no longer be counted, cases and hospitalizations
gap before in-person learning Sarah Hira, a Grade 11 student continued to rise throughout
resumed on 19 January. attending in-person schooling, the break, students and teachers
As students concluded 2021, said, “Not reporting the active anxiously waited on news
the return date to school was set cases in schools allows the virus regarding the plan back to
for 3 January. However, over a to stay hidden when it spreads. school. Tweets of leaked decisions
week and a half into the break, That is a risk to everyone, and regarding postponed in-person
the Government of Ontario not just students. No one really learning circulated through
announced its postponement knows how safe our school is, and social media platforms, but the
for both virtual and in-person how safe the people going there final statement was released by
students to 5 January. The extra are. As members of the school the provincial government on
two-day window was for school
districts to prepare for additional
public health measures; the
COVID-19 screener for schools and
daycares required updating, and
schools were to provide three-ply
cloth masks to students and put
a pause on high-contact indoor
sports and some extracurricular
activities.
Following the announcement,
an email was sent to all families
from the Toronto District School
Board (TDSB) on 30 December,
notifying that the Ministry of
Education will no longer be
collecting COVID-19 case numbers
from schools. Whereas in the
past year, the school community
received updates whenever there
was an active case in the building,
cases will now be tracked through
student absences. Families will
only be notified once a school
hits a 30% absence rate above
standard attendance—and only
then will closures be considered.
Students and teachers directly in
contact with the COVID-19 case Photograph: Angela Xu
www.thereckoner.ca 7
5 FEBRUARY 2022
3 January. All schools were to stated, “Final marks will not be and extend remote learning for
move to remote learning from 5 negatively affected by the final one more day.
January to 17 January. As soon evaluations (final performance Recognizing how the last-
as the transition was announced, tasks, interviews, etc.). Marks minute change of plans was
Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute will ref lect work done up until difficult for many families, as
administrators sent out a school- December 17, 2021.” Teachers well as the continued efforts
wide email reaching out to would continue assigning work for cleanup following the major
students who required devices and giving feedback; however, snowstorm, the Director of
to engage in virtual education; the work "will only be taken into Education, Colleen Russell-
students who were in need of a consideration for Semester 1 final Rawlins, communicated that both
Chromebook or internet access marks if it improves the student’s live and virtual learning were to
were asked to complete the Google mark.” Additionally, students close for the next day, 18 January.
Form as soon as possible. were given the opportunity to TDSB students finally made their
In emails to families, the TDSB complete the semester virtually. return to school on 19 January.
emphasized how it prioritizes The TDSB stated, “We know that Regular safety protocols were in
students’ mental health as some families and students will place; students were required to
the unprecedented challenges choose not to return to in-person complete a self-screening before
continue to come with the learning for a period of time for entering the school, follow social
pandemic. In addition to school- a variety of reasons.” Students
distancing measures, and always
provided resources, they shared who chose to remain virtual
wear a mask. During the morning
more support links on their until 1 February did not need to
announcements, it was advised
website. “I appreciate how TDSB inform the school, as they would
for students to spread out in the
made an effort to recognize our be expected to log in everyday and
building during lunch. All sports
mental health and well-being; attend class virtually.
and extracurricular activities were
however, I think the decision Grade 11 student Kainat Fatima
put on a pause; many transitioned
to go virtual should have been said, “It made me feel secure in
back to virtual meetings.
announced earlier. It wasn’t a a sense because everything I’ve
According to the Principal, Mr.
complete surprise because it was been working hard for over the
Di Felice, approximately 300
foreseeable, but knowing that we semester won’t go down. But on
students have decided to stay
were going virtual would have the other hand, it stressed me
virtual, while 1 500 students have
given us more peace of mind,” says out a bit more because we’ve
made their return to school.
Raneem Alturk, Grade 12 student. never gotten to experience a
On 5 January, students stepped proper finals season, and we’re When asked how it felt to return
foot into the new year of learning graduating next year.” to school, Grade 11 student Omar
online, and continued virtual Amid the preparation for the Memon said, “School did feel
learning for around two weeks. return to school, on 16 January, empty, which is understandable
The return to in-person learning Environment Canada issued a as many people would want to
for students in school boards snowfall warning for the City stay away from crowds at this
across the province was then of Toronto. Given the forecast, time. But school has never, and
confirmed to be on 17 January. TDSB informed families that the I don’t think ever will, feel like a
In the email following the snowfall might impact student ghost town. The staff and teachers
announcement, the TDSB and staff safety with respect at MGCI have done a great deal to
addressed a few updates to commute and school bus keep the environment as fun as
concerning secondary evaluations operations. As per the TDSB’s possible, so huge props to them.”
and end-of-semester classes. As Severe Weather Procedure, the As in-person and virtual
the move between in-person and board assessed the weather students conclude their first
virtual learning took place close situation and made the decision at semester, spirits and hopes are
to the end of the semester, they 6 am to close in-person schooling high for the semester to come. ■
8 www.thereckoner.ca
NEWS BOARD
MGCI Debate Delivers at Queen’s The event also included a
free seminar about improving
High School Debating debate preparation skills guid-
ed by semi-finalist in the World
Championship
Universities Debating Champi-
onship, Naomi Panovka. Many
of MGCI’s club members attend-
ed this seminar, taking notes
by ANNE LIU and learning from her talk to
F rom 22 to 23 January, Marc
Garneau Collegiate Insti-
tute’s Debate Club attended the
they also began practicing spe-
cifically for this competition
two weeks in advance. They
improve in future rounds.
The day wrapped up with
the awards ceremony on Sun-
Queen’s High Schools Debating went through several topics– day evening. A special highlight
Championship. Five teams were ranging from economic issues to from the MGCI teams that at-
sent on behalf of the school, con- those of international relations– tended was the team GM LM,
sisting of students from Grade 9 and debated many rounds to fa- consisting of Grade 12 students
to Grade 12. miliarize themselves with the Taira Mehta and Larissa Long,
Due to limited availability, themes likely to be discussed at that placed ninth among 240
along with great interest in the Queen’s. teams.
tournament, tryouts were held Finally, the long-awaited day When ref lecting on the expe-
on 17 December to determine of the tournament came. On rience as a whole, Grade 9 stu-
which teams would represent the morning of, the attending dent Oriana Zhou said, “Overall,
the school. A total of nine teams MGCI teams joined a voice call I thought that the tournament
tried out, judged by 2021 MGCI as a final get-together before the was fun, even though some
Debate Club president and ex- tournament. They brief ly went parts were quite challenging.”
ecutive Akil Huang and Conner over the tournament’s logis- Through the challenges, it was
Lee, respectively. In the end, tics, passed on last minute tips, generally a positive and helpful
five teams were chosen and be- and pumped each other up. The experience for members of the
gan preparing for the tourna- tournament was about to begin. MGCI Debate Club.
ment. Teams were randomly slotted “I am incredibly proud of how
While the debaters attended in the first round of the tour- our debaters performed at this
their weekly debate practices, nament. When asked about his tournament,” said club president
thoughts before the first round, Larissa Long. “It was a chal-
Grade 10 student Jeremy Dai lenging and highly competitive
said, “I feel a little nervous. But, two days, and it was incredible
at the same time it will just be watching them apply the skills
an enjoyable experience, so I’m we had practiced throughout the
not too stressed out. I’m excit- year, and reap the results of it.
ed!” Following the first round, Many of these debaters have a lot
MGCI teams pushed forward of potential, and I look forward
in the competition, with each to seeing them at future tourna-
round featuring different top- ments.” This is the third debate
ics and other teams of the same tournament MGCI has attended
calibre. By the end of the second this school year, and the club
day, all teams had debated in at is planning on making its mark
least five rounds and collected at more competitions through-
helpful feedback from judges, out 2022, such as the Western
along with points contributing Spring High School Tournament
Illustration: Zoe Cheng to team rankings along the way. coming up in late February. ■
www.thereckoner.ca 9
5 FEBRUARY 2022
pillow talk
LIFE BOARD
by ANGELINA WANG
I quickly turn on the hairdryer. I can no longer
tell if someone is still yelling behind all the noise,
or if it's only the electrifying blow humming in my
ears. When I’m done, I’m also done crying, but I
A board for imaginative self-expression through written and visual content.
glare at the person in the mirror—nice poofy hair
ruined by the red and bloated face behind it—and
a wave of fluster and regret ends all the sulking.
What was the point of all that emotion?
The walls seem to lean in as the days get
colder. I draw the blinds, and as my fingers twist
the slats together, over an unrelieved view that
vacates for an unbounded pitch black every night,
I become more alone. Just me with the clutter of
mismatched furniture. I wonder if it even matters,
to close the blinds—on such tranquil nights, living
universes away from a life of a teen drama—not a
soul will see me anyways. Plus, I hate waking up
to a dark room.
I’m aware that nothing particularly
momentous, nor exciting, is happening tomorrow,
but I pretend I am in anticipation of the plans I’ve
made in my head during the last minute, knowing
that tomorrow can’t possibly be more dull than
today. I ritually turn off the lights and roll into
bed.
I have plans for myself tomorrow, but tonight
is all my own.
I’ve set up this little roleplay, night after night.
It's insane how it begins subconsciously every
time. As if between me and the wall, there’s
someone there listening, all my thoughts begin to
flow out my lips in low whispers. And after a good
20 minutes of talking, I wish I had written it all
down. And as if my blood pumps inanity instead
of air, I say,
“ …it's really good to have someone here..I
don’t think I’ve ever sat down with anyone and
talked like this…”
“...I’ve never said any of this to anybody, but
you know me— I hate keeping secrets, they just
get wound up inside me and eat me away…”
10 www.thereckoner.caLIFE BOARD
“...and I know that sometimes I sound like So it stood out well.
a complete lunatic— but I’ve always thought it's
better to sound crazy to others, than to be crazy There was a little window to the side of a house
within…” that had its light on, blinds undrawn, and there
stood the silhouette of a girl getting ready for bed.
“...it’s so good that you’re here…” I rubbed my eyes and she was still there. I couldn’t
“..but you know what’s funny?
I’ve had this same conversation
with myself over and over and
over, hoping one day I’ll get to say
it to a friend, someone like you,
someone other than myself….”
“...but you know what else is
funny? That’s what I’m doing
right now, and it's so, so sad that
you aren’t actually here…”
Oh it's so very funny. Whatever
it was that kept my words
flowing halted so the tears would
have their turn, again.
It was probably a page ripped
out of a journal. I put it back on
the bus seat where I found it.
I actually didn’t even know
what bus I’m on, just that I’m
heading south of the city. I was
ditching home tonight for the
first time.
My face stung from all the
crying, and the cold air stung it
even more when I stepped off the Illustration: Grace Zhu
bus.
It seemed like a nice neighborhood; there was a even see her clearly but the sight of her made my
school, a busy intersection of traffic, and the main streaming tears melt even more.
street was still bright and bustling. The streetlights
looked like big, blinking circles, the colour of CDs, I clearly didn’t know what I was doing, but I
as I squinted behind my watery eyes. I turned the grappled my way over the garbage bin, held on to
corner and headed in the direction of a smaller the gutters, and pulled myself up to a little section
street that diverged into a leaden landscape. of the roof that lay right in front.
The holiday lights were still up on some of the Like a lunatic, I gave a gentle knock on her
houses, but all else was dark. window. ■
www.thereckoner.ca 115 FEBRUARY 2022
Ruins
by JAVERIA SAJID
As the sun begins to peek They lie in wake of a Never will I bask in its glory.
from behind a dark veil, never-ending issue.
sparrows sing a mourning Reveling in disputes and rages. First loves and nights by the
song. Lost in mindless, irrational fireplace,
Air nips at my numb nose, arguments, dancing in the kitchen at mid-
my breath dancing in the air. holding clocks that never let night.
time pass. Spilled glasses and drunk ad-
Oak beams tumble down vances,
crashing, lifting dust into the Beetles grow stagnant in wait shattered mirrors raining
air. of what will never come. down.
Rot sequesters in my mind. The lady wails in despair as it
Each smudge of dirt a stain. all comes down. Memories haunt empty walls
Never to be removed What was once renowned, Leaving only the dust sticking
as paint keeps chipping. now forgotten. to the soles of my boots.
Illustration: Ivy Liu
12 www.thereckoner.caLIFE BOARD
Summer's Day
by SAM LI and JERRY HONG
T he looming skyscrap-
ers around him seem
to hoist the clouds up as
that complexity is shown
through conversation.
As he leisurely sips
and continues his walk.
He sees the baker com-
ing out of the bakery
if they would come crash- his French press, dark next door, dumping used
ing down like meteorites and rich, layered with a aluminum foil from a
otherwise, their smooth thin sheet of creamy oat tray into his trash bins.
windows beaming rays milk, he tastes the only He wonders how many
from the sun down to- standing anchor that sales the baker has made
wards him. As the tempo keeps the normality of this past week. Has the
of life slows to an andante his day. He feels the vi- rise in price of grain
of molasses, he smells the brant life that flourishes and related commodi-
vibrant city air—animat- around him; the crowd, ties been treating him
ed and rousing, almost the atmosphere, and an- well? Has his new cook-
honeyed, and florid. The imated chatter, every- ie recipe with cardamom
golden wheat fragrances thing was so perfect. worked out? Perhaps no
from the bread shop next He leaves his apart- one has noticed, but they
door waft into his home ment, and looks back. He will taste a similar cook-
and blossom in his mind. lives on the fourth floor ie and realize how much
He grips the front-door- of a small rectangular of a difference it made.
knob in his hand, savour- prism, sandwiched be- Around the corner, he
ing the rough texture tween two other tower- sees the chipper feral pi-
as he turns it. The cars ing giants. Both are res- geon that has sat by the
outside are engaged in idential, and the bottom same exact lamp every
a tussle of sound, horns floors are part of a shop- morning at the same time
cutting through the air ping center. The large for the past 496 days.
like a knife through but- wooden door is painted a They conduct their usu-
ter. The trees rustle, each dull green and the walls al meet-up routine with a
leaf adding a note to are brick. The rest of the light peck and as he con-
the collective sympho- mall has a more mod- tinues down the sidewalk,
ny the tree becomes. He ern feel, but this build- he sees old friends catch-
is then drawn to people ing had a hunting shop ing up, new friends in the
talking. What complexi- on the first floor and making, and enlighten-
ty each human life holds he liked its rustic atmo- ing chatter between busi-
and with what beauty sphere. He turns around nessmen brisk on their
www.thereckoner.ca 135 FEBRUARY 2022
walk to their next loca-
tion for monetary gain.
In the distance, he no-
tices teenage bikers rac-
ing past one another with
ease, laughing at one
another’s form and pos-
ture. Even from afar, he
feels the speed, the rise
and falls of the path, the
chance to go over grass,
mud or road… the free-
dom he always craved. He
would forever envy such
a privilege of absolute
autonomy, the indepen-
dence to travel the world
without concern of mon-
ey, the liberty to just relax
and forget about reality.
The city has so many
faces, that until you slow
down, grip all the hedge
stones, grace all the me-
andering esplanades and
come to terms with all
its emotions, you have
Illustration: Sonia Ravindran
no idea where you live.
He loved the city with amongst the crowd, there their hearts. He loved
every fiber of his being, are a thousand other men the city, for it was what
because for every thief with gleaming lights in made him who he is. ■
14 www.thereckoner.caLIFE BOARD
incompetence
by AKSHAYA VARAKUNAN
keep your dreams close and your most terrifying: unable to bear the fact that 24
discomfort closer until when will you be okay with hours are not enough
so close that it seeps into your things staying this way? not enough to save the whole
mind— world,
you don’t notice when it crosses we are all consumed by a raging but still enough to save some-
the line greed thing
between a driving force and suf- for the world to be better, and yet
focation I lose my mind when I put my this incompetence of mine, the
mind knowledge that I know nothing
the fear of disappointment is the in a world where there is nothing is what allows me to wake up in
most terrifying: to greed for the morning
to let others down is to let your- in this infinite world, there must
self down sentience numbs itself to keep be something
the love for disappointment is the itself together to keep waking up for
Illustration: Colleen Chang
www.thereckoner.ca 155 FEBRUARY 2022
All the Various Colours
by HATEEM FATIMA
A ll the various
colours of nail
polishes I have.
In its own way, that
carefully painted
pattern was pro-
tecting me.
Blue, green, yellow,
pink; you name it; But I’m fully aware
I’ll probably have that despite all the
one shade of it, if likes it gets, it’s not
not more. ideal. I know.
I’m not really sure I know nail pol-
when one became ishes are full of
two, and two be- chemicals. And I
came three, and know those chem-
all of sudden three icals can seep into
became twenty. I my nail bed. And
guess somewhere I know they can
along the way, the cause more harm
numbers became than good for my
blurry. nails.
It used to take only
ten minutes to ap- I know that after
ply nail polish on a while nail pol-
both hands. ish chips off. And
I know that it ru-
Illustration: Hiba Mulla
But once again, I’m ins the look of your
not sure when ten to cover my bare nail with pretty design.
minutes became thirty, and something new. Something
thirty minutes became for- fresh. I know I’d have to take care
ty-five. of my nails even more so
Because every time my nails than without the polish. I
I just know that each time I are bare, they chip. know.
did my nails, more and more
intricate designs were dis- They break. But despite that all, every
played. once in a while, I can’t help
And I have to start all over but gloss over my nails
I wanted the design to look again. Wait for them to grow; with one of my various
fun. The colours to look pret- a process that sometimes bright, shiny, and appealing
ty. And most importantly, takes a whole month for me. colours. ■
16 www.thereckoner.caLIFE BOARD
Lucy Qi
mixed feelings
www.thereckoner.ca 175 FEBRUARY 2022
Oriana Zhou
The heart
18 www.thereckoner.caLIFE BOARD
Afternoon
Donna Zhang
www.thereckoner.ca 195 FEBRUARY 2022
EDITORIAL BOARD
A board that amplifies student voices through supported opinions.
Inequality, Aid, and Coal: Tales of Climate Hypocrisy
by ANTHONY CHEN
Ither.fchange
you don’t believe that climate
exists, don’t read any fur-
morrow, Kiribati will be completely
underwater in a few decades—and
when was the last time a stateless ref-
the Middle East is warming twice as
fast as the global average, and some
areas will soon be too hot for humans
That wasn’t some bold political ugee was invited to a climate confer- to survive in the future [8]. Countries
statement. I was originally going to ence? in those regions—barring oil-rich
cover the abundant evidence from The average Canadian has the ones with more funds to deal with cli-
atmospheric measurements and same carbon footprint as 40 Kiriba- mate change—are affected the most
millennia-old ice cores which prove tians, yet Canada won’t be the one despite contributing only a fraction
that humanity has affected Earth’s that will be entirely underwater in of our impact to climate change [6].
climate. I was then going to explain decades. Such is the reality of cli- It gets worse. Not only are first
how it all started when we first be- mate change. Pacific island countries world countries currently emitting
gan using fossil fuels at scale during are the most threatened by climate more greenhouse gases, they have
the Industrial Revolution [1]. I also change, even though they emit the also historically emitted far more
wanted to explore the patchwork least carbon both in total and per greenhouse gases than other coun-
of international law concerning cli- capita [6]. Other regions of the world tries [9]. While some might say that
mate change, from the 1992 UN are similar. Africa is running out of we need to focus on the current pic-
Framework Convention on Climate water during a population boom, ture of carbon emissions, the fact re-
Change—first to acknowledge cli- and Southeast Asia is battered by ty- mains: every atom of carbon released
mate change—to the Glasgow Cli- phoon after typhoon [7]. Meanwhile, into the atmosphere has affected the
mate Pact just signed in November
2021 [2]. I even found a cutting-edge
in-browser climate model that would
show how anthropogenic effects far
outweighed natural climate change
and demonstrate the impacts of var-
ious climate policies [3]. However, I
eventually realised that many readers
wouldn’t want to read two thousand
words about the structure of the UN
and another two on global wind cur-
rents, JavaScript does not ordinarily
run in .pdfs, and The Reckoner has a
strict word limit on editorials [4].
Instead, let me take you to Kiribati
(pronounced Kiri-bass). It’s an archi-
pelago of islands in the central Pacific
that you’ve probably never heard of.
There are just over 100,000 people
there, and climate change is a daily
reality for all of them. Agriculture is
a primary source of income, and ris-
ing sea levels have been destroying
their freshwater supply and crops. As
a result, many residents are famous
activists, often confronting oil exec-
utives at conferences [5]. But the ex-
ecutives aren’t worried one bit. Even
if we stopped using all fossil fuels to- Illustration: Akshaya Varakunan
20 www.thereckoner.caEDITORIAL BOARD
global climate, even if it didn’t show If you think that, I have bad news. happens, the resulting emissions re-
up on the UN’s latest annual emis- Recently, rich countries complete- duction would be far greater than
sions report. Now that developed ly missed a 2009 pledge to provide could be effected by any amount of
countries have emitted many times $100 billion to poor and vulnerable condemnations directed at develop-
their “fair share” of emissions, many countries by 2020. $100 billion was ing countries for daring to emit emis-
developing countries are demand- estimated as the bare minimum that sions and develop—and better yet,
ing “climate reparations” for their poor countries needed to adapt to cli- the post-reduction situation would
lost economic opportunities before mate change, to say nothing of reduc- be far more equal than the world is
committing to any reduction in emis- ing emissions. By various indepen- now. Only then can we bandage the
sions—effectively holding the entire dent estimates, the developed world wounds of climate change and look
world hostage [10]. However, if ev- scraped up anywhere from 1% to 23% past the shared struggles—to an un-
eryone wants developing countries to of that—Canada contributing far less certain future.
invest titanic sums in reducing emis- than our fair share based on historic In the meantime, I’m trying to stay
sions and no one wants to foot the emissions, current emissions, popu- mindful of contradictions. Contradic-
bill, what are they to do? Why should lation, and relative wealth. Now, the tions like when the most anticipated
they reduce emissions if they benefit same $100 billion funding goal has climate conference ever also has the
more from continuing to develop and been set for 2022 [14]. Do you think largest carbon footprint. Contradic-
emit? we’ll succeed? tions like promoting global coal bans
Like every other developed coun- At the COP26 climate conference, when billions rely on it for electrici-
try, Canada agreed to the Rio formu- the British conference president ty. Contradictions like countries that
la in 1992 that stipulated “common boldly proclaimed that “We [should] should be reducing their emissions
and differentiated responsibilities” in leave [coal] in the past where it be- forcing developing countries to do so
climate action [2]. We like the “com- longs,” to much applause [15]. That instead. ■
mon” part—”we’re all in this togeth- was easy for him to say because the
er” is a common refrain—but not so UK is a developed country and doesn’t Works Cited
much the “responsibility” part. You need coal—it was even the first to an- [1] https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
may recall Trump facing global con- nounce a phase-out schedule for coal [2] https://treaties.un.org/doc/Trea-
demnation for withdrawing from the in 2015. Like him, you might also ties/1994/03/19940321%2004-56%20AM/
Paris Climate Agreement because he think that we should abandon coal as Ch_XXVII_07p.pdf
[3] https://github.com/carbonplan/mar-
felt it was unfair to the US—it’s worth quickly as possible. In our comfort- go-js
noting here that America makes up able and modern lives, coal seems a [4] https://www.youtube.com/
less than 5% of the global population relic of the past. The millions of coal watch?v=F4qicK39ISc
but uses over 25% of the world’s re- labourers and electricity-less citizens [5] https://www.theguardian.com/
sources [11]. But you may not have of India would disagree. “If there is world/2017/oct/23/waiting-for-the-tide-to-
realised that it was only the latest coal, then we live. If there isn’t any turn-kiribatis-fight-for-survival
event in a long history of developed coal, then we don’t,” a coal scavenger [6] https://www.worldometers.info/
countries agreeing to targets with observed in an interview with the As- co2-emissions/co2-emissions-per-capita/
multi-year deadlines that they lat- sociated Press [16]. The loose pieces [7] https://thehill.com/changing-america/
er won’t meet. Clinton agreed to the of coal they scavenge and sell every sustainability/climate-change/526684-
these-are-the-10-countries-most-at-risk-
Kyoto Protocol in 1998, before Bush day are a promise of industry and from
withdrew in 2001. Its deadline was further development, similar to how [8] https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/24/
2012. If you think Canada was any it heralded progress for Britain in the the-middle-east-is-becoming-literally-unin-
better, we withdrew right before the Industrial Revolution when Britain habitable/
deadline because we didn’t want to produced and used the most coal in [9] https://www.nature.com/immersive/
pay the financial penalty for missing the world. To us, coal is the past. But d41586-019-02711-4/index.html
our targets [12]. for the citizens of India—as well as [10] https://www.npr.
We outsource our production and for many in other developing coun- org/2021/11/11/1054809644/climate-
disposal to developing countries, tries—coal is the future. Their future change-cop26-loss-and-damage
then inevitably attack them for the [17]. [11] https://www.scientificamerican.com/
article/american-consumption-habits/
resultant pollution [18]. They mine The point of this article is not to [12] https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cli-
the rare earth metals in our smart- make readers feel guilty about their mate-canada-biden-1.5997102
phones, produce them for a fraction privilege of living in a developed [13] https://www.nytimes.
of the cost, and later allow us to dis- country, but to present an accurate com/2018/09/04/climate/outsourcing-car-
pose of the toxic e-waste by dumping picture of today’s global inequalities bon-emissions.html
it in their lands [13]. Why don’t we and stir them to action. Our govern- [14] https://www.nature.com/articles/
do that in our homes and watch our ments implore developing countries d41586-021-02846-3
emissions rise? Perhaps you already to cut emissions when we should be [15] https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-poli-
know the answer. We’re worried leading by example and reducing our tics-57108066
about our future, and third-world disproportionate carbon emissions. [16] https://apnews.com/article/climate-sci-
ence-business-india-europe-2a319a7c2d-
residents aren’t. That’s because they We hardly are. But if enough people f1a3fc2816d8e1f4aecf25
don’t have a future. They don’t even demand change, the companies and [17] https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/
have a present. governments—including ours—most research/publications/the-coal-dilemma/
“So what,” I hear you say. “Big deal. responsible for climate change can [18] https://www.washingtonpost.com/
It’s unfair, but we’ll give them aid be brought in line with domestic law graphics/business/batteries/congo-co-
and they can develop sustainably.” and international treaties. And if that balt-mining-for-lithium-ion-battery/
www.thereckoner.ca 215 FEBRUARY 2022
Terrors of ter and unzipping bags as people reach
for their Presto cards.
of the bus presents itself. At the very
back, students surprised by the sudden
Taking TTC
A loud PSSCHHHHHH rises above movement either trip down the stairs
the din, and the bus slowly rumbles or hit their heads on the incredibly low
to a stop. Accompanied by a flashing ceiling while those in the front, terrified
display of lights, the black-framed of crossing the forbidden white line,
by PAUL SHUR doors swing open ominously. Instant- struggle to maintain balance. Worst is
ly, all hell breaks loose. The civilized
C arrying heavy hearts laden with the middle of the bus, which one must
mannerism which our ancestors toiled swim through in order to get off. Sand-
homework and fear of tests, many tirelessly to establish is tossed out the
students arrive at school each day wiched between dozens of people with
window as students use whatever is at
dreading what’s to come. These same no path of escape, it’s not uncommon
their disposal to board. Flailing hands
people are the ones who, from Monday to wonder what on earth happened to
grab onto bags, straps, and seats—
to Friday, at 2:44 pm sharp, sit up- social distancing during COVID times.
anything within reach. People push,
right in their seats with eyes glued to shove, and jostle each other trying to Eventually, the bus arrives at your
the second-hand of the clock, waiting make space for themselves; the bus stop and you hastily jump off onto the
for the bell to ring. And when it does, almost becomes a jigsaw puzzle as stu- pavement that never seemed more
the blissful feeling of freedom that had dents do whatever it takes to become a beautiful. Taking deep breaths, you
been restrained for the past five hours fitting piece. silently congratulate yourself for sur-
breaks free of its shackles. Textbooks Just when you think things have viving such a journey when a sudden
are slammed shut, chairs haphazardly slightly calmed down, the driver revs thought stops you in your tracks—
stacked, and a mad dash to the door the engine and the bus lurches for- you’ll have to bus home again tomor-
ensues. The silent hallways erupt with ward. This is where the poor structure row. ■
laughter and cheers, as a mob of stu-
dents leap down the stairs and spill
onto the sunlit parking lot.
But for a select few students who
have no choice but to take the bus
home, the ordeal is far from over. In
this article, I will be arguing on behalf
of my fellow public-transit-takers on
why the true terror of going to and
leaving school does not lie in the desti-
nation, but rather in the journey.
Many people have a glorified view
of taking the bus; some see it as a gal-
lant display of independence, while
others treat it as excess socialization
time with their friends. I myself once
had these same thoughts, until the
cruel clutches of reality yanked my
head out of the clouds. In truth, the
bus ride home is a route filled with
dangers and discomfort. This is due to
two main reasons; the sheer volume of
people, and the horrible structure of
public transit.
I feel like a lot of people underes-
timate the number of people that de-
pend on the TTC to get home. Indeed,
in the beginning, waiting for the bus
isn’t so bad; people are sparsely spread
out along the sidewalk and minding
their own business. But this is just the
calm before the storm.
As soon as the red and blue head-
lights of the bus turn the corner, eyes
that had been glued to phone screens
shoot up with lightning speed. Then
without warning, a suffocating wave
of bodies surges forward, funneling
towards the spots where the bus doors
open. The air fills with sounds of chat- Illustration: Helen Sun
22 www.thereckoner.caEDITORIAL BOARD
The Rings We Reject
by ANGELINA WANG
B ulky hard-plastic binders, chunky zip-up cloth
binders, and flimsy binders that yearn to slice your
hand open have a lot in common. They are a waste of
do you use?!?!?!?!”
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce
some simple, underrated, and surprisingly effective
space, they never fit in your bag when you need them office supplies that you, as a student, can put to use.
to, and they leave both your lifetime’s work and sani- 1) Paper clips: sit down for a moment and evaluate the
ty hanging by a few half-centimeters of seriously frail amount of material you carry to and from the hellhole
material. day after day - the amount of material you actually
Binders are for binding paper in the most “versatile” need is probably a whole lot less than the entire course
and “user friendly” way. Yet their versatility merely (see? binders are a bad influence on you). Select the
ranges from providing a fine layout for viewing docu- material required for the near future, and sort them
ments during business conferences and group presen- if necessary. Use small paper clips for small piles, and
tations, to…nothing else [1]. Besides this, user man- large paper clips for the stuff you no longer need. Store
uals that utilize binders and are created for frequent the necessary materials in… 2) folders! and store the
references are designed to be rummaged and generally unnecessary materials in 3) file holders at home! This
have stronger paper & other features. They can also is just one of likely countless organizational methods
just be called books. For all it’s worth, my student ex- that are superior to the physically and mentally ravag-
perience has taught me that no soul has the effort to ing binders.
bind every single sheet of paper with plastic just to In short, as students, binders are responsible for
pierce it with metal rings and bind it all with heftier nothing but utter deception and the tearing apart of
plastic. We want to study, not create some literary ar- everything.
tifact. We can do better. ■
“User friendly” is quite a stretch. As students who
delve into class material through long, sleepless nights Works Cited
and galvanizing, meteoric days, every snap of the irk- [1] https://www.formaxprinting.com/blog/2010/02/the-3-
ring-binder-124-years-old-and-still-used-by-everyone
ing metal clamps harmonizes with the snapping of a [2] https://www.univenture.com/safetysleeve/3-ring-bind-
cranial nerve, and every shut commences the shutting ers/
down of something in our own bodies. Every widen-
ing hole in our pitiful paper is an irremediable hole in
our dignity and routine. Every provoking (not ASMR)
ripping sound rips away at our spirit.
The 21st century is nothing short of an innova-
tion-filled technological revolution. Binders, on the
other hand, are nothing short of an insult to our evo-
lution. In the year 1854, patents for loose-leaf paper
preceded those for 2- and 3-ringed binders, and since
then, the only development seen has been the addition
of pockets and the increasing environmental issue of
disposing of vinyl [2]. Speaking of which, vinyl, like
binders, is a relatively ‘ancient’ creation, but unlike
binders, we appreciate its continued flourishment in
the market, as it adds value in a nostalgic manner.
The worst part is, binders are made to join and se-
cure, but they ultimately constrain and confine. They
give us no choice to carry them around, regardless of
the amount of paper being bound. They force us to
use hole punchers, which are also neither pleasant nor
sleek office utensils. Do you carry a binder for each
subject? Jam-pack them all into one? What if you don’t
want to carry all the material with you? No problem!
Flip through, thrust open the clamps, remove the stuff
no longer needed, buy another binder, stick those pa-
pers in, shove it in your closet. We are being hustled by
the retailers, and we pretend this invasive species helps
us with organization and productivity.
At this point, you are probably asking, “Then what Illustration: Max Lu
www.thereckoner.ca 235 FEBRUARY 2022
Peeling a Scab: Pandemic Restrictions
by DEREK CHEN
Illustration: Samara Rahman
I f you’ve scraped your knee as a
little kid before, you know that
it will turn into a scab. It usual-
The lenient parent is like the Cana-
dian government, keeping a loose
watch over travellers and imple-
mation and the release of mucus
in the lungs, which makes it hard-
er and harder to breathe. Even as
ly starts itching after a few days. menting restrictions far too late. But the condition of the patient deteri-
You’ve probably been told not to peel the wound of the pandemic bleeds orates, visits can only be brief, and
the scab, too. Now, from here, two as its growing scab is repeatedly when it is hopeless, some families
different kinds of memories branch torn off by loose restrictions that give consent to turn off the ma-
off. One is of the strict parent who continue to allow travel and gather- chines, which are the only things
gives a stinging slap to your hand ings, which spread the virus. Both keeping the patient alive. The ago-
whenever it inches closer to the choices hurt, and neither is ideal, ny has been described as anything
scab. The other is of the lenient par- but it is an undeniable truth that from the sensation of thousands of
ent who lets you keep picking and the government needs to become bees stinging inside the chest to be-
peeling until the warm blood from more strict and timely towards lim- ing smothered [1]. Many suffocate.
the revived wound streams down iting the spread of the pandemic. Along with patients, front-line
your fingers. This childish situation The numbers have hardened workers have been suffering from
seems somewhat similar to what we us. The media blares large num- this pandemic. Many of them live
are put through in the pandemic. bers at us and people with lives isolated, fearing that they will con-
The strict parent is the govern- and legacies, happy families and tract COVID-19 and pass it on to
ments of countries like China, put- cherished memories just turn into their families. They hear the stories
ting an iron grip on everyone, “slap- digits on a webpage. Rarely do we of people like Bob Waldron, a per-
ping” in the form of firm curfews, think about the suffering of those sonal support worker in Montreal
sudden lockdowns, and stringent 30 000 people who died in Cana- who suffered from PTSD after los-
rules. However, these restrictions da during this pandemic. These ing his father to the virus he passed
severely damage the economy, cre- people don’t just fade away into on to his whole family [2]. A Sta-
ate paranoia, and separate people. nothing. COVID-19 causes inflam- tistics Canada survey found that 7
24 www.thereckoner.caEDITORIAL BOARD
in 10 health care workers felt their ing and ambulances are frequent- healthcare workers from one more
mental health was worsening over ly unavailable during life-threat- day of trauma and reunite one more
the duration of the pandemic [3]. ening emergencies [5][6][7]. parent and child, then the sacrifice
As more and more cases emerge Right when the scab is al- of another lockdown is worth it.
like bubbles in a Coke, it is clear most done its job, we peel it Economies can heal, and separated
that the government needs to take away, and the wound is revived. people can heal. However, trauma
more actions to limit the spread And it gets exceedingly worse ev- lingers, and death is permanent.
of COVID-19. The pandemic won’t ery time. This repeated cycle of loos- We are already seeing our losses
just stop if we put restrictions in ening restrictions and unprepared- mount from the Omicron variant.
place, but doing nothing means ness provokes a genuine question: Experts have already told us that
more people die from COVID-19 Is Ontario’s government collective- restrictions are too late, once again.
and more unbearable days for ly any smarter than a 5 year old who It’s time our government learns
front-line workers to endure. On- can’t resist the urge to pick at a scab? from its countless mistakes, the
tario needs more restrictions in- The government can’t continue thousands of preventable deaths it
voked in a more timely manner. putting in place restrictions only has caused. When the next wave
We are always a few steps behind. after the situation evolves out of inevitably heads our way, we must
The government of Ontario lift- control, or we will always be too have stricter restrictions, and they
ed restrictions in October, only to late. It ignored the warnings before need to be in place before the sit-
then be clobbered by the Omicron the second wave, the third wave, uation worsens. It’s time we leave
variant. Understaffed, undereq- and now the fourth wave. What the scab on. We’ve peeled and bled
uipped hospitals are now over- resulted was the overflowing of and peeled and bled, and now we’re
whelmed by another variant that hospitals, countless preventable bleeding again. We need to make a
we had plenty of time to prepare for. deaths, and a grimly embarrassing commitment to not pick at it again.
The periodic peaks and upward display of our government’s inabili- It does itch painfully, but we will
trend of COVID-19 cases are ob- ty to learn from past mistakes. The realise that picking at it will make
vious and simple. The first wave government needs to listen to pre- us bleed even more painfully. So
of the pandemic in Ontario saw a dictions and take action before the let’s endure that persistent itch, so
peak of 40 cases in one day prov- situation becomes dire. Restric- that we will leave fewer scars. ■
ince-wide. This was outrageous at tions must tighten, and they must
the time. The second wave, which tighten earlier, in order to prevent Works Cited
countless predictions had warned the damage that could be caused. [1] https://www.vox.com/2021/2/20/22280817/
would be worse than the first, As more variants emerge, re- covid-19-deaths-us-nursing-home-icu-venti-
and which Canada had more than strictions on the movement and lator
enough time to prepare for, saw gathering of people are becoming [2] https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-
a massive reopening. Instead of the best option. Protection from care-and-front-line-workers-describe-dealing-
even an attempt to lock down, we vaccines is dropping. The most with-anxiety-ptsd-due-to-covid-19-1.5287174
were caught completely off guard. widely administered Pfizer-BioN- [3] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/dai-
ly-quotidien/210202/dq210202a-eng.htm
The surge in cases skyrocketed to Tech’s COVID-19 vaccine used to
[4] https://covid-19.ontario.ca/data/case-num-
nearly 2 500 in one day. Another have an 80% chance of avoiding
bers-and-spread
reopening later, the third wave set infection. With Omicron, that fig-
[5] https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-hospi-
a new record: over 4 800 cases in ure has dropped to 33% [8]. Cloth
tals-face-staffing-challenges-as-covid-19-cas-
one day [4]. Wave after wave, we masks can barely block the new
es-continue-to-mount-1.5725749
were unprepared. And now, despite variant, which is 4-8 times more
[6] https://globalnews.ca/news/8410919/omi-
innumerable warnings of the Omi- infectious than the previous re- cron-variant-travel-ban-canada/
cron variant being by far the most cord-holder [9]. As more, even [7] https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-para-
formidable variant we will have stronger variants emerge, the most medic-union-issues-warning-after-no-am-
faced, it has caught us, once again, effective strategy will be restric- bulances-were-available-to-respond-to-life-
off guard. The Omicron variant tions on travel and gatherings. threatening-call-1.5733424
is catapulting cases to more than Restrictions damage the economy, [8] https://www.reuters.com/business/health-
18 000 in a single day (which is like- and separate people in a time when care-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-vaccine-pro-
ly an underestimate), and experts they need the most support, but in tecting-against-hospitalisation-during-omi-
are once again telling us that the such a pandemic there is no way to cron-wave-study-2021-12-14/
frantically instated restrictions are salvage everything. Sacrifices must [9] https://globalnews.ca/news/8460528/
“too late” as hospitals are overflow- be made. If restrictions can spare masks-effectiveness-omicron/
www.thereckoner.ca 255 FEBRUARY 2022
Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be Mandated
by CHANG CHANG LI
T hroughout history, humans
have always faced plights of
sickness. The Bubonic Plague,
a feat of modern medicine: vaccines.
No more would millions of peo-
ple have to die from the wrath of
centuries, take lives within society.
Now, we are once again faced with
a disease that has taken the lives
Smallpox, Polio—all of which have plagues and pandemics. No more of millions of people worldwide,
seen millions of deaths across the would society be crippled and dis- but suddenly the very technology
world. In past cases, humanity had mantled by the devastating casu- that has saved humanity count-
to suffer and endure the havoc of alties brought upon us by disease. less times in history is shunned by
disease, but in recent decades we No more would the diseases of the a sizable portion of our population.
have been graced and protected by past, that have haunted humans for We see in our media the
Illustration: Ajita Kanthathasan
26 www.thereckoner.caEDITORIAL BOARD
voices of conservative and skeptic may as well never walk because you protected and those who aren’t are
figures who discredit and slander could slip or fall, or never eat be- simply taking their own risk, but
the credibility of our vaccines and cause you may choke and suffocate. many fail to mention how this af-
medicine for the sake of “person- Everyone, excluding those who fects the underrepresented, those
al freedom” and “safety”, but none have been suggested otherwise by who are unable to take the vaccine
of these claims are based on any medical professionals, has no rea- because of health conditions.
sort of truth and lack basic fore- son to not take a COVID-19 vac- There are millions of people across
thought. What has been spouted by cine due to the unprecedented and the world who are unable to take the
many media figures and politicians extreme amount of supervision, vaccine due to previous health con-
through this pandemic haven’t been analysis, and regulation implement- ditions or because of their age. Is it
facts. They have been harmful and ed by the countries of the world. fair to endanger these groups of peo-
malicious lies that have fooled and Furthermore, there is no reason ple and thrust a serious and some-
deceived many within our society. to be against such a vaccine man- times debilitating virus at them?
The COVID-19 vaccine is un- date as many vaccines are already No, and that is where the concept
doubtedly one of the safest and most mandated across the world. In our of herd immunity comes into play.
effective vaccines in medical histo- school systems, we require children Currently, the percentage of Ca-
ry, and any sort of rejection of this to get vaccinated against many vi- nadians vaccinated for COVID-19
notion is unfounded, which I will ruses in the interest of keeping kids is nowhere close to the threshold
prove today. The pandemic has al- safe. What difference does one more necessary for herd immunity. What
ready taken the lives of too many vaccine make? Most sensible citi- is herd immunity? Well, herd im-
within the world, and the only true zens are aware of how safe and ef- munity is when the population of
way to prevent and minimize the fective all these vaccines are, but in vaccinated people is large enough
harm this illness has brought to the reality, many are torn on whether to the point where the unvaccinat-
world is through the efforts of vac- or not vaccination is serious enough ed population is unable or incred-
cination. At some point, the mis- of a matter to mandate them for ibly unlikely to contract a virus.
information that has infested our all able recipients. But if you dig With COVID-19, this would allow
society can no longer be tolerated. deeper, this hesitancy about more people who are sensitive to the vi-
At this point, a vaccine mandate is extreme policies is simply based rus the ability to continue a normal
the only true way to save lives and on irrationalities that have been life again and live without fear of
aid in a return to normalcy within spouted by conservative media. contracting the virus. Whether it’s
our society. Although controversial Many may say that such a man- someone’s grandmother or their rel-
as a policy, those who reject it sim- date would be a violation of person- ative with a rare illness, everyone
ply do not understand or are misin- al freedom and bodily autonomy, knows someone who is especially
formed on what a mandate would but such a view is simply selfish. prone to this virus and in the in-
impose, which is what I would Sure, you should have a decision on terests of everyone around us, it is
like to explain within this article. what you do with your body, but not important to reach the threshold of
Now the first important question, when you are endangering others herd immunity to keep people safe.
before even determining whether the around you. Studies from the Uni- It has come to the point in the
COVID vaccine should be mandat- versity of Oxford have shown that pandemic at which something has
ed, is whether or not these vaccines those who are vaccinated are less to change and more drastic mea-
are safe and efficient for human con- likely to transmit COVID-19, and so sures have to be taken. For the sake
sumption, and the answer to that when you are walking around un- of everyone in our society and in the
question is an undeniable, “Yes.” vaccinated, you are increasing the interests of moving past this stage
Peer-reviewed studies around chance of those around you con- in a time dominated by COVID-19,
the world along with institutional tracting COVID-19, some of whom a vaccine mandate must be enacted.
trials by every major country have may have autoimmune diseases that No more should people have to suffer
all reached the same conclusion, make such a virus possibly deadly. and lose their lives due to the virus
the vaccine is not only very safe, You may have the right to bodily when the solution is right in front of
but also very effective at combat- autonomy, but what trumps that is our eyes. In the interests of people,
ing COVID-19. The Pfizer and Bio- the right to safety and health, and in the interests of the economy, and
tech vaccine, for one, is roughly the right that citizens have to be able the interests of the nation as a whole,
95% effective against the virus and to walk on the streets their money a vaccine mandate is necessary to
has shown very few cases in which has paved without fear of falling ill. preserve the health of our nation. ■
people have been directly harmed Sure, a mandate may limit your free-
by the vaccine. Even in these cas- dom in some areas, but it is in place Works Cited
es, there is no reason to be scared to restore the right for people to [1] https://apic.org/monthly_alerts/herd-im-
of such side effects, as what could live in a safe and functional society. munity
potentially happen to you is so un- Now, why is such a mandate [2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavi-
likely that it is unreasonable to even even necessary? Many may think rus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/
consider it. With those odds, you that those who are vaccinated are Pfizer-BioNTech.html.
www.thereckoner.ca 27You can also read
