Particularly in the public sector, strikes are an integral element of the collective bargaining agreement negotiation process. With an employer as powerful and politically driven as the government, employees’ best option for leverage is delaying a resolution and using the population’s subsequent outrage to pressure for a concession. However, Canada’s educational institutions ought to be… Continue reading writing || Ontario Teachers are Essential: The Economic, Social Safety, and Human Rights Consequences of Teachers’ Right to Strike
Category: ideas & perspectives
writing || so you want to tell a story: brands and individuals you can learn from
I originally wrote this post for publishing on a conference blog at my university. I'm not that happy with how it turned out, but in the interest of writing more consistently, and learning from my mistakes, I figured I'd share it anyways. Enjoy! When Leonardo DiCaprio said, “sell me this pen” in the iconic scene… Continue reading writing || so you want to tell a story: brands and individuals you can learn from
writing || asking the right questions
On a superficial level, I like asking questions. They're easy. They're painless. They take little effort on my part. When I'm nervous speaking, they give me a break to collect and attend to what little insecurities have bubbled up over the course of a conversation. And most of all, they make people like me more.… Continue reading writing || asking the right questions
writing || On the 9 to 5
The Queen's Solar Design Team's retrofitted autonomous home on campus. Three months ago, I started my first 9 to 5 job. I'm working as the business manager for the Queen's Solar Design Team, which is a self-managed design team operating out of the engineering department. It forms part of a "Summer Work Experience Program" that… Continue reading writing || On the 9 to 5
writing || vulnerability in a professional context
The two papers stare desperately back at me. Am I missing anything? I go through the checklist in my head: examples, explanations, something creative. A lady clears her throat and my heart rate shoots up. Grabbing the pencil, I scratch three straight lines on a new sheet and tear it out of its pad just… Continue reading writing || vulnerability in a professional context
writing || time is not money: on storytelling and sunk costs
They say time is money, but that’s not exactly true. Since being exposed to the research field through my professors at university and Richard Thaler’s “Misbehaving”, I’ve found it fascinating to read studies that explore the bridge between psychology, decision-making and economics. At the moment, I'm looking into sunk costs and “mental accounting” - a… Continue reading writing || time is not money: on storytelling and sunk costs
writing || hello 19: 8 things i learned in 2018
I'm turning 19 in just a few days, and one of the perks of being born so close to New Years' is that, to me, my birthday becomes an even bigger milestone than the turn of the year. Although this time around I won't be doing my usual resolutions, I wanted to still take some… Continue reading writing || hello 19: 8 things i learned in 2018
writing || dear ioana, here’s how your 2019 is going to go: a letter to myself from june
dear ioana, this is ioana. I'm sitting in the library and I just got a radical idea. Radical, dude. It's related to the post I made a couple days ago. But for you, who's old and wrinkled and none the wiser, it's a post I wrote six months ago. Haha, sucker! Each year, as December… Continue reading writing || dear ioana, here’s how your 2019 is going to go: a letter to myself from june
writing || flowers for algernon
What a book. Not only did Flowers for Algernon make me cry, but it made me think. In an explosion of ways, in all directions, about everything life and death and in between. I loved this book. I don't even know where to start, but I know I want to write about it so that… Continue reading writing || flowers for algernon
writing || brief thoughts on private journaling vs public writing
Journaling. It's great, but I'm starting to think blogging may be a better practice. Writing for others forces you to make sense to minds other than your own and be a coherent personality. It's a bit more challenging but also requires more effort to ensure your words are as raw and organic as possible -… Continue reading writing || brief thoughts on private journaling vs public writing
writing || altruism or egoism: the merits of selfishness in an idealist’s world
Would our society be better if most of us were altruistic (did things genuinely for the benefit of others) or egoistic (put our own needs and wants first)? And further, what about our own well-being? What's the best way to live your own life? University has challenged my personal values immensely. I've had to figure… Continue reading writing || altruism or egoism: the merits of selfishness in an idealist’s world
writing || how to avoid stress and burnout in university
I still have a ways to go before I find my studying groove in university. Not only is there an impossible workload and so many aspects of life to balance, but my definition of "caught up" doesn't lend itself well to the work I've been seeing in the past month. I really value the education… Continue reading writing || how to avoid stress and burnout in university
lifestyle || what i learned: my first month at Queen’s university
Hi! I'm Ioana and I'm studying Commerce at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. This is an update sort of video in which I talk about what university has been like so far, what I've learned and share some advice for high school students entering university! P.s. So sorry about the poor quality - the night… Continue reading lifestyle || what i learned: my first month at Queen’s university
writing || know yourself
My high school philosophy class once touched briefly upon a paradox whose name I don't remember but whose topic intrigued me. The question was: are we the same person all our lives? Is "Ioana" (that's me!) a consistently defined entity? You might instinctively shout yes, because after all, you've got memories that belong to you… Continue reading writing || know yourself
writing || happiness, productivity, and success is cultural | my trip to romania
helloo world! I got back from my 3-week solo trip to visit family in Romania a couple days ago. It’s been an absolutely astonishing past month for me. I had a blast spending time with my (apparently pretty big) family, making new friends, and embracing new experiences. I was also learning so freaking much every… Continue reading writing || happiness, productivity, and success is cultural | my trip to romania