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Students cut sweaters to protest weather

By Emerald Bensadoun

Despite the numerous demands and increasing pressure on the weather to stop changing among campuses and social media, Canadian temperatures continue to fluctuate, soaring to 28 degrees one day and 13 degrees the next. After what Ryerson University students are calling “the last straw,” students all across the GTA are adorning sweaters – or at least half of their sweaters, until the weather gets it shit together.

The trend began on Sunday when temperatures fluctuated at an unprecedented level, beginning at 12 degrees, going up to 22 degrees and then back down again to 15. The first cases were spotted in the Ryerson quad at 10:47 a.m. by two female students, who appeared to have cut off the full sides of their sweaters and jackets. Originally dismissed as cult demonstration, their cries were unheard by Mother Nature, and the weather ultimately proceeded to get colder.

Ryerson student Rawanduh Shmalulub, 19, is primarily concerned for the effect that the weather’s decisions will have on women. “The weather is targeting women, because of our naturally colder body disposition,” she said, through tears. “I thought it was going to be warm outside, so I wore a t-shirt. I had no choice but to ask for a boy for his sweater. I felt like I’d been emotionally attacked, like I owed him something. It wasn’t fair.”

Students at other schools are experiencing similar issues. University of Toronto student Thatother Guy, 20, considers it an act of war. “This type of weather doesn’t promote a safe space among Canadian campuses. We’re cancelling plans, not seeing each other, not able to wear what we want to wear – we’ve tried petitioning but the weather isn’t willing to hear us out,” said Guy. “We’re standing up for our right to know what to wear in the morning. We’re fighting back for freedom.”

On Monday morning at 8:35 a.m., the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) announced that Ryerson University would not be supporting the fashion fad.

“Yes, the weather is acting poorly. But should we really stoop to its level? Innocent sweaters are being brutally murdered,” said Obaid Ullah, RSU president. “The weather wants us to turn on each other, sweater against human, and we will not give the weather what it wants.”

While the sweaters have declined to comment on the matter (because they can’t), the RSU is hopeful that their support will resonate with both the sweaters and the students.

“Ryerson University is an institution of higher learning. We might be cold-ish but we are not barbarians, blindly hacking off the halves of our sweaters,” said Ullah. “We’re better than this, guys.”

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